Lester Holt stepping down from NBC Nightly News

[Jase 1065]

6 hours ago, carolinanews4 said:

I genuinely don't understand the angst regarding Nightly broadcasting from Studio 1A. Is it just sentimental longing for a dedicated space?

 

From a business perspective, it doesn't make a lot of sense to build a standalone studio for a show with a 22-minute runtime where the studio itself is on camera for a few minutes. The economic realities make Nightly's use of 1A completely reasonable. Heck, Nightly started switching the show from the 1A control back room during Brian Williams' tenure. I don't see the practical need for a big production space for a solo-anchored newscast like this. ABC World News Tonight uses a shared studio space, but outside of a bump shot, the show is mostly a static shot of David seated in front of an LED wall. And this is the top-rated evening newscast, and on occasion, has been the most watched show on television. 

 

So while the set in Studio 1A might be a little long in the tooth, it seems perfectly serviceable. Lester's ratings didn't drop when they moved to 1A. And I doubt Tom's would spike if they had their own space. When budgets are being slashed, the priority should be to keep investing in newsgathering resources. Building a new set to say you have a dedicated space doesn't seem like a good use of shrinking resources. But I might be missing something here.  

 

It's the overall look of Studio 1A. The set was designed for a morning show and lacks flexibility to be used in other ways, imo. With MSNBC leaving, it's highly unlikely that space will be left unused, so it opens up the possibility of Nightly moving. Plus, it wouldn't make much sense to have Llamas doing Nightly in 1A and then moving to 4E for Top Story. Best to have both programs in a new space together. Studio 4E is showing some wear and tear too these days.

Edited May 24 by Jase

[Weeters 1969]

Honestly, it would not surprise me in the least if this hypothetical new 3A set ended up being for Nightly, NBC News Now, and Today.

 

Not only is a bunch of studio space and newsroom space about to open up, but technical spaces as well. It would not shock me at all if NBC chose to consolidate everything inside 30 Rock. The streetside studio thing has to be becoming more trouble than it's worth, and they're about to have at least two full control rooms open up.

[carolinanews4 389]

1 hour ago, Weeters said:

Honestly, it would not surprise me in the least if this hypothetical new 3A set ended up being for Nightly, NBC News Now, and Today.

 

Not only is a bunch of studio space and newsroom space about to open up, but technical spaces as well. It would not shock me at all if NBC chose to consolidate everything inside 30 Rock. The streetside studio thing has to be becoming more trouble than it's worth, and they're about to have at least two full control rooms open up.

 

There's definitely intriguing logic here. However, my guess is that TODAY will stay put at 10 Rockefeller Plaza. With ABC moving GMA downtown and CBS returning to that old milk factory in Hell's Kitchen (not that they have ever leveraged their Times Square location), it could be a bit of an advantage for NBC to keep 1A operating, especially with the ability to continue outdoor concerts. 

 

I think the smarter play would be to rent out one of their empty studios to a third party. This would bring in rental revenue, and 3A and 3K are able to hold audiences. And if rumors are to be believed, 6A might also be open if Clarkson winds down her show at the end of next season. (But seeing that it is a rumor the NY Post continually publishes, I'm not giving it a whole lot of weight)  I know there aren't a ton of productions looking for space right now, but it is something to consider. Speaking of renting, I'm guessing MSNBC will rent their current space from NBC until their new studios are completed. So it might be status quo for 18 months or more.  

[MediaZone4K 2237]

17 hours ago, carolinanews4 said:

I genuinely don't understand the angst regarding Nightly broadcasting from Studio 1A. Is it just sentimental longing for a dedicated space?

 

From a business perspective, it doesn't make a lot of sense to build a standalone studio for a show with a 22-minute runtime where the studio itself is on camera for a few minutes. The economic realities make Nightly's use of 1A completely reasonable. Heck, Nightly started switching the show from the 1A control back room during Brian Williams' tenure. I don't see the practical need for a big production space for a solo-anchored newscast like this. ABC World News Tonight uses a shared studio space, but outside of a bump shot, the show is mostly a static shot of David seated in front of an LED wall. And this is the top-rated evening newscast, and on occasion, has been the most watched show on television. 

