nycnewsjunkie

No need to be snarky, but yes, CBS or CBS New York will suffice. (If you weren’t being snarky, my apologies for interpreting it that way.)

No offense, but I don’t get why either of you is so passionate either way about KDKA’s color scheme. I don’t think KDKA will tank in the ratings depending on whether they go with a standard set of graphics or change some colors around. Besides, it’s not like they’re filling the screen with fuchsia (although I suppose I shouldn’t give people ideas). To get back on topic, despite the twinkle effect in the intro and the large horizontal bug, this is the best the Evening News has looked in a long time. For once, they beat out the other networks’ graphics. ABC could certainly use a similar upgrade.

There are a few parts of the newscast where CBS is copying (or if you prefer, taking inspiration from) ABC. They didn’t air a single commercial until 14 minutes in, and that commercial (for a pharmaceutical, of course) was accompanied by a headline banner. In addition, Robert Costa’s opening story relied heavily on quick soundbites, fast cuts, zoom effects, and the obligatory “Breaking News” banner, all hallmarks of modern-day ABC News. I’m not sure if any of these adjustments were in place before today, and the rest of the stories felt like they were from a CBS newscast, but I couldn’t help noticing some close similarities to David Muir’s newscast.

The music works well for what it is. A modern take on the 1987 theme is miles better than the awkward EDM remix they’d been using. Sounds like they incorporated the 5-note musical signature as well. The twinkle effect they have on the intro looks cheesy and cheap as hell, but I guess the overall intro/graphics are an improvement over what they had. I’m surprised they didn’t make further updates to the set, given that the virtual background draws heavily from Studio 57 in NY. None of this will really do anything ratings-wise, of course, but I guess it’s good for brand cohesion.

False. WRAZ simulcasts with WRAL at 4pm. Once again, simulcasting exists in the year 2022. The concept of 2 stations running the same newscast has been in place for at least 20 years. There is no written or unwritten rule that forbids something from happening just because some people don’t like it. There will be no mass affiliation changes if both NBC and Fox stations run 10pm news. There will be no volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, or tsunamis as a result of NBC and Fox stations running 10pm news. The state of Hawaii has not sunk into the Pacific Ocean just because KGMB/KHNL already simulcast their late news. Stations are not going to blow up their affiliation agreements just because some of us don’t like the idea of a 10pm simulcast.

They “sacrificed the network” when the TV industry became creatively bankrupt in the 2000s. You may not like it, but most TV shows are not all that relevant. NBC is not the only network that is “so desperate” to prioritize streaming, and no company in their right mind would ignore today’s trends and pretend that we live in the 1990s.

The New York Post originally ran with the story, along with the story about staffers being asked to promote Cuomo’s show. I know, it’s a daily rag and it’s not always reliable, but I suppose it’s better than RadarOnline.

One would be naive to think that station owners aren’t already greedy. Why do you think stations have news at 3pm now? Also, you’re focused on ratings when the driving factor (for the local affiliates, at least) is ad revenue. As many have pointed out many times now, local ad revenue is just as important to stations as ratings. I’m not saying that news expansion is a good thing from a creative/journalistic point of view (I hate it as much as the next person), but it makes sense from a business standpoint. And why the heck would NBC care what Fox thinks? Is there a rule that prevents NBC from upsetting Fox? If NBC can take away viewers from Fox stations at 10pm, all the more reason to do it.

Thing is, why would NBC and their stations care? If anything, they would want to take away from Fox’s prime time news audience. Besides, there’s no guarantee of it being a blow to every Fox station either (see: KTVU, WTVT, KDFW), and more local news competition can’t be too much of a bad thing, even if it is just a sign of less creativity in the TV business. This lack of creativity isn’t anything new either. I remember when NBC programmed Deal or No Deal 5 nights a week. They practically squeezed the life out of that show with how often it was on. Same could be said for Millionaire in the early-2000s. I wish TV hadn’t gone through such a creative slump over the past 2 decades, but a lot of that creativity has moved over to Amazon, Netflix, and Disney+. Peacock is way behind the game when it comes to streaming (if you want proof, look at some of the movies they have on there). NBC needs to do what it can to make it more lucrative. Besides, the local stations would prefer local news over yet another Dick Wolf series or Dateline rerun. What “decision” do they have to make? Just simulcast the damn thing. The stations would be more than grateful for the extra ad revenue.

…in the 1990s.

