[Brekkie]

So does it still air on the "broadcast" networks where they started or have they moved to regular programming?

[mouseboy33]

Slightly confused by your question.
Nexstar slowly transformed the existing WGN America (nee Superstation) cable channel. (WGN Channel 9 is a local channel in Chicago that was formerly owned by the Chicago Tribune Broadcasting. WGN - Worlds Greatest Newspaper. The WGN Superstation was created by Tribune to broadcast Chicago Cubs games and news across the US and other rerun programming. It floundered in later years.) Nexstar when they bought all the assests of Tribune Broadcasting including WGN and WGN America they slowly got rid of "other" re-run programming and replaced it with news programming to create NewsNation and now all other programming is gone and its fully NewsNation. WGN America (nee Superpstation) was never a broadcast channel, meaning it was never transmitted over the air via antennaes nationally.

[Brekkie]

I'm probably getting it mixed up with something else but I thought the primetime block started when the local channel either lost an affiliation or moved away from syndicated shows in primetime.

[mouseboy33]

I'm probably getting it mixed up with something else but I thought the primetime block started when the local channel either lost an affiliation or moved away from syndicated shows in primetime.

Yeah you are thinking WGN Channel 9 Chicago. They actually dumped the CW (now that Nexstar bought CW its returning as a CW affiliate). WGN America (Superstation) . It first went to air in 1978. Thats also when WTBS (Atlanta) and WWOR (NYC) all did the same sorta of thing. They nearly simulcast their local schedules nationally carry local sports teams and newscasts to a national audience. Of course WTBS Atlanta successfully morphed into TBS.

www.youtube.com 

www.youtube.com 

www.youtube.com 

www.youtube.com 

[lookoutwales]

A few retro gems - four sets of clean titles for NBC News output, produced in December 1983. Infact, these were 'corrected' versions, after someone complained that the globe was spinning the wrong way...

www.youtube.com 

An extended version of MSNBC's launch in July 1996 - so called because of its partnership with Microsoft at launch.

www.youtube.com 

And to conclude, a tongue-in-cheek demo tape by Tuesday Productions for a news imaging package from 1981. You might recognise the theme, though listening to the tape, you can't help feel whoever produced it was more concerned with creating comedy rather than trying to sell news music to local TV stations.

www.youtube.com 

[mouseboy33]

If you ever wanted to know how news is gathered in the US particularly in large city affiliates. This is an pretty good documentary from KCAL 9 Los Angeles. They show how they created a feature of their newscasts called THE DESK. It brings a portion of the working assignment desk into the studio alongside the anchor desk and helps to cover breaking stories across the day. The BBC kinda wanted to do this with their live DTL in the newsroom. But this set up is quite fascinating. Especially how they found a way for the producers to use audio sources in the studio whilst the broadcast was occurring. But it also show how having local knowledge of their city is important. It reminds me a London Black cabbie that has knowledge and can use it help guide a person to their destination. I found it interesting, I hope you all will too. They cover two wild stories from genesis of those stories to its live completion. Just goes to show that local news in the US, actually work hard to cover really wild stories. Particularly in big cities. Again it makes me wonder about news coverage in big cities like London, Manchester and Birmingham.
Hope its not geoblocked.

www.cbsnews.com 

Behind The Desk: A full access pass behind the scenes of KCAL News - CBS Los Ang…
‘Behind The Desk’ is an adrenaline-packed full access pass behind th…
  Source: www.cbsnews.com