WDRB Breaks From 'Breaking News'

It may go against everything local TV news stands for/strives for, but WDRB Louisville says it will no longer use the term “breaking news” in its broadcasts, reports TV Spy.

A station promo says:

“You hear the term, ‘Breaking News’ quite frequently these days. It’s a marketing ploy to convince you that at television station is better at bringing you the news first, as it happens. The problem is, it’s just not true.”


Writes Spy:

The station has also posted a “Contract with our Viewers” and a “Contract with Advertisers” to its website. The contracts are a list of ten promises. For viewers, one promise is not to use the term ‘Breaking News,’ while another says, “We will strive to use our viewers time wisely - each story will teach, inform, entertain or resolve or it will not air.”

WDRB is Block Communications’ Fox affiliate in Louisville.  A few months back, we wrote about GM Bill Lamb’s literary efforts, in the form of a business book titled Money Follows Excellence.

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.