Action News

Action News is a local television newscast format originating in the United States. First conceived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, it is characterized by a tight format with strict time limits on set packages, a focus on surrounding suburbs, and a focus on young talent. It was a competitor to the "Eyewitness News" format.

The opening of WPVI's Channel 6 Action News newscasts, used from December 4, 2010 to June 26, 2017.

History

The "Action News" format was conceived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at WFIL-TV (now WPVI-TV) by news director Mel Kampmann in 1970, as a response to the "Eyewitness News" format that was used on rival station KYW-TV. At the time, WFIL-TV was said to be "#4 in a three-station market."

The main difference between Action News and Eyewitness News was that the former was far more tightly formatted. Time limits were placed on packages – for instance, a reporter package could be no longer than 90 seconds. This difference enabled the station to cover more stories than its competitors. Another key difference was the focus on the surrounding Philadelphia suburban areas – a response to the movement of residents from the city to the suburbs. Finally, WPVI placed more emphasis on young talent – while WCAU-TV and KYW-TV used older, well-known news anchors such as Vince Leonard, Tom Snyder, and John Facenda, WPVI had a young Larry Kane as its top anchor. Later, the station would add the very popular Jim O'Brien as its main weathercaster.

The format was immediately successful, and after going back and forth with KYW for first place, WPVI took the lead in 1977, which it has held ever since. Capital Cities Communications, which acquired WPVI in 1972 and gave the station its current call sign, took the format to most of its other stations.

One of the major development stations for WPVI's Action News was its Capital Cities sister station, WKBW-TV in Buffalo, New York. Under the leadership of news director Irv Weinstein, who had developed his own similar format under the name Eyewitness News, WKBW developed much of the talent that WPVI would later hire to boost them to #1 in the market; anchor Jim Gardner (replacing Larry Kane when he moved to WABC in New York), weatherman Dave Roberts, and voice-over artist Jeff Kaye are the three highest-profile WPVI personalities to have come from WKBW.

WPIX in New York City, an independent station at the time, picked up the Action News concept (and music) successfully for its 10 p.m. newscast. The newscast won numerous awards, but the station never approached the ratings of longtime leader WNEW-TV (now WNYW).

In 2002 and 2003 (respectively), WFTS-TV in Tampa, Florida and KSHB-TV in Kansas City, Missouri (both owned by the E. W. Scripps Company) became the first stations in the country to identify themselves using Action News as full-time station branding (for both local newscasts and entertainment programming) with no station number.

Today, Action News innovations have been incorporated into newscasts across the country. In 2000, WestNet Wireless [1] launched the first Action News brand online with its web-broadcast style format for the markets of Calgary, Alberta and Santa Barbara, California WestNet also owns the trademark for Action News[2] in Canada and even owns the domain[3] Now Action News Started Also in India. Action News India Provide Local City News.[4] http://action.news

WXYZ-TV Action News remote van.

Outside the United States, the Action News title was used by the following television stations:

Theme

When WFIL originally adopted the Action News format in 1970, the program was introduced with the "Action News Theme". The theme was written by Temple University student Tom Sellers (who later went on to become a professional musician and producer), and was arranged as a brass-driven rock song. The entire theme was offered through The Philadelphia Inquirer, as a single sided 45 RPM record for about 25¢.

Two years later, the station (under its new call sign WPVI) replaced the "Action News Theme" with Al Ham's "Move Closer to Your World".[5][6] WPVI continues to use this theme after four decades, even as others have stopped using it, although it has been remastered several times (which have included the removal of a bongo line) in order for the theme to sound less dated. In 1996, the station replaced the original Al Ham theme with a fuller, orchestral version performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Viewer outcry caused the station to drop the new version within five days. "Move Closer to Your World" is probably the only news theme to be offered as a ringtone, which is offered by WPVI free of charge.

Action News offered the first evening newscasts to be solo anchored by a woman: Diana Robinson, who was the first African-American female news anchor in American television. She was followed by Jacqui Mullen.

WPVI opens its broadcasts with a rapid montage featuring scenes of Philadelphia-area activities. The scenes are rotated to reflect the current season. For example, spring footage of the Phillies, NASCAR, CART and DIRT starts on March 21, while footage of the Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia Flyers, and 76ers starts on September 23, and footage of the Mummers Parade with other winter scenes is shown from December 21 to March 21.

