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Scripps - General Discussion

ns8401

By ns8401
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Weeters
Message added by Weeters,

Thread Note: Since Scripps has indicated they intend to run ION Media as a separate entity from their existing (mostly) news-producing stations, ION discussion has been relocated to a new thread.

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24994J
24994J

Like a major news story, I thought this deserved a SPECIAL GRAPHIC, but in light of recent debuts, this is all we're gonna get...  

MediaZone4K
MediaZone4K

EDIT: Can we all take a collective pause and assess the culture of this website.    This is one of the only online discussion boards I've been on where several members regularly feel the nee

Weeters
Weeters

General reminder that the "Action News" trademark is owned by Cox (and "Eyewitness News" is owned by CBS!) and stations have to pay to use them. Why should Scripps keep paying for a brand name for a f

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ScottSchell News Director

ScottSchell 423

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On 7/28/2025 at 4:59 PM, mer764KCTV5 said:

I don't think the whole Scripps-cast thing impacted (or affected) KSHB. 

KJRH is the same 4:30am 12pm and 10pm are Scripps-cast while 5/6am and 5/6,6:30pm are live.

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ns8401 Station Group CEO

ns8401 995

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22 hours ago, ScottSchell said:

KJRH is the same 4:30am 12pm and 10pm are Scripps-cast while 5/6am and 5/6,6:30pm are live.

When we say Scripps cast are we talking about packing a bunch of National content in or just clearly prerecording the thing?

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WhoCares2 Assignment Editor

WhoCares2 22

Posted
Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, ns8401 said:

When we say Scripps cast are we talking about packing a bunch of National content in or just clearly prerecording the thing?

Scrippscasts are the clearly pre-recorded newscasts, which take twice as much effort to put together as the LIVE broadcasts. I feel bad for whoever buys Scripps and has to undo all of this.

Edited by WhoCares2
I added some context to how it is to build the recorded shows.
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ScottSchell News Director

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6 hours ago, WhoCares2 said:

Scrippscasts are the clearly pre-recorded newscasts, which take twice as much effort to put together as the LIVE broadcasts. I feel bad for whoever buys Scripps and has to undo all of this.

Yep the only thing that is live during the Scripps-cast (at least at KJRH) is weather and sports.

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TheRolyPoly Station Group CEO

TheRolyPoly 3510

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1 hour ago, Georgie56 said:

According to Scott Fybush, WFTS is dropping ABC Action News and rebranding to Tampa Bay 28 News effective Monday.

 

I prefer 28 Tampa Bay News but hey, whatever floats its boat.

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nathannah Station Group CEO

nathannah 2792

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I really hate how generic Scripps newscasts are known as now; WTMJ had its branding as "Today's TMJ4" built in for so long, so having to hear "TMJ4 News" instead is so grating.

I also assume since WXPX is now programmed as "The Spot" they needed to drop the specific ABC branding to avert confusion (and avoid absurd newscast titles like ABC Action News at 9 on The Spot Tampa Bay 66), along with the Cox branding royalties mentioned in that thread.

 

ETA - Thanks for bringing up WTOG (aka "Tampa Bay 44") in that thread @TheRolyPoly; on top of that and "10 Tampa Bay", it's both clear there's a dearth of creativity and confusion among brand managers in that area.

Edited by nathannah
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Rusty Muck Station Group CEO

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3 hours ago, Georgie56 said:

According to Scott Fybush, WFTS is dropping ABC Action News and rebranding to Tampa Bay 28 News effective Monday.

I guess Scripps doesn't want to continue paying royalties to Cox-Apollo for use of the "Action News" trademark.

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TheRolyPoly Station Group CEO

TheRolyPoly 3510

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3 hours ago, nathannah said:

ETA - Thanks for bringing up WTOG (aka "Tampa Bay 44") in that thread @TheRolyPoly; on top of that and "10 Tampa Bay", it's both clear there's a dearth of creativity and confusion among brand managers in that area.

 

My pleasure!

 

No creativity, you're right. You now got...

WTSP: 10 Tampa Bay

WTVT: FOX 13 Tampa Bay

WFTS: Tampa Bay 28

WTOG: Tampa Bay 44

WVEA: Univision Tampa Bay

WXPX: The Spot - Tampa Bay 66

 

Its not confusing at all. /s

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Weeters Station Group CEO

Weeters 2173

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So if a station goes from "CBS 2 News" to "CBS News Chicago" it's "confusing" to the viewers because there's no channel number, but when a station goes from "ABC Action News" to "Tampa Bay 28" it's "confusing" to the viewers because it's too similar to everyone else? 🤔

 

Given the situation at WANF and WPLG right now, I don't think it's too hard to see why some of the creativity in channel branding has disappeared. The ol' affiliation as part of the brand can't be relied on anymore. 

