Leaderboard

This is textbook fascism in action. Use every lever of power to force the media into submission. Punish dissent. Stifle journalistic freedom.

Steve Wilkos Show renewed for 19th season. https://deadline.com/2025/05/the-steve-wilkos-show-renewed-season-19-syndication-1236402188/

Steve Dolinsky is getting out of broadcasting entirely at the end of the month, taking a job scouting for concepts and collaborations for Levy Restaurants. His research will inform and mold the foods they serve at sports and entertainment venues across the country. The company is based in Chicago. He also mentions the brand new studio they'll be getting later this year.

I knew we shouldn't been fooled by their reverse 180 because Allen is still moving forward with their TWC plan.. Proof? WTHI no longer has a weather department. Their lone met, Everett Lau, will now do an off-air role at WTHI. https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1254746726654346&id=100063570909098

Spectrum is pretty solid for me in CT, as well.

Noticed Cox customers in SoCal, North of San Diego County, don't get the Dodgers RSN SportsNet LA, so Dodgers fans unable to switch last few yrs. to DIRECTV or Spectrum, will soon able to get SNLA.

WMFD 1996 Newswatch https://youtu.be/LiczduT6jsg?si=oW7cixPjKUPpE9sm

I've noticed that Spanish-language networks don't get much love around here so I thought I start one for Telemundo Deportes as their Spanish-language sports coverage is starting to become more impressive. For starters, Telemundo just released their Upfront, which is their plans for the upcoming TV season, and news came out that they're expanding their sports coverage big time. They already have Premier League coverage in Spanish, and so does several NFL games and Super Bowls in conjunction with NBC. Oh, and don't forget the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They will be all over that one to cover all 104 matches. Two things caught my eye, though, with this Upfront: Telemundo is a partial Spanish-language home of the NBA, airing 11 games per season, including the NBA All-Star Game, so NBC was able to get Spanish-language rights as well for Telemundo. The network is launching a 24/7 Spanish-language FAST sports channel in August: Telemundo Deportes Ahora, possibly modeling it just like their FAST news version, Noticias Telemundo Ahora. As far as I'm aware, this will be the biggest 24/7 FAST Spanish-language sports channel because I don't think Univision has any on ViX, and even if they do, its mainly Liga MX content. Telemundo's FAST version will probably be way different, but only time will tell. (Yes, this article does cover over stuff, but its the sports content that got my interest in this): https://www.forbes.com/sites/veronicavillafane/2025/05/08/telemundo-2025-26-lineup-preview-world-cup-2026-seor-de-los-cielos-spinoff-live-and-reality-tv/

Wendy McMahon has resigned as CEO. https://deadline.com/2025/05/wendy-mcmahon-resigns-cbs-news-1236404308/

That too (which is still stupid of AMG to do.)

They're too busy covering local weather for Allen stations.. what would you expect??

There are multiple factors to blame if we're going to do a full accounting of what killed traditional TV. I agree that greed is definitely one of them. Overpriced cable/satellite bills, extreme and intrusive levels of advertising, etc. It simultaneously got more expensive and more monetized while being less worth it. You could argue that the introduction of ads to cable TV, even though the original premise of paying for cable was that you were paying to avoid advertising, was the "original sin" that doomed the future of television. I posted this theory a few months ago, and I still believe it: I also think the historic laziness of American TV presentation is a big part of it. Compared to other countries that had idents, live announcers (sometimes on camera a la MTV's VJs) and all sorts of other extras that made TV feel like a big event, the presentation of American TV has always been minimalist and impersonal. In the long run, I think it's cost the networks dearly since they never developed the same brand loyalty as, say, the BBC that might have helped them hold out for longer against streaming and make the eventual transition more graceful. That laziness and lack of ambition extended to the programming, too. Networks started cancelling shows before they could even find an audience because it was safer to just recycle the same formats over and over again. Cable networks that started out with specific visions all drifted into being the same general-entertainment channels with the same programming before decaying into a worse version of Netflix binge-watching with ads every five minutes. And of course, the lack of local programming besides news doesn't help either. Most broadcast stations' schedules are full of syndicated crap that clearly nobody misses on streaming. Streaming is already heading in the same direction. It's becoming more expensive and fragmented, more encroached with advertising, too quick to cancel shows, and so on. It shows that the real problem was never traditional TV itself, it was the corporations behind it who simply can't help themselves.

Since there isn't a thread for the CBS O&O's yet, I thought of creating one here, especially with all the speculation regarding their parent company Paramount Global's potential merger with Skydance, which as of this moment, appears to be on life support if I'm not mistaken. Former O&O's (KEYE, KMOV, KUTV, WGNT, etc.), as long as they're still CBS affiliates or former O&O's that were part of UPN and/or The CW and are still affiliated with the latter even after Nexstar took over the network, can also be covered under this thread. Replies of CBS/Paramount purchasing or selling a station, a new graphics package being adopted, etc., or anything else that's related, can also be included.