 

So while the set in Studio 1A might be a little long in the tooth, it seems perfectly serviceable. Lester's ratings didn't drop when they moved to 1A. And I doubt Tom's would spike if they had their own space. When budgets are being slashed, the priority should be to keep investing in newsgathering resources. Building a new set to say you have a dedicated space doesn't seem like a good use of shrinking resources. But I might be missing something here.  

IMO it's no issue that they share a set, the problem is that the set sucks.

[Weeters 1969]

21 hours ago, carolinanews4 said:

 

There's definitely intriguing logic here. However, my guess is that TODAY will stay put at 10 Rockefeller Plaza. With ABC moving GMA downtown and CBS returning to that old milk factory in Hell's Kitchen (not that they have ever leveraged their Times Square location), it could be a bit of an advantage for NBC to keep 1A operating, especially with the ability to continue outdoor concerts. 

 

The streetside studio was an interesting concept when NBC brought it back in 1994. But, it's no longer 1994.

 

It says a lot that everyone else has abandoned/is abandoning their streetside studio concept. It doesn't magically make the show better, or increase ratings. It has become a magnet for weirdos and people with an axe to grind, and that can be seen by how the area outside 1A's home base has been filled with a bunch of giant planter boxes over the last decade. The only way you can end up on TV now (and that seems to be a lot fewer people clamoring for that than before) is by being in the area that their security and/or the NYPD can shoo you away from the window.

 

Look at the stark difference between this pic from a 1999 wild feed and nearly the same anchor position from this morning, and another similar one from this past week. You can't even see across the street anymore. Are they in New York City? Can't tell, it's entirely obscured by plants (and not even an actual plant in half of the second image, it's a screen showing a plant). The shots have all been adjusted too, go back and look at late 90's/early 2000's clips and match them up with the modern look... New York City is hidden from view. So, I ask, what is the point? 

 

[MediaZone4K 2237]

1 hour ago, Weeters said:

 

The streetside studio was an interesting concept when NBC brought it back in 1994. But, it's no longer 1994.

 

It says a lot that everyone else has abandoned/is abandoning their streetside studio concept. It doesn't magically make the show better, or increase ratings. It has become a magnet for weirdos and people with an axe to grind, and that can be seen by how the area outside 1A's home base has been filled with a bunch of giant planter boxes over the last decade. The only way you can end up on TV now (and that seems to be a lot fewer people clamoring for that than before) is by being in the area that their security and/or the NYPD can shoo you away from the window.

 

Look at the stark difference between this pic from a 1999 wild feed and nearly the same anchor position from this morning, and another similar one from this past week. You can't even see across the street anymore. Are they in New York City? Can't tell, it's entirely obscured by plants (and not even an actual plant in half of the second image, it's a screen showing a plant). The shots have all been adjusted too, go back and look at late 90's/early 2000's clips and match them up with the modern look... New York City is hidden from view. So, I ask, what is the point? 

 

Having been to that area, like you said, police shoe people away from that view of the window (W 49th Street) and everyone is told to stand behind the barricades on the side of studio (Rockefeller Plaza), so it's comparatively empty today.

 

Having gone to the Plaza myself, the audience experience is pretty lackluster.

 

The anchors barely come out onto the plaza except for the 8 AM introduction and an occasional weather hit from Al. 

 

I think an outdoor audience presence is still cool if utilized properly which Today doesn't really do anymore. 

Edited May 24 by MediaZone4K

[nathannah 2494]

3 hours ago, MediaZone4K said:

The anchors barely come out onto the plaza except for the 8 AM introduction and an occasional weather hit from Al. 

 

I think an outdoor audience presence is still cool if utilized properly which Today doesn't really do anymore. 

The big problem is definitely the security needed these days; as Weeters said, it was interesting in 1994 when the worst folks you ever encountered usually posted their manifestos via the mail and everyone self-policed themselves. But once Columbine and 9/11 happened along with the Internet, stalkers, then just general distrust of mainstream media setting in, you had to block out those folks from getting on camera as a threat to the safety of others, so now outside set parts of the day you're looking at an empty window outside the Today studio where unless you brought the right sign or sob story to get in for a game or makeover on the 4th hour (or now, well pre-vetted ahead of time), there's no way you're appearing on-camera.

