MediaZone4K

17 minutes ago, NowBergen said:

Sorry, as I read it I did not see you mentioned the date until I pulled up the article from the now defunct magazine.  I have deleted my comment.  The bottom line no one except insiders know ratings anymore.  And that does suck for all markets.

All good.

And yes, the lack of public availability of ratings is unfortunate.

9 minutes ago, NowBergen said:

 

You do realize those numbers are 3 years old?

I mentioned that several times. Please read the full post...

13 minutes ago, MediaZone4K said:

I would like to see something more recent, but 2022 is the latest I can find.

 

https://www.nexttv.com/news/local-news-close-up-south-florida-holds-the-keys-to-successful-local-news (2022 Ratings)

 

This is supposed to give us an idea of where things were in recent years not exactly where they are today.

Let me go back and put that at the top of the post to again emphasize that.

21 hours ago, GraphicsMan said:

WSVN got competition alright. The only difference one station got an affiliation the other doesn’t. And when there breaking news WPLG can be first on the air whenever because they have free rein programming wise. 

On 3/28/2025 at 4:08 PM, TheRolyPoly said:

Other than that, WSVN must be a bit nervous but ready to compete in what will be a WSVN vs. WPLG market.

** it's hard to find data from 2024 or 2025, the latest I can find is from 2022. If this gives any idea of recent market standing...

WSVN was at last check no longer market leader, and they're already in competition with WPLG.

Based on the latest numbers from Nexttv (if we trust them)  WPLG tops the English language stations in overall households in several time slots, with WSVN coming in second but competing for the demo.

The Spanish language stations however appear to be averaging at #1 & 2 overall in the ratings in multiple slots.

WFOR is in better standing than I thought they were, coming out as # 1 in english 11 PM. I have a family member that lives in So Flo who didn't even know there was a Channel 4 if that's any indication of their market standing.

They separated WTVJ's numbers so it's difficult to ascertain their average standing. 

I would like to see something more recent, but 2022 is the latest I can find.

https://www.nexttv.com/news/local-news-close-up-south-florida-holds-the-keys-to-successful-local-news (2022 Ratings)

3 hours ago, Georgie56 said:

WPLG has announced their post-ABC news schedule:

 

Weekdays:

• 4:30-11am
• noon-1pm
• 3-7pm
• 9-11:30pm

Weekends:

• 5-11am
• 5-7pm
• 9-9:30pm
• 11-11:30pm

There will also be half-hour sports shows Saturdays at 9:30pm and 11:30pm and a 9:30pm show on Sundays in addition to the existing 11:30pm Sports Sunday.

I hope they use the 7 to 11 AM block to do a lighter morning show (like Good Day Orlando), instead of all hard news.

It's surprising that in a place as active and vibrant as South Florida, there was no light morning newscast in the overlapping Miami or West Palm Beach markets, until WPEC added ARC Florida recently.

WOFL 35 in Orlando is a great example of a station using creative formatting to fill heavy news output.

1 hour ago, TheRolyPoly said:

 

So to break this all down, the new newscasts will be...

 

Weekdays:

- 7-9am (a return from when they did WSFL)

- 10-11am

- 6:30-7pm

- 9-10pm (a return in the market since WFOR had to drop it for WBFS once they got The CW)

 

The 10pm will be moved over from WSFL.

 

Weekends:

- 8-9am

- 10:30-11am

- 5:30-6pm

- 6:30-7pm

- 9-10pm (News + Sports)

 

I'm surprised they're getting rid of the weekend 10pm. I mean, what will they do with that?

 

Other than that, WSVN must be a bit nervous but ready to compete in what will be a WSVN vs. WPLG market.

news overload! but they really have no options.

On 3/22/2025 at 11:17 PM, NYNewsCoverage said:

Craig Allen mentioned something in a facebook post about how WCBS has been #1 lately at 11pm! Not sure if/how we can see proof of that, but that is surprising they are beating WABC?

