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CBS News Detroit launches


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Watching the new CBS News Detroit premiere. I can imagine that things will be tweaked after this premiere and they see what works and what doesnt work. Im sure they will throw everything at the wall tonight.

-Clunky version of the open
-I like the open to the jib shot, but it was too long and it hovered too high instead of moving toward the center and transitioning to the centre presenter camera.
-The camera blocking is strange for the right presenter. You get the strange white wall and part of window mullions.
-Strange sound in the background - A/C noise is VERY VERY LOUD! VERY distracting. They need to sorta that out immediately.   Seems like the noisy problem that occurs when all the presenter mics are hot.
-Odd use of jib over to weather. Kinda of a plain looking weather corner, washed out graphics.  Seems like the big CBS logo been seen all the way on the right wall behind the weather computers. Weather is done from a rolling screen against a white wall. You can see the screen cords plugged into the wall. (Looks messy)
The sports anchor uses the screen in the greenroom as sort of an OTS. They turn on blue lights in the green room for the 6pm.
- The centre camera shot is really nice.
-The story selection is strange and nothing ground breaking so far. Lots of national stories off the top. A local story about  football coach and then a Narcan vending machine story was presented live from a local university. The reporter had on a boat load CBS Detroit gear.
-They did highlight the reporter that will cover a specific beat/region. Which i like.  But then going into each break they keep telling you they are watching a specific community and they can watch CBS Detroit streaming. (gotcha)
So far going into the first advert break....its kinda ehhh.
-The transitions seem choppy.
-Umm not getting the point of the sports stories sprinkled thru instead of the main sports bulletin usually toward the end of the broadcast.
So far the "Detroit" stories is very very thin. Kinda expected them to have reporters live all over the place for the first outing. I know the they are still hiring but eek.  They dont seem to have a full staff yet.
- The presenters seem to be a capable bunch, they seem to fit a large diverse market such as Detroit. It has the largest Arabic/Muslim population in the US and a large black population amongst others.

I have to say it could be an interesting enterprise. I was expecting a bit more newsroom movement, but it seems CBS didnt throw millions at the wall for this. I feel like this is more of down and dirty operation rather than being ultra flashy.

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2 hours ago, mouseboy33 said:

Watching the new CBS News Detroit premiere. I can imagine that things will be tweaked after this premiere and they see what works and what doesnt work. Im sure they will throw everything at the wall tonight.

-Clunky version of the open
-I like the open to the jib shot, but it was too long and it hovered too high instead of moving toward the center and transitioning to the centre presenter camera.
-The camera blocking is strange for the right presenter. You get the strange white wall and part of window mullions.
-Strange sound in the background - A/C noise is VERY VERY LOUD! VERY distracting. They need to sorta that out immediately.   Seems like the noisy problem that occurs when all the presenter mics are hot.
-Odd use of jib over to weather. Kinda of a plain looking weather corner, washed out graphics.  Seems like the big CBS logo been seen all the way on the right wall behind the weather computers. Weather is done from a rolling screen against a white wall. You can see the screen cords plugged into the wall. (Looks messy)
The sports anchor uses the screen in the greenroom as sort of an OTS. They turn on blue lights in the green room for the 6pm.
- The centre camera shot is really nice.
-The story selection is strange and nothing ground breaking so far. Lots of national stories off the top. A local story about  football coach and then a Narcan vending machine story was presented live from a local university. The reporter had on a boat load CBS Detroit gear.
-They did highlight the reporter that will cover a specific beat/region. Which i like.  But then going into each break they keep telling you they are watching a specific community and they can watch CBS Detroit streaming. (gotcha)
So far going into the first advert break....its kinda ehhh.
-The transitions seem choppy.
-Umm not getting the point of the sports stories sprinkled thru instead of the main sports bulletin usually toward the end of the broadcast.
So far the "Detroit" stories is very very thin. Kinda expected them to have reporters live all over the place for the first outing. I know the they are still hiring but eek.  They dont seem to have a full staff yet.
- The presenters seem to be a capable bunch, they seem to fit a large diverse market such as Detroit. It has the largest Arabic/Muslim population in the US and a large black population amongst others.

I have to say it could be an interesting enterprise. I was expecting a bit more newsroom movement, but it seems CBS didnt throw millions at the wall for this. I feel like this is more of down and dirty operation rather than being ultra flashy.

These are all good points. I’ve learned to forgive the technical stuff; yes, one could argue that they should clear these things up before broadcast, given that they’ve been preparing behind the scenes for a while, but first day jitters are normal. I’m not really a fan of how they put the logo in a white box, but that might be temporary for all we know.
 

As someone who can be unreasonably pedantic about sets and presentation, I actually don’t mind that it doesn’t look “ultra flashy.” Having the newscast done in the newsroom is rather refreshing, and they did a good job freshening up the WKBD newsroom. What I didn’t like was the awkward story selection. I get that they want to have exclusives, but the top story on your first newscast really shouldn’t be about a fired basketball coach. I also agree on the lack of local reporters. If they wanted to make a good first impression, they should’ve had field reporters on day 1.