 

It's why the concept has just completely died locally outside of controlled weather decks and balconies; those stations just don't have the budget to provide security that NBC has, along with any idiot ready to yell 'FHRITP' and attack the talent. Who would want that headache?

 

Add to that the pointless 1515 move that still stuck CBS in a windowless studio and ABC eventually retreating to the safety of the second floor, because pedestrianization of Times Square now means you have to deal with multiple headaches outside the Naked Cowboy, the cavalcade of unlicensed characters and the 'unwashed masses', which especially after Tony Dokoupil's interview with Ta-Nehisi Coates...yeah, you'd be questioned deeply if you wanted to send him and Gayle out to do a cooking segment on the Square.

 

It's also so damned bright now with all the signage and is probably a nightmare to light/shoot around because ad screens are on 24/7 rather than just still images lit only at night (my trip to Times Square last year was on a drab and rainy day and it felt like that block was lit like 30 car lots), so that was another reason CBS had to cover the windows and ABC's only Times Square shot is now just that one generic shot of the big screen. All of that is a reason TRL is no longer a thing too; it used to be you tolerated Limp Bizkit to get to see Britney Spears, but today's music 'stans' will try to derail a free event with an artist they hate in any way they can (and the reason for the hate is probably very banal).

 

Finally, most people are there just to get a picture with the talent, so once you get it...well, you're done. It's not 1998 any longer where it'll take a bit to get that picture from the lab. You got your TikTok/Instagram moment. Instant gratification. Why stick around? Outside the concert series, who wants to stand around watching a morning show backwards through a window you probably can't even see through, probably through loudspeakers which sound awful, and an outdoor uncovered plaza subject to rain, snow or cold? You'd be better off waiting for winter to get facetime on the skating rink wide shot or under the tree, where you know you won't get hassled by regular cops and side-hustle security guards.

[MediaZone4K 2237]

On 5/24/2025 at 10:55 PM, nathannah said:

The big problem is definitely the security needed these days; as Weeters said, it was interesting in 1994 when the worst folks you ever encountered usually posted their manifestos via the mail and everyone self-policed themselves. But once Columbine and 9/11 happened along with the Internet, stalkers, then just general distrust of mainstream media setting in, you had to block out those folks from getting on camera as a threat to the safety of others, so now outside set parts of the day you're looking at an empty window outside the Today studio where unless you brought the right sign or sob story to get in for a game or makeover on the 4th hour (or now, well pre-vetted ahead of time), there's no way you're appearing on-camera.

 

It's why the concept has just completely died locally outside of controlled weather decks and balconies; those stations just don't have the budget to provide security that NBC has, along with any idiot ready to yell 'FHRITP' and attack the talent. Who would want that headache?

 

Add to that the pointless 1515 move that still stuck CBS in a windowless studio and ABC eventually retreating to the safety of the second floor, because pedestrianization of Times Square now means you have to deal with multiple headaches outside the Naked Cowboy, the cavalcade of unlicensed characters and the 'unwashed masses', which especially after Tony Dokoupil's interview with Ta-Nehisi Coates...yeah, you'd be questioned deeply if you wanted to send him and Gayle out to do a cooking segment on the Square.

 

It's also so damned bright now with all the signage and is probably a nightmare to light/shoot around because ad screens are on 24/7 rather than just still images lit only at night (my trip to Times Square last year was on a drab and rainy day and it felt like that block was lit like 30 car lots), so that was another reason CBS had to cover the windows and ABC's only Times Square shot is now just that one generic shot of the big screen. All of that is a reason TRL is no longer a thing too; it used to be you tolerated Limp Bizkit to get to see Britney Spears, but today's music 'stans' will try to derail a free event with an artist they hate in any way they can (and the reason for the hate is probably very banal).