Although "Move Closer to Your World" is strongly associated with the Action News format, many stations that have used the "Action News" name actually chose to use other pieces of music for their newscasts. Notably, a handful of stations continued to use Tom Sellers' original theme into the 1980s, with WBNG-TV in Binghamton, New York using the theme for its Action News broadcast as late as 1993.[6] Conversely, stations that use "Move Closer to Your World" do not necessarily use the "Action News" name or format. WNEP-TV in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pennsylvania used the original version of the theme for many years before switching to a modern variation which only partially resembles the original.

Stations that use or have used the Action News format or name
Market Name Station Affiliation Currently Uses Other Notes
New York City WPIX The CW No Used as an Independent station from 1974 to 1984; station currently brands its newscast as "PIX 11 News"
Los Angeles KCBS-TV CBS No Used 1989–1997, has identified as "CBS 2 News" 1997–present, and "CBS 2 NewsCentral" September 2009–January 2010
Philadelphia WPVI-TV ABC Yes Originator of the "Action News" format on April 6, 1970
WPHL-TV MyNetworkTV Yes WPVI-produced broadcasts on WPHL are branded as "Action News at Ten on PHL17"
San Jose/S.F./Oakland, California KICU-TV Independent No Newscast defunct, station formerly referred to itself as "Action 36". Currently broadcasts newscast from sister station, KTVU.
KTVU Fox No Used from 1971–1978. Newscasts are now branded as "KTVU Fox 2 News".
Dallas/Fort Worth KXAS-TV NBC No Used 1979–1984, its years of using Move Closer to Your World; has identified as "NBC 5 News" since 1999
Atlanta WSB-TV ABC (formerly NBC) Yes Identified as (Channel 2) Action News since 1974, initially cloning WPVI's format from 1974–1977. The station's newscasts still remain very fast-paced, keeping some aspects of the Action News format today.
Detroit WXYZ-TV ABC Yes Used since 1972
Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida WFTS-TV ABC (formerly Fox) Yes Has identified as "ABC Action News" since 2002
WTSP CBS, formerly ABC No Identified as "Action NewsCenter" in 1977, then as "Action 10 News" from 1978 to 1979, and finally as "Action News" from 1979 to 1989. Currently identifies as "10 News"
Phoenix, Arizona KPNX NBC No Used from 1975–1986; has identified as "12 News" since then.
Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota WCCO-TV CBS No Used during the early 1970s;[7] now identifies as "WCCO 4 News"
Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, Florida WFOR-TV CBS No Used 1989–1995 under the WCIX (channel 6) branding, cloning KCBS-TV's format; has identified as "CBS 4 News" since 1999
Cleveland, Ohio WOIO CBS No Has identified as "19 Action News" 2002–2015; now identified as "19 News"
WKYC-TV NBC No Identified as "Action 3 News" 1974–1984; has identified as "(Channel) 3 News" since 1984; unrelated to WOIO
Orlando WRDQ Independent No Newscast produced by WFTV was rebranded to Eyewitness News.
Sacramento/Stockton/Modesto, California KOVR CBS (formerly ABC) No Used as an ABC affiliate in the 1970s; has identified as "CBS 13 News" since 2005
KMAX-TV The CW (formerly UPN, WB and independent) No Used in the 1990s; formerly unrelated to KOVR
St. Louis KTVI Fox, formerly ABC No Used from 1973–1977, cloning WPVI's format; has identified as "Fox 2 News" since 1995
Pittsburgh WTAE-TV ABC Yes Used from 1974–1989; Brought back again in 1995 as "Channel 4 Action News". Currently branded as "Action News 4." One of the few that used the name to put emphasis on investigative reporting, with the slogan being "Taking Action For You." Rival station WIIC (now WPXI) cloned WPVI's format.
Baltimore WBAL-TV NBC (formerly CBS) No Identified as "Action News" 1973–1985, has identified as "11 News" since 1995 and also identified as "WBAL-TV 11 News".
Charlotte WAXN-TV Independent No Produced by WSOC-TV; newscasts are now branded as "Eyewitness News"
WCNC-TV (formerly WPCQ-TV) NBC No Used from 1982–1984; identified as "Carolina's NewsChannel 36" 2008–2012, has identified as "NBC Charlotte News" since 2012; unrelated to WAXN/WSOC
