KYW Celebrates 60th Year

[Larry]

With or without the teletype sound, I can't believe how bad KYW has gotten.

I’d say the station isn’t as great as it was (not replacing a Harrisburg reporter leaves a huge void) but I wouldn’t use the word “bad” to describe the station. Maybe one newer female traffic reporter but not the station overall

 

[Gregg.]

I noticed when SNL had its 50th Anniversary Show, an early example of Chevy Chase doing Weekend Update included the sound of a teletype machine in the background.

 

[mainlineradio]

One of our initiatives for our yearlong 60th celebration is to invite listeners to record messages saying who they’re thankful for and why (a couple we’ve aired so far include a woman whose son and neighbor have been helpful as she mourns the loss of her husband and a traffic tipster shouting out first responders).

Would love to hear some radiodiscussions board members on our air! It’s easy: just go to the Audacy app, tap or search KYW, and tap ‘send a voice message.’

 

[Jean Luc]

One of our initiatives for our yearlong 60th celebration is to invite listeners to record messages saying who they’re thankful for and why (a couple we’ve aired so far include a woman whose son and neighbor have been helpful as she mourns the loss of her husband and a traffic tipster shouting out first responders).

Would love to hear some radiodiscussions board members on our air! It’s easy: just go to the Audacy app, tap or search KYW, and tap ‘send a voice message.’

KYW breaking format again. That's one of the biggest ways KYW sucks.

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

Oh good lord, lighten up.

 

[fybush]

Oh good lord, lighten up.

My experience is that new posters who show up here and do nothing but complain don't tend to stay around here long. Which is fine.

Anything constructive to add to the conversation, "Jean Luc"?

 

[radiofan2023]

KYW breaking format again. That's one of the biggest ways KYW sucks.

So you’re going to leave them a voice message?

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

They “broke format” way back on April 9, 1985, and it’s been downhill ever since. 😉

 

[ixnay]

They “broke format” way back on April 9, 1985, and it’s been downhill ever since. 😉

Please explain.

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

I have the wrong date entered above. Darn shaky fingers I deal with some days. April 5, not 9. It was Good Friday and something pretty remarkable happened on the radio.

 

[Jean Luc]

Please explain.

The current example is what we were talking about: Messages from people saying for whom they are thankful. This has nothing to do with "all news, all the time." It's not original. It's something Fred Rogers used to ask people to do when he made speeches or personal appearances. "Reporters' Round-up" is another example. At least they've stopped reading an interminable list of school closing numbers as though the rest of the world had shut down for the day. Maybe this seemed useful in 1965 but KYW continued doing it long after there were other, more efficient ways for people to get that information. Now, since I am accused of being too critical, this does not apply to WINS, which sticks to the format. KYW seemed unable to decide if they were doing Group W all news or CBS all news. Ideally, a station like KYW is like a light switch. You flip the switch and you know exactly what you'll get and you get what you flipped the switch to get.

The teletype sound is sort of like whooshing sound on "The Adventures of Superman." When Superman was on radio, they did the whooshing sound to let people know he was flying. They didn't need to do that on TV because you could see him fly but people sort of expected it. KYW and WINS had the teletype sound to convey a working newsroom (even though the newscaster was in a studio); On TV, Uncle Walter was actually in a working newsroom and you could see it. Newsrooms haven't had wire machines for a long time now and the sound effect out-lived its usefulness.

One of KYW other irritating habits is sending out a "reporter" to read wire copy from where nothing is/was/will be happening. I know, TV does it, too. All just so they can shout "live" or "breaking news."

And to save money, they dropped AccuWeather and took pre-recorded forecasts from channel 10 - which were often still being played the next day. Similarly, I would drive home from work in the early afternoon and back to work early the next morning and I would hear them doing the same stories, using the same sound bites and voice reports. They told us to tune in "two-three-four times a day' but there was nothing new.

And I haven't heard real reporting in a long time. Sandy Starobin in Harrisburg (do they have anybody there now?). Andrea Mitchell going after Rizzo. Too bad. It was an outstanding station once. And Group W was a class act.

 

[radiofan2023]

The current example is what we were talking about: Messages from people saying for whom they are thankful. This has nothing to do with "all news, all the time." It's not original. It's something Fred Rogers used to ask people to do when he made speeches or personal appearances. "Reporters' Round-up" is another example. At least they've stopped reading an interminable list of school closing numbers as though the rest of the world had shut down for the day. Maybe this seemed useful in 1965 but KYW continued doing it long after there were other, more efficient ways for people to get that information. Now, since I am accused of being too critical, this does not apply to WINS, which sticks to the format. KYW seemed unable to decide if they were doing Group W all news or CBS all news. Ideally, a station like KYW is like a light switch. You flip the switch and you know exactly what you'll get and you get what you flipped the switch to get.

The teletype sound is sort of like whooshing sound on "The Adventures of Superman." When Superman was on radio, they did the whooshing sound to let people know he was flying. They didn't need to do that on TV because you could see him fly but people sort of expected it. KYW and WINS had the teletype sound to convey a working newsroom (even though the newscaster was in a studio); On TV, Uncle Walter was actually in a working newsroom and you could see it. Newsrooms haven't had wire machines for a long time now and the sound effect out-lived its usefulness.

