WCAU - Assessing The Changes

[Jess 1110]

This was going on in the Janice Huff/Chris Cimino thread, but I wanted to add my thoughts and per the Topic Quality Control Initiative, I wanted to add them in the appropriate place. So here goes.

 

As posted in the last thread, here are the changes that WCAU has made in the last few years and especially since 2011, when Comcast took over and righted the ship. I've made additions to the list.

 

Out: Vince Dementri, Lori Delgado, Lori Wilson, Stacey Weaver, Terry Ruggles, Tim Lake, Dawn Timmeney

In: Keith Jones, Jim Rosenfield, Jacqueline London, Rosemary Connors, Chris Cato, Sheena Parveen, George Spencer, Na'eem Douglas, Matt DeLucia,

Shuffled (most of which were demotions): Denise Nakano, Renee Chenault-Fattah, Keith Jones, Tracy Davidson, Vai Sikahema, Glenn Schwartz, John Clark, Tim Furlong

Newscast Changes: 10! Show dropped for 11am news. Themed 5:30 shows dropped for continuous news block. Morning newscast expanded to 4:30am, then 4am. Sports Final cancelled to make way for hour-long Sunday 11pm news with expanded sports segments. Sports duties transferred to Comcast SportsNet.

 

Out:

Vince and Delgado probably shouldn't be on this list. They've been long gone - I think they were out before the HD launch in 2008 if I remember right.

Lori Wilson got a job anchoring in her hometown. I'd leave for that.

Stauffer ended up at Fox 29 for awhile.

Ruggles possibly retired of his own accord, even though he went out on top - his Sandy reports were some of the best he'd done.

As for Lake and Timmeney... well... sometimes you need drastic change. Lake and Timmeney were important parts of 10's lineup for years, and Lake anchored for more than a decade. Tim didn't exactly light the ratings on fire.

 

In:

I'd be hard-pressed to find anything wrong with the newbies. Maybe Chris Cato. But Keith Jones, Jacqueline London, and Jim Rosenfield are tremendous anchor additions.

 

Shuffles:

Nakano wasn't really shuffled - she's been doing the weekend news for awhile. What has changed is that she's clearly now one of the chief fill-ins and top reporters on the weekday newscasts. Her profile has risen significantly.

Renee and Glenn... honestly I think that at least one of them requested to work earlier. Glenn is coming off of heart surgery. Before that, he was working the 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, and 11.

I put John Clark in there because he actually switched stations as part of the CSN thing, and he now has hosting duties over there as well as on 10. Plus he's basically the Monday-Friday sports guy now. That's a promotion.

 

Other things:

I liked the heavily modified graphics 10 was using... but I LOVE the unmodified version of Look F they switched to. The font choices, the full-screens, the lower thirds, I can't think of anything wrong with the package. It's the best graphical look of any station in the market.

As for the theme...? I never thought I'd say this, but NBC Groove > NBC 360. Both are tremendous packages but Groove gets my vote because I don't think we've had a theme like it in this market before. It sets them apart from the other stations sonically.

[Action Newsroom 1150]

I definitely agree with the changes WCAU made these past few years.

 

The additions are absolutely tremendous (my favorite is Keith Jones), the changes were perfect (although I'll miss the 10! Show), and the graphics are awesome, just as awesome as the last package they used when it finally went HD in 2008. WCAU has made some wonderful strides in the market.

The only downside to me is that they don't greet viewers when an afternoon, evening or late newscast starts; I know it sounds odd, and that the station wants a hard news image to follow, and that that there's now (a little) more time to get to the news but it feels nice to me when the anchors say "Good evening" to to viewers every night. Also they keep saying "20 Minutes of Non-stop News" during the 4:00pm newscast. It's okay to have that (which is awesome), but it annoys me when they say it more than once, especially when it's first said during promos during Ellen.

Other than that, WPVI has some competition on their hands from 3-7.

