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I’ll say this and then I’ll leave it alone: CBS’ flyover comedies and westerns were top rated shows and executives cancelled them to evolve as a broadcaster. YR may be higher rated than NND, but again… it’s a show CBS has no ownership stake in. I’m willing to bet NND makes more money for NBC than YR does for CBS. They get ad dollars from the news demo (not just injury lawsuits, As Seen on TV, and 65+ Insurance Ads, but consumer products). An article from Variety revealed awhile back that GMA3 commanded more ad dollars than Days in 2021. And that international revenue you speak of means nothing to them because they don’t own or distribute it; they pay a licensing fee to Sony to air it. Which is why I think CBS is done with it(and Bold) in 2024. They get to use that money to pay to bring someone from a competitor to afternoons. Both of those serials are expected to vacate TVC in Hollywood because of the renovations Hackman is currently doing to the studio. CBS likely has no backup plan for assisting in relocation… even moving to Radford(also owned by Hackman) would be costly for them for many reasons(feel free to DM if you want my additional thoughts on it, but I’m not going to bog down an NND thread over soap opera). I also saw Kate and Zinhle(who were on assignment working on a piece on Race in America) doing their thing in LA. I hope they shot some local ads for the NBC LA station there while they were working. Hope all four of them end up traveling for NND at some point. I think the only thing the show lacks(which it doesn’t really need) is a better connection to time and the audience. In the first year, the 2PM EST hour team(yes… the four hours are split between two separate production teams) opened with the time in various parts of the country. Little touches like that (esp. shoutouts to cities in local markets that carry the hour) would help Daily establish that it’s “live(with some repeat segments)” all the time instead of running a traditional news wheel(like CBSN). But not all affiliates get a live broadcast of Daily(including LA), so it wouldn’t be cost-effective.

I will tell you there are alot of fans out here who don't want to see their Serials go. It may not have the big numbers it once had. YR is still #1 and is CBS star line-up. YR contract is up next Sept 2024. When Sony negotiate with CBS for maybe another year or two. CBS News isn't going to pull in 3.5 million that YR is pulling. Bold/YR depending on The Bell Children (The Bells own Bold outright) probably by 2026 would move into CBS/Paramount streaming platform. Here the thing YR/Bold make $$$ overseas. ABC owns General Hospital outright, and many fans out here aren't into news 24/7. People like to be entertained, and if they want news they will find it. I'm a news junkie too, but I also like a balance with entertainment shows. The networks have to look at their audience and there's an audience who still like escapism. CBS/NBC/ABC it just can't be news 24/7. People aren't going to watch The 8th hour of Today or the 5th hour of GMA. CBS News doesn't have the cache like the other two networks. CBS has been able to find other niche than news and has an older audience, but there has to be a balance. 24/7 News runs on CNN, MSNBC, FOX, and many other cable news outlets. There are many executives who want to keep the daytime audience mean and lean and find some shows that going to get eyeballs.

That reminds me of something on WBAY a couple years ago where there was an ad for a home medical provider showing their building and ten seconds later coming out of that break... 'Breaking news from Allouez, where a car has driven into a building'...and they cut to that same home medical building, now with a car halfway through its front window (thankfully nobody hurt there). Gotta love it when the sponsor somehow gets 'lucky' with another mention without the ad department getting involved.

It's not the fault of news emplyees, it's the network heads who keep demanding more news. They keep blaming splintered audiences for low ratings. That's only part of the puzzle. Low effort or *low quality* programming is also to blame. Spitting out cheap Byron Allen court shows, repeditive newscasts and recycling tired police procedurals is bound to negatively affect ratings. I know countless people who say TV sucks now so they watch Netflix It is lazy in a sense. Rather than being creative with programming, networks can simply have their news crew that's around (doing a lot as it is) churn out yet another newscast for no added cost. Profit comes first but, there has to be a way to achieve that without showing news 17 hours a day.

Breaking news! Binghamton’s WBNG has officially launched GrayONE. And this one was way needed. A small market like that really deserves recognition. You can watch the official confirming video on (what else?) Studio 31 Media Archive on YouTube.