 

Still, it’s a hell of a lot better than no news at all.

Edited by nycnewsjunkie
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I like that second photo; I think they might have to make a rule that the standing desks in the background need to be in the seated position for air. The computer monitors block some of the background.

 

They've alluded to it in the articles, but they're struggling to hire enough people to put more news on the air.

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The CBS News Detroit set doesn't look too bad.  Graphics is okay.  As is the new This Is CBS News Theme.

With WWJ-TV returning to in-house local news production, I kind of pick up a WIAT 42 Daily News type vibe with the new CBS News Detroit newscast, from the starting out with 2 daily newscasts (at 6PM and 11PM), to having a small reporting staff.  Hopefully CBS has plans to grow its presence in Detroit, considering local news/programming production is typically cheaper to produce and more profitable than acquiring nationally syndicated shows these days.

I don't know what to make of CBS going in the direction of "CBS News (market name)" for local newscasts, when viewers would be used to the "CBS (channel number)", or station call letters, or the "Eyewitness Action News" brandings on local newscasts.

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1 hour ago, DirtyHarry said:

https://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/television/2023/01/23/detroits-cbs-affiliate-wwj-tv-news-broadcasts/69830403007/

Can't believe Ronnie Duncan is still bouncing around. 

What's with nobody there owning a necktie?

He’s also the father of CBS Weekend News anchor/senior correspondent Jericka Duncan

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Nice breakthrough set look and great use of a masthead banner for an iconic and authoritative 2 shot. Has a KTSP vibe from decades back but smaller scale.

 

Would rather they had warmer elements - the black/white/grey/concrete is harsh on the eyes and even makes you feel cold. Fixable quickly with paint and flooring or picking up some of the wood cues from the desk. I get CBS is a black logo but sometimes this gets too literal. 

 

Agree the talent selection is uniquely Detroit and not in a forced hipster way. 

 

 

Edited by sfomspphl
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  • BluesNews changed the title to CBS News Detroit launches
23 hours ago, atlnews2 said:

The 6pm show 

 

 

 

I remember Ronnie Duncan from his WSYX days. He seems to be a lot smoother and low-key these days. The weather guy is also decent, I like his voice. Can't say the same about the anchors. They both have very annoying voices. Go out and hire a couple of smokers.

 

The weather center is kind of clunky. They're going to have to do a better job with that. Otherwise, looks good.

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On 1/23/2023 at 9:02 PM, atlnewsfan03 said:

The CBS News Detroit set doesn't look too bad.  Graphics is okay.  As is the new This Is CBS News Theme.

With WWJ-TV returning to in-house local news production, I kind of pick up a WIAT 42 Daily News type vibe with the new CBS News Detroit newscast, from the starting out with 2 daily newscasts (at 6PM and 11PM), to having a small reporting staff.  Hopefully CBS has plans to grow its presence in Detroit, considering local news/programming production is typically cheaper to produce and more profitable than acquiring nationally syndicated shows these days.

WWJ is simulcasting the streaming service CBS News Detroit, which will ultimately be in operation from 4am to 11:30pm every day. The original and current plans are to offer up to 40 hours of simulcasts a week on channel 62 (and presumably WKBD can also simulcast in other hours. Supply chain shortages delayed everything and resulted in a soft launch so a presence of some sort could be had for the February sweeps.

 

Even with just a 6 and 11, it’s still far more local news than anything CBS has ever done with the station and the most local news output on 62 since labor unrest shuttered Big City News on WGPR in 1991.

On 1/23/2023 at 9:02 PM, atlnewsfan03 said:

I don't know what to make of CBS going in the direction of "CBS News (market name)" for local newscasts, when viewers would be used to the "CBS (channel number)", or station call letters, or the "Eyewitness Action News" brandings on local newscasts.

This brings up a point @Weeters has raised before and I agree with. It’s 2023. What good is it to identify your news operation with EWN or Action News, which date back to 1959 and 1970, respectively?

 

Plus “CBS 62” has long been a negative and a liability and an embarrassment for the network—they were basically forced into buying an obscure indie from the Free Mason that was the first-ever Black-owned TV station in the mainland, and because of continued upheaval at the network and it’s corporate parents, couldn’t do anything with it.

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1 hour ago, Myron Falwell said:

"CBS 62” has long been a negative and a liability and an embarrassment for the network.

 

I'll gave them the solution. They could probably buy LPTV Channel 3 very cheaply. I doubt that anybody can even pick it up over there with rabbit ears. Once you have a virtual Channel 3, FCC rules say that every signal you own in the market can have the same channel number. They can become CBS 3 with a snap of the fingers, right along with Fox 2 and NBC 4.

