Metro Networks

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Metro Networks is a broadcasting outsourcing company based in Houston, Texas. It is a subsidiary of Westwood One. The company operates a number of local and regional news and traffic operations that provide regular reports to affiliates, together with its sister company Shadow Broadcast Services. At last count, Metro Networks had approximately 1,500 affiliates across the United States.

The company operates in nearly every major radio and television market of the United States.

In addition to offering live and recorded broadcasting reports, Metro Networks operates its own news wire service, Metro Source. Metro Source was started in 1997 to compete with other wire services, such as the Associated Press and Reuters. Its National News Center is based in Phoenix, Arizona. Metro Source operates 24/7 and provides hundreds of radio stations and websites with national, state, feature and local stories, including audio and photos. It is the single largest producer of news audio in the United States. Over its ten year existence in the marketplace, Metro Source has been able to take away many large market radio stations from the once dominant AP wire. Despite its success, Metro Source is scarcely known outside of the continental United States.

Facing economic difficulties, the company laid off hundreds of employees on September 12, 2008 and began a process to close numerous local offices and create 13 regional hubs. Numerous low and non-rated stations were dropped and offered generic reports instead. In early 2009, all employees were asked to accept a pay reduction.