Local Newscasts Today

[TheRob]

We do 49 hours of news each week (8 hours each weekday). Now, we don't break into programming unless it is urgent, but the competition has a happy trigger finger. KCTV, KMBC or KSHB (sometimes all three), broke into programming for all of the following stories this week:

BB gun fired into school bus window (no injuries, bus went along its merry way)
Accident involving school bus (fender bender)
Body of drug-dealing woman found in ditch
Press conference for drug dealing woman's abduction and murder
Pepper spray causing throat irritation for one person in office building
Deadly shooting of 20-year-old man in apartment parking lot
Chop shop bust on rural property

The networks handled the Ft. Hood shooting.

Three weeks ago, two stations broke into Oprah and Jeopardy because a truck ran off the road into a pond, spending 30 minutes over the story even though the driver had been rescued by the time they broke in.

 

[bpatrick]

I've always thought that channels 2 and 5 here in Nashville have 4:00 p.m. newscasts, mainly in an attempt to compete with Oprah on 4. Ironic, considering that Oprah's first TV experience was on channel 5 here in Nashville. (That little factoid has been seared into the brains of every Nashvillian! :)

My beefs, especially with the morning news:

1) Too many "over the top" teases. ("You won't believe what they're saying now!") Yes, I will, I saw the same story just 15 minutes ago! (Yes, I know all about the repetition part among morning viewers, but this is just ridiculous!)

2) Tossing it to their field reporters with a question, usually a very stupid one: ("So this has to be a really trying time for them, right, Courtney?")

3) That's my name, don't wear it out! ("Yes, that's right, Steve, and the story here, Steve, is that.....") Okay, we get it! You know the anchor's name! And we also understand that you're trying to tell us that you are local, and not in Washington, DC! Just give it a rest, already!

4) Weather teases that also end with a question ("So will this nice weather continue?") or (more likely lately), ("When will this rain ever end?")

Mine is when the weatherperson says something like, "I'll try to get you a nice weekend," as if
somehow he or she can control the weather along with predicting it.

 

[firepoint525]

As long as we are beating up on the weather guys!

No more "Santa sightings" on Christmas Eve newscasts! I'd be embarrassed to do crap like that if I were a weatherman! Let's stick to the factual stuff, and not go into fiction, even if it is "just for the kiddies"! :

 

[JeeperOne]

Local news in Houston:

[Snip....]

Local news in Denver (If I miss a newscast, someone feel free to jump in to fill the gap! ).

KWGN 2 (CW)*

AM

5:00-8:00

PM

7:00-8:00

TOTAL TIME 3 hours

* KWGN 2 & sister station KDVR 31 both share the same news department

KCNC 4 (CBS O&O)

AM

5:00-7:00

12:00 NOON-12:30 PM

PM

5:00-5:30
6:00-7:00
7:00-10:35

TOTAL TIME 4 hours 5 minutes

KMGH 7 (ABC)

AM

5:00-7:00
11:00-12:00 NOON

PM

5:00-5:30
6:00-6:30
10:00-10:35

TOTAL TIME 5 hours 5 minutes

KUSA 9 (NBC)**

AM

5:00-7:00

12:00 NOON-12:30 PM

PM

5:00-5:30
6:00-6:30
10:00-10:35

TOTAL TIME 4 hours 5 minutes

** KUSA also produces a one hour show called Colorado & Company which has news & other light-hearted features. It airs Weekdays from 10:00 AM till 11:00 AM.

KTVD 20 (MyNetwork TV)***

AM

7:00-9:00 (Weekdays only)

PM

5:00-6:00 (Sundays during football season only)
9:00-9:30

TOTAL TIME 2 hours 30 minutes (Not including football season Sunday newscasts & public affairs program mentioned below)

*** All newscasts on KTVD 20 are produced by KUSA 9 as it is co-owned by Gannett. KTVD 20 also airs a local Sunday Morning Public Affairs program called Your Show at 10:00 AM, which can be best likened to a local version of Meet The Press.

KDVR 31 (FOX)*

AM

5:00-8:00

PM

5:00-6:00
9:00-10:00

TOTAL TIME 5 hours

* KWGN 2 & sister station KDVR 31 both share the same news department

As you can see, Denver is really more of an exception than the rule when it comes to duopolies & what is done with them. Additionally, the KWGN/KDVR is also untypical in the sense that it's also rarity given that the history of KWGN goes all the way back to 1952 while KDVR's history OTOH only goes back to 1983. It's also a rarity given the fact that KDVR is a UHF-mapped station AS WELL AS having it's original RF channel on UHF while KWGN is mapped to virtual VHF channel 2 even though the RF channel is on UHF along with the others in town.

