WWOR cancels 10pm news, to replace it with NJ-centered public affairs program

[RGSJenkins 432]

 

Two things came to my head when I saw this.

 

1.) Dennis Bianchi has his own production company? That's... interesting. That, in my mind, makes this a WTXF show. Since it's going to be the lead-in to Good Day at 4:25....

 

2.) This is extremely brazen even by Murdoch standards. He's under an FCC investigation that could cost him not only WWOR, but flagship WNYW as well. Axing the news department isn't the thing you want to do when you're under that kind of scrutiny.

 

Still, I think I have to agree with the guy who said WWOR News died with Lautenberg. It should have died earlier. New Jersey deserves its own television outlet, I agree, but WWOR was never a New Jersey station and barely pretended to be one.

 

The only reason WWOR moved to Jersey to escape the "demons" they had in the City, plus I think the news started dying when My 9 moved to 11pm in '09 and when the New Jersey Network shut down in 2011 was replaced by WNET owned NJTV.

[detroiter313 178]

If for whatsoever the FCC decides not to renew the license of WWOR because of said issues regarding covering news in NJ, what happens next? Will WWOR viewers flock to Cablevision-owned News 12 New Jersey (which covers 14 counties of Central and Northern New Jersey, including Hudson County, where Secaucus is located)?

[anchorman 93]

If for whatsoever the FCC decides not to renew the license of WWOR because of said issues regarding covering news in NJ, what happens next? Will WWOR viewers flock to Cablevision-owned News 12 New Jersey (which covers 14 counties of Central and Northern New Jersey, including Hudson County, where Secaucus is located)?

Not that this should have an effect on things, but there are not many viewers to "flock."

[DirtyHarry 719]

FCC really needs to watch this station like a hawk now, since they've gone this route to not having a regular weeknight newscast. If they haven't, they'd need to now. I don't care if its a daily pre-taped public affairs show. What happens if this show tanks, and they have no other choice than to air comedy fare? Huh? Is this the way for Fox to ease they're way to close down most of those offices, across the Hudson. If that's the case, then FCC would love to hear that, so they can rethink their options as to whether My9 should keep or revoke the station's license.

What else can I do if the operation is losing money? Fox likes news. I'm sure if there were a viable way to have news on the would.

[lugnuts6 89]

My question: With WWOR TVs owners in effect shuttering its entire news department ,thus leaving 9 broadcast plaza studios (IMO) a dead operation.. wouldnt that violate not just FCC rules but also their agreement with officials in New Jersey when WOR TV made the move to Secaucus to avoid the "Death penalty" by the FCC

[anchorman 93]

My question: With WWOR TVs owners in effect shuttering its entire news department ,thus leaving 9 broadcast plaza studios (IMO) a dead operation.. wouldnt that violate not just FCC rules but also their agreement with officials in New Jersey when WOR TV made the move to Secaucus to avoid the "Death penalty" by the FCC

I think by keeping Brenda Blackmon on to anchor "specials" they are trying to avoid this.

[StudioTech 13]

 

What else can I do if the operation is losing money? Fox likes news. I'm sure if there were a viable way to have news on the would.

 

Sell the station then if they're losing money on it. I was never a big fan of duopolies.

[tvknowledge 5]

 

Sell the station then if they're losing money on it. I was never a big fan of duopolies.

 

There must be something to it. Having an outlet for your overflow programs like sports and parades? I can't figure out TV10/55 from CBS. Their ratings are even more miniscule for their own produced show (the Couch still is running near a 0 and the 9: 00 P M news is usually under .4) They have to be losing money on that.

[Rusty Muck 4174]

FCC really needs to watch this station like a hawk now, since they've gone this route to not having a regular weeknight newscast. If they haven't, they'd need to now. I don't care if its a daily pre-taped public affairs show. What happens if this show tanks, and they have no other choice than to air comedy fare? Huh? Is this the way for Fox to ease they're way to close down most of those offices, across the Hudson. If that's the case, then FCC would love to hear that, so they can rethink their options as to whether My9 should keep or revoke the station's license.

The FCC is still minus a chairman as Tom Wheeler is yet to be confirmed, so it's pretty obvious that they used that little detail, and Lautenberg's death, to let the news on WWOR finally expire.

 

Even when Cory Booker is elected to fill out Lautenberg's term (he's the odds on favorite to win) I doubt that he will have the clout and influence that Lautenberg held.