We all know, however, the issue is demographics and the bottom line. You can’t spend on a soap in 2023 like you did in 1983 (adjusting for inflation, of course). The audience isn’t there and the ad revenue isn’t there. There may be “many people,” but that isn’t what it once was and isn’t as profitable as it once was. There are theoretically infinite choices available for people who want “escapism.” Corny soaps may work for some, but there are streaming options and satellite channels out the proverbial wazoo offering other options. How Y&R continues to milk the same stories from the 1980s confounds me. My mom was a Y&R and eventually B&B viewer. As her mental state failed in her final days, I’d put on her recordings of them on occasion, not really expecting it to break through the haze of dementia, but maybe something familiar could be comforting on a subconscious level. Dear lord, it was the same people on the same sets telling the same tired stories as when it was on in the college lounges back in the day. It looks stale and cheap to be blunt. There will always be people who resist losing something, and their complaints tend to be disproportionate to the actual viewership. The audience, of course, is the product. And if you don’t deliver the product the client wants…even this non-business major knows that’s a bad business plan. You don’t need the same raw numbers, you need an audience that clients want to buy and pay decent money to do so, while controlling your expenses.

Without revealing too much… 1. Because for reporters/MMJs, the contracts are usually 2-3 years 2. Because those contracts usually always pay them crap money, and stations are usually not willing to give them raises for a new contract that would even account for any inflation that happened during the expiring contract—because at the end of the day—they know they can just bring someone else in with less experience and pay them less than the experienced person wanting to renew their contract. “But wouldn’t a station want to pay what it takes to keep talent around if they’re willing to stay, so the product is stable and the journalism is actually good?” No. Because despite what GMs and excs will tell you, they give approximately zero shits about newscast quality, as long as the viewership isn’t plummeting (and even if it is, they see that as an excuse to get rid of the current people). It’s all a money game. That’s all it ever was and ever will be. It’s why sales people make the big bucks. Because execs and GMs don’t view news talent as “direct revenue producers” who deserve a fair, comfortable wage (actually words a GM has told me ). They view reporters and MMJs as objects—as nuts and bolts in a car the sales department is trying sell and make commission off. You don’t pay the parts that make up the car. They’re lifeless objects. You pay the sales guy who sold it. Even though there would be no car to sell without the nuts and bolts. They wish they didn’t have to pay them at all, but those pesky labor laws force them to have to view reporters and MMJs as humans deserving of minimum wage and not much more. With this analogy in mind, even if a reporter or MMJ likes the smaller market they’re currently under contract in, the only way for a reporter or MMJ to get a sizable raise is to move to a bigger market when their contract is up, to a market where they’re viewed by management as the expendable, lifeless nuts and bolts in a GMC Yukon a sales hotshot is trying to profit off, instead of the expendable, lifeless nuts and bolts in Ford Fiesta a sales hotshot is trying to profit off.

We've been inching toward this moment for years, and today, the lines finally converged over Tyler, Texas, with this clip: KSL 1989 == KTRE 1989 (really 88) == KXGN 2004 =?= Non-Stop Music USA News A Timeline 1985: Colorado USA is debuted as an image package only by KUSA in Denver. By March 1987: WAFF begins using the package including news music and pairs it with the then-new "Squares" syndicated graphics package from Digital Images. The station has "Colorado USA" resung as "Alabama and 48 / People Who Care". February 8, 1988: KLTV and KTRE debut new openings using the package. KTRE is using close music that WAFF is using in a sports promo. By July 1988: KSL begins using the package. 1990: WSAV in Savannah is using the package. The community service promo to which the link is cued up was also used by KXGN Glendive, Montana, in 2004, and by WAFF in a sign-off. 1991: KLTV uses a different open cut at 10pm which matches the Non-Stop USA Music cuts. USA News is listed in ASCAP as a Non-Stop production with alternate titles indicating it was used by KLTV, KTRE, KOAM (extant), KJCT (1993–95, not extant), WUSA (in promos in 1998, maybe?), WAWS (July 1996–98, but they debuted with WWL News at the end of 1996, so they might have changed themes before going on the air).

I would argue that it's the equivalent of being in studio/the newsroom, but instead, they're outside. For example, WFLD has often had reporters right outside the studio doing standups instead of 'at the scene' or in studio. I want to say WMAQ has done the same over the years (i.e.. having someone live right outside the NBC Tower). It's not as uncommon as it may seem. At the end of the day, what's important is that the news/stories these reporters are reporting on is accurate, true, informative, etc.. and not necessarily where/what place they are saying it from.

CNBC logo has been Tinkered, bringing along a refresh to the graphics as well. https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/cnbc-ticker-overhaul-screen-graphics-tv-news-1235832629/

Local television news isn’t journalism. It’s a business.

