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Fox News radio launches today

B

bierkenstock

Guest
From the AP:
<blockquote>With a newly constructed Manhattan studio and expanded news offerings, the fledgling Fox News Radio is marking a key step in its growth plans. The service started two years ago and has offered one-minute newscasts to affiliate stations. As of this morning, it's offering the longer newscasts that many talk-oriented stations demand</blockquote>
Full Article

Clear Channel announced a "partnership" with Fox News radio and said early on some 100 of their talk stations (about one-half of the total) would carry Fox's hourly newscasts.

Has anybody heard the newscasts? How do they sound? Which stations are carrying them?
 
> Clear Channel announced a "partnership" with Fox News radio
> and said early on some 100 of their talk stations (about
> one-half of the total) would carry Fox's hourly newscasts.
>
> Has anybody heard the newscasts? How do they sound? Which
> stations are carrying them?

Just now - Clear Channel talker WHLO/640 in Akron is still running the ABC-I casts. Those newscasts, by the way, are also now heard on new sister libtalk station WARF/1350.

Reading the article, it repeats what we heard at the start...that the CC news/talkers will add FNR between now and August or so. I've heard that the start times will vary depending on the expiration of the existing news network contract (ABC, CNN, etc.).

And of course, I'd assume CC has no plans to put the Fox News Radio casts on any of its liberal talkers. I'm not sure they'd have the phone staff to handle the listener protests. ;) I'm guessing if they're extricating themselves from ABC in various markets, CNN may step up in that role...CC already runs CNN on some of its libtalkers.

-OA
 
I've heard the minute-long newscasts on WOWO and WKRC, both of which I can pick up here in Michigan. Those sound great, and I'll be listening to see if either station picks up the longer 'casts. Comments on the original, minute-long newscasts: well produced, albeit very short. Only one or two stories make it in, but they're very well-written, technically speaking there's nothing to find fault with, and the hourly newscast anchors from the TV network are also the anchors for the radio newscasts, giving listeners a sense of familiarity. Very well done, in my opinion.

EDIT:
Also, last I heard, WKRC was running CBS at the top of the hour and FOX at the bottom... I don't know if that's changed yet, or if it will change at all.
<P ID="signature">______________
"Get educated. Read stuff on the web and believe all of it."
-- Phil Hendrie</P><P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by J.C. on 06/01/05 06:11 PM.</FONT></P>
 
> From the AP:
> With a newly constructed Manhattan studio and expanded news
> offerings, the fledgling Fox News Radio is marking a key
> step in its growth plans. The service started two years ago
> and has offered one-minute newscasts to affiliate stations.
> As of this morning, it's offering the longer newscasts that
> many talk-oriented stations demand
> Full Article
>
> Clear Channel announced a "partnership" with Fox News radio
> and said early on some 100 of their talk stations (about
> one-half of the total) would carry Fox's hourly newscasts.
>
> Has anybody heard the newscasts? How do they sound? Which
> stations are carrying them?
>

WLRK-107.9 (Classic Rock) Wausau, WI runs them in the morning and afternoon. Sounds like your typical newscast to me.
<P ID="signature">______________
Jeremy Andrews

</P>
 
> And of course, I'd assume CC has no plans to put the Fox
> News Radio casts on any of its liberal talkers. I'm not
> sure they'd have the phone staff to handle the listener
> protests. ;) I'm guessing if they're extricating themselves
> from ABC in various markets, CNN may step up in that
> role...CC already runs CNN on some of its libtalkers.
>
> -OA


I say this with my tongue as deeply in my cheek as possible but I don't think the structural integrity of the universe can handle both Fox and AAR on the same station as the same moment in time...probably would create mini-black holes....

Bad joke aside, I spoke with a friend of mine at a CC radio station. Some stations that are running liberal radio, will have some "leverage" in renewing the contract they have with a CNN/ABC/CBS while others who now run AAR's limited news feed will continue to do so....not sure what "leverage" means in CC's eyes..but i don't/can't/won't see how a FOX news feed would be a positive thing.
 
