Hold on to your lattes Seattle...CBS may be Changing Channels Again

[TheMightyGringoChannel 0]

Well there's rumors of a shake-up of sorts going around the Pacific Northwest lately, mainly CBS may be dumping its affiliation with KIRO this fall. According to a source of mine: CBS' affiliation contract with KIRO ends in September. And from what I understand, CBS is very hesitant to renew their affiliation deal with COX. If the contract is not renewed, it is expected that CBS will be moving the affiliation to its owned and operated CW-affiliate, KSTW, come September. If this happens it will be KSTW's third go-around as a CBS affiliate, this time as an Owned and Operated Station.

Thoughts.....

[alaskanews 108]

hmmm would this mean that they would move back to tacoma (i believe thats where kstw is)? because thats not a good location when all of the rest of your competitors are in downtown seattle. and and "kiro 7" rolls off the tongue much nicer than "kstw 11"

[NewzPimpin 1]

O&O-ism has its pluses and minuses.

 

Pluses: more money for the news operation, direct network relationship

 

Minuses: having to approve stories with HQ, to make sure that Viacom's interests are not compromised by doing certain investigative type pieces (someone I know who worked at WHBQ in Memphis told me that their investigative stories sometimes have to be approved by NewsCorp).

[caliwxdude 252]

Minuses: having to approve stories with HQ, to make sure that Viacom's interests are not compromised by doing certain investigative type pieces (someone I know who worked at WHBQ in Memphis told me that their investigative stories sometimes have to be approved by NewsCorp).

 

Just so you know, Viacom and the CBS Corporation (encompassing the CBS network, television stations group, and 50% of The CW) are two completely separate companies now.

[KKyuubi 0]

hmmm would this mean that they would move back to tacoma (i believe thats where kstw is)? because thats not a good location when all of the rest of your competitors are in downtown seattle. and and "kiro 7" rolls off the tongue much nicer than "kstw 11"

 

CBS 11?

 

This is going to be interesting, guess my dreams of KIRO going HD with Enforcer NG are going down the drain, but - this could always happen:

 

[lugnuts6 89]

If CBS does go back to 11, it would be like CBS owning WWJ 62

No news is ...well you know

[TheMightyGringoChannel 0]

If this happens:

Odds are that the CW affiliation would jump to Tribune-Owned KCPQ because from what I understand, KCPQ's contract with Fox is up for renewal as well. Which would mean KIRO would most likely end up with the Fox affiliation.

[hinto 0]

hmmm would this mean that they would move back to tacoma (i believe thats where kstw is)? because thats not a good location when all of the rest of your competitors are in downtown seattle. and and "kiro 7" rolls off the tongue much nicer than "kstw 11"

 

Well, it's true they're licensed to Tacoma, but their building's in Renton (which is closer to Seattle than to Tacoma). Then you've got Q13; they're also licensed to Tacoma, but their studio's in Seattle (right next to Lake Union).

 

In any case, I don't really see CBS going through with this. They're much better off on KIRO than they are on KSTW. KSTW wouldn't be competitive against the other stations if they were to start doing news again. Indeed, hasn't CBS learnt anything from WWJ...

 

Unless reverse compensation becomes a factor, and they wanna pull a KNTV. I suppose anything can happen.

[TexasTVNews 1366]

If the network switch should happened, would KSTW bring the news back on the air?

[jestbiteme 13]

If the network switch should happened, would KSTW bring the news back on the air?

 

TBD.

[artie fufkin 0]

The FOX affiliation at KCPQ is up at the end of July. FOX and CW affiliates have to pay to play.

 

I really don't understand why CBS would leave for a station without a news department. Networks don't spend money on things like local news anymore.

 

Network affiliations aren't worth as much today as they were worth 10 years ago.

[mre29 1340]

Since when has having an existing news department been a condition for affiliation?

[mbhcity 3]

KIRO is a great CBS affiliate....it should not happen. It would be like the KRON 4 disaster.

[hinto 0]

Since when has having an existing news department been a condition for affiliation?

 

Well, since CBS owns KSTW, *if* they so desperately wanted to move away from KIRO, they would just move the affiliation to KSTW whether or not it already has a news department. That said, it's not completely unreasonable to expect the CBS station in a top 15 market to have a newsroom (again, WWJ is the noted exception), and if the hypothetical CBS11 wants to be taken seriously at all, it would have to have at least some sort of local news presence.

 

Still, I don't really see CBS spending all that money into building a newsroom, especially when they're going up against the 800lb gorilla known as KING 5. It's almost like a lost cause.

 

Maybe Gaylord should just have sold the damn thing straight to CBS way back when.

 

KIRO is a great CBS affiliate....it should not happen. It would be like the KRON 4 disaster.

 

Well, on one end of the spectrum, you have KTVK, which went independent involuntarily. It was thrust upon them, and they dealt with it the best they could. To their credit, they were still getting pretty decent ratings. On the opposite end, you have KRON, whose owners got into a fight with the network, saw what happened with KTVK, thought they didn't really need a network anymore, and went their own way. Their arrogance caught up to them, and we all know where they are now.

 

In KIRO's case, it'd be more like the first scenario. Also, this would be the second time, and they do have the experience to deal with it. Not that I expect another KTVK if this went ahead, but they should still fare better than KRON. Cox doesn't seem as inept as Young is.

