Leavellebrett 85 Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 Please remove Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/12555-local-nexstar-station-short-staffed/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
News 9 Viewer 100 Posted April 6, 2013 Share Posted April 6, 2013 The number one station in the Johnstown' date=' PA market is going through rough times.[/b'] WTAJ in Altoona is short-staffed. One of my colleagues is neighbors with the morning/noon anchor, Angie Koehle. I noticed she hadn't been on recently, so I asked her where she had been. My colleague told that Angie told her the station is short-staffed, so people's shifts are all flipped around. The morning meteorologist is replaced by the weekend meteorologist. Angie is replaced with the veteran anchor-turned health reporter... though the talent open still remains the same. The evening newscasts are typically done by only one anchor, but however, last night at 5:00, 5:30, and 6:00 it was the main male anchor, John Clay, with Angie Koehle... which was really strange, being that she wasn't on the 11:00 news. The two main anchors are rarely seen together anymore, they are for the most part just alternating the days they are on. I had read a post from the weekend anchor saying that he won't be on for a few weeks, claiming that he'll be doing more producing and behind the scenes work. I kind of skipped past it at the time. I watched the news this past weekend on WTAJ and noticed that he was indeed replaced and hasn't been doing reports during the week. The weekend meteorologist did the weather then, but apparently now they are looking for a weekend meteorologist. As a side note, I noticed things aren't flowing, like at the weather break-ins for CBS This Morning, they usually played the Convergence morning cut as a close for the segment, but they just... didn't for the past week. They didn't for all this week, except Wednesday. If I hear anything else I'll keep this updated. Sounds like they won't be #1 for much longer. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/12555-local-nexstar-station-short-staffed/#findComment-80557 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leavellebrett 85 Posted April 7, 2013 Author Share Posted April 7, 2013 Sounds like they won't be #1 for much longer. Well... the NBC station in the market, WJAC, owned by Cox, was just purchased by Sinclair. WWCP, the FOX station has its 10:00 newscast outsourced to WJAC. WATM, the ABC station only does cut-ins for GMA, which are produced by WJAC as well. Our market has a definite split in it. Johnstown and Altoona, PA used to be separate markets. WJAC is based in Johnstown and people from Johnstown (and the rest of the western half of the market) only watch WJAC. WTAJ is based in Altoona and people from Altoona (and the northern and eastern part of the market) only watch WTAJ. I can't see WTAJ losing its #1 status. WJAC has LONG been trying to steal it and it's been a close market, but WTAJ edging out WJAC for almost all of its newscasts. WJAC was the first in HD and no one really cared. WJAC was the first on air and no one cares. WTAJ throws an HD News launch party at a local furniture store and half of the market shows up. A lot of people down Nexstar, but they're actually not that bad in the Johnstown market. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/12555-local-nexstar-station-short-staffed/#findComment-80575 Share on other sites More sharing options...
CircleSeven 1955 Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 Well... the NBC station in the market, WJAC, owned by Cox, was just purchased by Sinclair. WWCP, the FOX station has its 10:00 newscast outsourced to WJAC. WATM, the ABC station only does cut-ins for GMA, which are produced by WJAC as well. Our market has a definite split in it. Johnstown and Altoona, PA used to be separate markets. WJAC is based in Johnstown and people from Johnstown (and the rest of the western half of the market) only watch WJAC. WTAJ is based in Altoona and people from Altoona (and the northern and eastern part of the market) only watch WTAJ. I can't see WTAJ losing its #1 status. WJAC has LONG been trying to steal it and it's been a close market, but WTAJ edging out WJAC for almost all of its newscasts. WJAC was the first in HD and no one really cared. WJAC was the first on air and no one cares. WTAJ throws an HD News launch party at a local furniture store and half of the market shows up. A lot of people down Nexstar, but they're actually not that bad in the Johnstown market. I thought WJAC ended that partnership with WWCP/WATM and the duo is now doing its own in-house ops. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/12555-local-nexstar-station-short-staffed/#findComment-80576 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leavellebrett 85 Posted April 7, 2013 Author Share Posted April 7, 2013 I thought WJAC ended that partnership with WWCP/WATM and the duo is now doing its own in-house ops. I wish that would happen. You see, this is the fun part. (To make it easier for me I'm going to use their station names from now on) [WATM: ABC 23] [WWCP: Fox 8] [WJAC: Channel 6] ABC 23 is owned by Palm Television. Fox 8 is owned by Peak Media. Peak operates ABC 23 under an LMA. However, neither one of those stations actually produces their own newscast. They share a building in Johnstown. They each revamped their newscasts in 2005, the more of the revamping went to ABC 23. In 2008, times were tough and they both shut down their news operations and Channel 6 took over in 2008. ABC 23 just aired a simulcast of Channel 6's 11:00 news. Fox 8's news was just broadcast from Channel 6's studio, which had a secondary set with some Fox 8 logos on it. Fox 8 had one remaining veteran anchor, Sherry Stally who did the news on Fox 8, from Channel 6's studios. I think about 2011, she just disappeared and Channel 6's 11:00 anchor took over until they hired a new anchor for Fox 8 just at the end of 2012. She also anchors the GMA cut-ins sitting at that Fox 8 studio with some crappy TV on wheels over her shoulder (it's not flat screen) with the ABC 23 logo on it. It's so bad. I don't even watch the Fox 8 News at 10. I turn on WPIX, since our market doesn't even have a CW affiliate. Long story short, the partnership hasn't ended and I hope to still live in the Johnstown market when they launch their own newscasts again. I'll have to post an example of the ABC 23 cut-ins. