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Say it with me... I won't this time. It's Gray, KMOV, and the St. Louis Cardinals. For the first time since KSDK had longtime OTA rights to them before giving it up in 2010 (KPLR before that), KMOV will be carrying a select few telecasts of the birds this upcoming season, whether it's Channel 4 or Matrix Midwest. KFVS, KYTV, KSPR or KYCW; WMC, KAIT, WIFR or WSLN; WEEK, WGEM, WFIE, KTIV, KCRG, KYOU, KWQC, and KTTC or KXLT (either on their main channels or on a digitnet) will carry these games as well. https://tvnewscheck.com/programming/article/st-louis-cardinals-partner-with-gray-media-kmov-matrix-midwest/?utm_source=Listrak&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=St.+Louis+Cardinals+Partner+With+Gray+Media%2c+KMOV+%26amp%3b+Matrix+Midwest&utm_campaign=Less+Hype%2c+More+Hybridity+For+Cloud+Vendors+In+2025

It probably will. It's mostly just all the Morning Blend people, and they'd still be in the building at that time anyways. Same goes for staffing. They had a 3PM news before because the PM production crew is already in the building by that point (and god forbid they have any time during their workday where they're not producing live television). It's a sunk cost on the production side, in the studio at least. The added costs to produce What's Brewing Wisconsin will probably be another producer and the additional host, and maybe paying for part of a photographer's day. The real question is whether or not "Morning Blend but in the afternoon" is a viable product. Morning Blend prints money, but I'm not sure if you can have lightning strike twice four hours later.

Purchasing Ion and most of its O&O stations (over sixty of 'em!) and not doing anything with them beyond running daily marathons of procedural dramas (read: cop shows) from the last few decades and occasional live sports is particularly dumb. I doubt they're attracting any cord-cutters with that strategy.

It’s almost like big changes take time to “take.”

They can leave every days report on millions impacted by a sprinkle in their old digs too while they are at it.

There are good but underutilized elements of the current set. For a change, It would be nice to see Muir stand next to this giant monitor BBC style going forward.

It would great to see the Cleveland Ind...er...Guardians strike some similar kind of deal with WUAB and the Rock Sports Entertainment Group. I don't know how having an exclusively MLB package is sitting with the Cleveland fans. But it's got to be a slight improvement from having to deal with Bally Sports and all their issues. There are still some bitter fans out there after WUAB lost the rights in 2001.

Thought I'd check in on the former Marks stations (WBKP/WBUP in Marquette and WBKB in Alpena) now under the management of Morgan Murphy. The Marquette stations are an odd bird in themselves. Being a larger market than Alpena (which basically is the smallest market in the country with its own functioning news department), this station does some strange things with its newscasts. The station uses a virtual set and instead of shooting video for their stories (aside from their bureau reporter) they rely on a lot of still pictures, and even obvious stock footage to fill out the VO of local stories. NewsNet provides their weather and sports coverage. When the local news runs out, the national packages take over. Down in Alpena, it's a more traditional newscast, They once again have their own meteorologist (after relying on NewsNet to fill in the gap). At one time, Alpena actually did the weather for Marquette. Being Alpena, and the third smallest market in existence, This is an obvious starter's market where people don't last long and move on quickly. Unlike Marquette, WBKB is the only game in town and as of last year, holds every major affiliation (Big 4) for the Alpena market. I wonder if Morgan Murphy (Queen Bees Knees LLC) has any plans to standardize the stations like they have with their others. And the $64,000 question.... How much longer will the Marks estate hold on to the Montana stations, including Glendive?

Granite looks to be one of their next targets... http://www.tvnewscheck.com/mobile/index/article/id/69524

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.

Looks like CBS News Detroit is launching today. I like their new slogan, "On Your Block. Around the Clock." https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/

I couldn't locate a Morris topic anywhere, but looks like Morris has launched a new site for some of the stations. WTVQ, WDEF. https://www.wtvq.com/ https://wdef.com/ WWAY at this time has the old look.

There is some bad news coming from the Winston Broadcasting Network, part of Ernest Angley Minsitries and the owner of WBNX-TV in Cleveland and Akron. http://www.wkyc.com/mobile/article/news/local/summit-county/akron-televangelist-ernest-angley-facing-foreclosure-on-network-facility/95-500468512 What do you think needs to be done with WBNX?