San Diego KFMB-TV CBS No Used briefly in the 1970s; title was followed by the current year à la the television game show Match Game and the Airport films (i.e., "Action News '75"); has identified as News 8 since 1996
Hartford/New Haven, Connecticut WTNH ABC No Used 1971–1996, same as WPVI's format; has identified as "News 8" since 2010; former sister station of WPVI
Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina WRAL-TV NBC, formerly CBS & ABC No Used during the 1970s and 1980s; the sister station of Fox affiliate WRAZ. Has identified as "WRAL News" since 2003. Rival station WTVD cloned WPVI's format.
Kansas City KSHB-TV NBC, formerly FOX Yes Identified as "NBC Action News" 2003–2012; has identified as "41 Action News" since early 2012, after the station rebranded.
WDAF-TV Fox, formerly NBC No Used 1974–1990; has identified as "Fox 4 News" since 1997; unrelated to KSHB
Salt Lake City, Utah KTVX ABC No Identified as "Action News 4" 1975–1979; has identified as "ABC 4 Utah" since 2013
Columbus, Ohio WSYX (formerly WTVN-TV) ABC No Used as WTVN; has identified as "ABC 6 News" since 2006
Cincinnati WLWT NBC No Used from 1973–1984, cloning WPVI's format; has identified as "News 5" since 2004
Milwaukee WISN-TV ABC, formerly CBS No Used from 1976 (when it was still a CBS affiliate) to 1984; has identified as "(Channel) 12 News" since then
Greenville WYFF Formerly WFBC-TV NBC No Used 1975–1981; has identified as "WYFF News 4" since 1996
West Palm Beach, Florida WPTV-TV NBC No Used in the 1980s and early 1990s; has identified as "NewsChannel 5" since 1993
Birmingham, Alabama WVTM-TV NBC No Used in the 1970s; identified as "NBC 13 News" until 2010; currently identified as "WVTM 13 News"
WIAT CBS No Used in the 1980s and 1990s; currently identifies as WIAT News 42, unrelated to WVTM
Harrisburg/York/Lancaster, Pennsylvania WLYH-TV Heroes & Icons (formerly CBS and The CW) No Used as a CBS affiliate; newscast now produced by WHP-TV
Calgary, Alberta/Santa Barbara California WNET-HD Independent Yes Used since 2000, WestNet Wireless [1] launched the first Action News brand online with its web-broadcast style format for the markets of Calgary, Alberta and Santa Barbara, California WestNet also owns the trademark for Action News[2] in Canada and even owns the domain[3] http://action.news
Las Vegas KTNV ABC Yes Has identified as "13 Action News" since 2003
Memphis, Tennessee WMC-TV NBC Yes Has identified as "Action News 5" since 1983
Albuquerque/Santa Fe, New Mexico KOAT-TV ABC Yes Has identified itself as "Action 7 News" since 1978
Louisville, Kentucky WHAS-TV ABC, formerly CBS No Used from the mid-1970s to when it switched from CBS to ABC; has identified as "WHAS 11 News" since 1991
Jacksonville, Florida WTLV NBC No Used during the mid- and late 1970s; currently identifies as "First Coast News", unrelated to WTEV and WAWS
WJAX-TV CBS Yes Rebranded to title in April 2009, with sister station WAWS.
WFOX-TV Fox Yes Rebranded to title in April 2009, with sister station WTEV.
Providence, Rhode Island/New Bedford, Massachusetts WLNE-TV ABC, formerly CBS No Used during its CBS days; has identified as "ABC 6 News" since 1995
Austin, Texas KVUE ABC No Used 1978–1997; has identified as "KVUE News" since 2001
Scranton/Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania WYOU CBS No Used between 1999 and 2001; station ended its newscasts on April 3, 2009; newscasts have been branded as "Eyewitness News" after sister station WBRE began producing its newscasts in 2012
WNEP ABC No Has never been known as "Action News," but has used "Move Closer to Your World" theme for several years
Fresno/Visalia/Merced, California KFSN-TV ABC (formerly CBS) Yes Has identified as "ABC 30 Action News" since 1994, but uses the "Eyewitness News" format of KABC and KGO; title began on September 14, 1970
Albany, New York WTEN ABC, formerly CBS No Used during its first few years as an ABC affiliate; has identified as "News 10" since 1995
Little Rock, Arkansas KTHV CBS No Newscast name used before its purchase by Gannett; Currently identifies as "Today's THV"
Mobile, Alabama/Pensacola, Florida WALA-TV Fox (formerly NBC) No Used from 1990 to 1997; currently identifies as "Fox 10 News"
