Huntley-Brinkley Report

[F.M.Hertz]

May seem like a simple question, but, what was the piece of classical music that was used as the theme for the Huntley-Brinkley Report on NBC? If I seem to recall, there was a variation of it that was used on Keith Olbermann's show when it was on MSNBC.

Thanks.

 

[mbayus]

The second movement of Beethoven's ninth symphony, probably performed by the NBC symphony orchestra.

 

[searadiofreak]

Yes, and Keith used it exactly as aired back in the day. One of the endearing aspects of Keith's show. Miss that.

 

[FRR]

Yes, and Keith used it exactly as aired back in the day. One of the endearing aspects of Keith's show. Miss that.

I always wondered who the three people were that listened to Keith and that mouth of his, and now I know who one of them is

 

[Mike Stroud]

Yes, and Keith used it exactly as aired back in the day. One of the endearing aspects of Keith's show. Miss that.

I always wondered who the three people were that listened to Keith and that mouth of his, and now I know who one of them is

Now, now, it's Christmas time, boys. Let's not get into it right now. We'll have plenty of time for political jousting all next year, during the election. By that time, I'll be getting into it myself. (HAHAHAHAHA!)

 

[bpatrick]

Seems interesting to me that NBC is the only network that has
consistently used music on its newscasts (although I think there
was a time in the John Chancellor era when it didn't). I think it
was Dick Salant who banned music from all CBS News programs
except "CBS Reports," where the theme music was Aaron Copland's
"Appalachian Spring." ABC had had music during the Ron Cochran and
first Peter Jennings era; none during the Smith/Reasoner era; a theme
song during the year Reasoner did the news solo (1975-76), then none
during the Reasoner/Walters era. When the theme for "World News Tonight"
(quite possibly the most recognizable news theme ever) caught on, CBS and
NBC added music to their newscasts (NBC's "The Mission" by John Williams
also became fairly recognizable).

I do, however, remember an exception to Salant's edict at CBS: The "CBS
Morning News" used to play a soft guitar piece, the name of which I've forgotten
(this was, I think, in the John Hart era in the early '70s). But then, Hart played
by his own rules, even doing the newscast in shirtsleeves until Bill Paley ordered
him to put on a jacket.

 

[wbhist]

Seems interesting to me that NBC is the only network that has consistently used music on its newscasts (although I think there
was a time in the John Chancellor era when it didn't). I think it was Dick Salant who banned music from all CBS News programs
except "CBS Reports," where the theme music was Aaron Copland's "Appalachian Spring." ABC had had music during the Ron
Cochran and first Peter Jennings era; none during the Smith/Reasoner era; a theme song during the year Reasoner did the
news solo (1975-76), then none during the Reasoner/Walters era. When the theme for "World News Tonight" (quite possibly
the most recognizable news theme ever) caught on, CBS and NBC added music to their newscasts (NBC's "The Mission" by John
Williams also became fairly recognizable).

I do, however, remember an exception to Salant's edict at CBS: The "CBS Morning News" used to play a soft guitar piece, the
name of which I've forgotten (this was, I think, in the John Hart era in the early '70s). But then, Hart played by his own rules,
even doing the newscast in shirtsleeves until Bill Paley ordered him to put on a jacket.

Did you forget the synth music that opened and closed CBS's In the News interstitials of the '70's and '80's in-between Saturday morning cartoons and children's shows? That too, it seems, went against Salant's edict, in a way. But then, if one considers a teletype sound effect "theme music," then in a sense the CBS Evening News did have a theme after all before Rather assumed the reins . . .

As for what de facto theme music could've been used on the CBS Morning News during the John Hart era, you sure it couldn't've been Vivaldi's "Guitar Concerto in D Major (2nd Movement)" adagio (which was also used in a video that played frequently on Sesame Street in the '70's, as seen here)? And as a side note, I wonder if Hart's appearing on-camera in shirtsleeves played some influence on New York station WCBS-TV's Dave Marash beginning in 1973 when he and Rolland Smith anchored Channel 2's 11 P.M. newscasts from their newsroom.