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I have to wonder if any of the people wish speculating about future owners for stations that may or may not be for sale have set foot in a TV station as an employee or have any glimpse of the reality of the economics of local TV in 2024. I'm three years removed from TV employment, and it was bleak then. Friends left in the business (who are all looking to get out) say it has only worsened. I am cheering for the unlikely fairy-tale outcome of new financial success for the local TV business, but that won't happen with more of the same that got us to where we are today.

Serious question: why in the wide wide world of sports would any of those groups want basketcase stations that need a massive amount of investment just in order to be remotely competitive in a declining industry? Plus Apollo Global Management isn't buying anything and Byron Allen is too badly overleveraged. With all due respect, what makes anyone think Apollo is going to have the soulless husk of Cox Media Group buy anything or that Byron is going to do anything but make vacant empty promises he can't deliver?

Going back to the conversation of WABC being flashy and the editorial tone of it's writing---in the documentary there was a writer who did WABC on the weekdays and ABC national on the weekends. For a story on a Vietnam war attack he wrote "death and destruction rained from the sky". That writer's superiors asked "couldn't you just say they droped bombs in an areal attack?!" to which the writer remarked "we already said that yesterday" and "that's how we do it on eyewitness news". An analyst in the docuntary even explicity stated that WABC's version of Eyewitness News mirrored the NY Post, something theorized by many in this chat. I bring these clips up again---you could really see WABC'S flare for flashy and dramatic language in reports like John Gotti's conviction or John Johnson's report on New York City's crumbling infrastructure in the 1970s. Johnson's report at (9:47)

Goodness. This is unbelievable.

Just go it on TVNewscheck, god this is shocking this man was LA’s morning entertainment guy, some people tell me he do reports from LA to the San Diego audience. This was completely unforeseen mean we all go but this was very untimely.

A friend of mine texted me. I didn't believe it. Sam was just on yesterday! RIP Sam, I watched you since day one. Life is too short. Tell your friends and family you love them. Take the vacation. Take the risk. Tomorrow is not promised.

Al Primo movie link available on ABC7NY: https://abc7ny.com/al-primo-and-his-eyewitness-news-revolution-film-takes-a-look-at-history-decades-in-the-making/14758186/

I could see him coming back to network. But Rob probably not leaving so no open slot. But maybe he do features and transition of off weather. He really good with features it’s like he never left GMA.

SB...Wow WHDH is still doing well as an independent even beating NBC's ground-up operation at WBTS. To @carolina4's point, CBS's lack of aesthetic investment is evident on the national level. Just look at CBS Sunday Morning's 2000s computer graphics and formerly chroma key set. Their outdated graphics totally work for that homely program, but comparatively, it did not on the CBS Evening News. Norah's current set is the best they've had in years. I will however credit local stations like WCBS who do have a great set.

Interesting hypothesis- and it makes sense. Of the stations I identified, the only one that has a single O&O to compete against is WCCO (KMSP is Fox O&O).

Well it seems that KTTV doesn’t do as well as they have no morning weekend news at all. This only happens when it’s not worth competing with other stations. It seems that CBS O&Os do better in markets where there are non owned and operated stations to compete with. WJZ in Baltimore does very well ratings wise there as WMAR has been in last place since the 1960s and WBFF Fox has opinionated news stories from Sinclair. Only WBAL TV NBC from Hearst directly competes with WJZ for #1 in the Baltimore DMA.

It’s important to note that CBS did something with its CBSN Local brand (before it was called CBS News Local, but whatever), which included revamping all local newscasts of O&O’s. This included KCNC and KTVT. These became CBSN Denver and CBSN Dallas-Fort Worth respectively before they decided not to do that, switch back to the old graphics, then hit them with the “new thang”.

All good lol (And in fairness, man do those colors look ugly…) I think you nailed it. I’ll continue to give CBS credit for launching the best/most watchable local streaming newscasts, but even aspects of that whole endeavor (like CBS News Now) were seemingly done on the cheap. I would just add that Paramount’s current financial situation probably isn’t helping either. IIRC, the O&Os were hit with layoffs in June and December, and CBS News laid off 20 people this month as part of company-wide layoffs.

I understand Colorado (the Denver market covers a majority of the state geographically), but given that Texas is also home to a big city like Houston and growing cities like Austin and San Antonio, the brand just doesn’t work IMO.

Running away #1 12,4,5,6,11pm news. WTAE #1 in the morning. WTAE & WPXI fight for #2 and sometimes one out do the other in different parts of the day. ABC seems to have a weak lead-in into11pm so 11 usually beats 4 at 11pm. Both those branding names are trash! CBS11 was good for KTVT. CBS4 was standard, but seem to have a better branding during their NBC days.

Which is why KCNC should really be called CBS News Denver, IMO (and KTVT of the Metroplex should be called CBS News DFW, instead of CBS News Texas).

I think the biggest problem CBS O&Os face today is the nationalization of its local markets. How much is "CBS Colorado" actually covering news from places like Pueblo, Grand Junction, or CO Springs? Genuine question, I don't know. You also have, in my opinion, overlapping brands. Saying you're watching CBS 2 News from CBS News New York is unnecessarily layered and almost totally removes the local aspect. I get what they've tried to do, but I don't think it's been implemented well.

It sad how KCBS got dumped on. The 2nd largest market and the CBS affiliate seems to be non existing.

CBS O&Os that were formerly Group W stations tend to outperform their CBS peers. While WCBS seems to have stabilized over the past few years, WBBM is blown up every few years in favor of the next best thing that will turn things around and in LA they threw in the towel on KCBS in favor of KCAL.

There were times where WAGA did beat WSB in the 70s, 80s and 90s before the switch. There were times WXIA beat both WSB & WAGA at 11pm due to NBC primetime lead in the late 80s and early 90s. When the 80s came around in the bigger markets NBC & ABC just changed with the times. CBS hasn't fared well in the bigger markets, but NBC & ABC does really well. CBS does well in mid size, smaller and rural markets. Prior to the switch in the 90s. Atlanta, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Dallas, Phoenix & Tampa Bay those CBS affiliates did really well.

You can partially give the New World-FOX partnership/merger the blame for all of this too. Additionally, before WAGA was bought by/transferred to FOX in the 1994-96 realignment, it was arguably one of their stronger affiliates. Notably it is also the only station in Atlanta that currently has a chance at surpassing the almighty WSB-TV. Same goes for the prior affiliates in Detroit, Milwaukee, etc. New World must have run their stations well because the majority of them continue to maintain strong viewership. This time period also coincides with when CBS began to see declining ratings as a whole. Also during realignment CBS had to affiliate with small unheard of channels with relatively high channel numbers, and in many cases the news room was built from scratch.

Long time WTMJ anchor and reporter Bill Taylor passed away at 79. he retired from WTMJ in 2001, He anchored the midday newscast and reported all over the world for the station. He was one of the first African American reporters in Milwaukee, and often reported on the led story shortly after arriving in 1972. He launched "Positively Milwaukee" and was involved with Milwaukee's Juneteenth day celebrations in the first few years and now is one of the longest running Juneteenth day celebrations in the country. Bill Taylor, TV anchor who started 'Positively Milwaukee,' dies (jsonline.com) (Bill Taylor interviewing WTMJ's graphics person about WTMJ's 50th anniversary and anniversary website).