One of KYW other irritating habits is sending out a "reporter" to read wire copy from where nothing is/was/will be happening. I know, TV does it, too. All just so they can shout "live" or "breaking news."

And to save money, they dropped AccuWeather and took pre-recorded forecasts from channel 10 - which were often still being played the next day. Similarly, I would drive home from work in the early afternoon and back to work early the next morning and I would hear them doing the same stories, using the same sound bites and voice reports. They told us to tune in "two-three-four times a day' but there was nothing new.

And I haven't heard real reporting in a long time. Sandy Starobin in Harrisburg (do they have anybody there now?). Andrea Mitchell going after Rizzo. Too bad. It was an outstanding station once. And Group W was a class act.

So you keep listening to it, despite hating it?

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

The current example is what we were talking about: Messages from people saying for whom they are thankful.

How dare a brand mark an anniversary. Horror. Absolute horror.

This has nothing to do with "all news, all the time." It's not original.

Not everything needs to be original. Doing news isn’t original.

It's something Fred Rogers used to ask people to do when he made speeches or personal appearances.

Ok….and?

"Reporters' Round-up" is another example.

It’s a great way to present information.

At least they've stopped reading an interminable list of school closing numbers as though the rest of the world had shut down for the day.

For parents, that info was damn vital. Could they have stopped sooner? Sure. But it was a valuable service that mattered.

Maybe this seemed useful in 1965

Way, way longer than that.

but KYW continued doing it long after there were other, more efficient ways for people to get that information.

Ok, and they moved on. Hold a grudge much?

Now, since I am accused of being too critical, this does not apply to WINS, which sticks to the format. KYW seemed unable to decide if they were doing Group W all news or CBS all news.

Or doing KYW news. What a concept. They didn’t need to clone either.

Ideally, a station like KYW is like a light switch. You flip the switch and you know exactly what you'll get and you get what you flipped the switch to get.

Yeah. News. It’s exactly what you get.

The teletype sound is sort of like whooshing sound on "The Adventures of Superman." When Superman was on radio, they did the whooshing sound to let people know he was flying. They didn't need to do that on TV because you could see him fly but people sort of expected it.

Look, up in the sky, it’s an irrelevancy.

KYW and WINS had the teletype sound to convey a working newsroom (even though the newscaster was in a studio); On TV, Uncle Walter was actually in a working newsroom and you could see it.

Ok. And…how many years ago was that?

Newsrooms haven't had wire machines for a long time now and the sound effect out-lived its usefulness.

And they moved on, so what’s the issue now?

One of KYW other irritating habits is sending out a "reporter" to read wire copy from where nothing is/was/will be happening. I know, TV does it, too. All just so they can shout "live" or "breaking news."

You may need a new hobby.

And to save money, they dropped AccuWeather and took pre-recorded forecasts from channel 10 - which were often still being played the next day.

And what’s back now?

Similarly, I would drive home from work in the early afternoon and back to work early the next morning and I would hear them doing the same stories, using the same sound bites and voice reports.

The world doesn’t revolve around your schedule.

They told us to tune in "two-three-four times a day' but there was nothing new.

Sometimes there is something new. Some days are quieter.

And I haven't heard real reporting in a long time.

Try turning up the volume.

Sandy Starobin in Harrisburg (do they have anybody there now?). Andrea Mitchell going after Rizzo. Too bad. It was an outstanding station once. And Group W was a class act.

Are the kids on the lawn again?

 

[kevtronics]

Is KYW running pre-recorded traffic reports overnight? I listened to them just past midnight and the only thing they mentioned were pre-planned road closures and construction zones, like WBBM in Chicago does overnights.

 

[Jean Luc]

So you keep listening to it, despite hating it?

No, it's why I stopped.

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

Thank goodness you’re not still holding on to years-old grudges and are fully qualified to discuss how it operates today.

 

[radiofan2023]

How dare a brand mark an anniversary. Horror. Absolute horror.

Not everything needs to be original. Doing news isn’t original.

Ok….and?

It’s a great way to present information.

For parents, that info was damn vital. Could they have stopped sooner? Sure. But it was a valuable service that mattered.

Way, way longer than that.

Ok, and they moved on. Hold a grudge much?

Or doing KYW news. What a concept. They didn’t need to clone either.

Yeah. News. It’s exactly what you get.

Look, up in the sky, it’s an irrelevancy.

Ok. And…how many years ago was that?

And they moved on, so what’s the issue now?

You may need a new hobby.

And what’s back now?

The world doesn’t revolve around your schedule.

Sometimes there is something new. Some days are quieter.

Try turning up the volume.

Are the kids on the lawn again?

That's a knockout!

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia

photo

www.broadcastpioneers.com

Here is a bio on Steve Porter as one of the first anchors at KYW (AM) when the station flipped formats in 1965.

Interestingly Steve Porter was also one of the first anchors at the former WCBS (AM) (now WHSQ) when CBS Radio and their O&O’s started their all news format in 1967. As mentioned in other all news threads WCBS Newsradio started their first day on 101.1 FM New York due to an airplane crash in 1967 that took down their transmitter.

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

Cool find

 

[Miguelito]

Does anyone know the name of the gay anchor or reporter from back in the day? I see him out in the gayborhood just about every time I'm out there, and it drives me nuts that I can't remember his name. (FYI: You won't be outing anyone since he's already out, but if it makes you more comfortable, feel free to send me a direct message.)