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WTMJ 414ward


Weeters

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WTMJ debut a new show today called "414ward" which replaces "Sunday Insight with Charlie Sykes" since he retired at the end of last month.

 

 

(Yes, the first show features two former WTMJ personalities - John Mercure the former I-Team reporter and current radio host and former Meteorologist Jim Ott)

 

I really like the flat dynamic lower thirds (About a minute into the second video you can see them in action) and the color scheme. Parts of letters seem to get cut off sometimes but I'm sure that will get fixed.

 

Now if only they'd update The Morning Blend, which is still using it's 2009 HD graphics package (which was really just an update to the previous one)...

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Hate the name, on multiple reasons:

1) It's an extremely strained play on words.

2) For the last decade and a half, 414 has been the area code for Milwaukee. This is an odd choice of a name for a show that will likely discuss topics that also affect the suburbs (in the 262 area code) and laws (made in the 608 area code).

3) Area codes? Really? With how fluid telephone numbers are these days with number portability, do people really identify based on area codes much anymore?

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Agreed on all points about the title; as someone in the 920, the 414 area code is another world completely; reduce it to 4Ward and it probably works much better (out-of-staters who might be thinking 'why this title', it's a pun on the state motto, Forward). Also with how many former WTMJ'ers (and the Kleefisches ex-WISN) who have gone into state government, hopefully they'll open up the guest pool a lot more than that select group.

 

But so far, yes. Anything to get away from the "five white guys talk about politics" template that every local political show has used since The McLaughlin Group was groundbreaking; this is a good start.

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I'm with LoadStar on this one. Calling it "414Ward" might've been paved with good intentions but it seems exclusionary for those in the suburbs and exurbs in the Milwaukee DMA. It would be like if WEWS launched "The 216 Show", even though Akron already gets enough "F*** yous" from the Cleveland stations already.

That being said, some segments remind me of a hybrid of "NewsNight Akron" from the 2000s on WNEO/WEAO (Western Reserve PBS) and "Meet the Press".

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3) Area codes? Really? With how fluid telephone numbers are these days with number portability, do people really identify based on area codes much anymore?

Tell that to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who successfully utilized #ALLin216 for social media marketing during their playoff run last year. (Get it? Take the 0 out of 2016...)

 

Northern Ohio has three area codes - 330, 440 and the legacy 216 - but most people still identify 216 with Cleveland.

 

You just couldn't do something like that in Akron or Lorain (obviously!).

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Tell that to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who successfully utilized #ALLin216 for social media marketing during their playoff run last year. (Get it? Take the 0 out of 2016...)

 

Northern Ohio has four area codes - 330, 440, 234 and the legacy 216 - but most people still identify 216 with Cleveland.

 

You just couldn't do something like that in Akron or Lorain (obviously!).

Fixed.

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3) Area codes? Really? With how fluid telephone numbers are these days with number portability, do people really identify based on area codes much anymore?

 

Well, people in the KC market kind of do, but we only have two area codes: 913 and 816. If you're 913 you're Kansas, 816 and you're Missouri. But KC is different as both sides of the state line argue with one another about why the other Kansas City sucks.

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  • 4 months later...
Well, people in the KC market kind of do, but we only have two area codes: 913 and 816. If you're 913 you're Kansas, 816 and you're Missouri. But KC is different as both sides of the state line argue with one another about why the other Kansas City sucks.

So if KSHB had a show with an area code in its name, it would be called something like The 816 Show. Or if KNXV had a show with an area code in its name, it would be something like The 602 Show, although along with 602, significant parts of the Phoenix area are 480 and 623, and the Phoenix DMA also includes Northern Arizona - which is 928.

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