It should also be noted that KDVR 31 is the PRIMARY station between the two, which is mainly due to its FOX affiliation. As such, it has the better ratings and (Ever since they started news on the station) has ALWAYS outperformed KWGN 2 in the 9:00 PM news war.

If it weren't for the fact that KTVD's newscasts were produced by sister station KUSA 9, it wouldn't even stand a chance REGARDLESS of the newscast length.

That's the report from here gang.....

Cheers

 

[easttxtv]

* - newscast repeated overnight
** - newscast repeated at 6:30p on KFWD/52
*** - newscast repeated at 11p on KFWD/52
# - total not including overnight repeats
## - total not including 9a-10a local-fluff Good Morning Texas
¶ - total not including sports recap shows

Dallas/Fort Worth:

KDFW/4, Fox -- M-F: 5a-9a, 12p-12:30p, 5p-6:30p, 9p-10:30p* = 7 hrs 30 mins#
Sat: 7a-9a, 6p-7p, 9p-10p* = 4 hours#
Sun: 5p-6p, 9p-10p = 2 hours¶
station total: 43 hrs 30 mins/week

KXAS/5, NBC -- M-F: 5a-7a, 4p-5:30p, 6p-6:30p, 10p-10:35p = 4 hrs 30 mins
Sat: 6a-7a, 9a-10a, 6p-6:30p, 10p-10:30p = 3 hours
Sun: 6a-7a, 8a-9a, 5p-5:30p, 10p-10:30p = 3 hours¶
station total: 28 hrs 30 mins/week

WFAA/8, ABC -- M-F: 5a-7a, 12p-1p, 5p-5:30p, 6p-6:30p**, 10p-10:35p*** = 4 hrs 30 mins#,##
Sat: 7a-9a, 6p-6:30p**, 10p-10:30p* = 3 hours#
Sun: 8a-9:30a, 10p-10:30p*** = 2 hours#,¶
station total: 27 hrs 30 mins/week

KTVT/11, CBS -- M-F: 5a-7a, 4p-4:30p, 5p-5:30p, 6p-6:30p, 10p-10:35p* = 4 hours#
Sat: 6p-6:30p, 10p-10:30p = 1 hour
Sun: 10p-10:30p = 30 minutes¶
station total: 21 hrs 30 mins/week

KTXA/21, indie (shares news dept. with KTVT)-- M-F: 7p-9p = 2 hours
Sat: 7p-9p = 2 hours
Sun: 7p-9p = 2 hours
station total: 14 hours/week

KUVN/23, Univision -- M-F: 5p-5:30p, 10p-10:30p = 1 hour
Sat: 5p-5:30p, 10p-10:30p = 1 hour
Sun: 10p-10:30p = 30 minutes
station total: 6 hrs 30 mins/week

KODF/26, Azteca America -- M-F: 4:30p-5p, 10:30p-11p = 1 hour
station total: 5 hours/week

KDAF/33, CW -- M-F: 5:30p-6p, 9p-10p = 1 hr 30 mins
Sat: 5:30p-6p, 9p-10p = 1 hr 30 mins
Sun: 5:30p-6p, 9p-9:30p = 1 hour¶
station total: 10 hours/week

KXTX/39, Telemundo -- M-F: 5p-5:30p, 10p-10:30p = 1 hour
station total: 5 hours/week

Market total: 161 hrs 30 mins/week

 

[MarcB]

I'm sick of all the stupid sensationalism stories they do during Sweeps Month.

 

[MarcB]

One more thing. Seeing how I provided the news times for FOX 61, I might as well bring up the other Hartford Stations.

WFSB - 3 - CBS - Merideth

Weekdays
*5AM-7AM Eyewitness News This Morning
12PM-1230PM Eyewitness News at Noon
5PM-630PM Eyewitness News at 5, 530, and 6
Monday-Thursday 11PM-11:35PM Eyewitness News at 11
Fridays 11PM-11:15PM Eyewtiness News at 11
**On Fridays from 11:15PM-11:35PM is a High School Sports Highlights Show :-(
* Prior to CBS's Mandate that affiliates must carry both hours of The Early Show, Eyewitness News This Morning aired until 8AM with a few cut-ins to the network at 7:15 and 7:45.

