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MI News 26 Founder Starting National News Network


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3 hours ago, Weeters said:

A few months ago, WMNN published a Facebook Live stream for severe weather coverage where midway through they lose power and end up off-air. They have to run extension cords out to one of their several completely unnecessary live trucks to use its generator, when they could have probably bought a small, permanently installed natural gas/propane generator for less than one of those trucks.

I didn’t originally did want to comment about the lack of generator seen in this post [(but since you brought it up):

 

On 1/1/2019 at 5:42 PM, DENDude said:

.Here is a look at their studio's & HQ in Cadillac, MI.   (Image taken from GOOGLE Maps)

image.thumb.png.369b38da54f46ddf7d6043b441eef596.png

 

 I’d assume a generator would normally go where power and gas normally enter building which looks like it’s right where those bollards are.  And doesn’t the building look like it’s an old converted garage? Just the side we’ve seen looks like there were four bays based on how they aren’t flush with the further most part of the wall.

 

8 hours ago, Greggo said:

One of their anchors is only 20 years old, according to FTV. There also supposedly is a pic on his FB page of him wearing a MAGA hat, Scott says. Not a good look for a journalist. (And yes ... I’d say the same thing if he was photographed wearing a Hillary cap.) 

https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2019/1/2/another-national-news-service-has-launched

He had to have known people especially Scott or others would look on Facebook. Shame Facebook got rid of the feature on how your profile appears to other users and anonymous guests.  Could have saved him some trouble - not even two days on the job and criticized by Scott.  That has to be a record.

 

 

Edited by rkolsen
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3 hours ago, Weeters said:

The graphics are fine. It's the content and delivery that screams low budget (and has since the start.)

 

Newsnet (along with WMNN) is exactly what I would expect from "news nerds" starting their own channel. There seems to be more attention (and money) spent on presentation (graphics, music, image campaigns, live trucks, etc.) than anything else. The number of stories I've seen on WMNN that are lengthy VOs over maps or a single still image is too high to count. WMNN has switched news music packages so frequently in the few years it's existed that I imagine Eric has his Stephen Arnold rep on speed dial. Weather is still being done with Apple Keynote, but at least they have 3 ENG trucks.

 

 

You hit the nail right on the head. Watching NewsNet makes me wonder if this is just a glorified version of high school video announcements (those under 45 should remember what those are--they were usually paired with "Channel One" infotainment). 

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So, their entire operation -- studio, production facility, offices, maintenance -- is in that building?

 

I'm pretty sure my parents' house is bigger than that, and they do not have a big house.

 

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3 hours ago, rkolsen said:

I didn’t originally did want to comment about the lack of generator seen in this post [(but since you brought it up):

 

 I’d assume a generator would normally go where power and gas normally enter building which looks like it’s right where those bollards are.  And doesn’t the building look like it’s an old converted garage? Just the side we’ve seen looks like there were four bays based on how they aren’t flush with the further most part of the wall.

 

He had to have known people especially Scott or others would look on Facebook. Shame Facebook got rid of the feature on how your profile appears to other users and anonymous guests.  Could have saved him some trouble - not even two days on the job and criticized by Scott.  That has to be a record.

 

 

 

The power service entry points are actually on the opposite side, which would be a perfect place for something like one of these. They could probably work out a deal with a local electrician to install it in exchange for advertising. The MI News 26 Storm Centered (literally) powered by Irv's Electrical Service.

 

1 hour ago, mre29 said:

So, their entire operation -- studio, production facility, offices, maintenance -- is in that building?

 

I'm pretty sure my parents' house is bigger than that, and they do not have a big house.

 

 

It's an, uh, interesting cramped setup, from what I have seen. The "studio" is just in a large office and production control and master control look like they could have been closets at some point. Almost everything in the "studio" is touching some other part of the set.

 

 

The lighting is just a bunch of clamp-on construction lights jammed into the drop ceiling grid

Again, I feel that the Newsnet money could have probably been better invested in building up WMNN before trying to be Ted Turner 2.0. Turner grew WTCG/WTBS for 10 years before launching CNN, and he got there while basically giving the FCC a middle finger over how much "news" he had to air on the station. WMNN has been on for six years and hasn't changed much. Everything about this seems rushed.

