Dialing for News starts 9/5
WYOU has pegged September 5th as the start date for its Dialing for News newscast, where viewers can call in and ask questions about the day's stories.
At the helm of the Starship Enterprise will be WBRE weekend anchorwoman Candice Grossklaus and Eric Scheiner, "director of content" for a small independent station somewhere in New Hampshire.I'm reserving judgment on Dialing for News until I see what the final product looks like. But whatever it turns out to be, it's not like WYOU's ratings can get any worse, right?
posted by Howard Beale at 12:46 PM
82 Comments:
Yay, Candice...whatever the format.
If it fails, I hope she will get what she really should have had: main anchor on 28. But let's all wait and see.
Ok, so what does the "Director of Content" have to do with being newscaster? If you are introducing a new concept, wouldn't you want someone with a strong news back ground as a host?
Yeah thats great. Start an experimental newscast with one anchor who appears to have little to NO on-air experience at all. At least one has some work to her credit. This is another example of NEXSTAR throwing garbage on the air to make a buck.
GOOD LUCK, but it is not going to work.
I worked with Candice on a few weekends filling in for Phil and know she'll do a quality job.
But I feel sooooo bad for her.
I wonder how Candice feels about the move over to the ugly step-sister? I'm excited to see what happens, who knows, they might even start puttin video on their website.
WZMY-TV is not a "small independent station somewhere in New Hampshire." It is a Boston station licensed to Derry, New Hampshire, like WOLF-56 is a Wilkes-Barre / Scranton station licensed to Hazleton, or WWOR-9 is a New York City station licensed to Secaucus, NJ. WZMY is the Boston affiliate for My Network TV
Maybe L.S should host 22's new format. I'd rather have Candice as the main co-anchor on 28.
WZMY-TV is not a "small independent station somewhere in New Hampshire."
Yes, of course. And up there they refer to a news anchor as "Director of Content."
Tom, is it okay for you to have a crush?
Why feel sorry for Candice ? It's not like they held a gun to her head to make the move. She did it on her own choice. Whatever is going on at WYOU must be pretty good for her to jump ship.
Good for her and good for WYOU.
I guess their philosophy is to throw it against a wall and see if it sticks! Depsperate people do desperate things. Candice deserves to be the other anchor on 28. Lyndall...oops, we're supposed to play nice. Everyone knows what I want to say.
Bahstahn? It's not fah. You can get there by cah. I went for a drink at the bah and had a cigah. Got hit with a crowbah. It left a scah. But that was pah for the course.
Welcome to Wilkes-bah. Have fun working for Nexstah. Things there can get a bit bizah.
How do you like THEM apples?
WZMY-TV is not a "small independent station somewhere in New Hampshire."
Yes, of course. And up there they refer to a news anchor as "Director of Content."
I watch the station everyday here in Hyannis, Cape Cod (which by the way is more than 60 miles south of Boston, and Derry, NH is north of Boston); they don't have a :30 standard newscast, but rather they do several short to-the-point news and weather together updates at the top of the hour (about 4 minutes long); it reminds of FOX 56 (70s show, etc), a real hip station, but with the news headlines people want, without the 90 minutes of repeating stories on WNEP and WBRE. Maybe the folks at Nexstar hired this guy because they wanted somebody who has a different background than the "same old same old" that has been NEPA news for 30 years. Yeah, I know, Tom Clark or WBRE might spend 3 minutes soley on the weather so what could one get from a 4 minute news update on WZMY? They give me plenty; all I want to know is the top news of the day and what the weather will be like the next 7 days, I don't care about cold fronts, high pressure systems, his-res satellites, live with the insta-cam, er I mean Skycam, breaking news chyrons, blah blah blah. NEPA news is the old way of doing things, WZMY (MyTV) does it like it should: straight to the point, cut the fat, give me the meat and potatoes, wham bam thank you ma'am, now it's 4 after, and the next show begins.
Seems to me some of the comments on this board are from people who have never seen local news from other local markets; maybe even people who have never left the Wyoming or Lackawanna Valleys.
Candice is a solid anchor and reporter. I hope this works out well for her. WYOU has nothing to lose and everything to gain. I have a feeling it will be tough to pull off, the interactive format, with very little resources. I hope they know what they are getting into.
