Eyewitness News
Eyewitness News is a style of news broadcasting that is used by local television stations in different markets around the world. It refers to a particular style of television newscast with an emphasis on visual elements and action video. It replaced the traditional "man-on-camera" newscast.[1]
History
Pioneered by Westinghouse
The earliest known use of the Eyewitness News name in American television was on April 6, 1959 when KYW-TV (now WKYC-TV) – at the time, based in Cleveland and owned by Westinghouse Broadcasting – launched the nation's first 90-minute local newscast (under the title Eyewitness), which was combined with the then 15-minute national newscast.[1] The name was then adopted for use by Westinghouse's other television stations – KPIX in San Francisco; WJZ-TV in Baltimore; WBZ-TV in Boston; and KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh – for their local newscasts.
After the KYW-TV call letters, management, and some staffers moved from Cleveland to Philadelphia in 1965 the station's then-news director, Al Primo, created the Eyewitness News format.[1] In this format, which was meant to be faster in pace than the standard newscast format (in which an anchor simply read headlines), a reporter in the field would be the "eyewitness" to a news event to the anchor in the studio and the viewer at home. The anchors became personalities instead of presenters with the introduction of banter, or "happy talk" as it was named by Al Primo. Anchors would give their own personal comments in between stories to let viewers know their personalities.[1]
Primo used the cue 007 from the 1963 film From Russia with Love as the musical theme. The format quickly became a hit in Philadelphia and allowed KYW-TV to surge past longtime leader WCAU-TV for first place, a position it kept on and off until the late 1970s. KYW-TV's success inspired rival station WFIL-TV (now WPVI-TV) to develop the Action News format to compete with it (after NBC was ordered to re-assume control of its Cleveland broadcasting properties in 1965, the Eyewitness News name left that city until WEWS adopted it for its newscasts in the 1970s).
KYW-TV used the name and format until 1991, and re-adopted it in 1998. All five major stations owned by Westinghouse prior to its 1995 acquisition of CBS have used Eyewitness News as their newscast title at some point in time; as of October 23, 2017, only KYW-TV continues to do so.
Expansion to ABC
In 1968, Primo moved to WABC-TV in New York City and took the Eyewitness News concept there with him, choosing music from the 1967 Paul Newman film Cool Hand Luke – the "Tar Sequence" cue (composed by Lalo Schifrin) – as the theme. However, he added a new twist at WABC-TV – light, informal-sounding conversation among the anchors between the news stories and segments, which came to be known as "happy talk". Among the newscasters in the first wave of happy talk on WABC-TV was young reporter Geraldo Rivera, a comical and entertaining weatherman in Tex Antoine, and Bill Beutel and Roger Grimsby as anchormen of contrasting yet complementing styles. Primo also criticized the then-standard practice of "three white men" "preaching the news" at viewers and included women and persons of color to reflect the diversity of the viewing audience.[2] WABC-TV has kept the name and format since then, and has been the highest-rated station in New York City for much of that time.
The format, as modified by WABC-TV, was copied by many other stations in the United States, with four other stations owned and operated by ABC – KABC-TV in Los Angeles, WLS-TV in Chicago, WXYZ-TV in Detroit and KGO-TV in San Francisco – using both the format and the Cool Hand Luke theme (in the case of KGO, since KPIX was already using the Eyewitness News name, KGO titled its newscasts as Channel 7 NewsScene in 1969 and by 1983 simply Channel 7 News, while WXYZ used the Action News name since rival WJBK-TV was using the Eyewitness News name for its newscasts; KABC and WLS were free to use the Eyewitness News name as did WABC-TV). Ironically, WPVI, which developed the Action News format, is also now an ABC owned-and-operated station.
In addition, U.S. Spanish-language stations also use their own version of Eyewitness News, called Noticias de Primera Plana (Headline News, a concept translation in Spanish of Eyewitness News) on certain owned-and-operated stations of Spanish networks.
A separate, but mostly unrelated, Eyewitness News format was developed by Irv Weinstein in Buffalo, New York for WKBW-TV. This format was mostly based not on the original Eyewitness News (though it used the same logo; in actuality, a slightly modified version of it) but rather on the Action News format of its sister stations in the Capital Cities Communications stable. While based on Action News's brief and numerous reports, Weinstein built his Eyewitness News newscast around attention-grabbing catchphrases and alliterative headlines, along with occasional wisecracking or sarcastic one-liners about the day's news stories.
This version of Eyewitness News was used on WKBW as well as other Capital Cities stations where the Action News name was in use by another station, such as WTVD in Durham, North Carolina. It was also used on a few stations not owned by Capital Cities, including WOKR (now WHAM-TV) in Rochester, New York.
Outside the United States
In Mexico and other Latin American countries during the 1970s and 1980s, some local newscasts also used the Eyewitness News format, under the names Noticias de Primera Plana (Headline News) and Noticias de Acción (Action News).
The title was used in Canada, on CTV affiliate CFRN-TV in Edmonton.
In Indonesia, Metro TV branded its newscasts as iWitness, and abbreviated as Eyewitness. It has since become one of the featured segments on the daytime news program Wide Shot.
In Australia, BTQ-7 in Brisbane adopted the Eyewitness News branding in the early 1970s. The branding was also employed by NWS-9 in Adelaide for its evening newscast. TEN-10 in Sydney and ATV-0 in Melbourne, the principal stations of Network Ten, adopted the Eyewitness News branding in the mid-1970s and it was later adopted by other stations in the Network Ten group (SAS-10 (later SAS-7) in 1976 and TVQ-0 (later TVQ-10) in 1978) as BTQ-7 and NWS-9 later relinquished the brand. Regional affiliates for Network Ten including CTC-7 in Canberra (Ten Capital Eyewitness News, formerly Capital 7 Eyewitness News, Capital Television Eyewitness News and Ten National News), Southern Cross Network in Victoria (Southern Cross/TV8 Eyewitness News formerly TV8 Newshour), and QTV in Townsville (QTV Eyewitness News and later Ten North Queensland Eyewitness News), also used the Eyewitness News name. The Australian version of Eyewitness News more closely resembled Weinstein's version than the original format, but it became one of the ratings winners in the 1980s due to its one-hour duration unlike other newscasts. Network Ten dropped the use of the Eyewitness News name in September 1988 (but retained it in Brisbane until October 31, 1988 on TVQ-10) but later reinstated it in July 1989 for six months, and then again in January 1991 until late 1994, this time using its present logo. Network Ten reinstated the "Eyewitness News" branding once again on September 16, 2013 and was later retired on October 31, 2018 as part of a network relaunch and has since been replaced with 10 News First.[3][4]
In South Africa, Eyewitness News is used by Eyewitness News, located in Johannesburg and in Cape Town.[5] It is also used by Talk Radio 702 and 94.7 Highveld Stereo in Gauteng, 567 CapeTalk and 94.5 Kfm in Cape Town.
