nycnewsjunkie

I must be really slow with this stuff, because I didn’t even know she left CBS2 to begin with.

I don’t think comparing 2 stations in 2 different time slots really counts as competition, but I assume your point is that KCAL has the higher-rated newscasts. Is that really a bad thing? It’s the exact same news department, and the revenue is all flowing in the same direction.

I don’t know if I’d call it “ass-backwards management” (not yet, anyway); it’s more like throwing in the towel on channel 2 in the morning. I can’t blame them. Keep in mind that their current arrangement has KCBS airing a newscast that draws a big fat zero in the ratings, while KCAL airs infomercials. As unconventional as this new arrangement is, it’s better than what they have now (although they might want to consider promoting the damn thing). That’s not saying much, of course. The spiel about “making KCAL a major player” is BS, and I imagine that management is smart enough to realize that they won’t be a major threat to KTLA or KTTV. The broader point is that KCAL can air its own programming (via CBS LA’s news dept), and the extra airing of CBS Mornings can give the show a ratings boost (albeit, a very small one). Sure, KCBS loses morning news, but when no one’s watching it, it’s not like anyone living in LA is going to give a damn.

If they really are launching on KCAL tomorrow, you’d think they’d do a better job promoting it. I haven’t seen anything on their website that promotes a Dec. 5 launch (other than program guides), and I assume they aren’t airing promos on KCBS/KCAL. AFAIK, nothing promoting a specific launch date on social media or YouTube either. Maybe it’s me, but I don’t know if you have any hope of getting viewers for this thing if you aren’t even telling people when/where to watch it. Unless, of course, they aren’t launching tomorrow.

I know Meade is popular around here (and I quite like her myself), but I can’t say I’m surprised that she’s leaving. Her program always had a bit of a niche audience, and since it was the only news program on what’s become a true crime channel, it’s always been out of place. While I personally think it’s better than New Day, its lighter tone means that it wouldn’t fit in with the rest of CNN’s programming. Hopefully she finds work elsewhere (she’s too good not to). Still, I really don’t like this whole “cut to success” mentality that Discovery is implementing across CNN (and across the entire company, for that matter). Yes, CNN desperately needed to change, but making the network irrelevant is not the answer. You kind of answered your own question there. Still, the amount of zombie networks they have is astounding.

Yup, afraid so. I guess it’s a good reminder that people in TV news (or in any place of public prominence) can be as wonderful or as horrible as anyone else.

I’m not sure if they’re planning on keeping it this way, but the branding looks and feels temporary. I’m not a fan of it either, but I suppose it’s necessary given that CBS airs a bunch of newscasts on two LA stations. I wouldn’t be surprised if it all becomes “CBS News Los Angeles” at some point.

Given the controversy surrounding this year’s World Cup, broadcasters are bound to be caught between their responsibilities in covering the matches and a journalistic responsibility to cover Qatar’s human rights issues. It appears that Fox’s coverage will not have a strong focus on the human rights aspect of it at all. From Awful Announcing:

On that subject, apparently the interviewer (Markie Martin) is the sister of Margo Martin, Trump’s Deputy Director of Communications. That relationship was not disclosed. I know I should really stop giving NN undue attention, but when they’re interviewing the former president like this, it’s kind of hard to ignore. FTVLive referred to the network as Fox News Lite, but even Fox News has greater levels of transparency. NewsNation is more like Diet Newsmax with a side of Fredo.

IIRC it wasn’t until recently that KLAS started streaming online. And that’s a station in Vegas. This is where Nexstar should’ve been investing instead of trying to create CNN/Fox News Lite.

A good rule of thumb that’s worked well for me: If it’s a sensationalist piece from the NY Post/NY Daily News, there’s a 50% chance it’s horsecrap.

Good point, the last thing the stations need is for more people to see them screw up. That one KSAZ issue could send Arizona’s election into a tailspin just because of all the craziness surrounding it.

I’m surprised they aren’t rolling everything out right now. I’m not just talking about the graphics; I’m referring to the new newscasts in both Detroit and LA. The midterms are going to see higher news viewership than normal, and this would be the best time to launch. To me, it doesn’t really make sense to wait until general interest in news has waned to launch new newscasts.

Maybe because it’s the first of the month? That’s my best guess.

Why would he sue Tegna? They’re not in charge of whether the deal gets approved or not; it’s the DOJ’s call.

No. They’re not interested in the deal happening in the first place. The last thing they need is a Goliath competing against them in Jacksonville. Besides, considering how the deal is essentially stalled, any talk of spin-offs is likely to be a moot point.

