[BC] "Breaking News" interruptions

[Rich Wood]

------ At 01:41 AM 12/28/2006, Alan Kline wrote: -------

>OK then, so why should the Big 3 networks continue to maintain news 
>divisions? If this is such a huge problem, why not just get rid of 
>those pesky, expensive news operations? I thought the whole idea was 
>to get the audience to depend upon CBS, ABC, or NBC as a primary 
>news source--not just as a news source to turn to when there's 
>nothing else going on.
>
>If one encourages viewers to rely on CNN, Fox, or the Internet for 
>"breaking news", then why should they turn to CBS, NBC, or ABC at all?

I recall discussions CBS had to turn the news operation over to CNN 
years ago. I think it was during the Tisch reign. Tisch would have 
agreed with Paley that Black Rock should be pink. The difference is 
that Tisch would have wallpapered the building with the few unused 
pink slips he had left. I think the CBS reverence for news 
disappeared with Paley and Stanton. What they needed was Roone Arledge.

It's interesting to see network news considered a cost center while 
even bad local news is a profit center. Networks look for affiliates 
with strong local news. It's often what drives Prime Time.

Rich

Rich Wood
Rich Wood Multimedia
Phone: 413-454-3258