It’s a bit ironic that NBC is the first traditional “Big Three” network that is rumored to want to do this. Ed Ansin must be smiling from the Great Beyond and thinking, “I told you so.” This move would make sense for both sides. The networks see streaming as their most important commodity, while the affiliates view local news in the same regard due to the ad revenue. The networks can focus on their OTT platforms, while the local affiliates can focus on pumping out more local content.

According to SBJ, this was a one-off transaction due to “an aggressive and willing buyer,” and it isn’t necessarily a harbinger for the sale of other NBC RSNs. Monumental reportedly plans to merge NBCS Washington with their existing streaming service.

I mean, these particular talent opens aren’t going to be around for very long anyway, so this is much ado about nothing imo.

They don’t look that far off from the “NOW” and CBS News streaming graphics, and they look to be using the new CBS font, so it seems plausible. They’re only 2ish weeks away from debuting that newscast, though I imagine they’ll be ironing out any kinks over that period

Damn…when stations are even outdoing WSVN in terms of news hours, you know things have gone crazy. Then again, I suppose this isn’t a new development, so it’s not as shocking as it might have been years ago. SW Florida stations must be raking it in when it comes to ad revenue.

Nice catch! It’s difficult to make out the graphic on the lower left, but the title of the show seems to be “WCCO The 4.” The “WCCO” logo they’re using in the top left of that graphic seems to correspond with this one: EDIT: I also could’ve just read the article first and confirmed the title. I guess that’s what I get for reacting too fast.

I see your point and I understand what you mean now. I don’t know how many similar media critics there are out there, but perhaps it would’ve been better to re-tool Reliable Sources with a new face instead of junking the show entirely. In some ways, I suppose having zero independent media critics on staff at all carries its own set of negative and even dangerous implications, and a “just the headlines” strategy doesn’t have to include dumping media critics entirely.

You must’ve watched a different Brian Stelter than I’ve watched. For nearly its entire run under Stelter and Jeff Zucker, Reliable Sources was a PR machine for CNN disguised as a media analysis program. While they rightfully pointed out instances in which Fox News lacked journalistic ethics, I can’t remember the last time they seriously scrutinized their own network for blatant bias and lapses in judgement. Not to mention, in June the show only averaged 79k in the 25-54 demo. People should’ve seen this move coming from miles away. You mention Ted Turner, but even he mentioned that today’s CNN needed to tone down the opinion. Letting Stelter walk is a start.

That’s old news, no? Frank stated it himself in January, and it was established when KTVU moved Mike Mibach to the evening/late news in April. He’s been “officially out” for a while now. I’m surprised TVSpy posted this as if it were a new development just because of a Facebook update.

I could be wrong, but I don’t think they aired this on Ch. 7 proper, just on streaming. Still, you’d think they’d at least get a better angle of the parade.

Jeffrey Toobin is out.

It’s a shame they relegated John Elliott to weekends. He actually brought some gravitas to the morning show that was (and is) sort of lacking. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got nothing against Chris, Mary, and Elise, but they would be just as serviceable in any other time slot given how generic WCBS is these days. As for “CBS News New York Now,” WLNY isn’t even acknowledged in the title, and the bulk of the newscast is just called “Now.” Keep in mind, this is a cheap revenue generator disguised as a local newscast, and it’s not meant to be competitive or local. The title’s a mouthful, but it’s not like anyone’s watching. Finally, a set and video wall do not a good newscast make. In general, CBS stations in their comparatively smaller markets (Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, Baltimore) tend to perform better than their larger sister stations due to having consistency, personality, and recognizable faces. Their larger stations have slick presentation, but there is absolutely nothing notable or original about their newscasts. And the ratings prove it. Here’s hoping the new 9am hour with Cindy changes that perception. She’s well-deserving of the promotion given what she’s been through, and it looks like she’ll be bringing some originality to the 9am hour.

That seems like the most likely outcome, given the gradual increase in news hours at WABC (and all the other stations for that matter.) WNBC does that right now with Maria LaRosa (morning), Dave Price (midday/4pm), and Janice Huff (night), and I’m surprised it’s taken this long for WABC to follow suit. Also, it allows for more flexibility on days when Sam Champion is either working for the network or down in Miami.

Hopefully it at least looks better than what they have now. The current studio is big, but it has lots of wasted space and it even looked a bit outdated when it was new. The set it replaced was small, but it at least looked better imho.

Per FTVLive, WHBQ Chief Meteorologist Joey Sulipeck is out. He had been suspended by the station after making racial remarks toward Draymond Green on social media. The move comes shortly after Imagicomm’s takeover of the station from Cox.