[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: Radio network news

> <<On Sun, 27 Oct 2002 16:43:57 -0500, "Daniel Murphy"
<danmurph@worldnet.att.net> said:
>
> > When WBZ goes to network news at the top of the hour late at night it's
from
> > CBS, but their special reports for big breaking stories are often from
ABC.
> > What is a typical arrangement for a radio station's network news
affiliation
> > and who makes money out of the deal?
>
> Stations must pay a fee (for the good networks) and also clear the
> network's commercial inventory to a contractually-specified audience
> (except for AP which does not do barter).

In spite of what's been said about here recently about stations paying fees
to keep their affiliation (i.e. WCAP).   I still don't believe that most (if
any) major market stations pay a fee for net affiliation.

Networks really don't need stations the size of WCAP...or Terre Haute
Indiana, etc.

But they NEED to clear the top 15 markets.

I believe in most cases, the affiliation (and the programs/news the net
offers) are given in return for running the network spots.  (They can either
run them in the program their are airing from the net...or run them on their
own.  My guess is that once per hour all-day there is a spot on the BZ log
from ABC...Probably one from CBS as well.  (At night that spot is probably
self-contained within the news.)

I have even heard where a network will actually pay the affiliate.  (I
remember Mutual used to pay about $3/spot for a station to carry the
spots....again, in a rated market.)

RE: WBZ...in addition to the reasons mentioned by Garret, I believe keeping
their ABC affiliation along with the CBS net...is so that they have first
dibs on any ABC program (I don't believe BZ would want RKO picking up
Harvey.)

Remember, a network really has to prove that the sport air in the top 15
markets in order to prove that their spots are worthwhile.

But then again...what do I know...everything has changed so much in the past
few years...esp network radio...that it all may be different now.

JP