LoadStar

Did the Brewers really have a viable option other than Sinclair/Bally Sports? The only OTA broadcaster who I think might have been interested would have been Weigel (they probably would have been thrilled to put the Brewers on WMLW), but I don't think they had the money to outbid Sinclair, nor the resources to actually produce Brewers games on an ongoing basis. As far as cable channels, there isn't really an alternative to the RSNs, and Bally Sports is the only one in this area.

While watching NFL on FOX (on WITI Milwaukee), I have noticed *way* more promos for FOX News Channel than I ever remember seeing before. I don't know if it's just that they've started placing national ad spots when they haven't before... if these are local ad inserts that FNC is doing now that WITI is an O&O... or if they always did ad spots, but the ads had been previously "overridden" by some other local ad insert prior to WITI becoming an O&O. I don't really watch WITI much for news, but between the simulcast of FNC mentioned above and the increase in advertising from FNC, I am extremely nervous about the potential of FOX News corporate exerting editorial control over WITI's local news product now that they're an O&O.

I have thoughts about what Dan O'Donnell and the rest of the WISN lineup can do... I'll let you use your imagination as to what. IMO, they're all repugnant.

Not quite as jarring of a transition as previous ones, since the music was already Stephen Arnold's Beyond. Also, the majority of the visual "quirkiness" of WITI was excised when they implemented the Tribune/WDAF graphics package.

I see that they migrated WITI over to the Fox web publishing platform. Looks like according to archive.org, it seems to have happened on July 30. (Still using the "Fox6Now.com" domain.)

There was an article in the New York Times, suggesting that Iger is a very active chairman, possibly to the point that he's exerting more control of Disney than Chapek is: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/12/business/media/disney-ceo-coronavirus.html

ABC does seem to love the LED lit doorways...

I personally think that Fox should continue an affiliate agreement with Sinclair, allowing them to continue operating the RSNs as Fox Sports <region>. It gives Fox best of both worlds; they don't have to keep the RSNs on the books, but they get the advantages of still having the RSNs operated as if they were. Sinclair continues to get the benefit of affiliating with a strong sports brand in Fox Sports. For the average sports watcher, I doubt anyone knows or cares that the RSNs are owned by Sinclair; to them, it still looks like Fox Sports. Why not keep it that way?

The only problem I had with any of the graphics was the attempt to use a typeface that approximates the team logo, especially when one was incredibly bland (Chiefs) and one was garishly ugly (49ers). (That's not a statement on the teams, just their logo typeface.) Other than that, I didn't really have a problem with anything else. I was actually amused by the video game like animation when there was a score increase - I liked that. I didn't even have a problem with the large touchdown graphic. Everything seemed clean and well integrated, other than the team logo typeface thing as mentioned before. It also had more visual interest than the clean but somewhat boring flat look FOX Sports graphics they normally use.

Not completely outlandish, no. Only ALMOST completely outlandish.

It's always been a 6:30 pm CT show here on WTMJ, ever since it replaced Wisconsin Tonight. And yes, it continues to be broadcast in Milwaukee.

Yes, my apologies at leaving that out. I thought context in the thread (and the thread topic) would have clarified that.

WISN had a ticker notice on last night's 5:30 news. Annoyingly, they used the beep alerts that usually signify severe weather. Granted, this isn't severe weather season, but it still grabbed my attention. I sort of think the beeping should be reserved for severe weather, sort of like how the EAS alert tones can't be used for anything else but EAS.

Not related to the graphics at all... but I just have to laugh at the idea of temps in the 50s and 60s requiring "boots and heavier coats," not to mention space heaters "to stay warm." Sorry for the slight tangent.

Just call it The Crew... they could even just photoshop some old The Chew promo material then.

I suspect, lacking any concrete information one way or another, that they'll continue to operate as if they were owned by Fox for the immediate future. There's just too much integration between the RSNs and Fox Sports. Obviously secondary programming is a big one, but internet services are another. The RSNs have no standalone apps and no separate website. All of that would have to be built out from scratch. Didn't the RSNs periodically provide production services for Fox Sports, if all the Fox Sports trucks were tied up, or involved in something that prevented them from reaching a site on time?

Never mind. I was going to keep this going, but it's pointless.

There is absolutely nothing in either of those clauses that talks about a requirement to retain the Fox Sports name, nor a duration of three years.

Ok, we apparently talking in circles here. Let me take one more attempt to clarify. What specific part or parts of section 3.09 caused you to conclude that they "will have to use the Fox Sports name" for three years?

No, I mean I don’t get how you came to the conclusion you did from the section you quoted. What in that section suggests that they “will have to use the Fox Sports name” for three years?

I've read the section you quoted about three times, and I don't know where you got that from.

Sinclair Closes Purchase of Fox Regional Sports Networks From Disney Does anyone have a link to the actual purchase agreement, or any details? I'm curious how long the Fox Sports brand licensing agreement will last.

Fox Business reports that at the close of the auction, at least for now, Sinclair appears to be the top bidder for the Fox Regional Sports Channels: https://www.foxbusiness.com/media/sinclair-broadcasting-nears-10-billion-deal-for-21st-century-foxs-regional-sports-networks

I've noticed something odd from time to time with the installation of Invision that this site uses. The "unread content" doesn't always show all unread content. For example, on the front page of the site, within the "posts" box, I see right now that the thread "Nexstar-Tribune: Repercussions, rumors" contains a new post as of 30 minutes ago. However, that thread does not show up at all when I click on "unread content," and I know I haven't read that thread within the last 30 minutes. (To be honest, I don't know if I've ever read that thread.) I've noticed this a few times now, where I've looked over and noticed a thread I didn't even know existed (since I primarily browse the "unread content" rather than diving into each section of the site) has new posts that I clearly haven't read. Edit: best as I can tell, it appears that nothing under the Breakroom section seems to be showing up under the Unread Content. Not sure if any other sections of the site are similarly affected.

Nope, they definitely have been doing crawls. I saw one just the other day. I don't watch WITI all that much, so I'm not sure how often they run.