As noted here previously, Portland-Vancouver has been without a CBS news affiliate on the radio dial since KXL switched to Fox News.

But this morning, flipping the dial, I caught the tail end of Charles Osgood signing off his brief news commentary on KKAD 1550. Has KKAD signed with CBS?

If that's the case, KPAM would seem to be the obvious choice.

Nothing on their website (http://www.1550kkad.com) mentions anything about any kind of network news affiliation.

It was definitely on KKAD that I heard "Charles Osgood, CBS News". I looked carefully at the dial and it said "1550." Here in Newberg we get KGAL 1580 out of Albany fairly decently, and they are a CBS affiliate, but it wasn't 1580, it was 1550.

And I agree, KKAD's sister station KPAM would seem to be the more logical one to have the CBS affiliation...

Just because you heard Osgood on a radio station does not mean they are a CBS affiliate. KNPT In Newport is a ABC Info station, but has a contract to run some CBS programs, including Osgood file, Couric's Notebook, etc.

Last Monday KPAM and KKAD dropped their second tier ABC affiliation and became CBS affiliates. KPAM was not being given access to ABC correspondents anymore because KEX is the tier one affilate in Portland.

Yes! I've heard KPAM's Pat Boyle use CBS News stories in newscasts. I was wondering when someone would post about this.

Can someone give me a better description of what a "second tier" affiliation with a network is? what does it allow, and what does it not allow?

The primary affiliate gets first dibs.

Sometimes the first tier affiliate gets upset if a reporter from the secoind tier station ends up on the top of hour network newscast.

It's about time CBS news returned to Portland. Excellent reporting overall.

First tier would be the I-Net, what used to be the 'American Information Radio Network.' ABC puts most of its effort into that excellent cast, which KEX doesn't clear.
Second tier is the old E-Net (American Entertainment Radio Network). It's also live at the top, but seldom gets a reporter live shot. And as mentioned above, affiliates don't get as much service.
There is also the G-Net (mostly a sales vehicle offering a bit of news product to all those old 'Rock,' 'Direction' and other affiliates from the days when ABC offered SEVEN different 'networks').
The G-net goes live at :45, and the two top minutes (of three) are replayed at the top of the hour. If you listen to ABC News and Talk on XM or Sirius, this is the cast you hear. The anchors are pretty much on their own, almost never get a live shot and never re-do their casts live at the top if information changes. That's because the G-Net anchors are going live at 00:30 on the I-Net if there is need for a one-minute bulletin (KEX carried this update for months after 9/11).
Some of my info may be outdated (I've been gone from ABC since early '01), but friends there tell me the formats are basically the same, with a few talent and formatic tweaks.
RJ

Thanks Rich! You're the first one to explain this on pdxradio. I've wanted to know the abc set up for years. It's gotten so jumbled over time that even broadcast books like the Yearbook have dropped the ball labeling which abc Network a station carries. abc has also perpetuated this themselves by not mentioning during newscasts which network you're listening to.

Are you saying there are now only 3 ABC networks? What became of the other 4?

The other four exist as marketing tools, and all get the G-Net as their news content.
Rock, Direction, et al are just collections of similar-formatted (or demo targeted) stations sold to advertisers as a block buy.
Most of those affiliates don't even use the news content. They just clear the inventory and cash the checks. They may get other programming like morning show prep and features, but again, it's mostly about spots and cash.
RJ

Thanks, Rich! I'll bet a lot of future broadcasters got the news bug from listening to "American Contemporary Radio, a service of ABC News", seemingly played on every Top 40 station in America!

i bet semoochie knows all about it.