GodfreyGR

As far as radio ousters go in Minnesota, this one was a bit unexpected... KSTP-FM/Hubbard has shown Staci & Hutch the door. Staci Matthews had been with the station since 2003 when "Moon & Staci" launched. Hutch joined in 2019 after Larry "Moon" Thompson retired. No real word from Hubbard other than contracts were not renewed, and on the search for the next great afternoon show. https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-lifestyle/staci-hutch-ks95s-afternoon-radio-show-will-end

Did he at least pay Dale Hansen royalties for ripping off his sign-off from WFAA? Dale Hansen: "Television has to be more than sitcoms and cop shows. We need to take people out of their bubbles and their safe places, and make them think about the world we live in. It is the only thing I've ever really wanted to do." (2:28) Dustin Nolan: "We as a local news station have to be more than trends or sanitized news, because it makes people feel uncomfortable, that's what the facts matter and that's why we do what we do here. We have to take people out of their bubbles and comfort zones and make them thing about the world we all live in." (1:07) Dale Hansen: "If you don't have a Denny Livingston in your life, I strongly encourage you to find one. He makes dreams come true." (2:37) Dustin Nolan: "If you don't have a Jenna in your life, I suggest you find one. Because she makes dreams come true in every way another human can't." (1:50) Dale Hansen: "There will be no more TV tomorrows for me, so for everyone who has been a part of this one, and all of these 41 years, I'm Dale Hansen, and I really do thank you for watching. Goodnight, and good bye." (3:45) Dustin Nolan: "There will be no more TV tomorrows for me, so for everyone who has allowed me to be a part of their morning, I really do thank you. Good day, and good bye." (2:22) Hansen did it all without crying. Just saying.

RIP Gene and that mustache https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/gene-shalit-today-show-movie-critic-dies-100-rcna103405?cid=sm_npd_nn_fb_ma&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwdGRjcASZbedleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEe0awzPJjHOXzJzxEbXPM6mR_SCv_oEZ1_cQit2rNqb6QjabhMn-vxoZ7S6F4_aem_dpYqTp3XSgd-C1lXLUvcaQ

And to quote Paul Konrad form when he was making fun at one of Fox's promos targeting WGN a while back, "That'll put them on a rocket ship straight to third place".

John Ziegler succeeds Belinda Jensen as Chief Meteorologist at KARE. https://www.kare11.com/article/about-us/kare-11-names-john-zeigler-as-chief-meteorologist/89-6776847b-2763-4148-b968-f5d303152947

Didn’t catch it on the broadcast, but must have been noticeable enough on air if they put out a statement. Glade the camera operator is going to be okay! Edit… Twitter had the video. Attached! https://x.com/AZ_Intel_/status/2054704049996300575/video/1?s=46

After 33 years at KDWB here in Minnesota, Dave Ryan is hanging up the headphones. Always had to listen on a portable radio in the back seat when we would take a trip to the cities as a kid. The Hiram Calls, parody songs, and everything else he came up with over the years were awesome! Curious to what the "Ambassador" role will be... I always thought him teaming up with former co-host Lee Valsvik down the hall at KOOL108 would have been awesome (Since KOOL is now playing the same music Dave and Lee were playing together when it was new on KDWB)! Either way, Happy Retirement Dave! https://radioinsight.com/headlines/352123/dave-ryan-to-retire-from-kdwb-mornings/

Gray is usually quick to flip websites, but WFFT.com still looks pretty Allen-ized as of right now. What Granite did in Ft. Wayne and Duluth in 2005 was awful all the way around... Would like to think Gray is smarter than Granite was. At least "NewsCenter" is unlikely to return!

Again, we agree that there is government overreach and that reviewing licenses over content screams past that overreach line. Over a cup of coffee, we would take a step back and probably agree on 98% of things. But, if we believe in the protection of the First Amendment, we should also agree that is still a difference between "spouting off", and saying that precious assassins are "rolling over in their graves", and desiring someone with "decent aim" (current viral TikTok video quotes) regardless of who the subject matter is. When things like that take off, it only provides others with unnecessary ammunition to tie that to recent quotes from a late night host to get to where we are currently at. Kimmel should be allowed to make jokes, wanting someone dead should always be condemned, and the FCC has no business to be reviewing ABC O&O licenses over this. I stand by both sides being abhorrent in their own ways and we deserve better across the board. I'm rooting for humanity, and right now it's not in Washington D.C., on TV, or any social media platform.

Here is my perspective- thoughts about the president aside... What isn't helping Kimmel right now, nor his rationale for the joke, is that there are plenty of examples on social media (pick a platform, any platform) where there are people are openly cheering for an assassin, upset that shooters miss, and wishing someone would be successful at completing that task. You can disagree with someone and even loathe them, but wishing death upon someone, anyone, publicly is terrible- and doesn't help the problem right now. That said, I think the president has far overreached with retaliation on many fronts and criticism is warranted and more than fair. However, I can and do also believe that Kimmel's explanation on Monday was simply trying to put the cat in the bag. For the first amendment crowd, correct- Jimmy can say what he believes is a joke, but on the flipside of the coin you cannot control or demand how people receive your joke. I might think a comedian is hilarious, you might very well think the same comedian is awful. While Kimmel's skit was written in a way where he was able to say "I meant their age difference", that reference could have easily been written into the joke itself and had prevented *some* of the backlash. A previous comment noted that the age difference jokes are not new- and correct on that front. But late night comedy has changed. Carson, Leno, Letterman, et al. would all wear their stripes at times, but also take shots at all sides of the spectrum- something that enough recent data shows has become quite one-sided (Kimmel, Fallon, Colbert, Gutfeld, and Stewart are all guilty in their own rights). Cooler heads need to prevail on both sides, and quickly.

