These pages are devoted to the search for every network promo campaign aired during the 1970s and 80s. A special thanks to collector David Gross, <gross@here.co.il> for all the national music. If you have any music or videos not featured here, please contact us.

For more fun with promos, be sure to visit tvparty.com!

NBC | ABC | CBS | LOCAL/OTHERS 
 

Cable

CBN Cable
Before the Family Channel there was CBN cable. Here's a vocal ID. 

HBO Feature Presentation (1983)
This is the full-length version. 

TBS (1989) 
'Entertainment with a Capital Yes!' 

Local, by state

KCAL California 9 (1989, video)
Very slick, very So Cal promo introducing the new KCAL. Music by 615 Productions in Nashville. Courtesy Tom in D.C. 

KCBA Turn to 35 (1987, video)
Here's a cheap promo for then-new Fox affiliate KCBA in Salinas/Monterey, California. They tried to mimic the style of more expensive local promos, but with bad actors, UMatic tape, and a cuts-only editing system this has low-budget written all over it. The music is the saving grace, from a national composer.

More trivia...CBS 'Late, Late Show' host Craig Kilborn got his start as a sports anchor at KCBA during the early 1990s.

KCRA Be There (1983, video)
It's good to see a station with a sense of humor. This spot features bloopers from the station's newscasts and local programs intermixed with standard promotional footage. The shot of always-collected anchor Stan Atkinson kissing his mirror in vain is a classic Sacramentans will enjoy seeing. Courtesy Stacy in Georgia.

KCRA...We take you there (1983)
Neat donut promo with a cheesy instrumental bed. From perennial ratings-leader KCRA in Sacramento, "Where the News Comes First." 

KNBC News 4 L.A. (1985, video)
Don't miss this! Shots of all your favorite KNBC reporters and anchors (Nick Clooney, Kirstie Wilde, David Horowitz, Fritz Coleman, Fred Roggin, Kevin O'Connell, John Beard, and Tritia Toyota bouncing at her typewriter) set to the tune of a neat instrumental mix of Let's All Be There! Even features a special '4LA' logo sailboat. Courtesy News Music Museum. 

KTVU Bay Area People (1988, video)
One of the few station jingles to air in the San Francisco Bay Area, this song was a crowd pleaser. An instrumental version of it still airs today on the station's public affairs program, aptly named 'Bay Area People.'

Hello, Colorado (video)
This particular version is an early one, with Frank Gari himself doing the singing. 

Hello, Colorado joke cut (video)
A rare parody of the Hello campaign featuring a guy getting beaten to death under the tagline '11 Loves You.'

KMGH Colorado Style (1984, video)
Denver's then-new downtown transit mall was the focus of this community pride spot. The music is based on the Turn To/Stand Up campaign used at stations like WXYZ Detroit and WKYC Cleveland, among others.

KMGH Colorado Style (1984, video)
Here's a community involvement version of the above, featuring staged shots of Girl Scouts touring KMGH, the Senior Olympics, and a station telethon.

WESH The One for All (1987, video)
A decent promo song, but there's a big problem that keeps this from being an effective ad: there are no people in it. Just boring aerial shots of Florida.

WSB We're Atlanta's News Channel (1983)
This started in Atlanta, but the lyrics have been adapted for many other cities over the years. KOLD in Tuscon, Arizona and WCCO in Minneapolis have as recently as last year been using the news theme based on this melody.

WXIA Hello Georgia (1985, video)
WXIA did a great job of breathing new life into the 'Hello' campaign it had run for several years. Here, 'Hello Georgia' is sung by The Commodores.

WXIA Hello Georgia (1985, video)
And to target another demographic, WXIA hired country music's 'Atlanta' to do their own rendition of 'Hello.' They are featured at a WXIA picnic with John Pruitt and Johnny Beckman in attendance. The custom woodcarving of the 11 Alive logo is a nice touch.

WXIA Nightshift (1985, video)
It's the Commodores again...singing their hit 'Nightshift' customized for their friends in Atlanta.

