rkolsen

Either last year or in 2013 Sinclair did overnight tests of DVB-T2 the standard in the UK. How ever one thing that makes me worried about the British style TV system is they only have six eight multiplex channels where different stations share the same multiplex. I wonder if that is by choice of Ofcom or limited availability. I do wonder if it was implemented here in the US would each station continue to have their own multiplex and avoid channel sharing? Could you imagine the picture quality if TV stations could use the full 40Mbps bit rate that some of the muxes have in the UK? If some station decided to only air one HD channel at 40Mbps that would be awfully close to the bitrates of BluRay (50Mbps)

And finally my response: https://twitter.com/rkolsen/status/554607089654697985 I guess the station didn't want to hamper the news starting a half hour earlier with a footnote stations the 7AM newscast is a goner. Come to think of it I believe this is the first time in a long time that they've cancelled a newscast. It seems like they are always adding, first the 7AM weekday show, then the weekday 10PM news, extending the 10PM new to run on weekend and finally a 4:30AM start time. In other news they are using a different voice over guy. It's still the same script but it's not Bill Ratner. I've heard this guy do various promos for the station and several short notice voice over packages (like last years Columbia mall shooting). The fact that it's a short turnaround makes me suspect they aw using one of their radio personalities to do voice overs.

Sorry for a second post in a row, I can't embed more than one tweet at a time. Here's Mindy Basara's quick response: https://twitter.com/mindywbal/status/554606988080857088

Do you happen to have the link to the WJCL deal as well? In other news with WBAL launching a 4:30 AM newscast I thought they would continue the 7AM newscasts on MeTV Baltimore. Today I was looking at my TiVo's guide and noticed that my guide listed the regular MeTV programming at that hour with That Girl at 7:00AM and I Love Lucy at 7:30AM. So I sent out a tweet to the anchors: https://twitter.com/rkolsen/status/554604793839505408

I wish during the digital switch over the manufacturers included MPEG 4 capability / the ability to run software upgrades so when we finally switch over to ATSC 3.0 there won't be another rush of people buying new adapters. Unfortunately the FCC wasn't thinking that far ahead and the manufacturers will want the influx of people buying new hardware to improve their bottom line.

Well almost four years after WMAR started their 4:30AM newscast a second Baltimore station is getting in the game, WBAL. Starting at 4:30 AM they will provide two and a half hours of local news on their main channel and an additional hour from 7:00-8:00 am on their digital sub channel, WBAL + / MeTV Baltimore. The additional newscast will launch on January 12 and consequently Early Today will .air at 4:00 AM. http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/82090/wbal-to-start-weekday-morning-news-at-430

Yes, the networks are often times willing to allow their picture quality / desired resolution slide over the air but has the option for them to transmit the 1080i image to cable & satellite if capable. For example Sinclair's KTVO, licensed to the Honeylands region of NE Missouri and SE Iowa is primarily affiliated to ABC and secondarily to CBS both of which broadcast over the air at 720p. Their affiliation agreement requires a minimum resolution of 704x480 (16:9) but has a clause stating that KTVO has the option to transmit the 1080i signal at bitrates up to 19.3 Mbps to cable companies. However rarely see the satellite companies take a direct fiber connection to the station rather they choose to pick up the signal over the air. I've seen this option with CBS & Telemundo sub channel stations.

Television stations in the US have a maximum capacity of 19.3Mbps in their transport stream. Most stations use variable bitrates meaning that if the main HD channel needs more bandwidth (like in during sports) they can fluctuate the streams bitrate there by making the sub channel use less. KOKH appears to use between12-15.8Mbps for their HD channel, which appears to be average. According to RabbitEars the average bit rate for a 1280x720p broadcast is 12.18Mbps. SD sub channels, regardless of aspect ratio generally average around 4Mbps. From what I've seen 720p looks great around 9-10Mbps, add in in two SD sub channels at 4Mbps a piece then your at your limit. But if Fox were to broadcast at 1080i anything below 13Mbps looks like crap. Generally networks write in specified parameters regarding bitrates in their affiliation agreements. Currently finding the parameters. Will post back later. NBC - Minimum 6Mbps / Nominal 9.1Mbps Cozi TV - Minimum 500Kbps / Nominal 3 Mbps CBS - Doesn't appear to have a minimum but they expect the maximum to be the full transport stream at 19.39Mbps

Someone commented that the news director wanted the reporter to do a story on that edited YouTube clip making it sound like she was told to do the story (which I guess is the ND's job to dole out assignments). I wonder if she was told to do the story using that specific clip and spin it a certain way by focusing in on "kill a cops" instead of "killer cops". As an anonymous insider told FTVLive "It was found by him [News Director], assigned by him and ultimately proofed by him." If not I would think it would be evident to me to go to the source, in that case C-SPAN (whose live content is TVEverywhere but archives are free) and find the original video just to do my due diligence. If the reporter couldn't find the clip in question on C-SPAN, I'm sure there are other sources she could went to like Fox News Edge, CNN Newsource, APTN and their own affiliate WJLA all of which would have some coverage of the event. Either way it sounds like the reporter and photographer were being scapegoated on an assignment that was handed to her by the news director who got a slap on the wrist with a one day suspension. In addition the producer to sent the news director the link of the video was suspended for two days.

