Out & About

[TheRolyPoly 1824]

On 9/1/2020 at 12:10 PM, tyrannical bastard said:

Today marks the 24th anniversary of the launch of ABC 33/40 in Birmingham. 

At the time, it was a merger of WCFT TV-33 in Tuscaloosa and WJSU TV-40 in Anniston, coupled with a low-powered station in Birmingham, WBMA-LP.  This also merged the two markets into Birmingham, and eventually made WBMG (now WIAT) the sole CBS affiliate for the now-combined market.  WNAL was supposed to be the "second" station, but that went to WJSU instead....they served as the CBS affiliate for the remaining tenure of Anniston-Gadsden's time as a separate market.

 

Allbritton would continue to run the stations until their merger with Sinclair.  "33" and "40" were sold off to Howard Stirk at the last second after Sinclair tried some antics to "own" them outright, but decided to give up the licenses unless a buyer was found.  Today, the station is avaiable on WBMA-LD, WABM-DT2, WDBB-DT2, and is still simulcast on Stirk-owned WGWW-DT2 (the former WJSU or "40")

 

Several staff members are still there today, including anchor Brenda Ladun, and of course, the venerable James Spann who had departed WBRC for their switch to Fox as part of this launch.

 

 

My god. Just be called ABC Alabama already and call it a day. Why they're still called ABC 33/40 without actually being on 33 and 40 makes no sense to me.

[TVNewsLover 701]

1 hour ago, TheRolyPoly said:

 

My god. Just be called ABC Alabama already and call it a day. Why they're still called ABC 33/40 without actually being on 33 and 40 makes no sense to me.

Technically they are still on 40.2. The reason they’ve kept the name is probably because of brand recognition. And if they were to rebrand, I think ABC Central Alabama would make more sense.

[nbc9houston 19]

5 hours ago, TheRolyPoly said:

 

My god. Just be called ABC Alabama already and call it a day. Why they're still called ABC 33/40 without actually being on 33 and 40 makes no sense to me.

 

WCIV-DT2 should do the same thing and drop "ABC 4" for ABC Charleston or ABC 8 (WCIV-DT2's cable position)

Edited September 3, 2020 by nbc9houston

[TheRolyPoly 1824]

5 hours ago, TVNewsLover said:

Technically they are still on 40.2. The reason they’ve kept the name is probably because of brand recognition. And if they were to rebrand, I think ABC Central Alabama would make more sense.

But as far as I'm concerned, no ABC affiliate in the state is called ABC Alabama just yet. They have an opportunity here.

[tyrannical bastard 3186]

At this point, it's engrained in the viewers' heads, no matter what channel it's actually on. 

Allbritton could have requested a cable channel across the market (like what WCNC did with "6" years back, and pretty much the entire Ft. Myers market sans WINK), but that ship has sailed.

Birmimgham is just one of those markets that let APT/PBS get two of the good allocations....channel 10 (Birmimgham) and 7 (Mt. Cheaha),  leaving only Channel 6 and 13.  When FOX moved to 6, ABC was relegated to 33/40 and 58, and now its gaggle of subchannels strewn over WABM, WDBB, and for whatever reason they can get away with being on the former WJSU.

All the while, the doormat "42" has finally overcome itself, and after an identity crisis before Nexstar got them, back to good old CBS 42.

[Bsean 136]

On 8/28/2020 at 2:46 AM, A3N said:

They were originally going to have a 4pm newscast when they acquired the CW affiliation but that never came to fruition. I'm curious to see what kind of format this show will take, and if they're going to start using the CBS 8 logo more instead of the NEWS 8 logo.

 

Seems like they also dropped the 4:30am newscast, i'm sure it was to accommodate the noon newscast.

Seems like they may be going in the lifestyle direction with this broadcast. I just saw a commercial with Shawn Styles promoting a regular cooking segment he's gonna be doing for the show. Also, I need to make a correction. The show will be done with Heather Myers, not Barbara Lee... Seems like a long day for Heather unless she will be leaving mornings...

[A3N 992]

1 hour ago, Bsean said:

Seems like they may be going in the lifestyle direction with this broadcast. I just saw a commercial with Shawn Styles promoting a regular cooking segment he's gonna be doing for the show. Also, I need to make a correction. The show will be done with Heather Myers, not Barbara Lee... Seems like a long day for Heather unless she will be leaving mornings...

Well, they cut the 4:30am newscast, so that's one less thing for Heather to do, theoretically.

 

My guess is that she'll still contribute to the 11am/Noon shows, and gets bumped off mornings. Seems like Neda has been filling in the weather anchor/fill-in anchor role pretty frequently, so she can easily slide in to fill Heather's spot.

 

The Tegna influence has been slow to creep in, compared to other stations in the group. Honestly, I was expecting them to do some kind of lifestyle show sooner, rather than later.

 

Let's see what else they do. A new set, perhaps? They are overdue for one...

