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Scripps - General Discussion


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Thread Note: Since Scripps has indicated they intend to run ION Media as a separate entity from their existing (mostly) news-producing stations, ION discussion has been relocated to a new thread.

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Ok here are some links:

 

I'll start with what the newsroom looked like before it turned yellow...

Newsroom circa 2003:

 

Newsroom Circa 2009:

 

This is the FaceTime looking thing that went horribly wrong on the 11pm last night:

 

It's amazing how you get to that lousy a product that fast, it used to look really nice and slick just 6 years ago as evidenced by this bumper promo that would run at the end of the newscasts. This was when they tried to pretend they were an O&O again:

 

That promo is the source of my signature for what its worth. I really feel bad for the anchors having to navigate through that... Stephen Clark doesn't sound too thrilled at the end there.

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We all are too... That newsroom is from 2011 or something... The paint is from 11 I think. It was a marbleish colored gray pattern color before. Two of the last 3 nights we've had 2 reporters and one microwave truck. You might be asking "gee, what ever did they do?"t.

Did they send most of their microwave trucks to the scrap yard? I know bonded cellular is neat but with microwave you can use it all you want and not have to pay for overtime (maybe gas and fcc licensing fees).

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Did they send most of their microwave trucks to the scrap yard? I know bonded cellular is neat but with microwave you can use it all you want and not have to pay for overtime (maybe gas and fcc licensing fees).

I'm not sure.... They just got a new one, a Dodge Promaster. I'm hoping they are using the FaceTime or whatever that is in my example because of an equipment issue. Seeing a reporter with earbuds in and face 2 feet away isn't at all cool. It stinks. When I was at WDIV we used microwaves almost exclusively and Live U boxes as well for breaking news when we needed to set up and go quickly.

 

Worst case possibility here is that they chose not to use an available microwave truck. In fact I think the reporter was with someone else and the 10pm version of his report looked microwaved. If that's the case I can't explain why they would make a mistake like that.

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  • 2 weeks later...

WXYZ got new mic flags today... they are black instead of blue and rounded to fit the 7abc logo instead of just being old used box mic flags from who knows where. They had the blue ones since mid 2011 when they retired the classic 1960's O&O mic flags.

 

Old ones as seen in this promo:

 

New ones:

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WXYZ got new mic flags today... they are black instead of blue and rounded to fit the 7abc logo instead of just being old used box mic flags from who knows where. They had the blue ones since mid 2011 when they retired the classic 1960's O&O mic flags.

 

Old ones as seen in this promo:

 

New ones:

I'm usually not a fan if odd shaped mic flags but I think they should of went with the kind that WABC use.

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I'm usually not a fan if odd shaped mic flags but I think they should of went with the kind that WABC use.

I would have preferred gluing an abc sticker on the ancient flags. That'd be cheap. Or even just have kept them.
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WXYZ switched graphics tonight for it's 11pm preview promo before network programming begins at 8 and also the newscast preview at 1059pm before the 11pm news starts. Both use the October 2014 promo graphic L3's that Scripps put out and they had until now only been using during extended previews of their 7pm (at 655pm) and 11pm (during ABC primetime) newscasts:

 

8pm Billboard preview of the 11pm newscast:

 

1059pm Preview of the 11pm newscast:

 

These things still aren't the worlds best looking graphics but they might hint at what a graphical refresh of the current Scripps package could resemble. They definitely don't match all that well with the current L3 look. Lovely having 2 logos sitting next to each other on the screen in the second video.

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More graphical tweeks at WXYZ:

The 5pm preview during the now has switched from the 2012 look to the late 2014 look with a new end card that is a little different than the 7 and 11pm cards:

2014 7/11pm version:

 

2015 5pm version:

 

They also got a couple of new weather effects, the first being a new aerial view over Downtown Detroit that changes as time goes by (night to day, clouds changing, rain and then sun etc.), it isn't the best thing ever though the water effects are ok:

 

The second is the ability to put lists of conditions at various times over the map using some kind of touch or magic eye trick where the meteorologist raises his hand up to advance each line onto the screen. These graphics are also 2014 refreshes of the original list design:

 

On tonight's 11pm the weather computer lagged and the meteorologist was waving his hand around saying "come on computer!".