 

I suspect "Scripps News Tampa Bay" wouldn't have gone over well here, either.

 

7 hours ago, nathannah said:

I really hate how generic Scripps newscasts are known as now; WTMJ had its branding as "Today's TMJ4" built in for so long, so having to hear "TMJ4 News" instead is so grating.

"Today's" was getting long in the tooth, and I know station management was pretty attached to that brand, so to see it go meant they must have really felt it wasn't "working" anymore. I would have loved to have seen a return to "News 4 Milwaukee", but "TMJ4 News" takes up less characters on Twitter, so...

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MidwestTV Station Group CEO

MidwestTV 1358

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I'm surprised they kept the Action News branding for as long as they did. After KSHB dropped it in 2021 I wondered if WFTS would soon follow.

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Horizon AM Anchor

Horizon 300

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8 hours ago, Weeters said:

So if a station goes from "CBS 2 News" to "CBS News Chicago" it's "confusing" to the viewers because there's no channel number, but when a station goes from "ABC Action News" to "Tampa Bay 28" it's "confusing" to the viewers because it's too similar to everyone else? 🤔

 

As long as the average viewer knows what is the network and/or channel number, they don't care about what the brand name is.

 

And I put the emphasis on and/or, because on OTT guides...you don’t even get the channel number. It's only network, unless the station has the courtesy to put their logo with the channel number and network on it.

Edited by Horizon
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ns8401 Station Group CEO

ns8401 995

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14 hours ago, TheRolyPoly said:

 

My pleasure!

 

No creativity, you're right. You now got...

WTSP: 10 Tampa Bay

WTVT: FOX 13 Tampa Bay

WFTS: Tampa Bay 28

WTOG: Tampa Bay 44

WVEA: Univision Tampa Bay

WXPX: The Spot - Tampa Bay 66

 

Its not confusing at all. /s

80 or so years in is anybody really confused on where to find what channel or what’s gonna be there when they turn it on?

 

 

Honestly I think the network names and logos in the local branding is way worse. Most of the people watching are 902 and their dials are rusted on whatever channel they prefer. 

Edited by ns8401
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Recovering Producer AM Anchor

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On 8/15/2025 at 8:56 PM, Georgie56 said:

According to Scott Fybush, WFTS is dropping ABC Action News and rebranding to Tampa Bay 28 News effective Monday.

Listings for some newscasts on their website starting tomorrow show a microscopic version of the new logo.

 

The Sunshine Skyway cables being the focal point of the logo is a nice local touch. The ABC sticking out is weird. 

Zz_s9joT_UVCgHpz-iSuMU246w4ANf0NkDt4sRTmhHE.png

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carolinanews4 AM Anchor

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I like the local touch in the upcoming logo. The new branding is similar to the brand they used when they became an ABC affiliate and launched their news department back in 1994. 

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tyrannical bastard Station Group CEO

tyrannical bastard 4676

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Well, it's good to hear that the market still has 2 ABC affiliates, since "ABC 7" is still kicking down in Sarasota.  That's going to be a tough sell for Gray whenever they choose to de-brand like they've done with many of their stations across the country.

 

With all of the "pending" mergers and consolidation that could happen any day now if Cox goes bye-bye what that could mean for the "Action News" trademark....

 

Whoever gets it... Hopefully WPVI keeps paying it... Could they riot in the streets like they did in 1996 when MCTYW was changed?

Edited by tyrannical bastard
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Megatron81 News Director

Megatron81 343

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I always like the Action News brand I know in West Michigan no TV station ever used the Action News brand. Eyewitness News was used for many years in West Michigan I don't get why channel 13 dropped Eyewitness News brand. 

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JRyan News Director

JRyan 694

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Many viewers have moved to Tampa Bay since they have been known as ABC Action News and will not associate the new name to the old one from the 90s.  You would think they would mount an ad campaign and give viewers some time to adjust in the lead-up to such a change.  This will take some getting used to.

Edited by TheRyan
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TheRolyPoly Station Group CEO

TheRolyPoly 3510

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KMGH has moved to brand new digs months ago. Therefore, its old digs are no longer needed.

 

Its being demolished for a new 11-story building for housing, among other things.

 

The report from KUSA:

 

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channel2 Station Group CEO

channel2 1042

Posted
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I know there hasn't been a lot of mourning of the old Brutalist Fortress in this community considering the general disdain for "old buildings," but as somebody who's been used to its presence, it's going to be weird to see it gone...

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MidwestTV Station Group CEO

MidwestTV 1358

Posted
Posted
36 minutes ago, Georgie56 said:

Scripps is offloading WFTX to Sun Broadcasting for $40 million.

 

I mean, at least they found one of the few local broadcast owners left? I'm curious what resources Sun Broadcasting has, though.

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