10:00 P.M.,News on CW-WHAM

[Mark_Giardina]

Personally I just don't see why WHAM TV would bother to undertake such a venture.
Most of the CW audience is geared towards a younger crowd and they are not that interested in news of any kind. They would rather see Supernatural or some other kind of program than a local newscast.

And with the pending sale of Clear Channel stations I don't see WHAM TV making any major decisions like that in the near future. Right now my guess is they will concentrate on beefing up their sales department to generate more revenue geared towards younger viewers.

Even though 13 has the staff and talent to generate a decent 10pm local newscast, why bother unless it can guarantee more revenue for the station?

 

[BobRoss]

Maybe they believe it CAN generate more revenue for the station.

Gotta remember a few things.

1) 10PM newscasts usually require little or no additional personnel, because they are usually done by the same talent and production crew as the 11PM show. MAYBE an extra producer is needed. Maybe not.

2) Local newscasts enable the station to sell every single spot avail, with all revenue going to the station's bottom line. On the other hand, syndicated programming (which would be the likely alternative) usually means a portion of the avails are already eaten up by the syndicator. It also usually means you're limited to the number of spots provided by the syndicated show -- whereas a local newscast can add an extra :30 here or there when the sales department is on fire.

3) If you can convince your viewers to watch it... 10PM is always a very nice alternative for those who can't or don't want to stay up until 11. It's one more way to get your brand name out there, and as per point #1, it's costing little or nothing.

Even if the 10PM newscast doesn't bring in great ratings, the station is still making pure profit on every single commercial... and it's costing them little to nothing extra. A syndicated show could bring in better ratings, but since some of those commercial slots are already called for, so in the end, it may not necessarily make more money than a newscast could.

 

[dampier]

Considering how WHAM is branding this, isn't it more likely that they are going to market their 10pm newscast not to regular CW viewers (who certainly aren't going to sit through a newscast) but rather to WHAM's own viewers on 13 itself? I suspect you'll see a wave of promos pushing a 10pm newscast from the market leader for folks who want the news an hour earlier so they can be in bed by 10:30pm.

What this will likely do is bury Channel 31's 10pm newscast. Get out the M*A*S*H reruns....

 

[Mark_Giardina]

Considering how WHAM is branding this, isn't it more likely that they are going to market their 10pm newscast not to regular CW viewers (who certainly aren't going to sit through a newscast) but rather to WHAM's own viewers on 13 itself? I suspect you'll see a wave of promos pushing a 10pm newscast from the market leader for folks who want the news an hour earlier so they can be in bed by 10:30pm.

What this will likely do is bury Channel 31's 10pm newscast. Get out the M*A*S*H reruns....

While your idea certainly has merit, I highly doubt that ABC will sit by and allow one of their affiliates to pre-empt network programming at 10 o'clock in order for WHAM TV to run a local newscast. Of course WHAM TV could run, say for example, Boston Legal from 10:30 to 11:30, but then you run the risk of alienating those viewers.

With regards to airing a 10 pm newscast on CW, again I believe that while Channel 13 has the staff to handle such an operation, it is my opinion that the station will wait and see what happens with the Clear Channel sale before making any moves. I can't envision Don Alhart and Ginny Ryan for example anchoring both a 10 and 11 pm newscast. If 13 went that route they would either hire another anchor for CW or take on of their current weekend anchors, or promote one of their beat reporters to the anchor chair.

As for CW WHAM beating out FOX 31 news, that is a no-brainer. FOX 31 doesn't come close to having the experience talent that 13 has. And while FOX 31 might make money, it certainly doesn't have the creditability that 13 has when it comes to local news.

 

[dampier]

While your idea certainly has merit, I highly doubt that ABC will sit by and allow one of their affiliates to pre-empt network programming at 10 o'clock in order for WHAM TV to run a local newscast. Of course WHAM TV could run, say for example, Boston Legal from 10:30 to 11:30, but then you run the risk of alienating those viewers.

