NBC News Countdown

[feyaya]

i can't find the extended version anymore...you know, the really dramatic one...

[singinglawnchair]

Thumbs up if you almost poop yourself if this comes on

[Brandinooo95]

What's somewhat interesting is that they decided to go with the NBC Nightly News rhythm from the original 1985-2004 theme, not the 2004 rewrite...I always thought the original theme was more authoritative anyway.... :D

[chabbs0]

Patrick lad.

[PPKDude852]

I love the music for this. Whenever I hear it I just know that it's something that concerns everyone. Leading up to it your always thinking about what it could be that's so important.

[carrieanns1]

Call all major radio stations and major tv stations and let them know that we won't let our shows go quietly! Our voices must be heard please save  one life to live and amc, and please put them on your network

[TheOpenminded12460]

@TheOpenMinded12460 NBC Chimes of Tragedy. Chimes of Tragedy.

[djingle777]

I heard this when

-Tim Russert Died

-Michael Jackson Died

-Gabrielle Giffords was Shot

I always know something is wrong when this intro starts up....

[fdlskfj854985]

"imaging radars" +"mathforum" google.com.

[peaco1000]

If I were the violinist, my arm would really ache. I dont care how important the news is.

[joehenger]

Americans can no longer leave the country without paying taxes back to the US for ten years. Foreign govs will no longer give any preference to Americans, in fact, they are doing just the opposite because of this new law. In effect, we are trapped here. See for yourself, look up new ex-patriot taxation. YOU are now a prisoner of your own country! US Government OWNS YOU, just like property. US only country to imprison its population this way.

[rchookie]

@joehenger Is that really so??? Because I hope to retire and move to the Alps when I'm 65 and live out my remaining 58 years there ( I ain't goin' 'till I'm 123 years old!!! Nothin' try to stop me!!!)

[ruppertknickerbocker]

So please explain the GE/NBC view should all the politicians all get along and run the country like a dictatorship according to GE/NBC because GE/NBC says so. Because GE/NBC is such an American company that it ships all of its jobs overseas. Why doesn't GE/NBC shut up and let some real Americans make a decision.

[FullMentalPanic]

@ruppertknickerbocker

1) Why are you bringing up politics on THIS video, which simply shows the technical side of broadcast news?

2) By the end of this year, GE will have a minority stake in NBCU.

3) NBC News is a highly respected broadcast news operation. Your criticism is directed at MSNBC, an openly liberal sister division.

4) MSNBC shows (i.e. Rachel Maddow) have explicitly pointed out that GE participates in tax evasion and outsourcing.

5) This is America, no one is forcing you to watch.

[ruppertknickerbocker]

@FullMentalPanic You NBC employees must believe in censorship but only on everone else is that right.

[FullMentalPanic]

@ruppertknickerbocker Wow. You took 3 months to respond, and your course of rebuttal is to accuse me of being an NBC employee without basis (I'm not), and accuse me of supporting censorship without basis (I don't). All the information I gave you is readily available on the Internet (#2, #3, #4), or is derived from common sense (#1, #5). Perhaps if you had incorporated a little research or critical thinking into your life, it would've been more obvious. Good day to you, sir.

[couscous781]

The chimes of death, the theme of death, the countdown of DOOM!

[bde12000]

what year is that?

[jayzypher]

@MrComputerMan10409  Yeah, that's what the sound is. You're watching TV, this would come on and everyone's mouth falls open and we look at each other. LOL

[NewSouthSideslasher]

When you see that shit, that means something major or epic has happened. 

[Coastergeekperson04]

Why do the chimes sound so creepy?

[badlandboy21]

Every time I see this I can't help thinking that something awful has happened. It does a great job capturing the attention of the viewer.

[tkal420]

when don pardo speaks, you listen!!!!

[Bloodybunny]

@tkal420 That's not Don Pardo, it's Howard Reig.

[Coastergeekperson04]

If it is so crucial, why waste ten seconds?

[Bloodybunny]

The countdown's purpose is to give NBC affiliates time to get it on the air. If a local station is running local programming, an engineer in Master Control has to manually switch over to the network feed. The countdown gives him time to do it. But if your station is already running NBC programming (say, because it's 8:15pm on the East Coast but only 5:15 out west), you'll see the whole countdown.

[canihaveaquarter]

Why must it be so scary?

I'm thinking dawn of the dead every time I see this.

[GreenGreenMauvePink]

@canihaveaquarter I like that. And at first, it really isn't (imho), but after the NBC tones, with the violins (or whatever), it grabs me, makes my hair stand on end. Great announcer voice.

[Bloodybunny]

@GreenGreenMauvePink Sadly, the announcer, Howard Reig, died in 2008. At this point, I think his voice has been removed from everything. And none of the new guys have that gravitas that announcers like Reig did.

[Wahpinga]

epic theme. the best special report theme out of all the major american news networks.

[trainman536]

my local news station can never get the timing right so we get this like every night (the countdown)

[bob7399162]

American Airlines sucks.