 

Finally, most people are there just to get a picture with the talent, so once you get it...well, you're done. It's not 1998 any longer where it'll take a bit to get that picture from the lab. You got your TikTok/Instagram moment. Instant gratification. Why stick around? Outside the concert series, who wants to stand around watching a morning show backwards through a window you probably can't even see through, probably through loudspeakers which sound awful, and an outdoor uncovered plaza subject to rain, snow or cold? You'd be better off waiting for winter to get facetime on the skating rink wide shot or under the tree, where you know you won't get hassled by regular cops and side-hustle security guards.

I understand some of your points. I don't think the streetside studio concept is a necessary trend across multiple stations especially on the local level with constrained budgets. I don't mind Today keeping the plaza however.

 

The W 49th street view being blocked by police is understandable as you said. The Rockefeller Plaza portion however is a lot more controled. Onlookers have to go through metal detection to enter the plaza and security reviews your signs before you walk on.

 

Today already does an occasional weather hit or concert series on the plaza so one or two interview segments out there weather permitting (to keep the plaza portion relevant) wouldn't hurt.

 

 

Sidenote: GMA's in-studio audience experience was better. There are security guards in the audience monitoring everyone,  there's a hype man in the crowd between commercial breaks, and you can actually hear the audio of the anchors and guests speaking. It's more controlled in that you have to book tickets (but people on standby in the audience who show up early can get in before you).

[TVLurker 217]

10 hours ago, MediaZone4K said:

The W 49th street view being blocked by police is understandable as you said. The Rockefeller Plaza portion however is a lot more controled. Onlookers have to go through metal detection to enter the plaza and security reviews your signs before you walk on.

 

Today already does an occasional weather hit or concert series on the plaza so one or two interview segments out there weather permitting (to keep the plaza portion relevant) wouldn't hurt.

 

I think the boat sailed around the time when Ann Curry was gaslighted out of Today and when Trump became president in 2016. The peak of the plaza was in 2012 during the 60th Anniversary of Today. That was the last time the show really valued the plaza and the initial legacy of the streetside studio.

 

I don't think anybody really values or cares about the plaza anymore except for the diehard Today fans. The main show has been split into 3 distinct shows. The main show, the 3rd hour and the last hour. I understand that morning shows aren't really the hot commodity they used to be but damn I can't believe Today is just two hours long now.

 

How is Today with only two hours, 3 distinct versions, significantly low viewership compared to even 2012 and a lower budget supposed to incorporate a plaza of people, the sole thing that was a defining feature, into its format?

 

Al Roker doesn't even interview random people in the plaza anymore so what's the point of keeping the plaza and incorporating it into the Today show?

 

As much as I want the plaza to stay, I feel like there will come a point in time where the plaza will be retired. I know they will celebrate the plaza's history and final day with a bang at least considering how important it is to the show's history in the 50s and 90s but after that, will anybody really miss the plaza?

[MorningNews 1483]

We’re veering off topic here but I’ll add that I think a lot of these points are extremely valid and the primary one is just that the window on the world doesn’t attract the same hype it once did, similarly to the morning shows themselves.

 

I walk by Today pretty often on my way to work and the size of the plaza crowd these days vs 5-10 years ago is a stark sign of the times. 

[Action Newsroom 1299]

Reading those above posts, I can see why CBS Mornings didn't fully embrace its Times Square location. Security concerns, dwindling audiences across the street, no-longer prime location. I know it doesn't matter to anyone else, but I really get it. 

[Yayan4155 28]

JUST FOR REMINDER: After taking the role as a anchor and managing director a decade ago in June 2015, tonight will be the last day of Lester Holt anchoring NBC Nightly News.

[Yayan4155 28]

 

[Yayan4155 28]

For those lived in East Coast, the final edition of NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt is aired NOW. The video will soon be appeared at the end of the broadcast.

[MorningNews 1483]

Great retrospective of Lester’s NN tenure, it’s hard to believe 10 years has flown by since he was elevated from weekends. He’s always been one of my favorites. 

[GraphicsMan 128]

I remembered when he did the show from Durham NC my mom was there a took a picture of him. They did the show by the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. He also did a broadcast from Fayetteville he even anchored a special report from there. Tom Llamas cannot compare to Holt although great, he will have to craft his own style and battle David Muir in the ratings. Lester was able to be strong second to ABC can Llamas stay the way in being a strong second or be a distant second, ofc they’ll never be in third place. But they sure could be a distant second.