What you're saying is not wrong but I'm gonna have to hold greedy executive's feet to the fire more on this one. We proclaim that journalists are these "beacons" who hold truth to power. Yet, we don't pay journalists a livable wage, so they leave and work in PR for people like politicians who spin reality. That can't be good for a democratic society. Not to sound extremist, but journalists need to be the next group to strike. This especially as stations rely more on news departments for direct ad revenue with syndication options drying up.

The Pirates are staying with SportsNet Pittsburgh, and will co-own the network with the Penguins. https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/pirates-penguins-to-jointly-own-cable-tv-sports-channel/ar-AA1lsiCI?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=a61a902803924d59bbe9d66d185dea7c&ei=9&fbclid=IwAR1eafXYE1oKJ_FAYxGJcKRSeuFJN7760BjpFbwekDKZrwsTJ_Ie_tqCO1M

That doesn’t excuse the fact that, at every station I’ve worked, the base, pre-commission minimum salary range for even entry-level sales positions is still significantly higher than pretty much every news position except for main anchors and news director. and yes, I’ve seen the salary ranges with my own eyes. this is at several stations in small, medium and large markets. let’s also not forget, that ratings are directly tied to what sales can charge their customers. So if ratings go up, whatever commission sales people get would be higher than when ratings were down, simply by the fact that they can charge higher rates. even though they did nothing to contribute to those higher ratings that allowed them to sell ads for more. in other words, the news department at every station plays *a* role in the sales team’s success, but they do not see the rewards.

Not sure it means anything for “credibility.” We all understand people move on, and of course some settle in for long stretches, too. As for the money aspect, for better, worse and everything in between, the bottom line is what it is. You aren’t going to get the same viewership and ad revenue in a world that has splintered into a million different viewing options. The slices of those pies get smaller. It undoubtedly sucks, and like many fields, sucks more as time goes on. But there are far bigger macroeconomic issues at play that aren’t unique to the industry and aren’t going to be solved in one industry alone.

Here is a sampling of KNBC's studio refresh that launched during their 11am newscast this past Monday.

Oh...come on, WAFF.

“Brought to you by Jack’s”? That should be used for only FORECASTS. Whether or not they screwed up sponsorship, it’s a good improvement for the station, even since they were using that sometimes-low-budget Gray graphics sliding thing that looks like your news budget is $2,500.

The second two hours of Daily came from Los Angeles, on the set used by Stay Tuned, her are some screen grabs: In contrast, the first two hours came from NY from the usual set.

Yes they have, after a year and nearly a half after launching their First Alert Weather graphics and nearly a couple of months for First Alert Traffic. how it looks and sounds like: RPReplay_Final1702406448.mp4

WTVO/WQRF has adopted NDC-3: Along with it, they switched SAM music packages: replacing “This is the Place” for “Unite”.

Wow - that logo hasn't changed since the late 1990s. The font has changed to reflect the rest of the NBC platform, it seems. These graphics are what I remember as a kid...the 3-D arrows and the little Dow/NASDAQ/S&P on the side:

So... Old enough to know better, young enough to still get carded at the bar.

While a refresh was somewhat needed, this feels more like a mockup of a design you'd find on this forum than something worthy of cable news. I mean, it's not bad... but... it's not really all that good either? Of course, I'm commenting having only seen just this one screenshot...

??? The entire purpose of a reporter doing an outdoor stand up is to have them at the scene or a related location. On local news you don't see a reporter standing on a random street in the Bronx in front of nothing to talk about a shooting on Long Island. Exactly. The NY thing is my cynicism getting the better of me but they could have thrown "Upstate" into the lower third.

Job hopping for more money. Just like anyone else. Historically they get 2 year contracts and keep moving up in market rank for career growth.

Wow, this has to be the biggest departure from WEWS since Ted Henry retired back in 2009. I'll have to catch some of their newscasts in the next few weeks to see how "Scripps-i-fied" they've become. A sad transformation for a station built and put on the air by Scripps to become what it is today.

This story has the anchor desk 2 shot and the story wall. I think the weather is going 3D like KPIX, at least looking at a promo that aired. https://www.nbclosangeles.com/on-air/high-speed-train-from-rancho-cucamonga-to-las-vegas-aims-to-cut-travel-time-in-half/3289036/ Would look less generic if they put attached a physical banner of lettering to the top of the story wall and/or main anchor backdrop wall that says 4 LOS ANGELES or something.

