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Sinclair Broadcast Group - General Discussion


Smitha A

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Sponsorship should only be used on news helicopters and maybe for the sports segments, but nothing else. Just my two cents.

 

It doesn't really bother me to have them sell studio sponsorships or even to have segments sponsored by one company or another. The facade that a news operation is completely unbiased has gone out the window with the internet. What most people suspected is now painfully obvious: The news, to a certain extent, has always been bought and paid for. It's just more obvious now.

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It doesn't really bother me to have them sell studio sponsorships or even to have segments sponsored by one company or another. The facade that a news operation is completely unbiased has gone out the window with the internet. What most people suspected is now painfully obvious: The news, to a certain extent, has always been bought and paid for. It's just more obvious now.

 

Fred, meet Sara, Bethany and Paul.
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Fred, meet Sara, Bethany and Paul.

 

And they did mention in the second article that one of the best broadcasters of all time, Mike Wallace, used to hawk Phillip Morris cigarettes. Also remember, back in the old days the sponsors appeared right on the news desk. Back in the old days the WBNS news was the "Ohio Gas" news and the legendary Jimmy Crum used to hawk Blatz beer on TV.

 

Here's Jimmy right in front of the sports wall:

 

http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/07/8b/4a/078b4a0d326ef0da50b0f55a8f95b227.jpg

 

They have to make money, so I don't have a problem with it so long as they keep the commercial time reasonable.

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I was checking around Toledo to see what was going on with their water issues, and I went to WNWO's site.

 

Since it was a former Barrington station, all of the former Barrington Stations have essentially kept things the way they've been, including their websites. Same can be said for Fisher.

 

I remember in the initial news that Barrington was going to be purchased, that the HQ and their employees would be kept. It looks like the same is true in Seattle, with Fisher's former HQ functioning in a similar capacity, aside from some layoffs.

 

I'm wondering now, since these companies were purchased whole, if Sinclair will be keeping these operations status quo (for now), and given Allbritton's proximity to Baltimore (from Alexandria, VA) if the same can be true? Absorbing this many stations, this approach seems to make sense, the only difference is that they still report to Sinclair, but can carry out their duties as they've always done due to Sinclair's explosive growth (and likely inability to perform such tasks from Baltimore, necessitating the load to be picked up by the former HQs).

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I was checking around Toledo to see what was going on with their water issues, and I went to WNWO's site.

 

Since it was a former Barrington station, all of the former Barrington Stations have essentially kept things the way they've been, including their websites. Same can be said for Fisher.

 

I remember in the initial news that Barrington was going to be purchased, that the HQ and their employees would be kept. It looks like the same is true in Seattle, with Fisher's former HQ functioning in a similar capacity, aside from some layoffs.

 

I'm wondering now, since these companies were purchased whole, if Sinclair will be keeping these operations status quo (for now), and given Allbritton's proximity to Baltimore (from Alexandria, VA) if the same can be true? Absorbing this many stations, this approach seems to make sense, the only difference is that they still report to Sinclair, but can carry out their duties as they've always done due to Sinclair's explosive growth (and likely inability to perform such tasks from Baltimore, necessitating the load to be picked up by the former HQs).

 

 

Well - Like WKRC, I know they were acquired by Sinclair in what, 08? I haven't seen anything about significant changes with them. Maybe Sinclair won't do any damage at all.

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Well - Like WKRC, I know they were acquired by Sinclair in what, 08? I haven't seen anything about significant changes with them. Maybe Sinclair won't do any damage at all.

 

WKRC was a Clear Channel station that was part of their spinoff to Newport in 2008. Sinclair later bought some of the Newport stations (including WKRC) in 2012 when Providence Equity wanted to sell off Newport.

 

Since the Newport deal wasn't a total sale (along with the divested Cox stations), they have been integrated in more ways than the other stations acquired in total group deals.

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I'm surprised they haven't sold the naming rights, like what's been done in radio. They do have a knack for weird sponsorships....

WKYC uses sponsorship billboards leading into their newscasts. They've done that since 2006. And WEWS's newscasts were "brought to you by Ohio Edison and the Illuminating Company" for decades up until the late 90s (likely when both utilities merged to form FirstEnergy).

 

WOIO's newsroom also has a sponsorship billboard usually run after the second commercial break... I forget the sponsor.

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If watching KABB tonight is any indication, the consolidation of WOAI and KABB into the same building appears to be work in progress. KABB seems to be in the process of renovating and enlarging the current newsroom to accommodate the expanded news staff. This is based on the standups done from the newsroom. It feels different than usual. They mounted TV's on the wall with the various local stations, a ladder, wood planks and buckets of paint also appeared to be visible. However the camera quickly panned away from that when the photog caught it.

