WPLG & ABC Parting Ways

[Greggo 384]

Ok, yes … their “World News” is cringey. Comical in its attempts to emulate ABC. And the anchor is totally trying to sound like Muir, which is just sad. I didn’t think it would be this bad.

[Weeters 2173]

Not sure why we're collectively shitting on the World News broadcast... It's pretty impressive for a local station.

 

I'm usually quick to denounce the "more news" mindset that has infected local television, but I understand what the goal is here. Yes, it's "more news", but it's replacing a network newscast and going up against network news. They're trying something that's not just the same local stories from 30 minutes ago run on a loop. It's different, and we should be celebrating that.

 

 

[Encore 323 79]

2 hours ago, WhoCares2 said:

Affiliations will be a thing of the past in the next 5 to 7 years.

You do have a point because the networks can just create their own O&Os if they absolutely want to and we’ve seen it before with how NBC bought WBTS, KNTV, and WTVJ outright when the former affiliates WHDH, KRON, and WSVN said NO to astronomical rates. In addition to that, all networks have streaming services so most station affiliations are almost irrelevant anyway.

[l_miro 245]

5 hours ago, Jase said:

 

Isn't WDFL a virtual channel? Wild guess, but that could be the/a reason why it's not featured. Aside from WSVN being the more 'known' brand, if you will, of the two.

 

No WDFL is a low power UHF station.

 

They're just renting their dot 1 channel to get OTA HD capacity for ABC since 7.2 is at its limit, and small bonus being UUH and easier to pickup with antenna 

[l_miro 245]

6 hours ago, WhoCares2 said:

Affiliations will be a thing of the past in the next 5 to 7 years.

 

Probably take 5 years off that prediction now that ABC was the first to jump. 

 

Even Les Moonves when he ran CBS, far back as 2010-2012, had a CBS network feed ready in case an affiliate got too uppity during negotiations.

 

If im not mistaken he said publicly that his preference is direct CBS network feed to Comcast, Charter etc, no affiliates needed

[MorningNews 1711]

4 hours ago, Greggo said:

Ok, yes … their “World News” is cringey. Comical in its attempts to emulate ABC. And the anchor is totally trying to sound like Muir, which is just sad. I didn’t think it would be this bad.

I’m sure the goal is to provide an option for viewers who would be used to seeing WNT air at that time. As seamless a transition and change as possible for viewers would be the goal. 

[EricTheEnthusiast 42]

1 hour ago, l_miro said:

 

No WDFL is a low power UHF station.

 

They're just renting their dot 1 channel to get OTA HD capacity for ABC since 7.2 is at its limit, and small bonus being UUH and easier to pickup with antenna 

 

Pretty sure WDFL is on RF11 at 3 kW. WSVN is running 7.1 and 7.2 in HD, with only 2 other SD subs. They can put more resources at .1 and .2 now that they don’t host the 2 WPLG subs, as well.

[tyrannical bastard 4676]

1 hour ago, MorningNews said:

I’m sure the goal is to provide an option for viewers who would be used to seeing WNT air at that time. As seamless a transition and change as possible for viewers would be the goal. 

Got to give them credit for attempting to separate local and news stories.  Usually non big 3 stations stick these after the "A block" and run them throughout the rest of the show.

 

I would imagine they still have CNN as their provider?

[Georgie56 3661]

26 minutes ago, tyrannical bastard said:

Got to give them credit for attempting to separate local and news stories.  Usually non big 3 stations stick these after the "A block" and run them throughout the rest of the show.

 

I would imagine they still have CNN as their provider?

 

Yep, they are still using Newsource.

[MediaZone4K 2661]

12 hours ago, Hometown News said:

 

That looks like it was thrown together 5 minutes before the station went on air.

While WSVN's current package is better than what it's had in years past, and while they differ from the overdone flat white box L3s, 7's graphics always look overly animated video gameish. It looked OK in the early 2000s, it sometimes looks iffy now. 

