Out & About

[tyrannical bastard 3931]

Looks like both WPGX and WDFX launched on the same day, June 1st.  Here's WPGX's promo.

 

[dman748 1256]

3 hours ago, tyrannical bastard said:

Well, to my surprise, (and thanks to scrabbleship for the heads up on WMBB/WPGX) Nexstar stations WMBB and WDHN are now producing 1 hour primetime newscasts for Lockwood stations WPGX and WDFX, respectively.

 

For WPGX, this is the first 9pm newscast in a LONG time, going back at least 25 years.  Panama City was one of the few markets not to have a primetime newscast of any kind.

For WDFX, this replaces a news share from former sister station WSFA in Montgomery, who continued the arrangement until recently as WDFX had to be sold since Gray already owned WTVY in the Gray/Raycom merger.

 

As for other spinoff markets, WFXG in Augusta appears to be producing their own news still, after spinning off from former sister station WTOC in Savannah.

WTNZ is still having Tegna station WBIR produce their newscasts.

 

At one time, both WTNZ and WFXG relied on what are now also Nexstar stations, WATE in Knoxville, and WJBF in Augusta to produce their news.   WJBF stopped doing so when they entered into the SSA with WAGT under Media General, and WTNZ went with WATE under Young's ownership after their agreement with WVLT expired.  This lasted until 2011 when the current share with WBIR began.

 

If Lockwood is making it work in Augusta, I could see it continuing as is.  WATE (under Young & Media General) ended up producing WBXX's newscasts (under Lockwood's ownership) until Gray bought them and merged them with WVLT.   

It is entirely possible WATE could be next in line if they choose not to renew with Tegna's WBIR.

I have to wonder if its feasible for a market the size of Knoxville to have 4 in house news departments?

 

Depending the size of WTNZ/WKNX's facility it might be big enough to accomodate an in house news department for WTNZ

[CircleSeven 1955]

On 6/19/2020 at 3:18 PM, TexasTVNews said:

Prayers are going out to former New York and current Harrisburg, PA anchor Robb Hanrahan of CBS 21 (WHP) who had suffered a massive heart attack yesterday. He's recovering in the ICU after a second surgery. Thoughts are with The Hanrahan Family and Robb's colleagues at CBS 21, and prayers for a full recovery to Robb and to his family at this difficult time.

https://www.pennlive.com/news/2020/06/cbs-21-anchor-robb-hanrahan-still-in-icu-but-made-a-nice-step-after-heart-attack-wife-says.html

 

Follow up. Robb is now recovering at home.

 

[CircleSeven 1955]

12 hours ago, oknewsguy said:

I have to wonder if its feasible for a market the size of Knoxville to have 4 in house news departments?

 

Depending the size of WTNZ/WKNX's facility it might be big enough to accomodate an in house news department for WTNZ

 

But would Lockwood be willing to blow most of their budget just to start an in-house op for WTNZ? I strongly doubt it. In fact about it, I don't they've ever started an in-house news op from scratch.

 

The only reason why they have it on KAKE, WCAV & WFXG is because it was already established by those respective station's previous owners. 

 

[dman748 1256]

2 hours ago, CircleSeven said:

But would Lockwood be willing to blow most of their budget just to start an in-house op for WTNZ? I strongly doubt it. In fact about it, I don't they've ever started an in-house news op from scratch.

Not only that but also the economic conditions created by COVID-19 will in all likelihood make any effort made by Lockwood to start a news department from scratch unlikely.

[Nelson R. 569]

WJZY is no longer airing its special Tuesday night 11pm newscast which it called “Fox 46 News Nightside.” It was for coronavirus and primary election coverage. It had aired on Tuesday nights since the end of February.  I guess it will return when it gets closer to the election. But they need to just go ahead and make that a permanent every weeknight thing,

Edited June 27, 2020 by Nelson R.

[tyrannical bastard 3931]

17 hours ago, CircleSeven said:

 

But would Lockwood be willing to blow most of their budget just to start an in-house op for WTNZ? I strongly doubt it. In fact about it, I don't they've ever started an in-house news op from scratch.

 

The only reason why they have it on KAKE, WCAV & WFXG is because it was already established by those respective station's previous owners. 

 

With WFXG, much of the legwork was done under Raycom with their initial moves in 2011 (with the outsourcing) and later expansions in 2016.  The first move coincided with Media General ending their arrangement in order to SSA with WAGT.  The latter is the end result of WAGT's messy transition from one rival to another thanks to the Gray-Schurz merger, where a semi-unique voice was lost in the market to only be replaced by a simulcast (and exclusive, non-competing newscasts) from the other competitor.

