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Breaking: Cox/Fox swap stations, KTVU to become Fox O&O


caliwxdude

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Here's an interesting snippet: with this sale, if its approved, San Francisco will join a small, exclusive club of television markets that are entirely filled with O&Os: ABC (KGO), NBC (KNTV), CBS (KPIX), FOX (KTVU), The CW (KBCW), Univision (KDTV), and Telemundo (KSTS).

 

However, to those who say that Fox will leave KTVU alone...I wouldn't count on it. Fox is just as pro-centralization as Gannett, Scripps, etc. They won't make an exception for a Cox station in San Francisco. In a few short years, KTVU will be much like WAGA and WTVT, the old spirit may remain in their news content and (perhaps) a lack of sensationalism, but otherwise, it will be a Fox O&O with regards to everything else: graphics, music, the set, etc.

 

Oh, and I'm calling it now: myfoxbayarea.com.

 

Well Fox has had that domain parked since 2007 so you're probably right. They have also registered myfoxsanfran.com so that could be an alternative.

 

 

A company that creates Phillies baseball playoff graphics BASED OFF OF THE FREAKING TAMPA BAY RAYS LOGO is not a company that understands local news.

 

If you have caps I'd like to see them. Curious how that looks...
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Another reason I've seen people speculate is that this would give News Corp the chance to buy the Boston Herald.

 

I thought the newspaper/TV station in the same market ownership rules were null and voided by the FCC years ago.

 

Is the Herald that bad financially to be bought out by a big company? I thought the sale 20 years ago wasn't just to get WFXT again but also forced Patrick Purcell taking ownership and run the ship more frugally (not because of the Web, but that machine on Morrissey Blvd known as the Globe) as opposed to a corporation that could reckless piss money down the drain. I commend the guy for running a decent local paper and managing their financials appropriately.

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Whoa..... I did NOT expect Fox to sell WFXT! And here I expect WHDH/WLVI to be the next major sale in the market...

 

 

How is WFXT rebellious? I've never actually seen a newscast on a Fox O&O station other than WFXT, so I honestly have no way to compare it.

 

I can't remember if I said it or not, but they never got any elements of the O&O's set (whether if was management that was against it, I really can't say for sure.) I'd like seeing the anchor desk appear, always liked that over the one that was original. And how many cuts in the Fox O&O theme 700? And yet they use the crappy cuts or worse a couple years ago they would play KISS 108 like music on the prime newscasts?

 

 

... using 10 as an example, shouted "WE'RE NBC NOW M*****F******!!!!!!! SEINFELD FRIENDS AND ER SUCK IT!!!!"

 

Anyway, the major story on the site was just the press release. No local spin on it, no assurance that things will stay the same under Fox. It seemed almost funereal.

 

Well and this to me shows how badly management can run a station. All 3 should've (regardless of the situation) reported this. In one market a network is coming to own them, and 2 a network is abandoning them. WFXT hasn't said a PEEP about this story nearly 16/18 hours later. They could've done a 20 second voice over at their 10:00 show, and from what I see - there's nothing they did.

 

BTW: I loved how WCAU got people to turn to NBC 10 on that post switch newscast. Every station should've done that!

 

OTTH: Jessica Heslam, the long time media writer for the Boston Herald did do a story on the trade: Boston Herald's long time media writer, reports on the trade

 

Breaking is the Fox 25 GM is moving to KTVU.

bostonherald.com/business/media_marketing/2014/06/new_owner_at_fox_25_after_station_swap_with_cox_media

 

 

Please start that thread/message me - I would find it fascinating.

 

Well I think the time is now.

 

The way WFXT is treating this story has a striking resemblance of the way WBZ covered themselves during the precursor of the Big Switch 19 years ago. They tried to sweep the story under the rug and the management* was so flippin' arrogant, they probably felt that explaining the affiliation switch would go over the viewer's heads. And I thought Boston was the Intellectual Capital of the East Coast? I explained this to my parents right after I saw this story break on this thread, and reminding them that CBS owns 4 and Fox owns 25 and I erroneously said "sold" but when I explained the Memphis, my mother said "its a trade." Of course I live on the NH side of the DMA, but that's not the point. People are smart enough to understand the story and insulting our intelligence for management's own grandiose agenda is disturbing. I had enough of this BS. I'll explain more via PM per to your request.

 

* I know I say management a lot, but who else could I accuse people who manage a station or manage the editorial operations of the local news?

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Both general managers are swapping places, from what I understand. I don't think I've ever seen that before.

 

Oh wow. I'm the first to bet that WFXT will have the old KTVU format. If GM and ownerships are gonna get swapped, I'm, betting the format will be in the mix...

 

Wonder how the viewers are going to take it...

