CircleSeven

I'm not making it sound any such thing. It comes at a complete shock to me, that he wants to come back to reclaim his stations. I still think he needs to sell the rest of those stations (as most of those stations are at the bottom-of-the-totem-pole). Maybe that would be his best move since he sold most of its stations to Titan.

Not a major M&A, but it looks like the Trust is changing hands again. It looks like Mr. Stapleton will hand in the Pappas Liquidated Trust to.....Mr. Pappas!!! ........AND it's possible that the Trust could go bye-bye as well, if this change of gaurd gets the greenlights by Bankruptcy Court (on Thursday acc. to this WIWN app). If this follows through, maybe he can finally sell KHGI to a good buyer. It's their only cash-cow left in the portfolio. All the rest are basically speculator bate, although most of the markets may not need that much spectrum post-auction. Except for maybe WIWN. Or sell it to Abraham. He's been getting these low-valued station. He'll probably cash in his chips during auction time too. ________________________________________ Also under the radar. It looks like WPLG is no longer the only player at 4:30am. WTVJ's has expanded its morning news to 4:30am. They did so during the Olympics, but they'd announced that it will be a permanent mainstay. WFOR would be stupid not to follow WTVJ's lead.

It looks like the Department of Justice may be backing Wheeler's possible plan to curbs those arrangements. They made comments to the FCC yesterday, stating that they should make JSAs attributible, and should look over any SSAs under a case-by-case basis.

Wow! That is shocking! Sad to see her leave Channel 8.

Brady's acquisition of KYMA & KSWT has now been consummated, as of yesterday (2/18). It'll probably going to be a minute before both stations be under one roof.

Guess who had an ice anchor desk last week? And this time, it wasn't a Gannett station......

I don't know if they were "suppose to get it" or wanted the station or not, but KAUZ was the only station that wasn't in part of the Gray/Hoak deal back in December. I doubt Gray wanted to be a junior partner of an existing SSA with Drewry's KSWO. This is similar to when Sinclair bought Fisher. They would've been a junior partner to Idaho Falls' SSA between KIDK & NPG's KIFI, and you know Sinclair isn't going to fly with that. So NPG form a shell VistaWest as a result.

New M&A This Morning!!! Hoak is selling KAUZ to a new entity KAUZ Media, Inc., owned by Lawton, OK lawyer, Bill W. Burgess, Jr. I had a feeling that Drewry was going to form something to keep that SSA alive. At least they got someone local to buy it.

And now broadcasters and their attorneys (who are mostly involved in the transactions of station deals) are sounding off on Wheeler's possible plan to curb those JSAs and other sharing arrangements.

Okay, B&C stated yesterday that sources around the FCC is expecting Wheeler to put on his agenda in next month's FCC meeting that he would be placing a proposal that would make "joint sales agreements" (JSAs) for more than 15% of a station's ad inventory attributible to attributable as ownership under FCC local ownership limits. Also with this proposal, the existing JSAs wouldn't be grandfathered, but could give stations with existing JSAs two years to unwind them. The meeting won't include making "shared services agreements" (SSAs) or any other form of sharing arrangements attributable, but it will ask for input on how they should treat those other arrangements. He also said that he won't loosen up the crossownership ban between a TV station and a newspaper, something former Chairman Julius Genachowski was proposing in his 2010 quadrennial review. Meanwhile, the NAB made a pitch to the FCC this week to defending those JSA/SSAs.

Follow-Up Time!!! It appears that Gray will acquire WQCW outright for that same $5.5M purchase. Gray has also formed a LMA with WQCW (which went into effect on February 1st) while it awaits the FCC to greenlight the deal. Gray states on the app that WQCW is not within the top-four highest rated stations, and it will still be eight equal voices in the market. _______________________________ Well we have the second and third FCC approvals of the year, which happened on Monday. First, the Roberts Broadcasting stations WZRB, WRBU and WAZE going to that "Broadcast Trust" was greenlighted by the FCC. Also, the FCC also greenlighted Boston Venture's last Smith Media station WKTV to Bob Prather's Heartland Media.

I agree. And besides, most of the NBC stations will have news at (or a bit after) 11:30pm on most nights during the games. They tend to end the primetime coverage at midnight during the summer games. Like during London games, most nights they ended minutes (and on the first week, 15 minutes) after midnight.

