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The problem with Scripps stations like Fox 4 Ft Myers removing all talent (minus weather) from newscasts its that they're axing some of tv's last stand--personality. In the era of information overload where you can get news from anywhere, WHO is giving you the news definitely draws an audience. I used to tease my mom for always turning in to a specific channel to see a specific weather man when all stations give the same forecast. But that's what gives tv stations and talent power---the ability to command an audience.

I might be in the minority, but I think it looks cool, especially if it's a play on the New York City flag colors. It elevates it from plain white and dull.

The viewers too. Let's be clear. If we see what I hope are many unwinding of side-care LMAs, the viewers will be the winners. This entire mass consolidation of stations has been awful for the viewers of local news. I know that these groups try to sell us synergy, but that doesn't work in local news, unless you are shutting down whole departments and consolidating their operations, but that's never good for local ad sales and local news. You can see this in the grocery industry as well. Kroger's ownership of all of their stores is a disservice to the vendors and consumers. Their stores, regardless of state, look, sound and sell all of the same things. There's nothing local.

This bug appeared at 5:30 for about a minute this evening, before being taken away and replaced by the normal blue one. Pretty weird. The ugly gradient reminds me of CBSN's old "Red & Blue" look (and also 1990s web design).

Annnnnnd, I think we're done here.

People have explained multiple times why KTTV/KCOP shouldn't and wouldn't do all-day news. They're not looking to compete, they're merely filling airtime, in the current bleak syndication landscape.

Besides weather basically Scrippscast can be put together on a Tuesday to be aired on a Friday, there is very very little current event, breaking news being reported on.

good luck and good riddance.

The cost is one part of it - but the other elephant in the room is staffing the endless newscasts most stations are doing. Recruiting producers was a challenge before the pandemic hit four years ago, and the brain drain there has only gotten worse. The Scrippscast model doesn't solve the retention problem - but it is one way to function in an environment where there aren't enough people willing to do the job. (and hopefully, lighten the load and reduce the misery for the ones stations have left)

On the one hand, I’ll admit there are worse ways to make cuts than by producing a Scrippscast. Given that Sinclair has resorted to shutting down entire newsrooms and pumping in a questionable product from DC, it’s not so bad by comparison. Better to have a station continue to cover local stories with less than ideal resources/production than to have a local newsroom shut down entirely. However, I still don’t think that this is good for broadcast journalism. IMO, a lot of these Scrippscasts (for example, see WTXL) look hastily put together, and it seems as though they do the bare minimum to cover local stories. The national content often has little to no relevance to the viewer in that market. I’m not totally against the idea of reducing the role of the anchor to save costs, but unless that money is going into more robust local journalism and providing greater context to local issues, it’s a bit disingenuous for Scripps to frame this as a positive evolution in local news. It’s just cost cutting. It certainly seems like this is the future of local news, but we don’t have to like it.

Y'all are going to be very disappointed when Scrippscasts become the industry norm, not the exception. If there's one thing local television enjoys, it's xeroxing the heck out of each other.