atlnewsfan03

I'm kind of thinking that too. Even FTVLive reported that this stunt CBS has opted for is a "money grab". WCBS 2 NYC producing WUPA 69 Atlanta newscast, KTVT 11 DFW producing WKBD 50 Detroit newscast, and WFOR 4 Miami producing WTOG 44 Tampa Bay newscast. (1) Better scenario would've been having a competing station produce newscasts. Atlanta, having WSB 2 do WUPA newscast. Tampa Bay having WTSP 10 or WFTS 28 do WTOG newscast. Detroit, having WDIV 4 do WKBD newscast, if WWJ 62 relaunching news department isn't on CBS' agenda. (2) Another thing worth pointing out, CBS may not be exactly alone. Scripps is looking to start a WSFL 39 Miami newscast this year. And I'm kind of thinking that too is another money grab. It'll be interesting to see whether WSFL newscast will be produced by WPTV 5 WPB or WFTS 28 Tampa Bay.

I saw where AJC Radio and TV Talk picked up the story about CBS looking for to do local CW affiliate 10PM newscasts. https://www.ajc.com/blog/radiotvtalk/the-starting-hybrid-local-cbs-national-news-program-february/9ZyHFtJP9nOeDtCBfsL6YO/ I'd agree with others about Detroit that it wouldn't hurt CBS to restart WWJ news department from scratch. Stations doing local news is cheaper to produce and more profitable, even if the ratings aren't the absolute best. I also noticed Seattle being missing. I have yet to see on-air promos on WUPA promoting new nightly 10PM newscast.

Besides Cox grounding WFOX-WJAX chopper, Scripps is also moving in the direction of grounding WCPO chopper. It's possible that miz-sized to smaller markets may not be able to fly news choppers long-term, and that trend could eventually find its way to larger markets. Plus flying drones looks to be more economically viable. Or stations doing like a decade ago of sharing news chopper to focus other resources on other things, if they wish to fly news choppers a little while longer. I'm also thinking along the lines that Durden's departure wasn't voluntary. I liked hearing his traffic reports on WSB radio (AM-750/95.5-FM and B-98.5) during the late 1990s and early 2000s, and his time on WSB 2. Hopefully Durden may find work elsewhere... Perhaps another Atlanta TV station would be smart to hire him.

Valid point about ABC making updates to the WNT set is ABC can't and doesn't need to be becoming complacent. Besides set and studio updates, we could see graphics updates as well. We'll have to see how things play out.

I'd agree that the previous "This Is Home" (Gari) and the "Gannett" (Rampage) themes weren't too bad, but Gannett/TEGNA stations butchered them. Graphics... I didn't really care for Pyburn graphics (used with Gannett theme). The USA Today style color-coded graphics weren't too bad, although the color-coded tabs were a bit over the top. I don't care too much for "C Clarity" (Sixeme Son) music. Current graphics is okay. KUSA had its custom music (Third Street Music) from 1995-2009, and KARE had its custom music (also by Third Street) 1996-2013, as they didn't get Gannett package. Their custom music packages could easily be their versions of MCTYW (still heard on WPVI) and Chroma Cues (WJZ's longtime theme music). Portland and Bangor stations had "Good News" (Gari) for longest time. WFAA having "The Spirit of Texas" signature in their news music, before Belo sold out. It'd be a sad day for WNEP if and when they're forced to dump the Cliff Schwartz version of MCTYW for C Clarity. Besides TEGNA stations having newscasts with non-traditional names (like the current WKYC mess, WUSA's morning news, WTSP newscasts, WXIA newscasts, etc.), I wasn't a huge fan of the Rundown/Lineup concept. I believe that was something started on WGRZ by their former news director Ellen Crooke, and she implemented it on WXIA, and Gannett forced it on other stations. I also don't care for WXIA's current 11Alive logo either. I'd have welcomed them bringing back their pre-1993 logo or variation, or maybe a circle 11 logo with the Times New Roman font 11 (1993-2019 logo) with the Alive and NBC peacock to right. It's a thought.

That is true. For a time, original plans were for WATL 36 to pick up UPN, then WGNX 46 (owned by Tribune at the time) to pick up WB, and CBS to move to then WVEU 69 and start news department from scratch. Those plans never came to fruition.

I remember the big affiliation switches of the mid 90s. Atlanta being my home market, I remember WAGA 5 ending its then 45-year union with CBS when they took Fox away from WATL 36. CBS got lucky in a sense in going to then WGNX 46 (now WGCL), despite the dilemma of CBS almost having nowhere to go. Next year will also be 40th anniversary of WSB 2 and WXIA 11 swapping out ABC and NBC.

I was thinking Scott Chapin was mulling retirement a few years ago. It wouldn't surprise me if Ed Ansin, owner of stations in Boston and Miami made him a sweet deal to stick around a little while longer. I'd imagine a few other Fox O&O's and Cox stations still have Chapin voicing their news opens and promos. Other voice-over I can think of, but not sure if any of the NYC stations use... Names like Bill Ratner, Bob Tracey, and Paul Turner. I don't know if WPIX still has Jim Cutler. Good female VO would be Roberta Solomon. I'd agree that Charlie Van Dyke may be inching closer to retirement.

