BrakusJPS

When Blue Ridge PBS (WBRA in Roanoke) was in the process of returning to the FCC their two stations in far southwest Virginia (WMSY and WSBN in Marion and Norton, respectively), they launched "Southwest Virginia Public Television" in 2014 which was carried on local cable systems that once carried the prior two stations. The two over-the-air stations left the air in 2017, but in 2022 they launched "PBS Appalachia Virginia", which is a streaming-only (and cable) PBS broadcaster and has no over-the-air presence. There's also low-power KCWT in Brownsville, Texas, whose 21.4 subchannel serves as PBS for the Rio Grande Valley after KMBH went dark in 2018.

Nexstar divesting WAVY here in Portsmouth (Norfolk) VA? That seems very odd, considering WAVY has been the market's news leader for decades at this point. I kinda wonder what Nexstar sees in WVEC that they don't in WAVY.

This one kinda hurts because I have chatted with him off and on over the last 5 years or so. Steve Kiggins, formerly of KCPQ Fox 13 and most recently of KBTC's Northwest Now, passed away on Thursday at age 47. He had a very long career around the country - starting as an intern at KOMO before going from Reno to Greensboro to Atlanta and finally Seattle. He was a fantastic photojournalist and reporter who did so much good for every station he worked with. He had an impressive personality and was always fun-loving and proud of his work. Rest in power, Steve. https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/steve-kiggins-dies

This is (sadly) probably why stations now always do their station ID in mouseprint, so that they don't make it (even more) intrusive as it is. I don't even think the way that it's displayed here is intrusive in the least. (It bothers me more when stations do their TOTH legal ID in mouseprint, when it *should* be more prominent.) These decisions tend to be made at the station level, so it's not like our opinions are going to sway their decisions about a graphic that is mostly inconsequential in the long run, especially if we don't live in the area in question.

The FCC would beg to differ. At least they still *have* the rule that stations must properly ID themselves by their call letters and COL at/as close to the top of the hours as possible, even if stations basically show them in almost-illegible mouseprint. I myself tend to refer to their stations by their call letters, regardless of the station's branding. "6abc" will always be WPVI (or just "Channel 6") to me, for example.

But a shortened "Cut One" open? I would expect it at the 11:00 pm open where it's used most often, but not in other dayparts... I mean, as long as MCTYW remains their theme song, it's all well and good, but I'd rather hear the whole 19-second "Cut One" open with the full announce, if it's not the 11pm open.

The smash cut to the First Alert sting at 0:49 was very awkward and clunky; otherwise the tease and open were spot on and basically how the news should open. I get it, though, with first-day jitters and working things out, but again, otherwise, so far it looks very good - a case study in how other stations can and should use the GrayONE package. (Can't wait to see how WDBJ and WWBT do their versions when they launch there.)