Dave Lampstein

Linear Drift has absolutely no idea how to design a lower third.

Nexstar to lay off 2% of workforce via layoffs at stations, sales https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/nexstar-media-layoffs-2-tv-stations-advertising-sales-1236245915/

He was having trouble yesterday too.

In my experience the quality of the producers being pumped out of j-schools these days is a pretty big part of the problem.

Good timing on the launch of the CMG thread... more news: they're shutting down the DC bureau.

Are we really getting bent out of shape over this? Come on guys. He died from being 83.

This was interesting: ”He also suggested the company might look to such entities such as a TV-station group or a sports operation as potential acquisition targets, these people said.” LET THE MINDLESS SPECULATION BEGIN! (Is there still a separate board for this?)

It's always interesting when these "rebrands" happen and just like this example they tout how they will bring you stories that "impact you and your family every day". So... what were you exactly doing before then? Aside from this new logo, how does this brand change what's in your rundown? I think we know the answer to that though...

It's inevitable that it happens at all of these station groups. It makes sense... your stations all look the same, they essentially have similar brands that were all developed by the same agencies/consultants. When I was at Hearst, you could see this starting to happen with their cookie-cutter promos being swapped between markets and this was over a decade ago. So many TEGNA stations have similar brands at their core... you could easily build a single campaign, have local news photogs shoot your talent and b-roll and have some editor in Iowa stitch them all together and upload to Dropbox. I know everyone here loves the idea of local identities, but that concept is dead. You can get your black and gold graphics package... that's about it. Woof. It sounds like it's going to be all remote. I saw a few former colleagues already posting on LinkedIn looking for their next gig. Some really talented people too, which makes you wonder who they're going to keep around...

TEGNA joins the ranks of other local station groups who have decided to try to hub their station promo marketing. An announcement came down from outgoing COO Lynn Beall today. More industry layoffs ahead, just in time for the holidays.

In a move that should surprise no one, CBS 58, lead by former sports reporter somehow turned news director Jessie Garcia, has named Lance Allen as their new sports director. Lance was pushed out at WTMJ this year after nearly 30 years in their newsroom. Lance replaces Kevin Holden, who Jessie Garcia has been trying to push out at CBS 58 after serving as their sports director and bilingual Packers and Brewers play-by-play guy for Telemundo Wisconsin after nearly 15 years. Jessie has been in charge of WDJT's newsroom for 3 years now but has yet to really move the needle. Jessie and Anne Brown, a first-time GM who came over from a marketing role at WITI, have built a playbook based on plucking talent from other Milwaukee stations but haven't found much success in this strategy.

This was an interesting behind-the-scenes of election prep at NBC News:

I think it's actually a giant LED wall studio? They aren't using any AR graphics. They're bringing guests on via a TV screen on a rolling cart... Brian looks/sounds good, but he needed to be teamed up with a stronger group around him. The insert graphics are absolutely awful... poor design, sloppy templates, and the CG system they're using seems to be struggling with them.

I don’t know that they really needed to go all out with new music and graphics and it’s not as if they had a lot of time.

is it still a ripoff if it’s an improvement?

The design is fine, but the motion really leaves a lot to be desired. Way too much snap. Feels like someone designed some nice boards and a junior motion artist did the leg work.

BAN HIM!!!

Kevin Holden, sports anchor at WDJT / CBS 58 in Milwaukee and Spanish voice of the Brewers and Packers for Telemundo Wisconsin is being pushed out at the end of September after 15 years.

A lot of Fox stations are #1 in their markets… what are you talking about?

Is any of this even worth documenting? Nah

Probably because it will disappear on November 6th.

What is your point?