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NEWS SERVICE FOR SMALL MARKET STATIONS

C

ChiefOperator

Folks,


First some background and then the question: a small market AM station is looking to expand its news programming: local, regional, and national. Currently, it gathers news for its morning and afternoon shows from local papers and internet. There is no wire service, such as AP (like I said, it's small market). It does, however, carry TOH news from USA Radio. Basically, the local news program is a talking head without sound bits or actualities. Boring, to say the least.

I would like expand the shows by adding some network audio files and some network prepared copy to the shows. I'm wondering whether there is a service that supplies this service to small market stations without a large budget.

Any suggestions are appreciated.


THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Hey Chief, as a former small market owner, and dealing with a little budget, here is my take.
You have no compelling reason for people to listen to your station.


Don't rely on national feeds and reading from the newspaper or internet.
You're simply giving them information they already know.

I had great success bringing on "local" well known folks.

Every market, large and small has their share of quirky well known local people.
Some are political junkies, others simply offered their local views in a non-radio way.

There are a ton of local personalities out there, (for free) just ask.

Good luck, have fun and provide your local market with local people.
 
It sounds to me like you need an actual journalist on staff. How long does it take to call up those local "newsmakers" that you find in the newspaper and on the Internet and record actualities? Maybe send someone with a recording device to local meetings. Check with your local high school or college to see if there are any electronic journalism programs and see if you can arrange internships.

Is there anybody already at those meetings who can turn on a recorder for you, or are the meetings already recorded and archived and publicly available? Stringers are part-timers who are paid for submitting completed stories - including sound - of events that you don't have the staff to cover. You may have your own people edit & read the script, but the stringer provides the sound bites. If you have someone with talent, you may be able to use them on the air as a part-time reporter.

In small towns, there are lots of talented people looking for a little extra income. That works to your advantage if you know the market well enough to find them. It also helps expand or solidify your audience when local voices are on your air.
 
You don't say what state you're in, but, more than likely there is a statewide radio network, and they will provide you with regional/statewide newscasts as well as audio. It's barter, so you need only air their spots to have the service.

As with the other posts so far, I concur, get yourself a recording device - preferably a digital recorder. This doesn't mean you have to go out and blow hundred's of dollars on a marantz - you can get yourself an olympus digital recorder - ds30 - for less than $150 with shipping - I've got one, and it works great - it has a built in stereo mic and you can download your audio from it with a USB cord.

It's not difficult to not only sound local, but be local - believe me, I've done that as well - everything from being the on-air guy to news director - when I was last a newguy, I put on average of 100 actualities on the air a week - and it was all local - everything from city council to local law enforcement and more.

The bottom line, it just takes some planning and then someone who can execute what you're wanting to achieve.
 
Great thoughts from all.

Following many of these tips, you are not providing simple lip service to the now overused phrase, "live & local", your DOING IT!

Besides providing a compelling local product, you have now developed your primary revenue source.

Those local people know the local businesses that are ready to listen and support.

Good luck!
 
If you really want a National TOH News Service, I could be mistaken, but I believe Fox News Radio will provide you with actualities for national stories, if you are carrying their TOH News. This may help in giving your station an affiliation for "BRANDING" purposes (tying this in with another thread...)

But what has been said is true. Nation News is readily available just about everywhere. Be something people cannot get anywhere else! I was considering removing the TOH National news at a station I was managing not too long ago. The problem was getting staff to fill in the hole I would create. Anyway, that's a topic for another day!

Good luck.
 
Story time:

A few years ago, I was working in a small market ... there was a "huge" news story about a series of bizzare thefts. We opted not to cover it, since it was really just a "bizzare" story. Turns out that our TOH news service was covering the story on their national newscast (the final "kicker" story, but still) :D
 
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