Nexstar...again

[TVLurker 389]

6 hours ago, Georgie56 said:

WPLG is carrying this as well.

I know this isn't the speculatron but could this possibly lead to a Nexstar acquisition of WPLG?

[Recovering Producer 410]

2 hours ago, TVLurker said:

I know this isn't the speculatron but could this possibly lead to a Nexstar acquisition of WPLG?

 

My guess is they'll take whatever programming they can get. That said, the ongoing Berkshire Hathaway ownership of WPLG continues to surprise me. But with Warren Buffett no longer chairman of the board, BH could be eevaluating its portfolio. BH could give away WPLG and the loss of it as an asset and the revenue it produces probably wouldn't register as a rounding error on the company's annual report. (Which is a statement about how massive BH is, with asets worth $1.1 trillion as of 2024) 

Edited December 31, 2025 by Recovering Producer

[l_miro 245]

2 hours ago, Recovering Producer said:

 

My guess is they'll take whatever programming they can get. That said, the ongoing Berkshire Hathaway ownership of WPLG continues to surprise me. But with Warren Buffett no longer chairman of the board, BH could be eevaluating its portfolio. BH could give away WPLG and the loss of it as an asset and the revenue it produces probably wouldn't register as a rounding error on the company's annual report. (Which is a statement about how massive BH is, with asets worth $1.1 trillion as of 2024) 

 

actually they can't give away WPLG, assuming the public data of the BBH-Graham 2014 deal is accurate. That was a tax deferred swap, selling WPLG would trigger anywhere from $150-$250 million or more in deferred capital gains taxes. To avoid triggering taxes selling to Nexstar will be another complex deal, could happen just almost not worth it

 

At this point there's more benefit to BH letting WPLG decay

 

[tyrannical bastard 4676]

WJW is carrying this starting at 11pm.

 

I have to say, compared to the typical New Year's Eve drivel the other networks put out, this one is so far the "least awful".

 

I'm sure all of Nexstar stations that are carrying this are milking it for all it's worth, putting a sponsor's logo wherever possible.

 

Edited January 1 by tyrannical bastard

[MD TV 389]

Speaking of Nexstar and New Year's specials, they're also syndicating KTLA's coverage of the Tournament of Roses parade. It's on at least here in DC and in Philly.

[MichiganNewsGraphicsJunkie 1158]

This has been covered briefly in the VO part of the forums, but I'll elaborate here as well.

Many of you I'm sure have noticed that Nexstar is implementing many "cost saving" efforts including:

• Switching VO work to SpotVoice: Many stations since Jan 1 have switched, with many more to come
• Minor graphics changes: Even though most stations are using various forms of Google Fonts for their graphics, a few outliers still exist.  WOOD, for example, is in process of switching from Gotham (a licensed font) to Roboto (a Google font).  

You know.. gotta save those dollars for TEGNA

[Dave Lampstein 287]

I’ll admit it feels a little uncomfortable to say, but I don’t actually have a problem with AI voices for local news intros and promos. So many voices today are already interchangeable… generic reads with little real connection to the station or the market anyway. In most places, it’s the same four or five voices on rotation, and it’s all pretty bland.

 

Playing devil’s advocate: what if AI were used to restore stronger, more iconic voices? Could it be a way for the estates of legendary announcers like Ernie Anderson or Don LaFontaine to generate revenue while reintroducing some real personality and weight back into on-air presentation? Or do those voices sound dated by today’s standards? Can a voiceover style even sound dated?

[tyrannical bastard 4676]

8 hours ago, MichiganNewsGraphicsJunkie said:

This has been covered briefly in the VO part of the forums, but I'll elaborate here as well.

Many of you I'm sure have noticed that Nexstar is implementing many "cost saving" efforts including:

• Switching VO work to SpotVoice: Many stations since Jan 1 have switched, with many more to come
• Minor graphics changes: Even though most stations are using various forms of Google Fonts for their graphics, a few outliers still exist.  WOOD, for example, is in process of switching from Gotham (a licensed font) to Roboto (a Google font).  

You know.. gotta save those dollars for TEGNA

Gray has been doing this for years (especially with SpotVoice/VoiceJock).  I don't even think they're market exclusive anymore as our station used them for decades and then the Nexstar station started using them as well.

