Scripps - General Discussion

[MichiganNewsGraphicsJunkie 743]

The pink slip express has pulled into WXMI in Grand Raids, MI,

[T.L. Hughes 746]

This got by. but Bloomberg reports that Byron Allen now wants to acquire some of Scripps’ stations (read: those in small and, possibly, some mid-sized markets).

[mre29 1340]

15 hours ago, T.L. Hughes said:

This got by. but Bloomberg reports that Byron Allen now wants to acquire some of Scripps’ stations (read: those in small and, possibly, some mid-sized markets).

 

The article's paywalled. Could you provide a link to non-paywalled coverage? Thanks.

 

[TheRob 919]

The article is pretty short. It did not name stations or have quotes from anyone. A potential deal would use private debt market.

 

Allen Media Group owns Entertainment Studios Inc., The Weather Channel and several network-affiliated stations. It has previously turned to the broadly syndicated debt markets to fund acquisitions, including its purchase of Honolulu’s KITV and stations owned by Quincy Media.

It’s considering private credit — where debt is held by just a few lenders and is not typically bought and sold — as some of its obligations have struggled. The company’s term loan is quoted at around 88 cents on the dollar, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, while its $650 million of 10.5% bonds change hands at distressed levels, according to Trace.

[Megatron81 179]

Byron Allen always seems to want to buy something in broadcast TV I hope he doesn't get a TV station in West Michigan WXMI Fox17.  

[Route66Fan 74]

I originally posted the following on the Ion board: I wonder if, based on the programming & branding changes that have occured at KUPX, KMCC & KASW, Scripps owned independent TV station KMCI-TV, Ch. 38 in Kansas City, MO, will eventually drop it's longtime "38 the Spot" branding & start using some branding like Kansas City 38 or even KC 38?

[kfc513 225]

Cincinnati media blogger John Kiesewetter did a piece on Scripps' pre-taped autopilot newscasts, particularly WCPO's 4PM shows: https://www.wvxu.org/media/2023-11-01/wcpo-tv-news-shows-scrippscast-tvkiese

 

So apparently, they're using proprietary technology (!) called "Scrippscast" to do this. To me, it basically just sounds like glorified control room automation that's designed to cut costs and nothing more.

 

Regarding WCPO, it's just their 4PM newscasts and their weekly FC Cincinnati sports show* using the "Scrippscast" software at the moment, but the article mentions that their Saturday 11PM newscasts will be next to go the mostly-anchorless route. And according to their news director (quoted at the end of the article), possibly more...

 

*I should also point out that FC Cincinnati Weekly looked more-or-less like a traditional sports chat show, complete with pre-taped packages, last I checked.

 

[LexTVandRadio 412]

This is how I can tell WLEX is using the scrippscast. The peacock isn't in color. No temperature either. 

[kfc513 225]

1 hour ago, LexTVandRadio said:

This is how I can tell WLEX is using the scrippscast. The peacock isn't in color. No temperature either. 

 

WCPO uses their normal time/temp bug at 4:00 (that would be the top image). Not sure about WLEX, but WCPO's 4:00 show appears to be at least 30% live, 70% Scrippscast, so maybe that's why?

 

[doublejman69 105]

Sorry if this has already been posted but recently KIVI has dropped all live newscast and news anchors for “scrippcasts.” I’m not sure how many job cuts were made in Boise.

[doublejman69 105]

On 9/29/2023 at 4:22 PM, ELISYSYN said:

If WTMJ gets lower ratings than CBS58, I would be shocked as CBS 58 is basically just an afterthought in SE Wisconsin.

This was the ratings earlier this year https://www.nexttv.com/news/local-news-close-up-good-things-brewing-in-milwaukee “WISN and WITI are the frontrunners in the local news game. In February, WITI won the 6 a.m. battle in both live-plus-same-day household impressions and the 25-54 demo. At both 5 and 6 p.m., WISN won households and WITI took the demo. At 10 p.m., WISN averaged 49,200 household impressions, ahead of WITI’s 34,700, WDJT’s 22,400 and WTMJ’s 19,200. In the 25-54 late news race, WISN had 14,300 impressions, WITI averaged 14,000, WDJT had 5,400 and WTMJ had 5,200”. 
 

 WTMJ’s 4:30am newscast was barely getting 1,000 impressions. When I moved to Milwaukee in 2000 the WTMJ had a 15 share, WISN was around a 10 and CBS58 couldn’t even get a 1 share. 

