cbs2newengland 71 Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 Now let's hope they keep the KTVU 2 branding...oh wait this is Fox. But in all seriousness, how much cash, WHBQ, and WFXT did Fox need to get KTVU/KICU? I guess the guy who has his Fox 2 on his avatar could disagree! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A3N 996 Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 maybe there is an advantage, I've lost a lot of interest in Fox 25 especially in the mornings and the evenings are boring. Would job cuts or cuts in the budget be in the works for this trade against Boston? Not knowing what kind of budget FXT is working under FOX, can't say exactly. However, if KTVU and WSB are any indication, then WFXT will be fine under Cox and they might even get them to fork over more money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NEOMatrix 1295 Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 Now let's just hope that DavidHeller/NascarDavid dosen't come out of nowhere saying Fox will trade KTVU/KICU in exchange for KFOR/KAUT and a crapload of $$$. I would promise to destroy my TV if Fox makes a dumb mistake like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbs2newengland 71 Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 Not knowing what kind of budget FXT is working under FOX, can't say exactly. However, if KTVU and WSB are any indication, then WFXT will be fine under Cox and they might even get them to fork over more money. In terms of local content (that I myself don't know about the budget.) They got the Fox Undercover unit (that I believe they laid off producers in the last couple of years.) And for the entire summer,every Friday, the morning anchors go off to Massachusetts cities and towns (they go to NH at least once) on their "ZipTrip" (referring to the zip code they stop.) That's like huge production in today's standards (at least in this market.) They do that I believe from 6 to 10, obviously not for the whole 6 hours though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cg41386 131 Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 Get the fuck out of here. I can't believe this!! This is not good at all. This is Fifty years down the drain. And Fox giving up WFXT? The only good thing that's coming out of this iis Fox is finally giving up WHBQ. They probably swapped because they know that UHF discount ruling could go in effect and some with the discount may not be grandfathered. Of course Fox wasn't over the cap, so any ruling wouldn't affect Fox, and any new deal, they would've had to divest anyway. And you can say goodbye to that iconic "Circle Lazer 2" logo, while we're at it. I always loved KTVU because of its uniqueness, the one that differentiate themselves from the other Fox affiliates. Now Fox is really going to "Fox"-ify this legacy & heritage station. Nevertheless, this is a sad day for New England and the Bay Area. Overdramatic much? Fox will probably just incorporate the logo so it will look like the other stations, but the 2 itself will be essentially the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cg41386 131 Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 Obviously it's not their say, but if you got enough rebellious people running the show at WFXT in this case, it could be an MO to sell? I don't work in the business, and come from an outsider, and from the outside looking in it appears that WFXT was acting against the O&O management. Notice their set has been the same since 2003, and they hate the O&O theme, because all they play are the worst cuts. They are the WBZ of the Fox group. You mean the WJZ? WBZ actually uses the new CBS O&O graphics and such. WJZ hasn't followed any CBS O&O mandates in a long time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbs2newengland 71 Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 You mean the WJZ? WBZ actually uses the new CBS O&O graphics and such. WJZ hasn't followed any CBS O&O mandates in a long time. Well WJZ has a different situation. I don't want to elaborate on this thread, but when its an appropriate time/thread to explain. I'll tell you why I feel that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CircleSeven 1944 Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 Overdramatic much? Fox will probably just incorporate the logo so it will look like the other stations, but the 2 itself will be essentially the same. I strongly don't think so. And I'm not over-dramatic. They haven't been very good with history. They are highly known for their tabloid-ish looking style, on all of its stations. Their historic "Circle Lazer 2" have been used for damn near 40 years, I strongly doubt it would see its 40th anniversary next year, once Fox gets their hands on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TennTV1983 743 Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 Now let's just hope that DavidHeller/NascarDavid dosen't come out of nowhere saying Fox will trade KTVU/KICU in exchange for KFOR/KAUT and a crapload of $$$. I would promise to destroy my TV if Fox makes a dumb mistake like that. They won't. The only Tribune property on Fox's radar is KCPQ (and possibly KZJO) and nothing else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ns8401 846 Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 I strongly don't think so. And I'm not over-dramatic. They haven't been very good with