Maybe the folks at Nexstar hired this guy because they wanted somebody who has a different background than the "same old same old" that has been NEPA news for 30 years.
That makes sense. Nexstar is stressing Dialing for News as NEW, REVAMPED, and NON-TRADITIONAL. So it would follow that one of the anchors woould come from a non-traditional news background. I don't see a traditional anchor - like Derry Bird, Rex Hodge, or Frank Andrews - fitting into WYOU's newest newscast.
Good choices made by WYOU. They landed a new, fresh face, and teamed him up with an experienced anchor that everyone likes.
And I agree with 7:10. It's tough to leave the valley for some.
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6:04 slyly said: Tom, is it okay for you to have a crush?
Yeah. Is it ok to get caught? No. But if you do, it won't make the 6:00... ;)
I hope Candice isn't stuck carrying the weight of this experiment. Just what can a director of content have to contribute? He doesn't even have a "pretty" face. Seems as if 22 is really pushing the envelope. Is this a last gasp effort?
I watch the station everyday here in Hyannis, Cape Cod (which by the way is more than 60 miles south of Boston, and Derry, NH is north of Boston);
For openers, I'm envious, the Cape, even more so the islands, are nirvana. For closers, if you live on Cape Cod, what the hell are you doing on this blog?
To 7:10PM
OK. Everything I need in four minutes. I'll take a wait and see attitude.
But what I'll really want to see is what they do for the other 26 minutes. What will this "interactive news" look/smell/taste like?
What will it mean to ME? It's the dinner hour. Why should I watch?
By the bye: I know this is the kinder, gentler "Bites," and I'm on my best behavior, but your post certainly reads like a press release: "WZMY (MyTV) does it like it should: straight to the point, cut the fat, give me the meat and potatoes..."
I don't recall hearing anywhere that this WZMY has taken Boston by storm and has changed the face of television news as we know it.
I'm willing to be overwhelmed. So far, sounds "whelming" to me.
Whatever WYOU is about to launch, it's clear there are very few viewers to interact with the station. That means the limited staff should be able to handle the early efforts. If the thing takes off, it will take more people.
Can you imagine what would happen if WNEP tried the same thing?Verizon's system would probably shutdown from overload.
Yeah. Is it ok to get caught? No. But if you do, it won't make the 6:00... ;)
Well played, padre, well played...
A hodgepodge o' responses here...
By the bye: I know this is the kinder, gentler "Bites," and I'm on my best behavior, but your post certainly reads like a press release: "WZMY (MyTV) does it like it should: straight to the point, cut the fat, give me the meat and potatoes..."
I don't recall hearing anywhere that this WZMY has taken Boston by storm and has changed the face of television news as we know it.
Apparently, WZMY's claim to fame is Al Kaprielian, a weather forecaster who says "GOOOOOD EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEVENING" and looks like Steve Carell's understudy for "Anchorman." Technically, the station does serve the Boston area, but only the fringes. It's like saying WNEP or WBRE serve Centre County, because they went out there once to cover a story.
Can you imagine what would happen if WNEP tried the same thing?Verizon's system would probably shutdown from overload.
Most of the calls would either deal with Joe Snedeker's morning antics or Ryan Leckey's dietary habits.
Let me get this straight, the People of Scranton are going to interact with anchors from Minnesota and New Hampshire? What happens when a caller or e-mailer asks a question about a topic which dates back more than a few days ago? I hope someone is willing to pull a "Broadcast News" here and whisper the answers in their earpieces.
Where is the local talent?
Big Question time... who will anchor the weekend news for WBRE?
Does Dia Wallace return to six and eleven????
If so, who anchors the train wreck on weekend mornings? Anchor Du Jour, giving reporters the opportunity to gain valuable studio time?
but your post certainly reads like a press release: "WZMY (MyTV) does it like it should: straight to the point, cut the fat, give me the meat and potatoes..."
Thanks, maybe I'll apply for a PR position, or should I get back into broadcasting after all these years (I left WB/Scr Radio and TV along time ago),as there is now an open position at WZMY, but Hyannis to Derry is too far to drive.