I think you misunderstood. I am talking about a 10pm WHAM newscast run on CW-16, not on WHAM-13, but promoting it as an option to 13 viewers.

 

[Kohoutek]

While your idea certainly has merit, I highly doubt that ABC will sit by and allow one of their affiliates to pre-empt network programming at 10 o'clock in order for WHAM TV to run a local newscast. Of course WHAM TV could run, say for example, Boston Legal from 10:30 to 11:30, but then you run the risk of alienating those viewers.

I think you misunderstood. I am talking about a 10pm WHAM newscast run on CW-16, not on WHAM-13, but promoting it as an option to 13 viewers.

I understood you loud and clear...but apparently Mr. "Creditability" did not....who's proof reading your stuff, Mark?

 

[Mark_Giardina]

While your idea certainly has merit, I highly doubt that ABC will sit by and allow one of their affiliates to pre-empt network programming at 10 o'clock in order for WHAM TV to run a local newscast. Of course WHAM TV could run, say for example, Boston Legal from 10:30 to 11:30, but then you run the risk of alienating those viewers.

I think you misunderstood. I am talking about a 10pm WHAM newscast run on CW-16, not on WHAM-13, but promoting it as an option to 13 viewers.

I understood you loud and clear...but apparently Mr. "Creditability" did not....who's proof reading your stuff, Mark?

Gosh I guess I am not allowed to make a minor mistake.

At least I know who Ben Franklin was and the meaning of the word coup. What's your excuse at Channel 8?

Perhaps you should change your station's news motto from "Eye on Rochester "to "Beauty not Brains."

:

 

[SNOOZENEWS]

Have I missed something?

Has WHAM actually anounced it plans to do a 10pm newscast on the CW or is this just speculative viewer gossip?

Are they actually able to do a dual newscast? Most duopoly stations have two master controls and two sub controls to broadcast news. Didn't 13 pretty much close down that part of the building when it consolidated everything through Syracuse? It would cost a big chunk of change to convert things back over, or will the CW be run out of Syracuse as well?

 

[The Voice of Reason]

Have I missed something?

Has WHAM actually anounced it plans to do a 10pm newscast on the CW or is this just speculative viewer gossip?

Are they actually able to do a dual newscast? Most duopoly stations have two master controls and two sub controls to broadcast news. Didn't 13 pretty much close down that part of the building when it consolidated everything through Syracuse? It would cost a big chunk of change to convert things back over, or will the CW be run out of Syracuse as well?

There has been no official announcement about WHAM TV running a 10 pm newscast on CW.
It's just speculation (at this time).

 

[BobRoss]

Most duopoly stations have two master controls and two sub controls to broadcast news. (...) It would cost a big chunk of change to convert things back over, or will the CW be run out of Syracuse as well?

My sources tell me the CW is run out of Syracuse, so there was no need to convert anything back over to the old way.

Needing two separate master controls and sub controls is not completely necessary. Most "big 3" affiliates that do news for a CW or Fox station use the same set, production staff and sub-control (or production control) room to do both shows. They don't need an entirely separate control room because the newscasts usually don't overlap. (Besides, the costs of a second control room, just for one newscast, would defeat the purpose. The idea of a 10pm newscast is to keep costs down by using the same gear and people who are already there for the 11pm show.)

When there is sports (on Fox) or some other programming that will run past 10:00 (which will be rare, if ever, for CW), most stations pre-tape the 10pm show. That way, it's ready to air no matter what time the network programming ends... and it won't interfere with the live 11pm newscast on the primary station.

Master control... that's a different story. Yes, you need a separate master control, but most of these CW stations are running on a system just like the "WB 100+" network that preceeded them. The network provides programming 24/7... all that's needed locally is a computer to switch from the network feed to local spots/promos/ID's, which are usually on a video server. Adding a 10pm newscast is as simple as telling the computer to leave network at 10pm, and switch to your local control room's output instead.