history. They are highly known for their tabloid-ish looking style, on all of its stations. Their historic "Circle Lazer 2" have been used for damn near 40 years, I strongly doubt it would see its 40th anniversary next year, once Fox gets their hands on it. Why is it that everytime something changes you go nuts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WXmanTim 88 Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 They won't. The only Tribune property on Fox's radar is KCPQ (and possibly KZJO) and nothing else. Fox doesn't have much left to trade to get Seattle save Houston...and Tribune already owns a station here. Though I could see them quickly dumping KIAH for the chance to get KRIV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samantha 2878 Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 Overdramatic much? Fox will probably just incorporate the logo so it will look like the other stations, but the 2 itself will be essentially the same. I don't know how well this works graphically, so I made a mockup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hickman360 21 Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 In other words, they had to give up something big (plus WHBQ) in order to get something big in return, and unfortunately, it was WFXT. They could've included WJBK in the deal, but that would mean exiting out of another NFC market after selling KTVI and WITI to LocalTV (now Tribune) several years ago. It leaves one to wonder what other Fox O&O station may have to be given up in order to get KCPQ in Seattle. I wouldn't be surprised if FOX would be willing to swap KTBC in Austin for KCPQ next Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WXmanTim 88 Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 I don't know how well this works graphically, so I made a mockup: Nice mock. I can't speak for the other O&Os but here in Houston that logo is being downplayed significantly in favor of the single line set up used with the current graphics package. Everything from our opens to rejoins to the bug used outside of primetime has the single line "FOX 26" look. Putting FOX next to the current KTVU logo wouldn't look bad. Also, when FOX mandated the FNC-esque logo several years ago, it was obvious the graphics designer used WTVTs font as the template for the channel numbers. Yet WJBK kept their original "2" rather than going with the skinny "2" treatment (which KTVI received). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caliwxdude 252 Posted June 24, 2014 Author Share Posted June 24, 2014 I actually think there's a strong possibility that Fox will maintain the status quo at KTVU, at least for the foreseeable future. We don't have much history here on which to base speculation—I don't think Fox Television Stations has acquired a station with a legacy and brand as strong as KTVU. Among FTS' recent acquisitions are WJZY (zero brand equity), WOFL (the station had an identity built around an effing palm tree) and KMSP. Of those, you can argue that KMSP had the most established brand, even though it started to erode under the final few years of Chris-Craft ownership—but even that brand (and overall ratings numbers) paled in comparison to KTVU. In all three of those examples, Fox didn't have much to lose by completely rebranding. There aren't a whole lot of positives that I can see coming from a holistic overhaul of KTVU; rather, the risk of alienating a very loyal viewer base is quite high. KTVU is, for all intents and purposes, the number one station in the market these days. The station is anything but broken, so any attempt to "fix" it would be misguided. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbs2newengland 71 Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 I strongly don't think so. And I'm not over-dramatic. They haven't been very good with history. They are highly known for their tabloid-ish looking style, on all of its stations. Their historic "Circle Lazer 2" have been used for damn near 40 years, I strongly doubt it would see its 40th anniversary next year, once Fox gets their hands on it. The 2 has the resemblance of the SF Bay as featured in the long time opens w/ Michael Randall music, that's how I'd describe the logo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CircleSeven 1944 Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 Why is it that everytime something changes you go nuts? Why are you worrying about me stating my stance on the things that I don't like? What's wrong with that? And I'm not going nuts. You must love that "Change Is Good" mantra, as I say "If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It, Change Ain't Always Good". I don't know how well this works graphically, so I made a mockup: That mock does looks good, Raymie. But will I would prefer the "Circle Lazer 2" should be left as is. But no telling what Fox would do I'm hope to be proven wrong but I'm expecting the worst. The 2 has the resemblance of the SF Bay as featured in the long time opens w/ Michael Randall music, that's how I'd describe the logo. That pissed me off when KTVU dumped their long time Randall theme for 615's Icon theme, four years ago. The Randall theme had character that resonate the Bay Area. Icon is nothing more than a cousin to WGN's current music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
