Before live video feeds on cable networks, satellites and so on, not to mention the internet, my “Breaking News” go to in the USA and Canada was AM radio back in the 1970’s.
I had a Sony receiver by the late 70’s with the rotating ferrite bar antenna on top meaning daytime reception of clear channel AM stations from Boston to Chicago, including Cincinnati and Louisville.
At night KFI from LA and a host of Mexican stations including several from Mexico City came in.
Plane crash in Chicago meant dialing up WBBM on AM radio etc. etc.
At one point in those days I began picking up a broadcast from Mexico City (SW). It was all mariachi music rather than news. But they said for mailing them and sending in a list of things (including some sort of international coupon I had to get at the post office) they would send a bunch of stuff including "a map of the Mexican republic." I sent all the stuff and got nothing.