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ABC News
- Thread starter bobdavcav
- Start date
It's complicated. At one time ABC offered 6 different services that aired at different times. They have multiple affiliation packages, depending on what you carry.
ABC News Radio - ABC Audio
abcaudio.com
In NYC, WINS uses some ABC reporters, while WBBM carries TOH news.
From ABC's perspective, they'd love to have every station in the market carry something. It's up to the affiliate.
CORRECTION: I meant WBBR
It's not the same report, Bob.
Two years ago or so ABC quietly discontinued the long time "E-Net" newscast ("Here's the latest from ABC News..."). They also launched a new sounder and lock out for the bottom of the hour 1-minute newscast. It now has the lockout of "This is ABC News" at :31.
What we are hearing on KIRO is that bottom of the hour 1-minute newscast, but with an additional optional minute that KIRO is taking.
I believe they are either recording that newscast from the bottom of the hour and playing it on a 30-minute delay at the top of the hour, or the single ABC anchor on duty is recording a new version quickly before the live I-Net newscast at :00.
There used to be a direction newscast fed at like :55 or :58 after that was a stand alone product (when ABC had 3 anchors on duty all day). What we are hearing on KIRO could be a replacement for that.
Over on KOMO, you are hearing the traditional I-Net newscast, fed live at :00 (Open "From ABC News...", lockout at :02 "You're listening to ABC News"), and the 1 minute update at :30 ("ABC News I'm...").
I don't know if @TheBigA has any more info on what they offering today, the ABC Audio page was never updated to reflect these changes, publically.
I listened to both stations simultaneously and they had different anchors. One used the sounder, one didn't. They had different lead stories with different reporters. So yes, it sounds exactly as you describe.
I have flipped back and forth and had the same anchor, but different stories. I believe ABC only has one anchor on duty for the 3 shifts (no one overnight since Dec 2024). They only have 7 full time anchors/correspondents (Preston, Franzen, Packer, Mielke (podcasts, mostly), Portnoy (DC), Stone (LA), and Dobuski (NYC)).
KIRO uses the sounder. KNWN didn't. KIRO ends with "This is ABC News." KNWN ended with "Dave Packer, ABC News."
Because I'm listening simultaneously, I notice they don't start or end at the same times either. So one could be recorded and delayed. KNWN starts sooner.
KNWN is the live feed right at :00.
I think Boston is another market where ABC is now on two stations. But it's only at night. WRKO had ABC before the end of CBS News Radio. WBZ now runs ABC overnight when the All-News format is prerecorded. So both stations are running ABC at the top of the hour between midnight and 4 a.m. But since both are owned by iHeart, there's no problem.
In Philadelphia, it's similar. WPHT now runs ABC in the evening, overnight and weekends, after having been a CBS affiliate. KYW runs ABC overnight when its All-News format is prerecorded. So just like Boston, WPHT and KYW both air ABC between midnight and 4 a.m. But they are also co-owned by Audacy.
With quite a few stations only using ABC top-of-the-hour for overnight coverage, you'd think ABC would restore live overnight news. After all, with CBS's demise, ABC's affiliate list must have doubled.
In Philadelphia, it's similar. WPHT now runs ABC in the evening, overnight and weekends, after having been a CBS affiliate. KYW runs ABC overnight when its All-News format is prerecorded. So just like Boston, WPHT and KYW both air ABC between midnight and 4 a.m. But they are also co-owned by Audacy.
With quite a few stations only using ABC top-of-the-hour for overnight coverage, you'd think ABC would restore live overnight news. After all, with CBS's demise, ABC's affiliate list must have doubled.
Except there's no advertising revenue in overnight. So the stations would have to commit to airing more spots in the daytime.
Combine the lack of ad revenue with "penalty pay" for the union staff in overnight, and it's easy to see why they pre-tape.
At one point, Brad Wheelis relocated from NYC to LA to work the "overnight shift" which wasn't quite as tough hours wise from Pacific Time. I don't know if he still got "penalty pay" for that shift.
A few years later he replaced Gil Gross in the evening shift until ABC decided to "consolidate radio anchors to NYC" and let him go.