McGraw Hill Considering Selling Broadcasting Division

[PelicanGuy 117]

It's either that station or WUSA.

[abric 181]

KUSA is Gannett's flagship station even thought the Gannett Co. is based in Tysons Corner, Virginia.

[ElliotJones 52]

I really hope Scripps doesnt buy the group. Indianapolis for one the standardization would not help WRTV. Hoosiers are loyal and picky about their TV news and that look would be an automatic turn off. I don't know how Nexstar would do handling these larger stations and with 6ABC you can't cut back on anymore staff as they have the smallest employee list in town. MGH gives them no money. Belo has my bid as I like what they do with their other stations and the MGH4 could pick their own identity (stay with Hothaus or go else where. I don't know about this SJL biz. And I can tell you as I was just at the station a few weeks ago, not a soul is concerned about the sale as they know they have no control over what happens and that the New York offices are in control. They are going to find out just as we will (like I said they aren't really scared because it's hard to go down from 4th place)

 

Graphics do not build an audience.

 

 

The VERY FIRST ABC-OWNED STATION IN DENVER

 

THAT is what we're hoping for.

 

We already had an NBC O&O from 1986 until 1995, and that was KCNC. Now, Channel 4 is owned by CBS.

 

Plus, we had a FOX Network-owned station, and KDVR was that station.

 

Stop it.

[Viper550 292]

Graphics do not build an audience.

 

However, how a station looks can affect how people think of it, how they watch the product, etc.

 

Look at say, WSVN - their overall look screams tabloid. And when the Scripps look first debuted, I remember you all saying that it made them look like The Insider

[A3N 1002]

Well, it looks like Scripps will buy the 4 McGraw Hill Stations...

http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/2011/10/03/54440/mcgrawhill-sells-tv-group-to-scripps

 

We'll see what happens...

[detroiter313 181]

Well, it looks like Scripps will buy the 4 McGraw Hill Stations...

http://www.tvnewsche...roup-to-scripps

 

We'll see what happens...

 

Worse than we feared: the implementation of the Scripps graphics and music on its "new" stations.

[A3N 1002]

 

Worse than we feared: the implementation of the Scripps graphics and music on its "new" stations.

Employees don't care about graphics or music as long as their contracts get renewed and their paychecks keep coming. Everything else is secondary to having a job. As long as they don't start cutting left and right, then its better than MGH and miles better than Gannett.

[C Block 1566]

Employees don't care about graphics or music as long as their contracts get renewed and their paychecks keep coming. Everything else is secondary to having a job. As long as they don't start cutting left and right, then its better than MGH and miles better than Gannett.

 

Absolutely. And if we are going to complain about some relatively meaningless aesthetics issue, it may as well be the websites. None of the McGraw Hill stations have have any significant updates to their websites since they launched well over ten years ago. That's a bigger issue than whatever on-air graphics they'll be getting.

 

With that said, I think this is the best and most realistic outcome for the MGH stations. As much as we would have liked to see ABC buy them, that never would have happened, and Scripps is probably the best-managed station group on the short list. It'll be nice to see somebody investing in these stations again, as they were never a high priority on McGraw's radar in recent years. They have the potential to be stronger in their markets and have a solid news product.

[TennTV1983 807]

 

Absolutely. And if we are going to complain about some relatively meaningless aesthetics issue, it may as well be the websites. None of the McGraw Hill stations have have any significant updates to their websites since they launched well over ten years ago. That's a bigger issue than whatever on-air graphics they'll be getting.

 

With that said, I think this is the best and most realistic outcome for the MGH stations. As much as we would have liked to see ABC buy them, that never would have happened, and Scripps is probably the best-managed station group on the short list. It'll be nice to see somebody investing in these stations again, as they were never a high priority on McGraw's radar in recent years. They have the potential to be stronger in their markets and have a solid news product.

That's probably the best takeaway in all of this. In the short term, the soon-to-be-former MGH stations will at least be able to become competitive again through the use of Scripps' own resources, including a much needed overhaul of their websites. In the long term, some much needed changes at the stations can be addressed, just as they are with some of Scripps' current ones.

[A3N 1002]

In reading several articles yesterday on B&C and on TVNews Check, it was encouraging to read that the SVP of Scripps Brian Lawlor wants to invest in not only content but to do some investing in the operational side of the stations. I really like that they want to expand the investigative units, which quite frankly have been really good.

