CBS relaunching news operation at WWJ with streaming-first focus

[Glimmer 283]

https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/cbs-to-motor-news-department-back-into-detroit-launching-local-broadcasts-on-wwj-tv-after-20-years-1235133071/

 

Expected to launch late-summer 2022 with a 24/7 streaming news outlet, CBS News Detroit, that will simulcast their newscasts on WWJ and possibly also WKBD.

[TexasTVNews 1379]

Well... it's a start.

[Samantha 2905]

Calling it CBS News Detroit is a very elegant way to de-emphasize that big old 62 and matches the other ex-CBSNs. Good time to have a newsroom up and running, too—they'll unlock some more of that sweet political ad money.

[PhillyWatch 244]

Wasn’t there an announcement earlier this year that CBS will be phasing out the “CBSN” branding in favor of “CBS News [City]”? Perhaps that logo in the article is an idea of what to expect on the other CBSN outlets.

[nathannah 2528]

3 hours ago, Samantha said:

Calling it CBS News Detroit is a very elegant way to de-emphasize that big old 62 and matches the other ex-CBSNs. Good time to have a newsroom up and running, too—they'll unlock some more of that sweet political ad money.

It's so odd that WDJT in Milwaukee has a good news operation and just leaned in full into their "CBS 58" branding and never changed it, while in Detroit, WWJ's basically been treated as a second CW station with no news; I had expected this a lot sooner than after the Entercom merger, where they couldn't fill their website with WWJ Radio content any longer. Hopefully there will be good effort put into this; Detroit's long needed a fourth voice between the other three news orgs (though WDIV has really calmed from their 2000s worst).

[24994J 5664]

16 minutes ago, PhillyWatch said:

Wasn’t there an announcement earlier this year that CBS will be phasing out the “CBSN” branding in favor of “CBS News [City]”? Perhaps that logo in the article is an idea of what to expect on the other CBSN outlets.

 

Oh, absolutely, and I wouldn't be surprised if we see a purge of OTA channel numbers from the stations' brandings, too.

 

13 minutes ago, mrschimpf said:

It's so odd that WDJT in Milwaukee has a good news operation and just leaned in full into their "CBS 58" branding and never changed it, while in Detroit, WWJ's basically been treated as a second CW station with no news

 

I mean, the two stations have different owners, soooooo...

[nathannah 2528]

1 hour ago, 24994J said:

I mean, the two stations have different owners, soooooo...

True; just noting more that they started from the exact same place of being small stations not noticed by many in their markets, and while the CBS-owned station which presumably had all the help from their network but by 2002 they were like and gave into what seemed to be a stone-written fate, the mere affiliate took full advantage of the opportunity and competes strongly.

[Breaking News 843]

So happy to hear, and it about time. Believe it or not WWJ does well in prime time viewing & some day parts. Here hoping they can snag someone with a big name in the market. Also as for branding name why not WWJ News? WBZ & WJZ goes by that name? Hmmm.

[TexasTVNews 1379]

All I can say is that WWJ better be at their game and be very competitive when they launched their newscast come the summer of '22. Bring some new talent and some familiar faces to the station, new set, and new way to bring the news. Let's not have a repeat of 2001-02.

[SFTV 539]

If CBS is investing on launching WWJ….Throwing this out into the ring, they might as well invest in starting newscasts in the CW O&O group. I believe there’s only 3 in the group.
 

- WUPA in Atlanta has a newscast produced by KTVT in Dallas.

 

- KBCW only simulcasts KPIX 5’s 6am show, nothing at night.

 

KSTW Seattle only does weather and sports casts produced by KPIX on social media (FB & Twitter,) not sure over the air.
 

Interesting fact, the weather graphics/templates for CW11 that KPIX generates for them is from the First CBS O&O Graphics Package from 2010-2013 

 

 

[MorningNews 1540]

The biggest thing here will need to be consistency. If they’re going to cancel it all because they don’t have an immediate ROI then don’t even bother.

[Action Newsroom 1313]

I'm honestly very excited for the revival of WWJ's news operation and will be watching during its first week. I don't know where things go from there within it and this new era of CBS News Local, but I'll keep an open mind as all this (along with the details) makes me even more excited.

[Adam MadMan 285]

12 hours ago, SFTV said:

If CBS is investing on launching WWJ….Throwing this out into the ring, they might as well invest in starting newscasts in the CW O&O group. I believe there’s only 3 in the group.
 