United States stations that use or have used the Eyewitness News format or name
- 1Indicates station was originally owned by Westinghouse Broadcasting and now is owned-and-operated by CBS
- 2Indicates station is owned-and-operated by ABC
| Market Name | Station | Affiliation | Currently uses | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany, New York | WTEN | ABC | No | Identified as 10 Eyewitness News 1986–1995; known as News 10 since 1995. |
| Albuquerque, New Mexico | KOB | NBC | Yes | Identified itself in 1970 as TV-4 Eyewitness News, in 1984 as Eyewitness News Network, and in 1994 as Channel 4 Eyewitness News. Now known as Eyewitness News 4. |
| Amarillo, Texas | KFDA-TV | CBS | No | Used 1974–1980; has identified as NewsChannel 10 since 1995. |
| Atlanta | WXIA-TV | NBC | No | Used from 1969–1972 as WQXI-TV; has identified as 11 Alive News since 1982. |
| WAGA-TV[6] | Fox (formerly CBS) | No | Used from 1981–1998; has identified as Fox 5 News since 1998; previously it used the title TV-5 News Scene from 1973–1981, borrowing WABC-TV's Eyewitness News format. | |
| Augusta, Georgia | WRDW | CBS | No | Had identified as News 12 since 1998. |
| Austin, Texas | KXAN-TV (formerly KTVV) | NBC | No | Used from 1973–1984; has identified as KXAN News since 2012. |
| KEYE-TV | CBS | No | Branded itself K-EYEwitness News with its callsign until 1999; has identified as CBS Austin News since 2017. | |
| Bakersfield, California | KBAK-TV | CBS | Yes | Identified itself as 29 Eyewitness News 1992–2009, currently identifies as KBAK Eyewitness News. |
| KBFX-CD | Fox | Yes | Currently airs Eyewitness News on Fox 58 produced by sister station KBAK-TV. | |
| Baltimore, Maryland | WJZ-TV1 | CBS (formerly ABC) | No | Had been identified as Eyewitness News since 1965, dropped branding on October 23, 2017, and is now identified as WJZ News. Rival station WBAL-TV cloned WABC-TV's Eyewitness News format for its TV11 News from 1969–1974. |
| Bangor, Maine | WVII-TV | ABC | No | Currently identifies as Your Bangor News. |
| Binghamton, New York | WIVT | ABC | No | Identified as 34 Eyewitness News from 1993 to 1998; has identified as NewsChannel 34 since 1998. |
| Boise, Idaho | KBOI-TV (formerly KBCI-TV) | CBS | No | Identified as CBS 2 Eyewitness News from 2007 to 2009; currently identifies as KBOI 2 News. |
| Boston | WBZ-TV1 | CBS (formerly NBC) | No | Used 1966–1993; has identified as WBZ News since 2007. |
| Buffalo, New York | WKBW-TV | ABC | Yes | Originally used 1970–2003; identified as 7 News from September 8, 2003, to October 27, 2008, when Eyewitness News was restored. Its version of Eyewitness News is in name only and uses elements of the Action News format instead. |
| Cedar Rapids, Iowa | KCRG-TV | ABC | No | Used name from the early 1970s to late 1980s; has identified as KCRG TV-9 News since 1994 |
| Charleston, South Carolina | WCBD-TV | NBC | No | Used name from mid-to-late 1980s as an ABC affiliate; has identified as News 2 since 1998 |
| Charleston / Huntington, W.V. | WOWK-TV | CBS | No | Identified as Eyewitness News in the early 1970s until it was purchased by Gateway, who re-branded the newscast as Action News. |
| WCHS-TV | ABC | Yes | Used a lowercase "e" logo 2002–2005 and identified as Eyewitness News 8 since 2002 without using the channel number (8) in their news title. | |
| WVAH-TV | Fox | Yes | Newscasts produced by sister station WCHS. | |
| Charlotte, North Carolina | WSOC-TV | ABC | Yes | Has identified as Channel 9 Eyewitness News since 1996. |
| Charlottesville, Virginia | WVIR-TV | NBC | No | Identified as Eyewitness News 1973–1980; has identified as NBC 29 HD News since 2008. |
| Chattanooga, Tennessee | WRCB-TV | NBC | Yes | Has identified as (Channel 3) Eyewitness News since 1984. |
| Chicago | WLS-TV2 | ABC | Yes | Identified as Eyewitness News 1969–1996 and since October 26, 2013 (as ABC 7 Eyewitness News); as ABC 7 News 1996–2013. |
| Cincinnati | WLWT | NBC | No | Identified as Eyewitness News 5 1998–2004; has been rebranded as News 5 since 2004. |
| WKRC-TV | CBS | No | Identified as Eyewitness 12 News 1977–1992; has identified as Local 12 News since 2004. | |
| Cleveland | WEWS-TV | ABC | No | Used 1972–1991, originally cloned WABC-TV's format from 1972–1974; has identified as News 5 Cleveland since 2016. |
| WKYC1 | NBC | No | The first station (as KYW-TV) to use the Eyewitness News name, on April 6, 1959, used until 1965; has identified as 3 News since 2019. | |
| Colorado Springs / Pueblo, CO | KOAA | NBC | No | Identified as Eyewitness News 1980–2002. Currently identifies as News 5. |
| Columbia, South Carolina | WOLO | ABC | No | Has identified as ABC Columbia News since 2005. |
| Columbus, Georgia | WRBL | CBS | No | Was identified as 3 Eyewitness News, now identified as News 3 On Your Side. |
| Columbus, Ohio | WBNS | CBS | No | Known as 10TV Eyewitness News 1977–2007; rebranded as 10TV News (HD) in April 2007. |
| Corpus Christi, Texas | KIII-TV | ABC | No | Identified itself as 3 Eyewitness News (1977–2000); has identified as 3 News since 2000. |
| Dallas / Fort Worth | KDFW | Fox (formerly CBS) | No | Identified as Eyewitness News 1975–1978; has identified as Fox 4 News since 1996. |
