nycnewsjunkie

Normally, I’d argue that de-emphasizing a heritage brand is a terrible move, but given the collateral damage caused by the Wendy Bell hiring, it actually makes sense in this case. KDKA 1020 is a talk radio outlet that no longer has anything to do with the TV station, and the call letters arguably have a stronger connection to radio than TV (a similar comparison can be made to WABC-TV, which only references their call letters in station IDs and legal disclaimers.) That said, I’m not sure why CBS wants to de-emphasize local brands on all of their stations, given that there tends to be more trust in local news than national news (and CBS News isn’t exactly dominating the ratings in mornings and evenings.)

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe “Amanpour & Company” is a PBS show, and that program is also produced by CNN. “Amanpour” is a CNN Int’l show, and is not seen on the domestic channel as far as I know. Come to think of it, I’d love to see some CNN Int’l shows on a revamped CNN. It would actually resemble a proper news network.

Thus ends one of the most laughable sagas in American journalism's recent history. CNN+ March 29, 2022 - April 30, 2022 "I made some good deals and I made some bad ones, but I really went in the hole with this one."

I guess they couldn't decide on the branding. They slapped a "KDKA" in a white square next to the CBS News Pittsburgh logo. They clearly spared no expense with that /s.

In terms of the newscast format, this isn’t the first time WABC broke convention. Witty anchors like Roger Grimsby and the whole concept of “happy talk” were specifically implemented to break from the traditional newscast of the period and stick out from their competitors. However, deciding not to cover a news conference on TV and breaking into programming late don’t fall under the “breaking convention” strategy. WABC still does a solid job overall, but they could’ve done a bit better with today’s coverage IMHO.

Forget the music… it looks like he’s spreading himself WAY too thin here. Again, I appreciate that he’s at least providing an alternative in a market where there’s really only one good station (KFSN), but when his main newscast alone is a bare bones show with limited local news on a low power station, he’d be better off doing one thing at a time. There comes a point where you can’t do it all yourself and expect the eyeballs to roll in. Also, naming your operation after yourself seems a bit off-putting imho, but I guess you could chalk that up to me being particular.

Something tells me management actually likes having the anchors editorialize. I guess it’s supposed to make them more relatable, but it’s a bit condescending to those of us who would rather not hear opinion on a straight newscast. Reminds me more of Bill Bonds than Bill Beutel. That said, the format works for NYC.

Considering where that station's headed, I guess he wanted to get out while the getting was good.

Hi all, I’m rather new here, but I figured I might as well start by giving my two cents on this. I commend Austin for being willing to even start an independent local newscast in this day and age. It’s especially commendable that he’s doing so in a market like Fresno, where there are only two competing outlets (and one of them employs TikTok wannabes.) I understand gripes about the music and presentation, but considering that we’re talking about a one-man band on a shoestring budget, these things are to be expected. However, I have two bigger issues with this newscast: lack of local/original content and a limited platform. I understand that the budget isn’t there for a full news department (blame that on the owner of the station,) but I’ll echo C Block’s point about running local stories that don’t take as much manpower to start out. I don’t think people supporting Austin are “apologists and shills” for a non-factor (given the budget, there’s nothing to shill for anyway.) However, the newscast is a non-factor for the same reason that KFSN’s newscast was: the lone platform is a low-power station no one watches. Even if this was the most well-produced newscast with the best graphics/music/etc, this would still be an issue. If this is going to be a serious news operation in the future, there needs to be an online presence (and there arguably should’ve been one prior to launch.) That said, I wish Austin well.