[Rusty Muck 4174]

My question: With WWOR TVs owners in effect shuttering its entire news department ,thus leaving 9 broadcast plaza studios (IMO) a dead operation.. wouldnt that violate not just FCC rules but also their agreement with officials in New Jersey when WOR TV made the move to Secaucus to avoid the "Death penalty" by the FCC

One actually has to ask whether or not that agreement really is necessary. RKO General only came up with that agreement as a last-minute clemency maneuver to save the company after losing WNAC outright, and being threatened with losing KHJ-TV outright... and it still failed in that attempt.

 

While MCA and Chris-Craft adhered to this agreement with no issue, the agreement has simply become obsolete and counterproductive due to simple economics and the changing telecommunications landscape.

 

That WWOR still had a newscast by this point was rather remarkable. Anywhere else in the country, the newscast would have been canceled or absorbed into the duopolies' senior partner years ago.

 

Sell the station then if they're losing money on it. I was never a big fan of duopolies.

Problem is, whomever the person or group would be that buys the station would have to basically invest gobs of money to restart it. Almost every techincal aspect of WWOR is run out of the Fox Television Center now in combination with WNYW.

 

It's simply cost-prohibitive.

[Rusty Muck 4174]

There must be something to it. Having an outlet for your overflow programs like sports and parades? I can't figure out TV10/55 from CBS. Their ratings are even more miniscule for their own produced show (the Couch still is running near a 0 and the 9: 00 P M news is usually under .4) They have to be losing money on that.

Is that the ratings for just the Long Island region, or the entire NYC metro?

 

Even CBS has admitted that WLNY isn't a full-market NYC station.

[Viper550 268]

 

Problem is, whomever the person or group would be that buys the station would have to basically invest gobs of money to restart it. Almost every techincal aspect of WWOR is run out of the Fox Television Center now in combination with WNYW.

 

It's simply cost-prohibitive.

 

Unless its bought by someone else with a good hub

 

Either that, or we may just see My 5.2 at this rate...

[RGSJenkins 432]

 

 

Even when Cory Booker is elected to fill out Lautenberg's term (he's the odds on favorite to win) I doubt that he will have the clout and influence that Lautenberg held.

 

Lautenberg's family has other plans.

 

I saw the beginning of "Chasing New Jersey" It begins with "The Wrap", two minutes of 20 second snippets of local and national news with unseen announcer and Nick Gregory with a weather preview, "Chasing NJ" is a local version of "TMZ", angles, music, and all. There's "news" and a weather forecast with Nick.

 

To quote the late Kerry Packer, the former owner of the Nine Network in Australia, when saw "Australia's Naughtiest Home Videos"

"Get that s*** off the air!"

[tvknowledge 5]

CNJ. Anybody watch it? I came in late but awful first impression. Nick Gregory taped a 2 minute segment. Salzberg does a sports commentary; not even NJ oriented. 2 elder broadcasters with all due respect, followed by a segment called WTH which was pure fluff and stupidity with teens and 20 ish. At least 2 or 3 minute commercial breaks between each segment. There were more ads than news portions.

Is this what other Chasings.... are like, and what demo are they going for? To me, it was a hodgepodge without a captain on the ship, all over the place but the constant commercial breaks killed me.

[Jess 1110]

That was exactly what I was told to expect - a New Jerseyish version of TMZ, nothing more, nothing less. And that it would be pretty damn awful.

 

The ads could be explained away by the fact that this is going to air on WTXF at 4am - in a 25 minute time slot because Good Day Philadelphia starts at 4:25. (Yes, they advertise this.) Granted, I can see the Nick Gregory weather segment being an easy removal for obvious reasons. (I was going to say it would be confusing to have two different Weather Authorities, but I'm looking through videos on WNYW's site - did they drop the name?)

 

Oh, and let's be clear. It might be "produced by Dennis Bianchi's production company", but it's a WTXF production in all but name. Interesting that it's being done from there and not NYW.

[Giacomo Siffredi 4]

There has now been an official call made to revoke the license of WWOR-TV Secaucus.

 

Rep. Frank Pallone, a Monmouth County Democrat, is vying in a special primary for the nomination to succeed Sen. Frank Lautenberg, who died in office last month. In a complaint to the FCC, he said he believed “the current license should be revoked until you can place additional conditions on the station to ensure that WWOR is both based in New Jersey and provides local news coverage to the state.”

 

http://www.northjersey.com/arts_entertainment/television/Lawmaker_wants_WWORs_license_taken_away.html?page=all

 

The article, despite some notable inaccuracies, delves into the history of why the WWOR-TV situation is a unique one in that its owners should not simply use it as bandwidth for overflow content and another revenue stream. It also explores the sad fact that apparently ONE MAN, A U.S. SENATOR, was the lone reason the station presented any New Jersey centric programming at all.

