Local Newscasts Today

[markwooldridge]

If were there fewer and shorter newscasts, more people would be watching, and more money and employees would be saved. A one-hour weekday newscast at 6:00 AM, a half-hour newscast at 5:00 PM or 6:00 PM, and a half-hour newscast at 10:00 PM would do much better for stations in my area.

What's needed is more localized news. Local TV stations that do news need to get together with the cable companies that carry their signal and arrange for the technology to be put in place for a super-local opt-out service direct to that community served by the wider signal. Give the example of WFMY in Greensboro: viewers in Winston-Salem on cable could have a 5-10 minute part of the evening news that's pre-recorded and has news that's more of interest to people in Winston-Salem than Greensboro - High Point viewers could have their local bits and Burlington too and so on. For OTA viewers and satellite viewers, they would see a general pre-recorded 5-10 minute segment of local news that pertains to the whole viewing area. WFMY also run a 2-2 signal which in general is just a weather display with some public service announcements and such - these pre-recorded bits could also be fed into the 2-2 signal so that OTA viewers can still get the content - and then there's the Internet where this content would also be made available for the download, subject to "paying the price of watching a short local commercial".

However, financial pressures would mean this kind of thing would not happen, at least in commercial TV land anyway. TV news is looking for consolidation, not diversification. The worst case of consolidation I have ever seen has been in the UK - with ITV - they wanted to cut back on local news so badly, they merged 4 TV regional news programs together in the south of England and pre-recorded lots more segments. I could easily see WFMY, WRAL, WBTV and others merging their news operations together here in NC, producing a state-wide evening "local" news cast with pre-recorded opt outs for each viewing area to give the idea that the stations are still local, but your Asheville news cast and your Wilmington news cast is actually coming from a studio complex in Raleigh.

Mark.

 

[searadiofreak]

Motorcades, and parades in general, do make for great pictures, though.

That, and nowadays, people can watch VP motorcades for the same reason they watch NASCAR: for the crashes. ;D

Not sure you were referring to the recent Biden motorcade crashes, but suddenly quite relevant!

 

[compubit]

What's needed is more localized news. Local TV stations that do news need to get together with the cable companies that carry their signal and arrange for the technology to be put in place for a super-local opt-out service direct to that community served by the wider signal. Give the example of WFMY in Greensboro: viewers in Winston-Salem on cable could have a 5-10 minute part of the evening news that's pre-recorded and has news that's more of interest to people in Winston-Salem than Greensboro - High Point viewers could have their local bits and Burlington too and so on. For OTA viewers and satellite viewers, they would see a general pre-recorded 5-10 minute segment of local news that pertains to the whole viewing area. WFMY also run a 2-2 signal which in general is just a weather display with some public service announcements and such - these pre-recorded bits could also be fed into the 2-2 signal so that OTA viewers can still get the content - and then there's the Internet where this content would also be made available for the download, subject to "paying the price of watching a short local commercial".

However, financial pressures would mean this kind of thing would not happen, at least in commercial TV land anyway. TV news is looking for consolidation, not diversification. The worst case of consolidation I have ever seen has been in the UK - with ITV - they wanted to cut back on local news so badly, they merged 4 TV regional news programs together in the south of England and pre-recorded lots more segments. I could easily see WFMY, WRAL, WBTV and others merging their news operations together here in NC, producing a state-wide evening "local" news cast with pre-recorded opt outs for each viewing area to give the idea that the stations are still local, but your Asheville news cast and your Wilmington news cast is actually coming from a studio complex in Raleigh.

Mark.

Several cases I've seen of split local newscasts:

- WSAZ/3 in Huntington/Charleston, WV, ran (still runs?) a split newscast at 6pm - viewers in Charleston get Charleston news (via a translator/cable) and viewers in Huntington (on the main signal) get Huntington/regional news (the station has anchors in both Charleston and Huntington).
- KOB/4/Albuquerque used to insert a 10 minute "local-cast" - mostly rip and read - on satellite KOBR/8/Roswell; likewise, KBIM/10/Roswell started the noon news from KRQE/13/Albuquerque but then cut away to finish the newscast with local news and interviews (KBIM did run a totally separate evening newscast).
- CFRN/3/Edmonton, AB, used to (may still) insert pre-recorded segments into main satellites stations around the province (CFRN Central Alberta News, CFRN Grande Prairie News) - in this case, they did bring local news to areas that wouldn't normally support a full local newscast.
- NBC Montana stations air
- NBC North Dakota airs KFYR news on KUMV/8/Williston for the first 10 minutes, then KUMV takes over for the last 20 of the 6pm newscast. This also used to be done on KMOT/10/Minot, but now KMOT has a full local newscast.

 

[PDXREXX]

What's needed is more localized news. Local TV stations that do news need to get together with the cable companies that carry their signal and arrange for the technology to be put in place for a super-local opt-out service direct to that community served by the wider signal. Give the example of WFMY in Greensboro: viewers in Winston-Salem on cable could have a 5-10 minute part of the evening news that's pre-recorded and has news that's more of interest to people in Winston-Salem than Greensboro - High Point viewers could have their local bits and Burlington too and so on. For OTA viewers and satellite viewers, they would see a general pre-recorded 5-10 minute segment of local news that pertains to the whole viewing area. WFMY also run a 2-2 signal which in general is just a weather display with some public service announcements and such - these pre-recorded bits could also be fed into the 2-2 signal so that OTA viewers can still get the content - and then there's the Internet where this content would also be made available for the download, subject to "paying the price of watching a short local commercial".