 

Still no indication where WOAI would do their newscasts. There is only one "true" studio in KABB although they have three rooms they call studios. "Studio 29", where the news set is. It can barely fit KABB's news set and that may be why it took them a little over two months to debut it. The set designer probably had to think how they were going to fit the set in that space. "Studio 35" which is a small room where they do local commercial production and satellite interviews for CNN/Fox News are usually done in there as well. Then they have "Studio 43" which is just a small room that looks like a movie theater. I have no idea what they do with this aside from a couple promos I've seen in the past.

 

And then they have the space sales is vacating. Studio 43 and the sales space are not TV studio dimensions. Unless maybe the control rooms would move into that space and then WOAI would take the space where PCR is now. Ever since the switch to HD, they really don't do much with most of the space PCR uses because the HD production equipment is much more compact than the old SD stuff.

 

In any which case, I cannot see WOAI moving in until early next year at the earliest. I know KABB's building from multiple visits there. It's very small. Sinclair would've been better served finding a completely different location. In fact I don't think Sinclair ever bothered repairing the second floor of WOAI's building, and even then, it's over a century old, and most of the interior, aside from the lobby and all of the modern broadcast equipment, hasn't been renovated since the 60/70's. I don't know how WOAI's managed to stay there all these years. It makes me wish United could have stuck around two or three more years so 4 could've gotten a nice new building like KMSP, KPTV, and KTVX. (the KPTV one is not in use any more since they moved to KPDX's slightly newer building, what a waste)

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WCHS colluded to censor coverage of West Virginia congressional nominee Ed Rabel because he was involved in an op-ed criticizing local news

 

Yeah, that's fair coverage. /sarcasm

 

Well he criticized local news. I think that's actually smart of them. He got what he deserved. Don't bite the hand the feeds you, or in the case, gives you publicity.
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WCHS colluded to censor coverage of West Virginia congressional nominee Ed Rabel because he was involved in an op-ed criticizing local news

 

Yeah, that's fair coverage. /sarcasm

 

 

 

Well he criticized local news. I think that's actually smart of them. He got what he deserved. Don't bite the hand the feeds you, or in the case, gives you publicity.

 

If the Journ"O"List can collude to present only news favorable to Obama, why shouldn't they? Don't bite the hand that feeds you.

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I'm watching WBFF's 11PM rerun right now and find it interesting that the rerun does not include the opens or transitional elements that are featured in the main broadcast. Also worth noting that it appears the live bug is burnt into the recording and that rerun does not include their logo.

 

They still are using the old graphics, I still find it odd that the flagship hasn't switched over yet.

 

But they did launch a new HD SkyCam in Towson which I would say is significant because no other affiliate has cameras outside of the downtown area of the city. Towson is probably 20 miles from the inner harbor and has a big mall with a large "Luxury wing" where all the high end store has shops. Towson also has a few colleges where the largest university that has 22,0000 students and has a strong downtown area that is being revitalized.

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I also wonder how long will it be until Sinclair starts using WJLA's helicopter up here in Baltimore. The distance from DC to Baltimore is about a 40 minute drive and WJLA's bird has been overhead for their coverage if the breaking news is big enough.

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I also wonder how long will it be until Sinclair starts using WJLA's helicopter up here in Baltimore. The distance from DC to Baltimore is about a 40 minute drive and WJLA's bird has been overhead for their coverage if the breaking news is big enough.

 

http://www.airplanemanager.com/FlightCalculator.aspx

 

It's rougly 35 minutes by helicopter between the Columbus and Dayton airports (roughly 70 miles). I wonder if they thought of doing the same thing. Would make sense to me to share.

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http://www.airplanemanager.com/FlightCalculator.aspx

 

It's rougly 35 minutes by helicopter between the Columbus and Dayton airports (roughly 70 miles). I wonder if they thought of doing the same thing. Would make sense to me to share.

 

Base it out of Wimington, and you also have close proximity to Cincinnati and WKRC.

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They still are using the old graphics, I still find it odd that the flagship hasn't switched over yet

 

It makes no sense to me either. Especially since stations like WCHS/WVAH are getting them even though they were one of the last ones to get the last package.

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I also wonder how long will it be until Sinclair starts using WJLA's helicopter up here in Baltimore. The distance from DC to Baltimore is about a 40 minute drive and WJLA's bird has been overhead for their coverage if the breaking news is big enough.

 

Are you sure WJLA has a helicopter? I thought they used WRC's bird unless WJLA recently brought theirs back?
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Are you sure WJLA has a helicopter? I thought they used WRC's bird unless WJLA recently brought theirs back?

