CBS News moves to Infinity Networks

[K.M. Richards]

Infinity Networks To Take Over Distribution Of CBS News Radio

Audacy's Infinity Networks has announced it has launched a new distribution partnership with CBS News Radio. Infinity Networks will handle

radioinsight.com

I guess that much hyped distribution agreement extension with Skyview Networks less than two years ago was less attractive to CBS Audio than the previous two terms were.

 

[TheBigA]

I guess that much hyped distribution agreement extension with Skyview Networks less than two years ago was less attractive to CBS Audio than the previous two terms were.

I think SkyView discovered that the audience for CBS News Radio is smaller and less sellable than they expected.

CBS News isn't in a strong bargaining position right now. They NEED clearances from Audacy news stations. This ensures some cooperation.

 

[K.M. Richards]

CBS News isn't in a strong bargaining position right now. They NEED clearances from Audacy news stations. This ensures some cooperation.

Given that Audacy has the all-news stations in markets #1 through #4 (albeit the last is a hybrid News/Talk), #6, #9 and #14 (seven out of the top-20 markets) and that pretty much all of their News/Talk or Sports Talk stations in lower markets also all pretty much run CBS News at the TOH at the very least, this move does make sense for both sides.

 

[TheBigA]

all pretty much run CBS News at the TOH at the very least,

Not in NY or Philadelphia. The CBS affiliate in NY currently is WBBR. KYW doesn't run national news at the TOH. That may change now.

It'll be interesting to see if they put CBS News on their conservative talk stations, such as WBEN Buffalo.

 

[K.M. Richards]

Not in NY or Philadelphia. The CBS affiliate in NY currently is WBBR. KYW doesn't run national news at the TOH. That may change now.

It'll be interesting to see if they put CBS News on their conservative talk stations, such as WBEN Buffalo.

I stand corrected (actually, I should have realized the NYC situation when WCBS became WHSQ). I did not know that KYW did not have a network newscast at the TOH.

And I agree that this is an excellent opportunity for Audacy to add CBS News to their talkers in other markets, as a way of strengthening the distribution agreement, if nothing else.

 

[TheBigA]

I agree that this is an excellent opportunity for Audacy to add CBS News to their talkers in other markets, as a way of strengthening the distribution agreement, if nothing else.

The other side of that is that CBS News isn't the preferred service of the government. So there's that.

 

[Larry]

Not in NY or Philadelphia. The CBS affiliate in NY currently is WBBR. KYW doesn't run national news at the TOH. That may change now.

KYW does run CBS News top of the hour (and at the half hour) but only from 10 or 11 PM to 5 AM (overnights basically).

 

[xmtrland]

The linked story does not go into details on how CBS delivery might change. Do affiliates need to switch out their Skyview receivers? There are several channels delivered on the Skyview receiver or CBS.

 

[K.M. Richards]

The linked story does not go into details on how CBS delivery might change. Do affiliates need to switch out their Skyview receivers? There are several channels delivered on the Skyview receiver or CBS.

That has probably been given to affiliates but not made part of the public press release.

Such information can properly fall under the classification of "proprietary".

 

[PTBoardOp93]

The linked story does not go into details on how CBS delivery might change. Do affiliates need to switch out their Skyview receivers? There are several channels delivered on the Skyview receiver or CBS.

Audacy doesn't have their own satellite uplink/transponder, so they will be renting from someone. Given Audacy's relationship with Westwood One, I'd kind of expect the CBS shows to be received on WW1 receivers in the future.

But that's a guess from a nobody on a message board.

 

[xmtrland]

CBS takes up a whole SDX receiver, 7 channels of audio available for affiliates. It will be interesting to see what the new configuration is. If it is WW1 then that would mean another iPump8640 unless the go to just one channel. I'll have to wait for the email requesting the change.

 

[K.M. Richards]

I'll have to wait for the email requesting the change.

Okay, I have what I think is a reasonable question.

If you work for an affiliate and will therefore be notified, why was it so important to you that the information you want wasn't in the press release?

