Spring Rubber 611 Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 It seems like every time the temperature dips below zero on a weekday this winter, the big three stations immediately decide to start their morning news at 4 AM. Like today, for example, sure the temperatures are a bit frigid, but there's no snow or ice or anything that will severely hamper the morning commute, yet the big three are starting their news at 4 AM today. I have to think the reason for this many "emergency 4 AM newscasts" despite the lack of snow this winter is that the stations are testing the waters to see if they can afford to permanently compete with WGN in the 4 AM window. If anybody jumps the gun on it, I assume it's gonna be WLS first and then WMAQ. I doubt WBBM is gonna bother; they're just starting at 4 am on the cold days just because the other two stations are. In fact, I'm not even sure if they're doing it today; I haven't watched their newscasts at all today to find out, nor does their website say anything about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24994J 5276 Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 I think it's inevitable on ABC 7, and the anchor change has a lot to do with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkolsen 1678 Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Now with 4AM start times do you think the networks will start taping Early Today/. America This Morning/ CBS Morning News at 3:30? I think the networks will wait it out until at least a few dozen affiliates start preempting the early morning newscasts. I don't know what this would do to World News Now and Up To The Minute. Would the networks move the program up a half hour for the 4AM newscasts and allow affiliates to tape delay it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24994J 5276 Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Now with 4AM start times do you think the networks will start taping Early Today/. America This Morning/ CBS Morning News at 3:30? I think the networks will wait it out until at least a few dozen affiliates start preempting the early morning newscasts. I don't know what this would do to World News Now and Up To The Minute. Would the networks move the program up a half hour for the 4AM newscasts and allow affiliates to tape delay it? Not a problem beyond the East coast. Chicago gets the early newscasts on an hour delay as it is. Moving back to 4 would drop that hour to a 30 minute delay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRolyPoly 1847 Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Now with 4AM start times do you think the networks will start taping Early Today/. America This Morning/ CBS Morning News at 3:30? I think the networks will wait it out until at least a few dozen affiliates start preempting the early morning newscasts. I don't know what this would do to World News Now and Up To The Minute. Would the networks move the program up a half hour for the 4AM newscasts and allow affiliates to tape delay it? It's already tape-delayed. The program is LIVE at 3:00 a.m. They can just put the overnight programs at 3:30 a.m. and then local stations could start at 4:00 a.m., if they wanted to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ns8401 846 Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Not a problem beyond the East coast. Chicago gets the early newscasts on an hour delay as it is. Moving back to 4 would drop that hour to a 30 minute delay. We've been doing the 4am thing for 7 or 8 years during snow and ice, I don't really think in the east that 4am is gonna become a thing... I'm not really sure why it'd become a thing there either? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BehindNYNews 143 Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Stations only started at 4:30am in New York in 2010. That said, I wouldn't be surprised if WABC or WNBC moves the start time up a half hour to 4am. If WABC starts at 4am, I wonder if they would take the morning team off Noon. That would be a lot of on-air time on a regular basis. Should this happen, my guess would be Diana and David take over the Noon show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
channel2 869 Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 When did the 4:30 AM thing start, anyway? I remember it sweeping the nation back in 2010, at which point KUSA and KCNC hopped on the bandwagon... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NBC 5 Chicago 164 Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 WMAQ was the first to start the 4:30am game with Barely Today with Bruce Wolf. That was back in January of 2007. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24994J 5276 Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 WLS and WGN launched the early half hour in like August of 2010, within days of each other. WBBM expanded the following month, and nobody was paying attention to 'Good Day Chicago' then, either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jase 818 Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 Everybody started their respective 4:30a newscast in August 2010. WLS and WFLD on the same day (August 1 or 2..I can't remember), WGN about 2 weeks later (moving to the 4a start time in July 2011) and WBBM near the end of the month (around August 23rd). It seems doubtful that WMAQ or WLS would move to 4a, imo, given there isn't a huge advantage in doing so. WFLD probably should have back in July 2011 in an effort to keep pace, to some degree, with WGN. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TVNewsLover 727 Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 Stations only started at 4:30am in New York in 2010. That said, I wouldn't be surprised if WABC or WNBC moves the start time up a half hour to 4am. If WABC starts at 4am, I wonder if they would take the morning team off Noon. That would be a lot of on-air time on a regular basis. Should this happen, my guess would be Diana and David take over the Noon show. This may play on WABC's decision, but I wonder if the ABC O&Os will shorten their midday news back to a half hour come fall. On most of the O&Os, Millionaire moved to later in the afternoon with a Jeopardy rerun to replace Katie, but most of those stations are replacing that with "The F.A.B.", so I wonder if that means Millionaire will shift back to the 12:30 (or 11:30) slot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToriElectra 291 Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 Oh god, I hope not, we need an hour of news at noon; it's always felt horribly short, especially with the time taken up by the NY Lotttery drawing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nynewslover 269 Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 This may play on WABC's decision, but I wonder if the ABC O&Os will shorten their midday news back to a half hour come fall. On most of the O&Os, Millionaire moved to later in the afternoon with a Jeopardy rerun to replace Katie, but most of those stations are replacing that with "The F.A.B.", so I wonder if that means Millionaire will shift back to the 12:30 (or 11:30) slot. That likely depends on ratings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spring Rubber 611 Posted February 27, 2015 Author Share Posted February 27, 2015 The temperature dropped below 0 again this morning, and even though there really were no school closings or commute troubles related to the cold weather, everybody started at 4 AM again today. It's like they're finding excuses to start at 4 AM nowadays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24994J 5276 Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 The temperature dropped below 0 again this morning, and even though there really were no school closings or commute troubles related to the cold weather, everybody started at 4 AM again today. It's like they're finding excuses to start at 4 AM nowadays. I just keeping tell myself, "at least it's not 3". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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