nathannah

If they made new episodes, that's one thing. But after last night's chintzy American Music Awards (which didn't even give out half the awards because their producer was too cheap to pay for a third hour) and just how cheap they are now and how much Shari and everyone else just want to get the deal done so they can get their money and leave? Do we even see CBS try to fight to keep the NFL after 2029? Keeping an hour of late night just for repeats is a great way of flipping the bird at your affiliate base and making it easier for them to justify ending affiliations. At this point, their strategy seems to be spending as little as possible to justify remaining in the Big Three.

Expect the next ones to probably have some sort of AI tie-in to replace human L3s with summaries (and trouble to ensue if it screws up). All media design seems stuck in the same aesthetic lately, too simple and too unadorned.

The big problem is definitely the security needed these days; as Weeters said, it was interesting in 1994 when the worst folks you ever encountered usually posted their manifestos via the mail and everyone self-policed themselves. But once Columbine and 9/11 happened along with the Internet, stalkers, then just general distrust of mainstream media setting in, you had to block out those folks from getting on camera as a threat to the safety of others, so now outside set parts of the day you're looking at an empty window outside the Today studio where unless you brought the right sign or sob story to get in for a game or makeover on the 4th hour (or now, well pre-vetted ahead of time), there's no way you're appearing on-camera. It's why the concept has just completely died locally outside of controlled weather decks and balconies; those stations just don't have the budget to provide security that NBC has, along with any idiot ready to yell 'FHRITP' and attack the talent. Who would want that headache? Add to that the pointless 1515 move that still stuck CBS in a windowless studio and ABC eventually retreating to the safety of the second floor, because pedestrianization of Times Square now means you have to deal with multiple headaches outside the Naked Cowboy, the cavalcade of unlicensed characters and the 'unwashed masses', which especially after Tony Dokoupil's interview with Ta-Nehisi Coates...yeah, you'd be questioned deeply if you wanted to send him and Gayle out to do a cooking segment on the Square. It's also so damned bright now with all the signage and is probably a nightmare to light/shoot around because ad screens are on 24/7 rather than just still images lit only at night (my trip to Times Square last year was on a drab and rainy day and it felt like that block was lit like 30 car lots), so that was another reason CBS had to cover the windows and ABC's only Times Square shot is now just that one generic shot of the big screen. All of that is a reason TRL is no longer a thing too; it used to be you tolerated Limp Bizkit to get to see Britney Spears, but today's music 'stans' will try to derail a free event with an artist they hate in any way they can (and the reason for the hate is probably very banal). Finally, most people are there just to get a picture with the talent, so once you get it...well, you're done. It's not 1998 any longer where it'll take a bit to get that picture from the lab. You got your TikTok/Instagram moment. Instant gratification. Why stick around? Outside the concert series, who wants to stand around watching a morning show backwards through a window you probably can't even see through, probably through loudspeakers which sound awful, and an outdoor uncovered plaza subject to rain, snow or cold? You'd be better off waiting for winter to get facetime on the skating rink wide shot or under the tree, where you know you won't get hassled by regular cops and side-hustle security guards.

It should be another lesson to media writers that they need to stop being 'viewer HR' and that day-to-day work status of TV show hosts is not a story that needs to be reported, and that these people deserve to have private lives and grieve. This is especially cruel because they helped spread the same trash to her Wikipedia article and folks had to edit around vandals that yes, she still works for the show. So much sympathy for her and her family, and I'm sure everyone at 1A feels the same.

Definitely Channels is your best choice in this situation; it's mainly built for Mac, provides proper TV listings and I've used it for four years and rarely had any headaches running it on my Mac Mini or anything else I want to stream from it as a server through the house and on the road. It is a paid product listings-wise at $9/month but I find it indispensable and you don't have to worry about setups or schedule XML files and configuring things unless you'd like to explore their Docker plug-ins or custom content lists.

They don't need to shop the shows; they same-day repeat on Nosey, which is on a KVEA sub and so many FAST providers. KCOP would've had them months ago if they wanted them, and I really don't expect KCAL+ to last much longer if new ownership comes in.

Last week's Madison meltdown had a positive effect in Allen ending their hubbing experiment. Outside the 11am and 4pm shows, the Wisconsin stations now originate their own newscasts, but the audience reaction to it in a negative manner certainly didn't help with the advertisers.

Really surprised they are keeping the Cox name, but with Spectrum being front-facing for the last decade, it makes sense to abandon Charter (which always sounded similar to a drug rehab center that existed until 2000). Besides price though, Spectrum is rock solid for me and I rarely lose service, so I must be in a good part of their service area (originally Marcus). It's just sad to see Cox in so many aspects wind down, though.

I still love that they had a perfect indie branding in "The Spot" and never thought to use it outside KC until a few months ago rather than this bland city+channel number pattern they used originally. Now we see what the Rays do (in so many ways)...

ABC has finally given up on the entire 'temporary simulcast because of strikes' charade involving MNF with the 2025 season; it's on every week for the new season (probably with those odd doubleheader weeks and one of them will have a VR game like the Simpsons game last year most likely)

They also have a 'malicious compliance' version of the logo where the ABC ball is still used...but for the Fox version they just replace the ABC text with the Fox logo. It's technically compliant for its use, but it feels like it's easier to just switch logos without the black ball being needed.

WLUK has pretty much escaped most of the Sinclairization and been able to shove it off to WCWF outside must-runs, which they burn off at the worst times possible. They're switching from their LIN era studio now, but being neck-and-neck with WBAY while WFRV and WGBA crash out towards irrelevancy from their own companies helps keep Hunt Valley from getting their way with 11 fully.

Probably more future-proofing than anything; if the Fox logo changes or they switch affiliations (or in the future Fox just stops operating on the traditional model), they don't have to change anything physically on the building, and when they take the WBRC baby steps it'll be easier if they decide to drop it in the future. Also like WMTV they can brand it neutrally and equally with GCSEN or whatever else Gray decides to operate out of it (note the extra space beneath the ground sign and plenty of room on the building fascia).

Hopefully nothing breaks in these next three hours (news or technically!).

With the folks behind the standard doing all they can to sabotage ATSC 3.0 as a DRM'ed mess with weakened coverage areas to distribute FAST channels and websites nobody needs, this is just another nail in the coffin for it. Sunbeam is right to just give up on it and end the farce and focus on just channel 7 alone and figure out something else for their 3.0 plans; ABC and Fox don't even take advantage of 3.0 90% of the time.