[cbs2newengland 71]

 

 

This was going on in the Janice Huff/Chris Cimino thread, but I wanted to add my thoughts and per the Topic Quality Control Initiative, I wanted to add them in the appropriate place. So here goes.

 

As posted in the last thread, here are the changes that WCAU has made in the last few years and especially since 2011, when Comcast took over and righted the ship. I've made additions to the list.

 

Out: Vince Dementri, Lori Delgado, Lori Wilson, Stacey Weaver, Terry Ruggles, Tim Lake, Dawn Timmeney

In: Keith Jones, Jim Rosenfield, Jacqueline London, Rosemary Connors, Chris Cato, Sheena Parveen, George Spencer, Na'eem Douglas, Matt DeLucia,

Shuffled (most of which were demotions): Denise Nakano, Renee Chenault-Fattah, Keith Jones, Tracy Davidson, Vai Sikahema, Glenn Schwartz, John Clark, Tim Furlong

Newscast Changes: 10! Show dropped for 11am news. Themed 5:30 shows dropped for continuous news block. Morning newscast expanded to 4:30am, then 4am. Sports Final cancelled to make way for hour-long Sunday 11pm news with expanded sports segments. Sports duties transferred to Comcast SportsNet.

 

Out:

Vince and Delgado probably shouldn't be on this list. They've been long gone - I think they were out before the HD launch in 2008 if I remember right.

Lori Wilson got a job anchoring in her hometown. I'd leave for that.

Stauffer ended up at Fox 29 for awhile.

Ruggles possibly retired of his own accord, even though he went out on top - his Sandy reports were some of the best he'd done.

As for Lake and Timmeney... well... sometimes you need drastic change. Lake and Timmeney were important parts of 10's lineup for years, and Lake anchored for more than a decade. Tim didn't exactly light the ratings on fire.

 

In:

I'd be hard-pressed to find anything wrong with the newbies. Maybe Chris Cato. But Keith Jones, Jacqueline London, and Jim Rosenfield are tremendous anchor additions.

 

Shuffles:

Nakano wasn't really shuffled - she's been doing the weekend news for awhile. What has changed is that she's clearly now one of the chief fill-ins and top reporters on the weekday newscasts. Her profile has risen significantly.

Renee and Glenn... honestly I think that at least one of them requested to work earlier. Glenn is coming off of heart surgery. Before that, he was working the 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, and 11.

I put John Clark in there because he actually switched stations as part of the CSN thing, and he now has hosting duties over there as well as on 10. Plus he's basically the Monday-Friday sports guy now. That's a promotion.

 

Other things:

I liked the heavily modified graphics 10 was using... but I LOVE the unmodified version of Look F they switched to. The font choices, the full-screens, the lower thirds, I can't think of anything wrong with the package. It's the best graphical look of any station in the market.

As for the theme...? I never thought I'd say this, but NBC Groove > NBC 360. Both are tremendous packages but Groove gets my vote because I don't think we've had a theme like it in this market before. It sets them apart from the other stations sonically.

 

 

BTW - welcome back. I haven't seen any activity of you lately on here (was actually going to mention it on the shoutbox.)

 

I hope the new initivae doesn't go towards dictating what we can or cannot say, but I digress.

 

I think WCAU made a major mistake dumping the 360 theme and going with the stock version of Look F. Actually WCAU's custom package - should've been that to begin with as "Look F." NBC10 went so far to distance themselves with the old format, of female focused stories, all crime at the top of the A block and other fluffy stories, and the 360 theme plus the Look F implementation in early 2012 was a great way to jettison from a crappy format.

 

Up until February of this year.

 

I am not a fan of orchestral, its the chewing gum for the ears. True guys listen to the NBC O&O package, only wimps go LaLa land with the Groove. And the serif font reminds me of Law & Order, a once show from the NBC Entertainment unit. It should've been all Gotham from the start.

 

I don't understand why NBC10 needs to stand out. They are this close of hitting the Mouse House next door in the ratings, why do they need to worry about looking different between 3, 6 and 29?

