Leaderboard

Something about humiliating people on live TV and the raw anger that results that I find hilariously entertaining. But then I guess Bey got freaked out by all the violence in the studio and they toned things down. That was the beginning of the end of his show. I don't tune in to Richard Bey to explore people's "feels." I tune in to watch people get angry and fight. Likewise with Jerry. When my grandmother had one foot in the grave, I used to go over there at night and watch Jerry Springer with her. We were just sit there and laugh together. It's not highbrow entertainment, but it's still entertainment, which is a lot more than what you can say about most TV these days.

The main studio for both WPIX and NewsNation has been under construction since last June, so maybe it will finished by April - currently Abrams and Cuomo are done in the WPIX auxiliary studio

As soon as she was let go I thought about this. Perfect to bump their morning ratings as they only get 30-45k households watching each morning.

I wonder if they've been considering getting Robin Meade?

The long-awaited channel switch in the Mid-South is one step closer to reality. On Monday, the FCC granted WMC's petition to change its signal from VHF 5 to UHF 30. It's been a long time coming. Since the digital transition in 2009, they've been trying to get off that VHF hellhole. They even tried to move to UHF 17 back in 2011, only to be told after the auction & repack that they're dismissing that petition. It wasn't until after the freeze was lifted two years ago when WMC tried again and filed this petition. And even that was a long process. I think the reasoning for the lengthy process was FCC probably had concerns for the viewers in those far fringe areas potentially losing WMC after its move to UHF. So Gray had to come up with a remedy by launching three small translators serving some of those lost coverage areas (contours). WANF-LD Dyersburg (serving the northern fringe) WDDY-LD Jackson (serving the eastern fringe) W20DW-D Clarksdale, MS (serving the southern fringe) So what's next? The station has to file a minor change app to get the construction permit. The R&O actually says once the order gets posted in the Federal Register, they'll have 10 days (not the usual 30 days) to file the app. I should also point out that Gray also has the permit to light up that new LP WTME-LD (formerly WYMP-LD) on the same tower as WMC's new UHF signal. So once the construction process is completed, Gray will be launching TWO new signals in Shelby County. That LP will likely be used to launch Telemundo (the webpage is already up, even though the station hasn't launched yet). But I'll tell you this right now. This should've happened before 2011. WMC should've filed at the same time Nashville's WTVF filed to move off of that same allotment. Hadn't it done so back then, we wouldn't be talking about this today. But better late than never.

I wouldn't say that, because rival Dallas is pulling in.

WBNS used to be tops in Columbus, but now that honor goes to WSYX.

Is it just me, or does WOIO seem to become even more of a revolving door lately? I have noticed that some of the talent have left.

I get it … FTV said today they’re down by half. The people left are probably burned out due to all the OT they’re being asked to work. Understandable in a small market, but not in Houston. Why the hell did they allow it to get that bad? Things aren’t anywhere as dire at any other large market station that I can think of. New ND and GM are both very experienced and have plenty of connections they could work to try to find people. They have (or had) one producer who arrived from tiny Lake Charles many years ago. Certainly there are others who would kill to make a jump like that. Better pay, larger city and a ton of fancy toys to make your shows better, such as their storm tracker and their chopper. Hopefully they can bring back the 4:30a show at some point. Dumping it makes them look weak and a bunch of people were complaining about it on social today, with some folks saying they were switching stations. You can’t help but think the numbers at 5a will drop at least some without local news as the leadin. If people get their start elsewhere each morning, many likely won’t switch when the clock strikes 5.

Well, there's another unlocked childhood memory I completely forgot about...

I think people were wondering why CBS is calling it “KCAL News” when the whole point is to unify every station around CBS News (especially in big markets like LA). Even on streaming, there are barely any visual references to CBS News Los Angeles (at least, not yet). If the goal is building around a strong local brand, this is a success. If the goal is brand unification w/ CBS, this fails. Furthermore, the KCAL News brand does not translate well cross-platform; the website and app are built around CBS News, but there are barely any references to CBS News on the newscasts themselves (outside of KCBS newscasts). That being said, KCAL is the stronger brand, and it’s much better to build around “KCAL News” than have two separate names for the same product. On its own, it’s a great (and sensible) rebrand, but if the goal is to build around CBS News, it doesn’t accomplish that.

I was literally just thinking this. There are plenty of CBS 2’s across the country, but only one KCAL and CBS Los Angeles. I don’t know how much more unique and local you can get than that.

Most viewers probably don't care, they're turning on one channel or the other and see the same faces they usually do. Folks were complaining about "CBS News (city)" not being "unique" enough and whatever, and then when given "KCAL News" are upset about that. It's a good brand. It translates well cross-platform, and there's no other "KCAL News" out there. KCAL was seen as the stronger brand and there's nothing wrong with that.

Agreed. I’d hope that, if nothing improper is found to have happened, then they are given their jobs back.

So, are we starting a new betting pool on when the schedule will change again?

It all comes down to personal taste. The current O&O look is not great but this isnt much of an upgrade. For me, grand well composed themes like The Enforcer, ABC's Cool Hand Luke, or NBC's the Mission are timless as apposed to techno gumdrop beat sounding pieces like Tega does. Exactly. There is a perception that most mobile viewing takes place on a smartphone as opposed to a tablet, computer, or full blown smart tv. I still dont get the notion of why mobile must = flat. Even the glossy graphics of yesterday still hold up well on small screen phones playing old youtube clips. But again, it all comes down to personal preference.

It's ironic that in the writeup linked earlier, CBS claims that they're being minimalist and not wasting screen real estate, yet the bug is perhaps one of the largest bugs in the industry.

VH1 just cut one of their four shows with a pulse, Drag Race, which is now on MTV to minimize that network's damage. It won't be long until the rest move there or BET. And to be fair, MTV Classic and BET Jams/Soul still actually show music videos so they haven't moved from their original remits; I have no issue with them. It's the acronym networks that just plug in a VLC playlist of one show and call it a day.

Not sure which "she" you're referring to, but if you're talking about Wendy McMahon, she was head of Creative, Marketing, and Community Engagement for KABC for several years so it's safe to say she knows the market inside and out.