Sinclair Broadcast Group - General Discussion

[mer764KCTV5 97]

1 hour ago, GoldenShine_10 said:

Sinclair is in hot water again over political statements from their anchors on their stations, regarding Biden's age, being pushed from corporate.

*2018 repeats again.* 

 

But no seriously on this one, and I'm being serious, this crap is going to kill the good reputation of a boat-load of Sinclair-owned stations. The situation in 2018 was bad enough, given Sinclair was trying to aquire Tribune Broadcasting/Media, but did Sinclair have to do this in 2024, an presidential election year? 

[GoldenShine_10 28]

15 minutes ago, mer764KCTV5 said:

*2018 repeats again.* 

 

But no seriously on this one, and I'm being serious, this crap is going to kill the good reputation of a boat-load of Sinclair-owned stations. The situation in 2018 was bad enough, given Sinclair was trying to aquire Tribune Broadcasting/Media, but did Sinclair have to do this in 2024, an presidential election year? 

 

I know many young and aspiring journalists won't touch Sinclair now. I've heard of stories of people taking jobs with other companies in smaller markets instead even after being offered a bigger market job with Sinclair.

 

Most Sinclair markets rank very low in their markets anyway, often in last place.

[Recovering Producer 128]

37 minutes ago, mer764KCTV5 said:

*2018 repeats again.* 

 

But no seriously on this one, and I'm being serious, this crap is going to kill the good reputation of a boat-load of Sinclair-owned stations. The situation in 2018 was bad enough, given Sinclair was trying to aquire Tribune Broadcasting/Media, but did Sinclair have to do this in 2024, an presidential election year? 

Good journalism and responsible use of the public's airwaves are not Sinclair's objectives. Their endgame is more money for them and power for the politicians they agree with. They've done it every presidential election year since at least 2004. 

[NowBergen 504]

54 minutes ago, GoldenShine_10 said:

 

 

Most Sinclair markets rank very low in their markets anyway, often in last place.

 

Not all unfortunately.  Some, due to legacy and competition, are highly rated.  Yet they still have to follow the mandate including yesterday's spin of the very criticized WSJ article.  It is read verbatim.  Too many in those markets don't realize the snide comments during news reports, must run stories like this are system wise because they don't get out of their markets.  Sinclair explains why FCC is concerned with joint agreements as well as not increasing the cap.  Too many DMAs have a lack of diverse ownership.

[MichiganNewsGraphicsJunkie 763]

56 minutes ago, GoldenShine_10 said:

 

I know many young and aspiring journalists won't touch Sinclair now. I've heard of stories of people taking jobs with other companies in smaller markets instead even after being offered a bigger market job with Sinclair.

 

Most Sinclair markets rank very low in their markets anyway, often in last place.

My cousin was given an opportunity to be a MMJ for WWMT but he knew better than to go to a Sinclair station.  He had 4 different Sinclair stations reach out to him.  He ended up at a Hearst station and he is loving every moment of it.  Very sad that he could have worked near his hometown and family, but politics and greed kept him from it.

[tyrannical bastard 3539]

18 hours ago, mer764KCTV5 said:

*2018 repeats again.* 

 

But no seriously on this one, and I'm being serious, this crap is going to kill the good reputation of a boat-load of Sinclair-owned stations. The situation in 2018 was bad enough, given Sinclair was trying to aquire Tribune Broadcasting/Media, but did Sinclair have to do this in 2024, an presidential election year? 

Aside from a few that somehow still rule their markets (notably WSYX), Sinclair has tanked quite a few of them during their ownership tenure.

 

WSYX leading the market has mostly WCMH and WBNS tanking under their owners, especially when WBNS got sold to Tegna.  Inertia pushes ABC 6 & Fox "28" to the top.

 

There's still some decent journalism at the local level.....for now...

[Rusty Muck 4305]

On 6/12/2024 at 1:06 PM, GoldenShine_10 said:

Sinclair is in hot water again over political statements from their anchors on their stations, regarding Biden's age, being pushed from corporate.

And MSNBC hosts are all over it.

https://www.msnbc.com/deadline-white-house/watch/right-wing-propaganda-infiltrates-local-news-stations-as-2024-election-ramps-up-212854853779

 

https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/watch/misleading-attacks-on-biden-s-age-appear-in-local-newscasts-owned-by-sinclair-broadcast-group-212869701903

https://x.com/atrupar/status/1800883346337395062

https://x.com/atrupar/status/1800892152437932335

This is a big fucking deal and could potentially place NBC in hot water with Sinclair among their existing affiliates, something that they were trying to avoid:

 

Quote

That sort of partisan tumult has often riled another important constituency for Mr. Conde: NBC’s affiliated regional stations, which the company relies on to carry its major news programs to markets throughout the country.