[News 9 Viewer 100]

 

BTW - welcome back. I haven't seen any activity of you lately on here (was actually going to mention it on the shoutbox.)

 

I hope the new initivae doesn't go towards dictating what we can or cannot say, but I digress.

 

I think WCAU made a major mistake dumping the 360 theme and going with the stock version of Look F. Actually WCAU's custom package - should've been that to begin with as "Look F." NBC10 went so far to distance themselves with the old format, of female focused stories, all crime at the top of the A block and other fluffy stories, and the 360 theme plus the Look F implementation in early 2012 was a great way to jettison from a crappy format.

 

Up until February of this year.

 

I am not a fan of orchestral, its the chewing gum for the ears. True guys listen to the NBC O&O package, only wimps go LaLa land with the Groove. And the serif font reminds me of Law & Order, a once show from the NBC Entertainment unit. It should've been all Gotham from the start.

 

I don't understand why NBC10 needs to stand out. They are this close of hitting the Mouse House next door in the ratings, why do they need to worry about looking different between 3, 6 and 29?

 

I agree wholeheartedly. The standard Look F-LA Groove combination is a good one, but I loved how 10 took the 360 theme and Look F and made it their own. Now they look like pretty much every other O&O.

[Jess 1110]

I loved how 10 took the theme and graphics and turned it into their own unique look as well. But when they originally did that, it was a different general manager, a different news director, and a different CSD. All three changed in the two years they used that version of Form (which seems to be the official name of Look F). The newscasts changed as well. They were still doing female-focused stories, you still had things like HealthWatch and ConsumerWatch, SkyForce 10 wasn't ready yet, Weather was generically branded. There is a huge difference between the WCAU of February 2012 and the WCAU of February 2014, when both respective versions of Form launched.

 

All four stations used bright colors and flashy CGI. When KYW went with the new CBS look its appearance became very close to 10's customized version of Form. Not the same, but the similarities are there.

 

10's product is unique in the market because it's not as hypey, not as bold, and incredibly focused on both news coverage and live reporting. Every other station has red, yellow, and blue graphics flying at you. The stark blue and white of the regular version of Form, the serif font, and the cleanliness of the graphics makes the station stand out visually.

 

As for the theme? Every theme in this market has been cast in the Action News mold. Fast, bombastic, you name it. We've never had slower, lusher, more orchestral themes in this market. The one time someone tried it, it was off the air in a week. Granted, that was 6's attempt to do a Philharmonic MCTYW.

 

Maybe 10 now looks like the other O&Os. I don't think that's too much of a step backwards because the package we now have is excellent, probably one of the very best in use right now. The more important part, though, is that NBC 10 doesn't look like the other stations in town. Visually you can see the difference right away, and I think that's important.

[cbs2newengland 71]

 

I loved how 10 took the theme and graphics and turned it into their own unique look as well. But when they originally did that, it was a different general manager, a different news director, and a different CSD. All three changed in the two years they used that version of Form (which seems to be the official name of Look F). The newscasts changed as well. They were still doing female-focused stories, you still had things like HealthWatch and ConsumerWatch, SkyForce 10 wasn't ready yet, Weather was generically branded. There is a huge difference between the WCAU of February 2012 and the WCAU of February 2014, when both respective versions of Form launched.

 

That can happen when management unexpectidly leaves and new management comes in with their own view on the look of this station. (Much like how my current avatar was - same situation IIRC, news management changed, their general graphics only lasted from about August 1991 to January 1993 for that WCBS look.)

 

The "female stories"also included those YouTube sensations of that cutie dog making dog tricks put shame, multiply that by the scores, tweak the slugs - at least from what I knew about WCAU for many years.

 

All four stations used bright colors and flashy CGI. When KYW went with the new CBS look its appearance became very close to 10's customized version of Form. Not the same, but the similarities are there.

Well one can't blame WCAU for that, I do like the CBS look - but there isn't any "original" design for the network of "original reporting." And how come after a couple years the "Form" name came out? Was that the codename, or was "Look F" the codename? I keep going back to the point "Who knew that WPVI would ever go into the Fox News style of 3D, in your face graphics, for so many years believed in 'Keep it simple'?!"

