Sinclair...Again

[techie893 0]

I didn't realize that Sinclair had expanded the 9PM newscast on WRSP/WCCU to an hour back on October 7 according to this article from the Springfield, IL newspaper. It also states that WBUI (which they incorrectly refer to as a WB station) could add news in the future (currently it only has hourly weather break-ins from WICS) and that “additional news time periods of significance" were supposed to launch in 2014. One of those additions is the morning show Good Day Illinois which launched January 20th on WRSP/WCCU according to

. It airs from 7-9AM at the same time GMA is airing on sister stations WICS & WICD. Like the evening newscast, it originates from WICS's studios. The article also said that both the WICS & WRSP buildings will be remodeled with the WICS building housing operations & WRSP's housing business & advertising offices. In addition here is a snippet from the news director about carrying Sinclair's DC reports.

 

McManus Faye said she regularly uses — and is encouraged to run — stories from Sinclair’s Washington, D.C.-based reporter, Kristine Frazao. “The company is paying for us to have a journalist in the nation’s capital that is only serving Sinclair stations,” McManus Faye said. “To me, it would be kind of foolish not to run it.”

[sanewsguy 511]

Quote

McManus Faye said she regularly uses — and is encouraged to run — stories from Sinclair’s Washington, D.C.-based reporter, Kristine Frazao. “The company is paying for us to have a journalist in the nation’s capital that is only serving Sinclair stations,” McManus Faye said. “To me, it would be kind of foolish not to run it.”

The company had to give her a bonus to say that. They don't want to, they're forced to. They're not "encouraged" to run them. They are told they "HAVE" to run them. The stories are labeled as must-runs. I could understand if the stories they covered were significant like the Hearst or Cox bureau reporters. But everything Frazao puts out has to do with government waste. McManus Faye wins this week's "Golden Hammer" award for blatantly lying (if you don't live in a Sinclair market you wouldn't get the joke).

[CircleSeven 1955]

Looks like there's alot of noise being made between the Seattle Times & Sinclair's KOMO 4, according to the Seattle Weekly.

 

Meanwhile, The Register Gaurd state that a former KATU reporter is seeking a class-action lawsuit against Sinclair because of failiure to pay the employees overtime.

[Mrtraveler01 738]

 

Looks like there's alot of noise being made between the Seattle Times & Sinclair's KOMO 4, according to the Seattle Weekly.

 

Meanwhile, The Register Gaurd state that a former KATU reporter is seeking a class-action lawsuit against Sinclair because of failiure to pay the employees overtime.

 

The KOMO story doesn't shock me. It is pretty tacky which is pretty much on par with Sinclair's approach to news. Sinclair has a track record of going after anyone who dare besmirch their name.

 

As far as the Register-Guard story, it took place before Sinclair took over and most likely it was probably because Fishers didn't have enough money to pay them.

 

Sidebar: Seems like KOMO has moved to a responsive layout (just for their mobile website).

[Mrtraveler01 738]

Some more gossip to add in regards to the speculation we had about KDNL restarting its own newscasts.

 

http://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/columns/joe-holleman/kdnl-plans-to-resurrect-its-own-newscasts/article_a90d42cf-2765-5673-ad1f-7dbe540f1998.html

[hathawaynson2 39]

Some more gossip to add in regards to the speculation we had about KDNL restarting its own newscasts.

 

http://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/columns/joe-holleman/kdnl-plans-to-resurrect-its-own-newscasts/article_a90d42cf-2765-5673-ad1f-7dbe540f1998.html

So, what I've read so far that the newscasts are starting in the spring? I'm going to assume either March or April at this point.

[damien6786 9]

So, what I've read so far that the newscasts are starting in the spring? I'm going to assume either March or April at this point.

I was thinking the same thing too

[Mrtraveler01 738]

 

So, what I've read so far that the newscasts are starting in the spring? I'm going to assume either March or April at this point.

 

We have to remember that none of this is official but if the Post-Dispatch is going with it, the sources must be credible.

 

Either way, it looks like KDNL still wants this plan to remain under wraps for the time being.

[TexasTVNews 1377]

So we now know that KDNL is getting back into newscast war with KTVI, KSDK, and KMOV, but in my opinion KDNL needed to add a Morning, Noon and 6:00PM newscasts besides having

their soon to be 5 & 10PM news, and get some new talent; probably bring back Larry Conners to anchor. Just my 2 cents.

