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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.

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.^{[citation needed]}

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 music has more bass. 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.

Other stations using Move Closer to Your World

Sister stations KTRK-TV Houston, WTNH-TV New Haven, WWCP-TV Johnstown, and WKBW-TV Buffalo and other stations such as WPIX-TV New York City, have used the song as their news theme music.

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.

WNEP-TV in Scranton, Pennsylvania and WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania used the original version of the song until 1994, when it was replaced with an updated version by Cliff Schwarz. This new version is more "high-tech" and has sometimes been referred to as a "dance version."

References in popular culture

A remade version of Move Closer to Your World called Production Music: This Just In (produced by 615 Music) is featured on the Disney Channel program Lizzie McGuire as the opening theme for the fictional NewsChannel 7.

External links

WNEP Tribute Page (featuring audio versions of Move Closer to Your World)
Southern Media - has full credits of every U.S. television station to use MCTYW from 1970-present and audio clips of many of those intros.
Comprehensive list of audio clips of Philadelphia TV news themes, including short-lived London Orchestra version of MCTYW
Get the free MCTYW ringtone here

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 ==Other stations using ''Move Closer to Your World''==
-Sister stations [[KTRK-TV]] [[Houston]], [[WTNH-TV]] [[New Haven]],  and [[WKBW-TV]] [[Buffalo (WKBW-TV no longer uses MCTYW), New York|Buffalo]] and other stations such as [[WPIX-TV]] [[New York City]], have used the song as their news theme music.
+Sister stations [[KTRK-TV]] [[Houston]], [[WTNH-TV]] [[New Haven]], [[WWCP-TV]] [[Johnstown]], and [[WKBW-TV]] [[Buffalo (WKBW-TV no longer uses MCTYW), New York|Buffalo]] and other stations such as [[WPIX-TV]] [[New York City]], have used the song as their news theme music.
 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]].