 

10pm news in Knoxville has been a hot potato due to the mergers, sales, and contracts that have gone down in recent years.  I'm sure Nexstar is itching to get back the 10pm deal with WTNZ it lost years ago (under Young), and later lost (under Media General) with WBXX.  It all depends on how badly Tegna still wants the exposure there, and if Nexstar wants it more, not to mention how much longer the current arrangement is scheduled to last.

Edited June 27, 2020 by tyrannical bastard

[ABC 7 Denver 1712]

Being the broadcast junkie that I am, one ends up not only finding love with TV stations, but also radio stations (and for me, the latter came first). Well, I discovered an interesting little footnote: TMStudios is an E.W. Scripps company. TM was owned by Jones Media Group (then known as JonesTM). Jones was purchased by Triton (and renamed TM Studios), Triton Radio Networks (now Triton Digital) in 2008. Triton was purchased by Scripps in 2018. Ergo, why are the Scripps stations using Stephen Arnold Music when they have their own composers in-house?

Edited June 29, 2020 by ABC 7 Denver

[TSSZNews 1051]

14 minutes ago, ABC 7 Denver said:

Ergo, why are the Scripps stations using Stephen Arnold Music when they have their own composers in-house?

The same reasons the NBC O&Os shop around while having Universal Music as a subsidiary, or Disney shops around having several music publishing labels under its fold - because they can, and because there likely are antitrust issues to consider.

Edited June 29, 2020 by TSSZNews

[ABC 7 Denver 1712]

2 minutes ago, TSSZNews said:

The same reasons the NBC O&Os shop around while having Universal Music as a subsidiary, or Disney shops around having several music publishing labels under its fold - because they can, and because there likely are antitrust issues to consider.

 

What anti-trust issues? A company can have one of their subsidiaries do work for the parent and not get accused of anything illegal because they own them. 

[TSSZNews 1051]

2 minutes ago, ABC 7 Denver said:

 

What anti-trust issues? A company can have one of their subsidiaries do work for the parent and not get accused of anything illegal because they own them. 

 

If you need, say, production music, as a service, and you buy almost all the production music companies to perform work in house, and leave other consumers little options across the free market, that by most definitions is anti-competitive.

[froyo49 230]

41 minutes ago, TSSZNews said:

The same reasons the NBC O&Os shop around while having Universal Music as a subsidiary

You do know that Universal Music broke away from Universal Pictures in 2004 when GE bought them so they’re actually not subsidiaries. 

Via Wikipedia

 

NBC makes their own graphics packages in-house, as well as several other companies, so how would that be different than production music? 

[TSSZNews 1051]

16 minutes ago, froyo49 said:

You do know that Universal Music broke away from Universal Pictures in 2004 when GE bought them so they’re actually not subsidiaries. 

 

NBC makes their own graphics packages in-house, as well as several other companies, so how would that be different than production music? 

 

My mistake on UMG - I must be thinking of another production company I'm pretty sure NBCU does own, just not UMG.

RE: Graphics - different universe. Also a fair bit more complicated than it would appear on the surface.

[Journalist 894]

1 hour ago, ABC 7 Denver said:

Being the broadcast junkie that I am, one ends up not only finding love with TV stations, but also radio stations (and for me, the latter came first). Well, I discovered an interesting little footnote: TMStudios is an E.W. Scripps company. TM was owned by Jones Media Group (then known as JonesTM). Jones was purchased by Triton (and renamed TM Studios), Triton Radio Networks (now Triton Digital) in 2008. Triton was purchased by Scripps in 2018. Ergo, why are the Scripps stations using Stephen Arnold Music when they have their own composers in-house?

Huh? Wasn't TM folded under what we know today as Westwood One though?

[ABC 7 Denver 1712]

7 minutes ago, Journalist said:

Huh? Wasn't TM folded under what we know today as Westwood One though?

 

You are right. I am wrong. Seems like TMStudios needs a Wikipedia page with that in it.

[TexasTVNews 1377]

Thoughts and prayers need to go out to Winston-Salem's WXII 12 News anchor Kimberly Van Scoy. The former evening anchor now morning anchor has been diagnosed with congestive heart disease.

 

The diagnosis came as a surprise to herself. Van Scoy assured viewers though, during her announcement on Facebook, that she's been taken care of by the best doctors. For now, Van Scoy will be off the air getting treatment and some much need rest.

