Greggo

KXAN/Austin is expanding its 430p newscast to a full hour this week. Jennifer Sanders will anchor, in addition to adding the noon news to her duties following Friday’s departure of Amanda Dugan. First-run Jeopardy and Daytime Jeopardy will air at 3p and 330p. (First-run Jeopardy had been airing at 4p on KXAN.) Dr. Phil, which had been airing at 3p, slides to 2p, and displaced Rachael Ray gets bumped to 3p on sister station KBVO (MyTV). Daytime Jeopardy had been airing at 530p on sister station KNVA (CW) and is being replaced by a 4th run of Family Feud. Family Feud will now air for 2 straight hours on KNVA: 5p to 7p.

Interesting news about the news in Dallas: The Spectrum News 1 North Texas feed will be simulcast over the air on Weigel’s KAZD. This will air around the clock, 7 days a week — except for a break on the weekends to show E/I programming. The financial arrangement isn’t entirely clear — is Spectrum paying Weigel or is Weigel paying Spectrum? I can’t see this getting many viewers, but who knows?!? https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2022/6/28/moving-from-cable-to-broadcast

KPRC in Houston recently posted a help wanted ad for their lifestyle show, “Houston Life,” that said it would expand in 2023. It’s already an hour, so it stands to reason it could soon be 2. 2 hours strikes me as a lot for a station the size of WALA.

I would have to go digging but they actually had a temp set not that long ago where they were essentially delivering the news in front of a black blanket. I couldn’t believe it. This was either under LIN or MG management. So this actually is a big improvement, if you can believe it.

This is the temp set. The lighting on some of the shots is horrid. Weather and sports are purely green screen. They said on air the studio — which is really small — will be doubled in size. Not really sure how they’ll do that. Having been in the building before, things are really cramped. In fact, several employees are in a building across the street. They were at a couple points in recent years looking to build a whole new facility … but clearly that’s not going to happen. Main anchor said during the 6p news the project will take “a few months.” Any bets on them get the infamous Nexstar corner set? And, yes, I agree they don’t need a new set. In Austin, KEYE is the station that desperately needs a new set. That thing has been around for about a decade now, with a few tweaks along the way. It has an outdated weather center that hasn’t been seen on the air in several years. And they had to cover up the skyline duratrans with a backlit blue checkerboard pattern because the skyline has changed so much.

They’ve been paying rent on it so I guess they finally decided they should put it to some sort of use instead of just flushing money down the drain. It was up for sublease for about five years and they had no takers. If they did a somewhat standard 20-year lease, they’re stuck there for about six more years.

Who is that VO guy?!? Awful!

Current 4p anchor Keith Garvin has been named main anchor at KPRC/Houston. He’s been with KPRC for 10 years and knows the market well. Keith will shift to the 5p, 6p and 10p shows, replacing Kris Gutierrez, who abruptly left a few months ago. No official word on who will take over at 4p, but I suspect current 11a and noon anchor Andy Cerota will add that show to his duties instead of reporting for the afternoon newscasts, like he does now. https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2022/06/08/keith-garvin-named-anchor-of-kprc-2s-evening-and-late-newscasts/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=snd&utm_content=kprc2&fbclid=IwAR34kdsOEU0lwe-giDjxXQw1UE5th_-JOwP0KPiHbdztrZaVk53XSkAZGNs&fs=e&s=cl

It appears those rumors from FTV and others about Sinclair moving KFDM/Beaumont to WOAI/San Antonio aren’t true. KFDM broke ground on a new building today, which will replace the current one, which has been condemned by the state as part of a freeway expansion project. KFDM is moving to the opposite side of town from where they are now. Building will open next year. https://www.facebook.com/79318758755/posts/pfbid02mSyNoF7zsEBMuX4VfAiEWTQVYNbpF29BtFuJzzRUqiQMzsEuamjvAX2dfgWTRGWVl/

The smooshed CBS4 logo behind the desk looks awful. If you’re gonna spend all that money, come on!

Considering it came right after the end of May sweeps, it may very well have been related to ratings.

So I guess this means KDVR’s morning show will come from the newsroom, like last time, since KWGN is also on at that time.

“Top Story” repeats took the place of overnight reruns of “Today with Hoda and Jenna” that NBC was offering stations. Not every station was carrying the “Today” reruns, but many were. Some stations aren’t running “Top Story” either, including KPRC in Houston, which airs a 2nd run of “Dr. Phil” instead. (The first run airs at 1p.)

Everyone be careful you don’t get “hepatits”

This is chef’s kiss! Way better than the crap opens other stations with this package are using. I especially like the lights on the tower at the beginning coming on one by one. Very creative. Not seeing the anchors after the open — just the video wall — is a little weird. They stayed on the wall when tossing to the reporter.