[ihavasthma91]

lol, no problem. like i said, it's very common

[NeoDissension]

I'm not sure whether someone has already posted this, but in case anyone's interested the chord used for the "NBC" chimes is GEC, for General Electric Corporation. It has been in use since NBC's debut in radio broadcasting.

[ihavasthma91]

that is a very common misconception, it was not to symbolize the general electric corporation. those are the notes, but they weren't used for GE Co.

[NeoDissension]

See, I didn't know that. The GEC thing I learned in a music theory class but the professor wasn't as well informed as maybe he should have been.

Thanks for the correction!

[nubbie1944]

Wrong. They weren't owned by General Electric when the chimes debuted.

[NeoDissension]

Yes, already been corrected on that note.

However, my original comment that G, E, and C are the initials of General Electric Corporation is correct.

[sushigeek]

This woke me up tonight during Ted Kennedy's death after I left MSNBC on...

[bluenowait]

I saw the CBS equivalent of this during Craig Ferguson last night.

R.I.P. Ted Kennedy

[AussieEvil]

Sucky countdown, BBC's is better.

[tkal420]

agreed, but the US doesnt utilize countdowns. its a rare site to be seen if they do. this is actually pretty damn good for us. ive seen it used in '94 and thats it.

[nubbie1944]

The countdown is for the networks. It is like a buffer for the affiliates to prepare to break regular programming.

[midnightprism]

This is the best news music ever.

[SteelCity1981]

Everytime I hear this chime, you know it's something important. Your thoughts are like did someone die, is it terrorist attack, was their a huge earhtquake what is it!

[AndyMarquisLIVE]

@SteelCity1981 Or in today's case, BIN LADEN IS DEAD! :)

[white93taurusgl]

@SteelCity1981 Yeah I think the same way. Back in the 40s when radio was the norm there was a 4th note in the NBC chimes, when it was played it was a way to alert key people at NBC that a major event was happening.

[Meatballhead07]

That chime in the beginning is omnious enough as it is, but music just screams "something's wrong... be scared". Yet I can't stop listening!

[bubblinbrownsugar616]

LOLOL!!! Yes!!!

Without thinking that the news may be something as little as a Presidential Press Conference, that countdown music ALWAYS makes me automatically say "Oh Sh**! Something went wrong!"

However I'm like you. I love hearing it!!! LOL!

[TheComicfreak10]

HECK RIGHT YOU ARE!

[8ooO0Ooo8]

I give NBC props for having the scariest breaking news music in all of news.

[eve510]

This is the scariest sound one can hear on TV. Usually nothing good ever comes after. When I hear this I think OMG What happened?

[saltandpeppaa]

what year is this from??

[mgospeed31]

Jesus, this music gives me the willies.

[scotthock]

I know..seriously...the music is chilling. In the rare event that you hear in on tv , it can be pretty scary until you find out what's going on.

[wiedep]

t'ts supposed to...

[denelson83]

These are the original chimes followed by the theme to Meet The Press.

[itsallinyourhead80]

The "countdown" is for local NBC stations to get ready to break in to their programming. At our local ABC station when I was interning there a person would come over the loud speaker saying a special report was about to air and count down. Master control would be able to see a countdown on ABC News and be able to figure out when to take the ABC News feed to break in to their regular programming. That's why NBC, ABC and CBS have countdowns at the beginning of their special reports.

[btro1701]

Would they play those NBC chimes if the world was coming to an end?

"Moscow in flames. Missiles heading towards New York. Film at Eleven" (cue chimes).

[kk218]

This sounds like a great countdown for a space launch.

Rather than a guy saying 10... 9...; just play this video. Even get an announcer to say "this is the launch of a United States space shuttle."

[a1cjlock]

Back in WWII NBC used to cue 4 chimes to symbol a world a war. Think they'll ever do it again if there were a WWIII, God forbid?

[btro1701]

With the shit going down in North Korea and Pakistan, I'd say they're practicing those chimes right now!

[tmq1384]

This gives me chills

[slugger9203]

Yeah me too, idk why

[PropaneMan9]

I remeber the first time I heard thoses chimes, it was wen Tim Russert passed away

[mastercode95]

chimes means somethins going on...

[jrinn11]

I'm glad that NBC brought the chimes back. They are true tv legend.

[wiedep]

it's another howard reig voice-over!

[TVnewsGuya]

The countdown is to let local affiatles know there is going to be breaking news and when they need to cut there programing. Regular tv views should never see the countdown

[TVNewsRI]

I heard the last few notes of the countdown during a special report for a presidential address on 9/28/2008

[altfactor]

@TVnewsGuya It also (if the NBC station is running network programming) alerts the viewer that a bulletin is coming, so he/she can yell to others in the house "Come Here Quick! NBC News Bulletin!" and they'd be at the TV set in-time to hear the start of the bulletin.

In the "old days", a slide would be on-screen for five to ten seconds before the bulletin began, for the same purposes.

