WJBF.... Finally!

[LexTVandRadio 412]

6 hours ago, tyrannical bastard said:

ABC wouldn't allow it, but I've always liked the mid-90s logo that WSYX had.

 

Then there's the venerable WPVI one....

 

Oh this can't be used now? I do like that logo, though. I guess this logo wouldn't fly today either with the ABC inside the circle. 
 

[tw-804 190]

19 hours ago, tyrannical bastard said:

Nexstar has been willing to tweak some of their logos, especially those of the former Media General variety.  Probably the most notable examples are WJTV/WHLT, KLFY and WRIC, who completely revamped their logos to something unlike they've ever had before.  They also blew up WNCN "CBS North Carolina" and took a cue from WSPA (another radical departure...but under MG) for their current logo.

 

Actually, WRIC changed its logo in 2016 - with a new set and KOIN's now-previous graphics - under Media General ownership.

[atlnewsfan03 65]

On 12/9/2019 at 8:59 PM, tyrannical bastard said:

Chattanooga went back to the future in a way, with WDEF's logo resembling the one it had pre-crescent.

WDEF logo before 2005 crescent logo: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/logopedia/images/3/38/WDEF_1995.png/revision/latest?cb=20171110152952

Present WDEF logo: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/logopedia/images/f/f7/WDEF_new_logo.png/revision/latest?cb=20160108223049

WMBB had a very similar looking logo before 2004 variation of crescent logo: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/logopedia/images/5/50/WMBB_-_2001_again.svg/revision/latest?cb=20190625233436

[Guest]

My response on Discord:

 

Here’s the deal with WJBF, they’ve been the long dominant number 1 station in Augusta, GA for as long as records have been kept except for a brief period in the 1980s when they were overtaken by WRDW, but it was brief. Since WRDW/WAGT is such an enormous dumpster fire (right down to having a set from 2004 with duratrans from 3 graphics packages ago, to the constant turnover of news staffers, to the constant technical issues, to the issues with management, to the strive to be everything WJBF isn’t even if what WJBF does wins). WJBF hasn’t had a need to update their look or set for years because they’ve been the strong number 1 with no need to break the formula, all of their talent has longevity and even a few of the reporters have been there longer than two years which is something WRDW/WAGT nor WFXG can say they have. The fact it took them this long to update their look is only because of corporate aesthetics alone, not because someone at the station FINALLY woke up one day and said they need a new look. Nexstar wanted them to finally ditch the MG GO Package they’ve beaten to death for years, and finally WJBF looks the best they’ve looked since the 1990s. Since the set only received a refresh, Nexstar must have realized that the set has strong bones and they don’t need to invest in a flashy new set for a market that size, a simple refresh would suffice. Also, viewers are extremely fickle in that area, so they don’t want to do too many changes at once.

 

Also to the people on TVNT bitching that they need a new logo, slow your roll. WJBF has had maybe 2 different logos in the last 30 years. The previous logo they used in the 1990s was a variation of a logo they had used since the 1960s/1970s. When MG took over and gave them the new logo, it was met with backlash from longtime viewers but they grew to accept it. Now the current logo with the crescent is easily identifiable and they don’t want to mess with it, so they won’t. If it isn’t broken, they aren’t going to fix it. It’s part of their brand even if MG and their logo standardization doesn’t exist anymore.

 

So WJBF isn’t just a 800 pound gorilla, it is THE 800 pound gorilla. It is the LAST of a dying breed of small market TV stations that have figured out a formula and a longtime team that works and stuck with it against consultants wishes. It truly is the last standing 20th century-esque news operation in 2019 and they won’t change for anything. Meanwhile, WFXG will keep expanding and trying to gain traction by copying the WJBF model, and WRDW/WAGT will continue to do the opposite, fall apart, and their news director will continue to slam the door to her office, lock it, cry, scream, and throw things when she loses another book against WJBF.

 

And you don’t want to know what happens when WRDW/WAGT loses in a book, other than what I just told you. I still have nightmares.

[Yankees4life 529]

Another book meaning ratings war?

[TheRyan 556]

Yeah I don't really see a fundamental problem with the WJBF logo.  It may be a bit dated.  But if it's not broken, don't "fix" it.

[Guest]

12 hours ago, Yankees4life said:

Another book meaning ratings war?

There’s a reason why the turnover is so high in that newsroom.

[Yankees4life 529]

3 hours ago, KentBrockman said:

There’s a reason why the turnover is so high in that newsroom.

Ahh...understood

[tyrannical bastard 3442]

I thing Gray's "seizure" of WAGT was more harm than good, since they do more simulcasting than when they were operated by Media General, and had all stand-alone newscasts that were operated separately and shared less.
Ratings-wise, was there any difference between owners?  

 

They were the benefactors of getting the latest and greatest from Media General (the red package at the time) while WJBF was status quo.  Probably smart given WJBF's uber-dominance.

 

There are two types of #1 stations, there's the one that really outshines their competition in every way, and the ones that have gained the "reputation" of being #1, so they can do no wrong and put out garbage because they can, rip off good ideas from their competitors, while the competition tries valiantly to produce a superior product, to little ratings effect.  I wonder how WJBF falls into this?

[Guest]

17 hours ago, tyrannical bastard said:

I thing Gray's "seizure" of WAGT was more harm than good, since they do more simulcasting than when they were operated by Media General, and had all stand-alone newscasts that were operated separately and shared less.
Ratings-wise, was there any difference between owners?  