 

10's product is unique in the market because it's not as hypey, not as bold, and incredibly focused on both news coverage and live reporting. Every other station has red, yellow, and blue graphics flying at you. The stark blue and white of the regular version of Form, the serif font, and the cleanliness of the graphics makes the station stand out visually.

It seems to be you really liked the old look while being an unapologetic fanboy of NBC 10. You have valid points to prove the new look and can defend it well while others might not agree (and still come off as a fanboy.) I do like the news style, and every station in the country should look up to them.

 

As for the theme? Every theme in this market has been cast in the Action News mold. Fast, bombastic, you name it. We've never had slower, lusher, more orchestral themes in this market. The one time someone tried it, it was off the air in a week. Granted, that was 6's attempt to do a Philharmonic MCTYW.

 

When people think of me, they think someone of my type would like slow, showtunes like music. I am the total opposite. I love the rockin' tune of Stephen Arnold, and for years I loathed his music! It's the perfect badass news package! Yes its modern, but it syncs up to a stations mission of giving quality news. WMAQ is using every penny of that theme (don't know how else to describe it) than KNSD. I think they played more cuts of that theme than it was use originally in San Dieagggoo. One other thing, it stays classy .

[24994J 5276]

 

WMAQ is using every penny of that theme (don't know how else to describe it) than KNSD. I think they played more cuts of that theme than it was use originally in San Dieagggoo.

 

They really don't. It's pathetic, really.

 

And that's what's disappointing. I understand you're not a fan of the orchestral numbers, but that's what the Arnold theme replaced in Chicago, and they used Tower V.1 to full potential (to a point of being almost on-par with WLS for icon status), making the switch to 'O&O' a massive disappointment. They use the morning cut (which I hate with every fiber of my being), the evening cut (which I'm cool with, mostly due to the close), the sports cut, and maybe one or two others. Everything you hear in in the montages of Tower V.1 was used at some point over the 12 years it was in service. EVERYTHING.

 

WMAQ's use of Look F ('Form' just sounds stupid, even if the letter-sorting isn't great) is also horrendous, and I wish they'd pick up the KNBC updates from last year, but that's for another thread.

 

Anyway, where were we?

[groupwfan 95]

No offense, Matt, but I liked the modified "studioTEN" version of the FORM GFX package, where it had the NOVOCOM-ish squares that were on the L3s, OTS, etc... that was brought from that GFX`package from 2002/03. What they still got is the double backlash (//) that was transplanted from Look C. (See the "Tonight at 11" spiels that 'CAU has and you'll see the Look C-inspired ticker that has their slogan "//COUNT ON IT//COUNT ON IT//..." going across.) I wish that the GFX would get refreshed this Fall and merge the "studioTEN" version of the FORM GFX with the mandated version of the FORM GFX. If WTVJ, WRC, and WSMV (A Merdith "The Magazine People..." station that has the FORM GFX) can alter the FORM GFX for their newscasts, should'nt WCAU get a chance to "studioTENize" the FORM package again?

I hope they would. No offense,

[emmi_18 33]

 

 

This was going on in the Janice Huff/Chris Cimino thread, but I wanted to add my thoughts and per the Topic Quality Control Initiative, I wanted to add them in the appropriate place. So here goes.

 

As posted in the last thread, here are the changes that WCAU has made in the last few years and especially since 2011, when Comcast took over and righted the ship. I've made additions to the list.

