Re: Radio network news

[Chip Austin <caustin@cox.net>]

This discussion of network radio got me wondering: whatever happened to
NBC Radio (specifically news) and Mutual Radio.  Didn't NBC Radio News
continue (in name at least) after NBC sold the Radio division? And when
did Mutual disappear? Did someone else buy them or did they just die?

- Chip Austin


Garrett Wollman wrote:
>  
> 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).
> 
> The reason WBZ has the ABC-I affiliation is two-fold:
> 
> - WBZ was an ABC-I affiliate long before WBZ's parent company bought
> CBS.
> 
> - WBZ wants to keep the competition from getting Paul Harvey.
> 
> In order to get Harvey, who is syndicated by ABC, stations must join
> one of the ABC networks and clear the network spot load.  ABC
> Information affiliates have first dibs on Harvey (and a lot of other
> ABC news and feature product).  If they have to run the spots anyway,
> why not get the benefit of the news organization as well?
> 
> Even though WBZ and CBS Radio are operated by the same company,
> accounting rules mean that that affiliation must be paid for somehow
> as well, although I don't know if the station management ever has to
> deal with those numbers.  It's more complicated in the case of CBS
> Radio because of a deal which was done several years back to integrate
> the operations of CBS Radio and Westwood One.  Although WON still
> legally exists as a separate company, its actual operations are
> conducted under contract by CBS, and I don't know in all this which
> company actually legally owns CBS Radio.
> 
> -GAWollman