[StudioTech 13]

Oh, and let's be clear. It might be "produced by Dennis Bianchi's production company", but it's a WTXF production in all but name. Interesting that it's being done from there and not NYW.

I would think it's because the Philly stations are closer in proximity to Trenton.

[CircleSeven 1944]

There has now been an official call made to revoke the license of WWOR-TV Secaucus.

 

Rep. Frank Pallone, a Monmouth County Democrat, is vying in a special primary for the nomination to succeed Sen. Frank Lautenberg, who died in office last month. In a complaint to the FCC, he said he believed “the current license should be revoked until you can place additional conditions on the station to ensure that WWOR is both based in New Jersey and provides local news coverage to the state.”

 

http://www.northjersey.com/arts_entertainment/television/Lawmaker_wants_WWORs_license_taken_away.html?page=all

 

The article, despite some notable inaccuracies, delves into the history of why the WWOR-TV situation is a unique one in that its owners should not simply use it as bandwidth for overflow content and another revenue stream. It also explores the sad fact that apparently ONE MAN, A U.S. SENATOR, was the lone reason the station presented any New Jersey centric programming at all.

I was about to post the news and didn't find out it was already been posted. My Error.

 

But what did I say, FCC should be watching this stations like a hawk. But I didn't expect the politicians were going to act this quick about it.

[ToriElectra 291]

What about WUTB? I know they've been sold to Sinclair, but have they moved master control ops from WWOR to WBFF/WNUV? But still, if I could, I'd try to compete with WLNY at 9PM, given that WNYW is already against the "brain damaged" WPIX, and they need a rival. Plus, they could easily use the studios for Fox-produced programming, given that, while under MCA they made a fair amount of programming there.

[PIXfan 34]

The FCC is currently looking into the WWOR-TV matter, plus a former investigative reporter says "nobody's going to watch" Chasing New Jersey..... http://newyorkmedia.wordpress.com/2013/07/09/fcc-investigates-wwor-as-former-anchor-harry-martin-seeks-mutual-agreement-with-wnyw/#more-819

[tvknowledge 5]

Just a hopeful politician making some noise and the FCC with its false appeasing of the accusation. The show was Awful but it had news about New Jersey, albeit in a fluffy delivery. It had weather focused primarily on New Jersey (even though it was taped and not up to date) and the name New Jersey is in the title. Dianne Doctor already gave a statement as to (parphrasing) how relevant the show is and delivers its stories in a manner no one else does for New Jersey.

Case closed. My guess is the FCC will scold them for no advance notice then will walk away from this. However, accidentally show a breast or buttock and they'll be all over them with hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines and THEN close them down. :rant:

[sanewsguy 509]

 

There has now been an official call made to revoke the license of WWOR-TV Secaucus.

 

Rep. Frank Pallone, a Monmouth County Democrat, is vying in a special primary for the nomination to succeed Sen. Frank Lautenberg, who died in office last month. In a complaint to the FCC, he said he believed “the current license should be revoked until you can place additional conditions on the station to ensure that WWOR is both based in New Jersey and provides local news coverage to the state.”

 

http://www.northjersey.com/arts_entertainment/television/Lawmaker_wants_WWORs_license_taken_away.html?page=all

 

The article, despite some notable inaccuracies, delves into the history of why the WWOR-TV situation is a unique one in that its owners should not simply use it as bandwidth for overflow content and another revenue stream. It also explores the sad fact that apparently ONE MAN, A U.S. SENATOR, was the lone reason the station presented any New Jersey centric programming at all.

 

Really? The politicians have nothing better to do? There's more important stuff for Rep. Pallone to worry about than whether a TV station is adequately covering NJ, especially when most in NJ probably didn't watch it anyway.

[Thundershock MN 169]

 

The FCC is still minus a chairman as Tom Wheeler is yet to be confirmed, so it's pretty obvious that they used that little detail, and Lautenberg's death, to let the news on WWOR finally expire.

 

Even when Cory Booker is elected to fill out Lautenberg's term (he's the odds on favorite to win) I doubt that he will have the clout and influence that Lautenberg held.

 

Bingo! Strike while the iron is hot.

 

 

One actually has to ask whether or not that agreement really is necessary. RKO General only came up with that agreement as a last-minute clemency maneuver to save the company after losing WNAC outright, and being threatened with losing KHJ-TV outright... and it still failed in that attempt.

 

While MCA and Chris-Craft adhered to this agreement with no issue, the agreement has simply become obsolete and counterproductive due to simple economics and the changing telecommunications landscape.

 

That WWOR still had a newscast by this point was rather remarkable. Anywhere else in the country, the newscast would have been canceled or absorbed into the duopolies' senior partner years ago.