[scrabbleship 427]

On 9/1/2020 at 7:51 PM, scrabbleship said:

 

I think you'll see a horse race market a la Albany with no clear dominant station. It also wonders whose decision this was: If Meredith wanted him out, they shot themselves in the knee. If Dennis wanted out, it was another bad wound for a station already taking wounds. 

 

If the FTV Live post about WFSB and Dennis House parting ways is any indication, confirmation that WFSB shot themselves in the knee.  

 

He'd be a good get for WTNH on paper, but I'd put money on him going to WVIT. They have a habit of getting people that WFSB has cast aside and they're based in West Hartford, a town Dennis has championed and calls his home. That is if he doesn't dabble into politics now that he's lost his home of vetting candidates. Or writes the book that he's teased about writing (he'd join Kara on the bookshelf).

[Breaking News 770]

9 hours ago, scrabbleship said:

 

If the FTV Live post about WFSB and Dennis House parting ways is any indication, confirmation that WFSB shot themselves in the knee.  

 

He'd be a good get for WTNH on paper, but I'd put money on him going to WVIT. They have a habit of getting people that WFSB has cast aside and they're based in West Hartford, a town Dennis has championed and calls his home. That is if he doesn't dabble into politics now that he's lost his home of vetting candidates. Or writes the book that he's teased about writing (he'd join Kara on the bookshelf).

What about FOX61? Could that even be an idea?

[TexasTVNews 1356]

Watch out, KPRC, KHOU, and KTRK... you got new competition at 6:00 PM

https://mikemcguff.blogspot.com/2020/09/fox-26-kriv-NewsEdge-6pm-newscast.html

 

 

[Bsean 136]

13 hours ago, A3N said:

Well, they cut the 4:30am newscast, so that's one less thing for Heather to do, theoretically.

 

My guess is that she'll still contribute to the 11am/Noon shows, and gets bumped off mornings. Seems like Neda has been filling in the weather anchor/fill-in anchor role pretty frequently, so she can easily slide in to fill Heather's spot.

 

The Tegna influence has been slow to creep in, compared to other stations in the group. Honestly, I was expecting them to do some kind of lifestyle show sooner, rather than later.

 

Let's see what else they do. A new set, perhaps? They are overdue for one...

Oh yeah, you're probably right. I forgot about Neda. She'll take over morning weather and probably report for 11a and noon. One could only hope they have a new set coming in the near future. We're nearing 10 years on this one. 

 

I think the Tegna influence at KFMB has been mostly confined to mornings.

Edited September 3, 2020 by Bsean

[scrabbleship 427]

2 hours ago, Breaking News said:

What about FOX61? Could that even be an idea?

 

His age (57 in December) might be a strike against him in the book of Tegna. Which is ironic given how if Tribune was still around they'd have done it in a heartbeat, they did so for a 70ish Al Terzi after WFSB pressured him to retire.

 

If he stays in TV, I'd put them a little behind WTNH. It'd be instant gravitas and credibility but for how long. As it was, Dennis was down to the 5:00, 6:00, and Face the State on Sunday mornings (which taped Thursday afternoons). I honestly see him tackling new media and/or the political realm before a return to TV.

[ABC 7 Denver 1486]

35 minutes ago, scrabbleship said:

 

His age (57 in December) might be a strike against him in the book of Tegna. Which is ironic given how if Tribune was still around they'd have done it in a heartbeat, they did so for a 70ish Al Terzi after WFSB pressured him to retire.

 

If he stays in TV, I'd put them a little behind WTNH. It'd be instant gravitas and credibility but for how long. As it was, Dennis was down to the 5:00, 6:00, and Face the State on Sunday mornings (which taped Thursday afternoons). I honestly see him tackling new media and/or the political realm before a return to TV.

 

It's not the age that's the problem, it's the financial layout that the experience demands that's the problem for GANNETT TEGNA.

[polyiguana 17]

Laura Monteverdi, who was recently let go from KTHV, is moving to Nexstar Nation to replace Ashley Ketz, now in Chicago reporting for NewsNation. She'll join longtime anchor Bob Clausen at 5, 6, and 10.

https://www.kark.com/news/local-news/laura-monteverdi-joins-kark-4-news-as-evening-anchor/ 

[LexTVandRadio 408]

https://www.wkyt.com/2020/09/04/barbara-bailey-to-end-four-decade-run-anchoring-at-wkyt/?fbclid=IwAR1Ec8QQ5LaxjFjelVwZssUSICLTRtLECGFv0qwndmzpWeGwPkgTpdnsTkw 

 

WKYT's Barbara Bailey is retiring after 41 years. 

