KYW overnight explanation...

[Rustyfender]

KYW is actually "live" on the overnights between midnight and 4:30 a.m. HOWEVER, unfortunately...only at the top and bottom of the hours. Once the 30 minute newscast is underway--it goes into 'voicetrack' if you will...pre-recorded news stories by the anchor introducing each story on tape.
The traffic reports are live 24/7. After all, how does one do a traffic report of current conditions if it isn't live? At any rate, I can assure you the traffic reports are live. The traffic anchor has 60 seconds total to do the report live. Basically, to describe how it works:
*A 60 second window of "dead air" is left open every ten minutes--so to speak--where the traffic anchor inserts himself into that "dead air" of sixty second time. Go OVER and the next jingle, commercial or whatever will override the live traffic announcer cutting him off. So, the traffic guy basically has to be at the top of his game and get in...and out...within that 60 second window. Only the :02 and :32 traffic reports are introduced LIVE by the anchor--throwing to traffic from midnight through 4:30 a.m.
Unfortunately, the KYW announcer giving the stories after the top stories at the top/bottom of the hours is what is NOT live.
They say they aren't doing this due to cost-cutting. But, what other reason could it be is my question.

 

[Jul]

KYW is actually "live" on the overnights between midnight and 4:30 a.m. HOWEVER, unfortunately...only at the top and bottom of the hours. Once the 30 minute newscast is underway--it goes into 'voicetrack' if you will...pre-recorded news stories by the anchor introducing each story on tape.
The traffic reports are live 24/7. After all, how does one do a traffic report of current conditions if it isn't live? At any rate, I can assure you the traffic reports are live. The traffic anchor has 60 seconds total to do the report live. Basically, to describe how it works:
*A 60 second window of "dead air" is left open every ten minutes--so to speak--where the traffic anchor inserts himself into that "dead air" of sixty second time. Go OVER and the next jingle, commercial or whatever will override the live traffic announcer cutting him off. So, the traffic guy basically has to be at the top of his game and get in...and out...within that 60 second window. Only the :02 and :32 traffic reports are introduced LIVE by the anchor--throwing to traffic from midnight through 4:30 a.m.
Unfortunately, the KYW announcer giving the stories after the top stories at the top/bottom of the hours is what is NOT live.
They say they aren't doing this due to cost-cutting. But, what other reason could it be is my question.

KYW needs to stop this, period. A major radio station like KYW doesn't need to do this.

 

[qtpieislit]

on tape.

Now that is novel.

 

[Kyle D]

Just wondering Rusty, are you the former "KRZ's Rusty Fender"??

As for KYW not being completely live in the overnight hours, I understand your explaination, but I don't quite see the point. If there is someone there "live" at the top and bottom of the hour, why don't they just stay "live" the entire time?

I agree with you, there is no reason other than cost-cutting. I'm speculating that there are only 1 or 2 people in the building in the overnight hours and in between each live cut-in every 30 minutes they are responsible for gathering news for the morning and monitoring on-going & breaking-type stories.

I know it doesn't happen often, but what if there is a huge accident on area roadways and 60 seconds isn't enough time for the traffic drop-in? I would assume if it's big enough there is a procedure in place for the person on-duty to take the reins and go live, but who knows?

If cost-cutting isn't the reason, then why do it at all?

I'm not saying they should have a 20 person news staff over night, but this is just the latest step down the ladder for a once great product.

 

[Jul]

I'm not saying they should have a 20 person news staff over night, but this is just the latest step down the ladder for a once great product.

The current KYW management should be fired for the drop in ratings in the PPM and the stale product and format that is on the station now and a new team that knows about the business and the news format should come to philly to run KYW or let CBS Radio in New York run the station. I have been complaining and complaining for years on many boards about the many mistakes the station has made in the past 4-6 years in its news format and stories they cover and no one seemed to take my word for it. I hope people will take my word for it now because the station is really starting to get dull and very bad.

 

[WTUX]

Julius, I totally disagree with you.

 

[carnyfeet]

NOW you are being over the top. Maybe KYW does need to change their schedule to make sure they're on live in the early mornings, but the station management does not need to get fired over this nor does CBS HQ need to meddle in a Philadelphia institution all the way from New York.

I would guess that 99% of all listeners have no idea that those parts of the 24-hour cycle are taped, and even if they found out, they wouldn't care because they are asleep. Going live in that part of the day isn't going to boost PPM ratings. In fact, there's nothing even really wrong with the PPM ratings, as they usually come in consistently in the top five if not the top three.

But of course, YOU know better than KYW management, so why don't they FIRE 'EM ALL and put Julius May in the king's throne?

 

[aindik]

If they have a person there live to intro stories at :00 and :30, why doesn't said person anchor the rest of the newscast. The person is there. How does having them talk less save them money?

 

[THE_VIKING]

Perhaps they are their own producer. You can't write copy and anchor at the same time. Easier to pay one body instead of two.

 

[WTUX]

While I was at WDEL, they used the same philosophy. When I first went there, they had an engineer in addition to me writing and reading the news at the top of the hour. It finally sank in to management that since we were semi-automated during most of the hour, only one person was neeeded. It makes a lot of sense. And since the anchor/writer is there, if something big breaks, he can go llive. I did it during ice storms and it worked fine.

 

[DToTheJ]

So, the traffic guy basically has to be at the top of his game and get in...and out...within that 60 second window. Only the :02 and :32 traffic reports are introduced LIVE by the anchor--throwing to traffic from midnight through 4:30 a.m.

Bet the traffic reporter isn't introduced by his/her name - what if the guy doesn't show up or there's a sub?

 

[Evangelist]

Perhaps they are their own producer. You can't write copy and anchor at the same time. Easier to pay one body instead of two.

Exactly.

All this foolishness about firing the management is just that. Maybe this isn't the smartest thing to do, but I doubt the armchair consultants could do better.

Headline News has used pre-recorded segments in the past. Anchors are live for the first 15 minutes and then taped segments are used for the features, giving anchors time to go to the toilet, re-write copy, etc. And of course, if there's breaking news, they cut in live.

KYW is staffed 24/7, it's just that not every minute of overnights is live.

 

[carnyfeet]

I just can't believe some of the asinine discussions we end up having on this forum sometimes. Whoops, someone's upset because 1060 tapes some segments at 3AM! Let's round up the staff and give them all their severance packages...

Honestly, Julius, I can't tell if you're TRYING to troll this message board sometimes, but if you are, you're doing a hell of a job. Bravo.

 

[eatspaste]

I hope people will take my word for it now because the station is really starting to get dull and very bad.

Hey Julius,
Breaking news: The Weather Channel isn't live 24/7, either -- and there isn't anything more current than the weather! It isn't uncommon for TWC to loop the same hour of what looks like live programming over and over in the overnights.

My point? Is the public (viewers) still being served with information? Yes. Can you still find out what's happening at 3AM? Yes.

I'm also assuming that if the S! hit the fan at 3:15 in the morning with a big breaking news story (something on a national level or deserving national attention), they have the ability to run something from either ABC or CBS Radio News.

 

[Jul]

Another reason why they should go back to being live all the time during the overnight hours Monday-Friday, there was NO MENTION during the sports broadcasts of the Rockies and Padres scores since they have playoff impactions for the Phillies. I really think that this is a cost cutting move by the station that went awry.