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Alabama's Meteorologist James Spann will start his own televised weather network "The Alabama Weather Network" beginning August 11. It will serve all 67 counties of Alabama. As for now, he will still stay with ABC 33/40 as their chief met.

Spann has said many times before Sinclair has given him the freedom to do what he wants to do (hints why they don’t do the CODE RED ALERT). This has probably been in the works for a number of years, but didn’t have the backing or tech to do this full time. Now when James does say he is over with 33/40, I would like to see him do weather for smaller community stations (think public access channels, low power stations, or maybe the last ma and pa radio stations).

It almost like running news departments or at least starting up one is cheaper than it was 30 years ago. Especially with everything cloud-based technology, Live U backpacks, and Virtual Sets its almost like you create a digital friendly tv news operation instead of what it used to be. I remember when I was working for KMSG I pretty much was never in a newsroom I was remote I could even work in another city.

I was taking a nap when this happened, around 9PM CST, so I don't know if this affected KCTV, Ch. 5 in Kansas City, MO. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnSCAzoZqTc This also affected KOAM-TV, Ch. 7 in Pittsburg, KS\Joplin, MO.

Apparently WHNT wants people to switch to another station. The same VO playing over and over and over again is maddening. Just put up a fullscreen and leave it at that. I will say I was impressed by WAFB. Looks like they started their news a few minutes early rather than allowing the dead air.

I already mentioned this on Out and About. Here's how some CBS affiliates handled it:

While James Spann won't be involved 24/7 (even though it seems like it would be given his work ethic), it's a launching pad to provide a service for all of Alabama and give timely weather information without having to break into programming, (although watching Spann on TV is a must-see when the suspenders are on!) Sinclair is lacking in the live-streaming department, especially after bungling STIRR and their limited products on NewsON. Nexstar is slowly catching up with their station apps and live-streaming, but they have a ways to go as well. Now, James Spann (and his brand) can be available to anyone with a working and compatible device, and his operation can focus on the entire state. Sinclair missed an opportunity to put him on a more visible platform in Alabama, especially when Alan Sealls stepped aside from WPMI. But Thomas Geboy is a good addiion to them locally.

On the Broadcast Plaza Discord, Chase Wilson, who has been involved in the project, said that Spann and his co-partners had been working on developing the Alabama Weather Network since 2023. He also stated it would be a member of the National Weather Network, the cooperative co-founded by Tennessee Valley Weather managing meteorologist Ben Luna (who designed the logo with Wilson) of which Laubhan’s Mississippi Live Weather is a member service.

I have a feeling that this will be too much for him in the long run... Given his age, and the fact the is already so active on social media platforms and such... Unless he hires a social media manager (unless he has one and I don't know of it), he's going to burn out fast.... I wonder if this is a subtle hint of him retiring from 33/40 in the next few years?

Woah. A major technical failure took place during CBS Primetime's last hour (10pm ET/9pm CT) last night. Here's how some CBS affiliates handled it:

The good news is (for his 33/40 viewers) is that he's sticking around...but for how much longer? Unless he has a Marvin Zindler-like contract with them, (which I highly doubt with a company like Sinclair) he's probably inching his way out the door. I wouldn't blame him after Matt Laubhan over in Tupelo-Columbus left WTVA after Allen's diabolical plans to hub weather backfired. All of these meteorologists starting their own platforms is going to put the hurt on stations covering the weather. Add in the incoming consolidation, and local broadcast TV news is about to be in a major fight for it's survival...

It's a coincidence they were also an "ei8ht" station since they and WJW did not link up until the 1994 switch. And unlike WJW, they went straight from Citicasters (Taft & Great American) to FOX instead of being sold to New World. WJW was Storer -> Gillett/SCI -> New World -> FOX In the waning days of their FOX O&O status, they got the same "8" as WJW got when New World christened them as "Fox 8". The lineage continued as WGHP and WJW were two of the stations FOX wanted to sell off at the time.

I believe it is KPIX's choice to use the newsroom during the midday newscast, because at night there is CBS 24/7 PrimeTime with Elizabeth made from the VR/AR studio at the same time that the local 5pm and 6pm editions of KPIX air (also made in the AR/VR studio, but different studio)

That would be great! To see them back on the desk. Wishful thinking though!

I love the historical stuff on the right! I wish more stations did stuff like that.

On the heels of ex-WTVA chief Matt Laubhan launching Mississippi Live Weather, ABC 33/40 chief meteorologist James Spann is launching a 24-hour statewide streaming weather service, Alabama Weather Network, set to launch on August 11. Spann will remain with ABC 33/40, doing weather for its 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. newscasts as well as severe weather coverage as needed, while also appearing on ALWN. The venture is a co-partnership between Spann, hotel industry executive (and co-partner on Spann’s Alabama Weather Blog) Bill Murray, former ABC 33/40 meteorologist John Oldshue, and business and personal finance expert (and former Birmingham Barons president/GM) Bill Hardekopf.

Plus, other variables at play here. I doubt Martha was "assigned" to fill in... Witt and Linsey both wanted the weekend off, and Martha may have very well stepped up so ABC could give both the weekend they asked for off. I've done that a time or two myself when there's nothing going on- helps out coworkers, puts extra cash in my pocket, and usually also buys some goodwill for when I want to take time off. Point is, I wouldn't read too much into this unless they drag Sawyer or Gibson back to the news desk.

They are solid when it comes to having a bench of backups. Makes sense to keep that pipeline flowing.

I didn't mean to offend at all; just making an observation that the regulars need time off and they turn to others on the bench, and she is in her 70s.

Evidently Altice USA and Nexstar have come to an agreement. Both Mission owned WPIX and Nexstar's NewsNation are back on Optimum systems. No notification from Optimum to their customers of course.

That's a big if. It didn't happen under the last GOP controlled Pai FCC. Who knows how long it will take to add a GOP member, right now it will be 2-2.

I don't see the GOP controlled FCC will go through that Nexstar has to sell WPIX or they buy it outright maybe since the rules will be relaxed maybe Nexstar will own WPIX outright. Yup, The CW app is free. Altice is different name but can't get rid of the Cablevision smell out of it LOL. I feel that Nexstar & Altice will come to an agreement in the next few months in my opinion than they will with MSG RSN.

We didn't get affected here in Arizona as KPHO (Phoenix) & KOLD (Tucson) was able to get a clean feed on NCIS Sydney as well as late night. I know some Mountain Time Zone stations were affected, but looks like the extra hour because of us not observing Daylight Savings Time helped. West Coast wasn't affected either even as many stations record the main ET/CT feed to air later.

They'll stay status quo for as long as they want too Nexstar knows these are legacy stations, that why they don't mess to much with PIX and KTLA and that why when they got their new set a it was a nexatar set in a box they had free reign to choose whatever designer.

Whether they are truly short-staffed by people leaving and can't fill the jobs, or simply choosing not to, they're saving money either way. WYTV did have a technical meltdown on their 11pm show last week and ended up simulcasting WKBN's news for the rest of the show.