Re: All-News Radio Format

["Douglas J. Broda" <djbroda@mindspring.com>]

That he'd use 'BZ (a relatively news-heavy talk format) as a comparison
shows he has no clue about formats.

All the stations I know of that bill thenselves as "all-news" fit in one of
these categories:

a) A live anchor 24/7, though often the reports (including sports) are
taped. That would include WCBS and WINS in NYC, the LA all-newses, and KYW
in Philly.

b) Smaller-market stations that run AP overnight (and sometimes only run it
in dayparts, too). I believe that the AP feed (which refers to "X after the
hour" for time) is anchored live at night, but I'm not sure about this.

c) Some stations that call themselves all-news run talk or simulcast music
at night. I find that galling, but it happens.

Obviously, 940NEWS *could* go live at night in the event of a plane crash
or something like that, assuming they can find half their reporting staff. :)

My two cents (based on about 6 hours listening):

It's sloppy in several ways. If they have to go tape overnight for economic
reasons, they could at least use "before/after the hour" in the casts they
tape, so as to avoid dead air on replay!  And they certainly did seem to
use a few US-centric pieces, in the sense that they are obviously geared to
a domestic audience. At least Newsworld International (which I wish was
more Canadian in its content!) watches the CBS pieces it airs first to make
sure of their content.

That said, I don't know that an English all-news can fly solo economically
in Montreal. There is no comprehensive all-Canadian news source for them to
rely on (at least, that is available to them), and while I agree that two
reporters is lunacy, I don't know that the numbers would ever support that
many more. The only shakeout that I can think of that would be finacially
feasible would be to be in a network of co-owned or cooperative all-news
stations including Calgary, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Edmonton, and
preferably a Maritime presence as well. (And if that sounds like CKO...
well, yes, it's exactly the same model, but I think it would at least have
a better shot at working than a standalone, especially if the economics are
wiser than they were at CKO.)

At 10:33 AM 2/6/00 -0500, Stephen Pickford wrote:
>As many of you are well aware, CIQC Montreal transformed into CINW 940NEWS
>back in mid-December...
>and has been met with a number of less-than-pleased commentaries in The
>Montreal Mirror, on radiodigest.com, etc.
>
>My question is the following:  Is it common for all-news stations to
>advertise as being "24-hours, constantly-updated"...then run a taped
>newscast overnights (i.e. between Midnight and 5AM or so)...time checks are
>edited out (i.e. rather than 940NEWS time is... the tape runs saying simply
>940NEWS (pause...no bother to compress after the edit)...and on and on it
>goes)....
>
>Of course, sometimes this edit is missed...i.e. At 230AM, hearing that
>something is "coming up at 1045"...or, with taped sportscasts, the games are
>known to have ended, but the only mention being that "playing tonight are..."
>
>When all-news was first announced in Montreal, Brian Kenemy (VP of
>Metromedia Broadcasting) was quoted on CFCF Television as having "WBZ as a
>good model..." --- however, WBZ is news in the day, and talk/sports at
>night...CINW is taped news overnight, with primarily US features and little
>in the way of local content (one example that is given was a New Years
>report that talked about last-minute fare deals from New York...of little
>interest or use to a local listener)...I am sure that WBZ has more than 2
>local reporters (in addition to anchors/news readers).
>
>Would be interested in hearing from others as to their impressions of
>all-news radio, and the future of this format...speculation has it that
>940NEWS will change once again, after a few ratings books are out, and
>become The Incredible 94, Jammin' Oldies....
>
>Listening to WCBS, WBBM, etc., at night, and I notice much more of a local
>news focus and more detailed stories with home market relevance, than what
>is taking place currently in Montreal...
>has anyone tuned in CINW at night down in New England, and how do you think
>this station compares with the other 50kw news outlets?
>

------------------------------------------------------------------
Douglas J. Broda
Broda and Burnett
Attorneys at Law
80 Ferry Street, Troy, NY 12180 USA
(518) 272-0580
djbroda@mindspring.com