[mrschimpf 2051]

Weigel is definitely not an afterthought in the market and they've long left their 90s era struggles at this point. They definitely have the more powerful schedule and good overall lead-ins outside mornings, and they (along with the other four ops in town) hire good people from everywhere rather than MMJs who are hamstrung from the get-go.

 

WTMJ is just in a fugue state where they're still stuck trying to recapture their 90s peak, but with Carole Meekins about to depart they no longer have any of those people in the newsroom and it's mainly either personnel with no connection to the area, or those who came on to try to salvage things, or those who are just there because they sucked up to management still living as if Journal hasn't fully ceased to exist.

 

There's just no encouragement there, or any management that wants it to be unique; their GM did absolutely nothing with WGBA and somehow got promoted, and their 'no comment' in that Next TV article says it all; it's a station that wants to do the bare minimum without Cincy catching onto them.

[doublejman69 105]

On 11/24/2023 at 8:43 AM, mrschimpf said:

Weigel is definitely not an afterthought in the market and they've long left their 90s era struggles at this point. They definitely have the more powerful schedule and good overall lead-ins outside mornings, and they (along with the other four ops in town) hire good people from everywhere rather than MMJs who are hamstrung from the get-go.

 

WTMJ is just in a fugue state where they're still stuck trying to recapture their 90s peak, but with Carole Meekins about to depart they no longer have any of those people in the newsroom and it's mainly either personnel with no connection to the area, or those who came on to try to salvage things, or those who are just there because they sucked up to management still living as if Journal hasn't fully ceased to exist.

 

There's just no encouragement there, or any management that wants it to be unique; their GM did absolutely nothing with WGBA and somehow got promoted, and their 'no comment' in that Next TV article says it all; it's a station that wants to do the bare minimum without Cincy catching onto them.

Scripps must see something in the GM, he recently got promoted to regional GM oversee 3 or 4 other markets. I know he did improve advertising revenue quite a bit when he was in Green Bay especially when they started airing local sports, but revenue for WTMJ has dropped significantly since Scripps took over, part of that ad revenue is going down for all TV stations especially in the last couple of years, but compared to the other stations in Milwaukee, WTMJ has lost the most.

 

All major decision goes though Cincinnati, that has been the case shortly after the merger. if you look all the Scripps stations for the most part, they are in 3-4 place in the ratings. sure, there are some that do better but are in small markets or where the competition is nonexistence. WTMJ looks like every station in the group performance wise.   

 

Nothing WTMJ does stands out, Chamraz and Benson are better reporters than anchors, all the reporters are interchangeable and will likely be gone in 2-3 years when their contract runs out. After the merger everyone that only reported left or was replaced in 6 months. Andrea Williams and Cassandra are the best recent hires, but they are not hard news reporters, they are miss used only to be on the low rated 6:30pm show. WTMJ should be doing more community stories for the intercity on the main 5,6 and 10pm newscast and not just focusing on crime and violence. For decades WTMJ had the biggest and probably the best weather team in the market, but for the most of this summer WTMJ was down to only 3 meteorologists. Every time there was severe weather all the other stations had 2-3 meteorologists on hand compared to WTMJ where they only had one who was standing in front of the green screen looking down on their lap top the whole time. WTMJ recently hired a 4th meteorologist but got rid of the 5th met spot a few years ago. 6,12 and 58 all have 5 metorologists.

Edited November 27, 2023 by doublejman69

[MichiganNewsGraphicsJunkie 743]

On 11/24/2023 at 2:47 PM, doublejman69 said:

Sorry if this has already been posted but recently KIVI has dropped all live newscast and news anchors for “scrippcasts.” I’m not sure how many job cuts were made in Boise.

According to their website, no anchors are listed. Just "Senior Reporters" and "Neighborhood Reporters"

[jjj 2]

On 11/24/2023 at 6:47 AM, doublejman69 said:

Sorry if this has already been posted but recently KIVI has dropped all live newscast and news anchors for “scrippcasts.” I’m not sure how many job cuts were made in Boise.

 

Their news packages are very odd.  I would never watch a newscast that was a string of these packages together spliced with Scripps national stories.

[ABC 7 Denver 1552]

20 hours ago, MichiganNewsGraphicsJunkie said:

According to their website, no anchors are listed. Just "Senior Reporters" and "Neighborhood Reporters"

 

One of the individuals labeled as a "Senior Reporter" has an anchor title.

