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R.I.P. ABC Radio Networks, INC. (1943-2006)

O

oldvnewschool

Upon FCC Approval that is.

How Ironic, that's how the whole operation got started.

1943 FCC Apporves sale of the Blue Network

to American Broadcasting Systems, INC.

Despite the countless mergers, the operation remained intact.

Now within the end of the year, a piece of radio history will die.

If I were Paul Harvey, I would jump the shark and not stay when

the new owners take over at the end of the year.
 
> Upon FCC Approval that is.
>
> How Ironic, that's how the whole operation got started.
>
> 1943 FCC Apporves sale of the Blue Network
>
> to American Broadcasting Systems, INC.
>
> Despite the countless mergers, the operation remained
> intact.
>
> Now within the end of the year, a piece of radio history
> will die.
>
> If I were Paul Harvey, I would jump the shark and not stay
> when
>
> the new owners take over at the end of the year.
>
Another thing on this subject:

The actual radio network which can trace its lineage to 1927 as orignially

NBC Blue (Until 1942 when it became just Blue, then in 1945 when it became

ABC) should live on.

And they were also the first of the orignial three to branch out

into different operation of networks

In 1968 there was

American FM, American Entertainment, American Information, and American
Contemporary.

And ABC News will continue to provide newscasts for at least 10 years or so.

So there you have it in a nutshell.
 
> Upon FCC Approval that is.
>
> How Ironic, that's how the whole operation got started.
>
> 1943 FCC Apporves sale of the Blue Network
>
> to American Broadcasting Systems, INC.
>
> Despite the countless mergers, the operation remained
> intact.
>
> Now within the end of the year, a piece of radio history
> will die.
>
> If I were Paul Harvey, I would jump the shark and not stay
> when
>
> the new owners take over at the end of the year.
>

Couldn't the name still live on as a license holding company much like CC does with AMFM, Chacellor, etc?

Btw.. Harvey has like 9 years left on his contract.

-A<P ID="signature">______________

</P>
 
> If I were Paul Harvey, I would jump the shark and not stay
> when
>
> the new owners take over at the end of the year.
>

For what reason?
 
> > If I were Paul Harvey, I would jump the shark and not stay
>
> > when
> >
> > the new owners take over at the end of the year.
> >
>
> For what reason?
>
When I think of Paul Harvey

I think of PURE ABC RADIO

I don't want him to join this new group

and be treated as a commodity

Meaning that you must do good ratings

or be fired/retired

Leave while your out on top I say

even if you do have 9 years left on your contract
 
> When I think of Paul Harvey
>
> I think of PURE ABC RADIO
>
> I don't want him to join this new group
>
> and be treated as a commodity
>
> Meaning that you must do good ratings
>
> or be fired/retired
>
> Leave while your out on top I say
>
> even if you do have 9 years left on your contract
>

Oh my God! Do you think they are going to treat the biggest name in radio as a commodity? Paul Harvey delivers every day, and no way will they let him go until he is ready to go.
 
There hasn't been a "Pure" ABC network for a long time..after it became CapCities/ABC. Harvey almost bolted to Mutual at one point but there's no reason for him to start from scratch now.
 
> When I think of Paul Harvey
> I think of PURE ABC RADIO
> I don't want him to join this new group
> and be treated as a commodity
> Meaning that you must do good ratings
> or be fired/retired
> Leave while your out on top I say
> even if you do have 9 years left on your contract

So its all about you?
 
> There hasn't been a "Pure" ABC network for a long
> time..after it became CapCities/ABC. Harvey almost bolted to
> Mutual at one point but there's no reason for him to start
> from scratch now.
>
No, and he basically said at the end of Tuesday's noon news he was staying and looking forward to better things to come.
 
> > There hasn't been a "Pure" ABC network for a long
> > time..after it became CapCities/ABC. Harvey almost bolted
> to
> > Mutual at one point but there's no reason for him to start
>
> > from scratch now.
> >
> No, and he basically said at the end of Tuesday's noon news
> he was staying and looking forward to better things to come.
>
I guess I was proven Wrong

And for that I apologized.

I like Paul Harvey myself.

I'm glad he will be around for a while

I'm still wondering what will eventually happen to the ABC name

Someone brought it up earlier in the post.

Should it be ABC or Citadel for the name of the network.
 
> > > There hasn't been a "Pure" ABC network for a long
> > > time..after it became CapCities/ABC. Harvey almost
> bolted
> > to
> > > Mutual at one point but there's no reason for him to
> start
> >
> > > from scratch now.
> > >
> > No, and he basically said at the end of Tuesday's noon
> news
> > he was staying and looking forward to better things to
> come.
> >
> I guess I was proven Wrong
>
> And for that I apologized.
>
> I like Paul Harvey myself.
>
> I'm glad he will be around for a while

And now you know ... the REST of the story!

(Sorry, I couldn't resist.)<P ID="signature">______________


</P>
 
> > Upon FCC Approval that is.
> >
> > How Ironic, that's how the whole operation got started.
> >
> > 1943 FCC Apporves sale of the Blue Network
> >
> > to American Broadcasting Systems, INC.
> >
> > Despite the countless mergers, the operation remained
> > intact.
> >
> > Now within the end of the year, a piece of radio history
> > will die.
> >
> > If I were Paul Harvey, I would jump the shark and not stay
>
> > when
> >
> > the new owners take over at the end of the year.
> >
>
> Couldn't the name still live on as a license holding company
> much like CC does with AMFM, Chacellor, etc?
>
> Btw.. Harvey has like 9 years left on his contract.
>
> -A
>
Let us all hope that Mr. Harvey has at the very least 9 years left on his contract with his and our maker!
 