WXIA We're with you on 11 Alive (1985, video)
One of my favorite local spots. It has a great duet that's far from sappy. Some of the sights include meteorologist Johnny Beckman switching John Pruitt's golf clubs, the helicopter pilot high-fiving a kid in a toy store, and of course the 11 Alive insignia, my favorite station logo.

WXIA We're with you on 11 Alive (1985, video)
If you liked the one above, you'll enjoy this one.

WXIA Johnny Beckman (1989, video)
Meteorologist Johnny Beckman gets down and grooves to 'Gimme that weather.'

Don't miss clips from WXIA 11 Alive News.

WBBM Channel 2 News (1975, video)
This is what good television news is all about. Hard working journalists, no fluff, no glamour. Just the facts from people you trust. Features Bill Kurtis (of A&E) and the late Gene Siskel. 

WJZ That's What Friends are For (1981)
Great song for Baltimore's favorite station, WJZ.

WLS Seven's on your side (1981)
WLS-TV is there for Chicago. This campaign was used during the years that WLS dumped Cool Hand Luke as its news music (is returned better than ever in 1983, though). 

WLS Seven's on your side (1981)
A touchy-feely version. 

WLS Christmas Cookies (1981, video)
A Chicagoland classic that will put you in the holiday mood all year round. All the anchors and reporters from Eyewitness News get together in a team effort to bake cookies for the holidays. Notice the special bow-tie shaped cookies legendary anchor Fahey Flynn bakes.

WLS Seven's on the move (1984)
I'm not sure if this had to do with the station physically moving to a new building or not, but the lyrics make it sound that way.

WXIN 59...Indiana's Best (1985)
This song introduced WXIN as a brand new station back in 1985. It's more sweet than a packet of Equal. An instrumental version is also available.

Hello, Wichita (video)
Video of the Wichita campaign from KARD, featuring the rendition sung by the legendary Florence Warner that most people are familiar with. Sorry, but Wichita is misspelled in the file info. field. Can't change it without reencoding. 

WABI We've Got the Touch (1983, video)
Features a pleasant instrumental interlude from the "We've Got the Touch" campaign. Courtesy Dan in Massachusetts.

WABI Give Me Five (1997, video)
No, the date isn't a typo. This is just to show you that some stations are still putting out catchy, and pleasantly cheesy promos. This is from WABI-TV in Maine. Kudos to them! 

WBAL Action News 11, We Take You There (1981, video)
One of my favorites, from WBAL-TV in Baltimore. It's not too sappy, with well-orchestrated music, and nice imagery. I'd watch their newscast! Seeing the anchor go bowling makes this one worth downloading. And, if you like the music, here's a higher-quality audio-only version. There's also an instrumental as well. 

WBAL CBS switch (1981, video)
In 1981 WBAL dumped NBC in favor of Number one CBS. This was a big deal...and CBS brought out some big star power to let Baltimore know that things are changing for the better. These spots feature Louise from the Jeffersons, Les and Mr. Carlson from WKRP, and Boss Hogg from The Dukes of Hazzard. 

WBAL On Your Side (1985)
There's a story, there's glory, there's pride inside...Baltimore, Eleven's on your side.

WJZ That's what friends are for (1981, video)
Wow...see Oprah when she was host of Baltimore's 'People are Talking' and Michael Richards (Kramer on 'Seinfeld') when he was on 'Fridays,' a late-night comedy/variety series. Thanks to Tom in D.C. 

WJZ That's What Friends are For (1981)
If you liked the clip above, you'll love the full song.

Thanks to Jim in Massachusetts for these great promos from WBZ and WCVB in Boston...two stations with a real commitment to the community. 

WBZ We're 4 You (1978, video)
Beautifully shot film promo featuring people of all kinds having fun at work and play around Boston. 

WBZ We're 4 You (1978, video)
Frozen, but friendly New England residents stay warm by singing along to the We're 4 song. 

WBZ We're 4 New England talent promos (1978, video)
These spots highlight Eyewitness News talent Tony Pepper and Sharon King. Both emphasize their direct connection with the community...Tony's shows him having fun around town, and Sharon's has her explaining why she rides a bike to work. 

WBZ We're 4 Sports (1977, video)
Len Berman (now at WNBC and on the Today Show) invites you to watch the Celtics take on the Warriors at home. 