effseesee 101 Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 Holy moly is putting it mildly. I never in a million years expected Cox to give up KTVU. As for getting rid of WFXT, it's one of the three O&Os (of comparable market size) in an AFC or non-aligned market. The likelihood of FOX giving up LA (non-aligned) is nonexistent while Houston (AFC) has a fairly sizable New Orleans Saints fan base (owing in large part to those who moved here during & after Katrina and as the back-up team during the years Houston didn't have one). That pretty much left Boston, sweetened by Memphis, as the trade offer. I definitely thought Cox would hold out for Houston, since they already have radio stations there. Cox generally likes to have a combination of media resources in the cities it serves. They don't have anything in either Memphis or Boston, yet. I wouldn't be surprised if FOX would be willing to swap KTBC in Austin for KCPQ next It's going to take more than that to get Seattle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbs2newengland 71 Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 Could FTS be crazy like a fox to sell KRIV? That's like their original crown jewel. And that's a well established news operation (which I don't know if that really matters much?) And for WBZ to not be sold by CBS would not only be crazy to be in an AFC market, but the Patriots organization is partnered with 4 and also CBS has ties with the Kraft fam, which has the CBS Scene thing in Foxboro. When you factor all of that in, it wouldn't make sense for CBS to exit Boston. The other Network O&O is NECN, which recently became managed by the NBC O&O division, but I still don't consider that a network O&O. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samantha 2878 Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 Nice mock. I can't speak for the other O&Os but here in Houston that logo is being downplayed significantly in favor of the single line set up used with the current graphics package. Everything from our opens to rejoins to the bug used outside of primetime has the single line "FOX 26" look. Putting FOX next to the current KTVU logo wouldn't look bad. Also, when FOX mandated the FNC-esque logo several years ago, it was obvious the graphics designer used WTVTs font as the template for the channel numbers. Yet WJBK kept their original "2" rather than going with the skinny "2" treatment (which KTVI received). KSAZ's open (KSAZ really likes to be a design and music special snowflake — they have a supplement to the Fox O&O theme they use for opens that is a spiritual successor to Fusion News, and they also have a special open — , no clue who did either of them) uses the tower logo a lot. In addition KSAZ kept the 10 from its previous logo, which has the same "O" cut as in the Fox logo itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFTV 484 Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 I knew my avatar would come true lol. This is big news for SF. Curious to see how the format for the morning news will be. Keep its current Mornings on 2. With traditional straight to the point news, weather and traffic repeating every :30 min or Good Day Bay Area. Mirrored after Good Day LA with segments, news, weather and traffic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NEOMatrix 1295 Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 I take a wait and see approach but for all we know, KTVU might become Fox's WJZ. Granted, I doubt Fox is as laissez-faire as CBS and plus the affiliates might b*tch about why they have to call themselves "Fox 8" or "Fox Rochester" and KTVU as an O&O can still get away without using Fox branding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samantha 2878 Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 I take a wait and see approach but for all we know, KTVU might become Fox's WJZ. Granted, I doubt Fox is as laissez-faire as CBS and plus the affiliates might b*tch about why they have to call themselves "Fox 8" or "Fox Rochester" and KTVU as an O&O can still get away without using Fox branding. Another culture clash could revolve around the size of the newsroom. We know that Fox runs tight ships, and so I could see layoffs in San Francisco (and maybe, on the other end, newsroom expansions in Boston and Memphis). If KRON can poach KTVU personalities and/or viewers, it'd be a big blow to KTVU. Fox needs to ensure that doesn't happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TennTV1983 743 Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 Another culture clash could revolve around the size of the newsroom. We know that Fox runs tight ships, and so I could see layoffs in San Francisco (and maybe, on the other end, newsroom expansions in Boston and Memphis). Wishful thinking. In the case of WHBQ, their newsroom is in need of an overhaul along with the main studio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty Muck 4167 Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 Would Cox be willing to deal with Entercom for their Boston and Memphis radio clusters? (Entercom's Boston cluster includes Red Sox flagship WEEI-FM/93.7 - who, as WEEI/590, was once co-owned with WFXT by the Boston Celtics - and famed-but-severely-faded talker WRKO/680.) Also will be interesting to see how, or if, Cox decides to forge new non-O&O identities for WFXT and WHBQ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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