Leaderboard

CBS is not in a buying mood. Blame the looming Skydance merger and the threats from the Trump administration. Plus, TV stations aren’t the license to print money like they once were. CBS is content to turn a small station it already owns into a CBS-branded O&O. Will it be a serious competitor in the Atlanta market? I doubt it. CBS gave up on being competitive in Atlanta after it lost longtime affiliate WAGA in the 1994 switch to Fox. As for WANF becoming a "WHDH-like juggernaut?" History would say otherwise. WHDH already had good ratings when it went independent. WANF and its predecessors never had good ratings, and the overall trend of fewer people watching TV in general doesn't bode well for the future -- no matter how much money Gray shovels into WANF.

The moderators have recently had to hide several posts from less-seasoned users, asking about individual stations' launches. Gray has like a thousand stations, we don't need to see inquiries about all of them. Please try and show some restraint, from this point on.

This is precisely what the problem is. They took the lazy route and copied WNT's format, especially with the excessive use of breaking news for stories that are sometimes days old. Feeling the need to make changes is fine and necessary, but directly copying your competition is the easy way out, especially if you aren't taking their ideas and trying to improve upon them.

Gray has really put a lot of work into WANF to make it into a valuable station. Why CBS did not acquire WANF I do not know. Then again, I don't even know the logic behind taking the CBS affiliation and putting it on WUPA in the first place. I get that they own the station but they have to put money into WUPA to bring it to at least the bare minimum for a CBS affiliate like say... news department and such.

I also don’t understand the staggered departure from 11pm and then 5pm. Would’ve been more grand to just have it done at once for his and Mike’s sake.

Oof. I'd rather see anyone else buy them as opposed to Coastal (former Coastal Employee. I can make a primetime special on how big of a jerk the owner is.) Anyone else would be an upgrade (Including Scripps, Sinclair, and TEGNA)

No they wouldn't be satellites, they would help WISN bolster Wisconsin coverage. Plus, Hearst would be smart to bring them all back to their own independence (that's IF Hearst were to acquire them, not saying it WILL acquire them).

What incentive would CBS have to purchase WANF? Gray poured a lot of money and resources into WANF and would likely not sell unless it was for a LOT of money. CBS is also not in the mood or the shape to go on a buying spree right now.

Also Hulu/Disney+ and Peacock have all-in marketing where everything is always marketed as being on them clearly with full-throated spending and development, while Paramount+ is still stuck on CBS All Access's tech stack and has severe underinvestment as PG cuts to the bone. Sony cooperates well with Disney already, while Peacock has been open to content from other sources. The big thing to note here is if ratings go down OTA, especially as subscribers are able to watch shows ad-free if they have that plan. The tie-in advertisers will be just fine, but the local advertisers (which have declined to an absurd number of home remodeling services and 'we do it all [not well but we do it all!] HVAC/pluming/electric' contractors, some of which whom have farmed out ads to AI) will lose a lot of eyeballs, along with any local news promos. But after last year's never-ending mudslinging fest with campaign ads, both services now can focus on advertising their ad-free tier as free of them, and though you'll still have the diehards that will DVR or VHS the shows, this deal will end a lot of 'where can I watch this' questions if the shows are pre-empted, just like those who watch Days of Our Lives now have a show that no breaking news will ever pre-empt.

Totally accepted the decision, no protest from me. It’s simply an interesting observation.

It makes sense with Tom doing both Top Story and Nightly News at the same time, why move from different floors and studios when you have it all in one. What intrigues me the most is how they manage to make Studio 1A look different for all 3 shows. Of course the Today logo on the side ruins the illusion but I'm impressed none-the-less.

There may have been some personal issues behind it, or a negotiation with ABC. Neither of which need to become public. Whatever, I'd just accept the decision.

I think Tom gets the job done. He strikes me as the NBC version of David Muir. Young(ish) guy in a suit and tie at the desk, Roving anchorman in a black t shirt out in the field. If not Tom then who is the alternative with those all encompassing traits? Peter Alexander perhaps? IMO the issue is more so NBC Nightly News than Tom. I like Lester Holt but the program's quality declined after took over. It's been rapid fire pacing, high story count, head spinning graphics in packages, and breaking news for the entire A block. All of this I'm sure was a response to World News Tonight getting #1 (so I understand why they felt the need to change). Of the modern era anchors, Brian Williams' broadcast was superior. It fast paced as well but not to the ADHD level it is today. He also possessed a grand narrative style that was evident during his anchor intros that I appreciated. Regarding the speaking I've noticed and been irritated by it too. NBC and ABC anchors seem to shout and as you say talk in half sentences. "Bullets flying; police coming to the scene, investigators finding victims". It's a mechanism to keep the story's "TRT" or runtime down to about 90 seconds long.

