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Continental News Service

B

b-turner

I was in Eagle Pass, Texas in 1981 when I first heard the 4.5 minute Continental News Service, a rip and read of UPI News off the ticker. One of our company owned stations in Uvalde carried it on their FM.

The network was owned by the Texas State Network. thus, Continental News Service did a 3 minute Texas News summary, I think about 6 times a weekday in drive times. There were a couple of sportscasts each day too. There were no commercials to clear.

One thing I liked was George Nolan did a 3 minute weekday feature. It was sometimes rather comical. Many times insightful. Generally a good listen. There was one where George said his family was upset. For his vacation he just wants to stay home. He doesn't want mess with traffic for hours and deal with a motel room and figuring out dinner. It just sounds like a bunch of work which is what he's trying to avoid, thus, the reason for a vacation in the first place. Alas, he has been convinced a week along the shore of Lake What-cha-muh-call-it somewhere in Wisconsin is the destination and just what he needs. He says he hates vacations if for no other reason than being too far away from his own bathroom.

Can anyone share some history of the Continental News Service? How long did it last? I have heard the second network was added to get the Dallas Cowboys on more stations.
 
This might be something that should be kicked around on the Texas Radio Hall of Fame Facebook page, where some of the KFJZ alum like Jim Thomas, Randy Brown and Beau Weaver could chime in. Best I recall, the Continental News Network was created to (a) utilize the talents of the already stellar KFJZ AM-FM/KTVT-TV and TSN news staff to launch a national product. It was also a smart way to use virtually every existing resource to create it. The only new or extra thing they probably had to purchase was some stationery.

I am sure there were those that felt it was somewhat "Texas-centric" given where it originated, and the anchors on it. How could it NOT be? As for the date of origin, or closure, I have not a clue. What I do recall is that it all came out of the TSN News booth, and according to Ken "Hubcap" Carter, it could be quite the quick shuffle when one anchor would wrap a TSN newscast, and another anchor would immediately sit down at the same console to deliver a 'cast for The Continental News Network, and they had about ten seconds to do so.

Which is why in most cases, the same anchor would do BOTH.
 


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