 

The stations tend to be deeply embedded — and deeply trusted — in their communities. Many of them operate in red states or counties and chafed whenever MSNBC, which Mr. Trump regularly calls “MSDNC,” drew conservative ire.

Over the years the affiliates, many of which would have been thrilled to see MSNBC’s leftward tilt abandoned entirely, increasingly urged NBC executives to better distinguish its content from the NBC journalism like “Today” and “Nightly News” that they carried on their stations.

Either MSNBC is damming the torpedoes at the risk of Sinclair mass disaffiliating with NBC, or NBC has concluded that they no longer need the Sinclair stations and can simply move the affiliations to Peacock.

Edited June 13 by Rusty Muck

[NowBergen 504]

40 minutes ago, Rusty Muck said:

And MSNBC hosts are all over it.

https://www.msnbc.com/deadline-white-house/watch/right-wing-propaganda-infiltrates-local-news-stations-as-2024-election-ramps-up-212854853779

 

https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/watch/misleading-attacks-on-biden-s-age-appear-in-local-newscasts-owned-by-sinclair-broadcast-group-212869701903

https://x.com/atrupar/status/1800883346337395062

https://x.com/atrupar/status/1800892152437932335

This is a big fucking deal and could potentially place NBC in hot water with Sinclair among their existing affiliates, something that they were trying to avoid:

 

Either MSNBC is damming the torpedoes at the risk of Sinclair mass disaffiliating with NBC, or NBC has concluded that they no longer need the Sinclair stations and can simply move the affiliations to Peacock.

 

Sinclair deserves the criticism they get.  It's not just MSNBC.  

[Rusty Muck 4305]

1 hour ago, NowBergen said:

 

Sinclair deserves the criticism they get.  It's not just MSNBC.  

MSNBC going after them would be enough to make Sinclair mass disaffiliate from NBC as retaliation. Which is exactly what a small-minded idiot like David Smith would do.

 

Again, read the Times article above.

[MediaZone4K 1583]

On a similar note if you notice the time bugs above the station logo you'll see the Biden packages were placed in the A block.

 

What sucks about Sinclair stations is that so much of their local broadcasts are made up of national news. Unless it's a major story, local stations typically resort to nation packages to fill airtime by the b or c blocks.

 

In my market's Sinclair, like these stations in the report, I have seen national packages appear as early the middle of A block. And the  reports are usually never from the Affiliated Network mostly from sinclair.

 

The nationalization of local news is another issue. As a viewer I don't want to see the same stories rehashed that I can already get from Network or cable.

Edited June 14 by MediaZone4K

[GoldenShine_10 28]

2 hours ago, Rusty Muck said:

MSNBC going after them would be enough to make Sinclair mass disaffiliate from NBC as retaliation. Which is exactly what a small-minded idiot like David Smith would do.

 

Again, read the Times article above.

 

Sinclair has NBC affiliates in 17 markets; that is the network they have the fewest stations with (Sinclair has more CBS, ABC and Fox stations). In most of them, the only alternative is a subchannel but I am sure NBC would make it work.

 

(For comparison, Gray is the largest source of NBC affiliates - in 56 markets!)

[MediaZone4K 1583]

MSNBC has been very vocal on matters that could affect company interests. From the Rona McDaniel hiring to this.

 

Loosy related... The only other company I've seen that allows this much criticism on company matters is Fox, with shows like The Simpsons and Family Guy routinely mocking the Fox News Channel. 

[mer764KCTV5 97]

1 hour ago, MediaZone4K said:

Loosy related... The only other company I've seen that allows this much criticism on company matters is Fox, with shows like The Simpsons and Family Guy routinely mocking the Fox News Channel. 

It shows even Fox hates the Fox News Channel. 

[GraphicsMan 37]

16 hours ago, Rusty Muck said:

MSNBC going after them would be enough to make Sinclair mass disaffiliate from NBC as retaliation. Which is exactly what a small-minded idiot like David Smith would do.

 

Again, read the Times article above.

I don't believe that'll happen I doubt it. 

[tyrannical bastard 3539]

There are certainly some dog NBC affiliates within Sinclair. 

Notably WTWC in Tallahassee and more recently, WPMI in Mobile and WGFL WNBW in Gainesville.

 

WTWC doesn't even air TND during local news slots like the other stations that have given up on news.

 

Also, their affiliations are apparently up at the end of the year.  We shall see if they renew.  It seemed like an eleventh hour thing the last time.

 

But like the ABC affiliates keeping stations like KDNL the way they are, it's probably worth it to keep NBC around for stations like WTOV, WJAR, WCYB and WJAC.

Edited June 14 by tyrannical bastard
call letter fix

[mer764KCTV5 97]

17 minutes ago, tyrannical bastard said:

There are certainly some dog NBC affiliates within Sinclair. 