| Dayton, Ohio | WDTN | NBC | No | Identified as Eyewitness News from the 1981 to 1984; has identified as 2 News since 1990. |
| Denver, Colorado | KWGN-TV | CW | No | Identified as TV-2 Eyewitness News 1980–1981; has identified as Channel 2 News since July 2011. |
| Des Moines, Iowa | WHO-DT | NBC | No | Identified as "Eyewitness News" in the mid–1970s; has identified as "Channel 13 News" since 2001. |
| WOI-TV | ABC | No | Identified as Channel 5 Eyewitness News 2001–September 2006; has identified as Local 5 News since 2015. | |
| Detroit | WJBK | Fox (formerly CBS) | No | Identified as Eyewitness News 1968–1997, has identified as Fox 2 News since 1997. Rival station WXYZ cloned WABC-TV's Eyewitness News format for its newscasts. |
| WWJ-TV | CBS | No | Identified as 62 CBS Eyewitness News at 11 in 2002. The newscast was produced by WKBD-TV, which shut down its news department later that year. | |
| Duluth, Minnesota | WDIO-TV | ABC | No | Used from 1988 until January 2019; rebranded as "WDIO News" in January 2019. |
| Elmira, New York | WENY-TV | ABC | No | Used from the 1970s through the 1990s. Station now brands as WENY-TV News. |
| Erie, Pennsylvania | WSEE | CBS | No | Used 1968–1978; currently identifies as WSEE NewsWatch. Station operated by WICU-TV in a local marketing agreement since 2002, with news departments being consolidated since 2009. |
| Eugene, Oregon | KEZI | ABC | No | Identified as Eyewitness News from the 1970s to the late 1990s; has identified as KEZI 9 News since 2007. |
| Eureka, California | KIEM | NBC | No | Identified as Eyewitness News from around the early 1970s until 1996; currently identifies as Redwood News. |
| Evansville, Indiana | WEHT | ABC | Yes | Used since December 1, 2011, after the station merged its news operations with WTVW as part of a local marketing agreement. |
| WTVW | The CW (formerly Fox and ABC) | Yes | Used from the mid-1970s to 1996; identified as Fox 7 News 1996–2004 and 2005–2011, WTVW NewsChannel 7 2004–2005 and Local 7 News from July 1 to December 1, 2011, when WTVW began identifying as "Eyewitness News" again after the station entered into a local marketing agreement with WEHT. | |
| Fargo/Grand Forks | KXJB-TV | CBS | No | Identified as KX 4 Eyewitness News from 1980 to 1987. Currently identifies as Valley News Live; news department shared with KVLY. |
| Flint / Saginaw / Bay City | WEYI-TV | NBC | No | Used Eyewitness News name in parts of the 1970s and 1980s; Used variant WEYI-witness News in the early 1990s; currently known as NewsCenter 25. |
| Florence / Myrtle Beach, S.C. | WBTW | CBS | No | Used from the early 1980s to 1995; currently identifies as News 13. |
| Fort Myers, Florida | WBBH | NBC | No | Identified as TV-20 Eyewitness News from the late 1970s to 1996; has identified as NBC 2 News since 1996. |
| Fort Wayne, Indiana | WPTA | ABC | No | Identified as Eyewitness News from the early 1970s to 1978; was previously identified as "21Alive News" since 2012 switch of newscasts to high-definition; on November 7, 2016, rebranded as ABC 21 News. |
| Fresno, California | KGPE | CBS | Yes | Identified as 47 Eyewitness News from 1985 to 1992; has identified as CBS 47 On Your Side News since 2004. On October 9, 2013, rebranded as CBS 47 Eyewitness News. |
| Grand Rapids / Kalamazoo, Michigan | WZZM-TV | ABC | No | Identified as Area 13 Eyewitness News 1975–1984 & 1995–1997, and Eyewitness News 13 1984–1995. Currently identifies as WZZM 13 News. |
| Green Bay, Wisconsin | WFRV-TV | CBS | No | Used from the mid-1970s to 2001; has identified as Channel 5 News since 2007. |
| Greensboro / High Point / Winston-Salem, N.C. | WGHP | Fox (formerly ABC) | No | Identified as TV-8 Eyewitness News from June 17, 1974 to 1986; has identified as Fox 8 News since 1995. |
| Greenville / New Bern / Washington, N.C. | WITN | NBC | No | Used variant EyeWITNess News for several years; has identified as WITN News since 2007. |
| WNCT | CBS | No | Identified as Eyewitness News 9 from 1998 to 2012, now identifies as 9 On Your Side. | |
| Greenville / Spartanburg / Asheville | WSPA | CBS | No | Identified as Eyewitness 7 News from 1974 to 1979, and as 7 Eyewitness News from 1979 to 1994; has identified as 7 On Your Side since 2011. |
| Harlingen / Brownsville / McAllen, TX | KRGV-TV | ABC | No | Used in the mid-1970s; has identified as NewsChannel 5 since 2000 and as of September 2009, it is now known as Channel 5 News. |
| KGBT | CBS | No | Identified as Eyewitness News from 1967 to 1977; has identified as Action 4 News since 2003. | |
| Harrisburg / Lancaster / York / Lebanon, PA | WHP-TV | CBS | No | Identified as Eyewitness News 21 from the mid-1990s until 2002; has identified as WHP CBS 21 News since 2004. |
| WLYH-TV | CW | No | Identified as Eyewitness News at 10 from 1995 to 1999 and as 15 Eyewitness News from 2001 to September 2003, when the newscast was dropped; current newscast is identified as CBS 21 News at 10; sister station to WHP-TV. | |
| Hartford / New Haven, CT | WFSB | CBS | Yes | Has identified as (Channel 3) Eyewitness News since 1974. |
| Honolulu, Hawaii | KHON-TV | Fox | No | Used from the early-to-late 1970s; has identified as KHON 2 News since 2003. |