 

[SNOOZENEWS]

Actually many stations do have two sets, and two sub-controls to produce the broadcast when shows are collapsed because of last-minutes programming changes.

In many cities, the CW, "MyTV" and independant stations that share news resources with other newsrooms in town also have TV contracts for major league sports like baseball, and basketball and even college sports.

There is no way to "tape" the 10pm newscast because you never know exactly when a game will end.
Do you know what it would be like to dump out of a pre-tape to air it live????? It would be insane

I know I've been there. Where I worked we had baseball, basketball and some college hoops. That's why the station where I was -had two sets, two subcontrols, and two anchor teams ( although weather was on tape...try explaining to viewers how the weather guy was on two stations at the same time!!!) We weren't the exception either. Many of the old WB/UPN stations who have news partnerships with one of the "Big 4 Affils" have also been long time indies with major sports contracts..which brings big numbers and major demos, and I am not talking about 18-24!

Normally when the shows did spill over on each other, it was the network newscast that got the live shot first, while the WB newscast had to re-format the show to put it lower in the newscast.

While viewers may assume these partnerships are all about money, you may be surprised to learn how much dough is actually lost in these ventures. WHAM owning the CW is really the exception. The majority of these deals involve two stations who either split the newscast profits, share expenses, or the producing news operation is paid a chunk of money for broadcasting the newscast. Sometimes getting a station's news product on another channel is worth more than making a buck.

But then again it's all about what you want to put into it the product.

 

[bostonmusicman]

A similar thing is happening in Boston. Our CW Station WLVI is run by Tribune who is selling off basically everything it owns. Our NBC O&O WHDH bought WLVI and plans to shut down its news room and make a newscast using WHDH staff and studios to be put on the 10 O Clock news slot on WLVI's station 56. So it would be WHDH Channel 7 News on 56 @ 10 pm and they would promo it as an alternative to people who don't want to stay up til 11. A good idea for a station to do, but does seem weird to promote a different channel.

 

[BobRoss]

There is no way to "tape" the 10pm newscast because you never know exactly when a game will end.
Do you know what it would be like to dump out of a pre-tape to air it live????? It would be insane

I know for a fact that WSTM used to pre-tape their newscasts for WSYT whenever Fox programming was expected to run late. They would pre-tape at 9:30, so the taping would be over with by 10:00. That way, even if network was actually done on time, or went only 5-10 minutes over the hour, the tape would be ready to go (or they could do it again live if they wanted). Apparently Fox promises (or used to) that it would never end network programming prior to 10:00pm... so as long as you're done taping by 10, you're good to go.

I can understand where, in a larger market, there would be a desire for both newscasts to be live no matter what. And yes, pre-taping a newscast at 9:30, knowing it may not air until 10:30 or even well past 11, is definitely lame. But remember who we're talking about in this case: WSYT is owned by Sinclair, and WSTM was owned by Raycom at the time. Neither company is known for being loose with the checkbook. WSYT was lucky their newscast was at least given its own set, and for a short time, its own anchors. When WTVH took over the contract, they shared the same set and anchors between WTVH and WSYT from the beginning... so there's no question it was definitely pre-recorded anytime Fox ran late.

But then again it's all about what you want to put into it the product.

You're absolutely right. And apparently neither WSYT, WSTM nor WTVH wanted to put very much into the product. But this is Syracuse... nobody has direct contracts to carry major league sports like WWOR or WPIX do. And the news "race" isn't intense enough for any one station to bother pouring tons of money into a 10pm newscast with its own set, control room, anchors, and so forth... especially when WSYT was only signing deals for 2 or 3 years at a time. In a market like Syracuse, I think it would take at least a 5- or even 10-year contract for a "big 3" station to invest in building a separate subcontrol room and studio for a "secondary" affiliate's 10pm newscast. It's not worth it to spend the time and money putting all that together when you don't even know if it'll have any useful purpose after just 1 or 2 years.