Gray Media - General Thread

[TheRolyPoly 2376]

Cat Taylor gets a very well deserved promotion at KTIV.

 

https://www-ktiv-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.ktiv.com/2024/08/13/ktiv-announces-expansion-first-alert-weather-team/?outputType=amp

[T.L. Hughes 881]

  On 8/22/2024 at 4:52 PM, TheRolyPoly said:

 

For the record, this is a Sports and Independent station while also retaining the MyNetworkTV affiliation for primetime so you'll get a mix of everything here.

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That said, Matrix Midwest is essentially a repackaging of KMOV’s existing MyNetworkTV subchannel, just with additional sports content being folded into the schedule.

 

According to RabbitEars and based on other listings sites (like OnTVTonight) that still show the previous channel layout for both stations, Gray remapped KMOV-DT2 (now branded as Matrix) to 32.1, previously assigned to the main channel of low-power sister station KDTL-LD (which still uses 32.x for its Corner Store TV and Outlaw subchannels). KMOV’s First Alert Weather Now subchannel was moved from 4.5 to 4.2, while KDTL now hosts KMOV’s The 365 sub (mapped as 4.5).

Edited August 24, 2024 by T.L. Hughes

[Howard Beale 57]

FTVLive reports, in a paywalled story, that Gray is "tightening hiring."  I haven't seen what's behind the paywall, and Gray's recruiters still seem to be pretty active on LinkedIn when it comes to posting job openings.  However, I would not be surprised if Gray did decide to leave some open jobs unfilled.  It's harder than ever to recruit ANYONE to work in TV news.

[Newsjunkie24 506]

 

  On 8/13/2024 at 11:53 PM, TheRolyPoly said:

WTVG has carried The CW for a decade as of next month. However, it has NEVER carried an exclusive newscast from WTVG. It has aired simulcasts of WTVG's Noon and 4pm news but no exclusives there... until now.

 

WTVG's second subchannel finally gets a 10pm newscast starting September 16th. Daily, and an hour long.

 

https://www.13abc.com/2024/08/13/13-action-news-launch-10pm-newscast-this-fall-cw13/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=snd&utm_content=wtvg

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I remember reading a Blade article 10 years ago and Gray planned to launch a 10 PM newscast not long after the start of their affiliation that would be younger and hipper. That never happened. Hopefully, the 10 PM newscast will be successful. 

 

Edited September 2, 2024 by Newsjunkie24

[TheRolyPoly 2376]

  On 9/2/2024 at 6:21 PM, Newsjunkie24 said:

 

 

I remember reading a Blade article 10 years ago and Gray planned to launch a 10 PM newscast not long after the start of their affiliation that would be younger and hipper. That never happened. Hopefully, the 10 PM newscast will be successful. 

 

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I don't think WTVG was ready for that since they were brand new under Gray ownership back then.

[Georgie56 3293]

The Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network will launch toward the end of September.

[tyrannical bastard 3936]

  On 9/17/2024 at 12:52 PM, Georgie56 said:

The Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network will launch toward the end of September.

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It's already active on WALA 10.5 in Mobile.  The365 was moved to a new subchannel on WMBP-LD (31.5).

[TheRolyPoly 2376]

News involving WVUE in three bullet points (my TL;DR):

• Lee Zurik is promoted but will no longer anchor or do investigative reports as of October 10th.
• John Snell is back in the evenings starting October 14th.
• Lucy Bustamante is back on New Orleans television starting October 21st.

https://tvnewscheck.com/journalism/article/changes-at-wvue-news-lee-zurik-john-snell-enter-new-roles-lucy-bustamante-returns/?utm_source=Listrak&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=Changes+At+WVUE+News%3a+Lee+Zurik+%26amp%3b+John+Snell+Enter+New+Roles%2c+Lucy+Bustamante+Returns&utm_campaign=Warner+Bros.+Discovery+Ad+Chief+Jon+Steinlauf+To+Exit

[TheRolyPoly 2376]

This is a very well-deserving award for one of WHSV's very own... as the quotes say, she could honestly work anywhere. The fact she works at WHSV in a small market like Harrisonburg is a true testament to her and its one reason why I love watching Aubs (Aubrey Urbanowicz).

 

https://www.facebook.com/GrayTelevision/posts/pfbid0T4Mux9nFtJcK2xVGfe1xWegtUszdfUnFjCzUuTUHCK9BLaeicKKfF1SqqZtyYVCgl

[TheRolyPoly 2376]

Also, Gray's expansion into sports continues via South Dakota. No, not a 24-hour channel like in other places, but high school football from a partnership with Metro Sports TV.

 

https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2024/08/12/dakota-news-now-expands-partnership-with-metro-sports-tv-high-school-sports-coverage/

[TheRolyPoly 2376]

Abner Euresti has made it to 50 years at KCBD-TV Lubbock.

 

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/gray-media_grayfamily-grayproud-activity-7251215114429698048-9i2s?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android

[TheRolyPoly 2376]

We have a HUGE retirement in Toledo coming up at WTVG.

