CBS News Special Report Intros

[Mcnzlea]

That first slide was seen on the TV in Kelcy's bar during the "All In The Family" episode titled "The Man In The Street".

[mrtrin]

the one at :36 scared me shitless as a kid.  They had the Tianamen Square special report to that one.

[L14xdxd09]

The one at 1:04 is that one that they used to report 9/11 and the last one was used to report the death of Osama bin laden

[mahalaS100]

i think #3 was used for the reagan shooting and death of john lennon

[FirstShirtBeastblood]

At 0:23 Is that announcer Charles Osgood, or just someone that sounds like him?

[denzal689]

every time i see a special report opening i always think that the world is ending or bombs are dropping

[easfan]

I like the 1970 intro

[DieHardGameShowFan2]

I like the intro from 1982 to 1986 the best. Repetition prevails, but does signify urgency. And I could of sworn I saw the so-called 1986-87 intro back in 1989 when an airing of Garfield & Friends was interrupted in early June 1989.

And the uploader might want to update the video. I remember seeing an updated intro last August when Barack Obama interrupted mid-way through an airing of The Price is Right.

[Maroonlink5]

news programs should only use " breaking news" for shit like 9/11 and stuff REALLY important. use "special report" for less serious stuff.

[randy319]

@Maroonlink5 in the news biz, they're both the same. if they're breaking into programming it's a special report because its breaking news

[PhoenixGoddess1983]

0:37 As a 3 year old kid, this music and graphic scared me...I was a weird kid...

[mrtrin]

@PhoenixGoddess1983 You are my kindred spirit...

[PhoenixGoddess1983]

@mrtrin Still, it didn't scare me as much as the 89-96 version of the ABC News theme as a kid, or the old Era Plus commercials. I still <3 the 87-91 version of the CBS News theme and I'm glad it's back now. I also like the last theme that started when Katie Couric started doing the news.

[mrtrin]

@PhoenixGoddess1983

The letters on the General Hospital theme scared me as a kid too.

:)

[Galvan316]

0:37 I remember this theme during the 1989 San Francisco earthquake.

[easfan]

At 1:55 that's when somebody got shot in 2011

[ThisIsTheHacks]

The one at 0:44 is boring

[937kj]

this is cbs news special report ron paul going to be president

[worm082]

I like the 3rd one. MMMPPHHFFFF!!! GET DOWN! HEEEYYYAYAYAY FUN-KAY WAKKA WAAKA BOOM CHOW!

[kinggeoian]

JUST GIVE ME THE NEWS ALREADY!!!!

[2nd2nun1]

I used to be scared to death as a kid whenever these would suddenlycome on. It was usually a tragedy or death, and I would be a little wary of life for the next hour or so, lol.

[bakerandbaker1]

The best is the one at 1:18. Should use that one and just before tossing it off to the anchor use the music at :49. Naturally puts the music to a stop.

[TheofficialMBonline]

i wanna have 0:48 without the voice, it's epic!

[irish89055]

they're scary when it comes in the middle of a program.... you don't know what may have happen... They used them at the top of the hour for scheduled things like presidential press conferences...

[altfactor]

In the "old days", a "Bulletin" or "Special Report" slide would appear for several seconds before an annouiner or news anchor would say "We Interrupt This Program...", again so stations not carrying network programming would switch to the network.

[mbsjrcc06]

The first one was used when MLK Jr.'s death was reported.

[kachoo2135]

OK, cut right to the chase, OK?

[rkdvideo]

I remember the second one on John Wayne's death in 1979. They broke in late during the CBS late movie around 11:15 and it scared the s^^t out of me. Any time they used to break in with these bulletins in the 70's, it was always the death of a major celebrity or political figure, or a major catastrophy such as a 747 plane crash.

[TornadoWarning]

I like the music at :28. It sounds grimey and reminds me of my childhood in the 70s and 80s.

[IAmNotAFunguy]

Nobody ever "interrupts your regularly scheduled program" these days. Is that because, being an interruption, many people think it's rude?

[bduddy55555]

I like the urgency of the music in 10-11... almost matches up to the "chimes of doom"...

