TEGNA Broadcasting and Digital General Discussion

[compubit 670]

I just saw a WFAA newscast since the switch to TIH (first trip back to Dallas since the summer). I noticed different cuts for the each segment - the first break after the A-Block had a bit of a "Hello News" feel (at least to me). I do like the variety (over what I see on w*usa 9, my home Gannett station).

 

As for integrating "The a Spirit of Texas" and "This is Home" - I can see it easily being done using the 6-note SOT signature followed by the TIH signature. I have it running though my head right now and think it sounds decent - but since WFAA is branding as "News 8", I haven't seen any vestiges of SOT anywhere on air... It seems that Gannett just wanted to kill the SOT, to ensure folks knew that Belo isn't in charge anymore... (Just my thoughts)

 

J

[sanewsguy 509]

 

Our local daily runs Parade on weekends as well, but we USA Today is right next to our paper in the checkout line, so at least in this market, it may not be a stretch of epic proportions.

 

And they've long been pushing USA Today -- as a part of their (new) 4pm show, they have a "In The Headlines" segment featuring headlines from their "publication partners at USA Today".

 

USA Weekend is different from USA Today. It's a pullout magazine in Sunday newspapers just like Parade is. Not the same as the Friday edition of USA Today which is branded as USA Today Weekend.

 

Also I read on TV Spy that WVEC hired a new meteorologist, Iisha Scott from WECT, to do weekend mornings. So, did Julie Wilcox leave?

 

 

I just saw a WFAA newscast since the switch to TIH (first trip back to Dallas since the summer). I noticed different cuts for the each segment - the first break after the A-Block had a bit of a "Hello News" feel (at least to me). I do like the variety (over what I see on w*usa 9, my home Gannett station).

 

As for integrating "The a Spirit of Texas" and "This is Home" - I can see it easily being done using the 6-note SOT signature followed by the TIH signature. I have it running though my head right now and think it sounds decent - but since WFAA is branding as "News 8", I haven't seen any vestiges of SOT anywhere on air... It seems that Gannett just wanted to kill the SOT, to ensure folks knew that Belo isn't in charge anymore... (Just my thoughts)

 

J

 

I think that aside from cosmetic changes, Gannett should run WFAA like under Belo where it was basically their baby and WFAA got whatever it wanted. I know Gannett holds KUSA in high regard but they shouldn't. Denver is a slow-growth market compared to Dallas and Gannett should treat WFAA as such.

[KevCor 344]

 

USA Weekend is different from USA Today. It's a pullout magazine in Sunday newspapers just like Parade is. Not the same as the Friday edition of USA Today which is branded as USA Today Weekend.

 

Also I read on TV Spy that WVEC hired a new meteorologist, Iisha Scott from WECT, to do weekend mornings. So, did Julie Wilcox leave?

 

I think that aside from cosmetic changes, Gannett should run WFAA like under Belo where it was basically their baby and WFAA got whatever it wanted. I know Gannett holds KUSA in high regard but they shouldn't. Denver is a slow-growth market compared to Dallas and Gannett should treat WFAA as such.

 

Julie is on her way out, she didn't renew her contract with the station. She originally posted it on Facebook, but it was pulled shortly thereafter. If I remember correctly, her contract expires in a few weeks.

[amtrak8 5]

KREM made their graphics change today at 5pm. Didn't use the same cut as KING. And their weather graphics seem to still be the old ones.....

[cbs2newengland 71]

 

I think that aside from cosmetic changes, Gannett should run WFAA like under Belo where it was basically their baby and WFAA got whatever it wanted. I know Gannett holds KUSA in high regard but they shouldn't. Denver is a slow-growth market compared to Dallas and Gannett should treat WFAA as such.

 

Well if so goes WFAA, what about KHOU? They've owned them for ages and Houston is just as a fast growing market too. I thought they were Belo's second baby, also in terms of favoritism.

[cbs2newengland 71]

 

KREM made their graphics change today at 5pm. Didn't use the same cut as KING. And their weather graphics seem to still be the old ones.....

 

wow - that's really a curveball, a launch at five on a weekend?

[rkolsen 1675]

wow - that's really a curveball, a launch at five on a weekend?

From the looks of their schedule it looks like it was done solely because they don't have any newscasts since 11PM the prior night giving them 18 hours to install and test the graphics and work out any kinks. I am assuming that since they do not have a morning newscast at all they do not do any local cutaways on CBS This Morning.