[doublejman69 105]

Hearing a number of Scripps stations are pre- recording newscast to air later. WFTS in Tampa is only airing live newscasts at 6am,9am, 5and 6pm. I know the station has struggled for a long time but it’s a top 15 market. Scripps has also let go GMs at least 6 stations. 

On 11/28/2023 at 5:03 AM, ABC 7 Denver said:

 

One of the individuals labeled as a "Senior Reporter" has an anchor title.

Web person forgot to change all the titles, everyone is a reporter or “senior reporter.”

[ABC 7 Denver 1552]

38 minutes ago, doublejman69 said:

Hearing a number of Scripps stations are pre- recording newscast to air later. WFTS in Tampa is only airing live newscasts at 6am,9am, 5and 6pm. I know the station has struggled for a long time but it’s a top 15 market. Scripps has also let go GMs at least 6 stations. 

Web person forgot to change all the titles, everyone is a reporter or “senior reporter.”

 

Scripps is prepping a sale.

[HSV cheesehead 88]

50 minutes ago, ABC 7 Denver said:

 

Scripps is prepping a sale.

Makes sense, however, have you read or heard anything else, or just using the evidence we've seen so far?

Also, if they were prepping for a sale, wouldn't they have kept the anchors, which is part of the value of each stations image with the public.

 

Edited December 11, 2023 by HSV cheesehead

[ABC 7 Denver 1552]

48 minutes ago, HSV cheesehead said:

Makes sense, however, have you read or heard anything else, or just using the evidence we've seen so far?

Also, if they were prepping for a sale, wouldn't they have kept the anchors, which is part of the value of each stations image with the public.

 

In the short of it, they want their balance sheets to show lower operating costs than revenue so it boosts interest from perspective buyers. This is what Meredith did before they sold to Gray. If debt equity is high, this other method will be the most attractive things to Wall Street.

 

You're pointing out the single largest problem with having large-scale station ownership. They have no connection to the community they serve or local values. They only care about finances. You are right that these are part of the value of the station images with the public, but the finances are far abstracted from that. No one is looking or cares. It's all about the balance sheet at the end of the day.

[HSV cheesehead 88]

8 minutes ago, ABC 7 Denver said:

In the short of it, they want their balance sheets to show lower operating costs than revenue so it boosts interest from perspective buyers. This is what Meredith did before they sold to Gray. If debt equity is high, this other method will be the most attractive things to Wall Street.

Thanks for the explanation, I didn't consider the operating costs themselves.

[ABC 7 Denver 1552]

4 hours ago, HSV cheesehead said:

Thanks for the explanation, I didn't consider the operating costs themselves.

 

Yep. The viewers don't matter.

[MediaZone4K 1509]

Caught some of WPTV/WFLX's newscasts. The quality is not the same as years past. The

packages --based on online employee reviews and observation-- appear to be heavily MMJ and have a college-ish short documentary feel to them. 

 

There are a lack of live shots, which is fine compared to sister market Miami where unnecessary live shots are rampant. There were about 5 or 6 in WPLG 's 11 pm A block.

 

Edited January 4 by MediaZone4K

[NowBergen 485]

1 hour ago, MediaZone4K said:

Caught some of WPTV/WFLX's newscasts. The quality is not the same as years past. The

packages --based on online employee reviews and observation-- appear to be heavily MMJ and have a college-ish short documentary feel to them. 

 

There are a lack of live shots, which is fine compared to sister market Miami where unnecessary live shots are rampant (there were about 5 or 6 in WPLG 's 11 pm A block).  

 

 I haven't been to WPB for several years.  Is this observation during this holiday period where many reporters take time off or during the past year?  It is a shame to hear about it.  

[MediaZone4K 1509]

 

14 hours ago, NowBergen said:

 I haven't been to WPB for several years.  Is this observation during this holiday period where many reporters take time off or during the past year?  It is a shame to hear about it.  

Over the year in general and during the holidays. In the past few years the station had some major talent departures: John Favole, Roxanne Stein and Kelly Dunn. Their current set is very barren compared their their superior previous set.

I'll say WPBF 25 is probably the best product in the market right now...

(though according to their website, they only have half the number of reporters that 5 and 12 do).

Edited January 1 by MediaZone4K