 

Out: Vince Dementri, Lori Delgado, Lori Wilson, Stacey Weaver, Terry Ruggles, Tim Lake, Dawn Timmeney

In: Keith Jones, Jim Rosenfield, Jacqueline London, Rosemary Connors, Chris Cato, Sheena Parveen, George Spencer, Na'eem Douglas, Matt DeLucia,

Shuffled (most of which were demotions): Denise Nakano, Renee Chenault-Fattah, Keith Jones, Tracy Davidson, Vai Sikahema, Glenn Schwartz, John Clark, Tim Furlong

Newscast Changes: 10! Show dropped for 11am news. Themed 5:30 shows dropped for continuous news block. Morning newscast expanded to 4:30am, then 4am. Sports Final cancelled to make way for hour-long Sunday 11pm news with expanded sports segments. Sports duties transferred to Comcast SportsNet.

 

Out:

Vince and Delgado probably shouldn't be on this list. They've been long gone - I think they were out before the HD launch in 2008 if I remember right.

Lori Wilson got a job anchoring in her hometown. I'd leave for that.

Stauffer ended up at Fox 29 for awhile.

Ruggles possibly retired of his own accord, even though he went out on top - his Sandy reports were some of the best he'd done.

As for Lake and Timmeney... well... sometimes you need drastic change. Lake and Timmeney were important parts of 10's lineup for years, and Lake anchored for more than a decade. Tim didn't exactly light the ratings on fire.

 

In:

I'd be hard-pressed to find anything wrong with the newbies. Maybe Chris Cato. But Keith Jones, Jacqueline London, and Jim Rosenfield are tremendous anchor additions.

 

Shuffles:

Nakano wasn't really shuffled - she's been doing the weekend news for awhile. What has changed is that she's clearly now one of the chief fill-ins and top reporters on the weekday newscasts. Her profile has risen significantly.

Renee and Glenn... honestly I think that at least one of them requested to work earlier. Glenn is coming off of heart surgery. Before that, he was working the 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, and 11.

I put John Clark in there because he actually switched stations as part of the CSN thing, and he now has hosting duties over there as well as on 10. Plus he's basically the Monday-Friday sports guy now. That's a promotion.

 

Other things:

I liked the heavily modified graphics 10 was using... but I LOVE the unmodified version of Look F they switched to. The font choices, the full-screens, the lower thirds, I can't think of anything wrong with the package. It's the best graphical look of any station in the market.

As for the theme...? I never thought I'd say this, but NBC Groove > NBC 360. Both are tremendous packages but Groove gets my vote because I don't think we've had a theme like it in this market before. It sets them apart from the other stations sonically.

 

 

It's been a while since I've been on here and want to put my opinion into what has happened with 10 for the past 5-6 years. I felt like what Matt just described there was a small oral history of the station in those 5-6 years. I remember 10's morning newscast was probably the only time I really watched them throughout the day. Afternoon and evening... not so much, but still kept tabs on how those newscasts were at times.

 

Some responses:

-From what I remember, Lori Wilson was bounced between morning, 4, 6, 7, and 10 from at least '08 until she left.

-Tim was a solid anchor at best. As for Dawn, I remember there was a time when Lori Wilson was brought in to do mornings and Dawn was demoted to weekend evenings. At that point, it seemed that she was on her way out. But when 10 revived the 4PM newscast, it was her and DeMentri that anchored and were backups for Tim and Renee.

-As for Denise, think about the top female anchors she was with that might have kept her from gaining the prominence within the station she's gaining now. There was Renee, Tracy, Dawn and Lori Wilson.

-The aim of the graphics switch was to really distinguish 10 from the rest of the stations here in Philly. While graphics may seem similar to other NBC O&Os, 10's content and news coverage has to be better compared to their O&O counterparts, and most importantly, their market counterparts.

 

I remember I had these moments throughout the past two years when watching 10's newscasts.

For the first time...

-...since 2009 (or 2010?), 10 has another male anchor in their weeknight lineup in Vai in 2013 and Keith just this past February. I think around 2009-2010, when they abandoned "All That & More" (remember that 'innovative' consumer and health show? ), it was Tracy paired with Jamison Uhler.

-...since 2008, 10 has another meteorologist doing weeknights with Glenn in Sheena. I think Doug Kammerer was the last one to do weeknights with Glenn full-time in the late afternoon and evening shifts. Before Sheena came, they had Dave Warren and Michelle helping out at least once or twice during the week.