[CircleSeven 1944]

KREM made their graphics change today at 5pm. Didn't use the same cut as KING. And their weather graphics seem to still be the old ones.....

.......Just in time for the November books to begin on Thursday. So that basically completes the rollout of the G3 graphics Part 2, for the Belo stations.

 

It's going to be very interesting with the rollout for the London stations. I'm hoping & praying they don't alter KIII's Circle 3 logo.

 

From the looks of their schedule it looks like it was done solely because they don't have any newscasts since 11PM the prior night giving them 18 hours to install and test the graphics and work out any kinks. I am assuming that since they do not have a morning newscast at all they do not do any local cutaways on CBS This Morning.

The only two stations that implemented the graphics on a weekend were KREM 2 & KTVB (debut Sun. 9/28).

[sanewsguy 509]

 

It's going to be very interesting with the rollout for the London stations. I'm hoping & praying they don't alter KIII's Circle 3 logo.

 

They'll probably have to, to add the ABC logo because ABC is so adamant about their logo being prominent on the affiliates. I don't know why. the circle three looks fine the way it is. The "kiii tv" part could stand to be updated some, but don't mess with the circle 3.

 

Another logo that I hope stays, KBMT's 12.

[cbs2newengland 71]

 

They'll probably have to, to add the ABC logo because ABC is so adamant about their logo being prominent on the affiliates. I don't know why. the circle three looks fine the way it is. The "kiii tv" part could stand to be updated some, but don't mess with the circle 3.

 

Another logo that I hope stays, KBMT's 12.

 

I wonder when ABC will start pushing the affiliates to not only use the ABC logo, but the larger than life one. I hate the ABC 7 bugs now because both logos are almost as even.

 

WFAA's logo is tacky, but I don't fault them, Belo or Gannett. The logo could be better off alternating the 8 and the ABC logo and do like a spin effect.

[24994J 5269]

 

I hate the ABC 7 bugs now because both logos are almost as even.

 

Now? You mean like the last 15-18 years? I can't name any of the major market ABC7s that has blown up the size of the ABC disc since their introductions in the late 90s. Textures, effects, and styles have changed, but the proportions are no different. Hell, these stations pretty much didn't have bugs before the ABC# era.

[cbs2newengland 71]

 

Now? You mean like the last 15-18 years? I can't name any of the major market ABC7s that has blown up the size of the ABC disc since their introductions in the late 90s. Textures, effects, and styles have changed, but the proportions are no different. Hell, these stations pretty much didn't have bugs before the ABC# era.

 

No. I know what you're talking about, however I thought the ABC logo got smaller for a period of time at some stations then blew up again, or maybe it was really the Circle 7 that shrunk.

[Rusty Muck 4162]

Per DCRTV.com, W*USA has hired away ex-WJLA ND Bill Lord as their news director and station manager.

 

Probably the smartest thing Gannett has done with W*USA in over 15 years, if that.

[Dantheflash2014 14]

DMA 8 (Washington)

Bill Lord To Become WUSA News Director

from FTVLive:

When Sinclair took over WJLA in Washington, DC they sent WJLA General Manager Bill Lord packing.

Sinclair was looking to bring in their own people and Lord was pushed out.

Now, DC sources are telling FTVLive that Bill Lord is about to pop up across the street at WUSA.

Yesterday, Lord was introduced to a few WUSA staffers as the station's new News Director. Lord has a heavy background in news. Lord will replace Fred D'Ambrosi, who as FTVLive told you announced he was leaving the station.

Look for WUSA to make an official announcement soon.

Of course that's when the other websites will have the story, but you guys all know where you saw the story FIRST.

Despite what all the others will claim.

Stay tuned....

 

:cheers: :agree:

[sanewsguy 509]

 

Per DCRTV.com, W*USA has hired away ex-WJLA ND Bill Lord as their news director and station manager.

 

Probably the smartest thing Gannett has done with W*USA in over 15 years, if that.

 

The same guy who fired Doug McKelway while he was GM at WJLA?

[Rusty Muck 4162]

The same guy who fired Doug McKelway while he was GM at WJLA?

You would be correct.

 

Note what I said - it STILL is the smartest thing Gannett has done with W*USA... because they set the bar so low over the past 15 years.

 

They could hire Bob the Janitor as GM, and the same distinction would apply.

[rkolsen 1675]

You would be correct.

Note what I said - it STILL is the smartest thing Gannett has done with W*USA... because they set the bar so low over the past 15 years.

They could hire Bob the Janitor as GM, and the same distinction would apply.

