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Local News in E. WA is in a sad state

KIMA in dead air for several minutes at 5:00. Then they flipped to the KEPR feed. Facebook page totally oblivious as to what is going on.
Edit - seems like they are still showing Yakima ads, the automation is flipping for commercials but not for news...
 
KNDU (NBC) Tri-Cities adds a 4pm newscast, which I don't think has ever been tried in this market before, but somebody could correct me on that. They are now doing 30 minutes at 4, 5, and 6, pretty aggressive for a below 100 market, but then again the ABC, KVEW does the same amount, and has been for sometime. The difference is decided by KVEW only doing a 5 minute cast at 11. I am pretty certain that "Ellen" ending had a lot to do with this move.
 
Upon further viewing, it is apparent that the 4pm 'cast is a Spokane/Tri-Cities combined product on KNDU, with stories from both KNDU and KHQ markets. I don't know for sure. I can't speak for KNDO. Is this just warming up for Tri-Cities eventually dropping local KNDU news, relying totally on KHQ in the future?
 
Speaking of KNDO, their digital OTA signal has been terrible the past several days. It looks like analog TV 'snow' and noise, white dots constantly going up the screen. Constant popping noises in the sound too. This is happening on all programming, NBC, local, or otherwise. Let me guess - no engineer to fix this?
My TV isn't dying either, because KAPP, KIMA, etc. are fine. It's just ch 23.

I'd be welcome to the KHQ/KNDU combined news on weekends, on the other hand. We don't care about some car crash in Rathdrum, but it would be nice to have YAKIMA news and a weather segment included. Alas, that's small market TV in 2022, going on 2023.

Meanwhile, the once-in-a-lifetime (we meant every 2 months or so) spa sale is back...but it's in Spokane. Yet KAPP is advertising it several times per day. This no-name venue sure is desperate, aren't they?
 
spa’s spa’s spa’s…”Once in a lifetime” means once in two months. It is hilarious advertising, but something tells me they are laughing right back at their gullible customers.
 
Upon further viewing, it is apparent that the 4pm 'cast is a Spokane/Tri-Cities combined product on KNDU, with stories from both KNDU and KHQ markets. I don't know for sure. I can't speak for KNDO. Is this just warming up for Tri-Cities eventually dropping local KNDU news, relying totally on KHQ in the future?
Do you think there's enough real news, not porch fires, or drunk driving arrests in the Tri-Cities to keep more than one TV news operation in business?
 
Growth of the 'cities', constant crime especially in Pasco and parts of Kennewick, the ongoing search for little Lucian in Yakima, etc.
I don't really care about some of the Pasco crime stories, but Yakima people really don't care about some accident on Idaho Highway 41 or Highway 95. That's what will happen if and when KHQ takes over the entire news operation...
 
KIMA continues to throw in the towel. There have only been 6 or 7 minutes of "local" news in each newscast. The rest is Sinclair must-runs, weather, and segments from KOMO (or even KATU). While KAPP/KVEW has local stories and some light stuff throughout their newscasts. A couple of national stories, but not crazy amounts.
That news operation is as tired as the old building they still operate.

Oh and get this...I've seen Jake Taylor "act" as if the reporter was live. He'll introduce the reporter on the scene and ask a 'hook' question to the reporter...who's PRE-RECORDED! No 'live' bug on the screen.
 
KAPP-35 is in meltdown mode tonight.
During World News Tonight with David Muir, a K2Vision commercial interrupted one of his stories. Then it went black. Suddenly, a 3-week-old episode of Rachael Ray popped up. This went on for about 30 seconds, went black again, and KAPP started airing an episode (likely tonight's) of Extra. 10 seconds later, ABC came back.
But that's not all - Rachael Ray reappeared as soon as David Muir went off. The news overrode the Rachael Ray feed, but it too has gone black 2-3 times and interrupted by commercials as well.

Are they getting hacked or is an inexperienced 16-year-old running a master control board at KXLY?

Also noticing major pixelization on KNDO. The last several weeks I've heard constant popping sounds in the audio - and at times, the video is full of white fuzzy dots ala analog TV. Oh wait, no one runs these stations locally. Oh well.
 
KNDO/KNDU and the rest of the Cowles network have rebranded. Goodbye NBC Right Now, hello NonStop Local. New graphics package, new music package. KHQ has also dropped the legendary Q6 branding in Spokane for "NonStop KHQ". No personality changes so far.

In addition, for HOURS now, KAPP has had a strange bug at the bottom right of the screen. It's a blue box reading "rt". What is this and can you see the same thing on KVEW, seatownmedia?
 
It is only a matter of time when KHQ will control YakTri with a ‘cast from their Spokane base. I believe this will occur in 2023, but don’t have any inside knowledge.
 
You can almost feel it watching the anchors. They seem sad. I think they know what is coming. I Predict the change either after the Feb sweeps, but could be May. Prediction: Spokane will make a solid attempt to cover Tricities but will back off. They know where the their bread is buttered. Welcome to the new world of local news.
 
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KIMA is so worn out/tired lately. The sub anchor for Jake Taylor is so monotone reading the teleprompter. I've been predicting for years that Sinclair would downsize the tired crew to Pasco and abandon the studios. I guess they are waiting for Alan to retire first...
 
I think local news in smaller markets is slowly coming to an end. The logistics and economics no longer work for most. Yes, a few will hold on, but many won’t. I don’t see a future for small market local. I hope I am wrong.
 
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In the next couple of years WA State will have 2 markets Seattle & Spokane. Yakima/Tri-Cities areas will be merged into those with a bureau in the Yakima and Kennewick.
 
In the next couple of years WA State will have 2 markets Seattle & Spokane. Yakima/Tri-Cities areas will be merged into those with a bureau in the Yakima and Kennewick.
Interesting. I am in market 143, where two multi-station operators have excellent and well staffed new departments. The one I watch often has CBS, ABC, Fox and Telemundo affiliations and on the three English channels has about 5 hours of news a day, including mornings, noon, late afternoon, evening (two blocks) and late night. They have street teams, larger market quality anchors and do lots of in-depth and investigative reporting.

They have client waiting lists for morning, noon, early fringe and late news editions. Of course, over half of their revenue comes from must carry fees from local cable.
 
Interesting. I am in market 143, where two multi-station operators have excellent and well staffed new departments. The one I watch often has CBS, ABC, Fox and Telemundo affiliations and on the three English channels has about 5 hours of news a day, including mornings, noon, late afternoon, evening (two blocks) and late night. They have street teams, larger market quality anchors and do lots of in-depth and investigative reporting.

They have client waiting lists for morning, noon, early fringe and late news editions. Of course, over half of their revenue comes from must carry fees from local cable.
In spite of being geographically close, California is a different animal than Washington State, or Oregon. Ad revenue for TV is somewhat localized in Eastern/Central Northwest. Car and furniture dealers, plus locally-owned retails have consolidated or been pushed out by Amazon and Big Boxes, leaving typical expenses for TV and radio, with diminishing local or regional revenue base.

Most TV groups in California are able to sell to agencies based on geographic reach of multiple stations across several smaller markets. In Washington and Oregon, you've got that big Cascade mountain range completely splitting the states in half; the densely populated areas like Seattle/Tacoma/King County, and Portland. There's a completely different climate and population demos on the Central/Eastern side(s).

Where I used to work, we intentionally bought TV stations in California because we knew that the future of owning stations in Eastern/Central Washington trying doing local news, wasn't long for this world.
 


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