Seriously, I've been thinking about this whole WYOU news concept, and I wonder if they are going to try to do a local version of CNN's Situation Room but using a Star Trek like set; it's the closest thing format-wise: Wolf does the big stories and interviews guests/newsmakers, Zain updates the news headlines, Cafferty does the interactive email stuff. Maybe WYOU will try something along these lines, but a bit more interactive.
The "Wikipedia" article on WZMY lists Eric Sheiner as "Director of Content & My TV Prime News Reader & Reporter."
The history of the place (as WXPO-TV, then WNDS, then WZMY) is a little tougher to follow, but the article says:
"When the station was relaunched, it had only one news program on the schedule, myTV Now. An additional 150-minute news and commentary program, myTV Prime, was later added to the schedule following myTV Now. However, on March 10, 2006, the two programs were consolidated into a new, 90-minute version of myTV Prime that aired from 8:00 PM - 9:30 PM. News was no longer provided outside of that program. However, as of July 2006, channel 50 has discontinued myTV Prime in favor of sitcom reruns. Weather updates from chief meteorologist Al Kaprielian are still provided each hour from noon to midnight. It remains to be seen if the station decides to air newscasts again with the My Network TV affiliation."
Canceling news in favor of sitcom reruns? Heck, maybe this Scheiner guys has EXACTLY the experience Nexstar is after.
I thought this was the format that had all Hyannis agog.
Diane Lee left at JUST the RIGHT time. Word is, she knew exactly what they were planning and, coupled with the fact her contract negotiations weren't going well anyway, decided to resign. Best move she could have made! I feel very sorry for Candice. Another pretty face will go down the tubes!
1:07am :
It doesn't take a lifetime for a new anchor to become familiar with things. The good ones do a little thing called "research". And Candice has been around long enough to know her way around.
Sure, they will rely on information fed to them through their "earpieces" (also known as IFB for the real TV folk), but that's what it's there for. I'm sure the newbies at WNEP have found use for it, too.
Ive got $5 that says none of the "professionals" reading this will know what the initials "IFB" actually stand for.
Any takers?
people around here sure get frothed up over what is usually considered an irrelevant station
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10:41
I always knew it as Interruptible Feed Back. There was another name for it, "Interfering F'ing B'tards," but that's probably not what you are looking for.
Send $$ to 123 King's College, WB 18711, for my vacation fund.
The biggest problem WYOU(and even more so WBRE)faces is image. The image of both stations is completely, utterly, and perhaps irreperably destroyed in the communities they serve. And until, and if, they can rebuild that image, they're going nowhere. They could grab Dan Rather(now that he's available)and they wouldn't budge upward a single share point. Nearly a third of PA has a bad taste in its collective mouth for WYOU and WBRE, and that's not going to change with sets, anchors, bells, whistles, and bullshit.
Interrupted feedback. Donate my fin to the channel 50 benevolent fund.
Me again.
Actually, I was looking for "interruptible FOLDBACK."
That's how it was referred to in the earliest days of ENG 30+ years ago. It got bastardized into "feedback" because no one could figure out why the hell it was called "foldback."
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4:48
Does my second choice at least rate an honorable mention?
Why feel sorry for Candice ? It's not like they held a gun to her head to make the move. She did it on her own choice.
And you would know that how? Nexstar seldom offers choices, they're pretty much a "take it or leave it" outfit, they never negotiate. If they wanted her on WYOU, she was either going, or going out the door. Current Nexstar contracts are such that reassigning anyone for any reason is a given, you have zero say. The only reason Candice didn't end up on that hybrid AM show was because Paul Stueber was decent enough to not force her to do so. Had he wanted to, he could've easily done it.
With me, Tom, it's more an anthem, a shibboleth, if you will, so you scored big in my mind...
What a shock to see WNEP, a Lackawanna County based station, march in the Wilkes-Barre Bicentennial Parade on Saturday. Wilkes-Barre based WBRE wasn't even a participant. What a shame. True colors have been shown.
Talk about a disappointment... WBRE wasn't in the parade, but had a damn story on it.
Management can't get it together over there... everything's like jumping through hoola-hoops.
What a shock to see WNEP, a Lackawanna County based station, march in the Wilkes-Barre Bicentennial Parade on Saturday.
See above remarks about image.