Respectfully, we don't really encourage the creation of general threads, anymore, especially if it's being started with no particular headline or reason. The long, drawn-out process of this merger doesn't really count as so much is just currently in limbo. No matter their past, lumping in other groups' stations here is also unnecessary, as those companies likely already have pre-existing threads. Please refer to site rules. https://localnewstalk.net/guidelines/ Threads should have a targeted discussion topic: Creating threads that have no real topic of discussion (such as a "general" thread about a particular company or station) is not allowed without permission from the administration. Though threads of this nature exist from before this rule was put into effect, we discourage posting in them, as it makes it harder to find discussions about a particular topic, or causes numerous parallel conversations to take place at once. While not updated in several months, there is already a thread about the Paramount-Skydance merger. https://localnewstalk.net/topic/21444-skydance-to-buy-paramount-global/ If you're looking to discuss the political issues involved with keeping CBS's journalism independent while trying to get federal approval, there's a thread for that. https://localnewstalk.net/topic/21709-60-minutes-in-the-age-of-trump-20/ For better or worse, this thread has also already been used as a CBS O&O catch-all. https://localnewstalk.net/topic/19633-eight-cbs-stations-to-ditch-cw-and-go-independent-this-fall/

It's mirrored the WNBC news studio just like looking at a reflection

WOW. WNBC got the shaft with their new studio ... The Telemundo studio looks NICE!! -- Matt

Even then, Sinclair's glass/curves look didn't make it to all of their stations before it got replaced.

It’s a totally different studio than we thought.

TWC really should have done full coverage of the severe weather from 10pm-2am ET last night, given how horrible the tornado outbreak was, but alas, they did not. Just occasional break-ins with Mike Bettes.

They're doing the same thing as Sinclair did -- took them FOREVER to roll out and Sinclair's is what, almost a decade old (combining the glass/curves 1.0 and 2.0 looks) and also very stale?

Those are very good questions. I think Spectrum News will continue and will more likely expand to cover more areas and with more channels (Gainesville for example possibly receiving Spectrum News 13 from Orlando; Ocala already has it since Spectrum does serve there but no Cox but Cox serves Gainesville but no Spectrum there). CMG is 29% owned by Cox Enterprises. Maybe we'll see some changes regarding CMG but it's too soon to say on that for now. It'll be interesting and weird at first to say Spectrum from Cox instead of from Charter but we'll get used to it (I wish I still lived in Gainesville and had Cox to see the full effect).

These screenshots of their new 30 rock studios are from the TELEMUNDO47 YouTube channel

Even WISH-TV's look keeps it alive after Nexstar traded over to WTTV/WXIN. And WXIN's new look looks like a more refined GrayOne. GrayOne hasn't even made it's way around the country yet and it's getting stale. I wonder if they ever intended to take it national after it debuted at WANF.

Also of note, the Nexstar package has been around waaay longer than GrayONE

Happy for Leon’s sobriety and praying it last his lifetime

Really surprised they are keeping the Cox name, but with Spectrum being front-facing for the last decade, it makes sense to abandon Charter (which always sounded similar to a drug rehab center that existed until 2000). Besides price though, Spectrum is rock solid for me and I rarely lose service, so I must be in a good part of their service area (originally Marcus). It's just sad to see Cox in so many aspects wind down, though.

Alex Wilson posted on Facebook that she and Mike are alternating weeks and wont be together until some time in June. This is due to severe weather and one of them would be on after Weather Unfiltered for coverage when needed. They're basically in standby mode. The schedules day to day have been crazy. I believe this is due to the simple fact that people are taking time off. With Chris and Jacqui's exit that leaves them a little short so there has been a lot of shifting around when one is off or they just go to a 2 anchor format.

Wanted to give a quick update on what's been happening at TWC ever since the departure of Chris Warren and Jacqui Jeras... and actually some changes that happened slightly before that as well. Starting I believe the week of March 17th, if memory serves correctly, Weather Unfiltered was reduced to a two-person show. Dr. Knabb is the only constant on the show now. On any given night, he hosts the show alongside either Mike Bettes or Alex Wilson, but not both. There doesn't seem to be any noticeable pattern. I've seen Mike and Alex swap from week-to-week or sometimes mid-week. If Dr. Knabb is on vacation, which he is right now, then Mike and Alex will host the show together, as they did this past Friday, Monday, and Tuesday. With that being said, now that neither Mike Bettes nor Alex Wilson are on the network full-time, does anyone know if they're covering the local Allen stations, or if they've simply been cut back to part-time? With all of these cutbacks, the hosts of the 10am-2pm AMHQ and the hosts of the 2pm-6pm TWC Live are now responsible for sliding down the schedule to cover any gaps. It seems that in general, Jen Carfagno stays put on the 10am-2pm AMHQ, but over the past several weeks, Alex Wallace and Dr. Greg Postel have repeatedly been tasked with hosting the 2pm-6pm block if Chris Bruin or Felicia Combs are out. Sometimes there are also double swaps, such as today, with Mike Bettes and Dr. Knabb both out, Felicia Combs slid down to the 6pm-10pm Weather Unfiltered block to cover for them, and Dr. Postel slid down into the 2pm-6pm block to cover for Felicia. On weekends, the any one of the hosts of Weekend Recharge (Paul Goodloe, Molly McCollum, or Lynette Charles) are responsible for covering the 6am-10am America's Weekend Headquarters shift if either Kelly Cass or Reynolds Wolf are out. If that happens, then Weekend Recharge is reduced to a two-person show for the day.

