Julie Wolfe Named KING News Director

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

Tegna’s NBC affiliate KING Seattle has appointed Julie Wolfe news director, effective June 21. She will be responsible for overseeing the station’s news content across all platforms.

Wolfe joins KING from WHAS, Tegna’s ABC affiliate in Louisville, Ky., where she’s been news director since 2018. During her tenure, Wolfe oversaw the relaunches of Wake Up, NightTeam, The Big 4 and the Focus investigative team. Under her leadership, the WHAS team has received multiple regional Emmys, regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, Associated Press awards, and took home the Kentucky Press Photographers Association Award.

Julie Wolfe Named KING News Director

Tegna’s NBC affiliate KING Seattle has appointed Julie Wolfe news director, effective June 21. She will be responsible for overseeing the station’s news content across all platforms. Wolfe joins KING from WHAS, Tegna’s ABC affiliate in Louisville, Ky., where she’s been news director since 2018...

tvnewscheck.com

Tegna has announced that Julie Wolfe is moving from WHAS-TV to KING-TV as News Director.

 

[seatownmedia]

From her experience of remaking the brand in Louisville, I wonder if this may signal she is being brought in to do the same at KING.

 

[formeraa]

Seattle is a very different market than Louisville. Years ago, when I was growing up, the new News Director tried changing the newscast name to Newscenter 5. You would have thought the sky was falling! Of course, times have changed and maybe KING needs to change with them.

 

[seatownmedia]

KING should bring back “Newscenter”. KIRO should bring back “Eyewitness News”. They could use holograms of Jim Harriott and Cliff Kirk.

This post, of course is satire.

 

[Kelly A]

KING should bring back “Newscenter”. KIRO should bring back “Eyewitness News”. They could use holograms of Jim Harriott and Cliff Kirk.

This post, of course is satire.

Exactly. If we just return to the past slogans, local TV news will once again be the go-to for news in the Seattle area..

 

[Kelly A]

Seattle is a very different market than Louisville. Years ago, when I was growing up, the new News Director tried changing the newscast name to Newscenter 5. You would have thought the sky was falling! Of course, times have changed and maybe KING needs to change with them.

That happens all the time. Corporate rolls the dice; that someone creating a success in market-Y, might find equal success in market-H. That's how news director's move up the market size food chain. It doesn't necessarily mean that the player coming up from a smaller market will duplicate the same thing as they found success in the smaller market. They will have access to ample market research and news consultants to determine the (hopefully) best course of action going forward.

 

[formeraa]

That happens all the time. Corporate rolls the dice; that someone creating a success in market-Y, might find equal success in market-H. That's how news director's move up the market size food chain. It doesn't necessarily mean that the player coming up from a smaller market will duplicate the same thing as they found success in the smaller market. They will have access to ample market research and news consultants to determine the (hopefully) best course of action going forward.

Kelly, my comment was primarily tongue-in-cheek. I think all successful large companies (regardless of industry) do these types of internal moves. Frankly, it is often a lower risk option that bringing someone in from outside of the company. Hopefully, she will be able to do great things at KING in Seattle and prepare it for the future.

As you have said before, legacy means very little at this point. Seattle is very different place than it was 35 years ago. And many of the newer transplants would probably say "Jean who?" or "Kathi who?".

 

[seatownmedia]

Yes this is correct, but the audience for local news tends to be older and probably remembers Jean and Kathi. What this says about local news today is uncertain. Will it survive in the digital age? Maybe, maybe not.

 

[Roddybob]

I find it really hard to watch local news now. As a loyal KING watcher since before Aaron Brown sat next to Jean Enersen, it is sad to see the current state of affairs. The graphics and the newscrawls are frequently incorrect, the writing is terrible, and how come they spend so much time using filler stories from outside the market? Watching Mark & Joyce start every story with "So.." Is it on the prompter? No wonder the kids don't watch local news anymore....

 

[seatownmedia]

While the look of a local tv news show is not necessarily the most important element, ever since KING moved into their cramped headquarters near Safeco (I mean T-mobile), they can’t make their set look good. At first it was a street side studio but they have all but given up on that. Again, this is not the be all and end all, but it has cramped their style IMO.