Imagicomm Communications is getting out of the TV news business. Paywalled articles at News Blues and the Radio & Television Business Report say the company plans to sell the TV stations it purchased from Apollo (dba Cox Media Group), including: KYMA (Yuma, AZ) KIEM / KVIQ (Eureka, CA) KPVI (Pocatello, ID) KLAX (Alexandria, LA) WABG / WNBD / WXVT (Greenville, MS) WICZ (Binghamton, NY) WSYT (Syracuse, NY) KOKI / KMYT (Tulsa, OK) KMVU / KFBI (Medford, OR) WHBQ (Memphis, TN) KAYU (Spokane, WA) KFFX / KCYU (Yakima, WA) With President-elect Trump due to become President Trump in less-than one week, it seems clear that the broadcasting industry truly believes a Trump administration will be pro-merger. Many of these are small-market stations that probably turn very little of a profit, if any, so anyone’s guess is good at this point about what happens next.

The Cardinals will return to OTA TV for the first time since 2010. KMOV and Matrix Midwest will air ten games, with them also airing on FDSN Midwest.

IMO, 40 isn't that young and I don't think it should be a problem if networks are always seeking younger demos. I disagree with the anchor bench, CBS has the weakest. They haven't really groomed anyone that stands out for larger roles, with Nate Burleson and Gayle King being their most prominent personalities. In comparison, NBC has Guthrie, Jackson, Peter Alexander, Tom Llamas, Kate Snow, Kristin Welker, Jose Diaz-Balart, and Lara Jarett etc... I agree however with the poster who said Savannah lacks that evening news quality. Is 12 years on the national level that short of a time? In this day and age, people are advancing much quicker as the industry changes and turnover gets higher (at least at the local level).

I warned y'all a month ago. I knew we were being duped. Don't be surprised if more stations do this because Allen was planning to do this all along.

I might have personally enjoyed Peter Alexander more as successor, but Tom is fine. I think he's clearly supposed to be NBC's version of David Muir - perennially young-looking handsome man that exudes confidence

@TampaBowler I've removed the leak, at the request of an frustrated Nexstar staff member. I don't know where you got those images, but I suggest you run stuff like this past me or other mods before sharing sensitive info like this.

Allen making weather changes at WEVV-Evansville as The Weather Channel moves in: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AwJdv2HZP/ From Griffin Glasscock, Chief Met: "Good morning, friends! I have an update to share about my new schedule. Starting Monday, I will be forecasting weather for our early evening news: 4, 5 & 6PM. 44News is partnering with the Weather Channel. They will be doing weather for our morning news moving forward. I truly love the mornings, which makes this change extremely hard. I may not miss the 2:30AM alarm clock, but I will miss waking up with each of you every morning and working next to my best friends (Tommy & Megan). I look forward to spending my mornings with my sweet boy and husband. I hope you’ll continue welcoming me into your homes as you settle down for the night. Thank you for the constant support and kindness! Love y’all❤"

Two things from ESPN... Today is the 20th anniversary of ESPN-U. https://www.espnfrontrow.com/2025/03/espnu-turns-20-two-decades-of-elevating-college-sports/ Around The Horn has its final episode date... Friday, May 23rd at 5:00 p.m. ET. https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-releases/2025/03/espns-around-the-horn-to-host-its-final-episode-on-may-23/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=espns-around-the-horn-to-host-its-final-episode-on-may-23&utm_source=ESPN+Front+Row&utm_campaign=2f5babd7ce-MediaZone_Daily_RSSFed_Digest&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d3cee178e6-2f5babd7ce-138324565

He’s great. I love him too. He should be on the main CNN instead of Kasie Hunt. Something different to the non stop politics.

The private producer FB group indicated severance was available to those who stayed until around the end of the month. Bankruptcy reorganization ahead?

"Whatever you have ongoing in thte next few hours ... I hope it's profitable!" - Richard Quest /ding!!! God I love Richard Quest. -- Matt

According to a post on Reddit, the layoffs affect every station in the Scripps group. Some worse than others. No details on exact layoffs just yet. This sounds like Scripps is desperately trying to make its upcoming quarterly report look good or at least not entirely terrible. The fact the company delayed its earnings report alone is a sign of trouble.

It might help to note that WPVI's Action News is actually a format of its own. Which fewer stations use compared to WABC's approach. So WPVI's presentation is aligned with their format. The "Action News" format differs slightly from the "Eyewitness News" format. In the Action News, certain dynamics such as time requirements, storytelling, etc, have to be followed, reporters don't dwell too much on the stories, to keep the news going and be able to cover more stories, so you'll probably here less fill in talk and more direct storytelling, whereas with the Eyewitness News format, there is more of a deeper dive which allows for more captivating presentations, fill in words, empathy, "happy talk" etc to be embedded within the show. Whereas with the Action News it's more straight to the point and quick which could be better for some audiences. Action News https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_News Eyewitness News https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyewitness_News

Indeed! CBS News Early Mornings would have been a more distinctive title, and eliminate CBS Morning News.

