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R.I.P. WLNY News at 9:00


Geoffrey

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Broadcasting & Cable: WLNY New York Renames Newscast ‘CBSN New York on WLNY’

 

I think a more accurate headline would be: WLNY cuts producing only remaining newscast, airs internet web show rerun instead

 

Yes, the online stream (I'm sorry, I should use the catchy buzzwords they keep pushing: their "new digital platform") has replaced WLNY's only newscast. The article claims it's "an update of the 8 p.m. news" but, last I checked (and I'll admit it's been a few months since I bothered to check), the 7 p.m. hour is fresh and followed by repeats.

 

The promise of WLNY seemed exciting with more local news. But the 7-9 a.m. show "The Couch" was very fluffy and was canceled years ago. Most of the programming seems to be cheap court shows. And now the 9 p.m. news might just be a two-hour-old internet repeat (perhaps with an "update").

 

It's probably a smart business decision to cancel a newscast that hardly anyone was watching anyway... but it's still sad to see local news go away.

 

(Kind of reminds me how the weekend CBS Evening News has been rebranded "CBS Weekend News" and much more resembles a CBSN broadcast, but at least it's not a direct similcast.)

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Terrible move. This is definitely all about saving money, even though it’s being sold as a way to showcase CBSN New York.  I agree with you, too, that WLNY had so much promise at first. Now with this change, there are no original WLNY newscasts.

 

The article you linked to mentions that Dick Brennan is the anchor of this newscast, which I guess means that Alice Gainer is now a reporter and fill-in anchor for WCBS.  I haven’t seen the evening CBSN New York broadcasts in a while, but I thought she was anchoring some evenings, so perhaps she’ll anchor some of the CBSN broadcasts for WLNY?  Either way, WCBS seems to be favoring Jessica Moore as the primary fill in over Gainer lately. For example, even though Gainer was already in the building Monday-Friday anchoring for WLNY, WCBS would bring Moore in to anchor at 5:00 p.m., while Gainer would report. Logistically, wouldn’t it make more sense to have the 9:00 p.m. anchor handle the 5:00?  Then again, Dana Tyler anchors at 6:00 p.m. but rarely, if ever, fills in at 5:00 p.m., even though it would be much easier and more efficient to use her. 

 

Back to WLNY, I wonder what happens to the weekend newscast? CBSN New York was looping CBSN coverage on weekends until the past few weekends, when they started simulcasting the WCBS and WLNY weekend newscasts, and looping pre-taped coverage from during the week (segments from Friday’s CBSN New York coverage, I assume), mixed in with taped updates from the weekend morning news and weather anchors. I have not seen original CBSN New York coverage on weekend evenings, but I wonder if that will be coming with this change. I can’t see them producing a WLNY newscast for weekends only. 

 

Overall, a bad move, but a sign of where local news is heading, I suppose. 

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Good question about weekends. Wouldn't be surprised if they dump weekend news completely now.

 

I'm still surprised by this move. I legitimately thought it was a technical mistake at first and that CBSN New York was creatively being used to fill airtime until whatever meltdown was resolved. Nope. It's intentional and B&C was spun into thinking the newscast was "renamed."

 

Also curious if the 10/55 logo will be removed from the mic flag. Since CBSN New York launched a fee months ago, the mic flags had different logos on all four sides: CBS 2, WLNY, the CBS eye, and CBSN New York.

 

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I just caught the last 10 minutes of CBSN New York rebroadcast on 10/55 and they made no mention of TV 10/55 in the close or nor there was a separate close.

 

I also realized they got rid of WLNY's public affairs show "Exit 10/55" a few months ago when Richard Rose quietly retired and "Eye on New York" is gone as well.

 

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9 minutes ago, RGSJenkins said:

I just caught the last 10 minutes of CBSN New York rebroadcast on 10/55 and they made no mention of TV 10/55 in the close or nor there was a separate close.

 

I also realized they got rid of WLNY's public affairs show "Exit 10/55" a few months ago when Richard Rose quietly retired and "Eye on New York" is gone as well.

 

I did not realize they cancelled Exit 10/55 with Rose’s departure. Another example of eliminating any original programming on WLNY. What a shame. 

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30 minutes ago, scrabbleship said:

 

I wonder what the fate of WSBK's 8:00 is at this point.

Unless WSBK is pulling in abysmal ratings at 8pm, then it stays, if only because it's not competing with WFXT or WHDH at 10pm.

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22 minutes ago, NEOMatrix said:

Unless WSBK is pulling in abysmal ratings at 8pm, then it stays, if only because it's not competing with WFXT or WHDH at 10pm.

 

They seem to promote it a lot on social media and on-air, plus the lead-in it gets (Big Bang Theory reruns) is pretty well rated, usually #3 in the market behind Chronicle and Jeopardy!.

Funny thing is that during live reads they keep referring to it as TV 38. I wonder if a rebrand is on the horizon.

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2 hours ago, sfomspphl said:

Well the CBSN New York newscast is a local hour that didn't exist a couple years ago. So in terms of total local production - it's close to a wash. 

 

I understand that argument, and you may be right, but it seems to be a bare bones production meant for the internet. And it's not even live. So it's a definite cutback on quality for WLNY, though it may not be by much.

 

They also promote CBSN NY as "hyper local" but it doesn't seem to be any more local than a regular CBS 2 newscast... It's a repurposing of content that was created for TV. 

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4 hours ago, Geoffrey said:

 

They also promote CBSN NY as "hyper local" but it doesn't seem to be any more local than a regular CBS 2 newscast... It's a repurposing of content that was created for TV. 

 

And is now what WLNY viewers see.  2X repurposed.

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21 minutes ago, StudioTech said:

Well it looks like there's life after all. The Saturday edition of WLNY News at 9 still exists as of now.

 

I think the Sunday edition may too.

 

The only reason, I think, as to why is because CBSN New York doesn't do any local hours at all on the weekends. Its just a straight simulcast of CBSN outside its local newscasts.

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CBS is really pushing this whole CBSN local and national thing. In the age of the internet, the cluttered cable news market and the 24/7 news cycle, is a non stop news streaming service necessary? NY 1 and News 12 are already the major local players in the 24/7 game.

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