> > And of course, I'd assume CC has no plans to put the Fox
> > News Radio casts on any of its liberal talkers. I'm not
> > sure they'd have the phone staff to handle the listener
> > protests. ;) I'm guessing if they're extricating
> themselves
> > from ABC in various markets, CNN may step up in that
> > role...CC already runs CNN on some of its libtalkers.
> >
> > -OA
>
>
> I say this with my tongue as deeply in my cheek as possible
> but I don't think the structural integrity of the universe
> can handle both Fox and AAR on the same station as the same
> moment in time...probably would create mini-black holes....
>
> Bad joke aside, I spoke with a friend of mine at a CC radio
> station. Some stations that are running liberal radio, will
> have some "leverage" in renewing the contract they have with
> a CNN/ABC/CBS while others who now run AAR's limited news
> feed will continue to do so....not sure what "leverage"
> means in CC's eyes..but i don't/can't/won't see how a FOX
> news feed would be a positive thing.
>
I have heard it and it is actually very ordinary. I was expecting to be more annoyed ;-)

Clear channel is now firmly in bed with Fox Newscasts, will this make other channels want to go to another source? What stations do you suppose want the extended time Fox News is talking about? CC is their biggest client and I thought I read here that they do not want long newscasts...
 
> I've heard the minute-long newscasts on WOWO and WKRC, both
> of which I can pick up here in Michigan. Those sound great,
> and I'll be listening to see if either station picks up the
> longer 'casts. Comments on the original, minute-long
> newscasts: well produced, albeit very short. Only one or
> two stories make it in, but they're very well-written,
> technically speaking there's nothing to find fault with, and
> the hourly newscast anchors from the TV network are also the
> anchors for the radio newscasts, giving listeners a sense of
> familiarity. Very well done, in my opinion.


I think the one-minute casts sound like garbage. The talent seems poorly mic'd (sound quality is poor) and many of the TV talent don't know that there is a different pacing for radio news than for TV news (not all - Page Hopkins does a bang up job). Then insert an edited TV package where the reporter is talking way too slow or isn't telling the full story because the package is supposed to have graphics, ughh.

However, Fox News Radio has hired a number of Radio News people for the new longer casts, and I can only hope it gets better from here.

By the way, listen to an ABC News one-minute newscast by Richard Davies or Larry Jacobs and you'll see hear great a one-minute newscast can be ... the FNR product pales by comparison.

I have high hopes for the longer casts with a dedicated radio staff.
 
> Clear channel is now firmly in bed with Fox Newscasts, will
> this make other channels want to go to another source? What
> stations do you suppose want the extended time Fox News is
> talking about? CC is their biggest client and I thought I
> read here that they do not want long newscasts...
>

Industry standard full network TOH newscast is still 6 mins with 1 min spot(s). I'm not sure how extended Fox News can be--stations will still tailor their shows to start at 6 or 8 after (2 mins of local spots), so Fox will have to work within that parameter.
 
> Industry standard full network TOH newscast is still 6 mins
> with 1 min spot(s). I'm not sure how extended Fox News can
> be--stations will still tailor their shows to start at 6 or
> 8 after (2 mins of local spots), so Fox will have to work
> within that parameter.

I believe FNR is cash (or at least available that way) to comply with CC's Less is More. No TOH network inventory.

The whole argument is moot for the many CC station's with full-time local news departments, which will limit FNR's exposure most of the day to a sounder.
 
FNR - Cash, No Spot Inventory

> I believe FNR is cash (or at least available that way) to
> comply with CC's Less is More. No TOH network inventory.

You are correct. That was a big part of the deal - CC paid cash up front, and there's no network inventory. It was a big reason CC went with them.

If I remember right, the FNR cast is 5 minutes straight up, no inventory in the middle or after. I'll assume they'll have a false out somewhere in there, likely 2-3 minutes in, in case a station wants to bolt for a local cast at 2 or 3 minutes into it.

> The whole argument is moot for the many CC station's with
> full-time local news departments, which will limit FNR's
> exposure most of the day to a sounder.

A la most of CC's big news/talkers in markets like Cleveland, Cincinnati, Denver, etc... of course, they'll now be running FNR reports, voicers and sound bites instead of ABC's for national content.