Sticking to the nearby region, longtime anchor/reporter Elizabeth Peterson has left WLUC. It was her second stint there. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.uppermichiganssource.com/2025/02/28/elizabeth-peterson-shares-message-gratitude-with-upper-michigan-she-wraps-up-her-final-newscast/%3foutputType=amp

You could say they finally transitioned to who they were meant to; a fine comedy channel. It always seemed to be trending that way even early on with the other Sinclair networks stuck on drama thanks to Me and Antenna/Rewind and Laff getting most of the sitcoms.

They did it a couple of days ago when they debuted the studio for the 4 pm show. Well, they did it during a going-on-break bumper shot when I had rewatched it. It was a nice aesthetic. I'd imagine they probably won't do these shots forever, so we should enjoy them while it lasts as the novelty of the new space wears off and they return to the regular live shots, etc.. It reminded me of the classic way of doing the news where they would show the anchors talking before the break, that was a nice touch. :). Regarding Bill Ritter’s ad-libs during the broadcasts, it is important to note that he is a seasoned veteran and a legendary figure in the New York market. His industry reputation allows him to incorporate these ad-libs into the show without disrupting its flow. By doing so, I think he enhances the overall value of the production. A lot of veteran anchors similarly did this, similar to Bill Beutel when he was there before he passed he had his signature closing remark at the end of the 6 pm shows in the '90s. Chuck Scarborough did the same before he departed from WNBC, and the same with retired anchor, Jim Gardner on WPVI before his departure. Bill's a sentimental and empathetic guy, you see it in his presentation and reporting, especially after 9/11 which gripped him and many of the reporters and journalists here in New York. It's not an easy market, this city requires a lot of hard work and diligence to survive here. So naturally the reporters and anchors are just raw and heavy-hearted from all the years of tough storytelling. Personally, I like the adlib it really provides a sense of authenticity to the broadcast and adds an extra level of depth and value to the show.

I think all of these teams that are now aligned with MLB Local should offer a small package of games to any over-the-air outlet that's interested, even if they're simulcasts. That way, you could entice other fans who may be hesitant to buy the full season of games to do so, and especially for those who no longer have cable and/or satellite service. Hell, take it back old-school, where some teams (before the growth of independent TV stations and cable TV) were only offering probably no more than 30 games on TV each season. Of course, a lot of that had to do with certain owners thinking locally-televised games would affect game attendance, while other owners (mostly with the Chicago and NYC teams, and later Boston and the Braves) using TV as a means to advertise and entice fans to come see games in person. Certainly in Cincinnati, where Rock Entertainment Sports Network is available via WXIX, if the Guardians were to ever align with them, they would have to put alternate programming on in place because of territorial exclusivity. Why not put Reds games on in place, especially on days/nights where the Guardians would schedule a game on RESN. Gray does have stations within the Reds' broadcast footprint, including in some of the places where their Braves package will be available.

A promo for the CFP rankings show has a logo that follows the same "shield" template as the SEC on ABC. Though except for the bracket graphics (which used a completely different style of graphic to anything else), the current studio graphics were otherwise out in full force

The SEC on ABC will use a revamped version of the early 2000s ESPN College Football theme. Turns out that new scorebug, graphics and music are exclusive to the SEC; all other coverage will continue using the existing 2020 graphics and music.

https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2024/7/24/changes-at-the-top-in-motown Looks like Paul got demoted and is now replaced with someone with actual ND experience. Shaina Humphries is now pregnant. Her due date is in the fall according to her Instagram. Rachelle Graham is pregnant again as well.

ESPN posted a sizzle reel focusing on the new SEC on ABC package, and I think we're definitely getting a new ESPN College Football scoreboard. It's interesting, giving me the more compact vibes of the basketball one at least. I can't see them being exclusive to SEC games (the existing package, except for the scoreboard, aged pretty well)

She could help them tremendously, I thought she was ND when was she promoted to GM?

NFL Network is in cost-cutting mode, as they're laying-off some staff, including many on-air personalities, plus cancelling Total Access. If ESPN takes over NFL Media, then more than likely NFL Live will take over as the Shield's "show of record". Also, because NFL Media is now currently based across the driveway from SoFi Stadium, it would also potentially give ESPN a second Los Angeles-area studio facility to operate from, if necessary. This has been rumored for years.