It used to be that SpotVoice/VoiceJock was a great tool for creative departments to pump out local ads and other promos.  Then some stations started moving their station imagery to them.  And then there are limitations on how the voices can be used in the package arrangement.  In-market only, no longform content, no non-TV use, etc.  Anything else has to be arranged through the VO artist themself.

Then when we had Max McGill as a station voice, he signed a deal with SpotVoice.  Our competition used him freely in commercials.  I tried to use him through the service (for a station promo), but was denied since he was contracted separately as our station VO.

I know the voices from a mile away, I'd just need to put the names with the voices.  Glenn Hansen is one that's used a lot for station image.

Edited January 4 by tyrannical bastard

[nathannah 2792]

4 hours ago, Dave Lampstein said:

Playing devil’s advocate: what if AI were used to restore stronger, more iconic voices? Could it be a way for the estates of legendary announcers like Ernie Anderson or Don LaFontaine to generate revenue while reintroducing some real personality and weight back into on-air presentation? Or do those voices sound dated by today’s standards? Can a voiceover style even sound dated?

I know Ernie's estate had a website where stations could use him for a voice for a fee after his death using specific clips, but I don't know what the current view of the estate is (along with his children like Paul Thomas) about digitizing his voice in the same way Jim Fagan's was done for NBC.

[MediaZone4K 2661]

5 hours ago, Dave Lampstein said:

I’ll admit it feels a little uncomfortable to say, but I don’t actually have a problem with AI voices for local news intros and promos. So many voices today are already interchangeable… generic reads with little real connection to the station or the market anyway. In most places, it’s the same four or five voices on rotation, and it’s all pretty bland.

 

Playing devil’s advocate: what if AI were used to restore stronger, more iconic voices? Could it be a way for the estates of legendary announcers like Ernie Anderson or Don LaFontaine to generate revenue while reintroducing some real personality and weight back into on-air presentation? Or do those voices sound dated by today’s standards? Can a voiceover style even sound dated?

I wouldn't mind that. I don't find them outdated.

[VulcanSphere 8]

9 hours ago, Dave Lampstein said:

I’ll admit it feels a little uncomfortable to say, but I don’t actually have a problem with AI voices for local news intros and promos. So many voices today are already interchangeable… generic reads with little real connection to the station or the market anyway. In most places, it’s the same four or five voices on rotation, and it’s all pretty bland.

 

Playing devil’s advocate: what if AI were used to restore stronger, more iconic voices? Could it be a way for the estates of legendary announcers like Ernie Anderson or Don LaFontaine to generate revenue while reintroducing some real personality and weight back into on-air presentation? Or do those voices sound dated by today’s standards? Can a voiceover style even sound dated?

Vulcan agrees, AI voice should be handled as tool and used appropriately. 

 

As long as the estate of the voice over artists consented and payment agreed, no objection towards AI voice restoration as long as the quality is good.

[tyrannical bastard 4676]

Came across this from WDVM/WDCW in Washington DC....

For their "Living Local DMV" show, they have a sponsor called SJ Enterprises for one of their entertainment segments.
 

It's run by a guy named Donald "Ski" Johnson....who has been a serial huckster/fraudster who attaches himself to celebrities he claims to be tight with, and then, at the last second..."oops...they can't make it, but you've got me instead!"  taking people's money along the way.  He also claims to be a hit artist.

There was even an American Greed episode about it...

Nexstar's gonna Nexstar...

[TheRolyPoly 3510]

Speaking of Nexstar going to Nexstar... what was KRQE even thinking with this?!

 

They just rebranded their FOX subchannel to this...
 

 

This is not AI, this is a real rebrand. FOX New Mexico is now FOX 505 and in case you're wondering, 505 is the area code for two of the state's most populous cities... Albuquerque and Santa Fe, as well as for several cities nearby. This is pretty insulting to the rest of the state's residents, including Roswell (KBIM-TV 10.2), who use the 575 area code, but apparently, KRQE didn't think about that.

[LTSC1980 130]

I thought FOX SA, Puro San Antonio was worse….

Edited January 28 by LTSC1980

[MichiganNewsGraphicsJunkie 1158]

4 hours ago, TheRolyPoly said:

Speaking of Nexstar going to Nexstar... what was KRQE even thinking with this?!

 

They just rebranded their FOX subchannel to this...
 