| Houston | KTRK-TV2[7] | ABC | Yes | Has identified as 13 Eyewitness News since 1973, a clone of WKBW-TV's Eyewitness News format. From 2015 to present, it is also identified as ABC 13 Eyewitness News although both identities (with or without ABC), are used interchangeably. |
| Huntsville, Alabama | WAAY-TV | ABC | No | Used from 1977 until the late 1990s; has identified as WAAY 31 News since 2000. |
| Idaho Falls / Pocatello | KPVI | NBC | No | Identified as Channel 6 Eyewitness News during the 1990s; currently known as KPVI News 6; was a clone of WKBW-TV's Eyewitness News format. |
| KIDK | CBS | Yes | Has identified as Channel 3 Eyewitness News since 2007. | |
| Indianapolis | WTHR | NBC | No | Identified since 1971 as Eyewitness News (as WLWI), was a clone of WABC-TV's Eyewitness News format, and in 1976 as Eyewitness NewsCenter 13; later identified as Channel 13 Eyewitness News (1995-2020); then as 13 News since then. |
| Jackson, Mississippi | WAPT | ABC | No | Used Eyewitness News 16 during the early 1990s; has identified its newscasts as 16 WAPT News since the late 1990s. |
| WJTV | CBS | No | Used Eyewitness News during the 1970s and 1980s; has identified its newscasts as WJTV 12 News. | |
| Jackson, Tennessee | WBBJ | ABC | Yes | Identified as just Eyewitness News from 1994 to 1999, then as 7 Eyewitness News from 1999 to 2007; has identified as ABC 7 Eyewitness News since 2007. |
| Jacksonville, Florida | WJXT | Independent (formerly CBS) | No | Identified as Eyewitness News from the 1970s to 2005, similar to WTOP-TV's format; has identified as Channel 4 News from 2005; "News 4 Jax" since 2014. |
| Johnson City, Tennessee | WJHL-TV | CBS | No | Identified itself in 1985 as TV-11 Eyewitness News, and in 1989 as Eyewitness News 11; has identified as News Channel 11 Connects since 2009. |
| Kansas City, Missouri | KCTV | CBS | No | Used Eyewitness News branding 1966–1984; has identified as KCTV 5 News since 1999. |
| Knoxville, Tennessee | WATE-TV | ABC | No | Used various versions of the Eyewitness News moniker 1969–2001, currently known as WATE 6 News. |
| Lafayette, Louisiana | KLFY | CBS | No | Eyewitness News was used to identify the 6 & 10 p.m. newscasts; was first used in the mid-1980s through 2011. Now known as News 10. |
| Laredo, Texas | KLDO | Univision | No | Identified as Laredo Eyewitness News in the 1980s as an ABC affiliate; now identifies as Spanish-language Noticias Univision 27. |
| Las Vegas, Nevada | KLAS | CBS | No | Identified as Eyewitness News 8 from 1982 to 1989 and as Channel 8 Eyewitness News from 1989 to 2009; currently identifies as 8 News Now. |
| Lexington, Kentucky | WTVQ | ABC | No | Used variant TVQ Eyewitness News for several years; has identified as ABC 36 News since 2009. |
| Lincoln, Nebraska | KLKN | ABC | Yes | Uses similar imaging/graphics as sister stations WOI-TV, WHBF-TV, and KCAU-TV, currently known as Channel 8 Eyewitness News. |
| Little Rock, Arkansas | KARK-TV | NBC | No | Identified as Channel 4 Eyewitness News from the 1970s to the mid-1980s and again from the late 1980s–1994; has identified as KARK 4 News since 2005. |
| Los Angeles, California | KABC-TV2[8] | ABC | Yes | Identified as (Channel 7) Eyewitness News 1969–1997, then ABC7 Eyewitness News since then. |
| Louisville, Kentucky | WLKY | CBS (formerly ABC) | No | Identified as 32 Eyewitness News from 1969 to 1977 when it was an ABC affiliate; has identified as WLKY News since 2008. |
| Lubbock, Texas | KCBD-TV | NBC | No | Identified as Eyewitness News from the 1970s to the early 1980s, has identified as Newschannel 11 since 1997. |
| Madison, Wisconsin | WISC-TV | CBS | No | Identified as TV-3 Eyewitness News from September 13, 1971 to April 24, 1982, has identified as News 3 since 1989. |
| WKOW | ABC | No | Used Eyewitness News from the mid-1980s to 1995, currently identifies as WKOW 27 News. | |
| Macon, Georgia | WMAZ | CBS | No | Identified itself as Eyewitness NewsCenter from 1977 to 1979, as Eyewitness News from 1979 to 1992 and as 13 WMAZ Eyewitness News from 1992 to April 18, 2018, when the "Eyewitness" name was dropped from the title; now identified as 13 WMAZ News |
| Medford / Klamath Falls, Oregon | KOBI/KOTI | NBC | No | Currently identifies as NBC 5 News(KOBI)/NBC 2 News(KOTI) |
| Memphis, Tennessee | WHBQ-TV | Fox (formerly ABC) | No | Identified as Eyewitness News from the early 1970s to 1995 and Fox 13 Eyewitness News from 1995 to 1997; has identified as Fox 13 News since 1997 |
| WATN-TV (formerly WPTY) | ABC | No | Has identified as Eyewitness News since 2000–2010, news department shared with WLMT | |
| Minneapolis / Saint Paul, Minnesota | KSTP-TV | ABC (formerly NBC) | Yes | Has identified as 5 Eyewitness News since 1973 |
| KMSP-TV | Fox (formerly ABC, Independent, UPN) | No | Used 1969–1973 as an ABC affiliate; has identified as Fox 9 News since 2002 | |
| Miami | WPLG | ABC | No | Cloned WTOP-TV's format in the 1970s. Used 1983–2002; has identified as Local 10 News since 2005 |
| Milwaukee, Wisconsin | WISN-TV | ABC | No | Used the title when it was a CBS affiliate from 1973 to 1976, it was a clone of WABC-TV's Eyewitness News format. Has identified as 12 News since 2003. |
| WITI | Fox (formerly CBS) | No | Identified as TV-6 Eyewitness News 1990–1998; currently known as Fox 6 News. | |
