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Fox Kansas City (WDAF) has switched to the graphics that was first debuted by Fox Indianapolis (WXIN) last year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vbehyeetv0

In September Graham Media parent Graham Holdings Company transferred voting control without notifying the FCC beforehand. Essentially Donald Graham, for estate planning purposes, ceded majority voting control such that no one individual has more than 50% voting control (with his daughter Laura G. O’Shaughnessy now having the largest share but short of a majority.) In October Graham Media filed with the FCC to reflect that change. Bottom line, GHC remains family-owned; they're just rearranging the deck chairs. He who shall not be named referenced this today and, being the great reporter he is, asked his readership what this is all about instead of actually reading the FCC filing and finding out on his own. https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/api/download/attachment/25076f9192b94c4a0192c50f85101708

Didn't see a thread for Allen Media group, so here we go! And to start things off, Bob Prather (who left Gray to start Heartland Media) and Andy Fisher, are both leaving AMG. https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2023/4/17/breaking-shake-up-at-the-top-of-one-media-group-to-be-announced-today Could any of this be related to Allen's involvement in the Diamond Sports dumpster fire?

Update: I did a quick check and all I saw were 33 stations airing it, not 37. Yes, WIS and WLUC 6.2 are among them but according to checks of schedules, I found stations in Wichita, Cincinnati, Knoxville, Kansas City, Lubbock, Cape Girardeau, Rochester (Minn.), Fort Wayne, Lexington, St. Louis, Las Vegas, and Reno, among others, who are also airing Gray's afternoon newscast. Actually, in one such instance, WITN, thanks to this new addition, now airs SEVEN STRAIGHT HOURS of local and national news every weekday (12:00-7:00pm).

How many people total are watching? Having 46% of the audience sounds impressive, but if the total audience size is -- for example -- 10,000 people, then big whoop. Ratings no longer matter as they once did. Broadcasters typically earn more-than half of their annual revenue from retransmission fees versus core advertising. Who needs to fight for viewers when you're getting the same check every month from the cable companies?

You don't see much news these days regarding ratings at TV markets. Well we still know of one such winner as of February 2025... Jacksonville's WJXT, The One and Only Channel 4. Winner of every newscast in A25-54 except for 12 Noon and 11pm. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/susie-losco-65054625_n4j-february-win-ugcPost-7303551617398628353-7QN-?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android&rcm=ACoAABqGw-0BrOQ_9csrv95OAtvM37gqLkE_dSc

Somehow, this didn't get much attention other than a paywalled Bloomberg article, but back on March 7th, the Court of Appeals issued a decision in Gray's appeal of the FCC's $518,283 fine against it over the KTVA/KYES acquisition. They affirmed the FCC's ruling that Gray violated the top-four rule but vacated the fine, saying that the FCC did not say in the Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture that it found Gray's conduct to be egregious (which is one of the factors in calculating fine amounts), only doing so in the Forfeiture Order. As a result, Gray couldn't respond to the FCC's finding in its response to the NAL. They also said that the FCC didn't adequately explain "how it considered whether Gray acted in good faith" in determining the fine amount. The case will now go back to the FCC for further proceedings. Court Opinion: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-410086A1.pdf

Ben Pine is stepping down as chief meteorologist at WHAS this Friday. Mallory Schnell will replace him in the evenings. https://www.whas11.com/article/news/local/whas11-chief-meteorologist-ben-pine-stepping-down-new-leader-mallory-schnell/417-eeb1d3e7-e7d6-46f7-850f-540ea68eb00f

Victoria Kokinos has joined WYFF Greenville after spending the last six years at sister WJCL Savannah. She'll be doing traffic (in the morning) and weather (at 12 Noon), just like what she did at WJCL. https://www.wyff4.com/article/victoria-kokinos-joins-wyff-news-4-today/64218624?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot&fbclid=IwY2xjawJGmclleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHRG3EHJctZZ4qp5t5G628BifdAQWE2nhrXLgjmRGWCJboLDPzUCfcDLlhw_aem_i-pu4eAwGVKzHNbOhmc16A

The CBS News Local graphics have come to Milwaukee ...to me, nothing to really write home about. It looks the same as the CBS O&Os, except it's in teal. But they got everything almost to a T with this.

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

No, that's not a mistype. Dr. Phil plans to launch a new cable network by February which will feature him in primetime from a new base in the DFW Metroplex and former staffers with the talk show have also moved out there. And yes, he plans a news operation of some kind led by Joel Cheatwood, so make of that what you will. All I can say is it would probably be easier to lease time on OWN or another existing cable channel than launching a new one during the decline of the format, but apparently I'm not mainlining Dr. Phil's out-of-date gut here.