Knoxville, Tennessee WBIR-TV NBC No Used "Action 10 News" 1970–1974 and 1978–April 2004; has identified as "10 News" since April 2004
Lexington, Kentucky WLEX-TV NBC No Used in the 1970s, 1980s, and the mid-late 1990s; has identified as "LEX 18 News" since 2000
WTVQ-TV ABC No Identified as "Action News 36" 2004–2009, identified as "ABC 36 News" since 2009.
Huntington/Charleston, West Virginia WOWK-TV CBS (formerly ABC) No Used from its ABC days and with CBS up to 1993; currently identifies as "13 News"
Roanoke, Virginia/Lynchburg, Virginia WSLS-TV NBC No Used during the 1980s. Has identified as "WSLS 10 On Your Side" since 2006
Green Bay, Wisconsin WBAY-TV ABC (formerly CBS) Yes Has identified as "Action 2 News" since 1987; in 2019, added the sub-branding of Your First Alert Station
Honolulu, Hawaii KHON-TV Fox (formerly NBC) No Used "Action 2 News" from 1979 to 1982; has identified as "KHON2 News" since 2003
Toledo, Ohio WTVG ABC Yes Identified as "13 Action News" until 2006, identified as "13 ABC Action News" since 2006; former sister station of WPVI; also known to use the "Eyewitness News" format
Omaha, Nebraska KMTV CBS No Newscasts were branded as "Action 3 News" 2006–2017 when it was rebranded '3 News Now'.
WOWT-TV NBC No Known as "Channel 6 Action News" from the mid-'70s to 1991, then changed to "Channel 6 News". Known as "WOWT 6 News" since 2012.
Springfield, Missouri KYTV NBC No Used from 1974 to 1993, as "KY3 Action News"; has identified as "KY3 News" since 1997
Lewiston, Idaho KLEW-TV CBS Yes Has identified as KLEW Action News since 2008. The station is part of the Spokane, Washington market, but does not serve as the Spokane metro area's CBS affiliate; it is served by KREM-TV.
Syracuse, New York WSTM-TV NBC No Used early 1990s to late 2000s; now identifies as "NBC 3 News"
Shreveport, Louisiana KTBS-TV ABC No Used during the 1980s; Currently identifies as "KTBS 3 News"
Huntsville, Alabama WHNT-TV CBS No Used from 1975 to 1985, currently identifies as "WHNT News 19"
Madison, Wisconsin WISC-TV CBS No Used in the 1970s; has identified as "News 3" since 2001
Chattanooga, Tennessee WTVC ABC No Used throughout the 1970s 1980s and early 1990s; has identified as "NewsChannel 9" since 1995
Jackson, Mississippi WAPT-TV ABC No Used during the 1970s; has identified as "16 WAPT News" since 1999
Cedar Rapids, Iowa KGAN CBS No Used as WMT-TV; has identified as "CBS 2 News" since 2004
Rio Grande Valley, Texas KGBT CBS Yes Previously identified as "Team 4 News"
Rock Island, Illinois/Davenport, Iowa (Quad Cities) WHBF-TV CBS No Used during the 1980s; currently identifies as "Local 4 News"
Savannah, Georgia WJCL ABC No Used 1990s–1997; currently identifies as "WJCL News"
Altoona/Johnstown, Pennsylvania WTAJ-TV CBS No Used during the 1980s; currently identifies as "WTAJ News"
El Paso, Texas KDBC-TV CBS No Used in the 1990s; has identified as "CBS 4 News" since 2013
Charleston, South Carolina WCBD-TV NBC formerly ABC No Used as an ABC affiliate; has identified as "News 2" since 1997
Youngstown, Ohio WFMJ-TV NBC No Used 1970s–2001; has identified as "21 News" since 2001
Florence/Myrtle Beach, South Carolina WPDE-TV ABC No Used 1986–1993; was identified as "WPDE NewsChannel 15" from 1993 until the station's re-branding on April 22, 2015; has identified as "ABC 15 News" since then
Tallahassee, Florida WTXL-TV ABC No Used in the 1990s; has identified as "ABC 27 News" since 2006
Lansing, Michigan WILX-TV NBC No Used during the 1970s and 1980s. Currently identifies as "News 10"
Augusta, Georgia WRDW-TV CBS No Used sometime in the mid-1970s; has identified as "News 12" since 1998
WAGT NBC No Used 1990s–2003; currently identifies as "NBC Augusta"
Sioux Falls, South Dakota KSFY-TV ABC No Identified as "KSFY Action News" from September 2008 to 2011; currently identifies as "KSFY News"
Peoria, Illinois WMBD-TV CBS No Used from 1974–1977; has identified as "WMBD News" since 2013
Montgomery/Selma, Alabama WAKA CBS No Used in the 1980s, currently identifies as "Alabama's News Network" ("CBS 8 News" secondary)
Santa Barbara, California KEYT-TV ABC No Identified as "Action News" 1977–1984; has identified as "NewsChannel 3" since 2013
