WCBS top of the hour

[TheBigA]

The fact that the same Traffic anchor is doing reports On Both 880 WCBS and 1010 WINS

You're assuming that the service that provides the traffic offers two different people at that time.

 

[gr8oldies]

WCBS 880 no longer has someone there overnights. They are running pre-recorded segments consisting mostly of people who were interviewed about random topics earlier in the day/week/month? That's probably why those reported filler music segments run before the top of the hour, to kill time where they didn't have interviews available in lengths to time out properly.

I don't know what happens if major news breaks overnight. I used to turn this station on every night as part of my getting ready for bed routine, but it's unlistenable at that hour now.

The long-held conventional wisdom was that radio should not do things that would cause someone to tune out at night because that means they would not be tuned into the morning show when they turned the radio back on the following day. I guess today's programmers have forgotten about the basics though, or they just don't care anymore

Is WINS also automated overnight? I'd venture to guess someone is at least writing and producing segments for morning.

 

[Always interested]

You're assuming that the service that provides the traffic offers two different people at that time.

I believe Audacy owns Both Stations. Audacy has their own Traffic Service. After 7pm The same Traffic Anchor Reports on Both stations.

 

[gr8oldies]

The fact that the same Traffic anchor is doing reports On Both 880 WCBS and 1010 WINS After 7:00P.M. Should tell you everything you need to know right there. WCBS is no longer a Major News Radio Station in The New York Metropolitan area. They are a Dump Only in existence now to play commercials

When I worked for Metro Traffic, I did traffic for co-owned and non co-owned stations as well as produced for several more.

 

[TheBigA]

I believe Audacy owns Both Stations. Audacy has their own Traffic Service. After 7pm The same Traffic Anchor Reports on Both stations.

A traffic reporter typically is responsible for several stations. It's been that way for 30 years. Overnight there are fewer stations carrying traffic reports.

 

[Always interested]

When I worked for Metro Traffic, I did traffic for co-owned and non co-owned stations as well as produced for several more.

I know.a traffic reporter is responsible for Producing & reporting for several stations. But at one time These two stations were fierce competitors. Even when they were first owned by the same company years ago they still had their own edge which included their own individual Traffic Styles. WINS was a rapid report & WCBS was a more conversational report done by two different reporters. Now after 7pm it’s the same reporter Basically one style on both stations

 

[Always interested]

I know a traffic reporter is responsible for numerous stations. Years ago they each had their own individual traffic styles done by two different reporters. Now it’s one reporter same style 3 minutes apart

 

[Always interested]

I know.a traffic reporter is responsible for Producing & reporting for several stations. But at one time These two stations were fierce competitors. Even when they were first owned by the same company years ago they still had their own edge which included their own individual Traffic Styles. WINS was a rapid report & WCBS was a more conversational report done by two different reporters. Now after 7pm it’s the same reporter Basically one style on both stations

Obviously a money saving move

 

[TheBigA]

Obviously a money saving move

Is there a problem with that? Is the traffic any different because it's reported by the same person? Is it read less professionally?

I don't understand the issue here. There is very little audience at night, and very little money to be made at night, so as a result there's less money to spend.

 

[Always interested]

Is there a problem with that? Is the traffic any different because it's reported by the same person? Is it read less professionally?

I don't understand the issue here. There is very little audience at night, and very little money to be made at night, so as a result there's less money to spend.

I guess I should have summed it up by saying. I’m used to A Different style & approach on each station. Now that they have combined Newsrooms-Reporters-Traffic & they both use Accuweather. It’s not as interesting. I know it’s a Business but. It’s not as much fun. Not unique. It’s sounds canned

 

[davideduardo]

I know a traffic reporter is responsible for numerous stations. Years ago they each had their own individual traffic styles done by two different reporters. Now it’s one reporter same style 3 minutes apart

Often in the past, going back perhaps 3 decades or so, the same reporter might do several stations but use a different name on each. I was even told that Metro Traffic in LA had separate "push button" EQ settings for each station a single reporter did.

 

[TheBigA]

I’m used to A Different style & approach on each station.

But as you said: This is only after 7PM. They put their resources where they get the most return.

 

[Gregg.]

At one time, the policy at Total Traffic was that you could NOT use the same reporter on competing stations. There was one staff for WINS, one for WCBS and one for WBBR Bloomberg Radio. Occasionally in an emergency, if someone from the WINS, WCBS or WBBR weekend staff was needed on another service, they'd use a different name. But again, just in an emergency.

For a brief time, beginning in Aug. 2011, Total Traffic also did reports for All-News 101.9, when it tried to compete with WINS and WCBS. That station was also supplied with a different crew of traffic reporters. Even overnight and weekends, there'd be one reporter for WCBS, one for WINS, one for Bloomberg and one for All-News 101.9.

Eventually Bloomberg stopped doing traffic in the middle of the day on weekdays and all overnights. It still did traffic every 15 minutes from 5 a.m. to midnight on weekends. Same for weekday AM and PM drive plus evenings. (Last year, all Bloomberg stations--WBBR NYC, WDCH Washington, WRCA-WNBP Boston and KNEW San Francisco--stopped doing traffic altogether.)

And in July 2012, there was no more All-News 101.9. So Total Traffic only needed two overnight reporters, one on WCBS and one on WINS.

Then in April 2019, CBS Radio began its in-house traffic service. So at that time, Total Traffic was no longer the supplier. But within the CBS Radio Traffic Service, separate staffs were maintained for WINS and WCBS, just as there were separate staffs for anchoring and street reporting for both stations. Then last year, Audacy hammered out a new policy with the union, SAG-AFTRA. The staffs of both stations were combined. The same street reporters and weekend/fill-in anchors are heard on both stations, as are traffic reporters.

 

[Yabadabado1]

I've been in NYC visiting now and again and if any town needs 24/7 traffic, it's them. Couldn't believe how bad traffic was at any hour of the day and since I'm a night person, I was out a LOT overnights and it was a freaking zoo. About the only place worse was the Orlando area and Tampa Bay. I-4 is a parking lot at any hour of the day and just about as bad in the Tampa/Saint Pete area.