24994J 5327 Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 WNYW has made questionable moves in recent years (but a flailing WPIX softens the damage). We all know the tar pit of disaster WFLD has become in the last half-decade. And speaking of tar pits, KTTV is also nearing the edge of the abyss. A Facebook post by longtime KTLA entertainment reporter Sam Rubin has addressed the issue head-on, and explains the biggest shortcoming of the station group, KTTV in particular... The real reason that [outgoing ND Kingsley] Smith lost his job is that for the past two years or so he has been a willing and active participant is the ill-advised dismantling of a once popular and important news gathering organization. So after Smith followed orders, fired a ton of people at Fox 11; including very talented and popular on-air types like Mark Thompson and Dorothy Lucey; the ratings are a disaster, the news gathering abilities are destroyed; and guess who gets the blame …. the sap who followed the orders, coming from higher-ups in New York incidentally, to cut KTTV to beyond the bone. What really matters here, and this is where “executives” always make the biggest mistake, is that television news in 2013 is a personality business. There is simply nothing more important than “feel,” how a show sincerely feels to those who watch it. KTTV went from feeling fun and brash, to heartless and cold. Nothing more effectively communicates feeling than television. And when the atmosphere behind the camera is mean and mean-spirited; that stuff actually shows up on the air. http://www.mediabistro.com/tvspy/ktla-reporter-kingsley-smiths-departure-part-of-ill-advised-dismantling-of-kttv_b107886 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess 1110 Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 Yup. He did the exact same thing at WTXF. Cut to the bone, get rid of the really competent and popular personalities, institute a format that is a poor, watered down version of what airs on Fox News Channel, and basically nearly kill the department. The station has improved quite a bit from that low point, and I think part of that is having a GM who hasn't been a Fox lifer. It still has a long way to go to be what it was prior to Kingsley's arrival, however. The dismantling of WTXF really upset me because I hold that station up to an incredibly high standard. For years, it was arguably the single best news department in town - better than anything 3, 6, or 10 was putting out. Even after Roger LaMay (one of the best General Managers/News Directors in Philadelphia history) left, the station was run incredibly well and had one of the best anchor teams ever in Dawn Stensland and Dave Huddleston. It's never enjoyed the budget that 3, 6, or 10 have, but that was never a problem. I know what Fox 29 is capable of doing under insightful management. Edit: Read the entire Facebook post. Not only does it go into what KTTV has done, it touches on how despicably run Tribune was under Sam Zell. Randy Michaels is even mentioned by name... both of them. Rubin also mentions that KTTV station management "held firm" and didn't implement some of Michaels and Abrams' smart ideas. Which is why they're still more or less intact and WPIX isn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A3N 996 Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 Sam Rubin makes some good points, however what if Kingsley Smith did hold his ground and refused to make the cuts ordered by corporate? He would have been fired then, for refusing to follow orders. I am in no ways defending Smith, but it's a bit unwise to tell news directors/GM's to stand up against their corporate owners/supervisors and refuse to follow through on their orders. Also, KTTV was starting to go in the crapper when Kingsley took over, although he did make the problems much worse and his solutions were not exactly achievements. It sucks being a ND/GM of a tv station, knowing full well that you're between a rock and hard place- if you follow corporate's directive or if your product starts to suffer, you're going to get fired either way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrtraveler01 737 Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 Edit: Read the entire Facebook post. Not only does it go into what KTTV has done, it touches on how despicably run Tribune was under Sam Zell. Randy Michaels is even mentioned by name... both of them. They did more damage to the newspapers than they did to the TV stations, I remember how cartoonish and campy the Chicago Tribune looked as they tried to go after a younger audience. KTLA throughout the 2000's wasn't that impressive. It was only recently that KTLA took KTTV's prize crown in the mornings as well as 10 PM. Reading this story and now it makes all sense. I always liked KTLA over KTTV so I didn't mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samantha 2878 Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 KSAZ seems to be moving in a different direction. They just splashed out on a new set and major in-house supplements to their current graphics and music. But at the same time their evening news content is getting fluffy. It used to be that KTVK rightfully earned the name "Place with More Fluff". Except there's been a role reversal. 10 is getting fluffy (and in some cases, hard to stand—Rick D'Amico's minute-long editorials that have cited InfoWars as a source, for example), while 3's news product is at levels not seen in years. 3 has turned the ship around and is producing a solid evening newscast. 10? Yeah... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty Muck 4309 Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 Edit: Read the entire Facebook post. Not only does it go into what KTTV has done, it touches on how despicably run Tribune was under Sam Zell. Randy Michaels is even mentioned by name... both of them. Rubin also mentions that [KTLA] station management "held firm" and didn't implement some of Michaels and Abrams' smart ideas. Which is why they're still more or less intact and WPIX isn't. Of course, anyone who has ever heard of Robert Feder knew how bad Randy Micheals has been ever since he left Clear Channel a decade ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick from DETROIT 2 Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 WJBK in Detroit is winning a good portion of their time slots! So I wouldn't say ALL O&Os Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnya2k6 171 Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 WJBK in Detroit is winning a good portion of their time slots! So I wouldn't say ALL O&Os That also holds true to the other Fox O&Os that were formerly with CBS; WAGA in Atlanta is coming into November sweeps with a still healthy #2 (in 25-54 and probably total viewers) behind WSB. With the World Series over and the Super Bowl/American Idol not far behind, it now depends on the strengths of X Factor, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Sleepy Hollow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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