KFWB Goes Back to the Future

(Flickr pic by Twylo.)

Teletypes haven't been used in newsrooms for nearly two decades -- but suddenly CBS Radio's news outlet KFWB is using the sound effect of an overactive machine in the background.

Once standard background noise for newsradio stations, the sound effect fell out of favor in the 1990s -- partly because modern computing made the machines obsolete.

But the sound effect still reflects an urgency, and for most of KFWB's (admittedly older) listeners, still signifies that this is a news station. Plus, as program director Andy Ludlum tells us, the sound effect is cool -- and it fills on-air dead spots (much like music stations frequently have music beds playing in the background while DJs speak).

And yes, it's decidedly retro. For some reason, teletypes always remind me of "All the President's Men," in which the moviemakers use a teletype to wrap up the plot.