A national news radio idea

[KilowattKat]

How many of those are still on the air with them, and have they added additional sponsors?

I refer to BIN as the Bank of America Information Network. You can't go more than 15 minutes of listening without BofA ads, and their financial advice features. As well as endless iHeart app promoting on top of iHeart music features like a short John Legend interview. Filling 24/7 with new and relevant material,is probably challenging, which may explain the constant repetition of the same features and news items ad nauseum, to the point of no longer being current.

Would BIN be better as a News and Talk network with show hosts, instead of the current format?

 

[b-turner]

You've got to remember this is iHeart. They have people that have the 'ins' to the right people, something somebody from one station likely would never have a chance of getting in. BIN is being handled at the national level by reps that handle national accounts.

 

[TheBigA]

Would BIN be better as a News and Talk network with show hosts, instead of the current format?

"Better" in what way? Once you do talk, it becomes opinionated, and that makes it controversial. Those advertisers are trying to avoid controversy.

 

[KilowattKat]

"Better" in what way? Once you do talk, it becomes opinionated, and that makes it controversial. Those advertisers are trying to avoid controversy.

You're probably right about avoiding controversy. I just think that BIN has the potential to be better, and more interesting. I'm sure there's financial limitations to what they can do. I'm a believer that radio programming can always be improved, to attract more listeners and relevancy..

 

[TheBigA]

You're probably right about avoiding controversy. I just think that BIN has the potential to be better, and more interesting. I'm sure there's financial limitations to what they can do. I'm a believer that radio programming can always be improved, to attract more listeners and relevancy..

The primary goal is to satisfy the founding sponsors. They want to be associated with positivity, not controversy.

 

[IM42A]

Within the current environment where some are trying to make "woke" into a dirty word, is there a future for BIN?

I have not listened recently, but has anyone compiled a sponsor list so that we could analyze why they are on an un-rated network and what future purpose that presence may give them in establishing their brand as being actively pro-equal rights?

When I did listen in the earliest period of its operation, I found the content simply more specifically focused on Black interests and it was not particularly controversial or combative. It did seem that they were on stories rather late and held them rather too long.

When I listened in Greenville earlier this year, I found it to be pretty much a generic top-of-the-hour newscast, IIRC not especially focused on the African American community.

 

[davideduardo]

When I listened in Greenville earlier this year, I found it to be pretty much a generic top-of-the-hour newscast, IIRC not especially focused on the African American community.

Of course, they might say that everything in America affects the African American community, while so of those "things" may not get as much attention as that community would like and need to hear.

I don't think that the concept is to only do African American related news. It is supposed to be focused on highlighting those things that most affect them, though.

 

[KilowattKat]

The BIN newscast is available through Premiere to markets without a BIN affiliate. I actually heard it on KWXY in Palm Springs, a year or so ago.

 

[IM42A]

Of course, they might say that everything in America affects the African American community, while so of those "things" may not get as much attention as that community would like and need to hear.

I don't think that the concept is to only do African American related news. It is supposed to be focused on highlighting those things that most affect them, though.

Could be, I only listened to them sporadically. I found Greenville to be quite the radio news desert. (OTOH, WYFF, the NBC TV affiliate up there, has one of the most crisply-produced and professional newscasts I've ever seen on any US TV station, very high production values.)

 

[Mark Roberts]

You've got to remember this is iHeart. They have people that have the 'ins' to the right people, something somebody from one station likely would never have a chance of getting in. BIN is being handled at the national level by reps that handle national accounts.

We'll see whether it survives the multipronged attack on anything even resembling a DEI initiative that appears to be underway even before the change in administrations in January. All will depend on whether the advertisers buying time on BIN decide that it's safe for them to continue doing so.

 

[xmtrland]

You mean the three remaining sponsors.

 

[TheBigA]

We'll see whether it survives the multipronged attack on anything even resembling a DEI initiative that appears to be underway even before the change in administrations in January. All will depend on whether the advertisers buying time on BIN decide that it's safe for them to continue doing so.

