Who makes news music decisions

[sfomspphl 491]

So when it comes to picking a package, I get it's probably creative services director in conjunction with station management.

 

But what about picking which cuts to use from the package?

 

How does it work at say mid market and larger stations?

 

Creative services director only

Individual producers

 

These news packages seem to be so large, but you see stations using so little of them. I get consistency, but back in the day felt like you'd have more variety by daypart (different cues for the 11pm vs the 6pm vs the early morning), more variety even within a show.

[ABC 7 Denver 1726]

So when it comes to picking a package, I get it's probably creative services director in conjunction with station management.

 

But what about picking which cuts to use from the package?

 

How does it work at say mid market and larger stations?

 

Creative services director only

Individual producers

 

These news packages seem to be so large, but you see stations using so little of them. I get consistency, but back in the day felt like you'd have more variety by daypart (different cues for the 11pm vs the 6pm vs the early morning), more variety even within a show.

 

It depends on the station. I know someone who worked with his News Department team to chose cuts. But most often it's the CSD. However, when there is a mandate, like at Sinclair, the CSD doesn't have a choice.

[rkolsen 1685]

Generally when a new package launches I want to say corporate and the creative team behind the graphics or what have you all have a say. They may choose single version for all their stations or multiple versions of the essentially the same music but in different tone. In the latter case an example would be Hearst’s Strive where there was a rock and orchestral type themes. In choosing between different versions of what’s essentially the same music different instrument I want to say it’s a local decision (unless you have stations in adjacent markets where there’s overlaps and corporate want people to make sure there’s a difference).

[noggi 604]

I've made choices from the graphics department, but I've also had the newsroom pick cuts or the CSD. Really depends on the station and how involved people want to get.

 

Some news managers want nothing to do with this, some news managers want specific things.

 

For example, when I was at a Fox O&O with the OSI music, we didn't want the opens to sting with the signature at the end - that came from the news director. It created a feeling of urgency that our shows didn't start out with. At a CBS O&O with Enforcer, we didn't like any of the tracks at all in the massive library of music so we found one cut that didn't even have the signature in it and used it for everything.

[lukenews 1]

I've made choices from the graphics department, but I've also had the newsroom pick cuts or the CSD. Really depends on the station and how involved people want to get.

 

Some news managers want nothing to do with this, some news managers want specific things.

 

For example, when I was at a Fox O&O with the OSI music, we didn't want the opens to sting with the signature at the end - that came from the news director. It created a feeling of urgency that our shows didn't start out with. At a CBS O&O with Enforcer, we didn't like any of the tracks at all in the massive library of music so we found one cut that didn't even have the signature in it and used it for everything.

 

Noggi, do you have an example of the scenario about Fox O&O using the OSI music without the sting in the signature at the end?

[rkolsen 1685]

Noggi, do you have an example of the scenario about Fox O&O using the OSI music without the sting in the signature at the end?

 

He may not want to give examples out as it could really identify him. It’s one thing to say you’ve worked at a Fox and CBS O&O but to readily ID them you might as well put your real name out there.

[Guest]

At least from my experience at a Market 100+ station, the news director makes the final say in on-air look, feel, and sound. Then again, we're an odd case.