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KTVU did a report last night on their news (which also included a phone in interview of the legendary anchor Dennis Richmond for reax)

 

ktvu.com/news/news/local/ktvu-ownership-shifting-cox-fox/ngR3m/

 

I went there originally to check the program lineup to see if Boston/Memphis would get change of syndies, and they do carry Dr. Oz, Wendy Williams, TMZ and Dish Nation. I saw the latter two run at midnight. Given their anti-tabloid nature, would Boston and Memphis see those shows get pushed to midnight/11:00 too? WFXT reruns those two right after the Morning News at 10:00 from the previous day FWIW.

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BREAKING NEWS: WFXT's current GM is going to KTVU/KICU. He will report to the new station after the deal is completed, reports the Boston Herald.

 

bostonherald.com/business/media_marketing/2014/06/new_owner_at_fox_25_after_station_swap_with_cox_media

 

I wonder if one of WFXT's main anchors make the move to KTVU when it's all said and done...
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Getting a station like KTVU seems like the prime opportunity to take a step back and let the stations be run more locally, before the standardization of last decade took place. And as much as I hate what is happening in Charlotte and WJZY, it is radically different than the other O&Os. It is barely a FOX station by FOX standards, and by ditching the standard issue graphics could give it a slight boost. Even if they diversify the package to allow some different colors or fonts, that would be nice.

 

But the sad reality is that the standardization is likely here to stay, and KTVU is about to undergo some changes. If anything, FOX may be able to leverage some of their success to their other stations, and not endanger the dominance they have and have had with Cox at the wheel....

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Getting a station like KTVU seems like the prime opportunity to take a step back and let the stations be run more locally, before the standardization of last decade took place. And as much as I hate what is happening in Charlotte and WJZY, it is radically different than the other O&Os. It is barely a FOX station by FOX standards, and by ditching the standard issue graphics could give it a slight boost. Even if they diversify the package to allow some different colors or fonts, that would be nice.

 

But the sad reality is that the standardization is likely here to stay, and KTVU is about to undergo some changes. If anything, FOX may be able to leverage some of their success to their other stations, and not endanger the dominance they have and have had with Cox at the wheel....

 

It would be very difficult to parlay the success of one station into/onto other stations. Something that works in SF wouldn't necessarily work in Chicago. Plus, this would work against your idea of letting stations do their own thing/what works for them. I agree with others who say that big changes are coming to KTVU. Hopefully, FOX won't destroy the place.

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I went there originally to check the program lineup to see if Boston/Memphis would get change of syndies, and they do carry Dr. Oz, Wendy Williams, TMZ and Dish Nation. I saw the latter two run at midnight. Given their anti-tabloid nature, would Boston and Memphis see those shows get pushed to midnight/11:00 too? WFXT reruns those two right after the Morning News at 10:00 from the previous day FWIW.

 

WHBQ doesn't air Doctor Oz (or any Harpo show for that matter).

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I know I'm late chiming in...but can't say I'm surprised that Fox is losing WHBQ. In a way I think Cox may actually help to boost WHBQ up a little bit. It will be interesting to see what graphics WHBQ goes with. If I remember correctly, Cox doesn't used standardized graphics

 

I really think now would be the perfect time for WHBQ to do a complete overhaul. New set (old one is almost a decade old), new graphics and logo (obviously), and even a new branding since they've been Fox 13 since 1994 when they became an O&O. They seem to move anchors around pretty often, so I wouldn't be surprised to see some switching up there.

 

Sorry I don't know enough about WFXT to provide any insight.

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Why did they give up KTVI? Probably expect the Rams to move back to LA

St. Louis is a borderline market... at #20 or #21, IIRC. Plus Fox had no duopoly partner for KTVI. At the time the LocalTV sale took place, Fox was starting to concentrate on Fox/My duopolies. All the stations sold to LocalTV (besides many of them being in AFC markets to begin with) were standalones.

 

That's also the same reason why they gave up WUTB to S!nclair.

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St. Louis is a borderline market... at #20 or #21, IIRC. Plus Fox had no duopoly partner for KTVI. At the time the LocalTV sale took place, Fox was starting to concentrate on Fox/My duopolies. All the stations sold to LocalTV (besides many of them being in AFC markets to begin with) were standalones.

 

That's also the same reason why they gave up WUTB to S!nclair.

 

could they be interesting in getting back into STL and flipping KPLR to MYnet if the Rams decide to stay put? What about WITI and or getting WGCV/WVTV from Sinclair? or is Fox not interested in the smaller NFC markets?

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could CBS be interested in some stations in AFC markets?

Maybe Cleveland but I doubt Raycom would want to let go of WOIO/WUAB. Plus, 43 might not be able to poach the CW affiliation from WBNX. Finally, the Browns would have to start getting decent in order for 19/43 to even be on CBS' radar.
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