News Series 2000

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News Series 2000 is an updated and expanded version of the original ABC owned-and-operated stations' Eyewitness News theme, an edited version of the "Tar Sequence" cue from the soundtrack to the 1967 film Cool Hand Luke by Lalo Schifrin.

The package made its debut in 1983, when Frank Gari was commissioned by Chicago's WLS-TV to create a news music package based on the Schifrin theme. WABC in New York picked up the package a year later, and it quickly spread to ABC's other owned-and-operated stations. In 1990, KABC in Los Angeles became the last ABC-owned station to pick up News Series 2000.

Despite its association with ABC O&Os, the package has also been used on affiliates of other networks (e.g. WPTV, the NBC affiliate in West Palm Beach, Florida). It has also been used overseas, with Hong Kong Cable News using it from 1993 until 2002.

In 1993, Schifrin raised his royalties for using Cool Hand Luke and its variations to a level that effectively priced the theme out of the local news market. Gari was then commissioned by WABC to compose a new music package called "Eyewitness News." This new package, based slightly on Cool Hand Luke, has been updated several times.

DMA# DMA Name Station Affiliation Years Used Other Notes
1. New York City, New York WABC-TV, formerly WJZ ABC 1984-1993 First station to commission Series 2 themes
2. Los Angeles, California KABC-TV, formerly KECA ABC 1990-1995 First station to commission Series 3 themes
3. Chicago, Illinois WLS-TV, formerly WBKB ABC 1983-1992 Made a dual debut with KGO
6. San Francisco, California KGO-TV ABC 1983-1987 Made a dual debut with WLS
10. Houston, Texas KTRK-TV, formerly KXYZ ABC 1984-1995
11. Detroit, Michigan WXYZ-TV ABC 1984-1996
20. Orlando, Florida WFTV-TV, formerly WLOF ABC 1991-1995
21. St. Louis, Missouri KMOV-TV, formerly KMOX CBS 1989-1993
29. Raleigh, North Carolina / Durham, North Carolina WTVD-TV ABC, formerly CBS 1985-1992
38. West Palm Beach, Florida WPTV-TV, formerly WJNO NBC 1993-1998
43. New Orleans, Louisiana WVUE-TV, formerly WJMR FOX, formerly ABC 1992-1997
52. Jacksonville, Florida WCWJ, formerly WJWB The CW, formerly The WB 1985-1991
62. Mobile, Alabama WALA-TV FOX , formerly NBC 1989-1994
69. Green Bay, Wisconsin WLUK-TV FOX, formerly NBC 1990-1995 Package used prior to affiliation change
73. Des Moines, Iowa WHO-TV NBC 1989-1995
93. Colorado Springs, Colorado KRDO-TV ABC 1991-1996
95. Davenport, Iowa WHBF-TV CBS, formerly ABC 1985-1989
110. Lansing, Michigan WLAJ-TV ABC 1992-1996
117. Peoria, Illinois WHOI-TV, formerly WRAU ABC, formerly CBS 1989
145. Joplin, Missouri KSNF-TV, formerly KTVJ NBC, formerly CBS 1990-1994
148. Salisbury, Maryland WMDT-TV ABC 1985-1987

"News Series 2000" was also the predecssor package for 2 other Frank Gari themes: "News Series 2000 Plus" & "News Series 2001".

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