WPLG & ABC Parting Ways

[MediaZone4K 2664]

2 hours ago, Hometown News said:

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.

The Miami part I get.

 

As for the graphics, they're simulcasting so there would be no reason to differentiate the graphics.

[nathannah 2792]

No cited numbers (of course), but WPLG is spinning that they won most timeslots against 7.2 on the 4th (of course it's easy with J! And Wheel to still win 7 p.m.).

[MediaZone4K 2664]

Came here to ask what happened to Eden Chekol and I was surprised to see that she left. Sucks! She was good. 

 

In her absence veteran anchor Kristi Kruger is on alot more now. 

Edited August 7, 2025 by MediaZone4K

[GraphicsMan 345]

3 hours ago, nathannah said:

No cited numbers (of course), but WPLG is spinning that they won most timeslots against 7.2 on the 4th (of course it's easy with J! And Wheel to still win 7 p.m.).

Well there’s still a lot of confusion for one, number 2 WPLG is the one and only

[Hometown News 127]

5 hours ago, MediaZone4K said:

The Miami part I get.

 

As for the graphics, they're simulcasting so there would be no reason to differentiate the graphics.

 

Ah, that makes sense then.

[TheRolyPoly 3510]

GMA Miami Tour: Day 4.

 

This time, its WSVN Entertainment reporter and Deco Drive co-host Alex Miranda and boy, he knows his Miami.

 

 

[TheRolyPoly 3510]

GMA Miami Tour: Day 5

 

Its my Panthers who get the shine and for the finale today, its WSVN Sports Director Josh Moser with Victor Oquendo. No YouTube link for some reason so this is what you get.

 

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/video/124478092

[MediaZone4K 2664]

WTVJ has released a promo branding themselves as the stable station despite the changes in Miami tv. Ironically in the 80s and 90s they were the center of instability with the affiliation and channel dial swaps.

 

From IG, hopefully you can open:

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNDWs7WuQcB/?igsh=eGZiemNrZTU5NGpr

[SoFloTVClassics 1037]

Sorry, I missed the party. My phone that I had for so many years died. 

 

Anywho if you're wondering about the ratings way back on their first day as an independent check it out.

 

https://www.local10.com/news/local/2025/08/06/wplg-local-10-tops-abc-network-on-first-day-of-independence/

[MorningNews 1711]

4 hours ago, TheNewsTV said:

[This post has been deleted]

Is this legit? I know they were trying to make the transition pretty seamless for viewers but I didn’t realize they would be using the WNT theme. That is something for sure.

Edited August 27, 2025 by Weeters
Misinformation has been removed

[JJ2104 19]

No they didn't.

 

 

[MicFlag 33]

1 hour ago, TheRolyPoly said:

 

I think this is pre-recorded. I'm not sure how they do it because I was watching WPLG after the 6pm news on Sunday with Jacey Birch and Sanela Sabovic, and once the program closed, it immediately went to Glenna Milberg, already on the desk on the set for Local 10 World News, so my thinking is that its pre-recorded, unless the tease is recorded and the rest is live.

At two stations where I've worked, the bold opens were recorded 10 minutes prior to the show so retakes could be done in case something failed.

[TheNewsTV 342]

I apologize to everyone, it was just a montage and a joke, since everyone talks about the similarity between WPLG's World News and ABC's.

[Recovering Producer 410]

10 hours ago, JJ2104 said:

No they didn't.

 

 

Total rant here: the cognitive dissonance of TV news consultants telling anchors, reporters, producers, and writers (correctly) to write conversationally like you’re talking with a friend… But also, here’s the shining example of how you should write, which is an ABC World News Tonight cold open filled with dropped linking verbs, excessive false present tense, reversed sentences that sound like Yoda in Star Wars, and clunky urgency phrases like, “as we come on the air tonight” really is infuriating. 
 

And that Local 10 World News cold open does all of those things. It’s like they asked ChatGPT to replicate WNT. 

Edited August 27, 2025 by Recovering Producer

[abc7 Man 71]

Let’s make sure to mention ABC in the report 

 

 

[Rusty Muck 4688]

On 8/26/2025 at 10:45 PM, JJ2104 said:

No they didn't.

 

It's amazing anyone at the station thinks blatantly copying WNT's ridiculously long opening and aesthetics, right down to Louis imitating David Muir's delivery, is a good idea.

 

Someone actually signed off on this.

[TheRolyPoly 3510]

Yesterday was WPLG's first day as an Indie station carrying sports telecasts.

 

3pm was HBCU - Hampton at Jackson State (the latter won 28-14)

7:30pm was USL Super League - Fort Lauderdale United FC vs. Carolina Ascent FC (ended in a 2-2 tie)

[TheRolyPoly 3510]

I'm not aware of this until now, and this must be new, but WPLG now airs repeats of their 6:30, 10, and 11 pm newscasts overnight as a replacement for ABC World News NOW and ABC ATM.