[altfactor]

@TVnewsGuya Viewers indeed would be see this countdown if the special report interrupted network programming and the NBC station in their area was indeed taking the network feed.

Only viewers watching a station not taking the network feed at the time of the bulletin would not see the countdown.

[darkpowrjd]

@TVnewsGuya Tell that to our local CBS station here (WTRF). We've ALWAYS seen the countdown when they cut to the CBS SR!

[xBloodXGusherx]

@TVnewsGuya Lol so is that like the call from the head guy saying. Cut local programming we got something big coming?

[corsterthegreat]

@xBloodXGusherx thats exactly what it is. If you're watching during Network Programming, you'll see the entire countdown, if you're watching during Local Programming, this countdown basically tells the Master Control at the local station to cut over to Network Programming.

[messedrocker]

@TVnewsGuya For something not intended to be viewed by the audience at large it sure has an awfully high production value.

[CrazyTobster]

Hay I liked that... :)

[fearthehawksndcavs24]

what i really want is the theme from :11 out, without anyone saying "this is an nbc news special report". pretty much, just the meet the press theme

[kk218]

The NBC jingle is what makes this breaking news opener the best of the best.

G--E--C

[esmith407]

My instant reaction is wondering which ex-president just died.

[jedimastercool]

It feels wierd that something is not right. scary in a point of view.

[wwwy2000]

yeah,me to i know when that song comes that something is wrong

[mobombboo]

that special report music sends a chill down my spine every time I hear it.

[windowsmaster22]

For me, its that damn NBC chime. The way it sounds in this countdown just seems ominous for some reason, lol.

[aupcjustin]

Yeah, I definitely feel the same way. If I have the TV on somewhere in the house turned to NBC, and I hear the chime, I KNOW something is definitely wrong...or the President is speaking.

[mgospeed31]

Man, it's good to know that I'm not the only one. It's weird, I know that I'm watching it on youtube, but it still makes me wary.

[dougieperc]

I can't stop watching this video.

[bubblinbrownsugar616]

Yeah! Me too! and yet....

I don't know about anyone else, but when a Special Report does happen, during the countdown, I'm just cursing at the TV monitor because they are cutting in on my soap operas!!! LOLOL!!!!

[dougieperc]

I usually miss the countdown... starts with just the ding-dong intro here...

[tkal420]

are you on the west coast or east coast? im guessing its hard trying to get all the affiliates to turn on the national feed at the same time.

[dougieperc]

Houston... central time zone...

We usually parallel East Coast, just one hour earlier...

[weatherexpert2]

The countdown is used so that all NBC affiliates across the country have time to join the network feed before the SPECIAL REPORT begins. Wether the countdown is seen on the air or not depends on when your local NBC affiliate joins the network feed. Hope that helps.

[tkal420]

the only time i remember a countdown in the eastern US is during the LA/northridge quake in 1994. they were pausing for local stations breaks. i just got home from school, the countdown began and katie couric appeared.

[weatherexpert2]

That would be because the eastern US stations were already carrying the network feed, meaning they hadn't switched over to local stations feed yet, probley because they affiliates new about the SPECIAL REPORT, so they didn't switch over. That happened once during the CBS early show, when the space shuddle came home. Harry Smith said: "We'll be back after your local news" instead the affiliates stayed with the network for the CBS NEWS SPECIAL REPORT, causing all of the countdown to air

[weatherexpert2]

I also remember the NBC countdown once during the VA tech shootings. Our local affiliate here is WMAQ (Chicago IL) by the way.

[fearthehawksndcavs24]

i live an hour out of dc, i don't think i've ever seen the countdown

[weatherexpert2]

It only happened once here in Chicago that I can remember, as I menchened above.

[WXmanTimothy]

Very rarely do the countdowns air. They are there to give the affiliate master controls enough time to dump out of local programming (or commercial) and join the network feed.

If the cut-in comes down in the middle of network programming, the countdown is more likely to air since most, if not all, affiliates are already on the network feed. I've seen the countdown appear most often coming from CBS, usually during "The Price Is Right" in the late morning.

[michael2247]

what is on the network feed when the local news or other local programing is airing is airing

[odinstudios]

Usually nothing. They often feed promos or maybe a live shot of the capitol we can take during our local news. During breaking news they'll post a raw feed of a press conference or some b-roll.

[forskferzeenkanael]

too American!

[oklahomasooners1]

Well NBC News is an American network ...

[TVnewsGuya]

To American LOL!

[jimmyandrob]

this video is AWESOME. i really need it for my project. how do i download it??

[saguviper]

use a program called Tube Sock

[Stealthguy06]

looks like red WNBC HD Arthouse gfx

[Louisthx]

Sorry I do not remember.... It was about 3 months ago when I saved the clip

[emscrazy001]

Do you know what this special report was to or is it just a misc. clip you found?

[Vinleaded007]

How come I cant tweak this code for it too loop ???

[FaysalAA21]

Why does it cut at 0:17?

[LiveShot321]

awesome