P
pifflestick
Guest
> Sorry, I could have chosen my words better. But I still say
> that because the word "flagship" is over-used and abused by
> some PR flacks does not make it so.
>
> The original meaning of "flagship" is the ship in a fleet or
> task force which carries the Admiral in command (and
> therefore flies the Admiral's flag). In broadcast usage, it
> refers to a station that produces and distributes a
> broadcast to other stations. Originally, the major networks
> were adjuncts to New York stations; they just relayed
> programs from NYC stations to stations in other cities.
> Then the situation reversed and the network produced
> programs for local stations but in New York, local and
> network programs were still produced in the same facilities
> by the same people. The New York stations called themselves
> "flagships" and they were. It's only more recently that
> network and station operations became separate, under
> different corporate divisions, often physically separate
> operations, and the "flagships" became just like any other
> affiliate (except the corporate suits were close by
> listening or watching). Ironically, the guy who separated
> the network from their O&O stations was former WCAU and
> WCAU-TV general manager - later CBS President - Jack
> Schneider. The reason (depicted in the movie Network) was
> he wanted to get local news away from the CBS News Division
> so he could put more infotainment and sensationalism in the
> newscasts, use more attractive on-air people (regardless of
> their journalistic qualifications) and - most important -
> put more spots in the newscasts.
>
> WPHT is the flagship for the Phillies network.
>
Flagship, smagship. Stations say that they are the flagship, or the 1st or the best or whatever because they think it sounds big and important. It doesn't mean anything and the average radio listener doesn't know the difference. I can't believe that you guys are actually arguing over what flagship means and whether or not a station is really a flagship. Do you really think that if a station says something that it has to be true?
> that because the word "flagship" is over-used and abused by
> some PR flacks does not make it so.
>
> The original meaning of "flagship" is the ship in a fleet or
> task force which carries the Admiral in command (and
> therefore flies the Admiral's flag). In broadcast usage, it
> refers to a station that produces and distributes a
> broadcast to other stations. Originally, the major networks
> were adjuncts to New York stations; they just relayed
> programs from NYC stations to stations in other cities.
> Then the situation reversed and the network produced
> programs for local stations but in New York, local and
> network programs were still produced in the same facilities
> by the same people. The New York stations called themselves
> "flagships" and they were. It's only more recently that
> network and station operations became separate, under
> different corporate divisions, often physically separate
> operations, and the "flagships" became just like any other
> affiliate (except the corporate suits were close by
> listening or watching). Ironically, the guy who separated
> the network from their O&O stations was former WCAU and
> WCAU-TV general manager - later CBS President - Jack
> Schneider. The reason (depicted in the movie Network) was
> he wanted to get local news away from the CBS News Division
> so he could put more infotainment and sensationalism in the
> newscasts, use more attractive on-air people (regardless of
> their journalistic qualifications) and - most important -
> put more spots in the newscasts.
>
> WPHT is the flagship for the Phillies network.
>
Flagship, smagship. Stations say that they are the flagship, or the 1st or the best or whatever because they think it sounds big and important. It doesn't mean anything and the average radio listener doesn't know the difference. I can't believe that you guys are actually arguing over what flagship means and whether or not a station is really a flagship. Do you really think that if a station says something that it has to be true?