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nycnewsjunkie

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  1. nycnewsjunkie
    Good news: WINS finally gets a stronger signal. Bad news: The newsrooms are merging (if I read the article correctly). It sounds to me like the first step in winding down WCBS (not right away of course, but it may not be around in ten years). I rather liked the fact that WCBS and WINS retained not only their independent identities, but also their independent newsrooms even under common ownership. They were not only distinct in terms of identity, but also in terms of style (WINS being the traditional “22 minute headline news” station, and WCBS being “more than just the headlines”). It sucks that their newsrooms will no longer be independent. However, with the way radio is going, that was never going to last, regardless of who owned the stations. In terms of ratings, definitely WINS. That’s not to say that WCBS isn’t big (it’s an institution in its own right).
  2. nycnewsjunkie
    Nah. That assumes NewsNation had any sort of lead to begin with. They’re more like the 2022 Denver Broncos. A very expensive flop.
  3. nycnewsjunkie
    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.
  4. nycnewsjunkie
    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.
  5. nycnewsjunkie
    And that reason is because the name “The National” is a known commodity. That’s a brand with decades of exposure. Newsy is not. When your company has a long history of journalism, why not capitalize on it to grow both your streaming network and national portfolio?
  6. nycnewsjunkie
    That’s rather ironic, considering Antena 3’s history. They’re apparently considered to be the Fox News of Romania, and were known for falsely reporting that George Soros was behind a series of protests against the Romanian government. The network also ranks as being among the least trustworthy in Romania, according to a Reuters Institute study. I guess that given CNN International’s reputation, Antena 3 figured that a partnership with them might bolster their credibility.
  7. nycnewsjunkie
    I like the smaller score bug and the color matchup with the team jerseys. Unfortunately, it kinda goes downhill from there. The theme sounds like something a SoundCloud rapper made in 30 mins and decided not to use. The pillbox shaped clock might’ve gone over better in 2002. And what’s with the recent affinity for stretched out fonts at ESPN? Did they hire WJZ’s creative director?
  8. nycnewsjunkie
    I’m not a moderator or anything (and I would never pretend to be), but perhaps this discussion about an affiliation switch would be best for the speculatron? CBS hasn’t given an explicit indication of wanting to pull its affiliation in Atlanta, and until then, everybody’s basically taking guesses. Anyway, the ANF YouTube channel has been placing thumbnails with headlines on their videos. Even videos from before the launch have these thumbnails. Granted, this is an extremely minor detail, but I’ve never seen this style of thumbnail from too many local outlets (even O&Os). This is stuff I’ve usually seen from bigger outlets, like France 24 and DW, on their YouTube channels. Smart use of branding, if you ask me.
  9. nycnewsjunkie
    I hadn’t considered the interest rate hikes, so that’s a good point. That said, if CBS ever pulls the affiliation from WANF, would Gray accept it without pulling other CBS affiliations? Wouldn’t the resulting blowback from Gray end up being worse for CBS? I know this is all wildly off topic and speculative, and I apologize if I’m inadvertently derailing the thread. That’s the last thing I’ll ask relating to that scenario.
  10. nycnewsjunkie
    I guess you could say that. Supposedly (if former sports anchor Laura Behnke’s lawsuit is reliable), Lori Stokes was allegedly asked to…let’s just say, give certain favors to Dave Davis (the GM at the time) in exchange for a better contract. If those allegations are true, that probably contributed to Lori wanting to get the heck out of there.
  11. nycnewsjunkie
    CBS’s strategy for local stations wouldn’t surprise me, but I still have two questions: 1) Would Gray agree to an affiliation agreement with CBS that excludes WANF? What’s to stop Gray from telling CBS that they no longer want to carry their programs on most/all of their other CBS affiliates? Again, I wouldn’t be surprised if CBS really is going with that strategy, but doesn’t it have the potential to massively backfire? 2) Wouldn’t it make more sense for CBS to just sell their standalone CW affiliates to another company? What CBS is doing in Detroit is difficult enough; do they really want the burden of launching news in Seattle, Tampa, and Atlanta when they already have affiliates doing it for them? Besides, Nexstar might be interested in owning three standalone affiliates in top-20 markets. Granted, one can credit CBS with having enough foresight to know that station groups are uncoupling from their dependence on the networks. Perhaps CBS figures that it’s best to sever the cord to station groups sooner rather than later, when said station groups will be established enough to not need the networks. Gray’s desire to “fire CBS” in Atlanta might justify this reasoning. Come to think of it, I might’ve just answered my own questions there. Still, it would be like McDonalds attempting to replace every single franchisee with their own stores; it wouldn’t be practical (at least in the short term) and it presents a great risk.
