Move Closer to Your World

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Move Closer to Your World is a television news music package composed by jingle writer Al Ham under his Mayoham Music label. This music package was first used by WNAC-TV in Boston (currently WHDH-TV; unrelated to the present-day WNAC-TV in Providence, Rhode Island) in 1970 under the tenure of then head anchor Chuck Scarborough (now on WNBC, flagship NBC station in New York City, since 1974) but more famous for its use on WPVI-TV in Philadelphia (then owned by Capital Cities Communications, now an ABC O&O), which started using the music for its "Action News" broadcasts in 1972. WNAC's news director moved to Philadelphia in 1972 and took the theme with him. The song is arguably one of the most recognized news themes, especially in the northeastern United States.

The theme is still used to this day by WPVI, which is now owned by Disney. It has frequently remastered the theme to make it sound less dated. In the current mix, the bongo drums are downplayed and the bass has been enhanced; in addition, the pitch has been raised a semitone. WPVI has been the highest-rated station in Philadelphia for four decades, and the theme has become a large part of the Philadelphia consciousness, much like the Rocky theme. Unique among news theme songs, MCTYW is offered by WPVI as a free cell phone ringtone, linked below.

1 Other stations using Move Closer to Your World
2 Lyrics
3 Remakes and remixes
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Other stations using Move Closer to Your World

Sister stations KTRK-TV Houston, WTNH-TV New Haven, WTVD-TV Raleigh/Durham and WKBW-TV Buffalo and other stations such as WNEP-TV Scranton and WPIX-TV New York City, have used the song as their news theme music in the past.

In Australia, Network Ten used the theme on its local Eyewitness News newscasts from 1977 until 1988 (with local variations). It was also used by many local newscasts in Canada, Latin America and even Asia from the late 1970s to the early 1990s.

[edit] Lyrics

Move Closer to Your World is unique for news theme songs in that it contains lyrics:

"Move closer to your world, my friend

Take a little bit of time

Move closer to your world, my friend

And you'll see...

Just a little bit of time

That's all it takes to bring your world together

Take a little bit of time

Don't turn away, my friend, tomorrows are forever

Get close to people

Your world needs you to care, to share it

Take the time

Join hands, my friend, with all the people in your world

Move in close...

Move on in...

And you'll see...

Move closer to your world, my friend

Move closer to your world

Move closer to your world, my friend

And you'll see..."

[edit] Remakes and remixes

Production Music: This Just In by 615 Music: As a news package, this version has only been heard on WEIU in Spingfield, IL; however, Disney has used it as the theme for the fictional "NewsChannel 7" on the Disney Channel TV series Lizzie McGuire.
Move Closer to Your World-esque theme by Cliff Schwarz: This updated version of the song is currently heard on WNEP-TV in Scranton and WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh, it has sometimes been referred to as a "dance version."
"The London Philharmonic Version": WPVI tried to switch to a more thunderous and authoritative version performed by the London Philharmonic in 1996. That version was replaced with the original version after only five days after viewers complained.^[1]
WKBW "synthesizer" version: WKBW-TV, circa 1989, commissioned a new arrangement of the jingle featuring heavy synthesizers in place of the original brass band arrangement.^[2] This version replaced the original and was replaced by a slightly modified version of the original (the version currently heard on WPVI) in 1993 to coincide with the 35th anniversary of the station. WKBW scrapped Move Closer to Your World in 2003 although it is reportedly considering readopting the old theme after severe ratings drops.