 

Weekdays:

02:30-03:00 AM: Local 10 World News

03:00-04:00 AM: Local 10 News at 10:00

04:00-04:30 AM: Local 10 News at 11:00

 

Saturday mornings are the same except for the 11 pm repeat at 4:30 am. They don't do this on Sunday mornings, however, which is odd and weird, as they elect to air Comics Unleashed instead, except for the 11 pm repeat at 4:30 am.

[Recovering Producer 410]

For folks in South Florida: How does WSVN make it work at times when one or both networks has sports and the news may start at an odd time? 

 

For example, tonight the World Series is on FOX, and Monday Night Football is on ABC. I'm guessing they only have one control room capable of a full newscast in the current facility, and it is anyone's guess which network wraps sports coverage first ... so master control has to be extra nimble and flexible.

 

The logical solution is whichever network ends first gets a live newscast, and the other gets a tape delayed broadcast. But maybe they have a wild solution I can't think of.

 

 

(Next day edit: if asking this question caused the 18 inning baseball game that ended just before 3 am ET, my sincere apologies to anyone who is sleep deprived today!)

Edited October 28, 2025 by Recovering Producer

[alaskanews 159]

On 10/27/2025 at 7:04 PM, Recovering Producer said:

For folks in South Florida: How does WSVN make it work at times when one or both networks has sports and the news may start at an odd time? 

 

For example, tonight the World Series is on FOX, and Monday Night Football is on ABC. I'm guessing they only have one control room capable of a full newscast in the current facility, and it is anyone's guess which network wraps sports coverage first ... so master control has to be extra nimble and flexible.

 

The logical solution is whichever network ends first gets a live newscast, and the other gets a tape delayed broadcast. But maybe they have a wild solution I can't think of.

 

 

(Next day edit: if asking this question caused the 18 inning baseball game that ended just before 3 am ET, my sincere apologies to anyone who is sleep deprived today!)

I don't know the answer for WSVN, but I worked at a station in the Mountain time zone which would deal with this. 9pm news was pre-taped earlier in the evening for the secondary channel. As soon as football ended on the main channel the news went live with a shrink-to-fit show until the top of the hour when the live 10pm news started.

[l_miro 245]

On 10/27/2025 at 10:04 PM, Recovering Producer said:

For folks in South Florida: How does WSVN make it work at times when one or both networks has sports and the news may start at an odd time? 

 

For example, tonight the World Series is on FOX, and Monday Night Football is on ABC. I'm guessing they only have one control room capable of a full newscast in the current facility, and it is anyone's guess which network wraps sports coverage first ... so master control has to be extra nimble and flexible.

 

The logical solution is whichever network ends first gets a live newscast, and the other gets a tape delayed broadcast. But maybe they have a wild solution I can't think of.

 

 

(Next day edit: if asking this question caused the 18 inning baseball game that ended just before 3 am ET, my sincere apologies to anyone who is sleep deprived today!)

 

7News was on ABC18, but not on WSVN proper

 

Andrew Ansin was on Biz Journal's podcast recently. He shares how the WSVN/ABC deal came about.

 

• ABC approached them in August 2024, Sunbeam agreed but asked to simulcast 7News. From WPLG we know around that time ABC went silent and stopped negotiating but extended the contract.
• Ansin seems to suggest WSVN wasn't doing well financially before the ABC tieup, "and this way by simulcasting [...] a television business that was not doing very well, all of a sudden became significantly more profitable." Nothing specific but if WSVN, the top earning station in Miami for at least 2 decades isn't doing well financially, that means the other stations could be in a much worse financial situation!
• Later on mentions that now WSVN/ABC18 at 10PM often capture 60% of the people who watch the late news in the market. He doesn't clarify English or English and Spanish, if both then the rest of the 40% is split between 5 stations 
• Work has started on the new WSVN building. The precast walls will go up around early December 2025.
• He emphasied that the family is committed to WSVN, they see it as a service to the community, and suggests they will keep going even if it's little or not profitable at all. Ansin points to his mother who created the Miami City Ballet not to make money but to provide high art to the community. Sounds like they view WSVN in the same manner. He emphasises "the community" and non-profits.

https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1333-business-breakdown-with-b-273274022/episode/business-insights-from-the-america-forum-305962841/?position=687

Edited November 25, 2025 by l_miro

[mre29 1967]

Sounds like they plan on being the last station standing. More power to 'em.

 

[fl19ga114sc105 4]

About WSVN not doing as well with finances. There are several factors, such as do they pay reverse compensation to the network, what are the retains fees and does the network get a slice of that.
 

With WFOR and WTVJ they are network O&O stations so there is.no reverse compensation and all the retrans fees go right to the network owners. Basically what WSVN has now is more inventory for local ad spots like a typical duopoly.