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WABC launches "Worldwide News Network"

Rollo-Smokes said:
Steering this back to the topic of discussion, remember when I mentioned up-thread (Post no. 8) that WABC has issues following a clock?

Last night's (Friday 5/8) broadcast of Cats and Cosby, which is supposed to be a one-hour program (5p to 6p) but always runs several minutes past the top of the hour, ended at 6:10 pm. Mark Levin is then joined in-progress, four minutes after his live show started at 6:06p ET. And Levin starting at 6:06 is the excuse WABC uses for giving the 5:00 show extra time.

What they don't take into account (or honestly, don't care about) are their Red Apple Audio Network affiliates who have other commitments to get to at 6—and that includes WNYM. Though it's not in our contract with Red Apple, and even though we have our own live show with a host paying for the entire hour (Arthur Aidala), we are forced to carry Cats and Cosby from beginning to end (we can't cut them off until they finish with their Superman sign-off).

One thing Red Apple may want to do, especially if they intend to have Worldwide News Network updates at the top of every hour, would be to start using a format clock. This is Radio 101. The laissez faire modus operandi has got to go.
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Keep in mind that the person who Mr. Catsimadis (sorry if I screwed up the name spelling) worships (per the first post on this thread) also doesn't like to follow format clocks. Still, I wonder when WNYM will now drop the show given its regularly running over the time limits set aside for it.
 
ted chittenden said:
Keep in mind that the person who Mr. Catsimadis (sorry if I screwed up the name spelling) worships (per the first post on this thread) also doesn't like to follow format clocks. Still, I wonder when WNYM will now drop the show given its regularly running over the time limits set aside for it.
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It's not looked at as a breach of contract, so it isn't happening. Catsimatidis is Client No. 1. That relationship was established between Cats and the previous GM of Salem NY before Red Apple Media even existed. That former GM is now serving as a consultant for Red Apple Media.

When Catsimatidis first bought WABC, the expectation was that his shows would eventually be heard on 770 exclusively. The production services we were providing him continued while Red Apple Media was getting their team together. But our GM at the time didn't think it was necessary to tell our biggest-paying client–who is now our competitor–that the relationship had to end, and so it continues today unchanged. The long-held belief fear is that Cats will walk if we bring up the persistent issues I mentioned previously, so we just let it all slide and are expected to give him first-class treatment all the way up. (I could use another NSFW analogy, but this is a family message board. 😆)

(Someone connected to Red Apple is monitoring our broadcast on 970. If we cut out before the show ends, or if any other technical glitches occur during the hour, they will go snitch to Red Apple upper management and they will then pitch a fit to us. It's happened many times before, and the majority of the time the problems can be traced at the source: WABC. They are poor communicators. That's all I will say on that.)

And because Salem corporate likes loves the money Cats is paying us to clear his program, it will take someone in upper management with major league cojones (and a clearance from the C-suite) to say that we need to cut that cord, and it won't happen anytime soon.
 
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Rollo-Smokes said:
You're stating the obvious.

What is certainly going to happen is Red Apple will simulcast WABC on the Worcester station most of the time. Because you know, people over there are clamoring for NYC-centric content. But we're veering off...
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True and yes Cats better define what NYC-centric content is and the hint goes its about content that is only popular in Cats specific neighborhood. But it has to deal with a national audience when it has affiliation with Worldwide News the content has to be nationwide.
 
Rollo-Smokes said:
Steering this back to the topic of discussion, remember when I mentioned up-thread (Post no. 8) that WABC has issues following a clock?


One thing Red Apple may want to do, especially if they intend to have Worldwide News Network updates at the top of every hour, would be to start using a format clock. This is Radio 101. The laissez faire modus operandi has got to go.
Click to expand...
WNN will be launching soon according to Walter Sterling. It appears a clock is now in place...at exactly :00, WABC is airing "4 minutes with Walter Sterling", while the affiliates do news. Those 4 minutes will soon be replaced with a TOH newscast from WNN. Judging by the short WNN extras, this newscast will sound a lot like FOX radio news, especially that sounder at the beginning.
 
KilowattKat said:
WNN will be launching soon according to Walter Sterling. It appears a clock is now in place...at exactly :00, WABC is airing "4 minutes with Walter Sterling", while the affiliates do news. Those 4 minutes will soon be replaced with a TOH newscast from WNN. Judging by the short WNN extras, this newscast will sound a lot like FOX radio news, especially that sounder at the beginning.
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I was thinking that this new WNN product was aimed at stations who are looking at SRN/TownHall News because FOX is taken in most markets.
 
