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"The Best News of All"?


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I was wondering if anyone had information regarding music that is readily identifiable with WCCO's news & image from the 80s.

 

SouthernMedia recently blended several WCCO & WNYT packages it had samples from into a theme now referred to as "WCCO 1983 News Theme". Based on the samples presented, it seems the music was implemented in a similar manner at each station.

 

So what's with the title?

 

Recently, I came across a tape of material recorded from KSNW, circa October 1986 during the brief KSNWNews era. Included was a full, minute-long sung promo clearly titled "The Best News of All", akin to the start of the WFRV clip & the WQAD slogan during the same era, both on the NMSA. I do have most of a KSNW newscast from this time which uses a theme that I'm not sure is already in the database there, but is certainly not listed for the station currently. I'm also not certain if it's in any way tied to the WCCO theme used during the period.

 

Naturally, I'll have to post the clips in the not too distant future.

 

All of that said, did WCCO actually use an image package/campaign using this theme during that era? I've been curious about who did it and how expansive it was for a while...

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Please post! This could be a breakthrough. I want to hear this theme and the image song.

 

I will say this: the theme was listed as three themes, two of which are duplicates and one of which is a sort of "round 2" of the package (the only other use of this one so far was WQAD c.1989, which the NMSA dates as "1984" yet I've seen the open and it can't be because it's the same day as a WHBF "Get Ready" open). WCCO introduced its update in 1985.

 

It wouldn't be the first image song-featuring campaign to pop up out of nowhere. It took a while before we learned that KPNX 1986 is a full package with a song (though it's not in the NMSA). Try listening to the close in the NMSA, and then tell me that this isn't connected:

 

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  • 2 months later...

Hmmmm... this makes me wonder now... because I recognize that 5 note "chime" at the end.. if you look at the following video, you can hear it as well...I know this is a very short clip of what could be this theme, but if it is, this make me think that this theme had to almost be composed by one of the big music companies of the time, who knows who, but it seems like it could be a Telesound, TM, Tuesday...etc... Let me know what you guys think

 

Its VERY short, but youll see what I mean, its at apron. :22 in

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I know this is going out on a whim, but it just seems that this package & image was a fairly well syndicated package. I know there is only a handful of stations that have used this theme that are confirmed, but it just seems to be popping up more and more, I have been listening to it, its definately one of my favorite 80s image campaigns, but I just cant pinpoint who it could be, no one composer stands out, except for maybe TM and Telesound or Gari, who obviously had the great image & news music packages of the time.

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That TM list isn't a complete record of everything they did, nor everything that Media Preservation Foundation has archived. I'm in contact with Tracy Carman, and there are more tapes from TM that's aren't on that list. (I've seen another list, with one reference reel containing KATC's "Best Things in Life", which is how I was able to conclusively ID the package as TM.)

 

Either way, I do agree it's not likely to be TM. It doesn't have the same instrumental or vocal sound at all.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 4 years later...

Digging into this more with some WQAD content, this has an open and some bumpers

 

At 10:44 in this clip you can hear the ending from the image song that’s been heard in other promos from other stations

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  • 4 months later...
It dawned on me... I bet the WCCO version of the image song is sung "C-C-O, we're comin' through".

 

Most likely...

If we knew who created this Image campaign we’d have our answer, same vocalists and similar instrumentation used in “The Best News of All”

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We already know both these campaigns came from the Carmichael Lynch ad agency (still around) which held the WCCO accounts. Anyone ever consider contacting them?

 

We should contact them! Most likely Carmichael Lynch was the agency the stations called on for re-imaging/re-hauling there station. They where probably a full service consultant to the station, and who would see to it the music/graphics/set etc ..all went through a “branding lens” and all fit. Similar to what Al Primo did after he left WABC (for reference of his consulting work

) It probably just so happens CL has there go to composer or jingle house they used.
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We should contact them! Most likely Carmichael Lynch was the agency the stations called on for re-imaging/re-hauling there station. They where probably a full service consultant to the station, and who would see to it the music/graphics/set etc ..all went through a “branding lens” and all fit. Similar to what Al Primo did after he left WABC (for reference of his consulting work
) It probably just so happens CL has there go to composer or jingle house they used.

 

CL had the accounts for WCCO radio and television, so all the station promotions went through them.

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Is the "1985" theme an update of "The Best News of All"?

 

I noticed that the WQAD listing on the NMSA was incorrect as they were still using the '85 theme in 1990.

My guess is that is a mistake. That should all be one package with WQAD using it from 88-91.

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My guess is that is a mistake. That should all be one package with WQAD using it from 88-91.

 

The NMSA progression is shot.

 

It looks like in 1984 they did a logo change. The old logo is on the news van, the new one on the end tag:

 

 

The fall of '84 would coincide with the launch of their "One Quad City" image from Peters:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id=gegaO-y0XXU;t=1550

 

This was their set in the era:

 

 

In 1986-88?, they used the WFTV mid-late-80s theme that I believe was done by Silvertree, and they got a new set:

 

 

This farewell tape dated 1988 uses some of the same elements:

 

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Ni

The NMSA progression is shot.

 

It looks like in 1984 they did a logo change. The old logo is on the news van, the new one on the end tag:

 

 

The fall of '84 would coincide with the launch of their "One Quad City" image from Peters:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id=gegaO-y0XXU;t=1550

 

This was their set in the era:

 

 

In 1986-88?, they used the WFTV mid-late-80s theme that I believe was done by Silvertree, and they got a new set:

 

 

This farewell tape dated 1988 uses some of the same elements:

 

Nice timeline! I have a recording somewhere of the promo WQAD rolled out in ‘78 when Des Moines Register purchased WQAD and re-branded WQAD as “Active 8” I will try to dig it up today. I must say, through the ‘80s WQAD rolled out very nice, unique promos and brand campaigns.

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