The Hearst Thread

[TheRolyPoly 2622]

Carol Clarke has come up with a plan for retirement... next year at WYFF which will be 40 years (no firm date just yet).

 

For her last year, she's transitioning to dayside to do more reporting from the field, and keeping the 6:00pm anchor chair. She will give up the 11:00pm to Sydney Shadrix.

 

https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1121531476261934&id=100052152768666

[HearstArgyleFan90 42]

On 12/18/2024 at 10:51 AM, Georgie56 said:

An updated Hearst graphics package already debuted this year. So far, it’s only in use at WBBH, but I expect a full rollout next year.

 

 

 

It looks like another update to the diagrid package, only appearing more rectangular.  And the Strive music package is still being used, just with newer cuts. 

 

What I am referring to is a complete overhaul of the graphics and music, like when the diagrid graphics and Strive debuted in 2012, or when the rings graphics package was introduced in 2004 (in that case, however, most stations started using NewsMusic Central's Hearst TV News Music Package before switching from camera v2 to rings).

 

Only other difference between this update and the last two is that WESH is not the first station to be using the updated graphics.

Edited December 22, 2024 by HearstArgyleFan90

[TheRolyPoly 2622]

It looks like WBBH and WZVN are merging what was their separate weather teams into one.

 

One example... Rob Duns in the new year will stay on WBBH at 4:00 but will then switch over to WZVN at 6:00, 7:00, and 11:00pm.

 

https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1264728761283664&id=100032396576813

[TheRolyPoly 2622]

30 years at KMBC for one of KC's best.

 

https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1133892581417284&id=100043896591184

[HearstArgyleFan90 42]

If not, I think the WBBH graphics are just custom-made for that station because I haven't seen it being rolled out to more stations in the Hearst group, especially since some stations began using the Diagrid 2.5 open during the summer of 2024, months before WBBH switched to their version of the Hearst graphics.  I say this because during the floating logo era, some stations used their own modified versions of those graphics (e.g. WLKY, KOCO).  

[DENDude 223]

Effective today: NBC2 NEWS (WBBH-DT) & ABC7 (WZVN-DT) are now operating under one brand & one website.  NBC-2.COM & ABC-7.COM now redirect to: www.gulfcoastnewsnow.com, the 2 stations will still have separate newscasts & anchor teams but one brand.    Below is the new logo for the 2 stations.

 

Here is the article talking about the switch: https://www.gulfcoastnewsnow.com/article/gulf-coast-news-nbc2-abc7-fort-myers/63677491

 

 

IMAGE: WBBH / WZVN.

[Recovering Producer 233]

1 hour ago, DENDude said:

 the 2 stations will still have separate newscasts & anchor teams but one brand.   

Narrator voice: Given the reality of local TV revenue in 2025 and beyond, we'll see how long the separate newscasts last.

[GodfreyGR 693]

37 minutes ago, Recovering Producer said:

Narrator voice: Given the reality of local TV revenue in 2025 and beyond, we'll see how long the separate newscasts last.

If this turns out to be a correct prediction, and history suggests it likely will be, you gotta give it to Hearst for taking things in steps instead of blowing the whole thing up at once. Methodical and calculated. 

[mre29 1571]

5 hours ago, DENDude said:

 

IMAGE: WBBH / WZVN.

 

Interesting that the ABC logo appears "first" even though WBBH is the actual Hearst-owned station.

 

[GodfreyGR 693]

8 minutes ago, mre29 said:

 

Interesting that the ABC logo appears "first" even though WBBH is the actual Hearst-owned station.

 

From a design perspective, they made the absolute correct choice to embed the ABC logo inside the "C" and have the peacock hanging off for a litany of reasons. 

[Dave Lampstein 126]

12 minutes ago, GodfreyGR said:

From a design perspective, they made the absolute correct choice to embed the ABC logo inside the "C" and have the peacock hanging off for a litany of reasons. 

Lots of interesting design decisions were made here… 

[tyrannical bastard 4055]

Glad the branding ended up here instead of Mobile & Pensacola. 

I figured this could be an eventual game plan with Sinclair if they ever totally merged their Pensacola and Mobile operations into one.

Edited February 5 by tyrannical bastard

[MediaZone4K 2284]

8 hours ago, DENDude said:

Effective today: NBC2 NEWS (WBBH-DT) & ABC7 (WZVN-DT) are now operating under one brand & one website.  NBC-2.COM & ABC-7.COM now redirect to: www.gulfcoastnewsnow.com, the 2 stations will still have separate newscasts & anchor teams but one brand.    Below is the new logo for the 2 stations.