-OA
 
i would also strongly disagree about the one minute newscasts. they were poorly done on almost every level...sound quality, mics, levels, pacing. they sounded like television throwaway dreck, which they were.

having said that (!) we still use them in our morning show at 5:45, 6:45, and 7:45. the brand and the promotion is far more important than the quality of the newscast. i haven't made any decision about the five minute newscasts, but i am apt to believe, without hearing them, that they will be much better.


they're very well-written,
> > technically speaking there's nothing to find fault with,
> and
> > the hourly newscast anchors from the TV network are also
> the
> > anchors for the radio newscasts, giving listeners a sense
> of
> > familiarity. Very well done, in my opinion.
>
>
> I think the one-minute casts sound like garbage. The talent
> seems poorly mic'd (sound quality is poor) and many of the
> TV talent don't know that there is a different pacing for
> radio news than for TV news (not all - Page Hopkins does a
> bang up job). Then insert an edited TV package where the
> reporter is talking way too slow or isn't telling the full
> story because the package is supposed to have graphics,
> ughh.
>
> However, Fox News Radio has hired a number of Radio News
> people for the new longer casts, and I can only hope it gets
> better from here.
>
> By the way, listen to an ABC News one-minute newscast by
> Richard Davies or Larry Jacobs and you'll see hear great a
> one-minute newscast can be ... the FNR product pales by
> comparison.
>
> I have high hopes for the longer casts with a dedicated
> radio staff.
>
 
> i would also strongly disagree about the one minute
> newscasts. they were poorly done on almost every
> level...sound quality, mics, levels, pacing. they sounded
> like television throwaway dreck, which they were.

The pacing, I'll agree, is off by quite a bit, but the sound quality, levels, etc. all seemed fine to me. Maybe it was the fact that I was trying to listen to a 5000-watt station from across the entirety of Ohio :)<P ID="signature">______________
"Get educated. Read stuff on the web and believe all of it."
-- Phil Hendrie</P>
 
Re: FNR - Cash, No Spot Inventory

I also heard that the FOX deal with CC is cash with no inventory load for
CC stations; HOWEVER, there must be inventory loads for other FOX affiliates because FOX recently joined the RADAR-Arbitron list of rated networks. RADAR
rates networks' inventory clearance.
action central


> > I believe FNR is cash (or at least available that way) to
> > comply with CC's Less is More. No TOH network inventory.
>
>
 
Re: FNR - Cash, No Spot Inventory

> I also heard that the FOX deal with CC is cash with no
> inventory load for
> CC stations; HOWEVER, there must be inventory loads for
> other FOX affiliates because FOX recently joined the
> RADAR-Arbitron list of rated networks. RADAR
> rates networks' inventory clearance.

That could be whatever FNR attaches to the 1 minute casts currently running on all of its radio affiliates. And perhaps FNR will offer a non-cash version of the 5 minute cast...my guess, with 1 minute of spotload attached at the end, so they wouldn't have to create a different news product from the one aired on the CC stations.

-OA
 
Re: FNR - Cash, No Spot Inventory

They can just do the "optional one minute of news" thing like some networks do. I'm going to assume that the larger talkers like WTAM and WLW will just use Fox cuts, maybe in addition to ABC. Somehow I don't see WLW dropping ABC.

> > I also heard that the FOX deal with CC is cash with no
> > inventory load for
> > CC stations; HOWEVER, there must be inventory loads for
> > other FOX affiliates because FOX recently joined the
> > RADAR-Arbitron list of rated networks. RADAR
> > rates networks' inventory clearance.
>
> That could be whatever FNR attaches to the 1 minute casts
> currently running on all of its radio affiliates. And
> perhaps FNR will offer a non-cash version of the 5 minute
> cast...my guess, with 1 minute of spotload attached at the
> end, so they wouldn't have to create a different news
> product from the one aired on the CC stations.
>
> -OA
>
<P ID="signature">______________
"You can't say 'moron' on the radio, you can only say 'moron' on television"...FCC official on an episode of "The Fairly Oddparents" which my son watches</P>
 
Re: FNR - Cash, No Spot Inventory

> They can just do the "optional one minute of news" thing
> like some networks do. I'm going to assume that the larger
> talkers like WTAM and WLW will just use Fox cuts, maybe in
> addition to ABC. Somehow I don't see WLW dropping ABC.

WLW seems to get its own exemptions from Clear Channel, so who knows...but it's my understanding that all of CC's big market news/talkers will be using Fox instead of ABC by the end of the summer.

