nycnewsjunkie

The bare bones temp set actually looks more up to date than the outgoing set. This IG post gives a view of the anchors. Looks as if they’re using an old desk from KSWB. https://www.instagram.com/tsardinatv/p/C2tZT_Yreel/

I’m not a fan of that “2” logo though. It looks a bit…off with the rest of the package. And unless they’re planning on rebranding as “KTVN,” I don’t really see the point of having the call letters in the box; seems rather redundant. I do prefer the music here though, mainly because Enforcer is a lot more versatile than Dimensional. Other than KPIX (which uses the package well), the O&Os use the same one or two cuts that get really tiresome after a while. Just my opinion though.

Wow, this is the first time I’m seeing this project, but it looks fantastic! Seems like a wonderful way to introduce high school kids to video journalism (and journalism in general). They certainly seem really enthusiastic about it. Good for you guys.

That’s actually putting it lightly. Drew Carey and Wayne Brady certainly never set out to be game show hosts any more than the “career game show hosts” have. I remember watching Drew’s interview with Alex Trebek for a game show documentary; his initial reaction to the offer to host TPIR was something along the lines of “I don’t want to host that old man’s show.” Of course, he’s become such a natural at the gig that you’d never know that if he didn’t say it.

I don’t think so. The role of career game show hosts made more sense when game shows were in greater demand by the networks to fill out the morning and afternoon hours. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having people who don’t strictly host game shows do just that; to me, comedians are especially great in that role. Keep in mind, it isn’t anything new. Dick Clark was primarily known as an DJ, not as a game show host. Alex Trebek was a CBC DJ before he hosted game shows. Pat Sajak was a local weatherman. The only modern example of a career game show host that I can think of is Jeff Probst.

You can still visit if you’re in the area and find yourself in/near Lincoln Center; it’s pretty cool to see it in person. It’s a shame there won’t be one in Hudson Square, but I imagine they have their reasons for that.

Couldn’t have said it better. I do think their newscasts would come off as being rather ostentatious and gaudy in most other cities, especially when you consider the occasional mild editorializing on the part of the anchors. However, the “populist” (for lack of a better word) style of WABC’s newscasts does fit in NYC imo.

Not to sound speculative, but I do think the prospect of networks dumping affiliations with certain station groups is becoming more feasible. The networks (except for Fox) are already able to distribute “network-only” feeds of their programming; ABC did just that when Sinclair and Hulu had a carriage dispute last year. Sure, it might be a loss for OTA viewers, but I’m sure the networks would find a way to get their feeds carried on streaming/cable. It’s not as though the networks care that much about OTA antenna viewers anyway; if they did, we wouldn’t be seeing Peacock-exclusive NFL playoff games. I don’t see it happening anytime soon, but I do think there will come a time when the networks won’t need the affiliates, especially if they’re run by a company like Sinclair. I’d be intrigued to see what the TV landscape looks like 10 years from now. Disney can’t be happy to associate with Sinclair, and I imagine if the opportunity presented itself, they’d want to rid themselves of that association.

I mean, they sort of always have been on the flashy side when it comes to their presentation of the news. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think their product is anywhere near the level of sleaze and shameless tabloid junk that WSVN was pumping out in the 90s, and the station does (and has done) plenty of serious journalism. But their newscasts have always had a “man on the street” feel to them, at least imo. This is an Eyewitness News promo from the 1960s. The subject matter would still shock some today, so imagine how it was received back then.

The Sun is certainly running with that “local ownership” line, and I suppose “local ownership” is a tangible improvement compared to being owned by a hedge fund. But I’d bet any money that the editorial leanings and journalistic standards of the paper will be drastically different than they are now. Hasn’t David Smith thrown enough money away already? Nobody was rooting for him to become dollar store Rupert Murdoch.

The only reservation I have with the new look is, sadly, Charlie van Dyke. He’s one of my favorite voiceovers, but he really doesn’t sound good in the intro. I’d hate to see him go, but it wouldn’t surprise me if someone else started voicing the station’s newscasts in the near future. I know there are other VO actors that voice promos and such already.

Night and day.

If one of them had to move to weekend evenings, I’d go with Toni. Michelle’s been on weekend mornings for what feels like forever. I’m surprised they ended up hiring a new weekend anchor instead of sticking with Michelle and Toni though.

She could just be sick, it’s really not a big deal. There’s an uptick in COVID, flu, and RSV right now (and I should know).

My apologies if my comment there sounded harsh; I just don’t want to take things as gospel when we don’t really have a way to confirm it, although I know there are things in the media business that Joe Public can’t be privy to. I’ll take what you said in good faith, but I’d still genuinely be shocked if they’re beating WXYZ after only a year or so. If that’s the case, good for them. It’s a shame ratings data is hard to come by, or that they usually don’t account for streaming numbers. I know Broadcasting & Cable does spotlights of cities where they list where stations are at ratings-wise, but I couldn’t find anything for Detroit. C’est la vie, I guess.

Do you have any ratings data to support this? Or a source for Jeff Skversky supposedly being a newsroom cancer? And how do you explain Ronnie Duncan suddenly leaving? I’d genuinely be shocked if they are beating WXYZ. No offense, but this sounds like gossip.

They’ve definitely improved, but it’s not without turbulence. One of their main anchors is gone, their sports anchor was unceremoniously dumped, and the ratings are going nowhere fast. To me, they don’t really offer anything that makes them stand out. Of course, any news is better than no news at all, and I’m glad CBS finally did what they should’ve done years ago and reinstated newscasts, but there is much need for improvement.

One thing that hasn’t changed: there isn’t a bathroom in sight. For real though, what a cool photo.

I guess it depends on the station. IMO it would work at a station like WBRC, but not a station like KVVU.

That too. The networks are promoting their streaming services a lot more.

I’m not an expert on affiliation renewals or the processes involved with them, but I really don’t think logo removals are an indicator of much. I feel like if 81 stations were suddenly going to change affiliation, we’d know about it by now. If I had to guess, perhaps Gray wants to push local branding to distinguish local stations from the networks. Keep in mind that many of Gray’s CBS affiliates have also dropped the network logo, and former O&O WTVG has dropped their network logo as well. Unless proven otherwise, I don’t really think there are any immediate implications surrounding those branding changes.

Yeah, I didn’t mind the idea of two hosts at all, and I never really understood why people took issue with it. The show has always been about contestants, not the people who stand behind the podium, and I’m sure Trebek and Fleming would both concur with that statement. I wasn’t crazy about Bialik, but she seemed like a genuinely nice person who, by many accounts, got on really well with the staff there. EDIT: It looks like she might (emphasis on “might”) be staying on as host of the celebrity show. From USA Today

I didn’t even think of that; Idk if it might’ve screwed over antenna viewers to some extent (I’m not familiar with the geography of the area or how well stations are received there), but that probably would’ve worked. EDIT: I suppose they could’ve moved Fox to a WDAY subchannel to remedy that issue. I suppose it’s also possible that Red River wanted a buyer to purchase the stations themselves as a condition for a sale, which might explain why a sale of the non-license assets didn’t happen.

Thanks for your insight. I’m sure many of the people working at those stations are taking your advice as we speak. It wouldn’t surprise me if Coastal has enough of a notorious reputation for people to know that it’s time to haul ass for the exit asap if they’re buying your station. It’s a shame that the sale to Forum didn’t go through. It may not have been ideal for FCC regulators, but given how the big affiliate owners use brazen loopholes to own multiple big four affiliates in much bigger markets (including Gray in Fargo itself), I think it’s ridiculous that the FCC thinks a group like Coastal serves the public interest better than a group like Forum.