My take is that a black news service isn't being done for DEI. There have been radio services aimed at black audiences for over 50 years. As radio stations were targeting demographics in the early 70s, Mutual Broadcasting began the Mutual Black Radio Network, the first radio network aimed at African Americans. It was sold to Sheridan and continued for some time. It became the American Urban Radio Network. Of course there was also BET on cable. There are advertisers who target the demo as well. Just as there are radio stations and services that target Hispanics and other minorities. So I don't see this as a political thing. If anything, it's designed to avoid that association.

 

[IM42A]

My take is that a black news service isn't being done for DEI. There have been radio services aimed at black audiences for over 50 years. As radio stations were targeting demographics in the early 70s, Mutual Broadcasting began the Mutual Black Radio Network, the first radio network aimed at African Americans. It was sold to Sheridan and continued for some time. It became the American Urban Radio Network. Of course there was also BET on cable. There are advertisers who target the demo as well. Just as there are radio stations and services that target Hispanics and other minorities. So I don't see this as a political thing. If anything, it's designed to avoid that association.

Ditto this. Black-oriented media has been around forever. Much of it has at least some crossover appeal. It's not a DEI thing.

 

[jabba17]

Ditto this. Black-oriented media has been around forever. Much of it has at least some crossover appeal. It's not a DEI thing.

WAOK has been doing Black-oriented spoken word for decades.

 

[RoddyFreeman]

My take is that a black news service isn't being done for DEI. There have been radio services aimed at black audiences for over 50 years. As radio stations were targeting demographics in the early 70s, Mutual Broadcasting began the Mutual Black Radio Network, the first radio network aimed at African Americans. It was sold to Sheridan and continued for some time. It became the American Urban Radio Network. Of course there was also BET on cable. There are advertisers who target the demo as well. Just as there are radio stations and services that target Hispanics and other minorities. So I don't see this as a political thing. If anything, it's designed to avoid that association.

You're certainly correct that the outlets you mentioned were established to target African-Americans, and that was their only purpose.

DEI in itself is not a political term though these days it is being politicized. So I guess what you meant is BIN was not created for sponsors to demonstrate they're committed to goodwill toward minorities; and for iHeart to capitalize on that sentiment. That's the only statement in your post that I disagree with though I realize that was your point. BIN was created, seemingly suddenly, during a summer of unrest around the country following the murder of George Floyd.

 

[TheBigA]

BIN was created, seemingly suddenly, during a summer of unrest around the country following the murder of George Floyd.

I know the timing of it, but it's been four years. Had this strictly been about George Floyd, I would expect the sponsorship would have ended after two years. The fact that the founding sponsors continue to support the concept tells me it goes beyond just one incident. Because none of them appear to be using their sponsorship for self-aggrandizement or a kind of selfish purpose. Otherwise they'd do more institutional promotion of it, as the other poster suggested. They have chosen not to advertise or promote their sponsorship of the service. They just make it available for those who want it.

 

[RoddyFreeman]

Well, I didn't say it was strictly about George Floyd. I said it was initially launched so sponsors could demonstrate they were committed to goodwill toward minorities, capitalizing on the sentiment that was sweeping the country in the summer of 2020.

We don't know why they're still aboard. Either they're seeing a return on their investment or they still feel it's good business to demonstrate to listeners that goodwill.

 

[TheBigA]

I said it was initially launched so sponsors could demonstrate they were committed to goodwill toward minorities, capitalizing on the sentiment that was sweeping the country in the summer of 2020.

However, the network had been in development for some time prior to launch. The shooting happened in May, and the launch was in June. No company the size of iHeart can move that quickly without advance planning being done

Black Information Network: The Project That Couldn’t Wait | iHeart

Tony Coles discusses the creation of the Black Information Network on the ‘Math and Magic’ podcast | iHeart

www.iheart.com

Once again, this has nothing to do with DEI. Creating a network targeting specific network is what radio does and has done since the 60s. Seems to me, around that same time iHeart launched the Rumba format targeting Hispanics.