[Yayan4155 28]

The official teaser image of NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas is here. When Llamas takes over Lester's role on June 2, it will be the first time a presenter came from a college graduate (specifically Loyola University) since Brokaw, because two predecessors (Brian Williams and Lester Holt) are college dropouts and did not receive a degree, not even Brokaw's predecessor (John Chancellor).

Edited Saturday at 03:25 PM by Yayan4155

[Yayan4155 28]

The full video of final day of Lester Holt anchoring NBC Nightly News:

 

For specific segment: 

 

[TheNewsTV 257]

Lester Holt's farewell was also featured on...
CBS Evening News.  With a tribute from Maurice DuBois to his closing phrase every night.

 

 

 

[GraphicsMan 128]

23 hours ago, Yayan4155 said:

The official teaser image of NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas is here. When Llamas takes over Lester's role on June 2, it will be the first time a presenter came from a college graduate (specifically Loyola University) since Brokaw, because two predecessors (Brian Williams and Lester Holt) are college dropouts and did not receive a degree, not even Brokaw's predecessor (John Chancellor).

Lowkey starting to think and I talked about this in a Reddit forum but I got my first tv job when I was in college and I dropped out. I’m starting to think you don’t need a degree for journalism or at least you don’t have to study it, some of the best journalist didn’t even study it they studied another genre than went into journalism. For example Tom Brokaw studied political science not journalism, I’m not saying going to school for journalism is important I’m not saying that but obviously people have back doored their way into TV News. Another example people have back doored there way into tv weather apparently you can get a metrology certificate (which is a degree without the Gen Eds) from Miss State and do the AMS exam and become a metrologist I’d didn’t know that I thought you had to get the 4 year degree. Even Al Roker didn’t go to school for metrology he majored in communications to be a journalist, he in a way back doored his way to weather. Again not saying j-school isn’t important that of course that’s traditional way but some journalist I’ve watched didn’t take that route.

Edited 23 hours ago by GraphicsMan

[MediaZone4K 2237]

13 hours ago, GraphicsMan said:

Lowkey starting to think and I talked about this in a Reddit forum but I got my first tv job when I was in college and I dropped out. I’m starting to think you don’t need a degree for journalism or at least you don’t have to study it, some of the best journalist didn’t even study it they studied another genre than went into journalism. For example Tom Brokaw studied political science not journalism, I’m not saying going to school for journalism is important I’m not saying that but obviously people have back doored their way into TV News. Another example people have back doored there way into tv weather apparently you can get a metrology certificate (which is a degree without the Gen Eds) from Miss State and do the AMS exam and become a metrologist I’d didn’t know that I thought you had to get the 4 year degree. Even Al Roker didn’t go to school for metrology he majored in communications to be a journalist, he in a way back doored his way to weather. Again not saying j-school isn’t important that of course that’s traditional way but some journalist I’ve watched didn’t take that route.

Was thinking this myself. Journalism has a broad enough skill set where one can study adjacent subjects like English, law, or political science and enter the field.

 

I supoose that broad skill set is why the industry pays so low. Writing articles or conducting interviews are perhaps not considered specialized enough for high pay compared to medicine, law or skilled trade jobs.

 

Furthermore, a lot of training for journalism happens on the job which deemphasizes the formal education necessity. Most colleges do not teach broadcast skills like teleprompter reading, voice modulation or even how to edit packages. They simply teach standards of journalism, writing structure and how to craft print/web stories. 

 

Journalism is also a field where anything more than a masters degree, or attending a high status college aren't necessary. While the degree gets you in the door, skills like pitching stories, having robust contacts, and your on camera personality appearance and sound, is what carries you furthest.

Edited 9 hours ago by MediaZone4K

[Yayan4155 28]

Here's some interview from many news outlets regarding preparation of Llamas role as a new anchor of NBC Nightly News.