Even though they probably do things as you put it "slow and gradually!", I didn't think bringing another anchor to the fold on Sunday was slow or gradual at all, not in any strecth of the imagination. I think what they did on Sunday was something out-of-the-orginary that was very snap-of-the-finger approach "OH! Let's Try Something New Today, Let's try this". Even if (and I can't assume if it did get any complaints on Sunday) it probably didn't get alot of complaints, and I'm not sure how many people you think are the "masses", but if enough people saw it, and may not like a duo anchorship on the weekend evening shows (and it don't have to mean Sarah, they might do this same thing this weekend with a different anchor (I hope that's not the case)), folks will probably catch on and complain. In other words, whether its any cosmetic, content/style/delivery or any other changes, music change or not, if an average viewers sees something that is unusual in the newscasts they've relate too (even when they see duo instead of solo), or if they keep meddling with the formula, folks will complain. Simple as that. Now I wasn't aware about these series of "tests". They surely was "testing" alright. Hmmmm.

Don't think I wasn't aware of Rob Jennings departure last July. You're talking about why not "test things out" now, why haven't they "test things out" at the time of Rob's departure, and not wait until six months later (while Walter has been comfortably anchoring the weekends solo) to meddle with that format, which I think its very risky and gutsy since its the start of sweeps. Yes it's not like as you pointed out "It's not like they are changing the music theme" (although I don't know why you would bring that element up, knowing that they wouldn't be as stupid to even think about altering that), but they have to realize that too much meddling with the formula they've followed through for a long time may not be a good thing. But lets see if this happens again this coming weekend.....

....And Sometimes Change Ain't Always Good. I had a feeling some ND wanted to experiment something tonight. After all, we are in the start of the February books. And although I do feel that they'll probably do a two-anchor format should Jim leaves, feeling that they may feel that no other new anchor would have that kind of leadership that Jim has, I don't think it would be right to break that solo format on the 6 & 11pm, which have been synonymous to Channel 6 Action News for decades. If It Ain't Broke Don't Fix It. Change Ain't Always Good. Don't fix shit that ain't broken. Just Sayin'. Take It For What It's Worth.

We have one M&A tonight. Remember Thomas Abraham, who tried unsuccesfully to block that KSWT deal from Brady? It appears that Abraham will be buying KFXP from Compass Communications for $350K. KFXP use to be operated by Sunbelt-owned NBC affiliate KPVI. The station has been silent since last Summer. The one thing I did not see is a SSA/JSA paperwork. So I doubt there will be a sharing arrangement between KFXP and KPVI, which Frontier is awaiting for that greenlight from the FCC. On that same APA, Abraham is also buying two LP stations in Beaumont, TX for $250K.

I have no problem with the tag-teaming, especially when there's severe weather happening, and such. But watching the 5am news today, even though Troy was there, it felt like Tracy was "filling in" for Troy. In November, when that tornado hit, it was Phil & Jerry tag-teaming that what whole weather segment that Sunday Night (Jerry filled in for Phil that previous night), but the first person you saw was Phil, not Jerry, where this morning, the first one you saw was Tracy, not Troy. With Tracy showing up this morning, I felt that Troy got the short end of the stick today. I know some folks would want another familiar face when it comes to severe weather, but forget about seniority for a second. This was Troy's broadcasts and I felt he should've took that role this morning, as he'd always have done every Saturday morning. If I remember from that whole day (Sunday 5/20/12), the whole weekday anchor talent, (except for Sylvia & Kathy), were there that day, while the weekend talent (except for Karen, which she was in the newsroom doing non-NATO news segment during the 10pm), were on the field. In fact about it, Ravi was one of several reporters that were covering that protester clash at the corner of Cermak & Michigan. The lineup was this: 6-7am & 8am-9:30am: Hosea & Judy Special 10:30-11:30am: Alan & Linda Midday Cut-ins, After the Game & 10-11pm: Ron & Cheryl The day prior (Saturday 5/19/12), the regular weekend talent anchored. But on that 12pm special newscast, it was Ravi & Karen. Roz was on both Saturday & Sunday morning. The only time when the Oscars had their weekday talent was when the Oscars aired on Monday. Since it's been moved to Sunday, it has always been their weekend talent, even when ABC carried the Super Bowl. Other than that NATO coverage, I don't think they'd ever brought their weekday talent to anchor on the weekends. I don't think Channel 9 has done that either...

So Tracy & Troy were tag-teaming this morning...... I know she'd done Sunday Mornings before. But I think this is a rarity seeing her on a Saturday Morning.

