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

[Samantha 2878]

Senator Menendez of New Jersey's on board, yes. I'm glad; Fox is acting in such a way with this operation that a revocation might be a good thing.

[sanewsguy 509]

Sen. Menendez is stupid, as is the other rep who opposes this. There are more important issues for him to be worrying about than this. Also Mignon Clyburn can't do anything, she is just the ACTING chairwoman. Once the new guy gets confirmed, then it'll be different. Ugh! :bang:

[PhillyWatch 238]

I have an episode scheduled to record this morning at 4 (yes, I'm in Philly) and if its as awful as everybody here is saying then it must be somewhat alright. In a climate of carbon copy cookie cutter newscasts, a major market like NYC should be excited to have something like this. And just to cement where I'm coming from, I'll say this- NYC should be GRATEFUL for the conversational newscast Jodi and the gang brought to WPIX. Is it the hardline "local news" broadcast you all got to see in a past heyday of the station? No, I'm sure it isn't, and I'm sure in most minds here it pales in comparison. But it is something different, something with a notable local focus (with all the reporters they have running around; Howard and Mocker most notably), and something that sets it apart from the local/national/entertainment/weather/sports snoozefest on every other channel. Did My 9 even have that much of a focus on NJ in their newscasts? How long has it been since it was a dedicated independent production? For many a year now its been an afterthought at WNYW headquarters. They put it up against their own newscast for heavens sake, that should demonstrate just how much a care they gave about the broadcast. This is a show touting "New Jersey" right there in the title- they're setting themselves up from the credits to have a dedication to NJ. Will the "chasers" be chasing down politicians and newsmakers to have them answer tough questions? Hell no, I don't expect it, because I don't expect that from any of the major stations. WWOR shouldn't be held to a standard that no longer exists in local news (and neither should PIX...). How much of New Jersey is even going to be able to see this live at 10pm? How many New Jersey residents will have to settle for 4am? The fact that WWOR is even putting out any original content is something we should be happy with. I'd love a CW/My/Indie station here in Philly to launch an independent, conversational, alternative news-y primetime program. It's great that we'll be able to look in on this experiment (even if it is at 4am).

[sanewsguy 509]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Finally! A post about this that makes sense.

[tvknowledge 5]

I'll post this here but it could just as easily be on the PIX11 soundoff page.

All well and good to want to try something different. I use to agree with that way of thinking. However, just look at the ratings for those trying to step outside of the box to experiment. Advertisers beat a path to the door faster than it can be opened. Can't remember the exact article but Bill Carey said something like 'arent we tired of the same background on every station showing the NYC skyline with deep blues all over the studio, weather person on the right and sports on the left. So he was given the green light to make the newscast hip for that ridiculously sought after demo of females 25-54. (Why is that the only important group; are they only ones with money to spend and spend it?). So guess what, PIX ratings begin to tank. All the other demos begin to scatter. If you're going to try to bring in that special demo, you don't do it with a smarmy anchor (lets stop defending Applegate on here; the word is she was HELL to work with and her attitude showed on air). Then you pair her with a 70 year old weather guy who dresses and acts like a carnival barker and is nothing short of creepy with his anchorettes on camera?

So now let's try TMZ style news for the current MTV crowd? What group is WWOR going after? If you want to to do an informational TMZ type show, that's fine. Just don't use it as a facade for news. Why? Because the MTV crowd is not going to tune in for news. The ones that tune in to watch 'n-e-w-s' are the regulars who grew up with that same old, tried and true boring format. That's what they know; that's what they want. For the only demos left watching tv newscasts, DON'T MESS WITH THEIR style newscasts.

I am not advocating politicians get involved in this. I stated that in a previous posting; there are much more important things to take care but this is easy grandstanding. On the other hand, TV managers should know better by now. The advertisers do.

[PhillyWatch 238]

Right from the start it is almost criminal how the entire presentation is stolen directly from TMZ. I'm a fan of using newsrooms, but seeing the 14 people standing around with cameras for weird "edgy" angles is, to me, too much. But, if the kids these days are watching TMZ, I can see why they'd choose that format for this show.

 

The first story about an obscure NJ lake's "Bermuda triangle" affect was interesting. Definitely a very light story to lead with, but I guess this is a pretty light program. The following story on Cory Booker was a bit more relevant to current events, more so than the report on a Times Square assault by a costumed character, though it provided some blunt info on the sketchiness of that business.

