Move Closer to Your World (MCTYW) is a television news music package composed in 1970 by Walt Liss (lyricist) and released by jingle writer Al Ham (composer) under his Mayoham Music label. It is widely recognized as one of the most iconic local television news themes in the United States.
History
The theme was created for the Action News format. When the format debuted in 1970 at WPVI-TV (then WFIL-TV) in Philadelphia, the station initially commissioned a theme from Tom Sellers and his group The Assembled Multitude. In 1972, Triangle Publications exited the television business and sold WPVI to Capital Cities Communications. Al Ham, an established session music composer, and Walt Liss, a Capital Cities executive based at WKBW-TV in Buffalo, New York, shared writing credits—Liss as lyricist and Ham as composer.
The song had been used at WNAC-TV in Boston since 1970. When WNAC's Mel Kampmann moved to WPVI in 1972, he brought the theme with him. "Move Closer to Your World" was subsequently distributed across Capital Cities' stations and eventually adopted by many other stations across the country.
Usage
Since the 1970s, the theme has been considered an anthem for local television news, most notably of WPVI-TV (6ABC) in Philadelphia, where it remains in use for its Action News broadcasts to the present day. An original long version was sung by The Hillside Singers, and a short clip of that vocal version is used by WPVI as part of their closing theme.
Once a common theme across the United States, as of 2023, only two U.S. stations continue to use the theme or a variant: WPVI-TV (Philadelphia) and WNEP-TV (Scranton, Pennsylvania). Other stations that previously used it include WKBW-TV (Buffalo, which used it until 2003 and again from 2008 to 2014), KFSN-TV (Fresno), KTRK-TV (Houston), and WPXI-TV (Pittsburgh).
Lyrics
The lyrics, written by Walt Liss, include the lines:
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 find
A better day, a better way
Move closer to your world
Notable Versions
- MCTYW '72 – The original version, performed in the key of A. Included full lyrics, instrumental, choral, and solo ballad versions.
- MCTYW '80 – A brassier, disco-influenced arrangement used on ATV-10 in Melbourne, Australia (1981–1988).
- MCTYW '89 – A new-age arrangement featuring synthesizer, used at WKBW-TV.
- MCTYW '91 – An updated arrangement by Cliff Schwarz, currently used on WNEP-TV.
- MCTYW '96 – An orchestral arrangement by Tom Hedden of NFL Films, performed by members of the London Philharmonic and London Symphony Orchestras. It debuted on WPVI on September 20, 1996, but was met with overwhelmingly negative public reaction and was reinstated with the original version after only three days.
Cultural Impact
"Move Closer to Your World" is considered a landmark in television news music and remains deeply associated with Philadelphia's local identity. It has been referenced in popular culture and covered by various artists, including a hip-hop tribute by Philadelphia artist Eternal Life.