| Nashville, Tennessee | WKRN-TV | ABC | No | Used 1969–1972 as WSIX-TV; has identified as News 2 since 1994. |
| WTVF | CBS | No | Used the early 1970s–1989; has identified as NewsChannel 5 since 1989. | |
| New Orleans, Louisiana | WWL-TV | CBS | Yes | Identified itself as Eyewitness News since 1968. |
| New York City | WABC-TV2 | ABC | Yes | Originally identified as just Eyewitness News, then as Channel 7 Eyewitness News beginning 1984–1998; was identified as ABC 7 Eyewitness News 1999–2003 before reverting to Channel 7 Eyewitness News in 2004. |
| Norfolk / Portsmouth / Newport News | WTKR | CBS | No | Identified as Channel 3 Eyewitness News 1992–1994, has identified as NewsChannel 3 since 1995 |
| WAVY-TV | NBC | No | Identified as Area 10 or Channel 10 Eyewitness News 1969–1982, has identified as WAVY News 10 since 1989. | |
| Oklahoma City | KOCO-TV | ABC | No | Identified as Channel 5 Eyewitness News 1974–1977, then as Eyewitness News 5 1998–2013; now identifies as KOCO 5 News |
| KWTV | CBS | No | Used Eyewitness News title 1966–1971, has identified as News 9 since 1997. | |
| Orlando / Daytona Beach | WFTV | ABC | Yes | Has identified as Eyewitness News since 1976. |
| WRDQ | Independent | Yes | WFTV produces newscasts identified as Eyewitness News This Morning and Eyewitness News at 10 PM. | |
| Philadelphia | KYW-TV1 | CBS (formerly NBC) | Yes | The Eyewitness News format was originally introduced at this station in 1965; dropped name from 1991 to use different names for different dayparts; rebranded as News 3 in 1994 and reverted to Eyewitness News in 1998. |
| Phoenix | KTVK | Independent | No | Used 1981–1986 (at that time an ABC affiliate); currently identifies as 3TV News. |
| KPHO-TV | CBS | No | Used in the 1970s (at that time independent); has identified as CBS 5 News since 2004. | |
| Pittsburgh | KDKA-TV1 | CBS | No | Used from 1965 to 1996; has identified as KDKA-TV News since 1996. |
| Panama City, Florida | WMBB | ABC | No | Identified as 13 Eyewitness News from 1987 to 1996; has identified as News 13 since 2003. |
| Portland, Maine | WMTW | ABC | No | Has identified as News 8 WMTW since 2000. |
| WCSH | NBC | No | Identified as WCSH Eyewitness News in the 1970s; has identified as News Center 6 since 1986. | |
| Portland, Oregon | KATU | ABC | No | Used 1967–1973; has identified as KATU News since 2003. |
| Providence, Rhode Island | WPRI | CBS | Yes | Identified as Channel 12 Eyewitness News 1989–1996, has identified as Eyewitness News since 2002, produces Eyewitness News at 10 on Fox Providence for WNAC. |
| Quad Cities – Davenport, Iowa / Moline, Illinois / Rock Island, Illinois / Bettendorf, Iowa / East Moline, Illinois | WHBF-TV | CBS | No | Used the same imaging/graphics as sister station WOI-TV, identified as Channel 4 Eyewitness News 2002–2007, has identified as Local 4 News since 2015. |
| WQAD-TV | ABC | No | Identified as Eyewitness News 1975–1978, has branded as Quad Cities' News 8 since 2009. | |
| Raleigh/ Durham | WTVD2 | ABC | Yes | Used Eyewitness News until dropping for WTVD 11 News in 1985; this was a clone of WKBW's Eyewitness News format. Brought back the title in 2000 as ABC 11 Eyewitness News. Also produces Eyewitness News at 10 on CW22 for WLFL-TV. |
| Reno, Nevada | KOLO-TV | ABC | No | Identified as Eyewitness News from the mid-'70s to early 1990s; has identified as KOLO 8 News Now since 2007. |
| Richmond, Virginia | WRIC-TV | ABC | No | Used from the late 1980s to 1992; has identified as 8 News since 1992. |
| Roanoke, Virginia | WSLS | NBC | No | Used during the 1960s and 1980s, has identified as WSLS 10 News since 2007. |
| Rochester, New York | WHEC | NBC | No | Used from the early-to-late 1970s; has identified as News 10 NBC since 2000. |
| Sacramento | KXTV | ABC | No | Used 1978–1985; has identified as News 10 since 1985. |
| St. Louis, Missouri | KSDK | NBC | No | Identified itself in 1969 as just Eyewitness News, then in 1976 as Channel 5 Eyewitness News Central, and in 1979 as Channel 5 Eyewitness News. Now identifies as NewsChannel 5. |
| Salt Lake City, Utah | KSL-TV | NBC (formerly CBS) | No | Identified as Eyewitness News from the 1970s to 2002, and as KSL 5 Eyewitness News from 2002 to 2009; currently identifies as KSL 5 News. |
| San Antonio, Texas | KENS-TV | CBS | Yes | Identified as Channel 5 Eyewitness News 1970–1998, has identified as KENS 5 Eyewitness News since 1998. |
| San Diego, California | KNSD | NBC | No | Used 1973–1977 when it was affiliated with ABC, it was a clone of WABC-TV's format; has identified as NBC 7 News since 2011. |
| San Francisco | KPIX1 | CBS | No | Identified as Channel 5 Eyewitness News from 1965 to 2005 (aside from a brief period in the mid-1990s when it identified as KPIX 5 News), has identified as CBS 5 Eyewitness News from 2005 until 2013. The station adopted KPIX 5 News branding again in early 2013. Rival station KGO-TV borrowed WABC-TV's Eyewitness News format. |
| KGO-TV2 | ABC | No | Has identified as ABC7 News since 1998, which follows the Eyewitness News format though not in branding. | |
| Scranton / Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania | WBRE | NBC | Yes | Identified as 28 Eyewitness News from the 1980s to 2001 and WBRE Eyewitness News since 2008. |