Notably WTWC in Tallahassee and more recently, WPMI in Mobile and WGFL in Gainesville.

 

WTWC doesn't even air TND during local news slots like the other stations that have given up on news.

 

Also, their affiliations are apparently up at the end of the year.  We shall see if they renew.  It seemed like an eleventh hour thing the last time.

 

But like the ABC affiliates keeping stations like KDNL the way they are, it's probably worth it to keep NBC around for stations like WTOV, WJAR, WCYB and WJAC.

WNBW. Not WGFL.

[Georgie56 3074]

18 hours ago, Rusty Muck said:

MSNBC going after them would be enough to make Sinclair mass disaffiliate from NBC as retaliation. Which is exactly what a small-minded idiot like David Smith would do.

 

Again, read the Times article above.

 

It didn't happen after Hayes and Scarborough attacked them for the 2018 "Dangerous for our Democracy" script.

[tyrannical bastard 3539]

2 hours ago, mer764KCTV5 said:

WNBW. Not WGFL.

Fixed.  But same issue for both stations cheaping out on local news.

 

Sinclair is so cheap these days, they are cutting imported newscasts! 

You can only wonder how much longer the WOLF Scranton and WXLV Greensboro ones last...

[Rusty Muck 4305]

3 hours ago, Georgie56 said:

 

It didn't happen after Hayes and Scarborough attacked them for the 2018 "Dangerous for our Democracy" script.

Totally different circumstances and didn't occur under the spectre of a presidential election.

[mer764KCTV5 97]

1 hour ago, Rusty Muck said:

Totally different circumstances and didn't occur under the spectre of a presidential election.

Why was under different circumstances?

Well, because, Sinclair tried to aquire Tribune Broadcasting but failed.

[Megatron81 194]

I don't see Sinclair axing NBC just because of MSNBC taking them to task Sinclair doesn't care if they get good press or bad press like most O&O's along with cable news in my opinion.

[tyrannical bastard 3539]

20 hours ago, Megatron81 said:

I don't see Sinclair axing NBC just because of MSNBC taking them to task Sinclair doesn't care if they get good press or bad press like most O&O's along with cable news in my opinion.

If anything, NBC will walk simply because they want affiliates that can compete in their markets.  Having stations that won't bother to create a viable lead-in to Today (a morning newscast) keeps the ratings and market share low.

 

I'd keep my eye on Mobile and Pensacola.  NBC could walk from WPMI and could easily end up on either WKRG or WALA.  WALA having the means to produce local newscasts if they secure NBC as a .2 or WKRG making a play since the SEC package is gone and would greatly improve NBC's ratings in the market, and that CBS's deal with Nexstar is up alongside NBC's deal with Sinclair this year.

 

Media General thought they won the lottery when they snagged CBS from WRAL but the opposite happened since WRAL dominates the market and NBC's fortunes flip-flopped since they have been beleagured for decades under 28 and WNCN.

 

CBS may be willing to settle for a weaker affiliation simply because of their devotion to streaming.  And CBS has less animosity towards Sinclair on the news side.

Edited Tuesday at 03:36 PM by tyrannical bastard

[mer764KCTV5 97]

10 minutes ago, tyrannical bastard said:

If anything, NBC will walk simply because they want affiliates that can compete in their markets.  Having stations that won't bother to create a viable lead-in to Today (a morning newscast) keeps the ratings and market share low.

 

I'd keep my eye on Mobile and Pensacola.  NBC could walk from WPMI and could easily end up on either WKRG or WALA.

I do hope NBC would move it to WALA-TV, just so they would have an nice little reunion with NBC after 2 and a half decades of being an Fox Affiliate. (Of course, with Fox being on 10.1)

Edited Tuesday at 03:46 PM by mer764KCTV5
Whoops...

[tyrannical bastard 3539]

23 hours ago, mer764KCTV5 said:

I do hope NBC would move it to WALA-TV, just so they would have an nice little reunion with NBC after 2 and a half decades of being an Fox Affiliate. (Of course, with Fox being on 10.1)

The only issue with WALA is how they would brand themselves. 

Given Gray's penchant to de-brand their NBC affiliates, it would have to be something like "10 News" or even "10 News Now" (since they used "The News Now" in the 80s working in the "10" in "NOW".

Edited Wednesday at 03:31 PM by tyrannical bastard

[mrschimpf 2092]

NBC would love to get rid of WTWC, which has been a 'get a tall tower to view a competent NBC station' since Sinclair starved out its news plans in 2000 to become a WB affiliate in all but network programming. WCTV has a spare sister with MeTV (WFXU) which would allow them a better affiliate with the market's top news department and a traffic department that's not embarrassed about its public reach.