File:NBC Nightside opens — logos

Description

Remember when all of the Big Three networks had their own overnight newscasts, which pretty much replaced the movies that some major network stations ran late at night? Between 1991 and 1992, ABC, NBC and CBS launched their own news program (one was technically a replacement of a news/interview hybrid program) for those who worked very late at night or even just couldn't sleep. CBS replaced its "Nightwatch" program with the traditionally formatted "Up to the Minute", ABC launched the irreverent and sometimes humorous "World News Now" and NBC launched "Nightside". These programs also came as stations were largely ending the practice of signing off at night, at least on weeknights (some even ran their own local news updates through the "24 Hour News Source" format).

"NBC Nightside", the first of the three programs to debut (in November 1991, though it was NBC's second attempt at an overnight newscast after a short-lived program called "NBC News Overnight" that ran from 1982-1983), was not produced directly by the network's news division (in this case, NBC News) like its competitors but was instead produced through the division's news service NBC News Channel, which provides national, international and feature story packages for NBC's owned-and-operated stations and affiliates to include in their local newscasts.

Oddly, NBC News Channel is not based alongside an O&O, but alongside WCNC, which carries NBC programming through an affiliation contract with the network (as of June 2017, WCNC is owned by Tegna Inc., the broadcasting and digital media company spun off from the Gannett Company in 2015).

Despite decent ratings, "Nightside" was canned in 1999 and replaced by "NBC All Night", a block of repeats of NBC late night shows. Today, what remains of "All Night" consists of repeats of the fourth hour of "Today", CNBC's "Mad Money" and weekend travel and lifestyle programs produced by LXTV.

Here's what you can see in this video: (0:00) Original "Nightside" intro (1992-1993) (0:09) Second "Nightside" intro, NBC News Channel variant (1993) (0:20) Second "Nightside" intro, without "News Channel" mentioned alongside the NBC logo (1993-1994) (0:32) Third "Nightside" intro, bumper variant (which was also used by many NBC stations when joining the program in progress) (1994-1997) (0:45) Third "Nightside" intro, featuring anchor overlay (1994-1997) - this was actually spliced with the fourth clip to remove the WTWO ID voiceover originally featured in the copy of the clip previously uploaded by NewsActive3 in 2012, hence why the WTWO logo suddenly pops up on-screen at 0:49. (0:55) Final "Nightside" intro (1997-1999)

The posting of this video is designed to facilitate criticism, commentary, scholarship, and research relating to the television broadcasting industry, and for purposes of historic preservation, consistent with the provisions set forth in Section 107 of Title 17, United States Code.