 

[KMan]

I find it really hard to watch local news now. As a loyal KING watcher since before Aaron Brown sat next to Jean Enersen, it is sad to see the current state of affairs. The graphics and the newscrawls are frequently incorrect, the writing is terrible, and how come they spend so much time using filler stories from outside the market? Watching Mark & Joyce start every story with "So.." Is it on the prompter? No wonder the kids don't watch local news anymore....

This has been a problem since the TEGNA purchase, accelerated when they moved to the new studio.
Why is the writing so bad?
Why is the production so bad?
KING still has a full roster of reporters, so why so many filler stories?


I'm out of market so I don't get to watch very often, but when I pop in to see my family, I feel like I'm watching a mid-market station, not a top 15 market station. KIRO/KOMO/KCPQ, all owned by "big corporate news" do not have these fundamental problems.

 

[crainbebo]

KING changed their SoDo set to a traditional one around the time I got here to Ellensburg (and could watch them on cable). No more streetside. It's an OK newscast, but nothing like the product they used to have in the days of Jean and Dennis. They have gone through meteorologists every 6-9 months or so. Even Jordan Steele, their 'up and comer', the one that was supposed to be the 'next Jeff Renner,' he left about a year ago. It's a wonder Paul Silvi still survives amongst the turnover on SoDo. I suppose the filler stories are to try and entice younger viewers...i.e., fluff, happy stories to brighten a newscast even if they took place in Tennessee or Pennsylvania. Much like 'Today' does nowadays.

Over here (at least on KIMA), the filler stories are either KOMO or KATU reports, or all those Sinclair-mandated segments with James Rosen, Kristine Frazao, etc. In KIMA's case, they have no choice in not running those national political segments from their parent company.

Most people under 40 don't even sit down at 5 or 6 for local news. If they watch the news, it's usually bits from social media feeds. Some watch cable news, albeit even then the demographics are mostly 55 and up, and this isn't just for Fox News.

Albeit, I don't think the name 'KING 5 News' goes away any time soon. Been around too long to just throw out to the dumpster. The NewsCenter branding hasn't been used in 40 years or so.

 

[LITTLEBOYBLUE]

Always amused by the discussion that a news set is a key part of the product. Like complaining that Wheaties is yellow instead of orange -- people PROBABLY buy the cereal for the flakes and just accept the packaging. Also ironic to me given my favorite set of all time was (originally) the two Living Room Chairs that KING used with Jim Herriott and Jean Enersen -- later the concept was copied by KOMO after KING dropped it.

 

[seatownmedia]

LBB says he doesn’t understand the importance of a set, yet he has a “favorite one”. I kid you LBB!

The living room set was a thing in the 70’s. KNBC may have been the originator of that. My first recollection was KING in the early 70’s, but only on the 11 at first, later to all casts about ‘73. Then they blew it up for a newsroom set that lasted about 18 months, followed by a more traditional set. Their best look was in the 90’s imo.

Another interesting period in Seattle tv news was when KIRO went to their standup/walk around format in ‘93. Was totally panned and ratings were bad. Ironically, many of those news production styles are now commonplace today. Perhaps KIRO was ahead of its time and were just the clunky beginnings of what we see today.

 

[LITTLEBOYBLUE]

Another interesting period in Seattle tv news was when KIRO went to their standup/walk around format in ‘93. Was totally panned and ratings were bad. Ironically, many of those news production styles are now commonplace today. Perhaps KIRO was ahead of its time and were just the clunky beginnings of what we see today.

I loved the KIRO effort ... but completely blame the market hosers for screwing it up. They, in turn, had journalists making fun of dance instruction and everything else that was "probably" part of the transition. But the idea of reporting news from the actual newsroom wound up catching on and featured in all the "Breaking News Desk" segments that newrooms do today. Then again, asking Susan Hutchison to read, walk, and pronuuuuuunce words at the same time was probably not a great concept from the get-go.

I have a pic of the "faux newsroom" set if you want it. Key issue there is it was NOT the actual newsroom, so the only time other desks were occupied when reporters were on "standby" to introduce their filmed field segment. All that was still part of the "KING NewService" brand.

 

[seatownmedia]

KIRO actually had two fake newsroom sets. The first was most of the 80’s when Gary Justice and Aaron Brown were the main anchors. Then that ridiculous 90’s thing that lasted less than two years. Both were in the same main KIRO studio.