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1 hour ago, DirtyHarry said:

 

I'll gave them the solution. They could probably buy LPTV Channel 3 very cheaply. I doubt that anybody can even pick it up over there with rabbit ears. Once you have a virtual Channel 3, FCC rules say that every signal you own in the market can have the same channel number. They can become CBS 3 with a snap of the fingers, right along with Fox 2 and NBC 4.

And ABC7 I’ll be New York and LA all over again.

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9 hours ago, DirtyHarry said:

 

I'll gave them the solution. They could probably buy LPTV Channel 3 very cheaply. I doubt that anybody can even pick it up over there with rabbit ears. Once you have a virtual Channel 3, FCC rules say that every signal you own in the market can have the same channel number. They can become CBS 3 with a snap of the fingers, right along with Fox 2 and NBC 4.

WWJ has one of the biggest signals of any full-service television station in Michigan and they have good cable placement. They don’t need a superfluous LPTV. They just need investment.

 

Weigel has “CBS 58” Milwaukee and “ABC 57” South Bend and you don’t see them being embarrassed about those numbers because they invested in the stations and have tried. CBS never did that with WWJ for a garden variety of reasons, and wound up making “62” a tainted brand by negligence and inaction.

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1 hour ago, Myron Falwell said:

WWJ has one of the biggest signals of any full-service television station in Michigan and they have good cable placement. They don’t need a superfluous LPTV. They just need investment.

 

Weigel has “CBS 58” Milwaukee and “ABC 57” South Bend and you don’t see them being embarrassed about those numbers because they invested in the stations and have tried. CBS never did that with WWJ for a garden variety of reasons, and wound up making “62” a tainted brand by negligence and inaction.

 

Everybody says that, but it's about marketing. McDonald's, Wendy's and Burger King generally locate near each other for a reason. The channel dial is real estate no matter what newfangled ideas people have these days. OTA parity is being right there with channels 2 and 4, instead of having to flip through dozens of stations to get to 62.

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The discussion about channel numbers is missing the entire premise of CBS News Detroit. Somebody please show me how to tune my phone or web browser to Channel 62...

 

This is an operation built on a "streaming first" mentality. The fact that it airs OTA is just a bonus. CBS appears to be, by and large, moving towards "streaming first". This is exactly how I've publicly predicted TV will move over the coming years. Channel numbers are an outdated concept in a world where more and more people are watching OTT where those precious numbers mean nothing.

 

Traditional TV viewers are not bumbling morons and will figure out where to watch. Millions of senior citizens have figured out where to watch Fox News without it branding with channel numbers.

 

 

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Channel numbers only really matter to legacy brands, where the number transcends the dial and is the cornerstone of the identity (certain stations with a certain, stylized 7 come to mind). Call letters CAN fall into the same group. CBS Detroit and too many other CBS O&O's have little-to-no such legacy, unless you count decades of falling in 3rd place...or 4th...or 5th.

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4 hours ago, 24994J said:

Channel numbers only really matter to legacy brands, where the number transcends the dial and is the cornerstone of the identity (certain stations with a certain, stylized 7 come to mind). Call letters CAN fall into the same group. CBS Detroit and too many other CBS O&O's have little-to-no such legacy, unless you count decades of falling in 3rd place...or 4th...or 5th.

Or even in the case of WCCO-TV, KDKA-TV and WBZ-TV, the mere fact that they have to share their call letters with unrelated radio stations. For KDKA-TV, it’s already shown to be a liability.

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9 hours ago, 24994J said:

Channel numbers only really matter to legacy brands, where the number transcends the dial and is the cornerstone of the identity (certain stations with a certain, stylized 7 come to mind). Call letters CAN fall into the same group. CBS Detroit and too many other CBS O&O's have little-to-no such legacy, unless you count decades of falling in 3rd place...or 4th...or 5th.

 

Like I said, it's real estate. Mcdonald's, Wendy's and Burger King all tend to be close to each other. If Hardee's is a couple of streets away, it falls off the map. You don't think about it. Same with the FM dial. Everything that's worth listening to around here is under 99.9. I don't even know what stations are on 100.1 and above for the most part. I simply don't get to that part of town. 

 

Also, just look around the country. Stations with the high UHF Channel numbers beating stations with VHF Channel numbers is still more the exception and not the rule. And if dial position doesn't mean anything, why do media companies still fight with cable companies to get lower channel numbers?

 

Yes, people stream. But the thing about streaming is that you can't really flip through channels a lot. You're basically stuck with whatever you're watching. There's still value in a low channel number both from the standpoint of real estate, and simply from a marketing and image standpoint that you're not one of those UHF stations in the nosebleed section of the dial where all the crappy channels are.

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Think of it this way: you're sitting in your Laz-Z-Boy watching whatever channel. You're bored of it and you start flipping through other channels. Think of all the crap out there you have to flip through, all the infomercials, all the Mexican channels, all the preacher creatures, all the diginets and all the LPTVs with crap programming. And don't forget Canadian TV! Wouldn't it be nice to have good real estate right next to Fox and NBC? Wouldn't it be nice to just have to punch the number "3" on your remote to get to CBS?

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