jero23 105 Posted September 19, 2010 Share Posted September 19, 2010 Apparently, Media General wants to revert WVTM back to its pre-NBC O&O branding of "Alabama's 13" after being "NBC13" for nearly 15 years starting with NBC's decision of purchasing the station in 1995. The station has been home to layoff carnage since MG's ownership starting with the dismissal of a number of long time talents from the station's news department including Fran Curry and Scott Mauldin. Now with only 3 news anchors (1 per newscast these days) and only 6 other reporters this move is kinda pointless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TVNewsRI 4 Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 Only 3 anchors! Media General's cost cutting only hurts their bottom line when people stop watching because the newscast sucks. To make money, you have to invest money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhratbrat 423 Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 How do I say this. This market has sadly been a market of infamous happening in Birmingham. Your number one station is technically a Low Power in your market with two "satellite" stations. You had a station that pulled its news out of the area and showed a freaking clock and now Media General is pulling another stunt. FOX6 has had in the past two or three years three different owners. FOX did care about them somewhat and then the stunt to Local TV LLC who in turn just wanted Richmond. I will say this, RAYCOM is about at times the weirdest group, but I would consider WBRC a quasi-flagship being that RAYCOM is from Alabama and they are letting them have there own identity. As far as WVTM, the way that Media General is throwing the towel makes me wonder if NBC would have done a better job than MG. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Anti Cub 2 Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 Only 3 anchors! Media General's cost cutting only hurts their bottom line when people stop watching because the newscast sucks. To make money, you have to invest money. Not necessarily if your goal is to hold back expenses and thus maximize profits. That's the old fashion school of bean counting.:ack: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jero23 105 Posted September 20, 2010 Author Share Posted September 20, 2010 Only 3 anchors! Media General's cost cutting only hurts their bottom line when people stop watching because the newscast sucks. To make money, you have to invest money. Some one needs to please post that memo to them and quickly! WVTM, WNCN, and WRBL are basically skeleton crew news staffs and it's a damn shame. They've taken to relatively decent operation news operations (WVTM and WRBL) and thrown them in the garbage disposal. Meanwhile, they have literally killed any chance for the 3rd news operation in the nation's 25th largest market from ever having an opportunity to truly compete when it was actually starting to improve during the tail-end of the network ownership of the station. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jero23 105 Posted September 20, 2010 Author Share Posted September 20, 2010 How do I say this. This market has sadly been a market of infamous happening in Birmingham. Your number one station is technically a Low Power in your market with two "satellite" stations. You had a station that pulled its news out of the area and showed a freaking clock and now Media General is pulling another stunt. FOX6 has had in the past two or three years three different owners. FOX did care about them somewhat and then the stunt to Local TV LLC who in turn just wanted Richmond. I will say this, RAYCOM is about at times the weirdest group, but I would consider WBRC a quasi-flagship being that RAYCOM is from Alabama and they are letting them have there own identity. As far as WVTM, the way that Media General is throwing the towel makes me wonder if NBC would have done a better job than MG. Yeah, the retardation of WBMG/WIAT under MG's tenure was obvious how reckless they are at maintaining a station. WVTM is just like a fruit dying on the vine. On WBRC, what was so funny was for the FOX ownership was making them more money than some of their larger market stations and being one of the highest rated news operations in the nation with raw audience numbers. FOX effed up on that move of selling WBRC so they could get the WSJ. Local TV aren't too bright either with their desire to get into Richmond, a market that actually is smaller and doubtful to ever break into the top 40. If they are in for money then they should thought a little bit more about it before jumping the gun on WBRC. Raycom does operate WBRC as a quasi-flagship, but the things like removal of on-air insignia of the station branding from non-news and syndicated programming is odd. WBRC is the only Raycom station that doesn't have an on-air insignia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TennTV1983 742 Posted September 21, 2010 Share Posted September 21, 2010 Raycom does operate WBRC as a quasi-flagship, but the things like removal of on-air insignia of the station branding from non-news and syndicated programming is odd. WBRC is the only Raycom station that doesn't have an on-air insignia. You may want to expand on what you mean by that, unless I'm missing something here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jero23 105 Posted September 21, 2010 Author Share Posted September 21, 2010 You may want to expand on what you mean by that, unless I'm missing something here. Since last fall, there has been no on-air insignia of the "FOX6" logo used during the syndicated or non-newscast programming in the bottom right hand corner of the screen. The last one used was the one that Newscorp/FOX created for WBRC back in 2006, but Raycom ended its usage on-air last year. The other Raycom owned stations use one for their syndicated programming such as WSFA, WTVM, WXTX, and WAFF that is either translucent version of their colored logo or an opaque version of their stations' logo. Meanwhile, there is none for WBRC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tw-804 190 Posted September 21, 2010 Share Posted September 21, 2010 Yeah, the retardation of WBMG/WIAT under MG's tenure was obvious how reckless they are at maintaining a station. And look at WIAT after MG sold them. It's now considered one of the strongest CBS affiliates in the nation! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TennTV1983 742 Posted September 21, 2010 Share Posted September 21, 2010 Since last fall, there has been no on-air insignia of the "FOX6" logo used during the syndicated or non-newscast programming in the bottom right hand corner of the screen. The last one used was the one that Newscorp/FOX created for WBRC back in 2006, but Raycom ended its usage on-air last year. The other Raycom owned stations use one for their syndicated programming such as WSFA, WTVM, WXTX, and WAFF that is either translucent version of their colored logo or an opaque version of their stations' logo. Meanwhile, there is none for WBRC. It's not really that big of a deal. WMC-TV in Memphis (another Raycom station) doesn't use an on-air insignia either. Going with or without an on-air insignia is optional at some station groups (given that they have the technology to do such). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhratbrat 423 Posted September 21, 2010 Share Posted September 21, 2010 And look at WIAT after MG sold them. It's now considered one of the strongest CBS affiliates in the nation! I wouldnt go that far. They are owned by a smaller company who lets the station build its identity from the rubble. Considering where WIAT was though in 1998 to 2010, yes they have made a lot of improvements. I would say though part of it being that WVTM has grown weaker without the network owning it like they used too. Media General is still pretty strong where its steeped in tradition. I would also go far to say that if WTVJ got bought out by Media General, that skeleton crew they are running now at the station would be gone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james32746 8 Posted September 23, 2010 Share Posted September 23, 2010 Actually the NBC13 name came about after New World purchased the station (along with switching from The One for All to The One and Only music package). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jero23 105 Posted September 25, 2010 Author Share Posted September 25, 2010 I wouldnt go that far. They are owned by a smaller company who lets the station build its identity from the rubble. Considering where WIAT was though in 1998 to 2010, yes they have made a lot of improvements. I would say though part of it being that WVTM has grown weaker without the network owning it like they used too. Media General is still pretty strong where its steeped in tradition. I would also go far to say that if WTVJ got bought out by Media General, that skeleton crew they are running now at the station would be gone! You mean from 1998 to 2007 because that was when MG owned WIAT. WTVJ does better off under NBCU rather than MG because outside of their flagships, MG doesn't care to invest in any of its newly acquired stations. If it isn't WFLA or WSPA then the station is likely going to have to prove to them its worth its salt... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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