The last time I recall that happening was 2011 under Maurice and Kristine. Can't speak to today. I would love to see the latest NYC numbers.

Stations and talent often claim to be number one all the time, but it could just mean in a specific demographic, time period or slot. Prime example, I've heard people at WSB calling it the "number one station in the country", but last time I checked that was WABC.

On 3/26/2025 at 6:19 PM, ABC 7 Denver said:

 

I'm looking forward to a time when the national anthem plays and broadcasts end for the day because it's too expensive to run anything anymore. 

In the era of streaming, do television networks still need to air 24 hours of programming? Does overnight paid programming, sitcom reruns, local newscast rebroadcasts, or network news overnight shows, make a substantial profit?

On 3/26/2025 at 4:09 PM, tyrannical bastard said:

No big loss.  It seemed like a placeholder program that was on the level of the Byron Allen repeats that filled the time before it right after The Late Late Show ended.

agreed. I miss James Corden, too bad it came out that his show was more expensive to produce than the profit it turned.

The corner angles of the set look nice. The whole thing however is not that impressive. It's the same old same old: massive video wall panels and a barren floor space

On 3/25/2025 at 7:48 PM, Dave Lampstein said:

 

Today is out on their plaza almost daily...

Having watched and visited, Today is on the plaza for a brief segment at the top of the 8am hour and maybe 1 segment at 8:30, in its four hour runtime.

The only time they really heavily utilize the plaza is for concerts.

4 hours ago, mouseboy33 said:

Good Morning America is planning to depart its iconic Times Square Studio this summer

 

https://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/good-morning-america-times-square-move/

Wow, Times Sq will no longer host any morning show with CBS Mornings also gone.

Does GMA still use an indoor audience on the second floor? If so, I hope they continue that in the new building.

Even Today hardly utilizes its plaza audience anymore.

Rare footage — to me at least. Pre FOX 5 Rosanna Scotto on WABC!

2 hours ago, mre29 said:

 

Instead, they'll live off of syndicated crap game shows or garbage programming.

 

 

 

Hey, someone has to push the trash talkers and court shows on the unwashed masses.   (Also, are there actually twelve episodes of Family Feud every day?)

 

 

 

Scripted programming is not in the past; it just often ends up on streaming services because the broadcast networks generally only want shows that have the broadest appeal. Sports and reality shows succeed at that, partly because they're focused on physical ability (sports), competition (most reality shows on the networks), or relationship drama (the farmer wants a wife? Good for him, but absolutely none of my business). On the scripted side, these means a lot of procedurals, both police/crime-solving (CSI, NCIS, the entire Dick Wolf multiverse) and medical (The Pitt, Doc, House, etc.). The more intellectually-stimulating scripted shows wouldn't have a chance of being picked up by the broadcast networks, and cable channels are not grabbing as many of them as they used to as they themselves are dumbing their content down to widen their appeal. (Why do you think BBC America shows Law & Order repeats?)

 

You beat me to it. Syndicated options aren't much better. Cheap Byron Allen Court shows like The Verdict with Judge Hatchett, countless Family Feud reruns, Pictionary? Some stations have stooped as low as having paid programming blocks on weekdays. 

I totally agree that all the good stuff is on streaming while broadcast primetime goes for the generic procedural types. When I overcome my cynicism and actually watch some broadcast primetime shows they're not half bad. ABC's Doctor Odyssey for example. The problem is, shows like that don't encourage me to give them a chance to begin with, because they look like recycled crap.

4 hours ago, TVNewsLover said:

 

It wasn’t a big deal for Fox because they don’t have a national morning show competing against TODAY. ABC does have a national morning show, GMA, who often is neck and neck with the TODAY show in the ratings. That’s the difference here. 

 

Also, the morning program on 6 used to be referred to as NBC6 News Today in South Florida. 

First Coast News uses Good Morning Jacksonville despite the NBC station being their lead product which simulcasts on ABC. WABC calls its 10am newscast Eyewitness News Mornings at 10, despite Mornings being CBS's AM branding.

