Audacy "beefing up" its newsrooms...

[DN14224]

...at least in 8 other markets, but the upgrades will trickle down to all N/T properties:

Audacy Beefing Up Newsrooms - Radio Ink

Audacy is set to launch a new centralized digital team dedicated to news and add over 50 journalists in eight of its newsrooms across the country. The changes will also see the launch of original longform podcasts from local news brands.

radioink.com

 

[Rusty Bridges]

Feh. Can't wait for one of the news-hubsters to pronounce Scajaquada, Chili, or for the west coast, LaJolla.

 

[SirRoxalot]

If they add 50 "journalists" to their hubbed newsrooms you can bet that another 50 - or more - will be cut from local newsrooms at the stations served by that new "centralized digital team."

 

[flybynight]

...at least in 8 other markets, but the upgrades will trickle down to all N/T properties:

Audacy Beefing Up Newsrooms - Radio Ink

Audacy is set to launch a new centralized digital team dedicated to news and add over 50 journalists in eight of its newsrooms across the country. The changes will also see the launch of original longform podcasts from local news brands.

radioink.com

“Audacy’s local news brands have been delivering on-demand news and information for decades and are now poised to build on that foundation"

When there's a breaking story in Buffalo, and Buffalonians go to WBEN to hear it first, will they wait for a reporter to drive up from Pittsburgh to cover it? Just wondering.

Radio math: 50-150=Beefed up.

 

[TheBigA]

My take on this is it's to replace the national news network affiliations these stations currently have with ABC, CBS or Fox. Those affiliations eat up local inventory and cost money. If they can replace it with in-house content, that's more money in the pocket. They've already eliminated a lot of outside nationally syndicated programming, such as Rush and AT40. No need for them to share their money with iHeart.

A lot of these national networks are based in NYC. But Audacy has the two top-rated news stations in NYC. They can cover those stories from WINS and share with the rest of the company. Back in the day there was sharing between WCBS and CBS News Radio. But those are now two separate companies. So Audacy can staff its own national news service. I wouldn't expect any affect on WBEN other than you won't hear national news with network tags any more. You may instead hear "Audacy News New York."

 

[DN14224]

My take on this is it's to replace the national news network affiliations these stations currently have with ABC, CBS or Fox. Those affiliations eat up local inventory and cost money. If they can replace it with in-house content, that's more money in the pocket. They've already eliminated a lot of outside nationally syndicated programming, such as Rush and AT40. No need for them to share their money with iHeart.

A lot of these national networks are based in NYC. But Audacy has the two top-rated news stations in NYC. They can cover those stories from WINS and share with the rest of the company. Back in the day there was sharing between WCBS and CBS News Radio. But those are now two separate companies. So Audacy can staff its own national news service. I wouldn't expect any affect on WBEN other than you won't hear national news with network tags any more. You may instead hear "Audacy News New York."

WBEN doesn’t run any network news… Although they are an ABC affiliate they only use the network for an occasional two-way and some voicers. So there’s not much to remove there.

While your observations certainly are possible it would be silly for Audacy to drop their network affiliations completely as they carry more brand value than the small amount of inventory given up each hour

 

[PTBoardOp94]

While your observations certainly are possible it would be silly for Audacy to drop their network affiliations completely as they carry more brand value than the small amount of inventory given up each hour

There's not much "brand value" in being affiliated with a network whose materials they barely use. And the less materials they use, the harder it becomes to justify the cost of being an affiliate.

 

[TheBigA]

WBEN doesn’t run any network news… Although they are an ABC affiliate they only use the network for an occasional two-way and some voicers. So there’s not much to remove there.

A network affiliation isn't based on running programming, it's based on airing spots. They have to clear the spots regardless. So you can have a station that only occasionally uses the content, but they still have to air a full load of spots. Imagine if all that inventory is returned to the station. The main advantage to having the network is access to audio when breaking national news happens, such as war is declared or a presidential press conference. All of that material will now be available from this centralized digital news service.

 

[davideduardo]

A network affiliation isn't based on running programming, it's based on airing spots. They have to clear the spots regardless. So you can have a station that only occasionally uses the content, but they still have to air a full load of spots. Imagine if all that inventory is returned to the station. The main advantage to having the network is access to audio when breaking national news happens, such as war is declared or a presidential press conference. All of that material will now be available from this centralized digital news service.

Yes, this does not help local news coverage at all. Most of what we look for on local radio in that department is news about our area, not world and national news alone.

The failure 40-some years ago of the national all-news network is that the content was not local, and many affiliates did not invest in a news department to cover their market well. How much would each of us bet that these news centers replace local news departments in many markets (such as they are, anyway).

And then we get people outside the markets pronouncing things like Elle-kuh-john for El Cajon and disasters for the Native American names or the Dutch and Nordic ones in different parts of the US. Heck, most newscasters can't pronounce New Orleans properly. When I had a place in Prescott, AZ, we knew anyone who said "Press-cot" was an outsider.

 

[TheBigA]

Yes, this does not help local news coverage at all. Most of what we look for on local radio in that department is news about our area, not world and national news alone.

It puts money back in the local budget. Of course that's up to the GM how he wants to spend it. But it could mean a few extra dollars for local news. This change isn't about programming, it's about spots and inventory. That's a big deal.

The people who will be hurt will be staffers at CBS News Radio or ABC News Radio. For years, these companies had some of the biggest news radio stations in the country. Now those stations will be canceling their affiliations.

 

[kfbkfb]

I cancelled my cable TV service 2 years ago (I had dial up Internet 1996-08 to 2020-08, now AT&T Fiber).

I get most of my Local, National and World news from the various web sites (local TV news [no radio], local newspapers, national broadcast news and cable news and the BBC). My fiber Internet means the short videos sometimes included in news stores are playable now.

If there's major breaking news, one or more of the local TV stations will typically have a special report (from their network) about it.

I don't see the need for another national news service (audio only/podcast), maybe another news website with local and national sections (possibly a computer voice could read the web site national headlines at the top and bottom of the hour for radio stations).


Kirk Bayne