In the old days, might have been true. But now with so many companies owning the majority of stations in one town or area don't think it matters that much anymore. Heck, you have iheart advertising that you can listen to their stations on the Audacy app and Audacy advertising you can listen to their stations on the iheart app. I can remember the days that stations would be loathe to even make a passing mention of their competition unless it was in a news report that" The studios of KXXX burned down last night so make sure you listen to KYYY for all the news you need.......because KXXX can't give you news or music anymore."
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KNX Los Angeles and KCBS San Francisco to Simulcast Overnight Programming
- Thread starter Joey1986
- Start date
As mentioned upthread, the KCBS traffic anchors took over the 9PM-5AM shifts over a year ago. They were definately coached up to say "the" in front of every freeway number, to the point it was unnatural. Our local anchors use "the" most of the time, but not all of the time and also say things like "the south 5" which flows better than "southbound on the 5."
I just think---especially in late nights and overnights---the number of Southern Californians who'd have a problem with simply "Southbound 5 at Sand Canyon" (losing the "the") would be pretty small. Then the Bay Area traffic reporters don't have to mix approaches and won't sound unnatural.
If I was in charge, the traffic on one station would be pre-recorded. It wouldn't be meaningfully different work for the anchor, just prepare two :45 traffic updates instead of presenting one :90 live. Apparently the same thing they already do 9p-mid, if K-Man's post is correct.
Yeah, KNX traffic would be a few minutes stale, but with one anchor doing both markets, it's stale anyway, even when it is being read live.
Yeah, KNX traffic would be a few minutes stale, but with one anchor doing both markets, it's stale anyway, even when it is being read live.
I remember how up in Northern CA they'd say...
ON 101 THERE IS A BACKUP but in SOCAL it was ... THE 101 HAS A BACKUP. Wonder how they are handling that now?
Not a radical proposal. When I did traffic for iHeart (then Clear Channel) in 2012-2013, I worked evenings and overnights (8:00 p.m.-4:00 a.m.) and handled six markets (Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas, Albuquerque, El Paso and Salt Lake City). We recorded them and pushed them on a schedule where they aired no more than five minutes later.
It's not perfect, but you're not gonna get perfect for that timeslot with the revenue available.
I agree with Michael on whether or not to use the word "the" in front of highway numbers. At the same time, I find myself a little concerned about using prerecorded traffic reports unless those reports were recorded within the previous 5 minutes before airing. Keep in mind that not only do traffic reports list traffic conditions on various main thoroughfares but they also report on traffic accidents on the same. And you don't want a traffic report going out saying the road is clear when, in fact, a major crash has occurred and that clear road is starting to back up big time as a result.
I believe they are currently doing both KCBS and KNX traffic live, as they at different times on the clock.
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
That's doubtful. It seems that this overnight simulcast uses one hot clock for both stations, otherwise trying to have exactly timed segments for each (including the traffic reports themselves) to cover whichever station isn't in a traffic report makes this more complicated than the whole thing is worth.
While I don't listen to either station overnight, and therefore can only make an educated guess, it seems more likely that they are using one clock for both stations, and one or the other is getting traffic overnight at the "wrong" times during the hour.
I'm sure there are people here who do listen to one or the other regularly and can help puzzle it out.
Sorry, my verbiage wasn't crystal clear. Currently, 9p-mid, one traffic anchor is reading both KCBS and KNX traffic, 3 or 4 minutes apart.
The traffic anchor could keep doing the same thing during this simulcast. The only difference would be that the report on KNX would be recorded, and would play back in LA a few minutes later. Rather than this extra-long combined report.
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
Still sounds like an overcomplication to me.
And I'm glad I am not the PD that had to figure this out.
And I'm glad I am not the PD that had to figure this out.
As another posted pointed out, from 9PM-midnight (and 9PM-5AM prior to this week), its one KCBS traffic anchor doing two separate reports every 10 minutes, because KCBS and KNX are on different clocks.
Starting this week, it is the same single KCBS traffic anchor, doing one report on the KCBS clock from Mid-5AM.
I listened a little last night and the anchor was Kiffany Winstrom, who has been doing both markets since KNX dropped their evening/overnight traffic anchor 18 months ago. I find her to be a rough listen.
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
Thank you, sir, for clarifying what is actually going on there. All of the previous posts, in combination, seemed to conflict with each other; your statement ...
... is (finally!) a definitive one.
KNX streams. KCBS streams. If you aren't in range of one or the other, stream the one that you can't pick up OTA. Then you can compare for yourself.
A longtime friend who built several stations in the Midwest has told me that electric utilities were among the easier people for him to deal with. They love the constant load that broadcasters present. It helps in load management.
I can't believe anyone cares about "the". The only thing I'd be curious about is to unearth a few typical KNX traffic reports and see how often they use "the". I'll bet it's neither constant nor consistent. It'd be the logical word to cut for time. "101 northbound at Cauhenga", "405 southbound at Manchester"...