 

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Thoughts of watching about as much of this as I could bear:

- As has been said...lots of VOs/still images/etc. -- horrible.

- Seemingly ALL of the reporting is CNN packages. I wonder how CNN feels about a "competitor" (at least in its own mind) using its content. How does this interface with CNN market embargos? Would video shot by, say, KTRK, violate it if it airs on the Houston affiliate?

- Also: does NewsNet have a license to use Elevation nationwide?

 

"High school announcements with fancy graphics" about sums it up.

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21 minutes ago, AJClementeFan69 said:

Thoughts of watching about as much of this as I could bear:

- As has been said...lots of VOs/still images/etc. -- horrible.

- Seemingly ALL of the reporting is CNN packages. I wonder how CNN feels about a "competitor" (at least in its own mind) using its content. How does this interface with CNN market embargos? Would video shot by, say, KTRK, violate it if it airs on the Houston affiliate?

- Also: does NewsNet have a license to use Elevation nationwide?

 

"High school announcements with fancy graphics" about sums it up.

 

I was in HS in 1994, and the school I attended had a Video Toaster, so some high schools have had "fancy graphics" on their announcements for some time now (although, with newer, cheaper technology, they got better over time).

Edited by TVIntheDesert
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so... noticed something absent from the live stream...

 

closed captioning... which they are legally required to have if it's being closed captioned over the air...

 

anyone who can pick this channel up... are they doing closed captioning ota??? since closed captioning wavers are for individual stations this might land someone in hot water with the Commission...

 

you wanna play with the big boys you gotta follow the rules the big boys all have to follow...

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14 hours ago, DENDude said:

I'm also curious to know who is providing the headlines for there ticker is it AP or UPI ?  It dosn't say, at least FOX News Channel, MSNBC, ect tell you if they have a headline from the AP, ect..

 

The wire service articles on their website are credited to their on-air talent, which is pretty misleading. 

12 hours ago, Webovision said:

so... noticed something absent from the live stream...

 

closed captioning... which they are legally required to have if it's being closed captioned over the air...

 

anyone who can pick this channel up... are they doing closed captioning ota??? since closed captioning wavers are for individual stations this might land someone in hot water with the Commission...

 

you wanna play with the big boys you gotta follow the rules the big boys all have to follow...

 

I don't think standard low power stations have to abide by the same rules as full-service or class-A stations, so maybe they give their CA affiliates waivers. They do provide the three hours of educational programming (low-budget stuff from the Telco Productions library) for the one or two stations which are class-A, though. 

Edited by TVIntheDesert
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22 hours ago, Webovision said:

so... noticed something absent from the live stream...

 

closed captioning... which they are legally required to have if it's being closed captioned over the air...

 

anyone who can pick this channel up... are they doing closed captioning ota??? since closed captioning wavers are for individual stations this might land someone in hot water with the Commission...

 

you wanna play with the big boys you gotta follow the rules the big boys all have to follow...

 

Does anyone here remember the first 6 months of CNN?

Just be happy they have sound for those pictures...

 

You guys be nice and support these kids.

Send them one or 2 pre-paid pizza's some afternoon...they would love that!

 

You got to start somewhere....1657392328_LNNNews.thumb.jpg.bf29cb340242acdded49052da2945eef.jpg

 

 

Edited by Eat News
It's supposed say "WX Geek Girls Rock"...
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41 minutes ago, Eat News said:

 

Does anyone here remember the first 6 months of CNN?

Just be happy they have sound for those pictures...

 

You guys be nice and support these kids.

Send them one or 2 pre-paid pizza's some afternoon...they would love that!

 

You got to start somewhere....1657392328_LNNNews.thumb.jpg.bf29cb340242acdded49052da2945eef.jpg

 

 

 

Eat, I love you. You always make these threads so much better. 😂

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15 hours ago, TVIntheDesert said:

 

The wire service articles on their website are credited to their on-air talent, which is pretty misleading. 