 

https://www.wxii12.com/article/wxii-12-anchor-kimberly-van-scoy-announces-congestive-heart-disease-diagnosis/32979160

 

 

Edited June 29, 2020 by TexasTVNews

[ThatSowislander 52]

On 5/2/2020 at 7:51 PM, mposeymil said:

Speaking of KSWB news, looks like Aloha Taylor is missing again. (since Mar 26 when she last posted on FB) (It popped up in my head when I watched her last day on IG) Heard rumors on social media that it might be permanent, but she is still on the bios and I don't see a Meteorologist opening, just an anchor and Tabitha's old position (sports) (Even though Aloha's bio states she is a watcher anchor instead of the typical chief meteorologist)

Update: Aloha returned last week after dealing with a family situation. Hope everything will be well for Aloha and her family.

In Orlando news, Bob Frier left WOFL last week after over a decade. A huge loss for them, IMHO.

[JoseRM303 171]

Both Russ Lewis and Sally Ramirez of KHOU leaving:

 

 

 

https://mikemcguff.blogspot.com/2020/06/russ-lewis-to-retire-from-khou.html?m=1

 

Russ is retiring while Sally is likely leaving to follow Russ back to Oregon. 

[Big Rollo Smokes 260]

From Cincinnati, WXIX-TV (Fox 19) reporter/anchor Michael Baldwin is leaving the Queen City and moving behind the scenes. He's headed to WDTV in Weston-Clarksburg WV as News Director. Both WXIX-TV and WDTV are owned by Gray.

 

Let me share this personal note: I interned for Michael when he was at News 12 Long Island back in 2011, starting only weeks after he suffered a huge personal tragedy. Shortly before my internship ended he moved to Ohio and joined WEWS in Cleveland, then onto Cincinnati five years ago. Seeing where he was nine years ago and where he is now is amazing. He is a great reporter and an even better person. Good luck to him.

 

 

Edited June 30, 2020 by Big Rollo Smokes

[Breaking News 825]

Today Sherry Margolis at FOX2 in Detroit retires after 35 years.

https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/saying-goodbye-to-sherry-margolis-after-35-years-at-fox-2

[tyrannical bastard 3931]

Now here's someone that had come full circle from working in major markets.

 

Amanda Arnold, who has had several stints in Houston as a primary anchor, and even anchored at WKYC in the 1970s with Doug Adair, has been a morning anchor at WDHN in Dothan since April.

https://www.dothanfirst.com/author/amanda-arnold/
 

 

She can be seen in this Klein& promo done for WKYC.  She (and Tom Ryther) didn't last too long in Cleveland, and the weather guy went on to bigger things...cough cough...today show....cough cough.
I had mentioned this era in the 1980's set thread, since WKYC was in a tailspin at the time because of the launch of Newscenter 8 and success at WEWS. 

NBC was desperate at the time and let WKYC do their own thing (seem familiar?)

 

WDHN and Nexstar have been on a roll lately, launching a local 9pm news for Lockwood-owned WDFX.  Could midday and weekend news be next?

They've even had some longtime ex-WTVYers join the staff like Mike Gurspan and Oscar Fann.  Then again, the opposite has happened at WTVY with Ken Curtis switching teams several years back.

 

Edited July 1, 2020 by tyrannical bastard

[MorningNews 1437]

Ed Henry fired from Fox News after a sexual misconduct investigation:

 

 

[News Fan 14]

Scott Light has left WBNS in Columbus. This leaves Yolanda Harris anchoring solo in the evenings. 
 

https://www.facebook.com/53828014368/posts/10159207054139369/?d=n

Edited July 1, 2020 by BobW

[TexasTVNews 1377]

Two big 25th anniversaries taken place here in The Lone Star State. 25 years ago today (7/1/95) in Austin, KTBC and KBVO switched network affiliations. KTBC said so long to CBS and said hello to FOX, while KBVO said goodbye to FOX and jump to CBS. And KBVO changed the call letters to K-EYE the next day.

 

(7/2/95) 25 years ago tomorrow, three TV stations in Dallas/Fort Worth made the switch to new networks. KDFW - CBS to FOX, KTVT - Ind to CBS, and KDAF - FOX to Ind, and later WB.

 

What a difference 25 years makes for both cities in Texas.

[channel2 977]

I thought The WB jumped over from KXTX to KDAF right away. I know they were only doing two nights of primetime a week though...