 

Agreed and I eventually at some point further down the road expect Fox to petition to ease up on those restrictions. I wouldn't be surprised to see them use the argument that KVNV is moving cross-country to New Jersey using the same legislation that WWOR did decades ago. But, as of now won't be subject to the same "Service to New Jersey" that WWOR currently is. KVNV has turned in their application for a construction permit to broadcast from 4 Times Square. And, to add icing to the cake when the FCC originally denied the move they hastly issued a new VHF allotment on channel 4 licensed to Atlantic City, NJ (now WACP) in order to box out the KVNV move. You can question what if the programming on these stations has(/will have)any real value or provide a benefit to New Jersey. But, the fact remains NJ now has(/will have) an additional 2 commercial english language stations. And, that wasn't the case when WWOR made the move in 1983 and had the conditions placed on it's license.

 

 

Is that the ratings for just the Long Island region, or the entire NYC metro?

 

Even CBS has admitted that WLNY isn't a full-market NYC station.

 

WLNY is part of the Neilsen New York DMA. CBS lawyers pulled some creative wizardry in order to avoid devesting a station in NYC do to ownership limits. It basically boils down to the WLNY signal contour covering NYC proper adequately. Scott Fybush does a really good job explaining the fancy footwork by the CBS lawyers pulled off. By all accounts since the CBS purchase WLNY focuses less on LI proper, and is marketing more to the NYC market as a whole. So, don't kind yourself or let anybody (ie:CBS) fool you WLNY really is a NYC station.

 

 

What about WUTB? I know they've been sold to Sinclair, but have they moved master control ops from WWOR to WBFF/WNUV? But still, if I could, I'd try to compete with WLNY at 9PM, given that WNYW is already against the "brain damaged" WPIX, and they need a rival. Plus, they could easily use the studios for Fox-produced programming, given that, while under MCA they made a fair amount of programming there.

 

WUTB's MC hasn't been controlled from 9 Broadcast Plaza for a few years now. Their (along with WWOR and all the other FOX/MNT O&O's) master control is done at the hub in Las Vegas. That said I believe that has been turned over to Sinclair. I don't know that as a 100% fact. But, some of the recent graphical and branding changes would make me think that is indeed the case.

 

 

Just a hopeful politician making some noise and the FCC with its false appeasing of the accusation. The show was Awful but it had news about New Jersey, albeit in a fluffy delivery. It had weather focused primarily on New Jersey (even though it was taped and not up to date) and the name New Jersey is in the title. Dianne Doctor already gave a statement as to (parphrasing) how relevant the show is and delivers its stories in a manner no one else does for New Jersey.

Case closed.

 

Agreed. That's really the thing here this show does a better job focusing on New Jersey then their previous newscasts did. So, I guarantee the case will be made that this improves their "Service to New Jersey." Was it ever defined really what the "Service to New Jersey" condition placed on the license entailed? I could be wrong but, AFAIIK it was loosly defined as "covering events taking place in New Jersey." So, are they really required to do a traditional newscast? WRT, to the actual physical presence in the city of license: They will just widdle it down to a "news bureau-like" operation. I know they backed off moving the actual newscasts to the WNYW studios back in the mid-00's. But, are they really required to film/broadcast from that studio? I always understood it to be a "physical presence" deal. I mean were duops, hubbing, automation,etc. ever thought of in the mid-80's when agreement was done. So, as long as 9 Broadcast Plaza stays open with a skeleton crew they would be within the term of the agreement as I understand it. WWOR has faced challenges to the llicense almost since the day Fox aquired it. And, they have resisted every challenge. All the while whittling away at WWOR's operations. I see no reason the FCC would react to this any different.

[Samantha 2878]

TVNewsCheck has a review of Chasing New Jersey. Some selected quotes:

 

"seems to be trying too hard"

 

"so overtly trying to skew young ... that it feels more forced than funky"

 

"so fast-paced that it’s frenetic, turning the format, not necessarily the content, into the star of the show" (a format that TVNC notes is borrowed from TMZ)

 

"If you’re looking for pop culture, with tomorrow’s weather thrown in, it’s there"

 

"Fox will roll out the show elsewhere, assuming, I suppose, that Chasing New Jersey actually catches up with some viewers"

 

It doesn't sound good. There is such a thing as too hip. Corporate hip.

[CircleSeven 1944]

And it looks like another politician is making noise about Channel 9.

 

From nj.com, it appears that Sen, Robert Melendez has sent a letter to the acting chairwomen of the FCC Mignon Clyburn, to have a, what he puts it as a "prompt and thorough" review of WWOR's license renew application, and the review of the 2011 FCC investigation about possible misrepresentations at the station.