 

Here is the article talking about the switch: https://www.gulfcoastnewsnow.com/article/gulf-coast-news-nbc2-abc7-fort-myers/63677491

 

 

IMAGE: WBBH / WZVN.

I am surprised they don't already simulcast newscasts instead of having two separately branded newscasts with the same reporters, on live, at competing times. 

 

SB, just me being a nerd with OCD:

it feels odd, especially in the cord cutting era, when broadcast stations brand by their cable position rather than over the air. Is it that 2 and 7 catchier  numbers, or "sexier"  numbers from a logo design perspective than 20 or 26?

Edited February 5 by MediaZone4K

[VulcanSphere 8]

32 minutes ago, MediaZone4K said:

I am surprised they don't already simulcast newscasts instead of having two separately branded newscasts with the same reporters, on live, at competing times. 

 

SB, just me being a nerd with OCD:

it feels odd, especially in the cord cutting era, when broadcast stations brand by their cable position rather than over the air. Is it that 2 and 7 catchier  numbers, or "sexier"  numbers from a logo design perspective than 20 or 26?

Yeah, probably because of shorter channel number and high cable penetration in the market

[MediaZone4K 2284]

The NBC and ABC live streams are now available on the same page on their website. 

 

From comparing both stations side by side, their lead stories were different, there were times when the same story was airing on both stations simultaneously like a Dollar General shooting. For the most part, the same stories were airing minutes apart on both channels.

 

Wouldn't want any anchors to lose their jobs, but simulcasting makes sense if they want to cut costs.

Edited February 14 by MediaZone4K

[MichiganNewsGraphicsJunkie 955]

This is almost exactly like Tegna's WTLV-WJXX FIrst Coast News in Jacksonville.  

[Recovering Producer 233]

 

Not that the FCC pays attention to these things, but the WZVN Legal ID in this newscast open isn't exactly legal. It needs to say Naples first. Also, quite the unfortunate mispunch rolling the dead fish because of red tide VO when they talk about the new identity. Thank goodness smell-o-vision isn't a thing. 

 

If I were a betting man, I'd put money on Hearst's long-term unspoken plan is likely gradual consolidation through natural mid-market turnover attrition. Saturday evenings are the easiest place to test those waters because of low HUT levels. 

 

[nathannah 2520]

4 hours ago, Recovering Producer said:

Not that the FCC pays attention to these things, but the WZVN Legal ID in this newscast open isn't exactly legal. It needs to say Naples first.

Hearst stations usually have an app or weather promo with proper ID before the newscast intro so I'm not worried for the ID here and they'll probably adjust it quickly. 

Edited February 6 by mrschimpf

[ABC 7 Denver 1734]

 

Just a bit of a squeeze on their website though. It's decompressed on the reference page:

 

So probably a style sheets issue.

[DENDude 223]

On 2/5/2025 at 7:52 PM, MediaZone4K said:

I am surprised they don't already simulcast newscasts instead of having two separately branded newscasts with the same reporters, on live, at competing times. 

 

SB, just me being a nerd with OCD:

it feels odd, especially in the cord cutting era, when broadcast stations brand by their cable position rather than over the air. Is it that 2 and 7 catchier  numbers, or "sexier"  numbers from a logo design perspective than 20 or 26?

I'm sure it had something to do with it wasn't and still isn't technically a legal duopoly.  At one point not sure why it didn't happen but in the late 90s the F.C.C. ordered Waterman Broadcasting Corp to spin off WZVN to a 3rd party but it didn't happen.  

Edited February 14 by DENDude

[HearstArgyleFan90 42]

KOAT just got the updated Hearst open that was introduced last summer, but they still use the old open after the first commercial break.

Edited March 21 by HearstArgyleFan90

[Howard Beale 90]

Hearst's KSBW (Salinas, California) is boasting about being number one in the ratings, but if this is a W -- as the kids say -- it's a lowercase W.

You can read the station's press release here, but let's get beyond the usual spin and look at the actual numbers cited.  For reference, Nielsen counts 230,950 households in the Monterey/Salinas market, and parenthesis represents the total share of the entire market...not just people who happen to be watching TV news.

• 12 pm: 6,100 households (.02%)
• 5 pm: 15,100 households (.06%)
• 6 pm: 17,500 households  (.07%)
• 11 pm: 8,500 households (.03%)
• Saturday AM: 8,500 households (.03%)
• Sunday AM: 7,900 households (.03%)
• Saturday & Sunday PM: 13,400 households (.05%)

A win is a win I suppose, but wow, not even one out of ten households in the market bother to watch the top-rated TV news station.