I'm beginning to wonder if ABC wants a specific size ratio of their logos on the affiliates logo. It seems like the affiliates whose logos are circular all have similar proportions.

I would prefer that the local stations in my market relied on the AP wire, the local stations don't seem to summarize news as well. I think writing three sentences for a simple story is a bit excessive.

Vanessa Herring, most recently of WROC in Rochester, has since August been freelancing at WUSA in DC and WBAL here in Baltimore. Today she filed two reports for WBAL in there 11PM broadcast. Her first story led the broadcast was breaking news where she reported live from BWI airport about a Southwest Airlines flight which had a bird strike during take off which forced the pilot to declare an emergency and return back to the airport. The second was about a Ferguson protest in Annapolis where she interview the mayor. Then I discovered when looking at her twitter feed she covered a story at WUSA this morning but it didn't pan out. She was at the DC courthouse where a groper of a 12 year old girl was expected to go on trial, but the trial was delayed until next week. Consequently she didn't have a package but appeared in a short 28 second VOSOT during the noon news.

WBAL's Rob Roblin and his longtime photographer Ken Brown Sr are retiring next week. Rob Roblin has been with WBAL for 30 years and Ken Brown has been with WBAL since 1968. http://m.wbaltv.com/congratulations-to-rob-senior-on-career-well-done/30156798

None of these channel shuffles have taken place. The only change is WBFF 45.3 Bounce became affiliated with WMAR. ThisTV airs on 45.2. I take it since you cross posted this in Speculatron that these are your theories.

I thought that as well. I'm now thinking that Sinclair wants to go with someone familiar to viewers in the market to help them out of the ratings ditch. WJLA only became a Sinclair station in August and I doubt they have had much exposure to Kai.

Kai Jackson will be replacing Jeff Barnd for all of Fox 45's, WBFF, afternoon late evening newscasts starting January 19 at 4,5,10 and 11 PM. Kai Jackson will start at WBFF on air beginning January 4 after his non compete expires. Jeff Barnd will become Sinclair's Washington based national correspondent while Jennifer Gilbert will remain co anchor. http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/tv/z-on-tv-blog/bal-kai-jackson-wbff-returning-to-baltimore-anchor-at-fox-45-20141201-story.html (Cross posting to Out and About Thread)

Kai Jackson will be replacing Jeff Barnd for all of Fox 45's, WBFF, afternoon late evening newscasts starting January 19 at 4,5,10 and 11 PM. Kai Jackson will start at WBFF on air beginning January 4 after his non compete expires. Jeff Barnd will become Sinclair's Washington based national correspondent while Jennifer Gilbert will remain co anchor. http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/tv/z-on-tv-blog/bal-kai-jackson-wbff-returning-to-baltimore-anchor-at-fox-45-20141201-story.html (Cross posting to Sinclair Broadcast Thread)

Thanks now I got a good idea of how it looks.

I'm just having a hard time visualizing other areas / layout of the set and the studio. From one of the photos it looked like they had a plasma mounted cart in front of the windows. Is there anything there stopping them from doing that now or are the windows damaged? You know while WJZ is the step child of CBS it amazes me at how well they kept their set up over the last 16 years. I do realize they made some changes for HD like new news desks but it still looks good on TV (aside from the corner they do the morning show grok with all the tchotchkes which I don't care for.).

But is there any reason why they do not use the full studio?

Two things: How was the set before hand? How do the currently use the set as opposed to the way they could?

I wonder if this has to do anything with what's going on in Ferguson? I'd imagine ABC could force their hand to start a news operation. I would imagine the networks like having a "safety net" of sorts (in a major city) where if there is breaking news the affiliate could feed them initial video and information until their correspondent and crews arrive. My reason for saying this is during the Boston Marathon bombing ABC and NBC got a lot of information and at times carried coverage from WCVB, WHDH and NECN right after the bombs went off until the suspects were captured over the week.

It looks normal to me. It doesn't have the blocks that a normal Gannett promo has.

Sounds like ID, Investigation Discovery.

I hope they aren't broadcasting from the studio during lunch hour. Seeks rude to watch people eat and also rude when part of their ass is exposed. I'd imagine they would have what WABC does by having several blinds, one of which is a for a blackout, and the other few filters for letting some sun in and finally I'd expect a fully branded blind with their logo.