MADISON, Wis. - A radio station has sold the naming rights to its newsroom, sparking some concern that advertisers had crossed a line that could influence news coverage.
The WIBA newsroom in Madison will be known as the Amcore Bank News Center beginning Jan. 1, a bank spokeswoman said.
"What listeners will hear on air is something like, 'Now from the Amcore Bank News Center, here's WIBA's Jennifer Miller,'" said Jeff Tyler, vice president of Clear Channel Radio-Madison, which owns WIBA-AM 1210 and FM 101.5
Tyler said there are many other examples of selling naming rights in broadcasting. Clear Channel Milwaukee's WISN-AM 1130 sold its newsroom naming rights to Pyramax Bank last year, he said.
Kelly McBride, an ethics specialist at the Poynter Institute, a journalism training center, called it a bad move.
"The idea is that a newsroom is an advocate for the public," McBride said. "It's Madison's news, not Amcore's news. If you have corporate branding, that is going to taint the whole product."
"Clear Channel is trying to maximize its profits. Advertisers are trying to find new ways of getting their brand out there," he said. "We're going to be seeing more of this."
The WIBA newsroom in Madison will be known as the Amcore Bank News Center beginning Jan. 1, a bank spokeswoman said.
"What listeners will hear on air is something like, 'Now from the Amcore Bank News Center, here's WIBA's Jennifer Miller,'" said Jeff Tyler, vice president of Clear Channel Radio-Madison, which owns WIBA-AM 1210 and FM 101.5
Tyler said there are many other examples of selling naming rights in broadcasting. Clear Channel Milwaukee's WISN-AM 1130 sold its newsroom naming rights to Pyramax Bank last year, he said.
Kelly McBride, an ethics specialist at the Poynter Institute, a journalism training center, called it a bad move.
"The idea is that a newsroom is an advocate for the public," McBride said. "It's Madison's news, not Amcore's news. If you have corporate branding, that is going to taint the whole product."
"Clear Channel is trying to maximize its profits. Advertisers are trying to find new ways of getting their brand out there," he said. "We're going to be seeing more of this."