Ostensibly factual presentation of current events of note, usually in a half-hour form. In the United States, News Broadcasts are generally evening shows, with 6 PM and 11 PM slots being the most common; in the Central and Mountain time zones, 5PM and 10PM newscasts are the norm. Most networks provide an early-evening nationwide news feed going out live at 6:30 PM Eastern, which affiliate stations then run back-to-back with a locally-produced news program; the late-evening news is usually also a local production as well. Many stations also produce a Noon news. The UK's similar, with a "parent" news broadcast and the "regional" broadcasts immediately after on, although this is now only common on The BBC and their competitor, ITV.
Local news broadcasts are very much Serious Business in the industry, evidenced by the fact that no scheduled event ever preempts or even shortens the late local news: only a breaking national/world news story. If sports run long, the delayed local news is shown in full and then the network's late night offerings are pushed back along with it.
Typical features of a News Broadcast:
- Are We Getting This?: A nearby news reporter or filming crew tries to videotape an unexpected, extraordinary event.
- B-Roll: Illustrative footage inserted into real-time broadcasts that use Linear-Editing systems.
- Confused Bystander Interview
- Continuity Announcement: A short announcement between programs that identifies the network.
- Could This Happen to You?
- Dateline: The location, date, and sometimes the source of a news story.
- Delusions of Local Grandeur: Newsreaders believe they are local celebrities due to their jobs.
- Film at 11
- Friend in the Press
- Human-Interest Story
- Intrepid Reporter (when they have an "Eye On" segment)
- Kent Brockman News
- Local Angle
- Media Scrum
- Ms. Fanservice (especially on cable)
- Self Promotion Disguised As News
- Smarmy Host: A vain slimeball of a show's host.
- Tagalong Reporter
- Vox Pops
- Weather Report
- Witty Banter
- Yet Another Baby Panda
In addition to these there are, of course, sports, and occasionally traffic reports.
Note that 24-Hour News Networks do not usually follow the same structure as a broadcast network/local news show.
Audiovisual phenomena associated with news broadcasts:
- Presence of the spinning globe or a world map, especially during the opening.
- A fast-paced, often nonrhythmic theme tune with many commonly used instruments, often accompanied by beeps.
- A bar at the top or bottom of the screen where the text scrolls with news headlines.
Compare Phony Newscast, which covers the fictionalized version.