NBC wanted to experiment with expanding Nightly News from half-hour to full-hour back in the early 80s. Those plans never materialized. NYT article from 1981: https://www.nytimes.com/1981/09/20/arts/stations-board-passes-one-hour-nbc-news.html If CBS were to expand from half-hour to full-hour, one of a couple scenarios would have to occur. Easy scenario I could think of would be CBS (A) rescheduling daytime line-up... The Price Is Right at 11AM eastern The Young & The Restless at 1PM eastern The Talk at 2PM eastern The Bold & The Beautiful at 3PM eastern CBS having the option of shorten Let's Make A Deal to half-hour, or cancel LMAD for either a new half-hour soap or expand B&B to full-hour. Or if CBS wanted to move The Talk to 3PM eastern, and put B&B in 2PM eastern. CBSEN air 6:30-7:30PM eastern or 7-8PM eastern. (B) CBS convincing its affiliates to air hour-long CBSEN, and having O'Donnell personally visit each of the affiliates. The only successful hour-long network evening news program would be PBS Newshour seen on most PBS member stations. It would be interesting to see whether or not NBC would also want to revisit the hour-long Nightly News idea again, or if ABC could be thinking the same thing with World News Tonight. Only time will tell.

I kind of don't see CBS wanting to repeat the mistake of filling 10PM hour Monday-Friday with CBS Evening News much like a decade ago how NBC filled 10PM hour Monday-Friday with Jay Leno's failed prime-time talk show. Plus, I don't think CBS would want to cancel its news show anytime soon. Things to remember is: (1) Many TV viewers have lost faith in local and national news organizations for a multitude of reasons. (2) CBS has never fully recovered from the mid 90s affiliation switch, where CBS lost affiliates (in Atlanta, Austin, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, Milwaukee, Phoenix, and Tampa Bay) to Fox, as well as additional switches that took place in Baltimore, Boston, Denver, Philly, Sacramento, and Salt Lake City about that same time. (3) And whether it's Scott Pelley, or Jeff Glor, or Norah O'Donnell anchoring, or if CBS were to pick a name like Shephard Smith or Ann Curry, ratings aren't going to improve overnight. This will take time.

It seems to me like TEGNA has lost its way. Scripps seems tolerable.

I'd agree that WGCL 46, back during their WGNX days was very good, especially during the "Georgia's News at Ten" era. That ended when WAGA 5 took Fox away from WATL 36, upon ending its then 45-year union with CBS. Had CBS went to WUPA 69 (when it was still WVEU), it'd probably be another WWJ. We don't know what WATL would've looked like had they affiliated with CBS. WGCL having news department benefitted CBS greatly. Since Meredith acquired WGCL from Tribune, I'd agree with back-and-forth name changes between CBS 46 and CBS Atlanta, outside the infamous failed "Clear News" concept, as well as management and anchor turnovers, hence the "revolving door" status. WGCL's ratings may not be the best, despite many opportunities recently to jump into 3rd place, and push WXIA 11 into last place. At the same time, WGCL is profitable (making tons of money). My guess would be as good as anyone elses... "status quo". I couldn't see Meredith doing a WIAT on WGCL, as "Daily News" concept would likely fail. Not sure whether WGCL could experiment with "Eyewitness News", considering "Action News" is on WSB 2.

I agree with both AMC and OLTL coming back as half hour soaps, instead of full hour soaps. Less is more. Soaps having such rich histories and legacies associated with them. I could see CBS mulling over reviving 1 or 2 of its canceled soaps, shortened to half hour broadcasts, if Let's Make A Deal or The Talk was to get axed. As the World Turns, much like OLTL, was getting better near the end of its run. Guiding Light may have been in trouble in its last years. Or I could see Capitol being revived, even though it's been gone since 1987.

Kind of wonder whether ABC is regretting last year's cancellation of The Chew... Or regretting the cancellations of beloved soaps All My Children and One Life to Live. I personally miss seeing the soaps, and OLTL especially was getting better when it ended its run on ABC in 2012.

I'd agree with WBTV rollout. Plus I'd be interested in seeing how Gray will do WVUE and WBRC as well. Also if Gray plans for those 2 Fox stations to switch to "Beyond" music package with graphics makeover.

TEGNA acquiring WTHR and WBNS. Those stations, IMHO, would've been more suited for the likes of Graham, Hearst, or Terrier. The soon-to-be former Dispatch stations wouldn't see changes to their graphics and music packages for at least another 6 months to a year. It wouldn't surprise me if TEGNA could have their sights set on WRAL, KSL, and/or the Griffin stations in Oklahoma. Nowadays, local media owners have adopted the "go big or go home" mentality.

Glor wasn't given a chance to prove himself during his very short time as anchor of CBS Evening News. In a way, he pretty much got a raw deal in the midst of CBS' on-air personnel changes. Unless he's got a couple more years left on his current contract, and isn't where he can leave CBS to find work at a competing network.

I like the idea of TEGNA or Scripps competing against WJW at 10PM. Or they could do nightly 9PM newscast, since WUAB 43 discontinued 9PM last year.

I do stand corrected there. MyNet kind of stayed with WOIO 19 and WUAB 43 family. I kind of look at MyNet as another PTEN (programming service from the early-to-mid 90s).

It's possible Nexstar, which is working on acquiring WJW 8, could be interested. Wouldn't rule them out entirely. WUAB 43 carries MyNet and CW programming. WBNX 55 is completely independent of any network affiliation and/or programming service.

I could see Scripps (owner of WEWS 5) or TEGNA (owner of WKYC 3) being interested in acquiring WBNX 55.

It'll be interesting to see who'll replace Reed. If they went with an inside pick, it'd likely be Shon Gables, Tracye Hutchens, Gurvir Dhindsa, or Karyn Greer being considered. Not sure of the chances Stephany Fisher would be rehired. Or CBS 46 could go with an outside pick, it'd likely be someone from a competing station, or from a different TV market. It'll also be interesting to see whether Reed has landed a job at a TV station in a bigger TV market or one of the networks, if she's staying in the TV news business.