| Seattle | KIRO-TV | CBS | No | Previously used 1981–1987 and 1997–2015, currently identified as KIRO 7 News. |
| Shreveport | KSLA | CBS | No | Used from the 1980s to the 1990s; currently identifies as KSLA News 12. |
| KTBS | ABC | No | Used from the 1970s; currently identifies as KTBS 3 News. | |
| Sioux City, Iowa | KCAU-TV | ABC | No | Uses similar imaging/graphics as sister stations WOI-TV, WHBF-TV, and KLKN; identified as Channel 9 Eyewitness News from 2001 to 2013; has identified as ABC 9 News since 2013. |
| South Bend, Indiana | WSBT | CBS | No | Identified in 1978 as 22 Eyewitness News and in 1983 as WSBT Eyewitness News; has identified as WSBT News since 2007. |
| Spokane, Washington | KHQ | NBC | No | Identified as Q-6 Eyewitness News in the 1970s, currently identifies as KHQ-6 Local News. |
| Springfield, Missouri | KSPR | ABC | No | Identified as 33 Eyewitness News 1986–1989, has identified as KSPR News since 2007. |
| Syracuse, New York | WTVH | CBS | No | Identified as Eyewitness News 5 1999–2002, has identified as CBS 5 News since 2005. |
| WSYR (formerly WNYS and WIXT) | ABC | No | Identified as Eyewitness News 1974–1989, currently identifies as Newschannel 9. | |
| WSYT | Fox | No | Identified as Fox 68 Eyewitness News 2000–2006; produced by WTVH. No longer carries a newscast. | |
| Tallahassee, Florida | WCTV | CBS | Yes | Identified as Eyewitness News from the 1980s until 2001, now known as WCTV Eyewitness News. |
| Tampa / St. Petersburg, Florida | WTVT | Fox (formerly CBS) | No | Branded as Channel 13 Eyewitness News 1989–1996 and briefly as Fox 13 Eyewitness News 1996–1997; has identified as Fox 13 News since 1997. |
| WTSP | CBS (formerly ABC) | No | Used 1970–1977, currently identifies as 10 News since 2010. | |
| WTOG | CW | No | Used from 1982 to 1985. Viacom shut down the station's news department in 1998. | |
| Terre Haute, Indiana | WTWO-TV | NBC | No | Identified as (TV-2) Eyewitness News 1973–1994, has identified as simply WTWO since 2006. |
| Toledo, Ohio | WTOL | CBS | No | Identified as Eyewitness News from 1966 to 1974; has identified as WTOL 11 News since 2010. |
| Topeka, Kansas | KTKA | ABC | No | Identified as 49 Eyewitness News before local news was dropped in 2002, bought by new owners and brought back news in 2006 and currently identifies as 49 News. |
| Traverse City, Michigan | WGTU | ABC | No | Name used in the 1970s; local news now limited on the station. |
| Tucson, Arizona | KVOA-TV | NBC | No | Was Eyewitness News at least since the early 1970s, identified as Eyewitness News 4 from 1999 to February 2006, identified as News 4 since February 2006. |
| Tulsa, Oklahoma | KOTV | CBS | No | Identified as Eyewitness News 1978–1986, has identified as The News On 6 since 1986. |
| Tyler, Texas | KYTX | CBS | No | Identified as CBS 19 Eyewitness News 2004–2008; currently identifies as KYTX CBS 19 News. |
| Utica, New York | WUTR | ABC | Yes | Identified as Eyewitness News in the 1980s and early-to-mid-1990s. Stopped newscasts in 2003; revived newscasts under the Eyewitness News name in 2011. |
| Waco, TX | KXXV | ABC | No | Previously identified as Eyewitness News 25 from 1985 to mid-1990s; currently identified as NewsChannel 25. |
| Washington, D.C. | WUSA | CBS | No | Identified as Channel 9 Eyewitness News from 1971–2002 (as WTOP-TV from 1971–1978, later WDVM from 1978–1986 and WUSA since 1986); has identified as WUSA 9 News from 2002–2006 and again since 2013; was previously identified as 9 News Now from 2006–2013. |
| West Palm Beach, Florida | WPBF | ABC | No | Identified as Eyewitness News 25 1998–2004; has identified as WPBF 25 News since 2009. |
| WPEC | CBS | No | Used from the late-1980s to the mid-1990s, has identified as CBS 12 News since February 1, 2008. | |
| Wichita, Kansas | KWCH | CBS | Yes | Identified as Eyewitness News 1969–1977 and again 1983–1995 and then Channel 12 Eyewitness News 1995–2001. Has identified as KWCH 12 Eyewitness News since 2001. |
| Wichita Falls, Texas / Lawton, Oklahoma | KAUZ-TV | CBS | No | Used title Channel 6 Eyewitness News 1974–1988; currently identifies as Newschannel 6. |
| Wilmington, North Carolina | WWAY | ABC | No | Identified as Eyewitness News 3 1983–1995; has identified as NewsChannel 3 since 1995. |
| Youngstown, Ohio | WYTV | ABC | No | Identified as 33 Eyewitness News from the late 1970s to 1999; has identified as 33 News since 2004. Both the news department and the station as a whole have been operated by WKBN-TV in a shared services agreement since 2007. |
| Yuma, Arizona/El Centro, California | KYMA-DT (1988–2020) | NBC | No | Used from 1988–1990, station later used News 11 for newscasts until license for station was surrendered in 2020. |
Music package
Eyewitness News is also the name of a syndicated news music package, composed by Frank Gari, founder of music production firm Gari Media Group (formerly Gari Communications).
Beginning in 1968, ABC owned-and-operated stations in major markets and later some NBC and CBS affiliates in other markets had used the Cool Hand Luke "Tar Sequence" theme for their newscasts. In 1983, the ABC owned-and-operated stations started using News Series 2000, an updated version of the original Schifrin theme, composed by Gari, that had been originally commissioned by WLS-TV in Chicago.