[Samantha 2895]

In addition to 5 and 10, KDNL definitely needs a morning newscast, if only to satisfy the affiliation contract language but also because morning news has become so important.

[Mrtraveler01 738]

 

In addition to 5 and 10, KDNL definitely needs a morning newscast, if only to satisfy the affiliation contract language but also because morning news has become so important.

 

I imagine that if the 5 and 10 newscasts are successful, then they'll expand to mornings. I'm guessing the 5 and 10 pm newscasts are to test the waters to see if KDNL is ready for its own newscast again.

 

Right now, I think they're getting something basic off of the ground to keep ABC happy.

[DirtyHarry 727]

 

I imagine that if the 5 and 10 newscasts are successful, then they'll expand to mornings. I'm guessing the 5 and 10 pm newscasts are to test the waters to see if KDNL is ready for its own newscast again.

 

Right now, I think they're getting something basic off of the ground to keep ABC happy.

 

A lot has changed since 2001. Newsgathering can be done more cheaply thanks to all the digital technology. Sinclair also has enough duopolies where I'm sure that a lot of second-hand equipment can get moved around as they consolidate operations. They don't even have to invest in ENG equipment since they have those Live-U backpacks. Likewise with studio cameras and if they really want to be cheap, I'm sure there are going to be some "hand me down" sets they can send over to St. Louis.

 

They can do this on the cheap and upgrade as the ratings warrant.

[TexasTVNews 1377]

What about a 6:00PM newscasts, is that in their future?

[Samantha 2895]

Sinclair 4Q financial results are out, with a 33% increase in revenue year-over-year but a drop in operating income due to lack of political, one-time costs and a $3 million write-down on the sale of WSYT. Outside of political ads, revenues for local and national broadcast increased 64 and 50%, respectively. Earnings were 29 cents per share, compared to analyst estimates of 34.

 

Net income dropped from $59 million to $2.3 million, primarily due to a $42 million extinguishment of debt.

 

For the full year, net broadcast revenues for continuing operations reached a staggering $1.2 billion (with a B!), a 32% increase from 2012.

 

While these look good, the report missed the Street's estimates, and SBGI stock is down some 5% today as a result.

[Mrtraveler01 738]

 

Net income dropped from $59 million to $2.3 million, primarily due to a $42 million extinguishment of debt.

 

While these look good, the report missed the Street's estimates, and SBGI stock is down some 5% today as a result.

Can't say that I'm shocked about this.

[Samantha 2895]

Yeah, debt extinguishment. It's a sign of what Sinclair's core challenge will be financially, isn't it...

[Mrtraveler01 738]

 

Yeah, debt extinguishment. It's a sign of what Sinclair's core challenge will be financially, isn't it...

 

As long as they keep up with their buying binge at least. It's kinda sad how they're making a billion in revenue but only have a net income of a couple million.

[Samantha 2895]

 

As long as they keep up with their buying binge at least. It's kinda sad how they're making a billion in revenue but only have a net income of a couple million.

 

That $1.2 billion figure is for the full year. Full year operating income was $324 million but full year net income attributable to the company was $73.5 million (which was down by half year-over-year).

[TVIntheDesert 183]

The fervently pro-NAB editor and co-publisher of TVNewsCheck used his weekly op-ed to blast FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler for being pro-cable and anti-broadcast. He claims Wheeler's opposed to SSA's and JSA's mainly because of Sinclair's political stance.

 

http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/74145/wheeler-needs-a-lesson-from-us-grant

[CircleSeven 1955]

 

Sinclair hosted another one of those "Town Hall" Meetings.

 

This time they held a town hall in Toledo, discussing about their ongoing carriage dispute between them and Block Communications' Buckeye Cable systems. Monday was their 50th day since WNWO been off their cable systems.

 

Follow-Up Time.

 

B&C states this afternoon that Block has now filed an FCC complaint against Sinclair because they haven't negotiated "in good faith". Sinclair (which fired back with its own release today) states that their claim is baseless and without merit.

[Mrtraveler01 738]

 

Follow-Up Time.