Do we know if Nexstar will let them keep the music? Or will that get swapped for whatever Nexstar package is in circulation?

I really don't understand the "cube" logo for RTV or WISH- Can anyone explain that? In the opening, it looks like "News 66 ABC".

Gene Shalit turned 100-years-young on Wednesday- and TODAY celebrated accordingly- by putting his face on a Smucker's jar. https://www.yahoo.com/news/videos/today-celebrates-gene-shalit-100-130818398.html

Likewise, KMSP is giving us 10 Twins games over their air, and on the FOX Local app. Gray stations will take KMSP's feed of the games in Greater Minnesota and surrounding states. MN Stations: KDLH/KBJR, KTTC/KXLT, KEYC/KMNF ND Stations: KVLY/KXJB, KFYR SD Stations: KDLT, KEVN IA Stations: KCRG, KWQC, KTIC, KYOU Friday, April 3rd (Home Opener) vs. Tampa Bay Rays, 3:10 PM CT Tuesday, April 28th vs. Seattle Mariners, 3:10 PM CT Tuesday, May 12th vs. Miami Marlins, 6:40 PM CT Tuesday, May 19th vs. Houston Astros, 6:40 PM CT Tuesday, June 2nd vs. Chicago White Sox, 6:40 PM CT Tuesday, July 8th vs. Cleveland Guardians, 6:40 PM CT Tuesday, July 29th vs. Kansas City Royals, 6:40 PM CT Tuesday, August 11th vs. Baltimore Orioles, 6:40 PM CT Tuesday, August 18th vs. Atlanta Braves, 6:40 PM CT Tuesday, September 1st vs. Detroit Tigers, 6:40 PM CT

Been noticing this for a while on KVLY- wondering if there is any logical or rational explanation for the "KX4" and "KVLY" under the bug on the newscasts when the channel info is in the bug? It's not just stamped on online videos- these show up on the broadcast. And why do they look like someone copy/pasted the wrong filetype from a Google Image search with the white fuzz/static around the icons?

They are, and they will, and with respect- channel 8 will still be the 200-ton gorilla in Des Moines when it's all said and done.

Just in time to have them get scrapped for WHO's graphics?

It's not that hard. https://nationalmediaspots.com/DMA-Ranks.pdf

1) Mizzou is a non-profit university, so they don't need to worry as much about raking in the cash and meeting quotas to keep the stocks up. The joys of being a land-grant research institution! 2) That station is part of why the Missouri School of Journalism is one of the top journalism programs out there, and a huge draw for prospective students by getting to train in an actual newsroom (not discounting campus journalism programs- Mizzou carved out their niche by having KOMU). 3) Who says they wouldn't sell if the right offer came along?

There's a good deal of extremely wishful thinking about courts undoing things, divestitures, etc. For the sake of the good people panicking about whether or not they will have a job when the dust settles, I pray to God you are all correct and some Hail Mary materializes. However, the reality of those Christmas wishes coming true is probably slim to none, and slim has left the building. Who else was lining up with a serious offer to buy out TEGNA? Should Denver, and Portland, and St. Louis have the mega-opolys that they now will? I don't think so. However, this has been a snowball effect of exceptions. There are more companies getting out of the business than into it. It sucks, but its reality. Revenue keeps going down, and it's becoming downright near impossible to operate as an independent owner. The quote that Chuck Peters of Gazette said when they sold KCRG to Gray for $100 Million: "we realized that we did all we could as a single television station with the business...". Indeed, as the big get bigger, the little guy sold out while the getting was good. It's really hard to say no to a big pay day when you were getting really good at barely getting by. I know that many have enjoyed blaming Evil Orange Man for all of this, and the current administration is owed their fair share of the blame; but the buildup to a sale like Tegna has been percolating for some time. Companies were allowed to buy market competitors in the 2000's using failing station waivers or used LMA's to operate and control other newsrooms. Precedent was set. Exception after exception after exception was made through many Presidential administrations, FCC boards, and DOJs. Sure some raised opposition, sounded a cautionary alarm, but what did that do? Not a darned thing. Perhaps more so than wishing for a miracle in the courts, wish for a time machine to stop the snowball from becoming an avalanche.

Can we make this its own thread? I feel like this might get topical in the radio discussion as it will impact some 700 radio stations- including major early affiliates who have been with CBS News Radio for nearly the entire run (WCCO, WINS, WBBM, KCBS).

Was up in Fargo over the weekend and noticed that while some companies and stations are shedding their affiliation during local newscasts, KVRR actually went back to adding the Fox logo to theirs after a decade of just the calls. Outside of news and online/socials it's still just KVRR- but nevertheless thought it was an interesting move.

So does someone else pick up the production of some of these shows? Access Hollywood and Wilkos have to have some life left in them, don't they?

That promo is likely from Gray's hub- KVLY has similar promos for Weather and Apps, and there has been no other sign of them getting GrayOne (Ex Hoak station). Until you see things start appearing in newscasts (namely weather graphics) I wouldn't get too excited.

CBS has blown up every element of the morning show since "Early" gave way to CTM/Mornings- the studio (from the unique setup from the Charlie/Erica/Gayle days, to Times Square, to whatever they have now), the "news is back in morning news" format to the same thing Today/GMA are doing... The one thing they have not traded out is Gayle. I'm not saying that doing so will send them on a rocket ship in the ratings, but you've swapped out every other element more than once...