Update WDAY-TV has found their replacement for John Wheeler as Chief Meteorologist... ... its Jesse Ritka. For those of you who've been on the forum for so long, she used to work at WTMJ-TV Milwaukee for a decade before joining WDAY-TV shortly before COVID took over. Now, she gets the Chief gig full-time and leading a weather team of six which is rare for a market that size. https://www.facebook.com/wdaytv/posts/congratulations-to-jesse-ritka-wdays-new-chief-meteorologist-jesse-has-been-with/1095953142566157/ Here, she's being interviewed by former KVLY-TV anchor Robin Huebner (who you don't see or hear here) who TIL works for The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, the TV station's sister daily newspaper:

I just wanted to say thank you to the admins, moderators, and users for all the wonderful updates, videos, and photos that debut each Gray TV station's new graphics. I've been here from the start of the GrayOne thread. Also, to the few who know what and when each one will debut, thanks for keeping it secret. I like the suspense and surprise. I still despise the red theme (Richmond, Atlanta, etc.,) but the others are fantastic. Thanks again for all the updates!

If (this is speaking theoretically) CBS were to re-affiliate with KSTW 11 and KIRO 7 were to go independent, KIRO would be able to hold its own. WHDH and WJXT have done remarkably well since losing their network affiliations. I'd anticipate WPLG, which is also losing its network affiliation in August, along with WANF, holding its own too. I'd agree with responses by @TVLurker and @Howard Beale about Gray Media investing too much money and resources into WANF (which previous owners Tribune and Meredith, from the WGNX and WGCL days, did very little to no investing), to CBS likely not being interested in buying WANF.

I can tell you this, it won't be clean for Gray if they even wanted to buy more stations. The only markets Gray doesn't have a presence in with Allen stations are Chico-Redding, Terre Haute, Lafayette (both in Indiana and Louisiana, Gray's last market where it doesn't own a station in that state), Tupelo/Columbus, Eugene, and Medford.

I don't really think Brian Williams screwed himself per say. He was moved to MSNBC and left around the time politics and journalism became perverted and sensational. I know he did stuff for Amazon during the election, the most important question is why would he go to Amazon who was partially responsible for getting Trump elected via The Washington Post not endorsing either candidate? And I know Amazon is a division with a bunch of companies owned by Jeff Bezos. He left MSNBC on his own terms though and is still presented and represented as a legendary journalist at NBC News. If you really want somebody who totally screwed himself over. Look no further than Matt Lauer who is persona non grata at NBC. The day after his last show was basically the news anchors of Today at the time talking about his firing over sexual misconduct. There are still videos up featuring him on the official Today channel but aside from that, NBC News does not mention Matt Lauer at all, only reluctantly because Matt is a large part of the Today's show history from 1996-2018. Almost 3 decades of content that features him. I don't think anybody misses Matt anyways. YT comments that mention him are either pounding on him for his treatment of women or semi-nostalgic for his tenure. I say semi-nostalgic because I haven't anybody say that The Today Show needs Matt back, they just like those days when Studio 1A actually had people in it.

A reminder for folks when it comes to cbs buying stations. 1. their finances aren’t exactly in the best shape right now. Buying a non appreciating asset like a broadcast station would not be a smart move financially 2. The current administration has a vendetta against Paramount. Even if cbs wanted to it’s likely to be held up by regulators for petty reasons

Apparently June 2nd was the day. The full Weather Unfiltered team has been together today and yesterday.

WGBH has been using the Arthur fist meme as a symbol for their cause to keep PBS and NPR on the air. It is symbolic for many reasons. In the context of Arthur it was a part of a story that teach kids about anger and taking accountability but out of context it is powerful, it is a message against Trump that public broadcasting will not go down without a fight. The tariff's may be causing people to hesitate in donating but I'm guessing members here have a lot of disposable income. Why not donate to keep PBS and NPR alive?

This might be the end of PBS and NPR as we know it

I second this as well. I don't think CBS would want to wait for an opportunity to buy WUSA when said opportunity also is tied to buying either all the other stations or other reasons that might not sit well with CBS. (I don't know what the various real life reasons could be, be gentle.) If I were CBS, I would either find a way to buy WJLA or failing that, any of the UHF stations. The UHF stations option is scary because it will set a precedent that networks no longer need reputable stations with news departments and a history of serving their community. If WWJ, WBTS and the pending move of CBS to WUPA has shown us anything, it shows that the networks are starting to come to that conclusion, even ABC has even started to follow CBS's lead and NBC's partial lead by taking the affiliation from WPLG and putting it on a subchannel of WSVN. When CBS decides to strip WUSA of it's affiliation for a station that nobody knows or cares about, anarchy will arise and it won't be good for the viewers of those TV stations of which the networks are starting to screw around with.

Well with MSNBC moving out soon, they’ll have a lot of studio space soon. But if Tom likes it I don’t see a problem. That today logo can be removed for the nighttime shows. I’m sure the set can be modified in between shows Tom already moved to another part of the set for Top Story. Ya know I think studio 1A is a great space, and with today’s technology they can have there own space for all principal shows, breaking news and election coverage and special reports as needed.

No one said CBS had to buy WUSA...

The plot thickens. Gray is interested in acquiring WSB-TV.