Saturdays
6AM-9AM Eyewitness News This Morning (They do not air The Saturday Early Show)
6PM-630PM
11PM-11:35PM

Sundays
6AM-9AM
630PM-7PM
11PM-11:15
*11:15-11:35 is Bernie's Sport's Sunday - Highlights of Sporting Events from the past week. (Bernie's is a local Electronics Chain that sponsors the show)

Total Hours on Channel 3 = 30 hours and 45 mins week

WTNH - 8 - ABC - LIN-TV
Weekdays
5AM-7AM Good Morning Connecticut
7AM-8AM Good Morning Connecticut on MY TV 9
12PM-12:30PM News Channel 8 at Noon
5PM-630PM News Channel 8 at 5, 530, 6
10PM-10:35PM News Channel 8 at 10 on MY TV 9
11PM-11:35PM News Channel 8 at 11

Saturdays/Sundays
6AM-8AM Good Morning Connecticut Weekend
6PM-630PM News Channel 8 at 6 Weekend
10PM-1035PM News Channel 8 at 10 on MY TV 9 Weekend
11PM-11:35PM News Channel 8 at 11

Total Hours on WTNH and MY TV 9 = 33 hours and 10 mins per week

WVIT - NBC O&O - 30

Weekdays
5AM-7AM NBC Connecticut News Today
11AM-12PM NBC Connecticut News at 11
5PM-630PM NBC Connecticut News at 5, 530, 6
11PM-11:35PM NBC Connecticut News at 11

Saturdays
6AM-7AM NBC Connecticut News Saturday
9AM-10AM NBC Connecticut News at 9
6PM-630P NBC CT News at 6
11PM-11:30 NBC CT News at 11

Sundays
7AM-8AM NBC CT News Today at 7
9AM-10AM NBC CT News Today at 9
6PM-630PM NBC CT News at 6
11PM-11:20PM NBC CT News at 11*
*Sunday Sports Replay 11:20-11:40*

Airs following the conclusion of Sunday Night Football

Total Number of Hours for NBC Connecticut: 28 hours and 20 mins week

 

[bpatrick]

As long as we are beating up on the weather guys!

No more "Santa sightings" on Christmas Eve newscasts! I'd be embarrassed to do crap like that if I were a weatherman! Let's stick to the factual stuff, and not go into fiction, even if it is "just for the kiddies"! :

Heck, I can remember back in the late '60s CBS radio would have its correspondents
around the world doing "Santa sightings," with Douglas Edwards (yes, television's
pioneering anchor) holding things together in New York, checking in to see where
Santa "was" at any given time. Maybe the CBS News team had a good time doing this,
but somehow when I think of CBS doing this, even if it was on radio and had a
much smaller audience, the idea of local weathercasters doing "Santa sightings" doesn't
seem quite so silly...even though it is.

 

[LKellerIII]

I'm sick of all the stupid sensationalism stories they do during Sweeps Month.

Really?? Where do you live? I remember those week-long exposes on child prostitution or pornography that would show up during Sweeps, but I think of it as a 70s and 80s thing.

In the Bay Area, at least, they haven't done sensationalistic stories during Sweeps for years...or else I'm not paying much attention ???

 

[MarcB]

Really?? Where do you live?

I live in The Hartford-New Haven Market. Lots of undercover stories such as: unlicensed contractors, exposes about supermarkets breaking the health code, child predators living near schools, etc, etc, etc.

 

[ROBGv1]

WLNE-6-ABC
Weekdays
5-7 Good Morning Providence
7-8 Good Morning Providence on News Channel 5
12-12:30 WLNE6 News at Noon
16:00-17:00 WLNE6 News at 4
18:00-18:30 WLNE6 News at 6
19:00-19:30 WLNE6 News at 7
23:00-23:35 WLNE6 News at 11

Saturdays
08:00-08:30 Good Morning Providence on News Channel 5
19:00-19:30 WLNE6 News at 7
23:30-00:05 WLNE6 News at 11

Sundays
10:00-10:30 WLNE6 News Weekend
18:30-19:00 WLNE6 News at 6:30
23:00-23:35 WLNE6 News at 11
Total = 10:48:00

WPRI-12-Lin TV
Weekdays
05:00-07:00 Eyewitness News This Morning
07:00-08:00 Eyewitness News This Morning on FOX Providence
12:00-12:30 Eyewitness News at Noon
17:00-18:30 Eyewitness News
22:00-23:00 Eyewitness News at 10 on Fox Providence (Sports Wrap at 10:45)
23:00-23:35 Eyewitness News at 11
Saturday
06:00-08:00 Eyewitness News
18:00-18:30 Eyewitness News at 6
22:00-22:30 Eyewitness News at 10 on Fox Providence
23:00-23:35 Eyewitness News at 11
Sundays
06:00-09:00 Eyewitness News
18:30-19:00 Eyewitness News at 6:30
22:00-22:35 Eyewitness News at 10 on Fox Providence
23:00-23:35 Eyewitness News at 11
Total = 37hrs

 

[mjlarochelle]

What I like about some of these American stations, is that they offer newscasts at multiple times of day to maximize when viewers can watch. Of course stations are going to repeat content from other newscasts, but unless you're at home all day and watch TV all day, you're not going to watch every single newscast from start to finish.

