doublejman69

In the recent past WITI has beat WISN at times in the morning and at 10. To me anyways WDJT has a better product than WTMJ, I think WTMJ has some of that rusted dial going on. I think what’s more remarkable is that the network 5:30 pm newscasts are the highest newscast on WISN, WTMJ and WDJT. 20-25 years ago WTMJ was one of the top 5 nbc affiliates for 10/11pm newscasts in the country, getting mid-teens rating, WISN was around a 10 rating for 10pm. Historically, Milwaukee was one of those markets with a higher percentage of people watching local newscasts, I can’t imagine what of kind of ratings most of these other markets gets now.

WRTV is a dumpster fire, Hearst, Gray and the like have zero interest in a station like WRTV. WISH is awful too so i suppose it’s a perfect match. Those two newsrooms are likey to be combined with a lot of job cuts. I’ve heard Scripps has a least a few stations that are losing a significant amount of money, it’s looks like Scripps is trying to offload them.

Not saying it’s hasn’t happen at all in the last 10ish years but going forward it going to become much more rare for markets to lose or gain countries. If you’re in a market that has moved in rankings 2 or 3 spots it’s far more likely it’s because population changes in the main urban/ suburban areas and cord-cutters/streaming and not because of markets losing or gaining counties that are in far reaches and are mainly rural areas.

I can't imagine there have been many counties have switched DMA's since the digital transition and HD becoming mainstream, even if cable systems have out of market stations most likely it's not in HD. Satellite (for the most part) and streamers only have in market stations. Living in a newer neighborhood the in-market stations are 40 miles away and a neighboring market 60ish miles away, there are a few neighbors that have antenna setups, all are pointed to the in-market stations with antennas barely over roof tops, there is no way they could get any out-of-market station, they would need a large fringe antenna on a tower. Cable cutters are going more to towards streaming than antenna anyways, it has been harder to keep track of streaming because people add and drop services all the time. You also have to account for different demographics, older people typically subscribe to cable in higher numbers, younger, and Hispanic is lower along with areas with more transplants.

WMTV has a new VO person for almost everything replacing a very long time VO, sorry I don't know who both are (something I don't care about a whole lot lol). Heads up for your guys, this might be a sign that the station is getting new graphics in the near future.

The whole goal for Scripps is to do almost all non-time sensitive stories (stories that can be done a Tuesday that can air on Friday). if it works, they will keep “neighborhood reporter” concept if it doesn't, they will do something else (half neighborhood reporter/half beat reporters). The one thing this does places more reliance on reporters so Scripps can ditch anchors and live news on many stations, both are really costly and is never coming back. If you really look at it, Scripps and CBS are probably the two most forwarding looking tv companies, the concept of watching on a tv at 6pm and 11pm a newscast with 2 anchors siting at a desk, a chopper, and 2 or 3 reporters doing live shots in darkness is dying very fast. Having reporters live at house fire or on a side of a highway reporting on a snowstorm doesn't translate very well at all on digital hours after it aired. CBS and Scripps are going at it very different ways, CBS all live, Scripps almost nothing needs to be "live." it will be interesting to see which works in the future, but doing the same thing we have done for the last 40 years is on life support.

Is Susan Kim WTMJ’s 6pm anchor or was she just filling in? I don’t watch 4 much but I’ve notice WTMJ’s weekend morning news is recorded, weather is the only thing live. Also, Scripps Wisconsin fill in (former?) meteorologist Michael Fish is recording weekend weather for WXMI Grand Rapids from it looks like a home studio the last several weekends.

About the studio lighting, I think there is a reason alot of stations have dropped street side studios, its really hard to control lighting. Lighting is just as important or even more than camera quality. WLS I believe has huge screens to block out light, you can tell when they aren’t in use it’s not great. It probably wasn’t as big as a problem when everything was in SD.

With Pat Sajak retiring here he is with Vanna White hosting Milwaukee's Great Circus Parade in 1985 on WTMJ (it might have aired nationally or at least regionally). it starts at 23:40

Long time WTMJ anchor and reporter Bill Taylor passed away at 79. he retired from WTMJ in 2001, He anchored the midday newscast and reported all over the world for the station. He was one of the first African American reporters in Milwaukee, and often reported on the led story shortly after arriving in 1972. He launched "Positively Milwaukee" and was involved with Milwaukee's Juneteenth day celebrations in the first few years and now is one of the longest running Juneteenth day celebrations in the country. Bill Taylor, TV anchor who started 'Positively Milwaukee,' dies (jsonline.com) (Bill Taylor interviewing WTMJ's graphics person about WTMJ's 50th anniversary and anniversary website).

Yeah no Scripps isn’t modernizing news. Scripps cut people that were making the most money in the newsroom that aren’t managers (the anchors). Then sat down with some people that still watch news and ask was the biggest complaint about news and it was that they never report about news in their small town. The neighbor reporter concept is a good idea for communities that get underreported, KABC has a few communities reporters in the LA neighborhoods that maybe get on the air 2-3 times week and post other stories online but KABC also has a team of general assignment reporters and beat reporters. At some Scripps stations every reporter is a neighborhood reporter and the top 2 or 3 stories could be, smithtowns grand opening of Olive Garden happen today and Greg Johnson of Lilly village is 8th grade state spelling bee champ. Scripps is getting rid of any veteran they can, these people were teachers to the new hires at most scripp stations, most are coming straight out of college. This does delay the shutting down of newsrooms though which is good.

You guys are setting up yourselves for disappointment if you think the networks, cox, graham, Scripps (yikes) or any other broadcast company is buying any Sinclair station. It’s been reported that Sinclair is looking to unload small market stations, most likely CW, mynet and independents. Sinclair will sell those underperforming stations to a private equity firm, then they will gut the stations or let the network and syndicated contracts expire and sell the spectrum to god casters. I think the thing to look for is what network contracts are due to expire. That could be a sign to what stations sinclair unloads.

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.

Hearing more Scripps stations are going to Scripps cast or pre recording late evening newscasts, more than ftvlive.com reported, WKBW and WLEX. It’s a safe bet at this point it’s not an if, its when the remaining Scripps stations go to Scrippscast or pre recorded newscasts. For stations like WMAR and KJRH it’s not a big deal because so few a watching, KJRH can’t even get over 1000 viewers most nights. Even a station like WTVF the only 1st place top 100 market station Scripps has, there are other choices In Nashville. It’s some of those small markets stations like in Montana where they did have a significant lead in the ratings and for the most part the competition is so bad it will awful for those viewers. Scripps did have some changes in upper management but that guy didn’t get let go because of Scrippscast, it’s how it’s been handled, every day for a year now employees have been fearful that they could be losing their job or when their job title changes and try to get out of their contract but can’t without facing significant penalties.

Hearing a number of Scripps stations are pre- recording newscast to air later. WFTS in Tampa is only airing live newscasts at 6am,9am, 5and 6pm. I know the station has struggled for a long time but it’s a top 15 market. Scripps has also let go GMs at least 6 stations. Web person forgot to change all the titles, everyone is a reporter or “senior reporter.”