compubit

Just playing catch up with watching WCBS: right now, they seem to be all over the map within a single newscast.  I’m hearing:

- CBS 2 News

- CBS 2 News New York

- CBS 2 New York

- CBS News New York

All depending on who’s speaking - and that’s in the first 5 minutes of the newscast…

It seems that they’re headed to CBS News New York - just stumbling there along the way, rather than making the hard cut…

(and I’m taking to the theme music and graphics…)

Jim

My 2 cents:

- There is a heritage in the primary local stations, often tied to channel number, call signs city and network(s). It’s up to the marketing and ownership to decide how they want to brand.

- You can’t compare local NBC/ABC/CBS/Fox stations with MeTV or Bounce (or other diginets). The local stations often air local content (news/public affairs/infotainment), to help distiguish themselves from each other; the diginets are basically pre-programmed filler for the spectrum with ad opportunities (and yes, I’m aware some stations may opt out of a program or 2 for local content, but in general, they have no say on the programming).

- The US market is different, in that it is still mostly affiliate-based. European countries started with a government-owned or managed model on a nation-wide basis, with private broadcasters starting relatively late. Canada was similar to the US, until consolidation resulted in basically each station is effectively owned by a network. (and I do wish that CTV would make an attempt to differentiate between CTV National News and CTV Local News… CBC and Global do it…)

- As for local news titles, stations have changed newscast titles frequently and people seem to find them (such as changing from Channel 37 News to Eyewitness News to Newsactive 37 to WZZZ News to UPN 37 News to WB 37 News to 37 On Your Side News and back to Channel 37 News).  
- Some stations want to be linked to networks (NBC 4 News) and some don’t (e.g., Boston 25). It’s management’s call, not ours, and if CBS wants their O&O stations to use “CBS News New York” rather than CBS 2 or Eyewitness News, so be it.

They’ll probably get a direct feed from Nexstar… yes, the WDVM signal in Arlington over the air is crap (and I refuse to pay Comcast’s extortion fees just to get WDVM - I can get the rest, including WJLA 24/7 OTA, plus Baltimore stations to boot.).

As for the content, they’re a small market station trying to fit into the big city as a major player.  I enjoyed WHAG better when they were focused on “not DC” - turning into DC News Now doesn’t make it interesting to me - I’ll stick with Channel 4… (though with the recent wave of retirements - but there are still plenty of familiar faces)

Jim

Couple of comments:

- IIRC, the purpose of New Neutrality is to prevent operators from “charging extra” for certain services (e.g., competitor’s IPTV offerings). It didn’t prevent discounts to vendors. I know there have been some legal challenges - not sure where they stand…

- Most cable is digitally provided, and most likely IP-based ( but is most likely a proprietary format - I don’t know all of the specifics now, but set top boxes are basically dedicated computers programmed to display video programming to TVs…). Except for a few rare cases left, there are very few analog systems remaining.

- The area in which I live is split between jurisdictions. One (the county), has the franchises for TV and voice with Comcast and Verizon Fios. Both offer voice, data, and video services.  The other part is in the city, which has Cox as the TV provider and Verizon as the voice provider. Verizon hasn’t implements Fios in most of the city, but they did in our area. Folks living in the city (where it’s available) can subscribe to Fios, but cannot get Fios TV, because Cox has the exclusive TV-provider rights in the city. In this are Verizon offer Fiber voice and data, and “for your convenience” YouTube TV as an option (from Google, conveniently rolled into your bill (same price as direct from YouTube…)

- Access from multiple vendors comes down to access of the “right of way” - who can basically run the signal from their plant to the end users - which isn’t he US is pretty much going to be the cable TV franchisee, the phone franchisee, the power company and/or the water utility, unless the area has a government who will grant right of way status to other providers…

J

14 hours ago, DirtyHarry said:

 

Where the cable companies get you here, they'll advertise $79.99 for cable. Then at the end of the bill they check on $22 for OTA TV and another seven bucks for sports. And nothing special when it comes to sports, just regular ESPN, Bally's and Fox channels.

Comcast in DC charges $25.40 for broadcast (which I can pick up with a paper clip on my TV…) and $12.40 for sports… Nearly $38 above the quote price + various taxes…

J

It sounds like KTVT is now CBS News Texas - but they've kept the CBS11 logo "in the box"...

Visiting Denver for the weekend and had to tune in CBS Colorado News.

