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RNN Targets Ex-CBS News Radio Affiliates With June Launch

Y2kTheNewOldies

Y2kTheNewOldies

www.radioworld.com

RNN to Launch as Radio News Option for U.S. Stations - Radio World

A bridge service will be available for affiliates beginning May 23 — one day after CBS News Radio is scheduled to shut down.
www.radioworld.com www.radioworld.com


radioink.com

RNN Targets Ex-CBS News Radio Affiliates With June Launch - Radio Ink

With CBS News Radio's shutdown set for May 22, Live Channel USA is bringing Radio Network News to US stations for CBS affiliate stations.
radioink.com radioink.com

Note there is no confirmation on this that any Audacy owned stations will join this service. I seen similar stuff from Salem that they are going to replace CBS News Radio in other parts of the country in areas where Salem owns the affected affiliate. Iheart is currently marketing both 24/7 News and NBC News Radio for the Iheart stations affected by the removal of CBS News Radio. Not sure with this one.

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radionetworknews.com

Radio Network News

Live Channel USA launches 'Radio Network News'
radionetworknews.com radionetworknews.com

Here is RNN demo of their Top of the Hour News as they get ready to take over some of the former affiliates of CBS Radio News. Not sure who RNN's Live Channel news service is getting at this time.
 
TheBigA said:
The RNN theme sounds very similar to CBS. It uses the same five notes as CBS, just paced differently. Compare:

Click to expand...
The CBS sounder is actually six notes. If you think "C-B-S...Ray-dee-oh" as you hear it, it makes sense. Live Channel's sounder drops the 5th note and extends the last one, thus making it sound a bit slower and duller. And probably just different enough to avoid a trademark infringement suit.
 
TheBigA said:
Don't know about that, but they sound very slow and dull. If I was coaching them, I'd say pick up the pace. They're even slower than NPR.
Click to expand...
NPR's pacing on the hourlies is highly dependent on the particular newscaster. The recently retired Jack Speer could be "1010 WINS" or "WTOP" fast, Korva Coleman has a bit slower pace, but when she's subbing, Dawah'li Xikoutou (apologies for butchering the spelling) is almost painfully slow. To its credit, NPR doesn't force their anchors into a one-size-fits-all mold, but in a couple of cases maybe they should try to mold on-air presentations just a bit more.
 
The RNN sounder is very similar to CBS'. Here are some differences I can hear:

It's slower, the timing is different (the CBS sounder has some syncopation to it, ie "bum bum bum bum bum" versus "bum bum bum, ba-dum"), it's repeated twice, and there's no bong.

It sounds close enough to CBS that anyone not paying close attention to the intricate details (most listeners) probably wouldn't notice a difference. It's almost like they are deliberately trying to be a CBS sound-alike without sounding so close as to trigger a copyright or trademark infringement suit.

I think it could be an adequate substitute, but I still like the faster pace, clear pronunciation, and overall smoother delivery of CBS better, and I feel like I've known many of the anchors most of my life. I really wish it hadn't been shut down, and I'm not convinced it's entirely for financial reasons (if that really were so, then wouldn't all the other radio news outlets be shutting down too?)

All that said, I wonder if Audacy could license CBS News Radio branding (and the sounder) and use this service for the content? (do they offer a white-label, unbranded version?) iHeart uses NBC Radio News branding, and it has almost nothing to do with NBC TV (not sure about ABC Radio News. Is it owned by Disney?), so there is precedent for this.

c
 
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cc333 said:
I wonder if Audacy could license CBS News Radio branding (and the sounder) and use this service for the content? (do they offer a white-label, unbranded version?)
Click to expand...

Once again, Audacy already has the contract to distribute and sell CBS Radio News. They know how much it makes because they're the company selling the advertising. They can do the math and see if they can staff the service for less money than CBS News. Having access to CBS News TV audio would help them with their international coverage. But they'd have to pay to use it, and that cost would be added to their own staffing costs.

It's really up to CBS News to decide if it wants its brand associated with an outside company. NBC is in the branding business. I'm not aware of any example where CBS allows the use of its brand anymore. CBS allowed the use of CBS Sports for a short term, but that deal expired and wasn't renewed.
 
Now that CBS Radio is gone who are the affiliates that signed with this service? So far we seen the big one Audacy signing contracts for ABC Radio News, some parts of the country got worldwide News from 77 WABC, Iheart stations to NBC or Fox News radio. Not sure who got RNN News given that this group talked about launching this service in June.
 
I can’t imagine at this rate RNN picking up any takers, since the big players and even World Network or whatever their name already filling the vacuum.
 


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