WBZ The One 4 All (1980, video)

WBZ Today's 4 a whole lot more (1981)
Very well orchestrated promo song...composed by Edd Kalehoff. 

WBZ Today's 4 a whole lot more (1981)
Full-orchestral instrumental of the above. 

WBZ Just Watch Us (1982, video)
Features Tom Bergeron, current host of 'Hollywood Squares.'

WBZ 4 Today
From 1983 until circa 1988, the :30 and :60 "4 Today" cut-ins aired weekday mornings and afternoons within the mid-breaks between shows. They aired live from a special set and announced what programs were coming up later on the station. Essentially, "4 Today" was a hosted promo. Ron Cantera, and later Tom Bergeron were the hosts.

WBZ We're 4 Today (1983)
Vocal image campaign to celebrate the station's 35th anniversary. 

WBZ We're 4 Today (1983)
Instrumental version of the above promo. 

WCVB Channel 5 and You (1979, video)
The New York Times once called WCVB the best television station in the country. Its commitment to local programming during the '70s was unprecedented...and the station rose to the top very quickly by doing so. Find out more about its rich history here.

This promo highlights the local programs. 

WCVB Channel 5 and You (1979, video)
Impressive spot featuring catchy music and creative visuals...all featuring the '5' logo in various New England locations. 

WCVB Channel 5 and You (1979, video)
Another spot highlighting the local shows on Channel 5...with legendary ABC announcer Ernie Anderson doing the voiceover. 

WCVB Tuning in Together (1981, video)
WCVB continued its tradition of network-quality promos with great editing and camera work...and a good song to boot. 

WCVB Tuning in Together (1982, video)
WCVB celebrated its tenth anniversary by throwing a big party in the park...and all of the station's talent is there to join in the fun. 

WCVB We're With You (1984, video)
WCVB adopted ABC's 1984 campaign...and added some great shots of talent in the community. 

FYI, almost every one of the personalities featured in this promo still works at the station...in the same capacity. Courtesy David in New Jersey. 

WCVB CVB...Easy as ABC (1984, video)
The clever folks at WCVB took the Jackson Five's hit 'ABC, Easy as 1-2-3' and twisted it around to work in their favor. The visuals are a tribute to MTV's then-innovative use of Paintbox graphics. Thanks to Dan in Massachusetts.

WLVI Living (1988)
Nice, relaxing music in this community pride spot for Boston's WLVI. It uses the melody of the 'Seven on your side' campaign from WLS-TV in Chicago.

WNEV Seven (1985, video)
Now called WHDH, WNEV had viewers submit old home movies from the 1950s and 60s, and put them together in a series of promotional spots.
 

Grand Rapids is the Right Place (1985)
Not sure what station this was used on, if at all. It's a very loud and upbeat image song.

WXYZ Channel 7 Action News...So good to turn to (1982)
Catchy, but cheesy song.

WXYZ Stand up and tell them you're from Detroit (1984)
That's composer Frank Gari singing the solo lead. The music is based on WKYC's Turn To campaign. 

WXYZ Channel 7 - Made in Detroit (1984, video)
After years of layoffs and closing auto plants, Detroit hit a low during the early '80s. However, WXYZ took on the role of community cheerleader with a series of community pride spots. This one features anchor Bill Bonds explaining how Channel 7 is built to Detroit's standards...the best in the business.

WXYZ Channel 7 - Made in Detroit (1984, video)
Bill Bonds sits down and explains Channel 7 and the Detroit comeback.

WXYZ Stand up and tell them you're from Detroit (1984, video)
Here's a musical spot emphasizing people having a good time in Detroit.

WXYZ Stand up and tell them you're from Detroit (1984, video)
Bill Bonds enjoys a great Coney Island hot dog.

WXYZ Stand up and tell them you're from Detroit (1984, video)
Bill Bonds goes out in the field to hear the story of a young boxer.

KSDK Show me Five! (1984)
With catchy promos like this, no wonder KSDK in St. Louis became NBC's strongest operation during the '80s. Courtesy Bob in Oklahoma. 