I can't say I blame Jaycee. I too hate mornings

Use a fill-in reporter to cover street cams.

Ever since Emily Barr left, the new leadership seems determined to torch these stations. KSAT was absolutely obliterated by the buyouts. Now the local media reporter is claiming KPRC parted ways with its morning traffic anchor … and doesn’t plan to replace her?!? How do you do news in Houston and not have a morning traffic anchor and be taken seriously? (Again, assuming the report is right …) And don’t get me started on that horrid set KPRC installed that was overseen by the ND who left just a few months after it debuted.

There are several, and most of them are former CBS affiliates who switched to Fox during the 90's big affiliation swaps.

If you scroll up you would have read the post (that I just tagged below) which questioned if it is typical for Fox stations to be #1 in their markets. A wide assumption is that ABC NBC and CBS stations are often (not always) the top three in their markets. I basically responded to the poster by saying though it goes against conventional assumptions, there are examples such as in Miami where the Fox station is number one.

A lot of Fox stations are #1 in their markets… what are you talking about?

"Central Indiana's first source for news"... is this true, or just what they say? Are Fox stations often the #1 news in an area? I find that to be an interesting claim.

I noticed Jim Cutler has been dropped again for V/O. He was the V/O over guy for several years in the 1990s through the mid 2000s, I think, then he was brought back again a few years ago.

I look forward to KSWB getting them, they are in dire need of graphics overhaul. Unfortunately, I feel like they will be waiting until their new facilities are done. A little off topic, but I have noticed some tweaks to the KUSI graphics since they moved into the KSWB building, like the adoption of the ticker and L3 animations.

This looks pretty good. Nice upgrade. I wonder if other FOX stations will have it

Nextar and Tribune before them have always had good Fox looks. This continues the trend.

I mean, this is what the Scripps package should be and what the Fox O&Os should be using too. Granted I don't like the modern flat era at all, but this makes it palatable.

(sarcastic) Wait, did Gray buy WXIN? Because those opens and supers are Gray One wearing a bad disguise. (end sarcasm) The Nexstar election supers not matching the height or placement of the bug is just sloppy and, in theory, preventable.

Really good looking set! Nearly thought it was Tegna based on the quality. But in all fairness Nexstar does have some good looking stations.

Same energy:

“I absolutely love talking to real people about real problems. People who aren’t just complaining but are actively looking for real solutions to better their lives,” McGraw said. “American families and our core values are under attack. I love this country, and I believe family is the backbone of our society. Together we are going to stand strong and fight for the very soul and sanity of America and get things that matter back on track.” This Dr. Phil quote from the announcement feels kinda TBN-ish in tone, now that I think about it

Still on WPSG as well.

Maybe they were just there for the excitement of building a media empire. Working for a company that has a bunch of low end TV stations can't be that exciting compared to building a multi-channel behemoth.

The same Princell Hair that was news Director at Baltimore's WBAL.

Normal branding and those colors are Pittsburgh you have to admit. When all of your pro teams basically have the same color scheme, why not? I believe WTTE/WSYX uses Ohio State scarlet and gray in the FOX-28 logo. And doesn't WPGH FOX-53 have black and yellow in their logo?

I hope it stays. Let's not have them repeat what they did in 1991 (although their '91 rebranding made me a fan of the station ironically; TT Norms would look good on the EWN name)

KTVU has “Mornings on 2”, and KGO used “ABC7 Mornings” for a while. Probably didn’t want to muddle the market with the “Mornings” name

Right? My DVR has the new branding. I was hoping a custom morning open and updated bug, yet they’re still using the KPIX 5 Bug. When they had a 10pm newscast pre pandemic, they at least had the KBCW bug instead. The only mention of CBS NEWS Bay Area Branding is only on the 6 and 7pm with the custom open “CBS NEWS Bay Area with Juliette Goodrich” but the DVR still says KPIX 5 News at 6pm

Are these stations getting paid by the letter/word? 'CBS [Market] MORNINGS' (KCNC and WBBM are two that come to mind) surely gets the job done, in a more concise manner.

KPIX finally launched a new morning show on KBCW called CBS NEWS Bay Area: Morning Edition. The newscast is mostly News driven and not like it’s sister station KOVR/KMAX with the “Good Day” format. Prior to the launch, they have been only simulcasting KPIX from 5-7am then straight to Paid Programming. As of this week they dropped the 5am hour simulcast for syndication programming. 6am is still a simulcast KPIX 5 NEWS at 6am. 7-9am is CBS NEWS Bay Area: Morning Edition. With KTVU and KRON dominating the mornings. Hopefully KBCW will at least get some viewership.

