The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum / Repeat Question: Why Does 680 Do This?

**Posted by RadioActive** May 26, 2025 6:11 am

I’ve asked before but didn’t get any answers. Maybe the second time’s the charm.

I was listening to 680 on Sunday night, when one of their reporters did a voiceover about the Oilers’ game during the main newscast, i.e. outside of their regular sports report at :15 and :45.

For reasons I will never understand, they put “La Bamba” behind the copy, as the guy doing the VO told listeners what happened in the game and who won. It was about 30-60 secs. long and the song played underneath for the whole thing.

My question: why? Why are they playing tunes under sports stories and only sports voicers in the main newscast? And is there any rhyme or reason to the songs that get picked? What, exactly, is the point of doing this?

It sounds ridiculous, especially when the story ends and the song simply cuts off – no fade or production of any kind.

Again – why? What’s the point? There must be a reason, but i simply can't figure out what it could be. If anyone knows, please explain. It makes no sense.

**Posted by mace** May 26, 2025 7:21 am

I could see this happening if the song played could be connected to the story. For example, Oilers win the Stanley Cup "We Are The Champions" Leafs eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs...again. "It's The End of the World as We Know It" [But They Don't Feel Fine]

**Posted by RadioAaron** May 26, 2025 7:22 am

Not an answer as to why they use music in the first place, but "La Bamba" is played at Rogers Place after every Oilers win.

**Posted by Forward Power** May 26, 2025 7:51 am

RadioAaron wrote:
Not an answer as to why they use music in the first place, but "La Bamba" is played at Rogers Place after every Oilers win.

This.

Also, many TV stations/channels used to run sporty type music under highlight reels. In particular, I remember Citytv using instrumental parts of songs like Technotronic's "Move This" or the Red Hot Chili Peppers' rendition of "Higher Ground", while CKVR used a number of cuts from the Canadian-made "Sound Ideas" production music library, of which I have a copy in my home studio and immediately recognized some of the tracks that 'VR used.

And I still chuckle at the twangy guitar/banjo track that Global's "Sportsline" played under clips of, say, Bob Probert & Tie Domi scrapping, or the Leafs' Sylvain Lefebvre KOing Rob Brown in the "DOWN GOES BROWN!" fight.

**Posted by RadioActive** May 26, 2025 7:59 am

That was during a sportscast on City TV. This is during a newscast - and never on the sports segment! It just doesn't make any sense. Are they trying to differentiate news from sports? Does this have something to do with sending these generic reports to other Rogers-owned all news stations in other markets? I think most listeners know the difference between news and sports!

I have no objection to production elements in a newscast. I was one of those who pioneered the technique at CFTR a long time ago! (They used to call us "Rock and Roll News" - although I don't think it was necessarily a compliment in all cases!) But it has to make sense and serve the story. Maybe La Bamba has some significane regarding the Oilers. The rest don't.

**Posted by Forward Power** May 26, 2025 8:16 am

RadioActive wrote:
That was during a sportscast on City TV. This is during a newscast - and never on the sports segment! It just doesn't make any sense. Are they trying to differentiate news from sports? Does this have something to do with sending these generic reports to other Rogers-owned all news stations in other markets? I think most listeners know the difference between news and sports!

I have no objection to production elements in a newscast. I was one of those who pioneered the technique at CFTR a long time ago! (They used to call us "Rock and Roll News" - although I don't think it was necessarily a compliment in all cases!) But it has to make sense and serve the story. Maybe La Bamba has some significane regarding the Oilers. The rest don't.

Oops... should have waited until the caffeine kicked in before reading and writing.