The green shade was absolutely blinding when in a full bar indicating gains, the gold shading is confusing, and the entire package is a middle finger to those who are colorblind. When your competition (Bloomberg here, since FBC has become an FNC annex, let's be serious) upgraded their presentation to 4k specifically to show more information, this is a major step backward. There is no reason for the index numbers to be that big, and it will definitely get adjustments, hopefully, especially if they do that superimposition of the live Dow they occasionally do on heavy market days. (No change so far on CNBC World, by the way)

First impression: Not a huge fan. I'm fine with cleaner looks, and the previous package almost felt dated the day it launched, but this feels like it wastes a lot of space. The lower "ticker area" feels too big for the little information displayed. Also, maybe they fixed this later in the day (I'm only checking out the first few minutes of the 5 a.m. show), but it doesn't seem smart to have full screen animations/stingers (Breaking News, Market Alert) take up the full screen, even covering the bug and ticker. I wish NBC didn't feel the need to make all of these graphics bigger while showing less information.

What a step backwards. Yellow-on-white and white-on yellow is next-to-impossible to read. The overly large and bold alerts remind me of seeing an all-caps Trump tweet. I also miss the news scroll. There's just nothing that I like about the new design and I wish they would ditch it.

I agree with this in its entirety. For example, a little over a year ago, WXIA began using a different variety of C Clarity, for open, closes and everything in between. However they only use a specific 30 second cut (open #7 on NMSA), but it quickly got stale in the ears.

If you put it one way or another, you could see on one end that Tegna has good production values, but on another, you get an annoying news theme (C Clarity) that “all stations HAVE to use”. I’ve seen stations like KYTX (on their morning show called “Morning Y’all”) use other themes for stuff. Totally weird.

"New York" refers to the city, not the state. It is the style of most news organizations not to put the state after a large city. I agree that it does seem weird to have a reporter standing outside in Manhattan to do a live shot on something that happened in Albany if there is no tie-in to the location. Like you suggested, they could say "we're outside a synagogue here in New York, where security has been beefed up after what happened in Albany." But I don't think they were trying to imply New York City = New York State = Albany, NY.

I'll bite. Just had a nice little glass of bourbon, so let's see what we can come up with: When I first started working for TEGNA, I felt like they didn't get enough credit for what they were trying to do. They were investing a ton of money into the brands of these stations and bringing in some interesting people to shake things up on the marketing side. It sounded really exciting and I got sucked into it, leaving a well established market-leading station to jump into this mess. It's no exaggeration to say when I was sitting in the hotel the night before my first day watching WUSA9, I felt immediate regret in my decision and I started working immediately to leave. (It took nearly three years to get out... woof.) When I look back at it all, I think one of the biggest problems is that the news and production folks at these local stations have absolutely no idea how to make good television. Is that really their fault? I don't know. Local news has looked essentially the same since the 1940s. Desk. Chair. Backdrop. Want to shake things up? Have the anchor stand. That backdrop? It's now a monitor. That's about as groundbreaking as these people know what to do. (And that's not just TEGNA, it's an industry-wide issue.) So now you want to revamp your morning show and you bring in a comedian... again, not exactly revolutionary. It's been done. But news leadership is really afraid to lean into this concept, so it's just another straightforward mediocre newscast with a comedian randomly dropped in. The comedian has no one to play off of. Your news anchors and reporters aren't funny, they don't know humor. So you have awkward interactions throughout the show. You blow millions on marketing this 3rd or 4th place show to get folks to "sample" it. Sure, there is a slight spike in ratings - people drop in, have a look, say "what the hell is this?", tune out and never come back. TEGNA would fly in folks from various departments from their stations all around the country every few months for "innovation summits" at their HQ. I got invited to one. A lot of interesting ideas. Absolutely no way to execute it. An idea I had got piloted in Cleveland (of course, I never saw a bonus, not that I expected one ). They flew out the comedian from DC to host it. It was awful. You know why? Your producer who graduated from Elon's school of journalism has absolutely no clue how to make good television. They know how to copy and paste from the wires and re-write stories from the 11p to drop into their AM shows. (Just kidding, that gets copy and pasted as well.) I could go on and on. I haven't even started in on the mediocre general managers with sales backgrounds - that might be an even bigger issue. You think the guy from sales who got the corner office knows how to make good television?? They have an eye for talent? Absolutely not. Local television news isn't dying, it's dead. You're just watching zombies now. Waiting until the next hedge fund comes in to turn the lights off.