San Luis Obispo, California KSBY NBC No Originally Identified itself as "Action 6 News" (1970s-early 1980s), "6 Action News" (late 1980s-2007) and "KSBY 6 Action News" (2007–2010) and was a sister station of KSBW, which also uses the "Action News" format. Currently identifies as "KSBY 6 News" as of 2010.
Lafayette, Louisiana KATC ABC No Used in the 1980s and 1990s; currently identifies as "TV-3 News"
Salinas/Monterey, California KSBW NBC Yes Identified as "Action News 8" since 1987
Yakima/Pasco-Richland-Kennewick, WA KIMA-TV / KEPR-TV CBS Yes Formerly NewsWatch. Has identified as Action News since 2007.
La Crosse/Eau Claire, Wisconsin WKBT CBS No Identified as "Action 8 News" from 1976 to 1987; currently identifies as "News 8"
Columbus, Georgia WTVM ABC No Identified as Action 9 News from 1974 to 1992; then identified as THE News Leader; has identified as "WTVM News Leader 9" since 1996
Corpus Christi, Texas KZTV CBS Yes Has identified as "Action 10 News" since 2004
Redding/Red Bluff/Chico, California KHSL-TV CBS Yes Merged with KNVN to form NCN in 2001 to be later renamed as "Action News"; has identified as "Action News Now" since 2013
KNVN NBC Yes Merged with KHSL after having lowest ratings out of all three of the area's news stations and to not waste money on a failing station; has identified as "Action News Now" since 2013
Amarillo, Texas KAMR-TV NBC No Used in the 1980s; has identified as "NBC 4 News" since 2002
Rockford, Illinois WIFR CBS No Used from the 1980s. Has identified as "23 News" since 2003
Duluth, Minnesota WDIO-TV ABC No Used in the 1980s; identified as "Eyewitness News" from 1988 to 2018; now known as WDIO News
Erie, Pennsylvania WJET-TV ABC Yes Identified as "Action News 24" since 1995
Lawton, Oklahoma/Wichita Falls, Texas KSWO-TV ABC No Identified as "Action 7 News" 1979-1996, has identified as "7 News" since 1998
Terre Haute, Indiana WTHI-TV CBS No Started as "Action 10 News" in 1985 and later became "Action 10 News WTHI." Became "News 10" in 2006.
Binghamton, New York WBNG-TV CBS No The newscast had been called "Action News" since 1970, same format as WFIL/WPVI's; stopped using the branding in 2016
Idaho Falls/Pocatello, Idaho KIDK (formerly KID-TV) CBS No Used during the mid-1970s
Abilene/Sweetwater, Texas KTXS-TV ABC No Used during the early 1980s; currently identifies as "KTXS News 12"
Clarksburg, West Virginia WDTV CBS No Used in the early 1970s as "Action News Central"
Rapid City, South Dakota LEVN-LD Fox (formerly NBC) No Used from 1976 to 1995 as KEVN-TV; currently identifies as "Black Hills Fox News"
Alexandria, Louisiana KLAX-TV ABC No Used from 1996 until full-length newscasts were discontinued in 2001 (news department would be shut down in 2002); newscast was produced by Independent News Network from January 2007 to December 2018; news production shifted to WABG-TV in January 2019
Harrisonburg, Virginia WHSV-TV ABC No Used 1977–1984; currently identifies as "WHSV News 3"
Eureka KVIQ-TV CBS No Title of now defunct operation
Alpena, Michigan WBKB-TV CBS No Used 1980–2004: currently identifies as "Channel 11 News"
Buffalo, New York WKBW-TV ABC No Never used the "Action News" title but used its news format, station calls itself "Channel 7 Eyewitness News"
Kitchener, Ontario CKCO-DT CTV No Used in the 1980s and 1990s
gollark: Except the few in the background.
gollark: I meant more that it seems to entirely lack tall buildings.
gollark: Wow, that is a *very* flat city.
gollark: Excellent idea. It totally wouldn't lose its knowledge of things like grammar and spelling and words existing.
gollark: It is trained on lots of text from the Internet, and the poems there are actually bad.

See also

References
  1. "WestNet Wireless - Alberta - Calgary Area HD Broadcast Television Services & ENG Motion Picture Vehicle Rental". www.westnet.ca. Retrieved 2017-10-01.
  2. "Industry Canada".
  3. "Whois action.news". www.whois.com. Retrieved 2017-10-01.
  4. "Action News India". Action News India. Retrieved 2019-11-23.
  5. "Philadelphia". TV News Themes. 2001. Archived from the original on 2001-04-17.
  6. "The Action News Theme". SouthernMedia News Music Search Archive. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.