MediaZone4K

It's always interesting to see how networks function on low staffing days. GMA, Today, and CMs are typically pre-recorded on Christmas and New Year's. As such none of the primary anchors were live in the building this morning. *Morgan Norwood and Aaron Katerski anchored coverage as a special report this morning for the New Orleans terror attack. It was also pretty cool to see them take a mid-market local affiliate reporter on the ground versus their own network talent. Hopefully this terrible event is not an indication of how the rest of 2025 is going to go.

Imagine 9/11 being your first day at your new newsroom as a journalist!!!! What a story to tell. RIP Mr. Brown

Agreed. To put things in perspective, do we really need to be arguing about something as arbitrary as news anchor vacation time. IMO No.

Never said that. That first statement is exactly your attitude. "Any statement any non-executives makes is invalid, and any question of change makes you a fossil." Change for change sake is just different. It doesn't necessarily progress things. It's just different. I will never say let's do it this way because this is the way we've always done it, or I will never advocate for doing something just because journalism school says you have to. So stop there. If you're going to change things up there should be a legitimate reason, And it should be for the better. How does saying that staff deserves Christmas off and it might not make sense to air all newscasts on a slow news day advocating for a bygone era? That's very much current. You have a habit of speaking in absolutes.."Nobody is just burning the bosses’ money for kicks and giggles.".... How are you so sure? I'm guessing most of us here aren't in the corporate boardrooms. Does that mean we have no right to comment on and analyze certain situations in media? If you think people outside the office shouldn't be critiquing what's going on inside then why are you on this website? I don't know if you have ever actually worked in media because I have and I can tell you it doesn't make sense to bootlick for people who wouldn't hesitate to terminate you if it meant maximizing shareholder gains. To avoid a back and forth before the moderators step-in, people deserve time off for Christmas, it's not a sin to reduce your news output on a national holiday, and hesitate to comment on anything I post if your answer is just "the bosses know best, dont question, just comply." I don't even see why staff getting time off on Christmas is a debatable subject. But Ill close my part in that discussion here.

It's a fact. All you ever do is just find a way to contradict/dismiss what people say and advocate for station management. Your answer right now shows a lack of self-reflection. You think legitimate critiques of the way our collapsing industry is being run is "finding imaginary fault". Most of your answers on this thread are chalked up to "the people in charge have all the answers and we should just accept anything because they know best." What is the point of this website if not to critique decisions and offer alternatives? Exactly.

The were okay but I found the previous 2003 package and the following 2012 package to be stronger.

Today Show 60th Anniversary 2012, full 4 hours

Because management always makes the right decision and wasteful spending never happens. Contrarian and corporate apologist per usual.

Objectively speaking....Why pay staff time and a half to produce a full schedule of newscasts when little *LOCAL* news is actually occuring, for probably below average viewership? Is there an appetite to hear about the latest shooting/stabbing on Christmas? And from a subjective POV....What little does someone have going on in their life that they're mad about not being able to watch as much news for one day out of 366? Does any of this actually warrant debate? A major national holiday occurred, and mass amounts non-emergency workers scheduled vacation simultaneously. Its that simple. Anyway this sums it all up...

There was no need for an actual newscast, especially in an era of internet. I was watching WSVN and they had their full slate of evening Newscasts. All shows from 4 to 7:00 p.m. appeared to be repeats of each other with little local content. Overall, this subject comes up every year. Religious or not, there shouldn't be a problem with having an annual national day of rest. It says something about this country that we get so upset when our daily institutions get to pause for one day.

Cool. For starters, what was the necessity of a 4:30 am newscast on a national day off? Could they have made up the ad revenue with one of their specials? Holidays like Christmas are when the concept of a Scrippscast actually makes sense.

The DBL set was better

The only subs that really needs to be documented here is if we get a reporter who never anchors getting to sub or a significantly unusual pairing

Given a consistent decent paycheck for non-taxing labor and (presumably) no pension -- I would do the same. I don't think it's time for Liz to step aside. On one hand if you're paying someone decently, some flexibility would be appreciated. Conversely, I understand the argument that talent has to put their foot down with news companies, because they would literally abuse your schedule and pay you nothing given the opportunity. Just ask small market MMJs.

Yikes!!!! On the one hand I dont think George should be terminated because I can see how someone would mix up the technicalities between sexual abuse and rape. As a journalist, however, one must to do their due diligence to get the fact right. Stephanopoulos comes off as biased and strikes me as someone who was eager to get this incorrect damning information out there. On the other hand, the President-Elect continually utters false claims intentionally which begs the question... should Stephanopoulos be granted grace?

It's like local news design firms unanimously decided for a Microsoft Paint/PowerPoint look. (Example, Nexstar's lower thirds and the current abc logo). Much of news graphics today is uninspiring and cheap looking. It's amazing that packages from the late '90s look more lively than today's work. I really do appreciate that Nexstar doesn't have a standard look across all stations, so there can be some individuality. My contention with modern set design is the overuse of video walls. Large screens look good coupled with furniture so that sets doesn't look barren like KPRC or the Today Show.

These lower graphics are bland. Its basic and rectangular. ESPN and other *sports networks continually trump news graphics both local and national.

Chuck's last newscast was good, and he had a poignant commentary at the end. Especially loved his speech from his 50th anniversary dinner in which he challenged his coworkers to absorb the gravity of where they work. There was a distinct lack of Sue Simmons in tonight's newscast. I was hoping for a pre-taped tribute, or an in-person appearance like she did for Gabe Pressman's death. At least we got a full conversation between the pair during his 50th Anniversary Special.

Cool! I will disagree with Mo Racca's assessment that Duran and Seacrest are the only well know radio "DJ's. (IDK If he meant hosts). Charlemagne tha God and Steve Harvey are very well known.

During the post ATWT gap I also remember Young and the Restless reruns being utilized.

I know, and same.

Speaking of Sky News....with all the other cable networks interrupting non-live programming, MSNBC turn to Sky News for international coverage.

Agreed. It's a legitimate question.

And he was on the national tree lighting telecast. Good to see him going out big.

Given how Nexsar has improved the sets of WTEN, WIVT, WPIX, and WIXN, among other stations, they could have hooked KUSI up better.