 

I don't think standard low power stations have to abide by the same rules as full-service or class-A stations, so maybe they give their CA affiliates waivers. They do provide the three hours of educational programming (low-budget stuff from the Telco Productions library) for the one or two stations which are class-A, though. 

I believe there's also a revenue threshold that must be met to require closed captioning.   If they make less than 2 million dollars per year I think they're exempt due to "financial hardship" and can qualify for a waiver. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

The website seems to stay up to date, as for the live stream, they seem to let some stories (like the "Across America" segment) & headlines on the ticker repeat for 2 or 3 days before updating it.   I don't quite understand that.  You would think their would be enough content from AP, UPI, or even events across the country that could keep the ticker & the across America segment going for a while.  

Edited by DENDude
Added more things to the post.
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7 hours ago, DENDude said:

The website seems to stay up to date, as for the live stream, they seem to let some stories (like the "Across America" segment) & headlines on the ticker repeat for 2 or 3 days before updating it.   I don't quite understand that.  You would think their would be enough content from AP, UPI, or even events across the country that could keep the ticker & the across America segment going for a while.  

 

I do. It's not a professional news operation. That's really all that needs to be said,

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8 hours ago, DENDude said:

The website seems to stay up to date, as for the live stream, they seem to let some stories (like the "Across America" segment) & headlines on the ticker repeat for 2 or 3 days before updating it.   I don't quite understand that.  You would think their would be enough content from AP, UPI, or even events across the country that could keep the ticker & the across America segment going for a while.  

 

Out of fairness is it possible regarding the Across America segment there are multiple? And how do you watch? 

 

As for the ticker they should subscribe to the AP’s ticker service (I assume they still offer it). 

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11 hours ago, rkolsen said:

 

Out of fairness is it possible regarding the Across America segment there are multiple? And how do you watch? 

 

As for the ticker they should subscribe to the AP’s ticker service (I assume they still offer it). 

 

The rotating "Across America" segments that I've seen got the most play have been the Wienermobile one and the pretty one-sided "unplanned pregnancy options" interview. This is on the Roku stream.

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5 hours ago, DENDude said:

rkolsen: I Watch at: yournewsnet.com/watch-live it works as long as you have internet explorer/microsoft edge.  It dosn't seem to work with Firefox.    I don't get your question about the across america segment.

Are there rotating Across America segments where they’re maybe scheduled to playout at certain day parts? As in maybe when you tune in repeatedly at a certain time ones is meant to be played out where another one could be more relatable for breakfast viewing. 

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it dosn't appear that the segments are aired on a rotating basis, but i could be wrong.   As TVIntheDesert says the Wienermobile one has played many times in the past 2 weeks, that interview was done on day 2 of the network. 

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Filling large chunks of time with "Around our Area" was extremely common early on with MI News 26. I remember watching and realizing the bulk of the programming was not news, but the same 4-6 "area" segments airing every two hours on a loop all day for weeks on end. It was especially concerning when they'd be referencing an event "coming up" that happened in the past.

 

It might work locally, I don't think it's going to work nationally. 

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Since just last week, NewsNet has implemented minor changes to its news wheel:

 

At :10 past the hour, the commercial break now runs for just 5 minutes.

 

The weather forecast segment, currently handled by Meteorologist Morris Langworthy on weekdays and forecaster Dylan Rodenbaugh on weekends, is now aired at :15 and :43 past the hour.

 

The sports segment, which is anchored by former WHAG/WDVM sports anchor Bejoy Joseph, now runs at :20 and :48 past the hour. There are no commercials aired after first half-hour of the sports segment.

 

However, the news headlines segment and "Around America" remains unchanged.

Edited by Jared Kenneth Ferrer
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13 hours ago, Jared Kenneth Ferrer said:

At :10 past the hour, the commercial break now runs for just 5 minutes.

 

A five minute commercial break? That’s going to loose a lot of viewers. 

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