While the CBS Colorado box in the lower left is designed with the rest of the L3 in mind, I find it a bit large and distracting. Several times it covered up content on-screen, plus it sits on top of their legal ID, so all you see is “NC-TV Denver”

I also chuckled at Jim Benemann’s comment that the “graphics and music showcase our community” - generic graphics and nation-wide music don’t showcase the community. Music from a local composer (going back to the Jerome Gilmore days) more fits that IMHO…

I see that they’re using the term “Community Journalist” - wondering if they have renamed reporters this, or if certain reporters have certain “beats” that they cover, or if this is a case of a contract stringer…

Jim

5 hours ago, The Frog said:

It looks like Nexstar has made a deal to add CW affiliates to Hulu's Live TV service.

Now if they would add them to YouTube TV…

J

On 2/16/2023 at 7:11 PM, ATLNewsExpert said:

Also they could have at least done CBS News North Texas

On 2/16/2023 at 7:21 PM, ABC 7 Denver said:

Calling KTVT CBS News Texas makes even less sense. CBS doesn't have enough resources to cover all of Texas. Should have stuck with CBS News DFW.

This isn’t the first time DFW stations used just “Texas”:

WBAP: The Texas News (Pre KXAS)

WFAA was “The Spirit of Texas” (not North Texas) - though not in the title of their newscasts

KXAS: The Texas News Channel

KDFW: News 4 Texas

KXAS: Texas News 5

Now is’s 11’s turn to use Texas.

But IMHO, streaming on the FAST systems (Pluto, Xumo, Roku, etc.) is probably why - pick up a few eyeballs outside of DFW for additional ad $$…

5 hours ago, DirtyHarry said:

Also might be away for CBS to get back at gray for sticking them on so many .2's

So many?

Going through the Gray list, I can only find 3 stations where CBS is on a .2 only:

- Duluth (done by Quincy/Sagamore Hill)

- Alexandria, LA (CBS added by Media General in 2007)

- Biloxi, MS (CBS added by Raycom) 

And only the Duluth one was a swap of programming; the others were adding CBS over the air into the market where there wasn’t CBS previously.

The remaining stations with CBS on a “not .1” are simulcasts of other stations in market (albeit often LDs/CDs)

1 hour ago, iron_lion said:

TV networks probably thought that prestige programming might bring them noteriety or an audience, but I know alot of people who've heard of Schitt's Creek --from streaming -- but couldn't tell me it originated from the Pop! Network. .

Actually Schitt’s Creek originated on Canada’s CBC. Pop! just technically picked it up in foreign syndication…

Recent discovery at WRC: KTRK/13’s Ted Oberg has made the move after 21 years from Eyewitness News up to WRC’s News 4 as an investigative journalist.  I was watching this afternoon and recognized the face and realized who it was.  I’m not sure when he made his debut (we have News 4 on at the office in the lobby and break room, and this is the first I’ve seen of him), but glad to see him in DC. I met him while in Houston and he seemed to be a decent guy.

Jim

On 1/13/2023 at 12:50 AM, TennTV1983 said:

I haven't heard this version of News Series 2000 before. 

 

IIRC, KTRK used it on some of their extended closes (Fridays).

My 2¢…

i like the graphics and theme. It’s not Enforcer, but is unifying across Local, National, and Streaming.  (Though the L3’s did give me a Tegna vibe the first time I watched a clip). The KPIX in the box by itself does look a little weird to me, but it serves 2 purposes: differentiates between local and national news (one gripe I have had with CTV in Canada, though it may be better now…), and reminds people that know, that it’s still the same station (at least here - no comment about the KCAL/KCBS situation)

I will miss the station branding of “Channel 5/KPIX 5/CBS 5” (I do like numbers), but the 5 is just an abstraction of an identifier from an earlier time in TV (shouldn’t it now technically be KPIX 29…).  If you use the 5, shouldn’t you also use 805 Comcast HD  channel number, as well as the 3350 “Channel number” on Pluto TV?

As long as the station is doing something to bring eyeballs to the news, then it keeps going. If eyes aren’t watching, we’ll end up with 18 hours of Jerry Springer repeats between ever-shrinking network programming blocks.

Jim

7 hours ago, bmasters1 said:

Per the article: "When time comes for a complete peacock update across all divisions, it is likely to involve replacing physical and digital versions of the logo on countless sets, building signage, stationery, websites, motion graphics, show opens, social media platforms and even vehicles — not to mention having affiliates update their logos to match the redrawn peacock."

 

I believe a form of this (albeit without social media platforms and websites) was done in 1986 when NBC switched from the 1979 bird and N that we had known for seven seasons (eight years) to the peacock that came before this newer one (the first version of the peacock we know today), in that many NBC stations had to make changes to adapt to the newer bird (the O&Os especially [WNBC NYC, KNBC L.A., WMAQ Chicago, et al.]).

