kylephoto760 2 Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Anybody know what's going on at KFMB? They re-broadcast the midday news at 5 p.m. and they're broadcasting ET in the 11 p.m. slot. They've had a crawl about technical difficulties on TV but nothing elsewhere. At this point, "difficulties" is putting it mildly. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/13363-technical-trouble-at-kfmb/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weeters 1916 Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 One word: Automation. $5 says Ignite or OverDrive or whatever ill-conceived system they use shit itself, and due to a lack of any personnel who know how to operate anything manually (IF they even still have a traditional switcher), they couldn't put out a show. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/13363-technical-trouble-at-kfmb/#findComment-99594 Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylephoto760 2 Posted March 5, 2014 Author Share Posted March 5, 2014 I'm certain you're right. From various Twitter feeds I get the impression that they aren't too confident they'll be ready to go on the air at 4:30 either. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/13363-technical-trouble-at-kfmb/#findComment-99595 Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRob 937 Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 KTRK in Houston also had a big meltdown during their late news last night. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/13363-technical-trouble-at-kfmb/#findComment-99596 Share on other sites More sharing options...
TVIntheDesert 183 Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 You mean these stations spent a lot of $$$ on these automation systems, yet they DON'T have a back-up plan in case it fails (which it most likely will during its lifespan)? Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/13363-technical-trouble-at-kfmb/#findComment-99597 Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRob 937 Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 I know there's some sarcasm here, but it's true most stations don't have a backup plan in case of automation failure. We came close-- we were within 20 minutes of putting Andy Griffith on the air several months ago because of Overdrive failure. We've lost the camera software during the news, we've lost our commercial server during the news, we've lost the video server during the news... you name it, we've lost it multiple times. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/13363-technical-trouble-at-kfmb/#findComment-99598 Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorningNews 1448 Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Yep for about the 10th time in the last three years. Sad to see such a great station reduced to such shit just to save a dollar. KTRK in Houston also had a big meltdown during their late news last night. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/13363-technical-trouble-at-kfmb/#findComment-99599 Share on other sites More sharing options...
A3N 1002 Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 They were able to resume newscasts at 6am. For as much as they like to constantly brag that they are "Number 1...again", they should have ensured that a back up plan was in place. I'm guessing that they did not learn from KGTV's meltdowns all these years. It's interesting that the station did not make any mention of the technical problems via their website, FB, or twitter. Instead, they retweeted one of their anchors tweets last night half joking that gremlins were in the system, thus the technical difficulties. The newscasts were automated in Sept. or October of 2012 IIRC. I also remember reading on tvspy's forums that they had gone with the Sony Vegas(? ) system. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/13363-technical-trouble-at-kfmb/#findComment-99614 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weeters 1916 Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 They were able to resume newscasts at 6am. For as much as they like to constantly brag that they are "Number 1...again", they should have ensured that a back up plan was in place. I'm guessing that they did not learn from KGTV's meltdowns all these years. It's interesting that the station did not make any mention of the technical problems via their website, FB, or twitter. Instead, they retweeted one of their anchors tweets last night half joking that gremlins were in the system, thus the technical difficulties. The newscasts were automated in Sept. or October of 2012 IIRC. I also remember reading on tvspy's forums that they had gone with the Sony Vegas(? ) system. Sony Vegas is an NLE (editing software). If they're using that to edit, I think it just goes to show that they're just buying the cheapest things they can find. I love how the sites for the automation systems always push "reduces technical mistakes" as a selling point because it assumes that the existing technical director just wildly slaps buttons and that everyone will be trained to expert status on an automation system that doesn't ever break down. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/13363-technical-trouble-at-kfmb/#findComment-99632 Share on other sites More sharing options...
A3N 1002 Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Sony Vegas is an NLE (editing software). If they're using that to edit, I think it just goes to show that they're just buying the cheapest things they can find. I love how the sites for the automation systems always push "reduces technical mistakes" as a selling point because it assumes that the existing technical director just wildly slaps buttons and that everyone will be trained to expert status on an automation system that doesn't ever break down. ahh, I'm not too familiar with some of these automation systems but that is what I remember someone posting on tvspy a few years ago. It was tied into a post about the layoffs that would be happening at KFMB due to them going to automation. Either way, they saw how all those meltdowns over the last 10 years or so at KGTV, you would think that they would've had a contingency plan in place. This is the biggest meltdown since they went to automation at KFMB, they've had others but none where all the evening and two thirds of the AM newscast were knocked out. The folks at KNSD better watch out, they might be next with automation when they move into their new building in the next few years... Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/13363-technical-trouble-at-kfmb/#findComment-99636 Share on other sites More sharing options...
caliwxdude 254 Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 That's a pretty major meltdown if it whacked three hours worth of newscasts across two days. A cursory Google search leads me to believe KFMB is using Grass Valley Ignite, which fits with the massive problems that seem to occasionally crop up with Ignite systems. Still, this is the worst I've seen. Slight aside—I was under the impression Ross OverDrive automated production systems are a bit better in the case of live breaking news (or a technical meltdown), since it integrates with their line of Synergy or Vision switcher systems and includes a full board that can be used to manually punch a show if needed. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/13363-technical-trouble-at-kfmb/#findComment-99646 Share on other sites More sharing options...
caliwxdude 254 Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 The folks at KNSD better watch out, they might be next with automation when they move into their new building in the next few years... I'm sure KNSD is already running with Ross OverDrive. NBC standardized that across the O&Os back in the Zucker "NBCU 2.0" days. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/13363-technical-trouble-at-kfmb/#findComment-99647 Share on other sites More sharing options...