Yesterday it was announced 11 stations have joined the Fever network, including a lot that aren't owned by TEGNA: https://www.wthr.com/article/sports/wnba/indiana-fever/tegna-expands-broadcast-distribution-indiana-fever-games-11-additional-markets-stations-companies-how-to-watch-guide-free-caitlin-clark-aliyah-boston/531-4b0454bb-85c9-49ec-8903-aea5b087535b

Trust me, as long as Fox still has The Simpsons and company, Hulu will still continue to host ALL Fox shows. And with that renewal, it's clear they're not going away from Fox.

It wouldn't surprise me if the same cases are on different shows, with the same actors, or maybe that's how they make them different. I wonder if these are outright sales of the facilities to other parties, or simply selling the building to a new owner through a sale/leaseback deal... Either way, it's going to bite them somehow in the future. When the rent goes up, then that's a big problem.

Had.

It must be a Comcast thing. Look at WNBC, KNBC and WMAQ. All their sets are giant screens with little personality and nothing unique. You can even say that for the Today Show. A view of 30 Rock plaza on one side of the studio and the other is one large curved screen. I'll give them credit for not fully blocking out the street windows yet like GMA, CBS Mornings and FNC did.

I wasn't aware either. Is this permanent or are they going to give TH their own set eventually?

Am I serious about what? I was unaware that Tamron Hall relocated to the new studio. Everybody doesn’t know everything, and thank you for informing me. There’s a more polite way that you could have informed me of that, instead of your usual sarcasm. Again, If you’re going to respond to anything I post check your tone first. I always reply to people respectfully on this thread, give me the same courtesy. You aside, the new studios are terrific so far. The lighting on The View also looks very good. Hoping the upcoming WABC set is just as great.

It was announced today (March 5) that UK news channel TalkTV, launched by Rupert Murdoch’s News UK in 2022, is to stop broadcasting on UK TV after struggling to keep up with its rival, GB News, in a ratings battle. Instead, TalkTV will go online from this summer, said an email sent to staff today. Last month, its best-known presenter Piers Morgan announced he was leaving his daily evening show, a potential factor of closure. Here’s the article for those who want it.

good luck and good riddance.

United Kingdom Gary Lineker isn't waiting another 18 months to leave the BBC. He's leaving NOW. Final day is tomorrow. https://talksport.com/football/3216552/gary-lineker-quits-bbc-antisemitism-row/

France Two things here... BFM Paris Ile-de-France, the first and flagship of the BFM Regions channels, went off the air for good in mid-March. Accumulated financial losses were to blame, but the other regional channels from BFM are still around. https://fr.themedialeader.com/bfm-paris-a-ferme-ses-portes/ The great Daniel Bilalian, who anchored Antenne 2 (before the name was changed in 1992 to the current France 2)'s 13h and 20h during the 80s and 90s, before leading the sports department for 12 years, has passed away. He was 78. https://entrevue.fr/en/disparition-de-daniel-bilalian-figure-de-laudiovisuel-francais-a-lage-de-78-ans/

I have a question, two actually. Will the merger affect either Spectrum News or Cox Media Group in any way? Despite CMG being owned by Apollo, doesn't Cox Enterprises still own a small part of it?

Canada Good 'ol Frankie is retiring from Citytv's BT Toronto. After 20 years, Frank Ferragine is retiring from the morning show and his last day is May 30th. https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/television/breakfast-television-s-frank-ferragine-a-k-a-frankie-flowers-to-retire-after-20-years/article_7bc7c4f4-5943-4b1a-a061-45178044e2b2.html

According to WNJU's Allan Villafaña, the new set will debut on T47 soon. https://www.instagram.com/p/DIXDvGxuXbR/?img_index=3&igsh=Mmp0OXA4MThlYnJj Villafaña uploaded a preview of the new set as he was recording a news promo https://www.instagram.com/p/DIZ9fyhuWMV/

I think this thread should be placed in the "International News" section.

Bell Media announced a major round of cuts in Canadian newsrooms, including the cancellation of all 12PM Newscasts with the exception of Toronto. With the exception of Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa. More details here: https://www.thestar.com/business/ctv-cancelling-most-noon-and-weekend-newscasts-as-bell-cuts-4-800-jobs-heres-what/article_abe5d964-c6ab-11ee-800a-0b227e178666.html; https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/not-a-viable-business-anymore-bell-media-selling-21-b-c-radio-stations-amid-layoffs; https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/bell-media-ends-some-ctv-newscasts-sells-radio-stations-in-media-shakeup-amid-layoffs-1.6760935