[antonzap]

The countdown is just stupid. If it's so special and breaking, just get to it!

[FullMentalPanic]

@antonzap Local affiliates sometimes need the countdown as a visual warning to switch to the network feed. Most viewers should not see the full countdown. For situations where time is of the essence, the Emergency Alert System would be used to break into all broadcast networks in the nation.

[wheelingtunnel]

The Television Production Music Museum's website has a "CBS NEWS BULLETIN" slide that uses the same colors and fonts as in CBS News Special Report intro #2.

[CraigFoye80]

A presidential news conference.

[j0sh177]

Nothing beat 1:18!

[Ernde38]

The yelling at the beginning of the 3rd one probably scared the SHIT of people when it would come on! LOL

[TVGenius]

Ugh, I hate the second to last one. Belongs on a tape in an edit bay, not on a network special report. At least the current one looks more legit.

[toofskis]

What kind of intro will they use for when the nukes fly?

[NewSouthSideslasher]

@toofskis

There wouldn't be one. By the time the government notifies the public, the news anchors and reporters will be rushing to be with their families.

[altfactor]

There is a reason, other than "show", for the countdowns that currently accompany the taped intros to network news bulletins and special reports.

It's to get master-control personnel at affiliated stations not taking network programming at a particular time to "switch to the network".

[TVGenius]

@altfactor They helped out when the network had given us a EVA alert that one was coming, but we didn't know exactly when. For stuff like presidential news statements that happen during local news, it let us count our talent down and go seamless straight into is.

[altfactor]

@altfactor The "countdowns" can also alert someone watching TV to those in the house not watching TV to yell out "Come quick into the living room! CBS News Special Report!".

And then people come into the room and see/hear the bulletin.

[hemilust]

At 18 seconds I heard a hawk. Is that part of the special report urgency? ha ha

[misterio2K]

#4 and #5 Were scary to me but it doesn't scare me as bad as the NBC Peacock that used to pop up. I used to nearly pee and S#$!t in my pants. The sound would go ♫ Doon-doon-dooooon♫ then out of nowhere that big ass colorful but beautiful peacock would pop up. And it used to scare my sister when she was a baby too.

I love #12 and #13 because the sound is not so abrupt or scary and it's nice, subtle and smooth.

[misterio2K]

Thanks, veneziani2027. Brings back memories.

#3 is funny. Its sounds like music from the movie, "The Terminator"

#4 and #5 are scary as hell to me. That used to pop up a lot during the Summer when I used to watch soaps with my mom. And a lot of times the news was not very good. At times the news was tragic.

[evospain]

@misterio2K Yeah man I used to be scared of the special report themes i remember they showed lethal weapon 2 i think in 1994 one evening and a special report came up and i remember freezing up...idk what it was about special report music to me...

[bubblinbrownsugar616]

@misterio2K LOLOL!! Me too I would catch them watching stories with my Mom. It was 10 and 11 though that could sent a slight chill down my back. It's scary, but NBC pwns all networks with the most scariest ass Special Report music of all time!!! LOLOL!!

[PJSkins26]

If CBS needs to imform people of a major news story get to the story. I don't need a freaking fancy countdown during a special report bumper.

My Favorite is #3 1980-81 That is a true special report bumper

[suziesbro]

The repetitive music is to allow local stations to join the network, as witness the coundown clock, showing stations when to join. The repetition is not to be heard on air.

[mbsjrcc06]

watch?v=278NJMytjvE A silent version of #3 in a Special Report on John Lennon's death.

[Smashsista16]

Any special report that would interrupt a show would scare me as a kid. Now, whenever it happens I always asked "What now?"

[ScottX6945]

thank god im not the only one that when I heard this scared the shit out of me and was like ......crap something bad happened again!!

[bubblinbrownsugar616]

#10 was the one I always heard when something went wrong. Still sends a bad chill up my spine! LOL! :)

[tcatmd]

I worked in the newsroom of a CBS affiliate in the 1980's. The slide and sfx @ :27/:37 would come up and the hair on the back of your neck would stand up for a second while you waited to find out what was going on.