[Roadrunner 212]

Some other retirements that have made the rounds this past week:

• Reporter Deborah Wrigley from KTRK in Houston is retiring after 42 years
  • https://abc13.com/society/deborah-wrigley-signs-off-after-42-years-at-abc13/6403033/
• Meteorologist Sally Severson from WISN in Milwaukee is retiring after 34 years -- she'd been reducing her workload over the last few months but officially departed this past Monday
  • https://www.wisn.com/article/celebrating-sally-severson-with-a-tribute-on-her-last-day/33927742
• Reporter Bill Hudson from WCCO in Minneapolis is retiring after 31 years 
  • https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2020/09/04/after-30-years-bill-hudson-bids-farewell-to-wcco-tv/

[mrschimpf 1785]

On 12/21/2018 at 8:53 AM, cg41386 said:

Former WTAE news anchor Wendy Bell is joining KDKA 1020 as an afternoon co-host, while KDKA TV reporter Lynne Hayes-Freeland is joining as midday hostess.

https://kdkaradio.radio.com/articles/wendy-bell-lynne-hayes-freeland-join-kdka-radio-air-lineup

After a summer where she suggested park rangers shoot monument vandalizers and overall paranoid COVID skepticism, along with KDKA radio's management deciding to go all-in on conservative talk (and advertisers exited) while KDKA-TV had to 'they're in another universe and we washed our hands of them a couple years ago' people who called to complain about her, Bell is 'indefinitely suspended', though her bio and show page have been pulled (she also lost her Pitt Panther pregame duties on a sister station, which just seems like the most random of assignments).

[SFTV 459]

Bay Area Blogger Rich Lieberman in hot water after 29 female journalists past and present sign a letter denouncing him as sexist.

 

https://medium.com/@bayareanewswomen/we-are-better-than-this-5780d57c7ff4

[noggi 543]

1 hour ago, SFTV said:

Bay Area Blogger Rich Lieberman in hot water after 29 female journalists past and present sign a letter denouncing him as sexist.

 

https://medium.com/@bayareanewswomen/we-are-better-than-this-5780d57c7ff4

 

This guy is disgusting. Most of his stories are completely made up. After running into him at a bar in Oakland a few years ago and seeing how he behaved, this all makes sense. Glad finally someone is saying something. 

[TheRob 905]

 

[C Block 1454]

SF Mayor London Breed expressed her support:

 

 

I have to wonder if he's getting to be senile or something. He is making less and less sense as the years go by, and he continues to write things that are clearly made up.

 

The other person who doesn't look good coming out of this is Chuck Barney at the Mercury News. He wrote that story about Kimberly Guilfoyle reportedly going to KTVU using Lieberman as his only source. He didn't even bother to reach out to KTVU or Guilfoyle's rep. Then, once there was a ton of blowback, he tried to cover his tracks by reaching out to a handful of KTVU people after the fact to see if there was any truth to Lieberman's story, which of course there wasn't. He should be held to a higher standard given that he's a supposed journalist and has a much higher platform than blogspot.com.

Edited September 5, 2020 by C Block

[Greggo 325]

Nexstar’s CW39 in Houston has a new chief met: Adam Krueger from Spectrum News in Austin and San Antonio. He’ll be on their newly reformatted in-house morning show, which is weather- and traffic-intensive. (Their evening newscast at 9p is outsourced to ABC O&O KTRK.) 

 

 

[SFTV 459]

Starting September 14, KRON 4 is launching an hour newscast at 3pm.

 

It looks like they want to compete with KGO’s 3pm 30 minute Interactive Newscast before World News Tonight where viewers connect thru Facebook Live called “Getting Answers,”  discussing topics like a Coronavirus, Wildfires, Education, Unemployment, etc.
 

Its not a normal newscast like KABC does at 3pm so no weather and sports. Strictly interviews and Answers.

 

This is a big jump for KRON since they are finally adding more newscasts. Hopefully a 1pm Newscast would be nice down the road since their sister Nexstar stations KTLA and KSWB have a 1pm show.

[jero23 105]

On 9/2/2020 at 5:44 PM, TheRolyPoly said:

 

My god. Just be called ABC Alabama already and call it a day. Why they're still called ABC 33/40 without actually being on 33 and 40 makes no sense to me.

 

Uh here's the problem with the market, it's the Birmingham DMA. The degradation of the branding of the local TV news operations is one of the reasons why most don't even respect Birmingham as a major US city now. It's in the top 50 largest metropolitan areas in the US for Christ sake. Nobody should be calling the ABC affiliate for Birmingham "ABC Alabama" . 

 

On 9/2/2020 at 6:52 PM, TVNewsLover said:

Technically they are still on 40.2. The reason they’ve kept the name is probably because of brand recognition. And if they were to rebrand, I think ABC Central Alabama would make more sense.

 

Yeah it's a legacy brand nowadays.

[Nelson R. 509]

11 hours ago, jero23 said:

 

Uh here's the problem with the market, it's the Birmingham DMA. The degradation of the branding of the local TV news operations is one of the reasons why most don't even respect Birmingham as a major US city now. It's in the top 50 largest metropolitan areas in the US for Christ sake. Nobody should be calling the ABC affiliate for Birmingham "ABC Alabama" . 

 

 

Yeah it's a legacy brand nowadays.

Yeah I didn’t like when WNCN went with CBS North Carolina when they first switched to CBS in 2016. That was a slap in the face to all the CBS affiliates all over the state, especially legacy affiliates WBTV and WFMY that have always been a primary affiliate since the late 40s, early 50s.