Possible Philly/KYW clues?

DIG that graphics package! Wonder what that package will look like on KCNC Denver, as well as other CBS O&Os.

Well, it’s officially official.

As of today, WWJ-TV has rebranded from CBS 62 to CBS Detroit, and First Forecast is now NEXT Weather.

Ironically the CBS Evening News is going back to a more traditional and familiar broadcast presentation for older (core) viewers. These changes at the local level scream bland rerun local cable news like Spectrum or CLTV. Disconnected from the more familiar personality driven, urgency filled traditional affiliate news of yore. And “community journalism” sounds like marketing to what other journalists want as opposed to what viewers care about. If they want to shake things up and be different take a look at KUSI. Manages to bring out the personalities of the talent, leverages Zoom/Skype heavily to expand the guest / story profile, adds a healthy dose of positive local events, interviews lots of politicians on things neighbors are talking about, is willing to prosecute a local issue for weeks or months. Difference is it understands its viewers and what they see / live with day to day vs what a journalist thinks they should see. Sure the national political slant is off putting and some “experts” are borderline. But it’s a genuinely different approach to news vs the old days (despite the old set) that works on a shoestring and you don’t see it much elsewhere. I was at first turned off by it but the upbeat personalities and stories really drew us in. Maybe you need Steve Cohen himself to pull it off and the San Diego sun attracts personable talent but it’s a genuinely differentiated product.

There's a negative halo from network newscasts for some portion of the audience (this goes back decades...the whole 'network news doesn't represent my views' thing isn't new among some portion of the audience, just magnified these days). Beyond that the channel number / call letters are a bit of a firewall that also makes it feel more authentically local. Eliminating the local station number / call letters, and using the exact network news name (CBS News) makes it all feel even less local, trusted for that segment of viewers. See in Pittsburgh how KDKA lags WTAE at 6pm but has a massive lead at 11. Some of the core KDKA viewers don't care much for the national CBS News outlet, preferring World News Tonight. I doubt this change would have passed the common sense test of Les Moonves. The press release for KCNC isn't even consistent. It calls it 'CBS News Colorado' upfront, then all the newscast titles are 'CBS Colorado News at XXX.' The former is much more network newscast tied with 'CBS News' as the exact phrase, the latter maintains some more local identity (keeping the 'CBS News' phrase out of the mix).

Kudos to everyone who called this even before the new websites rolled out. Hopefully CBS’s rededication to investing in its O&Os goes beyond this name change and translates to better local journalism.

Looks like we have our smoking gun, folks. KCNC is rebranding as “CBS Colorado News”.

WWJ made the switch yesterday.

I completely agree, and I would certainly hang on to local identities at the top-rated stations if I were running the joint. That said, Wendy McMahon isn’t exactly a stranger to this industry. I imagine that if CBS really is going full-Macy’s, she and the rest of the management team have taken all of this into account. Local stations in Canada used to identify with channel numbers like their American counterparts. However, as the national networks in that country expanded their footprint, the local stations began identifying by their network, rather than “Channel X.” Even though leading stations like CFCF, CHAN, and CFTO dumped their longtime monikers, they still lead their respective markets, and they also contribute to the success of their networks’ national news operations. If I had to guess, CBS concluded that at worst, standardizing their stations’ brands won’t change their current ratings positions. Granted, these moves would not be “innovations” or ratings game-changers by any means. KYW, WFOR, and WBBM aren’t going to shoot to first place because of a brand change, and it’s unlikely that KDKA, WCCO, and WJZ will drop to last. However, standardizing station identities could give a relatively weak national news brand (CBS News) a much-needed boost. And besides, with the growth of streaming, people don’t tune in to “Channel X” anymore. They tune to the network. Will it work? Dumping established identities risks throwing away a station’s legacy, and established local stations usually help boost the national network (see WRAL.) However, if people are tuning into WJZ/KDKA/etc and turning off when the Evening News comes on, that doesn’t really help CBS. I highly doubt it will change anything at all on the local level, but there’s a chance it will improve the reputation and ratings of their national morning and evening news programs. Time will tell.

I'm on the fence when it comes to CBS experimenting with that Now newscast concept on its Independent, CW, and My-Network-TV stations. I came across an interesting video on YouTube of what could be described as a mock CBS O&O intro. I doubt we'd be seeing this show up on CBS O&O stations. I'll admit that it looks great and could easily pass for CBS O&O graphics and opening package. We'll have to wait and see what CBS rolls out to its stations in the Fall.

Yup. People love having some kind of local connection. Lazarus here used to have 10 or 12 stores in the area. Once they took the Lazarus names off the buildings and put Macy's on them, they've dwindled to three stores, soon to be two.