However, in the early 1990s, Schifrin raised his royalties for using the Cool Hand Luke "Tar Sequence" music and its variations to a level that effectively priced the theme out of the local news market. As a result, in 1994, Gari was commissioned by ABC's New York City flagship WABC-TV to compose a new music package called Eyewitness News. This new package, based slightly on the "Tar Sequence" theme, has been updated several times. WABC-TV currently uses the Series 4 version, which was specifically updated for the station in 1999.
Besides being used in America, the Eyewitness News music package has also been licensed for use overseas. Hong Kong Cable News uses the theme for its morning newscast, while POP TV in Slovenia has used it for its main newscasts. It is also used by Nine Network in Australia and its owned-and-operated stations for their newscasts. It is also used on Network Ten’s regional affiliate WIN Television for its news bulletins. Ten used the Action News music package "Move Closer to Your World" as the theme for the Eyewitness News newscasts on its stations except for TVQ-0 in Brisbane, from 1976 to 1988 (Network Ten did not reach Perth until May 26, 1988), a record twelve years before the theme music was changed to reflect the full reach of the network across Australia's five major cities. By then, Frank Gari's "Turn To News" music package, used by Ten in both Brisbane (in 1986) and later in Adelaide (in early 1988), was adopted by Ten's stations in Melbourne, Sydney, and later in Perth that year. Another news theme, "Team to Watch", used by KNXT-TV (now KCBS-TV) in Los Angeles in the 1980s, was used as the Ten News update theme on almost all its stations, and in the mid-1980s became the Eyewitness News theme on TEN-10 Sydney. Presently, 10 News First uses the current theme music first used in 1994, when it was renamed Ten News, with minor changes.
A station using the Eyewitness News music package might not necessarily use the Eyewitness News title for its newscasts, and vice versa. For example, WXYZ-TV in Detroit uses the music package, but uses the Action News format and branding, and in 2006 KGO-TV started using the "Eyewitness News" package but brands its newscasts as ABC 7 News.
In 2005, Gari Communications renamed the "Eyewitness News: New Generation" news package to the "ABC O&O News Collection", as the packages are now only commissable by ABC owned-and-operated stations and affiliates. Despite this, many still refer to the package as "Eyewitness News". In Buffalo, New York, "Move Closer to Your World" is known as the Eyewitness News theme; it has been used by WKBW-TV from 1972 to 2003, and again from 2008–2016.
United States stations that use or have used Eyewitness News music package
| DMA# | DMA Name | Station | Affiliation | Years Used | Other Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | New York City, New York | WABC-TV | ABC | 1994–present | First station to commission Series 1 in 1994 and Series 4 in 1999, Commissioned New Generation 3 (exclusively for WABC) in 2010. |
| 2. | Los Angeles, California | KABC-TV | ABC | 1995–present | First station to commission Series 1 in 1995 and New Generation Series 1 in 2006 after starting high definition broadcasts. Also commissioned New Generation 1 in 2007 and New Generation 2 in 2008. |
| KDOC-TV | Independent | 2014–present | 7 p.m. newscast is produced by KABC | ||
| 3. | Chicago, Illinois | WLS-TV | ABC | 2013–present | Commissioned Series 1 and New Generation 2 in 2013; used for morning newscasts. Gari's "Stimulus (formerly "News Series 2000 Plus") New Generation 2", originally commissioned for WLS, is used for all other newscasts. |
| 6. | San Francisco, California | KGO-TV | ABC | 2006–present | Commissioned New Generation Series 1 |
| KOFY-TV | Independent | 2007–present | 9 p.m. newscast is produced by KGO | ||
| 7. | Washington, DC | WJLA-TV | ABC | 2006–2015 | Commissioned New Generation Series 1 in 2006 and started using Series 1 for breaking news after starting HD newscasts in December 2008 |
| 8. | Houston, Texas | KTRK-TV | ABC | 1995–present | Commissioned Series 1 and 2 in 1995, Series 5 and New Generation Series 1 in 2006 |
| KIAH-TV | The CW | 2020–present | 9 p.m. newscast is produced by KTRK-TV | ||
| 11. | Tampa-St. Petersburg, Florida | WFTS | ABC | 2007–2009 | Commissioned Series 1 for IDs, Series 4 for weather stingers, and New Generation Series 1 and 2 |
| 12. | Phoenix, Arizona | KNXV-TV | ABC | 2007–2009 | Commissioned Series 1 and New Generation Series 1 after starting high definition broadcasts |
| 13. | Detroit, Michigan | WXYZ-TV | ABC | 2001–2009 | Commissioned New Generation Series 2 only for its opens and bumpers, but uses Series 4 for closes. Also used New Generation 1 for promos of its 5pm and 11pm newscasts. Also commissioned Series 1 for opens and Series 3 for bumpers in 2001 |
| WKBD-TV | The CW (formerly UPN) | 2002–2004 | Aired a 10 p.m. newscast produced by WXYZ | ||
| 17. | Denver, Colorado | KMGH-TV | ABC | 1995–1997 and 2006–2012 | Commissioned Series 2 in 1995 after the 3-way affiliation change with KCNC and KUSA, and New Generation Series 1 in 2006 |
| 18. | Orlando, Florida | WFTV | ABC | 1995–1997 and 2006–2009 | Commissioned Series 2 in 1995 and New Generation Series 1 in 2006, used Series 3 for weather alerts |
| WRDQ | Independent | 2007–present | Newscasts produced by WFTV | ||
| 19. | Cleveland, Ohio | WEWS-TV | ABC | 2007–2009 | Commissioned New Generation Series 1 after starting high definition broadcasts, used New Generation Series 1 for opens and talent rejoins |