Troy Bridges was laid off from WKMG awhile ago.

https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/troy-bridges/ they just hired a new meteorologist. I presume this is for weekend mornings. Don’t know much about him so we shall see. They need to hire a new sports anchor like yesterday. They haven’t had one in two months.

Today marks the one year anniversary of the launch of CBS News Detroit.

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.

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.

Forum Communications to purchase KWSD in Sioux Falls from JF Broadcasting and intend to launch local news casts. KNBN (Rapid City) does not seem to be included in the agreement. https://www.dglobe.com/news/local/globe-parent-company-forum-communications-expands-in-sioux-falls I feel like they missed out on getting KTTW when they had the Fox affiliation and building out a news operation.

Watching the new CBS News Detroit premiere. I can imagine that things will be tweaked after this premiere and they see what works and what doesnt work. Im sure they will throw everything at the wall tonight. -Clunky version of the open -I like the open to the jib shot, but it was too long and it hovered too high instead of moving toward the center and transitioning to the centre presenter camera. -The camera blocking is strange for the right presenter. You get the strange white wall and part of window mullions. -Strange sound in the background - A/C noise is VERY VERY LOUD! VERY distracting. They need to sorta that out immediately. Seems like the noisy problem that occurs when all the presenter mics are hot. -Odd use of jib over to weather. Kinda of a plain looking weather corner, washed out graphics. Seems like the big CBS logo been seen all the way on the right wall behind the weather computers. Weather is done from a rolling screen against a white wall. You can see the screen cords plugged into the wall. (Looks messy) The sports anchor uses the screen in the greenroom as sort of an OTS. They turn on blue lights in the green room for the 6pm. - The centre camera shot is really nice. -The story selection is strange and nothing ground breaking so far. Lots of national stories off the top. A local story about football coach and then a Narcan vending machine story was presented live from a local university. The reporter had on a boat load CBS Detroit gear. -They did highlight the reporter that will cover a specific beat/region. Which i like. But then going into each break they keep telling you they are watching a specific community and they can watch CBS Detroit streaming. (gotcha) So far going into the first advert break....its kinda ehhh. -The transitions seem choppy. -Umm not getting the point of the sports stories sprinkled thru instead of the main sports bulletin usually toward the end of the broadcast. So far the "Detroit" stories is very very thin. Kinda expected them to have reporters live all over the place for the first outing. I know the they are still hiring but eek. They dont seem to have a full staff yet. - The presenters seem to be a capable bunch, they seem to fit a large diverse market such as Detroit. It has the largest Arabic/Muslim population in the US and a large black population amongst others. I have to say it could be an interesting enterprise. I was expecting a bit more newsroom movement, but it seems CBS didnt throw millions at the wall for this. I feel like this is more of down and dirty operation rather than being ultra flashy.

And it's dragging on longer than the Tegna deal. Another pocket veto in the works by the FCC.

What would do??? Fire up the phone banks and start praying. Can I get an "Amen"?

WCHS is still in testing mode with new graphics. I noticed this today on their website. http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/eyewitness/140726_26900.shtml

WPLG has picked up Regis and Kelly which will end their 9 AM newscast. They are now though going to be back in the 5 PM News race.

A couple of other notes: Miami Fox affiliate WSVN is expanding its weekday morning newscast Today in Florida to five hours. Starting on August 22, the newscast will run from 5 to 10 a.m., displacing Live with Regis & Kelly from the schedule. The fifth hour will be anchored by current Today in Florida anchors Christine Cruz and Diana Diaz, with field reports by Richard Jordan and meteorologist Julie Durda providing the weather forecast. This will increase the station's local news output to 60½ hours per week, equal to that of San Francisco's MyNetworkTV affiliate KRON-TV, tying it for the most local news of any U.S. television station (Canadian station CHCH-TV in Hamilton, Ontario broadcasts 69 hours of local news per week, which will expand to 71½ hours next month with the expansion of its morning newscast to 4:30 a.m., the first such newscast in that timeslot in the entire country of Canada). Meanwhile, Roanoke, Virginia's WSLS has dropped its low-rated midday talk show Our Blue Ridge. The program will be revamped as a local version of owner Media General's syndicated Daytime program called Daytime Blue Ridge, another talk show focusing on community and lifestyle news similar in format to Our Blue Ridge, though described will "be completely new and different" by WSLS general manager Leesa Wilcher, that will debut in six weeks (infomercials will air in the meantime in the defunct program's former noon slot).

Plus their stock prices keep plummeting... Definitely something amiss