I think th first one that did was (believe it or not) WXIA. They had one on January 8. So that makes it SIX (with WKYC, WUSA, WVEC, WCNC & KTVB). I wouldn't be shocked if the desk made an encore with all that severe weather they're having now.

TVNewsCheck states today that the WMGM sale to LocusPoint Networks closed today. Also, B&C states that two Los Angeles TV stations, PBS member station KLCS and Independent station & LATV flagship station KJLA have agreed to this "Channel Sharing Pilot Program" to see if two channels can share the same frequency. Listen, we know a frequency can show two (or multiple) streams, even HD streams. That doesn't mean the picture quality will be as good. This is the reason why broadcasters show hold on to your channels and not participate, because this is what the FCC wants you to do. Broadcasters have spent eons of money and capital during the 2009 digital transition, and they have to do this repacking all over again post-auctions. I hope these major broadcasters don't follow through and sell their frequency and move to someone else's frequency so both channels have mediocre quality. It won't matter to the "speculators" because they are there to buy more "lowest-to-the-totem-pole" rated channels so they can be be the first to sell those airspaces in a heartbeat to the FCC.

I'm not too sure. Her LinkedIn says April 1984. I'm not too sure of the exact date. If I remember correctly, I read somewhere that in April 1984, they actually had a one-week experiment (4/16 - 4/20) on an hourly 4pm newscast (they already had a 4:30pm show, and they were still showing 3pm movies as a lead-in). It wasn't until after the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics (which ABC covered), that the hourly 4pm newscasts became permanent. I'm not too sure if Linda was involved in that experiment. But if she was, she probably started around that time.

