Re: Will News/Information In Morning Drive Soon Vanish from Music Stations?

["Shel" <Shel@big68.org>]

>>Metro Networks in most markets doesn't even subscribe to wire
>>services. What they refer to 'published' reports' comes directly from
>>your morning paper or the Web.
>
>What an abomination.  UPI at least!
>
>Bill O'Neill

Shel says:  A frind of mine has worked for Metro in Miami, Florida for 14
years.  I forwarded him the above message, and here's his response:

>From Dave Mitchell:


I can only speak for the Miami operation, in which I know the above is NOT
true.

While we do monitor other news sources (newspaper, major television
networks, etc.), ALL wire services (AP, UPI, Reuters, etc.) do also.

Our primary source of news in Miami comes from Metro Video News.  This is
our own media division with 25 full- or part-time photojournalists and
assignment desk editors.  We monitor literally thousands of police and
public service communications frequencies every second of the day, 24/7.

We also work directly with dozens of public information officers for area
law enforcement agencies; state, county and municipal governmental entities,
and major organizations in the private sector.  I can't tell you the amount
of paper we use receiving press-release faxes.

Our journalists (both photojournalists and broadcast reporters, as
necessary)  are dispatched to the scene of breaking news where (in addition
to their photographic duties), they gather sound bites and other information
which is instantly transmitted to the journalist on duty in the Metro
Networks News division in Miami.  The story is then immediately written and
sound is edited and shipped via satellite to our national news headquarters
in Phoenix and then is vended to our affiliate stations also via satellite.
What international news that is not handled by our bureaus in France,
Mexico, and several in the United Kingdom, is handled through a direct
outsource contractural agreement with Reuters.

Also, we are one of only 2 agencies (the other being CBS Television) to have
a former scientist from the National Hurricane Center on our full-time
payroll.  (ABC Television does have a former forecaster who is a paid
consultant).  We are the only broadcast network ISDN-capable full-time from
the NHC.

If you need more information, contact Bill Richardson at Metro Source in
Phoenix, Arizona (you'll have to get the number from directory assistance).
Tell him Dave Mitchell in Miami directed you to call.

I hope that answers some of your questions.

See ya,

Me

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