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/12555-local-nexstar-station-short-staffed/#findComment-80578 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leavellebrett 85 Posted April 7, 2013 Author Share Posted April 7, 2013 Amid all of this, the weekend anchor for WTAJ, Ben Manning just announced via his Facebook page that he is stepping down from his anchor position. "Hey everybody. First off, thanks for watching me on the weekends. I’m passing the torch to one of our newer guys, Jim Madilinsky. I’m going back to reporting full time, and I’m going to be focusing a lot on a new Call for Action program we’re working on here at the station. I’ll tell you more about it real soon. Thanks again for watching." - Ben Manning, WTAJ Weekend News Anchor/Reporter I'll try to catch the 11:00, which hasn't aired yet do to the basketball coverage, to see if the talent opens have changed or exactly just what the heck is going on at this station. EDIT: Just noticed that Ben misspelled "Madalinsky"... Whoopsidasies! Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/12555-local-nexstar-station-short-staffed/#findComment-80585 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pavelsauce 12 Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 She also anchors the GMA cut-ins sitting at that Fox 8 studio with some crappy TV on wheels over her shoulder (it's not flat screen) with the ABC 23 logo on it. It's so bad. Oh, god, that sounds terrible. I can't imagine how cheap and tacky that would. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/12555-local-nexstar-station-short-staffed/#findComment-80588 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leavellebrett 85 Posted April 12, 2013 Author Share Posted April 12, 2013 Oh, god, that sounds terrible. I can't imagine how cheap and tacky that would. http://abc23.com Just watch the video directly in the middle of the page. This is what they're showing to the GMA viewers... Also, just notice that the "ABC 23 News" graphics are just the Fox 8 graphics with the ABC 23 logo pasted overtop... and it doesn't even match. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/12555-local-nexstar-station-short-staffed/#findComment-80779 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leavellebrett 85 Posted April 12, 2013 Author Share Posted April 12, 2013 http://www.fox8tv.com/Video/NewsCast.asp And here is a full newscast from I think yesterday on the WWCP, Fox 8. Since Sinclair bought WJAC... maybe... just maybe they'll rebrand as 6 News on Fox 8 or something... or for heaven's sake just get some new graphics and music. It's 2013. Why do we still have the 1998 Fox Affiliate Package?! Oh, god, that sounds terrible. I can't imagine how cheap and tacky that would. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/12555-local-nexstar-station-short-staffed/#findComment-80781 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pavelsauce 12 Posted April 12, 2013 Share Posted April 12, 2013 http://abc23.com Just watch the video directly in the middle of the page. This is what they're showing to the GMA viewers... Also, just notice that the "ABC 23 News" graphics are just the Fox 8 graphics with the ABC 23 logo pasted overtop... and it doesn't even match. Oh, dear, I was right. Are they on a shoestring budget or something? Those graphics are so tacky and generic. I guess I should feel glad for living in an O&O market. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/12555-local-nexstar-station-short-staffed/#findComment-80793 Share on other sites More sharing options...
justin2kx 237 Posted April 12, 2013 Share Posted April 12, 2013 http://www.fox8tv.com/Video/NewsCast.asp And here is a full newscast from I think yesterday on the WWCP, Fox 8. Since Sinclair bought WJAC... maybe... just maybe they'll rebrand as 6 News on Fox 8 or something... or for heaven's sake just get some new graphics and music. It's 2013. Why do we still have the 1998 Fox Affiliate Package?! Tell that to KBRR in Thief River Falls, MN as well as KJRR Jamestown, ND, KNRR, Pembina ND, KVRR, Fargo, ND, and WSYT, Syracuse, NY (largest client thus far) reminding them it's 2013 while you're at it. Those smaller stations i'd fear would still use it for a few more years. Be fair. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/12555-local-nexstar-station-short-staffed/#findComment-80808 Share on other sites More sharing options...
News 9 Viewer 100 Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 http://abc23.com Just watch the video directly in the middle of the page. This is what they're showing to the GMA viewers... Also, just notice that the "ABC 23 News" graphics are just the Fox 8 graphics with the ABC 23 logo pasted overtop... and it doesn't even match. Those graphics are among the cheapest looking ever. They look like something that a community access or college station would use. I'm not a fan of the set either. It looks rather dark. Thankfully, the tv displaying the ABC 23 logo isn't as cheap looking as I expected it to be. I was expecting to see a tv that looked more like this. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/12555-local-nexstar-station-short-staffed/#findComment-80869 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leavellebrett 85 Posted April 13, 2013 Author Share Posted April 13, 2013 I was expecting to see a tv that looked more like this. The last time I watched an update on WATM, they did have a TV like that. So, they must've recently at least put about $100 into the station. Also I think that set is just a wall from the Fox 8 set, so it isn't properly lighted. I'm just glad WTAJ is sharp now with its red and blue graphics and set. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/12555-local-nexstar-station-short-staffed/#findComment-80876 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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