So Mike filled in for Phil, last night. And this morning, Phil & Tracy were tag-teaming. Also new reporter Tanja Babich made her first morning show appearance today..... _____________________________________________ I know how you feel. Before the October 26 rebrand, the dropping of Ron Rolland was the worst move I’ve seen the station have done. I didn’t really like Roger Rose when he started, and don’t really like his VOs now, even as he’s now a secondary/WCL VO. I first heard Ratner on KABC in 2000 via on satellite (where he still does some news promos, while Charlie Van Dyke does the news opens and female announcer Virginia Hamilton does the show promos, do they really need three VOs at KABC?). So I mostly associate him with KABC than WBBM (which he VO'd the station for nearly a decade). Usually, I would find it strange to hear a voice-over on a competiting, after another station dumped him. But I didn't have that strange feeling, Okay, I did have it one the first day I heard him on the 5pm promo, but afterwards, that kind of slipped away. This happened before when WCBS had Ratner until like 2006, and then by 2008, WNBC started using him. I think this market is well known for using VOs that were previously used a competing stations. Scott Chapin (WBBM & WFLD), Van Dyke (WBBM & WMAQ) are good examples. Even Ron Rolland was on WBBM, and even did some staff announcing on Channel 7 in the late 70s. My problem with Ratner is that he is OVERUSED. You hear him on the station's newscasts, and then you hear him on a car commercial, then a vegetable juice cocktail commercial, then a cell phone ad, and then a movie trailer, then you hear him on a station’s promo, and then another commercial on a different station/cable network. He is used everywhere, and sometimes I feel that’s an overkill. But because he is everywhere, that’s why I stated and commend him that he’s the best in the business. I wouldn’t have picked Ratner as a replacement choice, and it did come as a surprise to me that they would want to use him. But I’ll say this, I rather take a familiar voice, than these “Johnny-Come-Lately” younger sounding voice anyday. If Dumbo Idler & Clueless Miles had guts enough to strip the longest-running theme song in the station’s history for Chris Gari’s New Generation themes (as I said many times, and I will say it again, that this was the worst move the station has ever done, thanks to that Dumbo and his sidekick."…but maybe that isn’t what would have been best for WLS." It isn’t what would’ve been best for WLS My Ass!!!), I had a feeling that they weren’t any chance in hell they would’ve bought Rolland back (I wished that Dumbo and his idekick knew that he was a competing station for almost a decade. Idler was the sales manager at the time Channel 2 dropped Cipriano for Ratner). And I can’t buy the station’s reasoning in 2009 that they were trying to get a younger voice, as my theory was that it was a cost-cutting move. You can’t escape that possibility. I don’t think they would drop him for nothing. I do understand your questioning, though. If they want to bring a more deeper authoritive voice, why bring back the voice who’s been synonymous to Channel 7 for most of the 90s and the 2000s? Hell, I wouldn’t be mad if they brought in Charlie Van Dyke, but I think he’s already have his plate full, as he’s already the VO at four other sister stations, and a countless other stations. But I’ll tell you one thing. I wouldn’t want to use Rolland’s voice while playing any of NG themes. They would have to go back to the 1992 theme. And I wouldn’t want him saying those “Starts Right Now” liners. (OOOHH I hate that shit. That’s my biggest pet peeve. I’m not mad when the anchor says “…..the news starts (right) now”, and then they go to the opening sequence. I hate it when the announcer says it. I know its 10 o’clock and I know the news is on right now. But I don’t want to be reminded that the news starts right now). And since they’d brought in Ratner and kept Rose, they cut loose Roger Thompson (he was the secondary VO for good 20 years), which I had that feeling that they would get rid of him after they dropped Rolland. Those two dynamic VOs Rolland & Thompson worked really well with the brand of Channel 7. I remember times where I would sometimes get the names of the voices confused if that one was that one or the other because Thompson’s voice is a tad bit higher pitched and not as booming as Rolland’s. And it’s a shame that neither one of them are the VOs at the station. You say it would’ve been a no-brainer to bring back Ron Rolland. It would’ve been a no-brainer if they wouldn’t have dropped him in the first place. It would’ve also been a no-brainer if they’d kept the 21-year theme song. But Dumbo and his sidekick saw a different approach. I don’t know what the hell they were thinking, but look where they came from? Stupid Asses. :angry: Why they didn’t promote Graves to GM?!! Hebel would’ve stayed and everything would’ve been straight. The day that Detrimental Dumbo leaves (whenever he leaves), you thought I was happy when Ahern left Channel 2…… And even though it won't undue any of the changes he has done, it would be a godsend whenever it happens. ______________________________ About this weather study BS........ This Dumbo can't even go for his own gut?!! He wants to spend more of Mickey Mouse's money to conduct another study to see which Channel 7 weathercaster viewers would prefer should Jerry Taft retires, or to replace/reshuffle any other personalities in their current assignments. So whenever Jerry leaves, he's going to follow through on a study? I get the Mike, Phil & Tracy have came around the same time, and I would love for them to stay at WLS, even after Jerry does retire. But it made me feel like this. If this Dumbo decision of Jerry's successor is because of this study, then I wouldn't be shocked if the two that didn't get pick would either leave the station, or stay in the near term and then leave to go through other avenues. Yeah, and to me, announcing this study so soon is almost like IMO, the Dumbo's way almost speed-up the process, almost like Jerry's days are numbered. I don't hope that Jerry won't be pressured to leave. But if I was Jerry hearing about this study, I would be feeling kind of bad, like a slap in the face. _______________________________ I have a strong feeling know she will recover from all of this. But when I first read the Feder article, I first thought in my head, "Why?!!" I think that she think's she "Superwomen" LOL. When I think of someone riding behind motorcycles, I think of younger folks doing that. So I'm kind of surprised to read that Linda would "allegedly" do that. That where I was shocked about. If any of you don't know, this year marks 30th Anniversary since Linda came to Channel 7. And even though she won't be back immediately, should she come back, hopefully later on this year, the station would acknowleged her milestone. Get Well Soon Linda!

A little Follow Up....... TVNewsCheck said today that many communications attorneys are stating that the FCC is postponed any new station sale applications, (including those with sharing arrangements), until Wheeler decides on what he's going to do with those kinds of deals in the future. The folks at the FCC isn't commenting on the "rumored" hold. So It looks like Wheeler appeared to have "walked the walk" somewhat. I'm not too sure what his future plans on with these applications are going to be. But this is not good news for the broadcasters who have been waiting on some of the deals for a while. Not just the Allbritton deal, the Nexstar-ComCorp deal is the oldest app at over 8 months (5/6/13). As of now, the only station sale in this calender year have been greenlighted by the FCC so far have been the WMGM sale (1/7/14).

FINALLY!!! The Milwaukee Business Journal states that WTMJ will extend its morning newscast at 4:30am, starting this Monday. WITI & WISN have been doing news at 4:30am for over three years, while WDJT just started with their earlier show back in the fall.

I didn't know he'd showed up at the station three weeks ago. Although he'll never be like Ron Rolland, he's definitely one of the best VOs in the business. Now I wished they can get rid of that Asshole Idler..... He's been the detriment to this station since he showed up 19 months ago.