Most Canadian stations have so little local news that viewers close enough to the U.S. border simply turn to U.S. stations when they want news. I know a number of people who watch Detroit stations on weekend mornings when no Canadian stations have any news, or when there are severe weather events and the Canadian stations have absolutely nothing.

 

[gr8oldies]

And the old standby sweep series: Dirty Hotels

 

[bpatrick]

Didn't that end after Diane Sawyer's "investigation"
on "Primetime Live"?

 

[The Voice of Reason]

I don't count the morning shows as "newscasts." They're general-entertainment/feature shows with some news - some with more news than others. But that's OK in the morning, and reasonable at noon. Then, there are the Fox stations' morning shows that are American Idol highlights + weather and not much else. :

But the evening/late newscasts should stick to 30 minutes of news and move the features to separate time periods.

I am in total agreement with your point.

It has been a very long time since I turned on my TV for news early mornings. The only time I bother is when the weather is going to be bad.

Even the local newscasts during the evening have been less than impressive these days, with the exception of some real "late breaking" stories. And even then that phrase, "Late Breaking" has been so over used it reminds me of the fable about the boy who cried wolf.

 

[Mario500]

In recent years, the stations in my area (Mobile-Pensacola) have been putting more weather information on the screen in the form of larger tickers, small maps highlighting counties, and numerous interruptions of network programming (including news programs). Today's local programming before the arrival of a hurricane is a good example of what happens frequently in my area when it comes to certain weather conditions.

WPMI-TV and WALA-TV have large weather graphics squeezing the pictures on four stations combined due to their ownership. WPMI-TV's graphics cause programs broadcast in high definition to appear in standard definition. Between 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM yesterday, WPMI-TV interrupted network programming for weather reports, but kept the network program on screen in a box. The weather report appeared on both WPMI-TV and WJTC-TV (a co-owned independent station).

WEAR-TV, which interrupted "Good Morning America" after a commercial break with another weather report, even though the network program is also featuring reports about the same weather conditions, has graphics blocking words on the screen. Unlike WPMI-TV, WEAR-TV and WKRG-TV have the ability to broadcast high definition programs along with weather graphics. So far, WKRG-TV has been using a scrolling ticker with white letters on a black background occasionally.

 

[LKellerIII]

Really?? Where do you live?

I live in The Hartford-New Haven Market. Lots of undercover stories such as: unlicensed contractors, exposes about supermarkets breaking the health code, child predators living near schools, etc, etc, etc.

Interesting. Our local newscasts will do exposes and the occasional 'hidden camera' type story - especially the ABC 7 "I-Team." but the stories tend to come along sporadically, and aren't attached to sweeps months. They're usually no more than 2 or 3 parts. Though they are teased in promos during the day, and especially during prime-time, they don't go all out like they used to for sweeps periods.

Local news in the Bay Area has become very low key over the last decade - none of the stations is particularly sensationalistic, and nobody brags anymore about being "number one at 11:00" or whatever. I don't even know what the ratings are for local newscasts here because nobody ever talks about it, or publicizes the numbers.

 

[Mario500]

Even though the tropical cyclone in the Gulf of Mexico is now considered a tropical storm, WALA-TV and WEAR-TV are interrupting regular programming every hour with weather reports and the graphics described in my previous post are still in use. During "Good Morning America", WEAR-TV had two different scrolling tickers on the screen at one time before using a weather map graphic near the center of the screen again.

WPMI-TV and WJTC-TV are still using the graphics that squeeze the picture and made watching "Today" and "Family Feud" tough for me. WKRG-TV updates viewers every hour by putting regular programming (with audio) and a weather map in separate boxes.

 

[Mario500]

weather map graphic near the center of the screen again.

I meant at the bottom of the screen near the middle.

 

[MarcB]

Speaking of Good Morning America, WTNH covers up GMA's ticker with their own local news ticker. The only time you can see GMA's ticker is when they squeeze the picture to show school closings because of snow.