 

This is not AI, this is a real rebrand. FOX New Mexico is now FOX 505 and in case you're wondering, 505 is the area code for two of the state's most populous cities... Albuquerque and Santa Fe, as well as for several cities nearby. This is pretty insulting to the rest of the state's residents, including Roswell (KBIM-TV 10.2), who use the 575 area code, but apparently, KRQE didn't think about that.

Wow... yeah this tops the disastrous Fox SA rebrand

[AmericanErrorist 267]

Have they secured the "505" spot on area cable systems?

[ABC 7 Denver 1889]

5 hours ago, TheRolyPoly said:

Speaking of Nexstar going to Nexstar... what was KRQE even thinking with this?!

 

They just rebranded their FOX subchannel to this...
 

 

This is not AI, this is a real rebrand. FOX New Mexico is now FOX 505 and in case you're wondering, 505 is the area code for two of the state's most populous cities... Albuquerque and Santa Fe, as well as for several cities nearby. This is pretty insulting to the rest of the state's residents, including Roswell (KBIM-TV 10.2), who use the 575 area code, but apparently, KRQE didn't think about that.

 

Oh look!

 

[nathannah 2792]

I guess using the "Fox NM" brand (which they do own the domain to and goes to KRQE.com) was not considered, or they have someone who was nostalgic for the overlong local domain era pre-LIN making this decision.

 

"Fox 505" just means nothing, is numerically confusing (so it's next to HBO on cable now?), and there was nothing wrong with the name "Fox New Mexico". Just branding for the sake of boredom.

[Recovering Producer 410]

4 minutes ago, nathannah said:

I guess using the "Fox NM" brand (which they do own the domain to and goes to KRQE.com) was not considered, or they have someone who was nostalgic for the overlong local domain era pre-LIN making this decision.

 

"Fox 505" just means nothing, is numerically confusing (so it's next to HBO on cable now?), and there was nothing wrong with the name "Fox New Mexico". Just branding for the sake of boredom.

 

I can't personally defend this branding decision. However, I have several friends/past coworkers who are from New Mexico - it is DEFINITELY one of those places where, for some reason, the originally assigned area code is part of what people use as part of the local identity. Even if they are from areas that were split off into the other area code a while back. I've never understood the area code as part of the local identity anywhere, but it definitely is a thing that exists in some communities and Nexstar must have felt it was strong enough there to work as a brand. 

[tyrannical bastard 4676]

Since Albuquerque is the only market with stations that serve the entire state, why not "Fox New Mexico"?

 

It's a good coverall since it's the only Fox station in the state. 

 

But somebody thought they had a good idea and had to be cool and stuff...

[MidwestTV 1358]

Hey, it's still not as bad as once upon a time KWGN being known as "The Deuce" 

[TheRolyPoly 3510]

1 hour ago, tyrannical bastard said:

Since Albuquerque is the only market with stations that serve the entire state, why not "Fox New Mexico"?

 

Honolulu called, and so did Providence... they both say hold my beer.

 

10 minutes ago, MidwestTV said:

Hey, it's still not as bad as once upon a time KWGN being known as "The Deuce" 

 

I wonder what is worse... The Deuce (KWGN) or FOX 505 (KRQE)?

[TheRolyPoly 3510]

I just checked the WSNN schedule, and it looks like Nexstar continues to reduce the station's news output.

 

It's now only on weekdays from 6-7 a.m. and 5-6 p.m. (repeated from 6-7 p.m.) with weekends completely gone.

 

It now airs a simulcast of WFLA's 7-9 a.m. news from WTTA as well as its half-hour weeknight 10 p.m. news, also from WTTA. Outside of that, that is it.

[TheRob 969]

https://tvnewscheck.com/business/article/nexstar-q4-revenue-hits-1-29-billion-says-tegna-deal-on-track/

 

Pull quote: the company posted a net loss for the quarter of $170 million.

Edited February 26 by TheRob

[MediaZone4K 2661]

On 1/28/2026 at 9:04 AM, Recovering Producer said:

 

I can't personally defend this branding decision. However, I have several friends/past coworkers who are from New Mexico - it is DEFINITELY one of those places where, for some reason, the originally assigned area code is part of what people use as part of the local identity. Even if they are from areas that were split off into the other area code a while back. I've never understood the area code as part of the local identity anywhere, but it definitely is a thing that exists in some communities and Nexstar must have felt it was strong enough there to work as a brand. 

Miami, New York's Capital Region and Orlando to name a few places.