If that's the case, 'LW would use cuts and reporter pieces from Fox, as would WTAM and other stations that do their own TOH casts. Does 'KRC run ABC right now? If so, I assume they'll bolt to the FNR cast as soon as they can get off ABC.

Off the top of my head, I don't know what libtalk WCKY/1530 does, but if they're using CNN now, they'll probably keep doing so.

-OA
 
Re: FNR - Cash, No Spot Inventory

WKRC uses CBS, WCKY uses ABC/I. You'ree right that WLW does get an exemption from some of what the rest of CC does. Darryl Parks is cognizant of the station sounding completely like the mouthpiece of the GOP, so, I'm guessing ABC will stay on the Big One.



> > They can just do the "optional one minute of news" thing
> > like some networks do. I'm going to assume that the larger
>
> > talkers like WTAM and WLW will just use Fox cuts, maybe in
>
> > addition to ABC. Somehow I don't see WLW dropping ABC.
>
> WLW seems to get its own exemptions from Clear Channel, so
> who knows...but it's my understanding that all of CC's big
> market news/talkers will be using Fox instead of ABC by the
> end of the summer.
>
> If that's the case, 'LW would use cuts and reporter pieces
> from Fox, as would WTAM and other stations that do their own
> TOH casts. Does 'KRC run ABC right now? If so, I assume
> they'll bolt to the FNR cast as soon as they can get off
> ABC.
>
> Off the top of my head, I don't know what libtalk WCKY/1530
> does, but if they're using CNN now, they'll probably keep
> doing so.
>
> -OA
>
<P ID="signature">______________
"You can't say 'moron' on the radio, you can only say 'moron' on television"...FCC official on an episode of "The Fairly Oddparents" which my son watches</P>
 
Fox News - there's at least one spot

The five minute clock for Fox goes like this:

:00-:02 News
:02-:03 1 min spot
:03-:05 News

If you think about it, Fox CAN have a one minute spot on CC stations and not effect less is more. If the affiliate carried CBS or ABC, they had to be clearing at least one minute of network spots from the TOH cast anyway (unless they had one heckuva contract), and that went toward the LiM total.

Now, are there any other spots that will need to be cleared during the day? I'm not sure. But since the CC Fox News is a Premiere service, perhaps that would be routed through the Premiere channels.
 
Re: Fox News - there's at least one spot

> If you think about it, Fox CAN have a one minute spot on CC
> stations and not effect less is more. If the affiliate
> carried CBS or ABC, they had to be clearing at least one
> minute of network spots from the TOH cast anyway (unless
> they had one heckuva contract), and that went toward the LiM
> total.

Question - where did you hear the FNR 5 minute cast?

I was under the impression, from the announcement originally, that the CC stations would literally be carrying NO inventory attached to the FNR casts. That leads me to believe that FNR WILL be making a 5 minute-no-spot cast for the CC stations. How they're gonna do it and still feed a minute spot to other stations is beyond me. Maybe they'll put a minute of throwaway headlines in that :02-:03 slot.

The CC folks made a big deal about the all-cash thing, and I'm pretty sure there's no spot inventory at least with CC and FNR. The phrase "all-cash" was used throughout news about this pairing.

-OA
 
Re: FNR - Cash, No Spot Inventory

Wrong. ABC is going away from WLW. I have heard Bill CUnningham talking about it a lot lately. Supposed to happen by August.

> They can just do the "optional one minute of news" thing
> like some networks do. I'm going to assume that the larger
> talkers like WTAM and WLW will just use Fox cuts, maybe in
> addition to ABC. Somehow I don't see WLW dropping ABC.
>
> > > I also heard that the FOX deal with CC is cash with no
> > > inventory load for
> > > CC stations; HOWEVER, there must be inventory loads for
> > > other FOX affiliates because FOX recently joined the
> > > RADAR-Arbitron list of rated networks. RADAR
> > > rates networks' inventory clearance.
> >
> > That could be whatever FNR attaches to the 1 minute casts
> > currently running on all of its radio affiliates. And
> > perhaps FNR will offer a non-cash version of the 5 minute
> > cast...my guess, with 1 minute of spotload attached at the
>
> > end, so they wouldn't have to create a different news
> > product from the one aired on the CC stations.
> >
> > -OA
> >
>
 
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