Re: WBZ Boston USA

[Donna Halper <dlh@donnahalper.com>]

A number of radio and TV stations are doing this, in an effort to both show 
patriotism and give audience some point of reference for the type of 
coverage the station offers, according to this morning's NewsBlues 
(www.newsblues.com) While I personally think it's a bit jingo-istic, I 
think WBZ's coverage has tried its best to show a balance, and the talk 
shows especially have offered a number of varying opinions, from what I 
would consider "right wing" all the way to moderate and even some 
discussion of the anti-war protesters.  But I wouldn't be surprised if all 
the CBS/Infinity stations have put the USA tag at the end of the ID, not 
just WBZ.

quoted from today's News Blues:
[TV news organizations are making an extra on-screen labeling effort to 
ensure that viewers know just who they are watching -- and a key 
identifying feature is the bold-faced tag line, emblazoned on the bottom of 
the screen, branding each step of the country's recovery.
As it turns out, the decision whether America is "Fighting Back" or 
"Striking Back" or simply "Uniting" is not made by just anyone; the call 
often comes from the highest executive ranks of the television news operations.
To each of these networks, the title helps define its coverage, 
highlighting its take on these unprecedented and devastating events: "You 
try to encapsulate in two or three words what the main thrust of the story 
is," says Dennis Murray, an executive producer with Fox News Channel. 
"These titles brand your coverage."]