There were some logistical issues–some editing for consistency across the network, for instance–but that was all doable.

What really sunk the idea ultimately was that while lots of people thought it was a good idea, no one was willing to pull the trigger and replace AP with this alternative.

I still think it’s a viable idea, though.

They could probably run Internet spam email text gibberish in the same place and achieve the same objective at less cost.

If they also see themselves as a source of local news and an effective aggregator of all news for their markets, they would still see syndicators like Reuters and AP as an essential part of their business, no?

At one point, radio newscasts were severely restricted as to how much AP wire material they could use, when it could be used, and had to tell people to “consult your local newspaper” for further reporting details (the Biltmore agreement in 1933).

Boy, have things changed now…

the use of call letters to designate the location of the story is a loser. use the city name (boston, detroit, pittsburgh, whatever).

and update, update, update. the same 16 headlines occupied the “us news” section since friday (changed this am). that’s over 3 days! if nothing else, load the stories into a random sort database so it always appears you’ve been updating, updating, updating.

otherwise than that they got a good start.

It seems if all of that was available on the web people could pick and choose the stories thay want. Even though most of them are local station submissions and not AP.

It could be a national site for local news all over the US.

I agree, the model for print worked well, local outlets had (still have) access to national and world. As we have watched ad revenues fall lock step with circulation of print news orginizations, local and national, have had to play catch up with the broad-band network. The AP and Reuters have always had a monopoly, now they have a Mega-bite-monopoly, double dipping. However theres a saturation point wih everything, trends happen alot faster and end quicker. Jumbo Jet news applies to large audiences, but with so many outlets and links worldwide the AP and Reuters will be playing catch-up soon enough. There’s a canadian outlet called PeoplesNews, the structure they are setting up relies on all walks of life to provide content, recieving a fee and editorial, this allows for people in the city where the event takes place to go outside their front door and video record and interview on the scene long before a bureau anywhere can scoop it. As soon as the local news catches on they will reverse. Here’s the reality, every major city USA has about 3-4 local news programs, each runs about 7 hrs of news a day during the week. This model is very outdated, as if people with a computer will waste even a half hour watching a news program when they can find exactly the news they are looking for, all of it in about five minutes, local-national-worldwid on the internet. These people are tivo-ing around local news and linking for what they want to know, thats it in a nut shell. What is happening also is that AP and Rueters have put out inacurate stories because they are relying on too much out source stringers, they may not think much of it but I can tell you those mistakes travel at the speed of light across the internet.