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WDEL News: Exact same stories this morning as yesterday PM

6

650AM

Is WDEL's news budget SO tight that the station must run the EXACT SAME news stories from one PM drive into the next day's AM drive? I'm not talking about an alternate version of the story, but the SAME STORY with the SAME audio cut.

Yesterday afternoon it was: 1) the DUI represenative; 2) the H.B. Middle School "Titanic" event story; and 3) the dry story on the local post office tax mailing deadlines and possibly one or two others. Each and every one the same version that ran yesterday and is being repeated on the half hour (at least) this morning.
Perhaps competition from Delaware's new "public radio" station will prompt some freshness in WDEL's coverage.
 
Hasn't this been beaten to death already? Show me stations that don't recycle news stories to the next day. Oh wait, there aren't any other news stations in the state with a live staff to cover stories. Well, check Philly and you'll hear the same stories repeatedly at KYW. How about TV. Oh wait, there isn't any real coverage in the state. Well, check the Philly TV stations during their brief interludes into the network morning shows and you'll see the same stories from the 11 o'clock news prior. They all recognize that one daypart's audience isn't necessarily the next daypart's.

Sure, it will be nice to have a new entity in radio in Delaware, but unless U of DE and Del State plan to sink a bunch o' money into personnel, I wouldn't hold my breath for expanded news coverage to the degree that you envision.
 
amfm.com said:
Hasn't this been beaten to death already?
Click to expand...

Yes. 650AM likes to bring it up every once in a while when the previous afternoon's top stories are still the top stories the next day.

But on days like today, when yesterday's top story was a Wilmington Friends fire and today's top story was (another) Wilmington murder...in fact, the fire had dropped to the fourth story...I don't hear any complaints.

Could we spend time writing four versions of every story instead of two so that there's something fresh the next day? Sure. I'd rather have us write two versions of that story and two versions of another story.
 
In Chris's defense, there are just some days that ARE slow news days in Wilmington. As it is, local news has become the police blotter, but other than State government news from Dover, quite often there just isn't that much going on. They can only report on what's happening, they aren't supposed to make up news stories. I'd agree with Chris on this one, that better to do two versions and two versions of another story than four versions of one story. Time is money. The reporters time costs WDEL so it makes sense or is that "cents" to have them cover as much as they can without breaking the bank.
 
So help me God this topic gets old. I have heard the exact same thing on KYW for crying out loud. Same stories in the 3 o'clock hour then during the 6am hour the next morning.

It happens! Even in major markets.

You don't need to worry until you hear Allan reading stories at 3:42pm, then reading them again at 6:42AM while his voice is saying "WDEL newstime is 3:42." Then you'll know there is a SERIOUS budget problem.
 
650,

I hope you were listening on Monday morning - when our newscasts included an enterprise news series by Amy Cherry on the effects of high gas prices (running all week), another in our series of one-on-one interviews with political candidates hosted by Allan Loudell and produced by Carl Kanefsky, and Sean Greene's reports from <i>Sunday's</i> Flyers game.

Or last night, when we had 9 people (and three outside analysts) covering the Primary.

Do we recycle stories more than we should on slow news days? Sure. But not a day goes by when I'm not proud and amazed by our team of broadcast journalists.
 
Having worked at WILM back when they were a serious news station, I can attest to what Chris is saying. I can remember when Allan would do those round table wall to wall election coverage programs at WILM. All of us, even part timers like me, were there doing our part to feed Allan and his guests with any and all info they needed. Those were fun nights and I'm glad I had the opportunity to experience and be a part of such a news team.

Chris and his WDEL news team are doing a great job, not just on election nights, but all year long. I'm glad WDEL picked up the gauntlet, as WILM dropped it, and have become the place where Delaware news is king. It's where I go for Delaware news, both radio and online. I couldn't tell you the last time I even tuned in to WILM other than to stop while scanning for a moment, only to move on. Are they still on the air? Same with the News Journal, paper or online, haven't bought a paper or gone to their online site in quite some time.

Keep up the good work Chris and WDEL.
 
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