KTVI Experience Channel 2! (1983)
Sure, Channel 5 was the dominant force in the St. Louis market with its 'Show me five' campaign, but you've got to give Channel 2 an A for effort with this one.  KTVI is now a Fox affiliate (it was an ABC affil. unitl 1995). 
 

Hello, East Rochester (video)
Typical short version of the promo, with a city resident saying 'Hello,' although the voice doesn't match up in this one. 

WABC Late Night movie (1968)
A classic of the '70s...and a favorite among many station employees who could catch the WABC late movie on the feed. 

WABC You and Me (1980, video)
Being the flagship station of the network...WABC had its main 'Eyewitness News' anchors fly out to LA and take part in a shoot of the main network promo, with all the stars. Non-New Yorkers will recognize former 'Good Morning America' weatherman Spencer Christian waving. He was a sportscaster with WABC. Courtesy Dan in Massachusetts.

WABC Now is the time, Channel Seven is the place (1981, video)
They did it again in 1981...

WABC Eyewitness News (1984)
A great cheesy promo from 1984 for WABC, "Here's to the team." 

WABC Eyewitness News (1984)
A short variation of the above promo. 

WNBC News 4 New York (1980)
Great disco-sounding promo song for the then-new 'News 4 New York.' 

WNBC 4 New York (1992, video)
Despite its '90s date, this promo is in the spirit of extravagant '80s image campaigns. Quality photography with music by Edd Kalehoff. FYI, the female singer shown is his wife, who played Annie on Broadway as a child. 

The campaign wasn't popular with New Yorkers. It was criticized for making the city look like a generic Midwest town. That's no surprise, since the GM of the station came from KSDK in St. Louis, where he made the station NBC's strongest affiliate...and image promos were an integral part of his plans. 

WNBC 4 New York (1992)
Instrumental cut of the promo.

WPIX Eleven Alive (1983)
 Sums up why so many of us watch television. One of my favorite local promos. Thanks to Pipeline News Music Factory. 
 

WEWS Good News...Catch Five (1982)
Many Clevelanders remember Channel Five's 'Catch Five' slogan. This is an updated version to include a 'Good News' tag line. There's also mention of ABC's slogan that year, 'Come on Along.'

WKYC Turn to Three (1985, video)
Turn up the cheese meter! This is a classic one from WKYC in Cleveland. This music was the basis for the popular "Stand up and tell them you're from Detroit" campaign at WXYZ. Thanks to Ken in El Paso. 
 

Hello, Tulsa (1982-84, video)
The residents of Tulsa sing along to their favorite sappy hometown song from KJRH. Senator Jim Inhofe (R) of Oklahoma makes an appearance. He was then mayor of Tulsa. 

KWTV Count on 9 (1979)
Great promo song from KWTV in Oklahoma City. Thanks to Pipeline News Music Factory. 
 

KDKA KD & You (1989, video)
KDKA did a customized version of CBS' Get Ready campaign...featuring all your favorite Pittsburgh personalities. 

WGAL Channel Eight...the one to count on (1982)
This song has a soothing vocal by Florence Warner. It's one of the better-orchestrated image songs on this page.

WPVI Fans...there are music clips from 'Action News' on the Potpourri page.

WPRI We're with you (1984, video)
This clip was used to end the broadcast day...and features an instrumental of the 1984 ABC campaign, "We're with you," along with well-produced shots from around the community.

WCSC Say Hello (1986, video)
Wave to the camera!

WIS Good News (1986, video)
For such a small-market station, this spot is very well done. Great down-home music to accompany as well.

Hello Nashville (1982, video)
The Nashville Symphony Orchestra accompanied the voice of "Hello," Florence Warner, in this piece...6 minutes of full-orchestral music. She's got quite a nose! A good example of the kind of community-oriented programming that is hard to find today. 

Hello, Utah (video)
This is unique because it shows Utah's favorite celebrities, the Osmond kids, singing the song. 

WISN Hello Milwaukee (1982)
The Milwaukee Jazz Conservatory sings this one. 

WJLA/WMAL Call letter change (1976, video)
Like WUSA, WJLA changed its call letters during the 1970s. It was previously known as WMAL, as this clip explains.