| 21. | St. Louis, Missouri | KTVI | Fox | 1995–1998 | Commissioned Series 2 after the affiliation switch with KDNL. |
| 24. | Raleigh, North Carolina and Durham, North Carolina | WTVD | ABC | 1995–present | Commissioned Series 2 in 1995, Series 1 in 2000, Series 3 in 2005, Series 4 in 2006 and New Generation Series 1 in 2007 |
| WLFL | The CW (formerly The WB) | 2006–present | 10 p.m. newscast is produced by WTVD | ||
| 27. | Indianapolis, Indiana | WRTV (channel 6.1) | ABC | 2004–2012 | Commissioned Series 3 in 2004, New Generation Series 1 in 2006, and first station to commission New Generation Series 3 in 2008 after starting high definition newscasts |
| 6 News 24/7 (formerly NewsChannel 64 – WRTV-DT 6.2) | Local news | 2004–2012 | 24-hour cable news channel produced by WRTV | ||
| 28. | San Diego, California | KGTV | ABC | 2006–2012 | Commissioned New Generation Series 1 in 2006 and New Generation Series 2 in 2008 |
| 40. | Las Vegas, Nevada | KTNV-TV | ABC | 2003–2011 | Commissioned Series 4 in 2003, New Generation Series 1 in 2006, and New Generation Series 2 in 2008 after starting high definition broadcasts |
| 52. | Providence, Rhode Island and New Bedford, Massachusetts | WPRI-TV | CBS | 2002–2004 | Newscasts on WNAC are produced by CBS 12 WPRI |
| WNAC-TV | Fox | ||||
| 58. | Tulsa, Oklahoma | KTUL | ABC | 2006–2015 | Commissioned Series 4 and New Generation Series 1 |
| 64. | Dayton, Ohio | WDTN | NBC (formerly ABC) | 2002–2004 | WDTN commissioned Series 1 before the affiliation switch with WKEF and the ownership change from Hearst-Argyle to LIN TV. |
| 69. | Des Moines, Iowa | WOI-TV | ABC | 2006–2015 | Commissioned New Generation Series 1 |
| 71. | Tucson, Arizona | KVOA-TV | NBC | 1999–2007 | Commissioned Series 2 and 3 in 1999 |
| 72. | Flint, Michigan | WJRT | ABC | 1997–present | Commissioned Series 2 in 1997 and New Generation Series 1 in 2006 |
| 78. | Toledo, Ohio | WTVG | ABC | 1997–2015 | Commissioned Series 2 in 1997, Series 3 in 1999, Series 4 in 2005, and New Generation Series 1 in 2006 |
| 80. | Madison, Wisconsin | WMTV | NBC | 1999–2016 | Commissioned Series 2, 3 and New Generation Series 1 |
| 87. | Waco, TX | KXXV | ABC | 2007–2016 | Commissioned New Generation Series 1 |
| 90. | Cedar Rapids, Iowa | KGAN | CBS | 1996–2004 | Commissioned Series 2 and 3 |
| 91. | Savannah, Georgia | WJCL | ABC | 2005–2013 | Commissioned Series 2 for morning newscasts and Series 3 for other newscasts |
| 94. | Charleston, South Carolina | WCIV (now WGWG) | ABC (now Heroes & Icons) | 2007–2014 | What is now WGWG had commissioned Series 3 and New Generation Series 1 |
| WCIV-DT2 | ABC | 2014-2015 | |||
| 97. | Burlington, Vermont | WVNY-TV | ABC | 1999–2003 | Commissioned Series 2 and 3 from 1999–2003, when its separate news department closed. News department now shared with WFFF-TV. |
| 101. | Davenport, Iowa | WQAD-TV | ABC | 2009–present | |
| 103. | Evansville, Indiana | WTVW | The CW (formerly Fox) | 2004 and 2005 | Commissioned Series 2 and 3 |
| 105. | Lincoln, Nebraska | KLKN | ABC | 2007–present | Commissioned New Generation Series 1 in 2007 and New Generation Series 2 in 2008 |
| 108. | Tyler-Longview, Texas | KLTV | ABC | 2007–2014 | Commissioned New Generation Series 1 |
| 125. | Salinas, California | KION (formerly KMST) | CBS (formerly UPN) | 1997–2006 | Commissioned Series 2 and 4 |
| 126. | Bakersfield, California | KERO | ABC | 2007–2012 | Commissioned Series 2 and New Generation Series 1 |
| 127. | Columbus, Georgia | WTVM | ABC | 2006–2014 | Series Type Unknown |
| 145. | Lubbock, Texas | KLBK | CBS | 2007–2013 | Commissioned Series 3. |
| 147. | Anchorage, Alaska | KYUR (formerly KIMO) | ABC | 1996–2007 | Commissioned Series 2, flagship station of "Alaska's Superstation" network |
| 149. | Sioux City, Iowa | KCAU-TV | ABC | 2006–2015 | Commissioned New Generation Series 1 in 2006 and New Generation Series 1 in 2007 |
| 174. | Lake Charles, Louisiana | KPLC | NBC | 2013–2014 | |
| 182. | Jonesboro, Arkansas | KAIT | ABC | 2007–2014 | Commissioned New Generation Series 1 |
| 183. | Charlottesville, Virginia | WVAW-LD | ABC | 2006–2010 | Commissioned New Generation Series 1 in 2006 and New Generation Series 2 in 2008 |
| 187. | Lafayette, Indiana | WLFI | CBS | 1996–2000 | Commissioned Series 2 |
The theme music for Rising Star, which is coincidentally broadcast on ABC, is loosely based on the Eyewitness News package.
See also
- Action News
- NewsCenter
- NewsWatch
References
- Michael D. Murray. Encyclopedia of television news By. p. 73.
While a large number of local television stations used the name "Eyewitness News" for only a relatively short period, ... Eyewitness News had five key provisions: emphasis on visual elements and "action" video, sometimes in the form of ...
- https://abc7.com/business/abc7-reflects-on-50-years-of-eyewitness-news/5160425/
- Perry, Kevin (25 September 2018). "TEN looks set to relaunch its nightly news bulletins". DeciderTV. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
- Knox, David (1 November 2018). "Upfronts 2019: 10: variety, new dramas, multichannel rebrand". TV Tonight. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
- Eyewitness News: Contact us (in South Africa)
- WAGA Eyewitness News at 6:00pm Open
- KTRK Channel 13 Eyewitness News Tonight Intro 10/17/90
- ABC 7 Eyewitness News at 11 Open
External links
- TV Newscast Titles – listings of other stations that have used the Eyewitness News name
- CBS3 Eyewitness News Team – unofficial site documenting the development of Eyewitness News at KYW-TV
- SouthernMedia's NMSA – listing of American stations that have used Eyewitness News: the news music package