-...since 2009, they have their own helicopter that they feature at least five times in each newscast.

 

Lastly, some comments about what 10 has done and what I'm looking forward to, especially with their move to Center City in 2017.

-Obviously, a new set is to be expected by 2017 in their new headquarters. But with their current one not being a major focus in their newscast, it's kind of showing its uniqueness and sets it apart from 6 and 3 that went with enormous video walls.

-I like the expansion of their news bureaus. Although, I don't notice one being set up in the Lehigh Valley. I know 10 had Stacey Stauffer there as their reporter for some time before she did weekday mornings. Is that one that they will set up in the future?

-A solid three hour block (4-7AM) for news in the morning is a looooong morning. Having the trio of Tracy, Vai, and Chris is good and Chris is deserving of that promotion from weekend evenings. However, him being on in the mornings takes away from reporting, which he is great at being.

-"20 minutes of nonstop news" at 4 is a good offensive attack to start out the afternoon/evening newscast.

-I was just reading an oral history of NBC's Must See TV, "Top of the Rock", and in there it said "Be best, then be first." I think 10 is working hard in being best. Being first will not be instantaneous but it come.

[ElliotJones 52]

ITT: people who think 10 is doing really well because of an orchestral theme and serif fonts

[Jess 1110]

I think some clariffication has to be made.

 

Ratings-wise, I don't think people realize how ridiculously dominant 6 is, particularly with the early evening newscasts. I think they beat the combined rating of 3, 10, and 29. Secondly, while 10 is #2 in several dayparts I think the second place station these days, as far as ratings, is actually Fox 29. They're actually second at 5pm and their 10pm is the clear leader in a three-way race, which includes a heavily promoted CBS 3 newscast on CW and an Action News product on PHL 17. Not to mention they're really strong in the AM at least from 7am on, in the face of another CBS 3/CW newscast that they practically beg you to watch.

 

However, on a critical level, the quality of NBC 10's on-air product is extremely high. They cover meatier stories than their rivals. They have a ton of reporters on the street. They have a great web presence. They sent their top anchor to Tel Aviv when the networks aren't even doing that. They don't have a huge emphasis on health and consumer like the others do. It seems like 10 is more substantial than any other station in the market and probably many stations in the country. You know the promo where Vai says "coverage has a new gold standard"? I actually believe that.

[cg41386 131]

I was just about to reply to a couple posts... 10 isn't even close to beating (or even tying) 6 in the ratings. I have no clue what would make anyone even think that.

[Jess 1110]

 

I was just about to reply to a couple posts... 10 isn't even close to beating (or even tying) 6 in the ratings. I have no clue what would make anyone even think that.

 

I agree. I don't know why people are thinking they're beating out 6 in every timeslot. They're not, and they're far from it. 6 is so ridiculously dominant that it regularly eclipses the ratings for the other stations combined.

 

The real point here, however, is that the quality of WCAU's newscasts is the best in the market. They have a harder mix of stories, a lot of reporters out on the streets, and some really good new talent. I watched an old clip of that station circa 2003... it's not even the same thing. There were long segments on a traffic reporter contest, for crying out loud! Now you're more likely to see an in-depth piece on the school funding crisis.

[rkolsen 1679]

I agree. I don't know why people are thinking they're beating out 6 in every timeslot. They're not, and they're far from it. 6 is so ridiculously dominant that it regularly eclipses the ratings for the other stations combined.

 

The real point here, however, is that the quality of WCAU's newscasts is the best in the market. They have a harder mix of stories, a lot of reporters out on the streets, and some really good new talent. I watched an old clip of that station circa 2003... it's not even the same thing. There were long segments on a traffic reporter contest, for crying out loud! Now you're more likely to see an in-depth piece on the school funding crisis.

Could someone explain to me how ratings dynasties like WPVI and WSB are born - especially when you mention that their actual coverage is lacking quality? By your characterizations I believe if I were in Philadelphia I'd rather watch WCAU than WPVI then again you stated that WPVI covers more consumer and health stories which are geared towards women.