- WUPA in Atlanta has a newscast produced by KTVT in Dallas.

 

- KBCW only simulcasts KPIX 5’s 6am show, nothing at night.

 

KSTW Seattle only does weather and sports casts produced by KPIX on social media (FB & Twitter,) not sure over the air.
 

Interesting fact, the weather graphics/templates for CW11 that KPIX generates for them is from the First CBS O&O Graphics Package from 2010-2013 

 

 

Assuming an upstart newscast on a CW station, especially one without a duopoly partner or even a news sharing agreement, doesn't just struggle against established players, if not get outright hash marks.

 

Then again, that itself assumes that CBS even cares about competing rather than just making bank off political ads. Not to mention the decline of syndication in the face of streaming, which makes local programming (i.e. news) way more attractive than some flash in the pan talk show or reruns of sitcoms already on streaming services.

[GodfreyGR 693]

35 minutes ago, Adam MadMan said:

rather than just making bank off political ads.

It's all about the political ad money- and its not just CBS that's guilty of it... FOX has dumped more newscasts on the MyNet stations they have the duopoly on, Gray does it where and when it makes even a little sense, the list goes on...

 

12 hours ago, SFTV said:

the weather graphics/templates for CW11 that KPIX generates for them is from the First CBS O&O Graphics Package from 2010-2013 

Oddly, kind of fitting for a CW station. Especially the Seven-Day. Would be easier if they'd just use the current CBS O&O package though.

[SFTV 539]

2 hours ago, GodfreyGR said:

It's all about the political ad money- and its not just CBS that's guilty of it... FOX has dumped more newscasts on the MyNet stations they have the duopoly on, Gray does it where and when it makes even a little sense, the list goes on...

 

Oddly, kind of fitting for a CW station. Especially the Seven-Day. Would be easier if they'd just use the current CBS O&O package though.

Right? Even the old weather icons….Also the CW11 Mini Sports Cast produced by KPIX uses the old recycled graphics from Bay Area Nightbeat which was cancelled for CBSN Bay Area News at 10 which also didn’t last long and got replaced by a whole hour of Two and a Half Men.

[nickp 344]

Their best hope would be to bring in some big names

[TexasTVNews 1379]

1 hour ago, nickp said:

Their best hope would be to bring in some big names

Who do got in mind for some big names for the soon-to-be CBS News Detroit?

[PhillyWatch 244]

Hey, what’s Mort Crim up to these days?

 

[Georgie56 3336]

6 hours ago, TexasTVNews said:

Who do got in mind for some big names for the soon-to-be CBS News Detroit?

 

I suppose Jim Madaus could come out of retirement?

[Breaking News 843]

8 hours ago, TexasTVNews said:

Who do got in mind for some big names for the soon-to-be CBS News Detroit?

I say either get Fanchon Stinger who once worked at FOX 2 and yeah her situation was over a decade ago, or Rhonda Walker from Local 4. I also say Jeff Vaughn and yeah he in Sunny California, but he been on Ch 4&7 . Jeff Vaughn with either Rhonda or Fanchon could be the evening face. Or bring in Lucy Noland those just some names in the market. 

[SoFloTVClassics 1005]

Carmen Harlan anyone?

[Megatron81 289]

WWJ newscast will fail they aren't going to compete with WJBK, WXYZ, WDIV, WWJ will be the dog of Detroit and not have much in the ratings.

[bostonmediaguy 124]

4 hours ago, Megatron81 said:

WWJ newscast will fail they aren't going to compete with WJBK, WXYZ, WDIV, WWJ will be the dog of Detroit and not have much in the ratings.

 

I think the larger objective for CBS is to utilize Detroit as a "laboratory" of sorts to try out some new things. There's no risk of alienating an existing audience. It should be very interesting to watch the operation unfold.

[MorningNews 1540]

I’m really hoping this works out well enough to keep it viable. It’s a joke for CBS to have no real news presence in a market as large as Detroit.

[Breaking News 843]

9 hours ago, Megatron81 said:

WWJ newscast will fail they aren't going to compete with WJBK, WXYZ, WDIV, WWJ will be the dog of Detroit and not have much in the ratings.

WOIO, WDJT and even WGCL were able to compete with their rivals. All (3) have achieve something and they were able to win certain newscast. Not all, but were able to have a fighting chance.

If CBS is serious they will invest and try something new and you never know, they might do well. Anything is possible in this era of tv.