I believe WJLA was the lone hold out for the local news service in Washington, DC there is a twitter user that works for them that says he's the only reporter covering the DMV from the sky. Normally local news services prohibit reporters or pilots from commenting on air for the stations leaving the people on the ground to cover/narrate what the pilot is saying to each news desk. Plus I couldn't find any articles linking WJLA to the local news service that WRC, WTTG and WUSA use. I believe there was a Washington Post article that had a quote from the former ND or GM that said they would rather go on their own in 2009 or 2010. I do think WRC may pull out of it at some point given that other stations since WNBC, WMAQ, KNBC and KXAS all got their birds back although they do share the feed with their Telemundo counterparts.

 

I personally think that having a dedicated helicopter for each station in Washington, DC is a waste of money considering they are prohibited from flying over within 17 miles radius of Reagan Airport on the Potomac. That radius encompasses all of Washington DC, a good chunk of suburban Virginia coming a few miles past the DC/MD border. After that portion prohibited airspace the rest of their DMA is restricted requiring constant contact and a flight plan. Simply because these restrictions they cannot cover the most densely (and where the most news occurs) occupied part of the DMA.

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Are you sure WJLA has a helicopter? I thought they used WRC's bird unless WJLA recently brought theirs back?

I personally think that having a dedicated helicopter for each station in Washington, DC is a waste of money considering they are prohibited from flying over within 17 miles radius of Reagan Airport on the Potomac. That radius encompasses all of Washington DC, a good chunk of suburban Virginia coming a few miles past the DC/MD border. After that portion prohibited airspace the rest of their DMA is restricted requiring constant contact and a flight plan. Simply because these restrictions they cannot cover the most densely (and where the most news occurs) occupied part of the DMA.

I found a map from the FAA that shows the prohibited airspace wishin the region. That innermost circle is prohibited airspace which means only police, military and MEDEVAC helicopters can fly. The outer ring requires a flight plan and tower control.

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I believe WJLA was the lone hold out for the local news service in Washington, DC there is a twitter user that works for them that says he's the only reporter covering the DMV from the sky. Normally local news services prohibit reporters or pilots from commenting on air for the stations leaving the people on the ground to cover/narrate what the pilot is saying to each news desk. Plus I couldn't find any articles linking WJLA to the local news service that WRC, WTTG and WUSA use. I believe there was a Washington Post article that had a quote from the former ND or GM that said they would rather go on their own in 2009 or 2010. I do think WRC may pull out of it at some point given that other stations since WNBC, WMAQ, KNBC and KXAS all got their birds back although they do share the feed with their Telemundo counterparts.

 

I personally think that having a dedicated helicopter for each station in Washington, DC is a waste of money considering they are prohibited from flying over within 17 miles radius of Reagan Airport on the Potomac. That radius encompasses all of Washington DC, a good chunk of suburban Virginia coming a few miles past the DC/MD border. After that portion prohibited airspace the rest of their DMA is restricted requiring constant contact and a flight plan. Simply because these restrictions they cannot cover the most densely (and where the most news occurs) occupied part of the DMA.

 

Yeah I notice WRC only flies mainly within Virginia and sometimes Maryland. It's like a waste because most of the footage isn't relevant. So in DC, if they want aerial views they're forced to do what small market stations do, use the towercam. Or sometimes the masts on the live van have a camera at the top that can get "high-up" views.
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Yeah I notice WRC only flies mainly within Virginia and sometimes Maryland. It's like a waste because most of the footage isn't relevant. So in DC, if they want aerial views they're forced to do what small market stations do, use the towercam. Or sometimes the masts on the live van have a camera at the top that can get "high-up" views.

Exactly and it's not unlike WRC sister affiliates WBAL and WAVY don't have helicopters in the sky. Chances are if there is breaking news in Prince George's or Montgomery Counties in MD that warrants aerial footage for WRC both WBAL and WJZ's news helicopters would be there. WBAL and WJZ I know put them up in either NBC Newschannel or CBS Newspath/Network News Service, respectively, and if it's major feed it to CNN Newsource.

 

Plus WRC has several tower cams in strategic locations around the DMA.

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Sinclair is bringing the "#LiveOnKOMO" hashtag groupwide. Although all the Fisher stations already used the "#LiveOnStation" hashtag some legacy Sinclair stations are now starting to.

 

Examples:

WBFF: "#LiveOnFox45"

KABB: "#LiveOnFoxSanAntonio"

WKRC: "#LiveOnLocal12"

 

And the list goes on. I have no idea why Sinclair loves the hashtag, but hey, to each their own right?

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