To give Gannett credit they were one of the first stations to launch HD newscasts in 2005 (compared to WNBC which launched a year later and was the first in NY). He will need to come up with a better slogan than "the next generation of news."

[scrabbleship 427]

To give Gannett credit they were one of the first stations to launch HD newscasts in 2005 (compared to WNBC which launched a year later and was the first in NY).

Or how WRC dragged their heels with going HD until 2010, a good 18 months after WTTG and WJLA did days apart from each other.

[A3N 996]

Or how WRC dragged their heels with going HD until 2010, a good 18 months after WTTG and WJLA did days apart from each other.

That was beyond their control as several of the NBC O&O's were also late to converting their newscasts to HD and the blame falls squarely on Jeff Zucker/GE.

[WXmanTim 88]

I find it interesting that WRC, especially, was late to the HD game considering they were experimenting with HD at the facility they share with NBCNews as early as 1996.

 

The Tim Russert "Meet The Press" set was specifically designed with high definition in mind.

[scrabbleship 427]

That was beyond their control as several of the NBC O&O's were also late to converting their newscasts to HD and the blame falls squarely on Jeff Zucker/GE.

For what reasons?

 

(Misremembered story redacted)

 

The WHD calls lasted until at least the late 2000s on WRC's front sign facing Nebraska Ave NW.

[cbs2newengland 71]

 

Per DCRTV.com, W*USA has hired away ex-WJLA ND Bill Lord as their news director and station manager.

 

Probably the smartest thing Gannett has done with W*USA in over 15 years, if that.

 

What's the diff between a station manager and a general manager? I think WMAQ has someone in that same position

 

 

That was beyond their control as several of the NBC O&O's were also late to converting their newscasts to HD and the blame falls squarely on Jeff Zucker/GE.

 

 

 

For what reasons?

 

(Misremembered story redacted)

 

The WHD calls lasted until at least the late 2000s on WRC's front sign facing Nebraska Ave NW.

 

If you aren't familiar of those dark days of 2008/09 - the NBC O&Os were in severe disarray, Look C was pushed at most stations, some implemented for better or for worse; the PR fallout at WNBC with the move to Studio 7E, and cuts across all of their stations which that would make sense that WRC wasn't in HD until 2010. The fault really lied into Zucker's leadership of mismanagement.

[sanewsguy 509]

 

For what reasons?

 

(Misremembered story redacted)

 

The WHD calls lasted until at least the late 2000s on WRC's front sign facing Nebraska Ave NW.

 

According to Street View it was changed sometime between May and October 2011. GE must have been cheap...

 

To bring this back on topic, it looks like WTSP redesigned their site to look more like USA Today (also their slogan reeks small market).

[A3N 996]

 

For what reasons?

 

(Misremembered story redacted)

 

The WHD calls lasted until at least the late 2000s on WRC's front sign facing Nebraska Ave NW.

 

 

 

What's the diff between a station manager and a general manager? I think WMAQ has someone in that same position

 

 

 

 

If you aren't familiar of those dark days of 2008/09 - the NBC O&Os were in severe disarray, Look C was pushed at most stations, some implemented for better or for worse; the PR fallout at WNBC with the move to Studio 7E, and cuts across all of their stations which that would make sense that WRC wasn't in HD until 2010. The fault really lied into Zucker's leadership of mismanagement.

 

Correct. Zucker really screwed up NBC while he was at the helm, and the O&Os were clearly not on his list of priorities. Many of the O&O's suffered greatly as a result of his NBC 2.0 plan where in some cases the stations were left with a bare bone staff (i.e. KNSD). Also, WVIT was in the middle of building their new facility around that time and construction was stopped for a while due to the budget cuts. It wasn't until Comcast was about to come in that the new building was completed.

[Dantheflash2014 14]

Gannett and ABC Set New Affiliation Deal

from TV Newscheck.com:

 

Gannett Broadcasting and ABC have agreed to renew the affiliation agreements of all of Gannett’s ABC stations.

This puts the recently expanded Gannett ABC portfolio under a common, long-term affiliation agreement.

 

"This agreement is the result of a collaborative effort on the part of both companies," said Dave Lougee, president of Gannett Broadcasting, "and positions both of us for the near and long term on multiple forms of distribution."

"We're very pleased to extend our agreements with the Gannett-owned ABC Stations," said John Rouse, senior vice president of affiliate relations for the ABC Television Network. "Gannett is a strong and important partner of the ABC Television Network, and we look forward to continuing our long-time collaboration with them."