The Newsroom

American TV networks breaking news

Getting on-air (March 2017)

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NG
noggin Founding member


I don't think there's an open talkback line from the network master control counting down the times to a SR. However networks have made their productions control room audio feed available on election night so the local stations can listen in and know what's going to happen.

I believe Fox can remotely control and override a stations signal for a special report.

Edit : Worth noting that some special reports are optional while others are mandatory.


That's a major difference to the UK.

The BBC have a permanent talkback circuit to every English region and the three national presentation operations (Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland). This usually is a switched talkback from Network control for each network (NC1 or NC2 usually) but NC1 is switched to talkback from the news gallery for the integrated headlines in the One/Six/Ten o'clock News. (This feed had the director and the digital countdown voice on it.) This is a complicated network switch - as the ident before the One/Six/Ten is an opt-controlled by NC1, the 15" headline opt in the headline sequence is an opt controlled by the One/Six/Ten gallery. Only a brief period to make the talkback switch every day. (I think NC1 switch it)

For the General election, Children In Need etc. and other shows with major opt-outs controlled by a particular production gallery, the talkback will be switch to those.

How about Presfax?


Presfax is there for guidance, but not control. It isn't, or wasn't, always that reliable, and has no real integration with the non-playout opts within News, Children in Need etc. It IS useful for seeing what you are opting out of and back in to (if you are blanketing a network trail for instance)
HA
Hazimworks
In Japan there is something similar to Presfax which is Automatic Programming System. There aren't many pictures about this on google, but these two pictures linked below give a good impression of how the system look like:
https://www.google.com/search?q=%E8%87%AA%E5%8B%95%E7%95%AA%E7%B5%84%E5%88%B6%E5%BE%A1%E8%A3%85%E7%BD%AE&rlz=1C5CHFA_enMY727MY727&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjJ68e77_HSAhVGTrwKHa-3BgAQ_AUICSgC&biw=1280&bih=611&dpr=2#q=%E8%87%AA%E5%8B%95%E7%95%AA%E7%B5%84%E5%88%B6%E5%BE%A1%E8%A3%85%E7%BD%AE&tbm=isch&tbs=rimg:CTf1vYATB64NIjgEFheqVSGmUp6v5lQ7kDXmi2etvWUzFwqRCOq4NpFVWtjiYoCOFiMVThzyAu46dKH8N2kvdFALLyoSCQQWF6pVIaZSET2Oftgv70G1KhIJnq_1mVDuQNeYRTcI9N0ZSMBUqEgmLZ629ZTMXChFs_1KmJQeXXKCoSCZEI6rg2kVVaETcwwF7ZycX7KhIJ2OJigI4WIxURbK4ZJP-C7fgqEglOHPIC7jp0oRGgyZ_1bB_1nHZSoSCfw3aS90UAsvEQaf1LKl2ZD0&*&imgrc=Mku1ghTrDgicKM:

https://www.google.com/search?q=%E8%87%AA%E5%8B%95%E7%95%AA%E7%B5%84%E5%88%B6%E5%BE%A1%E8%A3%85%E7%BD%AE&rlz=1C5CHFA_enMY727MY727&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjJ68e77_HSAhVGTrwKHa-3BgAQ_AUICSgC&biw=1280&bih=611&dpr=2#q=%E8%87%AA%E5%8B%95%E7%95%AA%E7%B5%84%E5%88%B6%E5%BE%A1%E8%A3%85%E7%BD%AE&tbm=isch&tbs=rimg:CTf1vYATB64NIjgEFheqVSGmUp6v5lQ7kDXmi2etvWUzFwqRCOq4NpFVWtjiYoCOFiMVThzyAu46dKH8N2kvdFALLyoSCQQWF6pVIaZSET2Oftgv70G1KhIJnq_1mVDuQNeYRTcI9N0ZSMBUqEgmLZ629ZTMXChFs_1KmJQeXXKCoSCZEI6rg2kVVaETcwwF7ZycX7KhIJ2OJigI4WIxURbK4ZJP-C7fgqEglOHPIC7jp0oRGgyZ_1bB_1nHZSoSCfw3aS90UAsvEQaf1LKl2ZD0&*&imgrc=Me28PMiJFPxQpM:
HA
Hazimworks
While you TV Forumers know about the early earthquake warning and tsunami warning in Japan, these are related to what we're talking in this thread.