WBRE can barely get a show on the air these days. You want them to have people in a parade, report on it, and put a show on the air. My god, that might take like 6 people. LOL
WNEP has a thirty-year history of looking at the big picture.
Sure, "Newswatch 16" is number one because 16 covers more news of more interest to more people in more counties and has had more stability than the other two stations.
But you can make a case that "Newswatch" is number one because kids grew up watching Miss Judy—because of "Home and Backyard"—because of "Outdoor Life"—because of telethons—because of “Dialing for Dollars”—because of “Skycam”—because of the “gerbil races”—because of parades—because of backyard weather—because of high school football coverage (and live games before the PIAA pulled the plug)—because of those colon cancer test kits—because of Snedeker's bike ride and the support for St. Joe's—because of "Talkback"—because of the PSBB—and on, and on, and on.
Hard to imagine a station in a market this size that has done more to cement its relationship with the viewers. Whether completely accurate or not, the perception is that WNEP is the FIRST and the BEST because it CARES MORE and DOES MORE.
An earlier poster (12:39PM) wrote, “The biggest problem WYOU (and even more so WBRE) faces is image. The image of both stations is completely, utterly, and perhaps irreparably destroyed in the communities they serve.”
I disagree. I don’t think either 22 or 28 has an image problem because I don’t think either has an image. Viewers don’t hate them. Viewers just don’t care about them, because it has been years since either station looked like ITcared.
For 30+ years the WNEP promise has been ”PROUD TO SERVE.”.
The “Channel 50” promise has been, ”Here’s what we’re trying THIS week.”.
You can tell me you're on my side, but WNEP has been proving it since the 1970s.
And because of "Uncle Ted's Ghoul School"--and "On the Pennsylvania Road"--and live coverage of the Bloomsburg Fair--and live coverage of the Little League World Series--and "Action 16"--and those "expos" in the shopping malls.
What am I leaving out?
I never understood that "We're on YOUR side" jazz. Coming from a consumer reporter, yeah, makes sense. But coming from a news operation? Gee, whose side did we think they would be on? Or, if they are on our side, whose side are 22 and 16 on?
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Off-topic: I used to work for Sikorsky Aircraft (helicopters). Can't 16 get some ambient audio in there, some real compressor-crushing, limiter-pinning 'copter noise, instead of the fake stuff? You could have Bob Reynolds screaming over the racket, being even more dramatic than usual. It might sound like a medic pick-up in 'Nam, but it would put listeners right into the action.
8:52 post-
Gag.
I have no problem with Candice, but Eric Scheiner? Give me a break! And they criticized Diane Lee? - He's a nobody with no experience "anchoring" the news. Candice and Diane would have been great, not to mention VERY easy on the eyes!!! - Especially if they showed a little leg like Fox News Channel does!!!
7:22pm: We will thankfully never have to see Diane's legs again.
And all this BS about 16 and what they have... to me it sounds like BS, but to most viewers around here, it's Bona Fide good work. They've taken easy, workable ideas and have stuck to them. 22 and 28 are all about fleeting products: taking the next turn to see if it works... never maintaining course.
16 is high and mighty because they're using tried and true methods of how to produce and maintain successful local TV.
It's as easy as throwing your staff in a parade... there's image for you. What the hell are BRE and YOU thinking? They miss the boat all the time. The parade was in their backyard for Christ sake. If they can't pull something that small together, then how are they going to do what they're planning in the coming weeks with all this launch and liftoff.
Twenty years ago, when Paul Stueber was News Director for WNEP, he told me that getting the public to choose a newscast is like getting them to buy a car.
He said his father never owned anything but Chevrolets. His father was satisfied. What could get him to buy a Ford? Either a car just as good at a much better price, or a much better car at the same price.
Since all TV newscasts are free, and since viewers seem satisfied with “Newswatch 16,” what could 22 or 28 do to make viewers switch? Produce a MUCH BETTER NEWSCAST. Better meet the viewers' needs.
And that’s the important part: Stueber said “as good as” won’t do. It has to be better, and as a viewer I have to perceive it as better, or I have no reason to change. “Yeah, that Ford looks good: but I’ve been happy with Chevy’s for years, I’m not switching.”
Another thing Paul said back then was that your promotion shouldn’t make promises your newscast can’t keep.