[cbs2newengland 71]

 

I agree. I don't know why people are thinking they're beating out 6 in every timeslot. They're not, and they're far from it. 6 is so ridiculously dominant that it regularly eclipses the ratings for the other stations combined.

 

The real point here, however, is that the quality of WCAU's newscasts is the best in the market. They have a harder mix of stories, a lot of reporters out on the streets, and some really good new talent. I watched an old clip of that station circa 2003... it's not even the same thing. There were long segments on a traffic reporter contest, for crying out loud! Now you're more likely to see an in-depth piece on the school funding crisis.

 

I wished every station can look up to WCAU. Including the sister O&Os, ex sisters like WJAR and/or any station for that matter! Journalism professors should use WCAU as a case study, etc. Who knew NBC10 would be the leader in local journalism when you already mentioned what they did 10 years ago (never mind just 5 or 3 years ago...)

[News 9 Viewer 100]

 

Could someone explain to me how ratings dynasties like WPVI and WSB are born - especially when you mention that their actual coverage is lacking quality? By your characterizations I believe if I were in Philadelphia I'd rather watch WCAU than WPVI then again you stated that WPVI covers more consumer and health stories which are geared towards women.

 

Stability. At uber dominant stations, the veteran talent has been there for several years (sometimes decades even) and new talent is gradually introduced to viewers. People are more likely to trust the people they know better.

[rkolsen 1679]

Stability. At uber dominant stations, the veteran talent has been there for several years (sometimes decades even) and new talent is gradually introduced to viewers. People are more likely to trust the people they know better.

I guess stability wouldn't bother me as much where if your new the market and it's after a year where I've seen a representation of their work I trust them, likewise if their is a big breaking news event and the rookie proves themselves I trust them.

 

Most of the main anchors here have been in the market for at least 15 years and there's bit the occasional shuffling around.

[cbs2newengland 71]

 

Could someone explain to me how ratings dynasties like WPVI and WSB are born - especially when you mention that their actual coverage is lacking quality? By your characterizations I believe if I were in Philadelphia I'd rather watch WCAU than WPVI then again you stated that WPVI covers more consumer and health stories which are geared towards women.

 

 

 

Stability. At uber dominant stations, the veteran talent has been there for several years (sometimes decades even) and new talent is gradually introduced to viewers. People are more likely to trust the people they know better.

 

 

 

I guess stability wouldn't bother me as much where if your new the market and it's after a year where I've seen a representation of their work I trust them, likewise if their is a big breaking news event and the rookie proves themselves I trust them.

 

Most of the main anchors here have been in the market for at least 15 years and there's bit the occasional shuffling around.

 

well I guess "stability" for the viewers has gone on the wayside when the millenial generation also moves from one market to another within a couple of years. They lack loyalty and stability, not only do they not care about local events or watch local media for that matter. Their "friends" (the ones they only chat on text or on Facebook) are their "news anchors".

[ns8401 846]

well I guess "stability" for the viewers has gone on the wayside when the millenial generation also moves from one market to another within a couple of years. They lack loyalty and stability, not only do they not care about local events or watch local media for that matter. Their "friends" (the ones they only chat on text or on Facebook) are their "news anchors".

I don't know about that, they move back into their parents place if anything. They lack loyalty because it was never emphasized as important and they want a company to prove to them and give them a compelling reason to watch, as long as that's the case they are loyal. As long as we have an arrogant management structure in the TV business making parallel mistakes to what the big 3 automakers did and withering under intense competition while acting as though nothing is wrong then yes you won't attract viewers. The cheap way out will not cut it and people always go where the quality is. Why would you watch (buy) a crappy product? Being loyal for the sake of being loyal really makes little logical sense.