[StefanoFan27]

this is unbelievable, it's like traveling through time.

[StefanoFan27]

wow, this is like traveling through time.

[kuei1248]

SeeBS News sucks

[StefanoFan27]

wow, this is so awesome.

[Smashsista16]

0:48, that's what I call a calm special report montague.

[airodyssey]

My favourite music is at 1:06 ... Very repetitive but very urgent-sounding! I hate the animation though :-P

[monicannabella]

It used to scare me. Lol.

[CHANNELMICHAEL]

@airodyssey It's the headline vamp, not really an opening. It worked well though.

[slincolnwx]

@airodyssey That was the CBS news special report theme I grew up with. Still the one that gives me chills.

[TheSeattlehawk94]

@slincolnwx I hear you there....A sense of dread comes over you when one of those popped up before the internet age....

[princeofdarknessxyz1]

@airodyssey i feel like the world is about to end when ever there is a special report "aliens attack"

[princeofdarknessxyz1]

i like at 1:10...pumps u up when something happens

[waltlantz]

@airodyssey

Our favorite local affilate was the CBS station and I mainly remember that theme you citied for news growing up, especially 9/11 and the Iraq War. Really much better than what they use now!

[0814ma]

Special Report no. 7 debuted in November 1989. (No. 6 was still being as late as October 17, 1989 - the day of the San Francisco earthquake.)

The theme in No. 8 and 9 was only used for presidential addresses and other "official" occasions, and was used until 2006. The 1989 theme was used at least until 1994 for "normal" special reports.

[0814ma]

See v=7Sgz3hFwVrQ for an example of a "normal" special report from May 1994.

I have a VHS of a Special Report from November 21, 1989, featuring the same music as in the above link and a "frozen" (non-animated) version of No. 7. I've also seen a clip of a Special Report from May 4, 1991, using the same graphic and theme.

CBS changed its graphics package and theme music on November 11, 1991, so I would imagine that the 1991-96 special report slide debuted around that time.

[DHTSciFiArtist]

@0814ma Naww... NO. 7 appeared in Late '87. There is one video on here about Iran-Contra and it has no.7 This change came because CBS changed it's long standing policy on no music for news.

[0814ma]

@DHTSciFiArtist Take a look at these clips:

Tuesday, July 25, 1989

JjQKBNLAdN0

Tuesday, October 17, 1989:

YW63FTH7A0M#t=1m00s

[wwwy2000]

i like the music from 1996-2002

[chibicelchan]

Also, #3 is enough to give a person nightmares. Is the random guy screaming part of the actual intro, or was that part of the show that the special report broke into? Hopefully the latter.

[Smashsista16]

I know what you mean! If I was not paying attention while CBS is on tv and I heard that scream, i would have fallen off the couch.

[mbsjrcc06]

I agree with you about that one opening, the music sounds creepy, though I really like it! As for the scream at the first second, I think that was part of the show that was interrupted, as the music doesn't start playing until after the scream is heard. I wonder when this was used...

[mbsjrcc06]

Nevermind, the description says 1980-81.

[chibicelchan]

OMG! Thank you! I haven't seen so many of these.

[slincolnwx]

I grew up with the Dan Rather theme Special Report, but the new Katie Kouric one is really good too.

[phantomlord54]

CBS - and all the mainstream networks, for that matter - have completely lost touch with real hard news, and it's reflected in all the softball themes that surround Katie Couric - the Queen Creampuff herself

[kingj2038]

Good stuff.

Interesting how at 0:17 they decided to mic up an NFL linebacker making a tackle as part of the theme.

[bcallahan08]

@kingj2038 haha yeah that one's scary

[RyanCunningham100]

The newest one is the last.

[GreenGreenMauvePink]

This is great. Not sure why I like these sorts of minutiae so much.

I actually woke up to #5 (well, and I guess #6) loudly playing in my head this morning. Gave me chills. Almost like some sort of ESP that some huge news event is about to happen. lol

Guess we'll see.

[ASKconard]

Very cool! Thank you for posting.

[krasher1027]

This is great! Thanks for sharing!!