This won’t be an “overnight” change like in 1986 - as that change was a complete overhaul of the logo and IIRC, it took effect immediately.  this one, like the ABC logo update, is small enough that both variations will probably be floating around for years…

Jim

Watching the CBS News app on Apple TV, I had the Bay Area feed on about 7:45pm ET. The intro to the 5pm newscast had “CBS News Bay Area, powered by KPIX” in the intro.  take it for what it’s worth…

(Also 2 minutes into the newscast, the commercial playback automation kicked in, and I got 5-6 local-to-me ads, obliterating the first story…)

I was a bit surprised with WJZ in Baltimore moved CBS Evening news up a half hour - they’ve had the 6pm news hour for years, even before they even had a 5pm newscast (and 2 & 11 did…)

Granted, they did add a 7pm half hour…

1 hour ago, TVNewsLover said:

Wonder if they want to have one of the western feeds since Aaron anchors there. Surprised they didn’t follow the other O&Os in moving Kelly to 3pm (and have Dateline at 2pm, Access at 1pm, and NBCND at 12noon).

 

I must say with regards to NBC News Daily that I’m surprised they don’t have their strongest anchors (Kate and Aaron) anchoring the “East coast” feeds. 

I'm sure getting Aaron back on the air at WRC was part of it (he's much more recognizable locally than Vicky Nguyen), but the promos are basically saying they're starting with the "News that Matters from around the world" at 3 leading to the "News that Matters on  your street" at 4 (I don't recall if they actually used "News that Matters", but that's the general gist) - I'm surprised they're not promoting the non-stop news lineup from 3 until 7:30 (yet...)

7 hours ago, bmasters1 said:

 

And I discovered also that WCNC (NBC in Charlotte, NC) had "Real News" from 1989-96, but similarly, could not find visual evidence of anything using that music. I do like Charlie Van Dyke's billing on the first clip using that music (a 1989 early edition opening): "And now, Charlotte's first news...with Jesse Johnson....Tom Miller....Dr. Joe Conway with outdoor weather...and Jim Celania on sports. This is News 36 at 5:30."

 

 

I have some WCNC clips from 1994, but they got purged by Vimeo - will have to hunt them down and re-post...

Jim

One month in to the new season, and WRC 4 Washington DC is already futzing with its schedule:

Dateline and NBC News Daily have switched places (Dateline now at noon and NBC News Daily now at 3pm).  Access and Kelly kept their 2022-23 season timeslots (1pm and 2pm, respectively), so far...

Jim

IIRC, when they started up CBSN Baltimore, The anchors would say something like “You’re watching Eyewitness News on WJZ TV and streaming on CBSN Baltimore online”.  
 

Of course it could all have been in a dream…

Jim

18 hours ago, Nick said:

It seems to me that one thing that needs work is on the streaming newscasts, where there is a way-too-long  ad-less lag during commercial  breaks,   the "You're Watching CBS News (region) /   We'll Be Right Back" deal...

This varies depending on the platform, the market and where you’re watching it from. I can run CBS News app on Apple TV, Pluto TV, and my laptop (web) from the same house and get different commercials of different lengths.  I have noticed if I watch CBS DFW from Dallas (parents house), I get more ads (and local ones at that), vs. watching it in DC (fewer 

and more national, but sometimes a random DC Local), specially since CBS doesn’t have an O&O in DC…

I have no problem with calling the service  “CBS News Los Angeles” (look back to the 60s at WMAQ’s news was produced by NBC News Chicago), but I would treat it with a  “You’re watching CBS News Los Angeles on CBS 2 and online.” - and only include the “location” (OTA, Streaming, App-specific) as appropriate.

Jim

On 9/16/2022 at 4:06 PM, SoFloTVClassics said:

 

KCBS channel 2 Action News 1991

 

Here’s the link to the original KCBS full newscast- and the date is July 8, 1991, not April 4 (the Christopher Commission started in April 1991, and there’s no way they’d have everything wrapped up in a couple of days…)

https://archive.org/details/kcbs-070891-11pm

On 9/13/2022 at 10:40 AM, MD TV said:

I noticed that starting next week WDCA's 9PM newscast is moving to 8:30. So between Fox and DC News Now there's news on anytime between 4PM and Midnight.

Just catching up, but if you include Newschannel 8, I mean WJLA 24/7 (which is broadcast OTA on WIAV 58.3 - albeit ATSC 3.0), there’s constant local news from 11am until Midnight, and if you throw in Good Day DC, it’s straight through from 4am until Midnight… (all without cable TV!). (I’m not sure if LA has that full coverage, but they’re close…)

I’m not sure, though of WJLA 24/7’s current live vs. taped in the afternoon, though they were replaying the WJLA 12pm newshour at 1, live from 2-3, then repeating from 3-4.  lately, though, I’ve seen some live between 3&4 on the TV at work…

Jim