[bhratbrat 423]

I agree. I think COX will do the right thing and ensure that at least a network will stay on with KIRO 7. Theyd be smarter to keep CBS on but if they cant...FOX would be the better suit of arms. Note that COX runs a very successful KTVU in San Francisco that is FOX. KIRO does have the experience of not having the "network side" with them but the question is do they want to go through another change again considering that you have KING and KOMO now fighting in the midst for 1st place. It could be a disasterous result if another big change happens. And then you got Tribune who would probably try and snatch up the CW affiliation and have one of the few netlet duopolies in Seattle. But more than likely COX is on better terms with the fellows at CBS than the personnel at Young with KRON4

[mbhcity 3]

I really would like to see KIRO as a FOX affiliate....it would work very well....All they would have to do...is add newscasts at 7-9am, 5:30p, and 10pm....they could still keep the 11 O'Clock News.

 

And yes, KRON is pretty much a small market bean counter station. Oh and I wonder If anyone could tell them that it's not Videojournalism....it's One Man Band! Talk about putting a bandaid on a broken rib.

[mre29 1340]

Since when has having an existing news department been a condition for affiliation?

 

Well, since CBS owns KSTW, *if* they so desperately wanted to move away from KIRO, they would just move the affiliation to KSTW whether or not it already has a news department. That said, it's not completely unreasonable to expect the CBS station in a top 15 market to have a newsroom (again, WWJ is the noted exception), and if the hypothetical CBS11 wants to be taken seriously at all, it would have to have at least some sort of local news presence.

 

Still, I don't really see CBS spending all that money into building a newsroom, especially when they're going up against the 800lb gorilla known as KING 5. It's almost like a lost cause.

 

Sorry, I should have clarified. My question was whether or not having a news department that already exists should be a condition for affiliation.

 

And as far as WWJ goes, I'm surprised CBS hasn't up and sold it and WKBD yet.

[Joe Capitano 4]

Still' date=' I don't really see CBS spending all that money into building a newsroom, especially when they're going up against the 800lb gorilla known as KING 5. ...[/quote']

 

...and a 400-lb gorilla known as KOMO-4, which now has Seattle's #1-rated 11 PM newscast, so reports the Seattle P-I on Saturday. KIRO's also getting beaten up at 6 PM as well, and deservedly so. I can't vouch for the quality of their journalism or how much Katie's driving things downward, but the station's graphic presentation is the absolute worst in the market - way too many lingering lower thirds. I mean, does every anchor and reporter really need their name glued on the screen every blessed second they are on camera, no matter what? NO!

 

As to the original issue, I see no change. We're not going down that road again.

[alaskanews 108]

Still' date=' I don't really see CBS spending all that money into building a newsroom, especially when they're going up against the 800lb gorilla known as KING 5. ...[/quote']

 

...and a 400-lb gorilla known as KOMO-4, which now has Seattle's #1-rated 11 PM newscast, so reports the Seattle P-I on Saturday. KIRO's also getting beaten up at 6 PM as well, and deservedly so. I can't vouch for the quality of their journalism or how much Katie's driving things downward, but the station's graphic presentation is the absolute worst in the market - way too many lingering lower thirds. I mean, does every anchor and reporter really need their name glued on the screen every blessed second they are on camera, no matter what? NO!

 

As to the original issue, I see no change. We're not going down that road again.

 

i think people tend to look at journalistic integrity before they look at how long the l3 stays on the screen

[Gulf_Broadcasting 0]

Still' date=' I don't really see CBS spending all that money into building a newsroom, especially when they're going up against the 800lb gorilla known as KING 5. ...[/quote']

 

...and a 400-lb gorilla known as KOMO-4, which now has Seattle's #1-rated 11 PM newscast, so reports the Seattle P-I on Saturday. KIRO's also getting beaten up at 6 PM as well, and deservedly so. I can't vouch for the quality of their journalism or how much Katie's driving things downward, but the station's graphic presentation is the absolute worst in the market - way too many lingering lower thirds. I mean, does every anchor and reporter really need their name glued on the screen every blessed second they are on camera, no matter what? NO!

 

As to the original issue, I see no change. We're not going down that road again.

 

i think people tend to look at journalistic integrity before they look at how long the l3 stays on the screen

 

Not if you're a member of TV News Talk! ;D ;D

[hinto 0]

...and a 400-lb gorilla known as KOMO-4, which now has Seattle's #1-rated 11 PM newscast, so reports the Seattle P-I on Saturday. KIRO's also getting beaten up at 6 PM as well, and deservedly so.

 

That's nice to know. KOMO's been in 3rd place for a while, and it seems like now they're doing something right (or people are getting sick of KIRO, or both).

 

i think people tend to look at journalistic integrity before they look at how long the l3 stays on the screen

 

I can't say I like KIRO's brand of journalism either. Not that I've been watching KIRO much since I came home (lately I've only been watching KOMO or KING when it comes to the Seattle stations), but I remember watching KIRO's newscasts a couple years ago, and thinking to myself "they're leading with THAT?" or "they call THAT breaking news?"

[alaskanews 108]

i moved out of the seattle area last year, and the few times i watched kiro i didnt think it was too bad, i still prefered komo, king was the one that kind of got on my nerves, i mean really, who needs 2 helicopters when you only use them one at a time?