It would be nice to have some competition in the market again, but I worry that 22 and 28 are making some pretty extravagant claims. Can they/will they back them up? And what about the long haul?
If we’ve learned one thing in the Perry Sook years it’s that talk is cheap. Just like Nexstar.
8:52pm : Glad to see WNEP's Promotions department spends time here.
On the other hand: for a station that (supposedly) no one watches and doesn't care about, WYOU sure gets a lot of attention here.
On the other hand: for a station that (supposedly) no one watches and doesn't care about, WYOU sure gets a lot of attention here.
That's because this is pretty much an insider's group. Howard runs it, but it's of, by and for people who work in local TV.
In the army they still talk about Custer's Last Stand, but no one talks about it on courthouse square in Scranton.
In the same way, I don't hear anyone in the general publio talking about 22 or 28. Let's see if they're talking, and what they're saying, at the end of September.
You people are pathetic! OK, not all of you. How about we sit back and wait to see what happens! So much negativity. It is time for a change at both stations. Will it work, only time will tell. Is 16 that great....NO! NOT AT ALL. But they cover news. Thanks.
I would really like to watch WYOU's new, newscast becasue it has got to be interesting, if nothing else.
However, *my* cable still doesn't carry WYOU/WBRE.
I guess I'll just stick to Philly news.
In some ways, it's smart to move Candice to the new format -- I and lots of people I know will be tuning in to her rather than LS from 5-6:30. But why isn't Candice the main anchor on 28? She's a lovely person and does a great job. Can anyone answer why BRE hasn't given her the main evening BRE slot?
12:13 PM said - Since all TV newscasts are free, and since viewers seem satisfied with “Newswatch 16,” what could 22 or 28 do to make viewers switch? Produce a MUCH BETTER NEWSCAST. Better meet the viewers' needs.
When I worked at WBRE with Paul, the newscasts I produced where 100 times better than the crap on 16. I still do in another market now...better than anything viewers in crappy NEPA have seen ever.
But no one cares.
Why?
We didn't have good promotions, a chopper and kiss everyone's ass like WNEP does on a daily basis.
The times: are they a-changin'?
Since day one of "shared services" everyone at WYOU has been whinmpering about being treated like second-class citizens, like red-headed bastard stepchildren.
Suddenly, a first-string anchor in Candice Grossklaus--a fancy new set--a revolutionary new format--and it's all we can talk about.
Sing it, Zimmerman:
Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'.
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'.
I don't think WNEP has anything to worry about: but don't Andy and Lyndall look suspiciously red-headed of late?
my first impression is "for good news press 1 - for bad news press 2 - for weather press 3 - for sports press 4...."
You've gotta do what you've gotta do. WNEP does it. The other two don't know what to do nor how to do it. It's only TV, not brain surgery!
3:24pm...
If no one in the general public is talking (caring) about 22 or 28, then how do you explain the "save Vince" petition that's been circulating ?
What's wrong with LS???
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3:51 said: Why isn't Candice the main anchor on 28? She's a lovely person and does a great job. Can anyone answer why BRE hasn't given her the main evening BRE slot?
Maybe it has to do with what's in LS' contract, or seniority. To give CG a shot, she'd have to move across the hall.
I guess. Anyone from 50 have any thoughts?
Why isn't Candice the main anchor on 28? She's a lovely person and does a great job. Can anyone answer why BRE hasn't given her the main evening BRE slot?
Grossklaus seems to be the best person for the Dialing for News format. WYOU is pushing this as "not your father's newscast," so why would you want your father's anchors? Look at who was chosen to anchor Dialing for News: two young, attractive people. Put two and two together, and you'll see WYOU is looking for a younger demographic.
Also, I would imagine Grossklaus had little say in the matter; she was likely given the option of anchoring Dialing for News or finding a new job once her contract expires. Nexstar does like to play hardball...just like every other station group out there.
Holy cow! I thought that was Scott Baio!
I'm going to guess that Candice took the job by choice.
I'm sure there was pressure: but none of the "Nexstar way or the highway" bullying a couple of posters have hypothesized.
If Channel 50 told her "take it or leave it" think she couldn't find a better job in a better station in a bigger market tomorrow?