I found the whole 5pm send off /farewell really odd. For most of his career, he’s been known as the 6pm and 11pm guy… he’s been on at 5pm for a little less than 6 years (replacing Diana Williams in September 2019). It made sense to have a big announcement about the 11pm. They probably should’ve done the 5pm at the same time… or just made this a less over the top goodbye.

Also would Tegna unload it's flaghip?

And since its call letters have the exact same number of syllables as "WTBS", it could use an updated version of this classic: "Celebrate! Celebrate! Superstation P-C-H!"

I was surprised to hear Bill say that he'll be on Eyewitness News at 6 for years to come. Although it's customary for semi retired anchors to ride the 6pm until the end, in this cost-cutting climate I'm surprised they didn't make him fully retire instead of paying him to anchor for 30 minutes a day. Regardless it's cool to still have another veteran anchor around for a while longer. I grew up watching Bill and Liz together at six, so it's nice that she will be his final partner.

Yeah, it’s the end of an era indeed. This is exactly how it played out for Bill Beutel in the late 90s until he left the station in 2003. And most of the veteran anchors stayed on the 6 p.m. show till their final days. Bill Ritter, now his replacement from 2003, is now 75, so it’s understandable that he's slowly beginning his departure from the career. Hopefully, he stays till 2030! What a solid anchor and face he has been for WABC.

Yeah, it was WCIX that was irrelevant because of a poor signal and limited resources for their news department. Once Steve Maudlin came in as GM by 1998, they became competitive.

The announcement is comming today ... http://www.mediaite.com/tv/exclusive-more-msnbc-changes-coming-with-three-shows-out-hard-news-and-chuck-todd-back/

WMAQ 10PM News (8/7/1987) during the second month of the ongoing strike between NBC technicians and the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians

This is an exclusive from Front Office Sports regarding how Inside the NBA on ESPN and ABC will operate next season. I will do a list, so apologies, but its to drive the bullet points home from this article... TL;DR: The show will lead ESPN's pregame and halftime programs. There will be an extensive postgame show, which ESPN wants to run as long as it has been on TNT. They'll be on Opening Week, Christmas Day, all ABC games after Jan. 1st, and the final week of the season. The show will air live during their biggest NBA events, including the playoffs (like before), conference finals (like before), and, for the first time, the NBA Finals. https://frontofficesports.com/inside-inside-the-nba-transition-to-espn/

Jesus. Blurred or not why would they even air those images? The content could have just been described. News in the 70s and 80s was RAW! History repeats itself. With news of CBS Atlanta leaving Channel 46 and going to Channel 69, here are some news reports of when the CBS affiliation almost went to Ch 69.

Turns out Strahan is staying on GMA after all, albeit on a reduced schedule.

I can only see Hearst buying WKOW and the Wisconsin stations to bolster WISN plus WAAY to bolster WVTM. The rest would be difficult for Hearst to imagine buying. I don't see them going back to Hawaii (for KITV).

Fair point.

Looking at the list of stations, I'm pretty certain they'd be a clean purchase for Hearst or Graham...but most of them are small-market, so outside of maybe WAAY, KVOA, WREX, KWWL, and WKOW, I don't think Hearst would be all that interested (and Graham even less so). Also, the work that would be involved in making the stations decent again.... It'd probably be Hearst's last significant purchase of the 2020s and 2030s.

You just mentioned one key word flagship.

With news of CBS moving from WANF 46 to WUPA 69, here's a video from back in late 1994 close to the time WAGA, then a CBS affiliate would go to FOX, where they reported on who was planning to take over the affiliation in...channel 69, then WVEU after CBS purchased it, only for then WGNX 46 took over instead. So, ch. 69, after nearly 31 years, ends up getting CBS after all.

KCRA Channel 3 Reports 1980 KCRA Channel 3 Reports 1975

When she is doing reporting, will she accidentally close her report “ABC7 Eyewitness News” out of habit?

Yes. They did a REALLY good job. It's a nice look. The new Guardian updates are awesome, too, IMO!

Speaking of WDBJ I wish more Gray stations would pick up their graphics package, especially their weather graphics... I think the Raycom stations would've looked better with that packaage

FINALLY! That's long overdue.

Another station has the new Gray package: WWBT here in Richmond. They're using the graphics that are currently on WMC, WLBT and others (personally, I wish WWBT would use the current graphics on WDBJ or the ones on WHSV). They've started using them on the evening newscasts last night (noticed that on the NewsON app). Music is still The Rock by Stephen Arnold Music, but Inergy continues to survive on sports and some segments. https://www.nbc12.com/live/ UPDATE (10:07PM): Watching the Fox News at 10 on WRLH - produced by WWBT - and they're now using the graphics package that are currently on WDBJ7, WITN and others. Yes, Gray Television graphics on a Sinclair station. Remember, WWBT has a news-share agreement with WRLH (it started in 1994). Also, Gari's Daily News package is out and the Sinclair News Package (the Curves version) is in! Unfortunately, the 10pm and the morning newscast at 7am (Fox Richmond Morning News) doesn't stream on WRLH's website nor WWBT's.

I have heard them call her that in the past...Idk why..Maybe its cause shes the only anchor that has lasted during that part of the newscast?