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CBS News Radio Closed

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Does ABC just offer one TOH newscast these days, or do they still offer multiple "flavors" like the days of ABC Information Network, ABC Entertainment Network, etc.?

None of the stations I listen to regularly are running network news any longer, until I just started in recent weeks listening to an oldies station out of Oklahoma and was surprised to hear ABC at the top of the hour.

The last full-service station I listened to regularly (WNAV, now a shadow of its former self) made very heavy use of CBS. "Eye on Veterans" was one of the better shows. That, to me, was radio done right...except THE MONEY ISN'T THERE. As I've said before, just how many ads can you sell to Optima Tax Relief, Big Lou and the time share fixers? I don't care for this reality, but that doesn't change anything.
 
DelmarvaDX said:
Does ABC just offer one TOH newscast these days, or do they still offer multiple "flavors" like the days of ABC Information Network, ABC Entertainment Network, etc.?
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They dropped the "Information" brand in 1980 when they adopted the World News Tonight theme as the logo, branding only as "ABC News".

In 1987, I was at an ABC/FM affiliate, the network now fed at :45, was only on 6:00am to 9:00pm ET, and made no reference at all to ABC.

Two years later, I was at an ABC/E affiliate and its newscast had also moved to the top of the hour with a similar "From ABC News, I'm _____" intro (but no logo).

After all that, it was probably a matter of consolidating newscasts with no "flavor" added. There's a reference in this old thread to all the newscasts being generic, and that was ten years ago.
 
radiofan2023 said:
Around the time of the CBS News Radio change in distribution companies, KCJJ, which runs CBS News Radio TOH, was offered to either continue with CBS News Radio or switch to ABC News Radio from the representative. Steve the owner talked about it on the air at the time.
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I know you won't miss hearing Debra Rodriguez. Lol.
 
DelmarvaDX said:
As I've said before, just how many ads can you sell to Optima Tax Relief, Big Lou and the time share fixers? I don't care for this reality, but that doesn't change anything.
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More annoying than those is the fact that one of the CBS News Radio anchors, Deborah Rodriguez, can’t backtime reading her copy so she finishes before the ad break. Over and over it’s “I’m Deborah…”/“This is Deborah Rodriguez….” and then she gets cut off for the break. Sometimes she doesn’t even get through “This is” before Big Lou starts yammering. This has been happening for years!
 
K.M. Richards said:
They dropped the "Information" brand in 1980 when they adopted the World News Tonight theme as the logo, branding only as "ABC News".

In 1987, I was at an ABC/FM affiliate, the network now fed at :45, was only on 6:00am to 9:00pm ET, and made no reference at all to ABC.

Two years later, I was at an ABC/E affiliate and its newscast had also moved to the top of the hour with a similar "From ABC News, I'm _____" intro (but no logo).

After all that, it was probably a matter of consolidating newscasts with no "flavor" added. There's a reference in this old thread to all the newscasts being generic, and that was ten years ago.
Click to expand...
The lockout at the end of the I-Net newscast was "from the ABC Information Network, I'm ..." until the late 90s!
 
KMan said:
The lockout at the end of the I-Net newscast was "from the ABC Information Network, I'm ..." until the late 90s!
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I never listened past the "This is ABC News" optional cutaway at 3:30. So I'll take your word for it.
 
DelmarvaDX said:
Does ABC just offer one TOH newscast these days, or do they still offer multiple "flavors" like the days of ABC Information Network, ABC Entertainment Network, etc.?
Click to expand...
Some have said (elsewhere), given the boom in news podcasts from places like the NYTimes, why can't the legacy radio networks pivot successfully.

They've certainly tried. A couple of years ago ABC News Radio rebranded as ABC Audio under Scott Goldberg. Still had two TOH newscasts and some correspondents, and then a podcast operation.

A few of the podcasts are still around with legacy radio anchors (the one Brad Mielke does), but the whole ABC Audio operation was gutted at the end of 2024.

E-net newscast ended, newscasts pre-recorded from 1AM-4AM, correspondents/anchors exited (Daria Albinger, Derricke Dennis, Jason Nathanson, Tom Rivers, etc etc etc), others reassigned or promoted (Katersky).

CBS has also dabbled in podcasts to little success. I think its just an entirely different muscle that needs to be exercised.
 
KilowattKat said:
The Big Lou ad that I've heard is for guaranteed life insurance..." Big Lou, he's on meds too, just like you".
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The two variants I've heard are:

"Big Lou's like you, he's on meds too"

And

"Big Lou's like you, except he's still on number two"

Frankly, I find ads like that kind of dumb, but they do sometimes make for good punchlines :)

c
 
atthestars said:
The press release mentioned 700 affiliated stations
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And as of late 2025 there are between 4,342 to 4,360 AM stations left meaning a majority of them did not carry CBS News and I would bet that many of them don't carry ANY national news or even local news anymore.
And in 1994 I can remember when New World Communications flipped a bunch of their stations from NBC/ABC/CBS to Fox. Our local CBS station switched with left them with no CBS Evening News and they tried to do their own national newscast with the local anchors and it flopped big time. I think they dumped in in less then a year.
 
KilowattKat said:
ABC has 1500+ radio affiliates. If that happens, then what? I don't see ABC exiting radio anytime soon.
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Unless the individual broadcasters are motivated by political viewpoints (and certainly some are), I really don't think that most of the current ABC affiliates would balk at switching to Fox or one of the other conservative networks for their newscasts.
 
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nypost.com

Media veterans outraged as Bari Weiss shuts 100-year-old CBS News Radio: ‘It’s disgusting’

Weiss and CBS News President Tom Cibrowksi said Friday that CBS Radio will shut down May 22 with all roles in the unit eliminated — a move that was driven by industry shifts and financial pre…
nypost.com nypost.com

“Another media exec with recent knowledge of CBS Radio’s finances said the unit was break-even, meaning that it wasn’t losing money but also wasn’t bringing any in, either.”
 
To answer an earlier question, KGAF in Gainesville, Texas runs a 60 second "ABC News Now" at the TOH but I think the feed is earlier, maybe :55 or so, as it plays anywhere from :57 to :03 depending on how things time out.
 
KMan said:
the whole ABC Audio operation was gutted at the end of 2024.
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Which apparently coincides with this:

www.insideradio.com

ABC Audio And Skyview Networks To End Partnership In 2024.

Skyview Networks and ABC Audio are ending their business relationship. Starting next year, Skyview will no longer provide network sales and distribution for ABC Audio under a mutual decision made
www.insideradio.com www.insideradio.com

At one time, SkyView handled both CBS and ABC. Now they have neither.

Larry said:
“Another media exec with recent knowledge of CBS Radio’s finances said the unit was break-even, meaning that it wasn’t losing money but also wasn’t bringing any in, either.”
Click to expand...

It went on to say:

Typically, when a business is break-even, execs tend to shed costs before shutting down a unit because it is still bringing in revenue, the person said.
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That's what they did last fall, when they cut several weekend shows. They also cut the number of anchors. So they've been cutting costs for the past two years, with veteran staffers retiring and not getting replaced. So even under previous ownership, they were struggling.
 
JJSPC said:
While this is a big story due to the longevity of the CBS radio network, how many people under 60-65 these days are actually "tuning in" at the top of the hour to hear network news on radio? Seems like most listeners won't even care if stations run a different network or none at all.
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I get the ABC news as a podcast and listen when I want a brief update. There's one group in town that has ABC News on their music stations but I don't see the point, or expense.
 
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