Miss Tuned said:
Looking forward to hearing this starting to replace the two or three established, UK-focused, professional national and international news networks currently on the air on UK radio stations. Clearly with Cats' worldwide ambitions, this is what'll happen? Right?
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Yes one would think "Worldwide News" would be on the level as Reuters podcasts if one has no idea about the history of Cats, Red Apple and WABC radio. But then again its to push whatever Cats wants.
 
EricStein said:
I was thinking that this new WNN product was aimed at stations who are looking at SRN/TownHall News because FOX is taken in most markets.
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On one of the WNN short reports they call extras, was a story about the FDA blocking the release of studies regarding vaccine safety, in that they are rarely unsafe. It seemed to take the side of the FDA and HHS (RFK Jr.?). So, I'm not expecting unbiased news reporting with WNN. I'm predicting yet another right leaning news outlet.
 
Y2kTheNewOldies said:

Yes one would think "Worldwide News" would be on the level as Reuters podcasts if one has no idea about the history of Cats, Red Apple and WABC radio. But then again its to push whatever Cats wants.
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Nobody outside of NYC has heard of Cats. He's hardly a household name on the streets of Liverpool. The domestic political stuff they will be pushing is largely irrelevant overseas.

The idea that radio stations all over the world will drop their newscasts to run WABC news is as delusional as the idea that we'd all drop M&S Simply Food to rush to a Gristedes if they opened one.
 
Theater of My Mind said:
It's Worldwide News like Amercian baseball is the World Series. Just chest thumping in an effort to make yourself appear bigger to people who lack critical thinking.
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Or it's "news of the world", not just NYC, not just the Tri State area, not just the U.S.
 
Miss Tuned said:
Nobody outside of NYC has heard of Cats. He's hardly a household name on the streets of Liverpool. The domestic political stuff they will be pushing is largely irrelevant overseas.

The idea that radio stations all over the world will drop their newscasts to run WABC news is as delusional as the idea that we'd all drop M&S Simply Food to rush to a Gristedes if they opened one.
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True too even in other parts of the United States, whatever Cats is bragging about only works in the neighborhoods within the New York area.
 
it'll be interesting to see if this news service takes the lean of WABC, politicially.
 
SomeRadioGuy said:
it'll be interesting to see if this news service takes the lean of WABC, politicially.
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I really hope Lee Harris and colleagues can pull it off. I have my doubts, not because of any lack of talent, but because Cats is so used to getting his way that sooner or later (probably sooner) there will be an edict to say or do something that, on principle, they won't go along with. That will be when the rubber meets the road.
 
Weiserguy said:
I really hope Lee Harris and colleagues can pull it off. I have my doubts, not because of any lack of talent, but because Cats is so used to getting his way that sooner or later (probably sooner) there will be an edict to say or do something that, on principle, they won't go along with. That will be when the rubber meets the road.
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My concern is that this will be a way for Cats to infiltrate the rest of the country with his political agenda and viewpoint. He's always proclaiming that his goal is to " Make New York great again". I don't think NY is big enough for him nowadays. It's the world or nothing for his out of control ego.
 
Weiserguy said:
I really hope Lee Harris and colleagues can pull it off. I have my doubts, not because of any lack of talent, but because Cats is so used to getting his way that sooner or later (probably sooner) there will be an edict to say or do something that, on principle, they won't go along with. That will be when the rubber meets the road.
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its like when someone started a new christian news service a few months ago, article was in radio world this week.. and they claim it'll be unbiased
 
SomeRadioGuy said:
it'll be interesting to see if this news service takes the lean of WABC, politicially.
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The vast majority of commercial talk radio stations in this country have the same lean and probably won't mind if their replacement news service tilts more toward rightwing propaganda than CBS Radio did, or ABC Radio does.

That's not an endorsement, I wish we didn't live in a society where "news" can no longer be trusted. But honestly, Cats may do well with this service considering the number of potential affiliates that are likely to be very receptive to what he's selling.
 
I'm not a big fan of Cats but it looks like he may have nailed it here. The many stations across the country that carry CBS newscasts need someplace to go and this might be it. If it works for them programmatically and financially then it can be a home run.
 


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