But she has (ahem) personal ties (wink, wink--nudge, nudge--know what I mean?) that keep her here.
I'm going to guess that Candice took the job by choice.
I'm sure there was pressure: but none of the "Nexstar way or the highway" bullying a couple of posters have hypothesized.
If Channel 50 told her "take it or leave it" think she couldn't find a better job in a better station in a bigger market tomorrow?
But she has (ahem) personal ties (wink, wink--nudge, nudge--know what I mean?) that keep her here.
With Candice moving to 22, who's in line to anchor 28's weekend news?
Is Dia coming back after maternity leave? If not, my vote would be Amy Bradley, although she's 28's best reporter and they need her on the street.
Anyone have any insight?
What's wrong with LS???
10:30 PM
Sorry, we're all on our best behavior here. Lyndall doesn't like it when people aren't nice to her.
HELLO!
What's wrong with LS?
I don't think Nexstar planned WYOU's launch this way. Diane Lee fled after botched negotiations; something I don't think the company was primarily expecting.
There's a hell-of-a-hottie sitting across the room who can report, write, anchor... SO the ND looks one way, cocks his head to the other side and thinks, yeah, maybe we'll go with Candice... not entirely sure if she will bite, but.... we're screwed if she doesn't.
While Nexstar may be the ballsy and dastardly puppetmaster of contracts, I know the company actually had little choice in this dilemma... swallow hard and pray she'll accept.
I wish Candice all the best. It's been a pleasure...
As for her open weekend spot, I'm hoping for Jill Konopka...
... just kidding.
What's this about a "Save Vince" petition?
What makes you think Nexstar would admit a mistake? They're not that smart.
What makes you think Vince would return, even if begged? He's not that dumb.
The difference between Nexstar and Vince, in a word: honor.
Rich Mates wrote a piece in Broadcasting and Cable a few weeks ago about the launch. In fact, I think Howard linked it somewhere on this site.
What did the article say?
That DL would be the anchor.
Something obviously didn't go right.
Something went very wrong.
Does that surprise anyone?
The fact is Candice still had some time to go under her current contract. It was not a "go to WYOU or leave" situation. If she said no she still would have had her weekend gig.
I say good for and her and WYOU.
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7:53 said: What's this about a "Save Vince" petition?
It was in the paper. Some grocery store, or such like, had a petition going; they knew it would not make any difference, but they wanted to make people's voices heard to 28.
I heard Joe Holden will take Candace's place...anyone else hear that?
" What makes you think Vince would return, even if begged? He's not that dumb. "
What makes you think he wouldn't consider a position ? I doubt he has on-air offers coming in by the truckload. He's middle-aged and does not hold a meteorological degree. I like the guy, but facts are facts.
If DubyaNEP tried this it would be hailed here as cutting edge, progressive, innovative stuff.
22 does it and it's seen as desperation.
We need to start everyone at zero on this concept until such time as we have evidence of its success or failure.
Still wondering who will anchor the WBRE Weekend Evening Show. The current staff does not have anyone who has proven that they can do the job well. Another outside hire on the way? From some cable outfit in Vermont or Maine perhaps?
Hey 1:02AM... since you're so concerned about the weekend evening show at WBRE, why don't you toss your perfect little hat into the ring?
On the other hand, management may prefer a writer who knows how to write complete sentences, not just headline fragments.
I agree with 11:59am.
Any intelligent person would reserve judgement until this thing hits the air and establishes itself. I mean come on, no one has even seen the set yet and it has a nickname ?
I'm glad to see it...I just have a question...Does anybody know what new news package WYOU News adopted. Pinnacle by: Stephan Arnold is OUT!
Yes, I have the names of all the local tv station's news music themes.
WBRE: NBC Flagship-By: Gari Comm. (they use the entire NBC News collection, but flagship is used the most).
PA Morning & Midday: Newschannel-By: Gari Comm.
WYOU: Uphonix-By: Stephan Arnold. (This was the one the last commenter had asked about.)
WNEP: Move Closer To Your World-esque Theme-By: Cliff Schwarz
For anything else news music related go to: http://www.southernmedia-nmsa.com/search.php?search=2,1,53&sort=1,0&inc=1&start=0&block=50
or
http://newsmusicnow.com/files.html
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