[cbs2newengland 71]

 

I don't know about that, they move back into their parents place if anything. They lack loyalty because it was never emphasized as important and they want a company to prove to them and give them a compelling reason to watch, as long as that's the case they are loyal. As long as we have an arrogant management structure in the TV business making parallel mistakes to what the big 3 automakers did and withering under intense competition while acting as though nothing is wrong then yes you won't attract viewers. The cheap way out will not cut it and people always go where the quality is. Why would you watch (buy) a crappy product? Being loyal for the sake of being loyal really makes little logical sense.

 

my blurb was on the viewers and moving market to market, but it is true when there is bad management, you won't have people working for you for a long time.

[ns8401 846]

my blurb was on the viewers and moving market to market, but it is true when there is bad management, you won't have people working for you for a long time.

In today's environment it's hard to stay in one place and you have to go where you can make a living, if that means moving then so be it.

[RGSJenkins 432]

In today's environment it's hard to stay in one place and you have to go where you can make a living, if that means moving then so be it.

In other words, move or be removed.

[ns8401 846]

 

In other words, move or be removed.

 

Yes, and that's most professional businesses, not specifically broadcasting. There's a certain expectation that you go where your work takes you, especially when it comes to job transfers. If you don't want to move then they will just move on.

 

As for WCAU it's nice to see a station strengthen the way they have lately. Especially in an era of cutbacks.

[ThunderJay27 27]

I had a thought today that I would like to have feedback on, especially from Matt & Phillytvfan.

 

The 10 morning show seems really dull to me. There's seems to be no true genuine, for lack of a better word, cheerfulness about the show. I know it's news, but as compared to 3, 6, & Good Day Philly, it just lacks something. I'm not sure if it's chemistry or what.

 

But here's the crazy thought I had. The addition of Jim Rosenfield and Keith Jones were great upgrades at night. Why not take a Philadelphia personality with a great mixture of hard news/easy going delivery to solidify the morning in Larry Mendte? I understand the things he did in the past. Now that we're about almost 10 years past that, a second chance would be neat, of course with strict contract stipulations. It's "high risk, high reward" in the way I see it. A Mendte-Jones-Rosenfield male weekday combo, in my mind, would be solid.

 

What do y'all think?

[Jess 1110]

 

I had a thought today that I would like to have feedback on, especially from Matt & Phillytvfan.

 

The 10 morning show seems really dull to me. There's seems to be no true genuine, for lack of a better word, cheerfulness about the show. I know it's news, but as compared to 3, 6, & Good Day Philly, it just lacks something. I'm not sure if it's chemistry or what.

 

But here's the crazy thought I had. The addition of Jim Rosenfield and Keith Jones were great upgrades at night. Why not take a Philadelphia personality with a great mixture of hard news/easy going delivery to solidify the morning in Larry Mendte? I understand the things he did in the past. Now that we're about almost 10 years past that, a second chance would be neat, of course with strict contract stipulations. It's "high risk, high reward" in the way I see it. A Mendte-Jones-Rosenfield male weekday combo, in my mind, would be solid.

 

What do y'all think?

 

I think the odds of John Fascenda rejoining the team are better than Mendte returning to Philadelphia TV.

 

First off, there is no way Larry Mendte would join a station in anything other than a lead anchor role or something that features him prominently. The morning proposal would have him as third-string anchor. There's no way he'd be comfortable with that. Especially when he'd be junior to someone half his age.

 

Second, I don't think his style is really compatible with what 10 is doing these days. He's really flashy and showy, and 10 emphasizes harder, more substantial news these days.

 

Third, I think you have to admit that at this point, Mendte (as well as Alycia Lane) are pretty much toxic talent in this town. He has baggage and he's always been polarizing (for the record, I think he's a good ANCHOR, not a good PERSON).

 

I do think 10's morning newscast could use a little life. You get the sense on 3, 6, and 29 that these people like being around each other. 10, not so much. The anchor most suited for the daypart, Keith Jones, was promoted to 5pm and is obviously clicking with Jacqueline London. I'd think someone like Rosemary Connors or George Spencer would be a good idea, but they're also the station's best reporters.