 

After that it was pretty much quick hits of wacky story after wacky story. You don't get the live, "as it happens" feeling of an actual newscast, but I imagine this is offering up more NJ relevance than the previous newscast. If you're jumping around the dial during another 10 'cast, I could totally see this as something to check out. I'd love to see it's implementation elsewhere around the country.

[Rusty Muck 4174]

Sen. Menendez is stupid, as is the other rep who opposes this. There are more important issues for him to be worrying about than this. Also Mignon Clyburn can't do anything, she is just the ACTING chairwoman. Once the new guy gets confirmed, then it'll be different. Ugh! :bang:

Exactly.

 

WWOR has basically been held to a higher standard than any other TV station in the country, but the reasons for it have long been obsolete, outmoded and out of step with the times. Not to mention that the only reason its' COL was moved to Seacacus was solely a failed attempt for RKO General to save itself.

 

Even if Fox were to lose WWOR's license (I'd put the chances for that at a negative percentage) they still transmit WWOR's programming on WNYW 5.2, so why not make that the primary source for "My9" and invoke WWOR's must-carry rights on all cable and satellite systems instead and eliminate the hassle and baggage associated with WWOR's license?

 

It's silly political postering on Sen. Menendez's part. He has nowhere near the influence and clout that Sen. Lautenberg did, and everybody knows it.

[Thundershock MN 169]

 

Exactly.

 

WWOR has basically been held to a higher standard than any other TV station in the country, but the reasons for it have long been obsolete, outmoded and out of step with the times. Not to mention that the only reason its' COL was moved to Seacacus was solely a failed attempt for RKO General to save itself.

 

Even if Fox were to lose WWOR's license (I'd put the chances for that at a negative percentage) they still transmit WWOR's programming on WNYW 5.2, so why not make that the primary source for "My9" and invoke WWOR's must-carry rights on all cable and satellite systems instead and eliminate the hassle and baggage associated with WWOR's license?

 

It's silly political postering on Sen. Menendez's part. He has nowhere near the influence and clout that Sen. Lautenberg did, and everybody knows it.

 

Few things.

1. I know i'm nitpicking. You are correct that WWOR's simulcasted on WYNW's rf channel (44). However, it is mapped to 9.2.

2. "Must-carry" would require giving up any compensation from cable/sat carriers by selecting. So, pretty much a non-starter.

3. "Must-carry" doesn't apply to sub-channels on commercial licenses. Only the "primary signal" qualifies.

4. Sub-channels on commercial licenses can be negotiated for carriage (along with the "primary signal") if they select "retransmission consent".

 

That fourth option happens a fair amount with "big 4 affilates" on a DT2 channel. The digi-nets are usually thrown in as "freebies" (or little cost) with the primary signal at negotiation time. Hence, a fair amount of them end up on cable services that have space. So, Fox could in theory move My9 to a subchannel of WNYW. But, they would have to negotiate to get it on systems. With everything else Fox can leverage that wouldn't be an issue. However, this outcome will never take place.

 

As I pointed out further up thread, I think Fox will eventually work to have some of the restrictions eased further down the road. As you point out the reasons for the additional conditions have changed.

 

I think these challenges are facing an uphill battle. As I previously stated I don't really see how they are breaking the additional conditions placed on their license. Plus, One could argue that they have "increased" their focus on New Jersey.

 

All that said this is all political grandstanding. As I stated in the last post Fox has fended off every challenge to this point. Why would this be any different?

 

And what good would a revocation do? Sure they could re-issue the license. But, with the freeze until after the incentive auction that may take a while. If at all once the "repacking" is done. Plus, how many bidders on the re-issued license would agree to those additional conditions? I'd bet not many. So, you go from some coverage (even though you may not like how it's being done) to potentially no coverage at all.

[channel2 869]

Other than first-run syndicated programming and this, I can't think of anything WWOR airs that can't be found somewhere else. There is little reason for the station to continue to exist in its present form, other than just being a "money machine" for Fox, and it would have even less value as just a digital subchannel.

 

Does WWOR's video player work for anyone? I can't get it to work, and I want to watch Chasing New Jersey.

 

Edit: Oh wait, it does work...on their front page, anyway.