Leaderboard

Let's clarify something up... its no longer used on O&Os but is STILL used by affiliates. KWTX Waco and the Griffin duo of KWTV OKC and KOTV Tulsa are such examples.

Thank you Captain Obvious

This could be a glimpse at KMAX’s post-CW life.

WMAZ in Macon is using new weather banners that incorporate more colors. Wonder if these are coming to other tegna stations

KYW plays this or a similar video every morning before their newscast, and they’ve been doing so for a while.

And no more pre-emptions. In this case the move was needed, and eventually CBS and ABC will have to make the same decisions because if you have news content on and news breaks there's no one to really anger outside the few people who did a feature and didn't see it on TV. It's stupid because press conferences were designed to digest events during the day and be part of a rundown later instead of being covered live, but it's too late to go back to that form of distribution.

Days infamously films 8-10 months ahead so the other soaps will be affected a lot sooner than days will.

The best way to phrase that is that the license is not, but Hearst replaces Waterman as its service provider and will handle all the operations under (an amended version of) the original 1994 LMA.

I was more referring to changing the name of the show and the format to be more like GMA… they can play 3rd wheel anchors if they want and probably be ok. I’ll bet there are a lot of rusted in place dials out there that won’t care.

An end of a very long era. The CBS Enforcer has had a really good shelf life in terms of News music.

Los Angeles isn’t New York. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. All those people that tune in expect the same basic product they are getting now. What you are suggesting is like New Coke.

Back to decline of local news, I believe shrinking newrooms and the rise of the Multi Media Journalist position is a huge contributor. I'm seeing so many local stations with less than 10 reporters who have to edit, film, write and report all in one. Unfortunately, the increased work load hasn't translated to higher pay, especially not now with shrinking revenue streams. But a job requiring reporters to move to small market boondocks -- often away from any familial financial support structure--must pay better. It's crazy that people employed in television are paid retail level wages and need to live with roomates despite working a job requiring a bachelor's degree. To add to that, reporters are locked into to two to three year contracts sometimes with post employment non compete clauses. IMO get rid of or shorten contracts for reporters (at least those being paid low in smaller markets). Stop post employment non competes (in states where it's legal). People care more about where anchors land than reporters. This is a big ask but raise the pay. It allows people from diverese fianncial backgrounds to enter the field. A job requiring a degree should at least pay $1K a week, or at the very minuimum allow for the worker to have all basic needs met. Have realitic deadline and story output expectations as newsrooms shrink. Many reporters are qutting the industry over burnout. Journalism is a great and exicitng field but it has major drawbacks.

I think it may be due to the successful culture WSVN has built through the decades in Miami/Fort Lauderdale. Many of their English-language rivals in the market have taken key elements from them or in the case of WPLG, flat out copied them completely.

I don't watch anything new, although I do admit that the commercials for the new True Lies series make it look like it would be an interesting show. But I doubt I will get into the habit of watching it. I miss the days of shows like The Fugitive. It was a pretty simple formula. 1. Richard Kimble and a new city tracking down the one armed man, 2. Worksa menial job, 3. Makes friends with a co-worker or somebody in that town, 4. Something goes wrong and puts him in jeopardy, 5. Moral lesson: He always steps up and does the right thing, even if it puts him in jeopardy. Shows these days either preach to us about something (race, gays, transgender) or incorporate too much of the gutter lifestyle. That's why I like watching the old shows. Simple and I don't feel like I have to scrub myself clean after watching them.

According to the Nielsen website (CLICK HERE), the majority of us Americans are streaming MORE than watching OTA and Cable TV. Most people aren't coming home to watch the local newscasts on TV. People get their news online. Gone are the days of local newscasts at convenient viewing times. How are local stations getting with the times? I tried finding local stations to stream live on my ROKU TV but no luck there. I do know that Paramount+ not only lets me stream CBS shows, but there's a way to watch my local CBS affiliate LIVE with commercials with my subscription. On the Peacock streaming service, I discovered that for $10 more a month, I could stream my local NBC affiliate LIVE.

So, for those wondering, at last check, here are the times WSNN's newscasts are on (sorry for creating a list but excuse me on this one to make a point), at least on weekdays... 06:00-09:00AM 10:00-11:00AM 11:30AM-12:00PM 01:00-03:00PM 03:30-04:00PM 05:00-07:00PM 08:00-09:00PM (08:30-09:00PM on Fridays because of Music and The Spoken Word at 08:00PM) 10:00-11:30PM 03:00-05:30AM (The overnight repeat block I believe) So you got the first block competing entirely against WTTA/WFLA (plus the 6:00AM hour against WWSB), then the next hour at 10:00AM is all alone, 11:30AM is up against WFLA's hour-long midday news at 11:00AM, the afternoon block from 1:00-4:00PM (sans 3:00PM) is all to themselves, 5:00-6:30PM against WFLA (and WWSB), 6:30PM is alone to themselves, 8:00PM is against WTTA, 10:00PM is alone to themselves, and 11:00PM against WFLA (and WWSB). The overnight block doesn't matter because its repeats but still... So there's a lot of consolidation and possible cutting that WFLA may have to think about once this channel is entirely under their/Nexstar's control.

Maybe nothing worth mentioning but WSB has changed the shot of Atlanta but keeps the same hodgepodge of a display as it's background.

This chart makes me wonder if WABC or WPVI or WTVD will start a 3pm newscast with Rachael Ray ending and vacating the 2pm spot (GH would move to 2pm).

Another wrinkle.... According to Nexstar's 2022 annual report, their CBS affiliations are only under agreement through June of next year. Sinclair's NBC affiliations are only good until the end of 2024. With CBS losing the SEC after this fall, CBS is going to be far less valuable to WKRG than it's been in the past. Even with the NFL, its the AFC while the New Orleans Saints are primarily on FOX and WALA. WEAR is locked into ABC until 2026 and will be the new "home" of the SEC (along with ESPN) beginning in 2024. After seeing what happened to NBC after WRAL picked them up (worst to first), Nexstar and WKRG may jump at the chance of landing NBC. The bigger get may be getting Sunday Night Football and the Today Show, along with the NBC Nightly News. As for CBS, if they're fine with landing on WPMI.....they would get more programming time in the morning, TPIR, Y&R, B&B, and they would get way more NFL games than they do now, plus better sports on the weekends (minus the SEC)...and they would be fools not to bring back a noon show, which is usually a CBS station's meal ticket to win a time slot (thanks to TPIR/Y&R). Of course, Gray could still pull for CBS or NBC as well (as a .2), especially if landing CBS was tied to a bigger deal that kept WANF as a CBS affiliate.

In terms of audience decline, late news (11s and 10s) viewership is down 10-30% nationwide year-to-year.