 

I believe they are moving facilities in the next few years, hopefully the News Plex gets a better with upgrade warmer less pale fluorescent lighting. The pre 2000 newsplex was the best iteration of the set they ever had.

 

The team, especially Craig Stevens, seems very excited to have this affiliation. Genuine question, how was it affordable for WSVN to pick up ABC when WPLG couldn't?

 

[l_miro 245]

1 hour ago, MediaZone4K said:

The team, especially Craig Stevens, seems very excited to have this affiliation. Genuine question, how was it affordable for WSVN to pick up ABC when WPLG couldn't?

 

 

it adds to WSVN/Sunbeam bottom line for the mere cost of broadcast gear and probably a couple of syndication packs, and a few bucks to Findal to air it on 18.1

 

ABC, "allegedly", keeps all or most of the retrans fees, probably negotiates it on its own too.

 

WSVN gets to double commercial airtime, and sells it also on behalf of ABC, for a fee. 

 

Basically, Sunbeam is now selling 7News at 5 etc ad time twice, for $800-$3000 each, without having to run a second newsroom.

 

Edit: Actually, Sunbeam now have double the ad inventory in any time slot not filled by ABC network programming. The rest is split with ABC, or they sell ad time for them and get 15% customary ad sales fee. 

Edited August 5, 2025 by l_miro

[alaskanews 159]

9 hours ago, Weeters said:

Not sure why we're collectively shitting on the World News broadcast... It's pretty impressive for a local station.

 

I'm usually quick to denounce the "more news" mindset that has infected local television, but I understand what the goal is here. Yes, it's "more news", but it's replacing a network newscast and going up against network news. They're trying something that's not just the same local stories from 30 minutes ago run on a loop. It's different, and we should be celebrating that.

 

 

I get the business intent of doing a straight knockoff of ABC WNT - it's what viewers expect on that channel at that hour and they only had a few months to pull it together with little to no capital investment - but I think I'm still a little shocked that it is really that much of a knockoff. I gave up trying to believe TV news is driven by an actual strategy when I left the business almost a decade ago, but one would think this program slowly develops its own identity which makes watching worthwhile. Not all knockoffs are equal. Will this be Kirkland Signature World News or Great Value?

[24994J 5888]

49 minutes ago, alaskanews said:

I get the business intent of doing a straight knockoff of ABC WNT - it's what viewers expect on that channel at that hour and they only had a few months to pull it together with little to no capital investment - but I think I'm still a little shocked that it is really that much of a knockoff. I gave up trying to believe TV news is driven by an actual strategy when I left the business almost a decade ago, but one would think this program slowly develops its own identity which makes watching worthwhile. Not all knockoffs are equal. Will this be Kirkland Signature World News or Great Value?

 

This is my problem. I have no issue with a national/international-focused show that deviates from the endless hours of local, but damn. It's uninspired and lazy, and setting themselves up for potential legal action if they don't tone down the ABC beef.

Edited August 5, 2025 by 24994J

[JRyan 694]

I say give WPLG a chance with its World News broadcast.  I appreciate that they didn't just throw in a syndicated show or another standard newscast - which they certainly could've chosen to do instead.  The fact a local station is making an attempt at a broadcast like that to begin with deserves a chance.  Personally I believe there is an audience that wants an alternative to what the networks currently offer at 6:30 but still having a national/international focus.

 

Also, their World News show has only been on the air one day so far.  With time I'm sure they will refine it and make any necessary changes to improve on a solid idea.  Branding wise, I personally think the music needs to be changed out.  Graphics are very solid however.

[MicFlag 33]

Why do I see so much complaining about this? This is great for local viewers. It’s a good, old-fashioned shakeup. The stations are forced to kick it up a notch and compete again. Things got stale. Even the networks are going in for the fight. NBC has sent Tom Llamas to South Florida to anchor this week. They’re getting creative again, duking it out for viewers and talking directly to the viewers. It’s not just adding some new jumpbacks or new drone vid, or sharpening the hues a bit on the news opens, or God forbid the expense of a new graphics package which would have to be adopted by all corporate stations. They’re trying new things, taking risks, in Miami. The public wins.