[TexasTVNews 1378]

And I thought either COX or Belo were the candidates to purchase 4 McGraw-Hill stations.

[AdamTheJ 90]

With that said, I think this is the best and most realistic outcome for the MGH stations. As much as we would have liked to see ABC buy them, that never would have happened, and Scripps is probably the best-managed station group on the short list. It'll be nice to see somebody investing in these stations again, as they were never a high priority on McGraw's radar in recent years. They have the potential to be stronger in their markets and have a solid news product.

 

Agreed. I live in West Palm Beach, FL, and Scripps owns NBC affiliate, WPTV, the #1 rated TV station in the WPB DMA, AND in all of Florida. Believe me, much of their talent is really nice.

[groupwfan 97]

Amazing that Scripps/Howard is buying the 4 McGH stations (including RTV6 In Indy, and Denver's 7.) Hope they can keep the announcers or get the same ones from their other stations; even the one from Scripps' Flagship, WEWS.

[IndyNewsGuy 14]

According to a source at WRTV All contracts at the stations will be honored. So no immediate changes. McGraw-Hill recently signed a new contract with The Gari Media Group for WRTV, KMGH, KGTV, KERO and the Azteca Station to continue as clients until 2015 (The same year affiliation agreements need to be resigned). Will Scripps continue with that contract? I assume so. It is possible eventual not immediate changes could be coming to all the Scripps owned stations. Scripps wants to work with the MGH not take over and impose Scripps Styles all over the stations. They realize that the stations have a 40 year history owned by McGraw-Hill. Some things work and they would keep them in play. They will all work together to see what the future holds for all stations so I dont see the Scripps look coming to the MGH4 anytime soon (I also think a new Scripps look is coming). Scripps isn't going to make the MGH4 do anything they dont want to do. McGraw-Hill Broadcasting sold it self to Scripps so they obviously like Scripps' ideas and plans for the future. It wont be a "Look MGH4 we own you now and you will do what I say." It was a marriage, not a take over.

[A3N 1002]

According to a source at WRTV All contracts at the stations will be honored. So no immediate changes. McGraw-Hill recently signed a new contract with The Gari Media Group for WRTV, KMGH, KGTV, KERO and the Azteca Station to continue as clients until 2015 (The same year affiliation agreements need to be resigned). Will Scripps continue with that contract? I assume so. It is possible eventual not immediate changes could be coming to all the Scripps owned stations. Scripps wants to work with the MGH not take over and impose Scripps Styles all over the stations. They realize that the stations have a 40 year history owned by McGraw-Hill. Some things work and they would keep them in play. They will all work together to see what the future holds for all stations so I dont see the Scripps look coming to the MGH4 anytime soon (I also think a new Scripps look is coming). Scripps isn't going to make the MGH4 do anything they dont want to do. McGraw-Hill Broadcasting sold it self to Scripps so they obviously like Scripps' ideas and plans for the future. It wont be a "Look MGH4 we own you now and you will do what I say." It was a marriage, not a take over.

Good points, no sense in throwing money away by changing music. On the other hand, Scripps might want the MGH stations to use their graphics to maintain the company wide look. What I can see happening is some investing in infrastructure to make sure that the stations are up to par technology wise. A big question does remain though, what happens at KGTV with the union protesting/expired contract fiasco that has been going on for the last 4 or 5 years? Does Scripps make nice and give them a new contract or do they lock them out? Something has to give if Scripps wants the station to make money and not be losing every year.

[tvtime07 252]

I wonder what this means for the MGH websites by Internet Broadcasting, those sites have remained unchanged for the last 3+ years. KGTV's site looks stale compared to the local competitors, I personally think that the MGH stations are due for an upgrade.

[TennTV1983 807]

I wonder what this means for the MGH websites by Internet Broadcasting, those sites have remained unchanged for the last 3+ years. KGTV's site looks stale compared to the local competitors, I personally think that the MGH stations are due for an upgrade.

They'll most likely be upgraded to the Scripps website format the other stations use, but not much else.

[IndyNewsGuy 14]

Not saying it doesn't need an update but WRTV's TheIndyChannel.com is the most visted broadcast news website, Its number 2 overall in news only to TheIndyStar.com