WJLA So good to turn to (1982, video)
This is funny to watch...the pinnacle of cheesy local campaigns. The music is addictive. 

WJLA On your side (1984, video)
A really classy campaign. This features vocals by R&B star Jeffrey Osborne and quality shooting/editing. Definitely worth watching. It's not sappy at all.

JLA had to dump the campaign in 1985. They blamed a soft ad market for not justifying the expense of renewing Osborne's contract. The station even tried making records of the song and distributing it to local radio stations in hopes of airtime...but that didn't work. Courtesy Tom in D.C. 

WJLA On your side (1984, video)
Shorter version of the above promo. 

WJLA On your side (1984, video)
Here's a nice promo for the news talent featuring a fictional assignment editor taking pride in his reporters' work.

WRC Just Watch Us Now (1982, video)
Channel 4 ordered up a customized version of the NBC campaign...and threw in shots of all its talent. Charlie Rose is featured...he hosted a daytime talk show on the station.

Bay Area residents, the fellow with the moustache running is Henry Tennenbaum, KRON's entertainment/fluff reporter. He hasn't changed much. 

WRC The Team 4 News (1982, video)
Words can't describe this one. The Channel 4 News team plays football with logo t-shirts and gets together for a Chesapeake seafood feast...with dessert prepared by Henry Tennenbaum. 

WRC The Team 4 News (1984, video)
The Team 4 News takes to the seas in a catamaran.

All courtesy Tom in D.C., these promos are from 'the one and only' Channel 9. The station was known as WTOP from 1950-78, and WDVM (for D.C., Virginia, Maryland) starting in 1978. WUSA was picked up when Gannett purchased the station in 1986. 

WUSA/WTOP The one and only Channel 9 (1977, video)
Walter Cronkite makes a rare local apperance in this promo. 

WUSA/WTOP/WDVM Call letter change (1978, video)
This explains the new call letters for WTOP...WDVM.

WUSA/WDVM You make us the one (1979, video)
Well-produced spot by Klein & featuring people from around the D.C. area. Tom notes that while most other stations used silver and gold metallic logo animations, WDVM opted for a unique blue plexiglass look. 

WUSA/WDVM Looking Good (1979, video)
WDVM took a nice cut of the network Looking Good campaign and added scenes of folks in a local park. The file is labeled as WTOP...but that's wrong. The call letters changed the year before. 

WUSA/WDVM We Give it All We've Got (1979, video)
See D.C. news anchors Gordon Peterson and Maureen Bunyan.

WUSA/WDVM We Give it All We've Got (1979, video)
Campy, but catchy spot featuring people around the D.C. area singing the song...and they're not lip synching.

WUSA/WDVM We Give it All We've Got (1979, video)
Here's another one...

WUSA/WDVM One good thing leads to another (1981, video)
Promo for the station's morning block, featuring Diane Sawyer, Charles Kuralt, and Phil Donahue. Again, I labeled the file wrong...it should be WDVM. 

WUSA/WDVM Ours to share (1982, video)
According to Tom, this promo got the creative services director fired. It was too sappy...not the image the station wanted. 

WUSA/WDVM We've got the touch (1983, video)
CBS authorized a local-news version of We've Got the Touch for affiliates, and WDVM took them up, adding shots of talent at work.

The lady at the typewriter is Maureen Bunyan, who was with the station from 1973 unti 1995, when she left in a contract dispute. She stayed off the air until February, when WJLA brought her on board with much fanfare...and success. They made up a lot of ground in the May 1999 sweeps.

Gordon Peterson, the white-haired man in the newsroom, is still at the station. 

WUSA A One and only kind of day (1989)
Nice song promoting the daytime lineup. Oprah's hair reaches record heights. It's glaringly obvious that Gannett, which owns the USA Today franchise, owns the station. 

WUSA Get ready (1990)
Very slick graphics and special effects work...at the WUSA Cafe. 

You're in touch with 3 (1983)
Not sure what exact station this is from, but it's a pleasant promo song. Similar to the 'Experience Channel 2' cut from St. Louis on this page, but more leisurely.

You're in touch with 3 (1983)
Similar to the above, but with a male solo lead.