 

B&C states this afternoon that Block has now filed an FCC complaint against Sinclair because they haven't negotiated "in good faith". Sinclair (which fired back with its own release today) states that their claim is baseless and without merit.

 

Sinclair Press Release:

 

“Buckeye was not willing to agree to what we believe, based on

our negotiation of hundreds of similar agreements impacting numerous markets, including

Toledo, to be fair and customary terms."

 

The fact that Buckeye is being very specific about Sinclair's terms (Double the cost of what the other stations in the market are charging, requiring them to carry a new channel on their basic tier, etc.) while SBGI continues with these vague terms leads me to believe that Buckeye might be right and SBGI is trying to over-inflate the value of WNWO.

 

I don't see how anyone would think Sinclair is winning this debate.

 

 

Buckeye also claimed that Sinclair is asking twice as much as other network affiliates even though it is "frequently the lowest-rated major network affiliate in Toledo," and says that requiring it to carry unlaunched cable nets is a "perversion of retransmission consent."

If this is actually true, then we'll probably be seeing this happening with Sinclair and other TV providers more often down the road when the time comes for their retransmission renewals. Which makes it all the funnier that Sinclair is pushing others to switch to other TV providers when down the road, Sinclair is going to get into the same feud with At&t, Directv, etc.

[sanewsguy 511]

 

Follow-Up Time.

 

B&C states this afternoon that Block has now filed an FCC complaint against Sinclair because they haven't negotiated "in good faith". Sinclair (which fired back with its own release today) states that their claim is baseless and without merit.

 

"Baseless and without merit". So, I guess that's Sinclair's standard response when somebody complains to the FCC on them...

(they use the same exact words in their other counter-filings)

[tvjay 6]

 

The fact that Buckeye is being very specific about Sinclair's terms (Double the cost of what the other stations in the market are charging, requiring them to carry a new channel on their basic tier, etc.) while SBGI continues with these vague terms leads me to believe that Buckeye might be right and SBGI is trying to over-inflate the value of WNWO.

 

I don't see how anyone would think Sinclair is winning this debate.

 

Over-inflate the value, I would say so. I know Sinclair knows the ratings but in case you don't, in the last ratings book WNWO's 6pm newscast got 3,000 viewers. WTOL (CBS) got 62,000 and WTVG (ABC) got 73,000 in the same time slot. WUPW (FOX) got more viewers in their 10pm newscast than WNWO got all day COMBINED.

[DirtyHarry 727]

 

Over-inflate the value, I would say so. I know Sinclair knows the ratings but in case you don't, in the last ratings book WNWO's 6pm newscast got 3,000 viewers. WTOL (CBS) got 62,000 and WTVG (ABC) got 73,000 in the same time slot. WUPW (FOX) got more viewers in their 10pm newscast than WNWO got all day COMBINED.

 

Chris Vanocur was promoting a story he did on the radio yesterday. He flew out to Denver to interview Ohio transplants who moved out there in order to be able to give medical marijuana to a child with severe epilepsy.

 

It seems to me that when you have as many stations in mostly the same geographic area as Sinclair has, it seems that feature stories like this one can be shared between the stations. Why shouldn't this story air in Dayton, Toledo, Cincinnati, Steubenville and maybe the Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia stations?

 

If they can figure out a way to leverage this critical mass, I don't see why they can't use the resources of their bigger stations to bolster stations like WNWO. Think of it as a more localized version of News Central maybe.

[DirtyHarry 727]

In other Sinclair news ... WSYX has been providing news and weather feeds to WTVN Radio since January 1. The feeds were previously provided by WBNS TV.

 

WTVN at one time had a great news department but it was decimated by Clear Channel. They let go of all of their reporters and are down to two news anchors and a statehouse reporter for WLW stationed in Columbus.

 

WSYX has done a far better job with this than WBNS did. WTVN basically was using WBNS audio from the stories that ran on the air. Conversely, WSYX reporters are actually doing custom versions of the same story for radio only, and ending each story with "this is ABC-6 reporter Jod Blow for 610 WTVN Radio".

 

WTVN's previous efforts at news after the news department was gutted were laughable. Good anchors, though.

 

The current way they are doing things with ABC6? Pretty good, actually. I think this could serve as a model for other N-T stations, that is if it already isn't being done this way.