 

[xmtrland]

The post on this board was the first I heard of the change. They could have given a hint in the story as to how distribution might change and when. From an engineers view the story just left me with more questions. Does the skyview contract have to run out, is there an exit clause for either party? Do I take the elevator or stairs to floor 1 to get my answer (engineering is in the ground floor). If I buy a new Tesla will I be streaming CBS on the Audacy App?

 

[TheBigA]

Does the skyview contract have to run out, is there an exit clause for either party?

The skyview distribution should run thru December. That's the anniversary date. Between now and then, you'll be contracted regarding technical requirements. That's 6 weeks. I'd expect some overlap of service.

 

[awsherrill]

I was forwarded a vaguely-worded email from management at CBS, that said in part "no action will be required on your end" regarding this change.

Usually when someone in a management or PR role says something like that, the fun is just about to start...

 

[cc333]

I'm confused.

I remember back in the early 2000s, KCBS (still calling itself "All News 74") would add as the last spoken words at the top-of-hour ID just before the CBS news bong, "An Infinity Station." Are this new Infinity and that one one in the same, or just a coincidence?

I thought the old Infinity went away and ended up being part of what eventually became Audacy, but maybe not?

c

 

[K.M. Richards]

I'm confused.

Everyone is after all the mergers and consolidations. Don't feel so bad.

I remember back in the early 2000s, KCBS (still calling itself "All News 74") would add as the last spoken words at the top-of-hour ID just before the CBS news bong, "An Infinity Station." Are this new Infinity and that one one in the same, or just a coincidence?

Yes and no. Infinity had been merged into Westinghouse/Group W, which subsequently merged with CBS and renamed the radio division to Infinity in the process. Then both were acquired by Viacom and the radio division was renamed to CBS Radio.

I thought the old Infinity went away and ended up being part of what eventually became Audacy, but maybe not?

That's part two. CBS merged with Entercom, which eventually changed its name to Audacy. The Infinity name was then resurrected (again) when the CBS Sports Network was renamed.

Feel free to take a couple of Excedrin for the headache all that just gave you.

 

[cc333]

@K.M. Richards Thank you for your explanation. What a mess!

What ever happened to continuity?

Would it have been so hard to pick a name early on ("Infinity", say, or perhaps something obvious like "CBS Radio") and stick to it?

Whomever it was who came up with a weird name like Audacy (strange spelling of "odyssey") ought to consider a different line of work. Even Radio.com (I kind of remember KCBS was briefly billed as a "Radio.com station") would have been better.

Feel free to take a couple of Excedrin for the headache all that just gave you.

I think I'll go to bed....

c

 

[Weiserguy]

Whomever it was who came up with a weird name like Audacy (strange spelling of "odyssey") ought to consider a different line of work.

It's even stupider than you think. There's a well-known open-source audio editor program called Audacity out there too, so Audacy is even more confusing. Whoever approved that name should get to finish their career in some third-tier market if this were a just universe.

 

[K.M. Richards]

Whomever it was who came up with a weird name like Audacy (strange spelling of "odyssey") ought to consider a different line of work. Even Radio.com (I kind of remember KCBS was briefly billed as a "Radio.com station") would have been better.

It's even stupider than you think. There's a well-known open-source audio editor program called Audacity out there too, so Audacy is even more confusing. Whoever approved that name should get to finish their career in some third-tier market if this were a just universe.

First, let me reassure both of you about "who came up with the stupid name". With the bankruptcy and subsequent reorganization, former Entercom/Audacy CEO David Field is no longer with the company (he stepped down at the beginning of this year).

Now, something for you both to get a chuckle from, which proves your point. This is a true story told from the perspective of my personal involvement in it:

When the name changed, the TOH ID did include "an Audacy station, at audacy-dot-com" and a friend who is not in the business that knows I am called and asked me why "The Wave (KTWV)'s web address goes to a travel agency in Florida."

You can probably guess the punch line. The friend had logically typed "odyssey.com" into their browser and landed at the website of a cruise ship-based vacation package broker.

My immediate thought was "how can David Field make the stupid mistake of forgetting that his radio company is a audio medium and the listener has no way of knowing his clever spelling?" I thought he should have resigned right then ... or at least changed the name back to Entercom.