Major ownership change #4

> Upon FCC Approval that is.
>
> How Ironic, that's how the whole operation got started.
>
> 1943 FCC Apporves sale of the Blue Network
>
> to American Broadcasting Systems, INC.
>
> Despite the countless mergers, the operation remained
> intact.
>
> Now within the end of the year, a piece of radio history
> will die.

To my way of looking at it, this is just the fourth major ownership transition in the long history of the ex-Blue Network.

Yes, there was the 1943 spinoff from RCA, of course. But there was also the 1953 merger with (really, takeover by) United Paramount Theaters that essentially created a new, larger "ABC" around the core of the Blue Network radio operation. Remember when ABC-TV celebrated its "fiftieth" anniversary in 2003? There was some validity to that - it was the UPT deal that really gave ABC the financial viability it needed to overtake Dumont and become the third network.

And you can't overlook the 1986 CapCities purchase, which closed out the Goldenson era that began in 1953 (and which touched off the round of realignments that ended the Paley era at CBS and the RCA era at NBC.) Many long-time ABC'ers will tell you, with good reason, that it was never the same company after that.

Point is, at least the ABC Radio operation will stay more or less intact (unlike NBC Radio) - and while this move separates it from ABC-TV, in a way it brings the radio operation CLOSER to where it was in the original "1943" version of the company.

ABC's fortunate in one important way - most of its radio facilities have always been physically separate from ABC-TV. In New York, the radio network is on West End Avenue and WABC/WPLJ are at Penn Station, while ABC-TV/WABC-TV is over on West 66th/Lincoln Square. In LA, the TV network and KABC-TV are both in Burbank, while KABC/KLOS is way over on La Cienega. In Chicago, WLS/WZZN is considered a tenant in the ABC-TV/WLS-TV building, and ditto for KGO/KSFO in the KGO-TV building in San Francisco. So the physical separation will be far less traumatic than it was for NBC, or than it would be for CBS. <P ID="signature">______________
Tower Site Calendar 2006 JUST RELEASED! - <a target="_blank" href=http://www.fybush.com/nerw.html#calendar>www.fybush.com</a></P>
 
Theres not much ABC Network news in Tampa that I can find....help me out here...aside from the opening and closing of the net news where they mention "ABC News"....If I'm not mistaken, the only remaining show on the roster is Paul Harvey where his morning news cast signs off with Paul Jr saying

"This is the A B C Radio Network"

In other words...will it really matter?
 
Keyword here is CONTRACT.

Harvey has his own staff, his own studios, he's pretty much a guy who just happens to be paid by ABC. I'm sure his contract is full of very specific things to prevent somebody from stirring the pot, turning the burner down, or what have you. Plus, he's in Chicago, away from the suits of the coastal headquarters. That has got to be worth something.
He's set for life. Every day for Paul is a Good Day.


> I think of PURE ABC RADIO
>
> I don't want him to join this new group
>
> and be treated as a commodity
>
> Meaning that you must do good ratings
>
> or be fired/retired
>
> Leave while your out on top I say
>
> even if you do have 9 years left on your contract
>
 
> Another thing on this subject:
>
> The actual radio network which can trace its lineage to 1927
> as orignially NBC Blue (Until 1942 when it became just Blue, then in 1945
> when it became ABC) should live on.

BTW, the "Red" and "Blue" NBC networks were so named because of the colored transmission lines, respectively. Interestingly enough, NBC's founder, RCA, was set up by Westinghouse, AT&T Bell Telephone, and GE in the early 20's.

Westinghouse essentially gave up WJZ/Newark-New York to RCA as the "Blue" flagship. WJZ ended up becoming ABC's flagship station, WABC/770, and the WJZ calls soon landed on Group W's TV outlet in Baltimore.

- Nathan Obral
 
> Theres not much ABC Network news in Tampa that I can
> find....help me out here...aside from the opening and
> closing of the net news where they mention "ABC News"....If
> I'm not mistaken, the only remaining show on the roster is
> Paul Harvey where his morning news cast signs off with Paul
> Jr saying
>
> "This is the A B C Radio Network"
>
> In other words...will it really matter?

The ABC Radio Networks are more than news.

Look at their website:
<a target="_blank" href=http://abcradio.go.com/>http://abcradio.go.com/</a>

About halfway down the page there is a "lookup" feature where you can see all the network shows by name, and enter your ZIP Code to see what stations carry the show you've selected.

All of those are "the ABC Radio Network", so I'd say there is a lot to matter.<P ID="signature">______________


</P>
 
Re: Major ownership change #4

> And you can't overlook the 1986 CapCities purchase, which
> closed out the Goldenson era that began in 1953 (and which
> touched off the round of realignments that ended the Paley
> era at CBS and the RCA era at NBC.) Many long-time ABC'ers
> will tell you, with good reason, that it was never the same
> company after that.

I went to ABC shortly after the CapCities purchase. CapCities got rid of a lot of bloat and, I believe, made the company less of an executive playground and more competitive, unlike Tisch at CBS who chopped just for the fun of chopping.

The radio network isn't as vulnerable as the O&Os. 1400+ affiliates spreads the risk around. My sources tell me the first Citadel year will result in no changes in operation. If I worked at an ABC O&O I'd have my resume updated to the second. Those stations are very expensive to operate. My bet is that the new mortgage will require major changes to cut costs. The two corporate cultures are worlds apart. A bloodbath wouldn't surprise me.

Rich
 
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