NHK's three chimes, the first is for earthquake or natural disaster which was used many times, the second is in case the Emperor is dead, the third is during World War II:


NHK news flash graphics throughout the years (similar to BBC News Report), but in text form (look at how NHK position the news flash graphics; used to be at the bottom but in the last two is at the top):
TC
TorontoCommons
In Canada, network interruptions are pretty streamlined similar to the United Kingdom. Master control facilities for the major networks are hubbed in a central location (primarily Toronto), and if a interruption were to occur it would transpire with a simple preemption notice or a jump cut to a live studio.




Unfortunately, network interruptions are a rare occurrence. They directly result into lost advertisement time, the primary source of revenue for most stations. The closest "special report" you'll get in Canada is when it's planned ahead of time.
SP
Steve in Pudsey
Similar to the Japan example mentioned, NBC used to have a variant of their chimes that would alert affiliates of imminent changes to the schedule for breaking news.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBC_chimes#The_.22Fourth_Chime.22
EL
elmarko
Last network cut-ins in Canada are probably the Fort McMurray fires or the Ottawa Parliament attack?
TC
TorontoCommons
Last network cut-ins in Canada are probably the Fort McMurray fires or the Ottawa Parliament attack?

Technically, the last network interruption was this past week, with the presentation of the 2017 Federal Budget. CBC and CTV aired from 4-5pm, while Global aired from 4-4:30pm. (The budget, which was supposed to be released at 4pm, was delayed for 45 minutes. Global did not air the budget as their allotted on air time expired.)

From what I can recall, the last legitimate interruption of programs from the major networks was the 2014 Ottawa shootings. The former was only at the regional level, the local stations in the area provided continuing coverage.
DE
deejay
Really interesting thread, thanks everyone.
the_news, Rkolsen and Hazimworks gave kudos
RK
Rkolsen
In Canada, network interruptions are pretty streamlined similar to the United Kingdom. Master control facilities for the major networks are hubbed in a central location (primarily Toronto), and if a interruption were to occur it would transpire with a simple preemption notice or a jump cut to a live studio.
...
Unfortunately, network interruptions are a rare occurrence. They directly result into lost advertisement time, the primary source of revenue for most stations. The closest "special report" you'll get in Canada is when it's planned ahead of time.


It's worth noting that in addition to hubbed master control that (I believe) most of the networks supply the full programming day - save for local news. When they carry and transmit the full schedule live there's little need for a countdown or a large coordinated effort. Additionally most networks are made up of owned stations with each having less than five affiliates which clear most of the schedule and has little need for the dramatic cut in.

It should be thankful that special reports occur so rare in Canada where in the US it's usually means something bad has happened. But given this current presidential administration political special reports are more common and not in a good way.
BC
Blake Connolly Founding member
Similar to the Japan example mentioned, NBC used to have a variant of their chimes that would alert affiliates of imminent changes to the schedule for breaking news.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBC_chimes#The_.22Fourth_Chime.22


There's an interesting short podcast episode about the chimes here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/nbc/
EL
elmarko
In Canada, network interruptions are pretty streamlined similar to the United Kingdom. Master control facilities for the major networks are hubbed in a central location (primarily Toronto), and if a interruption were to occur it would transpire with a simple preemption notice or a jump cut to a live studio.
...
Unfortunately, network interruptions are a rare occurrence. They directly result into lost advertisement time, the primary source of revenue for most stations. The closest "special report" you'll get in Canada is when it's planned ahead of time.


It's worth noting that in addition to hubbed master control that (I believe) most of the networks supply the full programming day - save for local news. When they carry and transmit the full schedule live there's little need for a countdown or a large coordinated effort. Additionally most networks are made up of owned stations with each having less than five affiliates which clear most of the schedule and has little need for the dramatic cut in.

It should be thankful that special reports occur so rare in Canada where in the US it's usually means something bad has happened. But given this current presidential administration political special reports are more common and not in a good way.


Same in America I would have thought? It's not like they're showing shedloads of local programming, is it? It's all news and nothing else.

Although the major difference is the smaller number of stations in Canada (only the big cities) since everyone else gets rebroadcasts of those.
TI
tightrope78
Special Reports must be one of the last instances of NBC News still using an original part of 'The Mission' suite by John Williams.

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