1place4news 5 Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 The most amazing thing is that the 11am rerun actually BEAT the other stations at 5! That's pretty bad for KNSD and KGTV to both lose to one newscast twice in the same day. Slight aside—I was under the impression Ross OverDrive automated production systems are a bit better in the case of live breaking news (or a technical meltdown), since it integrates with their line of Synergy or Vision switcher systems and includes a full board that can be used to manually punch a show if needed. I've worked with Overdrive and I find it to be one of the better automated systems out there, mostly because of that flexibility you don't get with other systems. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/13363-technical-trouble-at-kfmb/#findComment-99668 Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylephoto760 2 Posted March 6, 2014 Author Share Posted March 6, 2014 The most amazing thing is that the 11am rerun actually BEAT the other stations at 5! That's pretty bad for KNSD and KGTV to both lose to one newscast twice in the same day. I'm not sure whether that speaks more to the product quality of the other two or to the intelligence of the average KFMB viewer, however I digress. I'm guessing most people figured "how long can this last?" during the 5:00 hour. (Besides, people were at work all day and were likely only half watching to begin with. The person that was standing right beside me didn't even notice the 11:00 open until I mentioned it.) What ran at 6:30 and how did the other stations fare during the rest of the night? Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/13363-technical-trouble-at-kfmb/#findComment-99683 Share on other sites More sharing options...
A3N 1002 Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 I'm not sure whether that speaks more to the product quality of the other two or to the intelligence of the average KFMB viewer, however I digress. I'm guessing most people figured "how long can this last?" during the 5:00 hour. (Besides, people were at work all day and were likely only half watching to begin with. The person that was standing right beside me didn't even notice the 11:00 open until I mentioned it.) What ran at 6:30 and how did the other stations fare during the rest of the night? I think they watch 8 out of habit. The lead ins are pretty strong at 11am (after TPIR) and at 5pm (after Judge Judy). So their viewership has to be out of habit, otherwise the morning show would be doing a lot better. Besides, KGTV and KNSD put out far more superior products than KFMB, IMO. at 6:30 they ran The Insider, at 11pm they ran Entertainment Tonight and from 4:30-6am, they were running Larry Himmel's program. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/13363-technical-trouble-at-kfmb/#findComment-99684 Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkolsen 1684 Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 The only trouble I've seen locally out of automation is that the cameras occasionally go wild - nothing serious though. I know WMARs operation in Baltimore is basically two people in a control room running Ignite. It's surprising that given other issues with Ignite that WMAR hasn't had any issues. WBAL usually has a fully staffed crew running their newscasts manually and never had to go "off air" preventing them to run a newscast. The only major problem I've seen WBAL have is during a newscast master control wasn't able to air commercials so they ended up adding stories and playing the occasional promo. I do not know how WBFF or WJZ operate. As a side note I was reading this one persons twitter who works for the automation company Mosart Medialab (and prior to that he was a director at the BBC.) Mosart is based out of Norway and handles a lot of European stations and is currently expanding into the American market. He mentioned that a lot of TV stations here are stuck in the 80s with no automation and their systems were archaic. I had to laugh because last night on the BBC World news their Mosart automation was so messed up they actually went off air and had to place a title card saying they are experiencing technical difficulties and apparently their domestic channels (BBC One, Two, Three, News, Parliament, Alba and Wales) go down frequently. You would think the world largest broadcaster would have enough people and have backup servers running simultaneously, so they could switch to the hot backup in a second. Here in the US you never see a major network have technical issues that would put them off air. Can anyone think of a time when any of the networks gone off air? I certainly can't. How about CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and CNBC? I can't remember any either. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/13363-technical-trouble-at-kfmb/#findComment-99702 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weeters 1916 Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 Here in the US you never see a major network have technical issues that would put them off air. Can anyone think of a time when any of the networks gone off air? I certainly can't. How about CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and CNBC? I can't remember any either. Back sometime around 2006 or so, I saw TBS' playback server crash on-air while watching some movie. They ended up sitting on an ID for a while. That was the first and last time I saw something like that happen on a network/cable channel. Local stations, yes, but that's it.. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/13363-technical-trouble-at-kfmb/#findComment-99788 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Country News 435 Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 Here in the US you never see a major network have technical issues that would put them off air. Can anyone think of a time when any of the networks gone off air? I certainly can't. How about CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and CNBC? I can't remember any either. I know FNC uses real camera men and only automate the over-night hours, when even then, they have live updates. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/13363-technical-trouble-at-kfmb/#findComment-99795 Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkolsen 1684 Posted March 8, 2014 Share Posted March 8, 2014 Back sometime around 2006 or so, I saw TBS' playback server crash on-air while watching some movie. They ended up sitting on an ID for a while. That was the first and last time I saw something like that happen on a network/cable channel. Local stations, yes, but that's it.. Come to think of it it's few and far between and the last one I recall was when The Weather Channel had a "meltdown" in 2008 when there was a power surge which knocked them off air for two hours. But as long as their is over reliance on automation with no back up this stuff will continue to happen. Ideally stations should have an N+1 design running at the same time. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/13363-technical-trouble-at-kfmb/#findComment-99845 Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylephoto760 2 Posted March 8, 2014 Author Share Posted March 8, 2014 Besides, KGTV and KNSD put out far more superior products than KFMB, IMO. I wholeheartedly agree. It's been a very long time since KFMB has put out a top-quality product. Sadly, they've gone from my first choice to my last over the years. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/13363-technical-trouble-at-kfmb/#findComment-99847 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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