tyrannical bastard

I'll be curious to see what becomes of the Spectrum auction. There are lots of opportunities for frequency consolidation and for a shell to step up and "take over" a station or two. That's probably why Cunningham has a website and Deerfield looks to have one in the works....

Lest we forget the 2001 version of CNN Headline News... Sad thing, this is more worthwhile than the "Forensic Files"-fest it has become. Just like this classic KBBL-TV promo. https://g.redditmedia.com/1w0n6DOGjJzhh_P2ar8B0PMsIfoG8fT1KpMqiELLnYA.gif?w=480&fm=mp4&mp4-fragmented=false&s=575ba92ab3f13879732b9b3df9cd8518 "You're watching Channel 6, Springfield's home for Krusty the Clown, now on 3 times a day. Because at Channel 6, we got nothin' else!"

I'm thinking it's an ad grab. I've seen a barrage of 5 second billboards running on WKRG (bookending MANY of their breaks) with local sponsor logos plastered on them. They ran a package at 10pm by some reporter I've never heard of that gave a VERY generic overview of the behind-the-scenes of Super Bowl...i mean "Big Game" operations in Houston. Very generic and of little news value, IMHO. Mobile-Pensacola has little vested interest in this game, ESPECIALLY since WKRG and WFNA will not be airing it. FTVLive chronicles the poor crew having to use a mic flag for EVERY station that's taking part....which is probably everyone. http://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2017/2/2/super-bowl-nexstar-style

So how many Nexstar markets are carrying this "Big Game" tailgate special? Other than Texas, around New England or Atlanta, or a FOX affiliate, it seems like a power play for them to throw their weight around and sell the living daylights out of it...

There's hope on the streaming front..... KOLR/KOZL in Springfield, MO is now streaming their newscasts online and has a Roku channel! (that doesn't stream newscasts.....yet) It's livestream, so I am hoping and PRAYING that Nexstar doesn't screw that up for the acquired MG stations.... Watching a little of their newscast is like going back in time 10 years when HD was new, sets were made of fake wood veneer, graphics were gratuitous and flashy....and Arnold's "Signature"!!!! before SESAC sent his packages back to the clearance bin for Nexstar to pick up years later....

As far as I'm concerned, he's far better off showing off his tin foil hat to the 5 viewers of WGCL CBS 46 TV Atlanta than being picked up by a company like Sinclair that will make him another "must run" in their agenda....

Something interesting at WPMI in Mobile in how they're filling their long-vacant morning anchor slot. Meteorologist Kelly Foster is moving to the co-anchor slot with Darwin Singleton THREE DAYS a week, and doing weather the other two. Jake Dunne will be doing weather those three days when Kelly Foster is anchoring. http://www.lagniappemobile.com/foster-promoted-morning-anchor-local-15/ Maybe this is the stone that takes care of two birds...."replacing" Kelly Jones and fulfilling the "Pink Slip Express" quota. Several other people have left recently including Taren Reed and Modupe Idowu....and have seemingly yet to be replaced..probably to save $$$. Over on WEAR, longtime morning meteorologist Christian Garman left in December, but it sounds like it was on his own terms...but it wouldn't surprise me if they lowballed him with a cheap offer. http://weartv.com/news/local/garman-leaving-wear-tv

Chances are, we'll never see WKRG morph into "Local 5".... ...Because of Sinclair-run LOCAL 15! Are there any other markets where Nexstar has this problem? I would love to see Graham morph WSLS into "Local 10"!

Another MG news director leaving.... This time it's WNCN's Andrea Parquet-Taylor...moving up to the same job at KTVT. http://www.tvnewscheck.com/mobile/index/article/id/101001

And if the reheating of "Pizzagate" wasn't enough.... WGCL 46 CBS Atlanta's "embarrassment of the month" is at it again saying that ISIS was a creation of the government...And he needs $50,000 to tell us how! Here's the story from FTVLive http://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2017/1/25/atlanta-reporter-the-us-government-intentionally-created-isis I only hope that he signed a hell of a contract with Meredith so Sinclair doesn't get a hold of this wacko.....

Well...for anyone hoping that CBS pulls their affiliation from WGCL...you're out of luck for the next few years. CBS has signed a long-term affiliation with several Meredith stations

Sad news out of Dothan, Alabama. Connor Vernon, a longtime meteorologist in the market has passed away. http://www.dothanfirst.com/news/wdhn-meteorologist-connor-vernon-passes-away/643898190 He worked at both WTVY and WDHN as their Chief Meteorologist, as well as WSFA in Montgomery, WTXL in Tallahassee and KTBC in Austin.

Now that Media General has been consummated and the associated divestitures have taken place, that's probably been what's holding up the deal.

From the looks of things, things will be status quo, at least from a back-office perspective, until March 1st. Sort of ironic in that is also Ash Wednesday and the 40 days of Lent that follows. The final day is Mardi Gras, which is a MAJOR event in places like Mobile, coastal Mississippi and Louisiana. I don't know if WLFY goes all out for coverage that day, but WKRG does and has for years. Almost like a huge jazz funeral for Media General and the ensuing changes that could follow thereafter....

And WYTV gets passed along a FOURTH time as WKBN's surrogate. (New Vision/Parkin, Lin & Media General). The Vaughn Media shell lives on yet again... Technically, it was supposed to be separated back in December (2 years after the LIN merger occured) What gives?

...and Gray now has WBAY and KWQC.... I checked WBAY's page earlier and had Gray not come to terms with Dish (which they did), they would have been taken off. They had the warning their site which is now gone. The others divestitures look to be closed as well. I wonder in the Nexstar divestiture markets, what will become of the CrappyLocalSite.com's no longer under their control? God forbid they transfer to the NEW acquisitions....

It appears the sale has closed. RIP Media General. And say a prayer for anyone you knows that still works for them.....they're going to need it.

ConnectingThePineBeltToJackson.com

Pretty much. By default, WALA is the only major station in the market NOT run by Sinclair or soon to be owned by Nexstar. As soon as Nexstar gets foolish and starts cutting talent, changing graphics, and changes WKRG.com into something stupid like GulfCoastProud.com, it could be bad news for them.

WALA would be the clear beneficiary of WKRG/WFNA being run further into the ground by Nexstar. Sinclair's already done it with both WEAR and WPMI. The Sinclair meddling is not helping things AT ALL. As for WKRG/WFNA, with their GM leaving, it could be a clean slate there once they bring someone on board. I believe their new ND starts next week as well.

Another Media General GM is getting out while the getting is good. This time, it's Mark Bunting leaving WKRG & WFNA for the GM slot at WSFA in Montgomery... http://www.lagniappemobile.com/bunting-leaving-wkrg/

Anything like WKRC's package? If they start rolling it out, expect it on their key stations like WBFF and WSYX/WTTE first.

If Tegna wasn't in cutback mode as well, this could have set the stage for Bunyan and Peterson to return to WUSA.

Satire alert...... I just found out that WTOK in Meridian is launching a 40 minute newscast beginning at 4:20 every weekday anchored by recently paroled Charlo Greene and.....Larry Blunt! OK.... That's it for me....you've been great!

NewsON has FINALLY launched a website for streaming newscasts! http://www.tvnewscheck.com/playout/2017/01/newson-launches-ott-website-to-stream-local-news/