CLETVFan

The new "3" look doesn't seem to hurting viewers who read Scene magazine. Its readers voted the station as "Best Newscast" with some of the people there getting some honors. Betsy Kling, Russ Mitchell and Maureen Kyle all made top five Best Anchor/News Personality (Betsy was #1) and Jim Donovan made top five as one of the best sports anchors/reporters. Fellow "3" anchor/reporter Mike Polk, Jr. got Best Comedian. https://www.wkyc.com/article/entertainment/television/cleveland-scene-honors-3news-best-local-newscast-individual-awards-in-best-of-cleveland-2021/95-4429a51b-2320-4872-ac32-4ea058fe5f9f

"First Alert" was what played into WOIO using the "First. Fair. Everywhere." slogan on its newscasts. The "First" part replaced "Honest," which goes back to the "Action News" heyday.

I would not be surprised if NewsNation picks up Live PD as an attempt to boost ratings.

Cleveland Scene magazine readers had voted WKYC as the best news operation (then again, Mike Polk, Jr. had been voted best comedian). Yet, it's WJW Fox 8 that's tops in Cleveland. WEWS seems to do better than WKYC too. "3News" has become more unwatchable to me. The focus on infotainment and questionable hirings is too distracting for me to sit through. Plus, a lot of the recent hires in the last two years have not stayed long. I would like see them return to "Channel 3," but that would likely take some changes in management.

Wonder if WQHS will start investing in a local news department in reaction to WOIO and the new WCLT? I think WOIO/WUAB needs a translator for the areas up north in Cleveland (Lake County in particular) that cannot receive the stations.

Here's more coverage of WOIO's Telemundo Cleveland. https://tvnewscheck.com/top-news/programming/article/woio-tv-to-launch-cleveland-telemundo-station/ I think it will put a dent into WQHS/Univision.

There are also billboards up on NewsNation and I just find the campaign, whatever it is, a bit confusing. It's also confusing to see a channel known as NewsNation still airing reruns of "In The Heat of The Night" and movies like "Vacation." They were better off keeping it as WGN if the lineup is not going to be all news.

The new graphics also look like that of WOIO in Cleveland and WGCL in Atlanta.

Longtime WJW Fox 8 sports director John Telich has announced his retirement. https://www.facebook.com/Fox8NewsCleveland/videos/1563560033984776

Jeff Slawson is leaving WKBW in Buffalo for WOIO/WUAB in Cleveland. https://www.google.com/amp/s/buffalonews.com/entertainment/television/alan-pergament-jeff-slawson-joins-parade-of-wkbw-exits-headed-to-cleveland-station/article_857d6bc0-0911-11ec-bc46-cbc4ce401d87.amp.html

Matt Standridge is rejoining KFSM as its new Chief Meteorologist. He comes from WKYC, where he was for about a year.

WLFM-6 (former Franken-FM at 87.7) in Cleveland has been purchased by Gray. It will join up with WOIO-19 and WUAB-43. https://www.rbr.com/gray-gains-a-cleveland-lptv-property/

Neeha Curtis is no longer on WOIO/WUAB after anchoring the morning news on June 14. She took to her FB page to mention she's not at the stations anymore. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=242067121059141&id=100057675656747

This was already posted in the 2020-21 Syndication News thread, but here is the first WBNX Fall Lineup following Angley's death: https://wbnx.com/fall-schedule-2021 It looks like 55 is staying put and operating under "status quo" for the time being. Didn't Phil Collins also poke fun at Angley in one of the Genesis videos?

I had no idea that WBNX had a different owner when it was launched. I thought Winston Broadcasting owned it from day one. I do remember reading an old article that WBNX was going to face some "must-carry" difficulty like what WOIO faced when it was launched more than six months before the double nickel went on-the-air. Speaking of WOIO, a lot of people think that station and WBNX were what helped WCLQ ceased being an independent station (with four indies in Akron, three of those Cleveland-based, it was too much to support all of them in the market in 1985-86) and flipped to the Home Shopping Club/Network.

There was the time when what is now Freeform could not go for a name that didn't have "Family Channel" included, like when ABC Family tried to become "XYZ," but was blocked from doing so. For WBNX, they now have an entire subchannel devoted to the "Ninety and Nine Club." That means they don't have to worry about squeezing that show on the main lineup.

Ernst Angley has died. https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/2021/05/07/televangelist-ernest-angley-dies/6325630002/

On another note, with MeTV Plus launching, could Bounce end up on WEWS or even WVPX (if WOIO/WUAB picks up the second MeTV channel)? Would make sense to have Bounce on 5.

Not sure if a syndicated AM show is worth having for Nexstar, because WJW's AM newscast is number one. Back to Scripps, how are The List and RTM doing in the ratings?

At one time, ION was known for sitcom reruns. They once had a Mama's Family marathon that drew a huge audience. Of course, ION rose from the ashes of PAX, which was supposed to be a faith and family-oriented version of the broadcast networks.

Rob Finnerty is now over at Newsmax, where he is also doing the morning news. Ironically, Rob was briefly paired with Jackie Fernandez on the morning show at WTSP after she left WEWS (she wasn't at the Cleveland station long and her departure got a lot of press).

Frank Wiley has left WEWS from his role as reporter and 5pm co-anchor this past Friday. He announced he's moving to Tampa for a role on a morning newscast, though he did not say which station he's going to. He's not the only person to leave the station as weekend morning meteorologist Bryan Shaw left several weeks ago. He plans to stay in Cleveland.

WOIO seems to be in the ratings basement. Outside of CBS lead-ins, they are dead last. Overall, they are doing horribly. WJW is tops and WEWS is doing well and much better than before. WKYC keeps dropping as a lot of people are not responding to its current approach.

This was posted in the Gray thread, but another one has left WOIO/WUAB. https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2021/2/10/another-cleveland-station-staffer-is-arrested

Turmoil at WOIO in Cleveland! https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2021/2/10/another-cleveland-station-staffer-is-arrested