WZDX Fox 54 here in Huntsville began their 9:00 news cast a couple of months ago. It's the first full news cast ever for this station. I was watching last night and noticed something strange. One of the graphics during the newscast said "WLTZ News" on the rotating text on the screen instead of "Fox 54 9:00 News". I was puzzled, so I continued to watch trying to catch it again. Sure enough it came up again 2 more times scrolling "WLTZ News." So I got online to look up WLTZ. Turns out WLTZ is Columbus, GA's "NBC 38". I went to their website at wltz.com and what did I see at the top of the screen? The same newcasters that are on Fox 54's 9:00 news here in Huntsville. They had video clips of the news cast you could watch so I clicked on one. It was the exact same newscast that's here in Huntsville, meaning the same newscasters, meteorologists, studio, graphics, and everything. The logo for WLTZ NBC 38 was there in place of the Fox 54 logo and they were talking about local Columbus news stories. So I dug a little deeper and found that a company called Independant News Network (INN) is responsible for these newscast. It's a company out of Davenport, Iowa that offers a custom newscast for TV stations that have little or no budget for producing their own newscasts. Local field reporters record their field reports and gather the local news information and send it to INN in Davenport via satellite. INN then assembles and produces a custom newscast for that TV station from their studios in Davenport. The studios are also easily customized for each station. The newscasts are done in Davenport and fed through satellite to the local TV station. They have a staff of several news anchors, meteorologists, and sports anchors that rotate on the stations that they provide their services to. I guess they goofed up and put WLTZ's graphics on Fox 54 last night. Better not let that happen again, especially in an area like north Alabama where people put a lot of faith in their TV stations (weather in particular) to be local. I didn't realize that a service like this was available, and when you think about it, its a pretty good idea for those stations that want to run newscasts but can't afford to on their own. On the other hand, I'm sure it would be crushing to the station and its reputation with the general public if they found out the newscasts weren't local and their competition's was. In addition to WZDX here in Huntsville and WLTZ in Columbus, their list of clients also includes Montgomery's WNCF ABC 32 where INN produces their "10 @ 10" newscast, Indiana 9 WVHF where INN produces their 7pm and 10pm newscasts, and Fox 18 KLJB in their home town of Davenport. All of these stations newscasts originate from INN studios in Iowa. Is this the next big thing to take over local TV news? Probably not, but it's interesting to say the least.
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
Fox 54 9:00 News, Huntsville (A little TV talk)
- Thread starter RollTide
- Start date
jsu5381m said:
I don't think WAFF, WHNT, or WAAY would do that since WZDX is a Fox affiliate. However, it would cause a major stir if they did that though.
I remember years ago when WHDF (then UPN, now a CW affiliate) had their short-lived 9 o'clock prime time news, WAAY let them use a small portion of their set for that particular newscast. UPN wasn't on the same level as Fox so I'm assuming it wasn't such a big deal back then.
BlueWanderer said:
You are right. I don't think the other stations would do that since WZDX is a Fox affiliate and the Fox network has it's own news source. That would be a conflict of interest.
I also remember the old 9:00 newscasts from WHDF that WAAY produced for them. That was very short lived. I still don't understand why WHDF went with WAAY to do it since WAAY was dead last in the ratings! Maybe they were the only ones that agreed to do it. Maybe to make a little more money. All I know is if I were Fox 54, I'd be on the phone with INN finding out why another stations graphics was on my newscast instead of mine! That's a BIG mess up!
BlueWanderer said:
It's not that unprecedented. JSU mentioned WSFA 12 doing a 9pm newscast for WCOV 20 in Montgomery--well, WSFA is an NBC affil and WCOV is with Fox. WSFA even brands the newscast as "Fox News at Nine", using WSFA reporters. With the 30 minute program being locally focused, there isn't much room (or need, really) for exclusively using Fox content, especially since they could easily use AP footage.
Someone mentioned Montgomery's WNCF ABC 32. Sagamore Hill Broadcasting (its parent company that also owns "Montgomery's CW", WBMM 22) farms out 32's "10 @ 10" news to INN, and also has "The CW News at 9pm" produced by WAKA CBS 8.
In effect, Montgomery gets five nightly news programs; one coming from INN out of state, and four produced by two local TV news staffs. That's a lot of news for a small market like Montgomery.
Nate Wesley said:
I guess you have a point there. I wonder why though, that Sagamore Hill Broadcasting uses INN for 32's 10@10 news but uses WAKA for CW News at 9. I would think it would be easier to just use INN for both. Besides INN has enough staff to have totally different newscasters on the air for each of the 2 stations so it would seem like it were their own newscast with their own people instead of using familiar faces from WAKA on CW. Anyways, I just didn't realize there was a company such as INN that offered the service that they do. I found it very interesting when I researched it.
RollTide said:
Could be contractual reasons. INN has programmed WNCF's news longer than WBMM has been a CW affiliate, I think. I guess when the idea of a 9pm newscast was pitched, folks at WAKA got involved, seeing an opportunity to make its news more visible over WSFA. Twas only temporary, as I think WSFA and WCOV partnered together not much longer after that.
INN's method doesn't seem much different from the "NewsCentral" experiment that Sinclair tried a few years ago, though INN seems to be much more hands on with the local content. (And without the notable right of center slant, either.) IIRC, WNCF's sports report is the only part that actually originates from Montgomery.
One more thing I just though of since my last post in this thread. WCOV Fox 20 has a weekday morning news program, too, and one with a familiar name--"Good Day Alabama". You guessed it, a straight simulcast of Birmingham's WBRC Fox 6, live from 7-9am.