[mre29 1967]

1 hour ago, MicFlag said:

Even the networks are going in for the fight. NBC has sent Tom Llamas to South Florida to anchor this week.

 

Rather conveniently, Llamas is actually from the Miami area, so this is likely a working vacation for him and NBC doesn't have to make up an official reason for his anchoring from there that doesn't mention ABC or WPLG.

 

[TheRolyPoly 3510]

Belkys and Craig on GMA's Miami Tour: Day 2.

 

 

[GraphicsMan 345]

And what CBS doing… well nothing as usual.

[TheRolyPoly 3510]

GMA Miami Tour: Day 3.

 

This time, its Lynn Martinez and Joe Roetz (the weeknight B-team) joining in on the fun.

 

(Off-topic: NBC Nightly News is also in Miami this week so Miami, my backyard, is in the national spotlight for sure).

 

 

Edited August 6, 2025 by TheRolyPoly

[GraphicsMan 345]

1 hour ago, TheRolyPoly said:

GMA Miami Tour: Day 3.

 

This time, its Lynn Martinez and Joe Roetz (the weeknight B-team) joining in on the fun.

 

(Off-topic: NBC Nightly News is also in Miami this week so Miami, my backyard, is in the national spotlight for sure).

 

 

The business of affiliation switches, again CBS isn’t doing anything to try to get viewers during this time of confusion and chaos for viewers they should want some windfall from this. I don’t think they’ll ever be a switch ever again, Miami is gonna just have the unique distinction of being a major market where a station carries 2 affiliations. The winner really is Sunbeam and WSVN this mean more money for them in terms of profit and ad revenue so there gonna keep this for a long time. And eventually they’ll probably buy WDFL the station that helping relay this new ABC signal.

[Hometown News 127]

On 8/5/2025 at 9:17 AM, MediaZone4K said:

While WSVN's current package is better than what it's had in years past, and while they differ from the overdone flat white box L3s, 7's graphics always look overly animated video gameish. It looked OK in the early 2000s, it sometimes looks iffy now. 

 

I don't mind the graphics in a vacuum, they're more inspired than what WHDH has and certainly better than the dull "flat design" that 99.9999% of newscasts are using these days. My point is that the flat ABC logo doesn't match the glossiness of the rest of the package, so it looks like a lazy copy-paste job. It's also strange and potentially confusing for viewers that it's only the ABC logo without the Miami wordmark.

 

And truthfully, as a major network affiliate in a top 20 media market, it seems a bit cheap for WDFL to be using the exact same graphics as WSVN anyway. Hopefully once the new station is more established they'll start to give it more of its own identity.

Edited August 6, 2025 by Hometown News

[TheRolyPoly 3510]

13 minutes ago, Hometown News said:

And truthfully, as a major network affiliate in a top 20 media market, it seems a bit cheap for WDFL to be using the exact same graphics as WSVN anyway. Hopefully once the new station is more established they'll start to give it more of its own identity.

 

As long as it remains a simulcast in terms of news, there's no way that would happen.

[mre29 1967]

18 hours ago, GraphicsMan said:

And what CBS doing… well nothing as usual.

 

WFOR? Probably hoping Skydance doesn't sell them to Nexstar (or worse).

 

[NYAZSporty 196]

6 minutes ago, mre29 said:

 

WFOR? Probably hoping Skydance doesn't sell them to Nexstar (or worse).

 

I think he's more talking about CBS in terms of preparing WUPA in Atlanta to affiliate with them, don't think they'll be getting anywhere near the same kinda red carpet treatment that ABC's given to WSVN 7.2 & they're going to be a network O&O too!!!

Edited August 6, 2025 by NYAZSporty

[GraphicsMan 345]

13 minutes ago, mre29 said:

 

WFOR? Probably hoping Skydance doesn't sell them to Nexstar (or worse).

 

If WFOR is sold to Nexstar I will personally fly to New York and have the bosses at CBS get there heads checked.