 

They were the benefactors of getting the latest and greatest from Media General (the red package at the time) while WJBF was status quo.  Probably smart given WJBF's uber-dominance.

 

There are two types of #1 stations, there's the one that really outshines their competition in every way, and the ones that have gained the "reputation" of being #1, so they can do no wrong and put out garbage because they can, rip off good ideas from their competitors, while the competition tries valiantly to produce a superior product, to little ratings effect.  I wonder how WJBF falls into this?

Gray’s seizure of WAGT inevitably damaged WRDW beyond repair and damaged the TV market as a whole. Though WAGT was a distant 3rd for years, it was an alternative to WJBF and WRDW. When WJBF took over, MG put in much needed upgrades and provided a lot of things then-owner Schurz didn’t want to provide to WAGT (the ability to air HD programming being one of those things). They did however maintain separate news departments and it wasn’t until towards the end of the partnership did WAGT start airing reporter packages from WJBF reporters.

 

The feud between Media General and Gray had viewers take sides, with most of them siding with Media General and blaming Gray for putting a lot of people out of work which had an effect on WRDW’s performance as a whole but particularly with WAGT. The original plans called for WAGT staff to move into WRDW’s already cramped and old Georgia Avenue studios and they were going to make a “set” for them in a tiny little warehouse off the main studio. When Gray found they weren’t getting WAGT on-air people out of their contracts with Media General, they fought but ultimately lost. It put WAGT in a limbo for a time and finally Gray got the network, the programming, the transmitter, and the sales staff but nothing else. I also believe Gray incurred a lot of legal fees that were subtracted from WRDW’s budget but don’t have confirmation of that.

 

Here is the one pro of the Gray-Schurz merger and WAGT coming under ownership of WRDW, it made WFXG finally put forth effort into creating a local news department (though it took years) with one of WAGT’s Meteorologists as Chief. It was a good move and made Augusta a 3-station market again.

 

Outside of that, everything else has been a nightmare since day 1. WRDW tried to do the separate newscasts on WAGT to pretend like they were different but everyone could see right through it, especially since they used a part of the set that had giant “12” duratrans from a graphics package three graphics packages ago. Eventually WRDW realized that by co-branding and providing separate newscasts on WAGT, the numbers were being diluted and they were competing against themselves. So they dropped the clunky “News 12 NBC 26” branding for just “News 12”. They still (though I don’t know why) produce a couple of separate “NBC26” branded newscasts. Overall though, viewership is at an all time low for both stations and made WRDW a very distant 2, sometimes 3 behind WFXG. Some of the WAGT on-air people have resurfaced in freelance roles on WRDW like Paige Tucker (for different promotions) and Chief Meteorologist Chris Still has filled-in on weather. Outside of that, the news director has been vocal in stating her disapproval of hiring any of them permanently out of fear it will further damage WRDW and the stations as a whole.

 

The final death nail for WAGT was Gray selling the far-superior digital signal and transmitter facilities of WAGT in the spectrum auction with plans to shoehorn WAGT onto a subchannel of WRDW. As it was explained to me by the chief engineer at the time, CBS would not allow WRDW to do this per their affiliate agreement so they bought a small independent low-power station that was a YooToo America (successor to America One) affiliate to put WAGT on. WAGT signed off for good, its long-troubled history over, and now what is being promoted (or lack-thereof) as WAGT is a tiny shadow of its former self on a very weak signal that everyone complains about not being able to pickup alongside WRDW’s equally bad VHF digital signal nobody can pick up.

 

Gray is to blame for the misfortunes of both stations. Gray is also to blame for keeping current management in tact for so many years at WRDW that it has basically collapsed into a giant dumpster fire that even college students are catching wind to avoid working for. That station and WAGT will never recover from the merger, and will never recover from the years of bad decisions made. WFXG has a real shot at overtaking WRDW for good if Lockwood continues to invest in it and tries hard to do so.

 

It’s very telling that Gray has all but halted construction on the partially-completed multimillion dollar new studio facilities of WRDW/WAGT, whether it be because of the Raycom merger or because of both stations performance. The facility is partially built and standing but weeds have grown up and metallic siding on the exterior facade has been weathered and is starting to peel off. It hasn’t been touched in many months.

 

The only reason WRDW/WAGT is still number 2 is because it’s a small three-station market, it’s not because their news product is good. They’re trailing far behind WJBF and will never be number 1. WJBF has and always will outshine whatever WRDW puts out because they have a formula that works and they don’t try so damn hard to be the best.

[sctvhound 27]

Being close by to Augusta, it is much like what happened in Savannah with WTOC and WSAV. WTOC barely tried, had a set which looked like a high school news show, was still running only mono sound until deep into the 2000s, and strayed from the norms for as long as possible with the nightly editorial at the end of their news. 

 

WSAV on the other hand acted like a bigger market with a much better look than TOC. But WTOC had the decades-long viewership edge. It took WJCL and Hearst’s deep pockets to change things. WSAV now is a close 2nd, and probably wins out in the immediate Savannah area, while WTOC dominates all the rural counties around Savannah. 

 

With Augusta only being 240K TV households, it is a small market, and with WJBF getting 25-30K a newscast, probably more, that leaves very small numbers for WRDW. Charleston has 70K more households and that likely is about what WCSC gets for their news. 

[GoldenShine9 1509]

WRDW has long been one of Gray's weakest stations, correct?

 

I know WTOC was very lazy for so long too...calling themselves "THE News" was another sign of such. How is WJCL doing in ratings now under Hearst? I know it was a very distant 3rd under previous owners.