While it's common practice for local stations to brand their morning newscast in line with the national AM newscast, I don't think it's a requirement or an expectation.

8 hours ago, atlnews2 said:

Gray has conflicts in Atlanta and charlotte. Nexstar conflict in Dayton 

 

 

Any chance Hearst jumps on this? Good chance to get some pretty good assets…conflicts in Boston, Pittsburgh, and Orlando would need to be divested, but that should be easy. 

Cox has some good stations, WSB among them. I would hate to see Nexstar ( which according to those who work in the industry pays the lowest) come in and cheapen those stations. I wouldn't mind Hearst taking over.

1 hour ago, Georgie56 said:

Hearst doesn’t buy up whole groups. They buy on an individual basis.

I've heard part of the reason why Hearst has such a good reputation is that it doesn't endlessly acquire stations like the other groups, so it isn't spread too thin. Moreover, they have assets outside of television, so they aren't solely dependent on tv revenue.

1 hour ago, mre29 said:

 

Yeah, this feels like a stopgap measure. A bandage, even.

 

19 hours ago, GraphicsMan said:

One scenario could be FOX ends up purchasing WPLG. And WSVN becomes a full time ABC affiliate...

Part of the reason I question if WSVN will eventually go for a full ABC affiliation, is the thought that a big three affiliation is greater/more prominent than a Fox. Does that still hold true (especially for CBS after the 1994 realignments)?

17 hours ago, TVNewsLover said:

I also wonder if the ABC sub channel does indeed simulcast the newscasts, is the network gonna be all right with the morning program, Today in Florida, having the TODAY name in it?
 

That shouldn't matter. WSVN still uses Today in Florida which (correct me if I'm wrong) was a title it got during its NBC affiliation days. WTVJ calls their AM newscast NBC 6 News Today to differentiate.

4 hours ago, atlnews2 said:

I can remember a time when there was a breaking news story in south Florida (think is was the parkland shooting) Fox News decided to jump in and carry WSVN’s coverage…and a minute after than WSVN decided to listen in on CNN’s coverage, causing FNC to quickly switch away. 

It's ironic that WSVN is often called the model Fox affiliate despite distancing itself from the Fox brand.

Yes the business is changing... but as people have said before, I don't see ABC being content on a sub channel long-term in a top 20 market. If this were a smaller market, the CW or My Network TV, perhaps. 

We may be looking at another shake up in the next few years.

In light of the WPLG/WSVN affiliation changes here are some classic videos of Miami/Ft Lauderdale's previous shakeups.

1988 Swaps

1995 WTVJ/ WCIX-WFOR channel number switch.

2008 WPLG-WTVJ failed duopoly attempt

Speaking of out and back in....has anyone been following the awkwardness since Jess Hilarious returned to The Breakfast Club from maternity leave?

Jess was picked to replace Angela Yee as she was a popular social media comedian. Shortly after getting the job Jess announced her pregnancy and went on maternity leave. During Jess' time off, her fill in, producer Loren LaRosa (ex TMZ) outperformed her according to listener comments on all of their broadcast platforms. Since Just returned, Loren remains only during Jess' segments, and consistently fills in for her. This ultimately lead to Jess calling out the show's producers on social media, then an on air mediation of the situation. 

This dilemma reminds me of the Today transition from Deborah Norville to Katie Couric: tension between a new host and her sub following maternity leave. While I respect Jess Hilarious' feelings on this situation, I'm surprised this wasn't addressed behind the scenes in an HR meeting rather than on air.

Simple solution: bring Loren on as a fourth host. Several other radio shows like Steve Harvey have more than four hosts.

On 3/21/2025 at 1:05 AM, Jase said:

 

WSVN and FOX have a 30 plus-year relationship and have described each other as 'perfect partners.' FOX went as far as to say, when they renewed the affiliation last year, that their 'relationship with Ed and the Sunbeam team is one of our longest and strongest affiliate partnerships.'  That doesn't sound like either party is unhappy.

