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Enjoy 4 NY while you can -- NBC to start 24 hr NY newschannel -- no more WNBC/4 id

sfomspphl

By sfomspphl
in New York News

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sfomspphl News Director

sfomspphl 490

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Reported in the NY Times today

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/08/business/media/07cnd-wnbc.html?ref=business

 

Will de-emphasize the identity of WNBC/4 in favor of a 'NBC New York Newschannel' identity. Don't see a place for the '4 New York' identity in this. Understand the platform-agnostic logic, but people still think of '4' first. Tough communication challenge.

WXmanTim News Director

WXmanTim 88

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Didn't WCBS try this once already with the "CBS 2 Information Network" thing?

 

All it really amounts to is doing more (news programming) with less (staff, resources, money). That's worked out really well for a certain station on the west coast, hasn't it?

JMG Assignment Editor

JMG 0

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Well WAGT has branded with the whole "NBC Augusta" thing for about a year now. Still, people in Augusta know them by NBC 26 or WAGT...but they completely phased out those identities, except for the calls in the IDs.

 

National trend? It's near possible. Most stations after 2009's switch may want to drop their analog channel number anyways since analog will be switched off.

Jess

Jess 1115

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I also think that the initial article went a little overboard with the suggestion.

 

What I read from it is that they're getting rid of the wnbc.com name for something like "nbcnewyork.com", and just using "NBC News New York" or something like that for the newschannel. The former is identical to how Fox swapped out the individual domains for its stations for the MyFox initiative, and the latter makes sense when you consider that this is probably going to be launched at the other NBC O&Os - and affiliates.

 

I don't see 4 New York going away here - actually, this probably is the reason for the abrupt move away from "NewsChannel 4".

 

If they do this right - and this is NBC, so it's in the "if" column - this could be a gamechanger for local news.

alaskanews News Director

alaskanews 113

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This seems like a really bad idea to me. NBC is essentially putting all of their chips on this plan. If it tanks, I don't see you recovering from it, it would be the final nail in the coffin for WNBC.

NYNews News Director

NYNews 54

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And just as everyone was getting use to "4 NY" again NBC shouldn't be messing with WNBC. They could have tried it out in the #2 market, but your messing with "the" WNBC-TV NEW YORK!. PLus more and more viewers are switching to DirecTV, which is 100x better than cable.

NYNews News Director

NYNews 54

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Off topic, but since you mentioned it:

 

BTW, what color should Hill's pantsuit be tomorrow? I'm thinking a light coral to say "I haven't lost yet -- but I'm pretty damn close."

 

She's gone too far to give up now. Those flip-flopping superdelegates have no back bones!

IceManNYR Station Group CEO

IceManNYR 240

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So will this new news channel be a sub channel of WNBC-DT or a Cable TV only service?

I noticed there was no mention of FIOS adding the channel, we don't get MSNBC either do to some contract they signed with Cablevision.

Vlad Station Group CEO

Vlad 325

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I'll reserve judgement until I see it on air, but it doesn't seem to be a wise move...

 

Not a wise choice at all. I personally don't like the sounds of it, I mean we've seen so many changes at WNBC already, sometimes its good to leave things aside for a while and let things take their course naturally. They've made so many changes this year it makes you wonder how much more can a viewer take. I know every station has its good and bad times, WABC had it in the 80s, WCBS had it in the mid 2000s and now WNBC is dealing it with now as we are ending the decade. Anyway I certainly hope that this is not successful because I really prefer WNBC the way they are right now and that change that they are gonna make doesn't seem to be something that anyone even the workers themselves will likely get used to...

TrfRptr Primary Anchor

TrfRptr 3

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So will this new news channel be a sub channel of WNBC-DT or a Cable TV only service?

I noticed there was no mention of FIOS adding the channel, we don't get MSNBC either do to some contract they signed with Cablevision.

 

 

From the NY Times article:

The channel will be shown on the digital tier of cable systems in the New York area, including Time Warner, Cablevision and Comcast. It is expected to begin in November.

 

++

 

The first paragraph says it the best, then Carter gets to (Times) fancy and really makes it confusing. It will be like NY 1, or News 12. Independent channels but this will have the NBC resources, they're just not going to say that.

 

Maybe when NBC makes the 'actual' announcement Thursday it'll be easier to understand.

 

Channel 4 is NOT going away, just being rebranded and retooled. The digital subchannel will be 24hr news with WNBC stories and personnel. Ch. 4 newscasts will be simulcast on the digital channel. So, in English they are making MSNBC2 for New York viewers.

Bsean Managing Editor

Bsean 149

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I also think that the initial article went a little overboard with the suggestion.

 

What I read from it is that they're getting rid of the wnbc.com name for something like "nbcnewyork.com", and just using "NBC News New York" or something like that for the newschannel. The former is identical to how Fox swapped out the individual domains for its stations for the MyFox initiative, and the latter makes sense when you consider that this is probably going to be launched at the other NBC O&Os - and affiliates.

 

I don't see 4 New York going away here - actually, this probably is the reason for the abrupt move away from "NewsChannel 4".

 

If they do this right - and this is NBC, so it's in the "if" column - this could be a gamechanger for local news.

 

Here in San Diego, KNSD's site has been nbcsandiego.com for many years. And, when you go by their studios, it says NBC San Diego. The station still hasn't rebranded itself as NBC San Diego, though I hope it does eventually. I have never liked the name "NBC 7/39," it's just too much to say.

Mrtraveler01 Station Group CEO

Mrtraveler01 738

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From the NY Times article:

The channel will be shown on the digital tier of cable systems in the New York area, including Time Warner, Cablevision and Comcast. It is expected to begin in November.

 

++

 

The first paragraph says it the best, then Carter gets to (Times) fancy and really makes it confusing. It will be like NY 1, or News 12. Independent channels but this will have the NBC resources, they're just not going to say that.

 

Maybe when NBC makes the 'actual' announcement Thursday it'll be easier to understand.

 

Channel 4 is NOT going away, just being rebranded and retooled. The digital subchannel will be 24hr news with WNBC stories and personnel. Ch. 4 newscasts will be simulcast on the digital channel. So, in English they are making MSNBC2 for New York viewers.

 

Why doesn't WNBC just do something like KNBC does with News Raw on one of their subchannels. I actually like that and it seems much easier.

 

BTW: The rebranding to NBC News New York does sound like a REALLY bad idea.

Guest Former Member 207

Guest Former Member 207

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Why doesn't WNBC just do something like KNBC does with News Raw on one of their subchannels. I actually like that and it seems much easier.

 

BTW: The rebranding to NBC News New York does sound like a REALLY bad idea.

 

I think that's essentially what they are going to do. KNBC's News Raw is still a work in progress, but I'm certain it's going to be retooled in the way that NBC is planning to do with WNBC's new digital newschannel.

moshewx AM Anchor

moshewx 19

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Wonder if this is why we haven't seen a News 4 New York logo, just a 4 New York logo. Back in the 1980s and 1990s they had a News 4 New York logo and in the mid 90s, when the 4 New York campaign was introduced, there was a News 4 New York and a 4 New York logo.

TrfRptr Primary Anchor

TrfRptr 3

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http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6558980.html

 

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6558430.html?industryid=47169

 

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121020499561275299.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

 

http://www.nypost.com/seven/05082008/business/24_hr__news_war_109857.htm

 

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman2/publish/Television_44/Coming_your_hyperlocal_TV_newscast.asp

 

 

My two cents after reading, they want to expand operations without adding more staff and only spending a few million to overhaul. Well, you can't make a bigger pizza without adding more toppings and dough so I don't see this working well.

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