TVIntheDesert

I wonder if Citadel could make a swap with Michael Dell's "spectrum speculator" for the license of WLWC-28, move ABC there, then sell it. The "bad karma" of WLNE and that license will go away when the spectrum auctions begin, and ABC can make a somewhat fresh start in Providence.

Wow! Every owner WLNE has ever had in the past 30 years has been plagued with bad luck! No wonder Nexstar decided to pass on it. That station is CURSED!

Someone once posted this on YouTube several years ago, but I remember seeing a clip of a 1994 news open from then-independent station KKTM (now UniMas KFPH) in Flagstaff, AZ. (someone on this board should have the video somewhere in their collection). The animation reminded me of the open to the old DOS golf game "Links," with music that sounded like it was from an old Nintendo Entertainment System game. I believe the newscast was produced by Northern Arizona University's Journalism school. You can't make this stuff up.

News from Phoenix: It appears that KPNX has dropped the 12:30 "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" airing that leads out of news to add 30 minutes to "Arizona Midday," the "lifestyle" show produced by their Sales Department. I don't know if this is temporary until new programming takes place, but knowing how the Phoenix television stations operate, it probably will be permanent. That leaves 1pm as a daytime TV "graveyard" in Phoenix (KTVK has picked up "America Now" and KNXV airs "Right This Minute" - both low-budget syndicated product).

Stay classy, Scripps!

I'm sure KNXV has the most social media followers in the Phoenix market, but they're in last place where it really counts. It's strange how that works.

Standard Scripps procedure? KNXV had a dozen or so openings last year, including General Sales Manager and News Director (eventually, the GM hired an old cohort from KPNX to be GSM, but I'm not sure if he's still in that position).

A Scripps station actually investing in outside syndicated product? Call me surprised! However, watch their 5pm numbers drop sharply with "RTM" as a lead-in. My guess: "Katie" will be bumped to 3pm if "The Doctors" or "Rachael Ray" (both CBS Television Distribution shows) go away.

KFMB sure is doing a great job of ignoring their viewers on social media. First, the March Madness/"E/I" controversy, now this.

I'm taking a look at the properties of Patsy Smullin in Oregon, and KOBI/KOTI isn't even the biggest mess of them all. Looking at her FOX station in Eugene (as well as the co-owned low-powered MyNetworkTV station), the schedules of each are a hodgepodge of mismatched shows (the lead-in for the the evening showing of "Dr. Phil" on the MNT station is "The 700 Club", and the low-budget "Right This Minute" is an early-fringe show on KLSR FOX). KEVU-CD shares "Dr. Phil" and "Dr. Oz" with Fisher-owned KVAL, who also produces KLSR's newscasts. Not to mention, the Smullin stations in Eugene still sign-off overnight. I know she's probably holding on to the stations (at least KOBI/KOTI) because of heritage, but the Eugene stations could be better served by an owner such as Brian Brady.

I was always under the impression that KOBI/KOTI was the 800-pound gorilla in Southern Oregon. I guess those days are long gone. With Sinclair in the market (which is actually a good thing for a small market like Medford/Klamath Falls), it's time for them to either step up their game and look somewhat professional, or just accept they're going to be #3 forever. I won't doubt you on KDRV, they have a strong weekday lineup (weekends on the Chambers stations is a hodgepodge of infomercials and the Z-grade syndicated automotive show "Steel Dreams").

Chambers is only dominant in Eugene. They're an also-ran in Medford, behind mom-and-pop KOBI/KOTI (which looks the most small-market of all the stations there; I guess Southern Oregonians don't care about flashy news), and they gave up on KOHD a few years ago - the station's basically a satellite of KEZI anymore.

The KSWT waiver said they would move both KYMA and KSWT into a new location. Good luck at trying to find a modern facility in Yuma! What I think they'll end up doing is fitting both stations into KYMA's facilities (which seems to have the better technical plant of the two, given what I've seen of both stations) for the time being and find a way to upgrade local broadcasts to HD inexpensively.

I'm no fan of the spectrum speculators, either. But, on the other hand, they've grabbed stations that would never amount to anything otherwise (cases in point: KFFV Seattle, WTVE Reading). Yes, I'd rather see someone who wants to use the license to serve the community who DOESN'T want to make it a home shopping repeater buy these stations, but at least they're taking the incompetent owners out of broadcasting. And, those who own a loser station as an ego booster (I'm looking at you, Kevin Adell of WADL Detroit), you better watch out!

Landover is the latest in the line of "spectrum speculators," wanting to cash in on the upcoming auctions. The Mako LPTV's are, for the most part, leased out. http://www.landoverllc.com

I wouldn't be surprised if Sinclair is watching the Jim Rogers stations being sold at "fire sale" prices and is licking their chops towards putting in a bid for KSNV. But, I have a feeling Mr. Rogers will hold on to the Vegas station until his dying day. However, crazier things have happened this year.

Now that's got me thinking, WATN 2013 feels more like KTVK in 1993, with Harper and Tyree both there.

Plus, I don't care for the cheap-looking "virtual studio"/"Tricaster" look Brady's WICZ-TV has for its small-market news organization. I hope he doesn't bring that to KYMA.

I hope Brady doesn't gut KYMA's news department. I know Y/EC is a "fresh face" straight-out-of-journalism-school market, but KYMA still puts a somewhat decent product on the air (for small market standards) compared to KSWT, which looks like they're using cameras out of 1982 and still have the old logo on their mic flags. http://www.kswt.com/video http://www.kyma.com/

Brady's group had owned KTVZ (NBC) in Bend, Oregon, but sold it to NPG, who he will be competing with (or possibly teaming up with?) in Yuma/El Centro. He also had KZTV in Corpus Christi. That station was sold and operations were taken over by the NBC affiliate there. The Imperial Valley market may start to look more like the Corpus Christi market, with stations merging operations. I don't know how long Pappas will hold on to KSWT. That's an odd station for a struggling chain. Plus, that station has seen better days.