 

When I say ashamed of being a Fox affiliate, I mean they appear to distance themselves from the Fox and Fox News brands.

I've never seen them refer to carrying Fox on air. I've hardly ever seen them air a Fox News package and if they do the anchors re-track it. I never see them take network cut ins ... there was a time they even partnered with CNN to air their coverage for a national event that happened.

While WSVN may have a good business relationship with Fox, as your post says, they seem to dislike that negative Fox connotation.

Someone here questioned if WPLG would vie for the Fox affiliation should that ever become available.

In many ways, Local 10 News news has the Fox tone that 7 News paved the way for... only now their news product is better than WSVN's, and I would argue it's the best English language product in the Miami DMA.

Local 10 News is very fast paced, high story count, and tabloid, with an emphasis on live shots, and spot news...much like 7 News. Should FOX ever migrate there, it would be a perfect fit. *Speculation... we'll cross that bridge if we get to it.

Overall WPLG is a great station and I hope it continues to do well after it becomes an independent like WJXT. 

Miami is one of the most unstable markets for network affiliation. This is just shocking.

WSVN seems to be ashamed of being affiliated with Fox, so I can see them wanting to become the full-time ABC affiliate.

2 hours ago, MorningNews said:

I don’t have enough knowledge about affiliate swaps but is this truly final? It’s almost unbelievable even.

 

How will WSVN manage newscast as a Fox and ABC affiliate? How does branding even work for that and why would ABC be willing to relegated to a sub-channel in a significant market? 

Exactly my question, does ABC want to be relegated to a sub channel?

I would imagine they just simulcast newscasts.

Where does ABC go if it wants a full channel? WSFL, a less popular station with a high dial number?

If ABC ever goes to its own full channel they might want to start a news department --if it lacks one. The south Florida television market would then be saturated with roughly seven english major broadcast stations in one signal area (Counting WPB)

What syndication options are left? WPLG is already a news intensive operation...to fill programming holes they wont be too far off from KTLA's news output.

5 hours ago, Dave Lampstein said:

This would have been an amazing opportunity to drop the 58 and run with CBS Milwaukee (which they tried to do many years ago until a disgruntled employee bought the domain name at the last minute.)

 

That number is just going to hold them back. It makes them seem small and unimportant. 

I used to wonder why some TV stations avoided big numbers in their brands... some even branding with their single digit cable position: example WZVN & WBBH. Perhaps your reasoning is why. 

I don't  think it's a problem, especially if a station wants viewers to immediately know where they can find the station on the TV dial... of course in the age of digital, that importance is diminishing.

2 hours ago, NowBergen said:

Most reprots indicate it will be used for sports and weather, including a special NCCA tournament show.  Here is Parmount's actual press release:

 

https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/cbs-news-and-stations/shows/stations/releases/?view=111139-cbs-miami-debuts-groundbreaking-augmentedvirtual-reality-technology-driven-studio-on-march-16

Agreed.

Incase VR ever becomes the full time set...I'm split on it. On the one hand, it's unique and innovative, and a break up from the traditional anchor desk, video wall studios that we see. 

I like seeing them on CBS News 24/7, but for some reason they look odd on the local level to me.

As we ponder what happens with the anchor musical chairs, Disney just posted a WABC anchor reporter opening on LinkedIn.

I know some jobs technically have to post an open position --- even if they're hiring internally. It could also mean they're hiring from the outside, most likely for the weekend morning slot.

26 minutes ago, RealNews18 said:

At the end of the 5pm today after the last weather hit Lonnie announced why he hasn’t been doing the 6 and 11. He suffered a head injury a few months back, was told to work shorter days and to not drive at night, he is now taking time off. Here is the link of him announcing on Evening News.

 

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1TL3az2H6E/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Makes sense, I thought he wasn't doing it to focus on his evening news duties. Wishing him a speedy recovery, this could not have come at a worse time as he just got that big promotion. Hopefully all will be well.