  12. nycnewsjunkie
    I’m not familiar with CBS’ mindset here, but would they be that desperate for an O&O in Atlanta? It would make sense if they wanted one, say, 7 years ago, when WGCL was a dumpster fire, but if ANF turns out to be somewhat successful, why bother? IIRC, NBC did what they did in Boston due to preemptions, wanting to dissociate from WHDH’s tabloid news, and the fact that they already had an established operation there (NECN). Those factors don’t really exist in Atlanta for CBS. Why waste money on a startup operation (that will likely bomb, given today’s media environment) when your affiliate is doing all the work for you?
  13. nycnewsjunkie
    AFAIK, WXCW is down. WINK was doing a makeshift broadcast of sorts for a while, but they essentially signed off at 11:30pm and are supposed to be back at 6am. This frozen picture is what WINK’s channel on YouTubeTV is showing now (sorry I don’t have it in better quality).
  14. nycnewsjunkie
    To be fair, the station’s fate isn’t entirely in their own hands. How well ANF does will be influenced by how much the competition slips up (especially WSB/Apollo). That said, given that the station has been remarkably stable as of late, I’m optimistic that this goes beyond a name/set change. IMHO, they don’t have to end up in first place (or even second) to consider this a success. They simply have to be competitive. Gray’s short-term goals were to make investments into the station, hire solid journalists, and maintain stability. So far, it looks like they’ve done that. Even in the worst-case scenario, they are at least putting out a better and more accessible product today than they ever have before.
  15. nycnewsjunkie
    Well, I guess it’s October somewhere. Here’s the intro. Note that the WGCL calls are still there for now. IMG_5668.MP4
  16. nycnewsjunkie
    Interesting. I guess everyone might be getting the call letter treatment, at least temporarily. If so, it would be reminiscent of how CTV handled their standardization. Come to think of it, that might be the branding differentiation between newscasts on KCBS and KCAL.
  17. nycnewsjunkie
    I like it. I think Scripps is a much more familiar name for people, given both the Spelling Bee and the long history of both newspaper publishing and broadcasting. As far as graphics go, Newsy>Scripps stations IMO.
  18. nycnewsjunkie
    Sadly, most likely not. In any case, here’s hoping everyone over there stays safe, and that they get back on air ASAP. This is video from Matt Devitt. The studio’s a goner, and there’s flooding in the newsroom too.
  19. nycnewsjunkie
    Geez he can’t even get the damn abbreviation right. ANF, Scott. It’s right in front of you. As he loves to say, if you screw up the little things… According to the station, it will launch the new name “beginning in October,” which starts Saturday. They could opt for a weekend launch if they plan on debuting the new name “before the week is out.”
  20. nycnewsjunkie
    Not a big fan of the tiny anchor desk or the sponsored weather center. Other than that, it looks really good.
  21. nycnewsjunkie
    Unfortunately, that’s what I’m expecting it to be. David Zaslav ran Discovery by pumping out cheaper, non-scripted stuff, and WBD has already been cutting a lot of original productions on HBO Max. The rumors about a potential sale to Comcast is definitely in speculation territory, but I don’t think it’s as far-fetched as some might think (the DOJ notwithstanding). I wish I had links, but I remember reading articles (from before the completion of the WBD merger) that talked of a potential sale of the company in the future.
  22. nycnewsjunkie
    The new hires have been good imo, and Fernandez seems more confident now than he was when he started. That said… …I don’t think he’ll be a full-timer.
  23. nycnewsjunkie
    “Several sources at the station” could theoretically be the news director, the general manager, the janitor, and maybe a couple of coworkers that didn’t like him. I understand that people will never publicly attach themselves to these claims, but they’re too hard to independently verify outside of this article. It’s enough to just acknowledge that Mester violated the terms of his employment and he could’ve handled things a bit better. There’s no need to get into character assassination without a real basis. Also, there seem to be zero public mea culpas from management for their end of this situation, which indicates how dismal things are at KTLA right now, regardless of one man’s behavior. And even if Mester’s behavior was as bad as the LA Times article alludes to, that’s also on management for not firing him sooner.
  24. nycnewsjunkie
    Wow. They actually tore down a decent set only to downgrade. This is like the TV version of demolishing a ranch home only to build a gaudy McMansion. I’m sure all the money they blew on that thing will fix all of their ratings problems. /s Seriously, they thought they needed to junk a 3 year old set? And they replaced it with the same FX corner garbage they use everywhere else? What a waste. No, it’s not bad enough for viewers to notice or care, but that’s not the point. The point is that there was no need to waste loads money on a new set, especially when it adds nothing that the old set didn’t already have. I remember someone brought up concerns over early HD-era sets being less energy efficient, but as far as I can tell, the now-old set didn’t seem to have that issue. If anything, it wouldn’t surprise me if the new set was less energy efficient than the old one, with all those monitors they’re using. If that’s all Nexstar can come up with in a top-20 market, I don’t have high hopes for what WPIX/KTLA are getting.
  25. nycnewsjunkie
    That’s gotta be a one-off thing. There’s no info on the period, SOG count, etc. Just a wild guess, but maybe they had some production issues and had to slap that scoreboard together?
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