To answer the first question, Newsmax didn’t seem to care when it initially went on air. At no point did a producer/director decide to pull the plug and go to break when Logan brought up the topic of a “global cabal.” On the contrary, Bolling appeared to encourage her ramblings, and even articulated the sentiments behind the “Great Replacement” theory. The whole segment was nothing but a series of conspiratorial (and arguably overtly racist) claims. Even the lower third graphics seemed to encourage Logan’s BS (ex: “Logan: It’s Good vs. Evil” when she was going on about the End Times). I get the feeling that Newsmax is only now condemning her statements because they gave the game away and got caught. As for what happened to Lara, I’ve wondered the same about many of my friends and relatives who’ve found sanctuary in the far right/far left (though the far right seems to have received more mainstream acceptance in the GOP than the far left has received among Democrats). I can name people in my own personal life who were otherwise good, decent, and rational, but even they have been seduced into becoming fanatics with a hunger for political violence. They didn’t become like that overnight; it happened over several years. The quote about fascism coming to America “wrapped in the Flag and carrying the Cross” comes to mind. It’s not because patriotism and religion are always inherently fascist (they aren’t). Rather, it’s that extreme ideologies become palatable and popular by dressing themselves in respectable clothing. They attract people with the familiar, and slowly but surely drag those people towards extremism. I know that sounds overtly political, but I can’t think of another way to explain why so many respectable people have gone off the deep end. The only other answer is that they’re human, and humans are capable of these things. That answer scares the daylights out of me.

Long overdue IMO. Not that Dana wasn’t a good solo anchor, but Dick Brennan deserves the spot. This also helps on days when one of them is off; the other anchor can just do it solo instead of having the 5pm team fill in.

Because nothing says “trust me, I’m not just a greedy hedge fund manager” than using character assassination to blackmail your opponents. /s I’m no Tegna fanboy, but based on his behavior (and the nature of the purchase), Soo Kim has no business owning TV stations. The broadcast industry will be better off without him if/when this merger fails.

I definitely agree with that sentiment, and I’m beginning to understand your point; debates are a public service, and should be treated as such (just as they are for the presidency). In an ideal world, every station would carry (or at least have the option of carrying) a gubernatorial/senate debate live. My broader point was that Nexstar isn’t doing anything radical in having exclusive rights. The network O&Os, Tegna (in TX), and many other station groups have organized similar arrangements in the past. I wouldn’t hate the player (Nexstar), but rather the game (in which political parties allow certain companies to have exclusivity in the first place). That said, I didn’t realize Nexstar’s guidelines about crediting NewsNation, and I’ll concede that those are excessive. NewsNation isn’t even conducting the debate; the stations are. It would be like NBC requiring other outlets to credit MSNBC for an event covered by NBC News.

Not quite; airing the debate on WSTR was out of necessity, not for “public interest” reasons. Nexstar doesn’t own a station in Cincinnati, and had to partner w/ Sinclair in that market to ensure its debate could be seen in every Ohio market. That said, it’s really not a big deal IMHO. Is it any different than WABC/WPVI having exclusivity over a New Jersey gubernatorial debate? I actually don’t mind Nexstar doing this. Just like ABC in NJ, Nexstar has the rights to host this debate, so why wouldn’t they air it on their platforms? If anything, airing it in all of their markets broadens the reach of the debate, as it now airs on stations that may not otherwise have carried it. And what does it have to do w/ NewsNation? These debates are being moderated by local anchors/reporters, not Chris Cuomo (and thank God for that).

Tegna’s best play might be to do nothing and let the deal get rejected. IIRC, wouldn’t Tegna have to pay a termination fee if they call the deal off?

Nah. That assumes NewsNation had any sort of lead to begin with. They’re more like the 2022 Denver Broncos. A very expensive flop.

I didn’t get it at first either, and I’ll try to simplify what I think they’re doing as best I can. CBS knows that local news is more identifiable w/ viewers than the national network. That’s a problem for them, given that CBS national newscasts don’t perform well in the ratings. By slapping the “CBS News” name onto local newscasts, the CBS News brand effectively becomes more regional. The hope is that viewers identify their local newscasts with CBS News as a whole, and that they stay w/ their CBS News station for national news rather than flipping the channel. CBS also wants to push local/national streaming, given the rise of OTT services, and also wants to integrate the operations of local streaming services. The best way they can do that is by having everyone brand around the network, rather than have the channel number on TV, the CBSN brand for streaming news, etc. The current “awkward muddle” of brandings is because they’re transitioning. In NY, I’ve seen more references to CBS New York than CBS 2 in station promos. I have no idea if this would actually accomplish the first goal of increasing viewership, and I don’t see myself wanting to watch the CBS Evening News in my market just because WCBS doesn’t call itself CBS2 anymore. However, it would accomplish the goal of integrating the network in a streaming-heavy world.

MLS is already going to Apple TV, a platform that makes much more sense for them than The CW. IIRC, many of those other sports have agreements w/ NBC Sports and ESPN, which are both much more valuable partners than The CW. Even basket weaving’s got The Ocho going for them. If Nexstar were smart, they’d try to secure national rights to HBCU football/basketball. I believe those rights are syndicated at the moment, and a platform like The CW might offer them more exposure. The CW will never reach the level of the other major networks in terms of either sports or scripted programming, but any live sporting events would give it a chance to grow. I wouldn’t hold my breath on it actually happening, though.