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More graphical tweeks at WXYZ:

The 5pm preview during the now has switched from the 2012 look to the late 2014 look with a new end card that is a little different than the 7 and 11pm cards:

2014 7/11pm version:

 

2015 5pm version:

 

They also got a couple of new weather effects, the first being a new aerial view over Downtown Detroit that changes as time goes by (night to day, clouds changing, rain and then sun etc.), it isn't the best thing ever though the water effects are ok:

 

The second is the ability to put lists of conditions at various times over the map using some kind of touch or magic eye trick where the meteorologist raises his hand up to advance each line onto the screen. These graphics are also 2014 refreshes of the original list design:

 

On tonight's 11pm the weather computer lagged and the meteorologist was waving his hand around saying "come on computer!".

 

He's probably embedded a scene launch button into the lake. So essentially it's hidden hot key.
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[The second is the ability to put lists of conditions at various times over the map using some kind of touch or magic eye trick where the meteorologist raises his hand up to advance each line onto the screen. These graphics are also 2014 refreshes of the original list design:

 

On tonight's 11pm the weather computer lagged and the meteorologist was waving his hand around saying "come on computer!".

Or most likely he triggers the graphics using the remote in his hand. His hands are large enough to cover the clicker and if you look closely you can see his middle finger pressing the button as the graphics. At the very end as he turns to face the camera you can see the clicker in hand.
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Or most likely he triggers the graphics using the remote in his hand. His hands are large enough to cover the clicker and if you look closely you can see his middle finger pressing the button as the graphics. At the very end as he turns to face the camera you can see the clicker in hand.

The thing is that they used it twice once at 6 and then at 11 and all 6 times he reached up to that one spot... No need to reach if he's using the clicker. His arm shouldn't move up like that at all using the clicker. Unless he had to point it at something.

 

Edit:

You know what... I think he's faking the touch effect to make it seem high tech... He's definitely using the clicker. Geez... That's kinda bush league. Fooled me though so I imagine it threw every barely watching viewer off too.. Thanks for catching that.

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Additionally, those new weather graphics are from WSI Max. KSHB upgraded to WSI Max last month. Guess Scripps is updating all of their stations to it. I thought KSHB was being special because they had their old program since they went HD back in 2008 and it became incredibly slow.

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Additionally, those new weather graphics are from WSI Max. KSHB upgraded to WSI Max last month. Guess Scripps is updating all of their stations to it. I thought KSHB was being special because they had their old program since they went HD back in 2008 and it became incredibly slow.

 

KGTV debuted it a few months ago and it was very much needed. Their old weather graphics were beyond horrible. Plus they were using a satellite image from Bing as the default map, so you can imagine just how ugly it looked having a watermarked Bing logo in the top right hand corner.
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Additionally, those new weather graphics are from WSI Max. KSHB upgraded to WSI Max last month. Guess Scripps is updating all of their stations to it. I thought KSHB was being special because they had their old program since they went HD back in 2008 and it became incredibly slow.

I haven't noticed many new maps yet though... Are those involved too?
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If I recall correctly, you have to push a button on the clicker to activate MagicTrak, which is what the hand-tracking thing is called. MagicTrak only works well when you use your whole open hand to point... That's why it was having issues when he was pointing with one finger.

 

You probably won't see "new maps" if they're just replacing an old system... The WSI maps have looked pretty much the same for years, and stations don't have a lot of options to change how they look, especially in markets where the other stations are using WSI systems.

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If I recall correctly, you have to push a button on the clicker to activate MagicTrak, which is what the hand-tracking thing is called. MagicTrak only works well when you use your whole open hand to point... That's why it was having issues when he was pointing with one finger.

 

You probably won't see "new maps" if they're just replacing an old system... The WSI maps have looked pretty much the same for years, and stations don't have a lot of options to change how they look, especially in markets where the other stations are using WSI systems.

I was thinking specifically of a new radar look, not that we need it, but in the old days it was replaced every couple years with a new look. I have seen some slightly tweaked maps lately with different orientations and levels of zoom, numbers of places etc.

 

I even saw an old style map with huge numbers and only like 6 cities on it for the lows. That's straight out of 2003... The old "Dopplar 7 Weather" used that format from 2003-2011. Usually now they use a map that's zoomed out more and has more places on it... If they use one at all.

 

All of the Scripps stations have different weather maps so I think the WSI stuff must be customizable in appearance at some level. I don't know if Graham and FOX use WSI or not... Their stuff looks quite different.