INN does a national news program as well, which is carried (or was) on WUOA channel 7/23 out of Tuscaloosa. They also produce a Spanish language newscast for several stations in Texas and Arizona.
Interesting little company they got there.
As an aside, you guys might recognize one of their meterologists: former ABC 33/40 weatherman Mark Prater does weather for INN now.
Interesting little company they got there.
As an aside, you guys might recognize one of their meterologists: former ABC 33/40 weatherman Mark Prater does weather for INN now.
Mark Prater, then I digress
Actually, Mark Prater has been reported to be the new meteorologist at CBS-42 in Birmingham, making him part of a select group of TV personalities in Birmingham to have completed a "hat trick" by working at three stations in the market:
*Prater: 6, 33/40, 42
*James Spann: 13, 6, 33/40
*Andrea Lindenburg: 42, 6, 13
*Herb Winches: 6, 13, 6 (again), 42
People who have worked at 2 stations:
*Sheila Smoot (I'll reserve political comment): 13, 6
*Valorie Carter: 42, 33/40
*Joe Langston: 6, 13, 6 (again)
*Bill Bolen: 42, 6
*Brenda Ladun: 6, 33/40
*Linda Mays: 6, 33/40
*Mike Royer: 6, 13
*Pam Huff: 13, 33/40
*Tracy Haynes: 13, 33/40
*Mike Raita: 6, 33/40
*Scott Griffin: 13, 42
*Cynthia Gould: 6, 42
*Alan Collins: 42, 6
*Mickey Ferguson: 13, 6
*Janice Rogers: 13, 6
Are there any others I'm leaving out?
Actually, Mark Prater has been reported to be the new meteorologist at CBS-42 in Birmingham, making him part of a select group of TV personalities in Birmingham to have completed a "hat trick" by working at three stations in the market:
*Prater: 6, 33/40, 42
*James Spann: 13, 6, 33/40
*Andrea Lindenburg: 42, 6, 13
*Herb Winches: 6, 13, 6 (again), 42
People who have worked at 2 stations:
*Sheila Smoot (I'll reserve political comment): 13, 6
*Valorie Carter: 42, 33/40
*Joe Langston: 6, 13, 6 (again)
*Bill Bolen: 42, 6
*Brenda Ladun: 6, 33/40
*Linda Mays: 6, 33/40
*Mike Royer: 6, 13
*Pam Huff: 13, 33/40
*Tracy Haynes: 13, 33/40
*Mike Raita: 6, 33/40
*Scott Griffin: 13, 42
*Cynthia Gould: 6, 42
*Alan Collins: 42, 6
*Mickey Ferguson: 13, 6
*Janice Rogers: 13, 6
Are there any others I'm leaving out?
I heard that Fox 54 is piping their news from somebody else in Iowa. I'm not sure how reliable that is but I still think it's pretty funny. I was watching the other night when the weather guy was talking about how nice it is outside & he was wanting to go out & enjoy it. Was he talking about here or Iowa (or wherever they're at)? ???
Zach said:
Yes they definitely do. I'm sure they're making quite a bit of money at it too.
jackd said:
I got one better for you. I watched the very first "Fox 54 9:00 news" and at the end of the newscast the news anchors were talking to Mark Prater saying how nice it was to see him back in Alabama and if he's glad to be back home and Mark said he felt great being back in Alabama and he missed being here and all that stuff LOL! I was all a hokes! You gotta give it to them for trying their best to make it seem like it's local. It is funny though.
RollTide said:
Prater won't be 'fudging the truth' for long, per his website: He'll be joining WIAT in July.
http://www.markprater.com/
One thing about his work for WNCF (through INN): Prater has actually appeared on station IDs for ABC 32, filmed in person at locations in Montgomery and Prattville. IMO, it wouldn't surprise me that he'd still provide weather reports for INN affiliates, as their programs don't specialize in breaking news or live weather reporting. It'd be nothing for him to record 'forecasts' for several different markets that would just be spliced into their individual news programs.
T add to your string of news outsourcing, I believe that the Fox affiliate in Dothan (WDFX) has their news done by WSFA in Montgomery. Seems like I've heard them plug at the end of the 9pm newscast that if you want to see some of the stories just watch Ch 12 (WSFA) at 10pm, could've just been my imagination though.
Stewy said:
I think WSFA produces that newscast as well. I get the both WSFA & WCOV on cable, but not WDFX.
Quick edit for my previous post: WSFA and WDFX are co-owned by Raycom.
I'd imagine the Dothan area gets both or either one through cable or satellite. Dothan has no local terrestrial affiliate for NBC, though both WSFA and WJHG partially cover the metro from the northeast and southwest, respectively.
Speaking of which, I wonder if Dothan will soon get NBC by way of a secondary affiliation with WDHN or WDFX on a digital subchannel. WTVY, aside its main CBS affliation, also handles both The CW and MyNetworkTV.
jsu5381m said:
I'd imagine the Dothan area gets both or either one through cable or satellite. Dothan has no local terrestrial affiliate for NBC, though both WSFA and WJHG partially cover the metro from the northeast and southwest, respectively.
Speaking of which, I wonder if Dothan will soon get NBC by way of a secondary affiliation with WDHN or WDFX on a digital subchannel. WTVY, aside its main CBS affliation, also handles both The CW and MyNetworkTV.
Fox 54 gets their 9pm newscast from Davenport, Iowa. Libby Allison, the anchor, does news for several stations around the country. She doesn't even live in Alabama. When the general public finds out that Fox 54's news isn't local, that won't help the station's local news image. Radio does the same thing...it's called ''voice-tracking.''
- Status