Variety:

https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/tom-llamas-nbc-nightly-news-anchor-evening-news-battle-1236415217/

 

Deadline:

https://deadline.com/2025/06/tom-llamas-nbc-nightly-news-plans-anchor-1236413346/

 

USA Today:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2025/06/01/nbc-nightly-news-anchor-tom-llamas-interview/83947990007/

On 6/1/2025 at 1:47 AM, TheNewsTV said:

Lester Holt's farewell was also featured on...
CBS Evening News.  With a tribute from Maurice DuBois to his closing phrase every night.

 

 

 

I expect someone from ABC may doing something similar for Llamas when he takes over the role as a anchor of NBCNN tomorrow, given that he was previously worked with Disney-owned network for almost 7 years.

[GraphicsMan 128]

10 hours ago, MediaZone4K said:

Was thinking this myself. Journalism has a broad enough skill set where one can study adjacent subjects like English, law, or political science and enter the field.

 

I supoose that broad skill set is why the industry pays so low. Writing articles or conducting interviews are perhaps not considered specialized enough for high pay compared to medicine, law or skilled trade jobs.

 

Furthermore, a lot of training for journalism happens on the job which deemphasizes the formal education necessity. Most colleges do not teach broadcast skills like teleprompter reading, voice modulation or even how to edit packages. They simply teach standards of journalism, writing structure and how to craft print/web stories. 

 

Journalism is also a field where anything more than a masters degree, or attending a high status college aren't necessary. While the degree gets you in the door, skills like pitching stories, having robust contacts, and your on camera personality appearance and sound, is what carries you furthest.

Yeah after my little stint working for KMSG MY53 News at 8pm in Fresno I figured out I don’t like this industry too much. Yeah I was fortunate to get a job and I have a reel so if I want to comeback into I can get hired. But it funny how easy you can backdoor this profession. 
 

Shoot my mom is teaching me AP format. But I lost my passion for this industry and the Reddit forum I was in was full of Debbie downers and honestly I accepted that, I just looked at myself in the mirror and said screw this. Though I enjoy talking about it that’s why I’m in this fandom. But the thing I will say is my boss Austin Reed who now in Yakima-Tri Cities market really taught me a lot he taught me how to put together a package what is a vsot is, he taught me how to pitch stories he even gave me the freedom to do whatever news story I wanted. I did a story on the NH primaries, he told me everything about local news answered all my questions. I’ll be forever grateful for that. We don’t talk as much anymore but he was a blessing. He was also very defensive of the broadcast as a lot of people including some people on this forum who I won’t name constantly demonized the broadcast, criticism was alright we had a lot to improve but some weren’t nice we did the best with what we had we had cheap owners that really didn’t want to invest in the product and abruptly fired us for no reason shoot I was on vacation when I got laid off but we managed to put out a good product every day Monday-Friday for an hour. We even bested a competitor newscast. Btw one of my colleagues Eric Walker who also had no education background and also worked for Austin is now doing news in Boise, Idaho, now I considered applying to some news jobs and putting my reel after I saw him get that job but honestly I don’t really wanna leave home. I tried finding jobs in my states small markets, not the major city markets but they weren’t hiring. So currently I’m back in university to study something else. But that job was a dream come true. If you have any questions about the experience message me.

Edited 6 hours ago by GraphicsMan

[TVLurker 217]

@GraphicsMan I've grown to appreciate Austin Reed. A lot us in this forum thought he was some hotshot who bragged but had no talent, that was based off of seeing a newscast with a very low budget and weird music choices, especially during the weather segments. I still remember Sexual Seduction by Snoop Dogg playing in the background while a weather map of Fresno was shown.

 

I and others were shocked with Austin Reed made an account a few years back to address criticism of the newscast that was airing at the time, he was really annoyed and frustrated with his initial posts but what struck me was that he wanted to take the profession seriously and even made attempts to make the newscast better in the process taking our criticism to heart.

 

It's sad that the newscast was canceled by the station due to factors like them wanting the station to make a huge profit. They did not care about the product at all and only saw you as filler that was immediately made irrelevant when the station decided to fire the people who made the newscasts.

 

Terrestrial TV is on life support at this point in time. I have ideas on how to run a terrestrial television network in a way that can actually stand up to not only the other TV networks but to streamers as well. Like how the TV networks valued streaming over a terrestrial television network, I would value terrestrial television over streaming with my terrestrial television network.