 

One thing I'm noticing is that there is a new lightening bolt symbol on the maps for lightning strikes. The maps used to show a solid flash dot thingy before.

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More graphical tweeks at WXYZ:

The 5pm preview during the now has switched from the 2012 look to the late 2014 look with a new end card that is a little different than the 7 and 11pm cards:

2015 5pm version:

 

I guess that first new 5pm preview update from 5/8 was version 1.0. The bug was covering up the large 7abc logo they had pasted on the skyline title card at the end of their preview. So they scrapped that card entirely and went with a simple 7abc logo in the center at the bottom to the left of the bug, appearing on the screen by coming closer to the viewer with a simple "NEXT 5PM" on a red band above the logo. Doesn't get much simpler than that. They sure are doing a lot of refreshing lately...
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I haven't noticed many new maps yet though... Are those involved too?

 

 

 

I was thinking specifically of a new radar look, not that we need it, but in the old days it was replaced every couple years with a new look. I have seen some slightly tweaked maps lately with different orientations and levels of zoom, numbers of places etc.

 

The radar map for KSHB most definitely changed and is similar to KJRH's. I preferred the old one, however, as it looked more realistic. The new one seems to take vegetation and falsely enhances it (kind of like a false-color pic from NASA) and makes everything look too green. Also not the biggest fan of the new radar sweep.

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  • 4 weeks later...
Is a "real-time desk" just a fresh name for an assignment desk, with the people working on it earning less money?

 

http://www.ftvlive.com/todays-news/2015/6/8/phoenix-station-ditches-their-assignment-desk

I'm pretty sure Edward Murrow, Water Cronkite, and maybe even ol' Ed Scripps himself are spinning fast enough to generate electricity for a small country at this point.

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I'm pretty sure Edward Murrow, Water Cronkite, and maybe even ol' Ed Scripps himself are spinning fast enough to generate electricity for a small country at this point.

I assure you there will be a clearance sale soon... Start saving your money up now...
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I agree with FTV Live here:

 

 

Should a TV station stop making TV their first priority? Is this the future of news? And what the hell is the Real Time Desk?

Answer: no. You're a TV station. Come on now. It's one thing to decide to have a larger digital presence, but to completely do away with an assignment desk, as well as 4 positions in addition to the freaking news director is absurd. "Real-Time Desk"? Sounds like a poor attempt to sound hip and cool and up-to-the-minute. I doubt the grown adults in the newsroom think that.

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I agree with FTV Live here:

 

 

Answer: no. You're a TV station. Come on now. It's one thing to decide to have a larger digital presence, but to completely do away with an assignment desk, as well as 4 positions in addition to the freaking news director is absurd. "Real-Time Desk"? Sounds like a poor attempt to sound hip and cool and up-to-the-minute. I doubt the grown adults in the newsroom think that.

And in their biggest market too... Scripps is a joke.
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Digital is destroying TV news (and journalism in general). It's giving the power to a public who has no idea what they are doing as they misinform themselves into oblivion.

 

Any fact-checking or judgment has been done away with in order for anyone to say anything they see fit via social media and it's power to rapidly share things no matter how factual they are.

 

Some may have good intentions, but the cycle of potential manipulation and the endless speculation of captured events is turning people resistant to the facts and truth.

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It's kinda sad to see the rapid destruction of what was once a respected broadcaster...there's nothing wrong with making digital a priority but you've gotta have a healthy balance of it along with broadcast. It's not just limited to Scripps but they are the worst when it comes to integrating broadcast and digital.

 

It already seems like broadcast is an afterthought to them. Hire the youngest most inexperienced people on-air (and force out loyal long time employees because they are basically too old), put a paywall on your stations website, dump all your syndications for cheap inhouse shows that try to list the trends now but it's executed horribly.

 

And of course KNXV drops their news director for a digital content person. I kind of find it funny that they replaced their news director with a "Digital Content Person". Not a "Digital Content Director", a "Digital Content Person".

 

Now they're dropping the assignment desk?

 

I'm once again reminded I'm glad I don't live in a Scripps market. Scripps was a much better company 5 years ago! Please somebody, buy them out already and put them out of their misery before they embarrass themselves again (and their poor employees who basically have to put up with their shenanigans)...

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