 

After 40 years with the station and currently anchoring their 12 Noon, 5:00, and 6:00pm newscasts, Diane Larson calls it a career. The longtime duo of Diane Larson and Lee Conklin will be broken up on her last day... Nov. 14th at 6:00pm.

 

https://www.13abc.com/2024/10/16/13-action-news-anchor-diane-larson-retire-november/

[TheRolyPoly 2376]

Covering 31 Masters and countless breaking news stories in Augusta must've been enough for Richard Rogers at WRDW/WAGT. He has now officially retired as of almost 90 minutes ago.

 

https://www.wrdw.com/2024/10/22/wrdw-tvwagt-tv-anchor-richard-rogers-retire/

[TheRolyPoly 2376]

Brad Pautsch made it happen. He stuck around in a small market for 34 years at KTIV Sioux City, and made it work, becoming an instant well-known local guy for sports.

 

Unfortunately, he passed away days ago. He was only 58.

 

https://www.ktiv.com/2024/10/21/brad-pautsch-ktivs-long-time-sports-director-passes-away/

[nathannah 2402]

WBAY will be pushing ET to late night next week for extended hour-long 6pm shows through the election, and likely quite a few other stations throughout Gray; kinda a shock that WANF doesn't have have anything at 7:30 and has TBBT reruns instead.

[GodfreyGR 650]

  On 10/26/2024 at 3:15 AM, mrschimpf said:

WBAY will be pushing ET to late night next week for extended hour-long 6pm shows through the election, and likely quite a few other stations throughout Gray; kinda a shock that WANF doesn't have have anything at 7:30 and has TBBT reruns instead.

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You know the political ad buying is getting hot in Wisconsin when ads for their US Senate and State Assembly Races are airing in Minneapolis for the sliver of Wisconsin counties that are a part of the market. 

 

Kind of odd that Gray is only doing it with WBAY when they have stations that cover most of Wisconsin (WMTV, WEAU, WSAW, KBJR). So much more opportunity to grab those political ad dollars serve and inform the community.

[TheRolyPoly 2376]

With WBNX being bought by Nexstar and will become a CW O&O out of it, WUAB next fall will be part RESN and part MyNetworkTV.

 

https://tvnewscheck.com/programming/article/more-live-local-sports-my-network-programming-on-wuab-cleveland-next-fall/

[TheRolyPoly 2376]

WPTA's Chris Daniels did his last forecast for the Fort Wayne station last Friday. He is now retired.

 

https://www.facebook.com/mattleachweather/posts/pfbid045FAoY16wkPuY327q5RG5XmqD67GDUgei6gbQ7AgHwUJ28LZ5r7TEgjQGiYS8X5bl

[GoldenShine_10 95]

Gray has made massive layoffs today, especially at the smaller stations. They probably know 2025 is going to be a brutal year.

[tyrannical bastard 3936]

  On 11/1/2024 at 11:34 PM, GoldenShine_10 said:

Gray has made massive layoffs today, especially at the smaller stations. They probably know 2025 is going to be a brutal year.

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What I'm reading on thelayoff.com sounds like stations including WTVY, WVIR, WHSV and WYMT suffered major losses.  One claimed that half of WTVY's staff was let go.

Edited November 2, 2024 by tyrannical bastard
Hyperlink added

[Howard Beale 57]

Let's talk some more about these layoffs!  This is huge!  According to this post on Reddit, layoffs happened at 12 stations thus far, and I'm sure more are to come.  Some stations only had one or two layoffs, while others (like KEYC in Mankato, Minnesota) lost most of its news staff.  This has to be especially bad if Gray can't wait until after Election Day or the November book to start cutting.

[tyrannical bastard 3936]

WVIR's spin on cancelling their local weekend newscasts. 

WHSV in Harrisonburg (who also laid off employees) will be producing a shared weekend newscast for Charlottesville as well.

https://www.29news.com/2024/11/03/new-kind-weekend-show-is-coming-29news/

[GoldenShine_10 95]

  On 11/4/2024 at 4:04 AM, Howard Beale said:

Let's talk some more about these layoffs!  This is huge!  According to this post on Reddit, layoffs happened at 12 stations thus far, and I'm sure more are to come.  Some stations only had one or two layoffs, while others (like KEYC in Mankato, Minnesota) lost most of its news staff.  This has to be especially bad if Gray can't wait until after Election Day or the November book to start cutting.

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Outside of evenings, KTTC will be doing the KEYC newscasts from what I've read.

[ScottSchell 352]

  On 11/4/2024 at 5:15 PM, GoldenShine_10 said:

 

Outside of evenings, KTTC will be doing the KEYC newscasts from what I've read.

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They are doing the morning, noon shows Monday through Friday and all the weekend shows.

[TheRolyPoly 2376]

  On 11/4/2024 at 5:05 AM, tyrannical bastard said:

WVIR's spin on cancelling their local weekend newscasts. 

WHSV in Harrisonburg (who also laid off employees) will be producing a shared weekend newscast for Charlottesville as well.

https://www.29news.com/2024/11/03/new-kind-weekend-show-is-coming-29news/

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I heard the layoffs at WVIR were the first time ever in the station's history. Ugh.