 

Even I am having doubts that nothing anybody could do would make a difference in the terrestrial television medium we grew up with. With any company you must pump absurd amounts of money to get results and the results don't work then your company starts to fail and when your company starts to fail you become broke and you are forced to get another job that is lesser than the company you once ran. I still carry on this idea because even if it doesn't really pan out, I would at least like an opportunity to prove that the terrestrial TV model is still viable as a medium.

 

If you're asking, none of my plans involve a streaming service or a film studio. Those combinations worked well initially but soon became ultra disruptive to the point where the only content you will find that's good is on a streamer that you have to pay a monthly fee for and you can't even share the accounts with other households for the sole purpose of making people give them more money. Having either a streaming service or a film studio to me is ultimately detrimental when it comes to traditional TV.

 

ABC, NBC, CBS and even FOX get less attention when it comes to content and investment and their owners also own a streaming service and/or a film studio, it's is also more absurd that we do not have traditional TV transmitting their content in 4K60 with HDR and Dolby Atmos which is part of the ATSC 3.0 standard. It's all reserved for the streamers and a lot of movies that are on Fandango at Home. I'm tired of seeing other countries broadcast traditional TV in 4K60 with HDR and Dolby Atmos, we are the United States of America for crying out loud, why are we stuck on a standard that was first developed around the millennium and has never really substantially improved after. TV is stuck at 1080i/720p with 5.1 surround sound and some 480p/i channels that may or may not broadcast in widescreen and it's just pathetic at this point. 25 years of ATSC 1.0, even the NTSC standard that was introduced in the mid 40s/late 50s was able to have color in the 60s, stereo sound in the 80s and surround sound and closed captioning in the 90s. That analog standard has managed to have more innovation than ATSC 1.0 and it's lasted longer than even ATSC 1.0 and that transmission format is still going.

 

I'm sorry for going off topic, so yeah... It's really terrible what happened to you. The broadcasting industry has become absolute shit, all the consolidation that went on was crazy and it's possible the current FCC could actually allow more shit mergers that reduce choice until there's a few left. Scripps is on it's last legs and was the first channel group to do lazy automated newscasts which Sinclair and Bryon Allen soon starting doing. TEGNA is still doing a lot of local programming, Grey is still taking care of it's stations and even Nexstar is doing some positive things with WPIX, WGN and KTLA and even KRON which was at one point the least watched station in San Francisco due to Young Broadcasting's ridiculous mishandling of the station.
 

Those station groups may not have started to automate their newscasts but it's getting to a point where they're considering it. Every broadcast group also has to deal with the networks reverse compensation fees that have grown to values that don't really represent each network's value and also have to fear about a plan B if any network decides to leave traditional TV entirely for greener pastures like their own streaming service. The impending ESPN streaming service that will contain every bit of ESPN including the live sports is seen as a benefit by cable TV companies but harmful for cable TV itself. Nexstar and others rely on retransmission fees that both often create disputes around and things will get to a point where cable TV companies will have every bit of control when it comes to rejecting what TV channels get to be on it's systems, that includes Nexstar which has a cable channel called NewsNation of which is profitable now but in the long term is unviable solely cause the channel relies on retransmission fees that cable companies have to pay as part of deals with Nexstar that use local stations as a bargaining chip.

 

Call me crazy but I really believe that in a year or shorter, the landscape will change in a way unseen since the 1994 New World affiliation deal except there's no real winner here. There is going to be one broadcast network that will call it quits thus leading the way for others to follow eventually, there will be a lot of TV station closures that will ultimately be worse then CHCH and CKX combined, there will be a slim number of broadcast groups with Scripps, Sinclair and Bryon Allen eventually going bye bye and a small number of mergers that ultimately create monopolies similar to radio groups like iHeartMedia and Audacy.

 

In short, it is really going be a shitstorm out there. I hope Austin Reed makes it out okay, he really has his heart set on the TV journalism profession. I also apologize for those who had to read those long nerdy paragraphs.

Edited 1 hour ago by TVLurker