However, financial pressures would mean this kind of thing would not happen, at least in commercial TV land anyway. TV news is looking for consolidation, not diversification. The worst case of consolidation I have ever seen has been in the UK - with ITV - they wanted to cut back on local news so badly, they merged 4 TV regional news programs together in the south of England and pre-recorded lots more segments. I could easily see WFMY, WRAL, WBTV and others merging their news operations together here in NC, producing a state-wide evening "local" news cast with pre-recorded opt outs for each viewing area to give the idea that the stations are still local, but your Asheville news cast and your Wilmington news cast is actually coming from a studio complex in Raleigh.

Mark.

Several cases I've seen of split local newscasts:

- WSAZ/3 in Huntington/Charleston, WV, ran (still runs?) a split newscast at 6pm - viewers in Charleston get Charleston news (via a translator/cable) and viewers in Huntington (on the main signal) get Huntington/regional news (the station has anchors in both Charleston and Huntington).
- KOB/4/Albuquerque used to insert a 10 minute "local-cast" - mostly rip and read - on satellite KOBR/8/Roswell; likewise, KBIM/10/Roswell started the noon news from KRQE/13/Albuquerque but then cut away to finish the newscast with local news and interviews (KBIM did run a totally separate evening newscast).
- CFRN/3/Edmonton, AB, used to (may still) insert pre-recorded segments into main satellites stations around the province (CFRN Central Alberta News, CFRN Grande Prairie News) - in this case, they did bring local news to areas that wouldn't normally support a full local newscast.
- NBC Montana stations air
- NBC North Dakota airs KFYR news on KUMV/8/Williston for the first 10 minutes, then KUMV takes over for the last 20 of the 6pm newscast. This also used to be done on KMOT/10/Minot, but now KMOT has a full local newscast.

I've Lived in Missoula So I know about tv in montana
The Montana Television Network (aka Montana's News Station)
all have separate newscasts except the Noon news which is out of KTVQ
in Billings

 

[searadiofreak]

I've seen these type of newscasts (in Montana, and Wyoming), not Missoula, but in the Butte/Bozeman/Billings area, and they seem quite disjointed and hard to watch. I think I would rather watch one local station from one city than a combination 'cast, even if the quality was a bit lower. A news director in a smaller rocky mountain market admitted to me that these markets are "training markets" in essence. They can't pay anything even resembling a decent salary, and they actually expect the talent to move on within a year or so. Sometimes they try and tie them down for a 2-year contract, but many break them. And it ain't worth trying to enforce it from a monetary standpoint. This is the reality of smaller market tv news.

 

[JeeperOne]

And in the Phx market the relative few news stories are punctuated all too frequently by shouting lawyers and screaming car dealers. Complete waste.

You can say that again Tuna.

Here in Denver, we have a "Strong Arm" for a lawyer, a family of other lawyers ALL WITH THE SAME LAST NAME (But have two seperate law firms) & Superman (Or whatever other super hero he wants to be for a day) for a car dealer (Who owns multiple dealerships no less).

On top of that, we have a tiger-loving furniture salesman (I kid you not. This guy has been at it for over 30 years!) & a used car dealership that's about as slapstick as slapstick can possibly get with three characters named "Shaggy" & "Officer O'Dell" plus some other chick who's name I can't think of right now.

I remember when commercials just had a simple announcer or salesman that didn't dress up in some fancy costume or call themselves or the business/product they were advertising for names like "The Strong Arm". Do you?

It it just me or has local advertising become a MAD MAD MAD MAD world these days?

Cheers

 

[gr8oldies]

There would be about 30 seconds of news from my suburb. I see localized news in far flung areas but very few urban dwellers work, shop and play all in one suburb

 

[NeilRattigan]

Hyper local has worked well for WMGM-TV Atlantic City for years. It's the only game in town, but it competes with the Philadelphia stations. Take that concept, for example, with a station in Cape Cod that does news for that part of Massachusetts. But it competes with other stations in Boston. This takes deep pockets... but for a tv station trying to carve a niche, it can be successful.

 

[bpatrick]

I'd like some feedback on this one: WYMT
Hazard, KY produces its own noon, 4, 6, and
11 PM newscasts but takes the 5-6 PM segment
from sister station WKYT Lexington (my unprovable
contention is that WYMT would take Lexington's noon
newscast except that WKYT's is an hour, while "Y&R"
airs in Hazard in pattern at 12:30 and isn't likely to
change). How does anybody feel about this arrangement?

 

[mjlarochelle]

Several cases I've seen of split local newscasts:

- WSAZ/3 in Huntington/Charleston, WV, ran (still runs?) a split newscast at 6pm - viewers in Charleston get Charleston news (via a translator/cable) and viewers in Huntington (on the main signal) get Huntington/regional news (the station has anchors in both Charleston and Huntington).
- KOB/4/Albuquerque used to insert a 10 minute "local-cast" - mostly rip and read - on satellite KOBR/8/Roswell; likewise, KBIM/10/Roswell started the noon news from KRQE/13/Albuquerque but then cut away to finish the newscast with local news and interviews (KBIM did run a totally separate evening newscast).
- CFRN/3/Edmonton, AB, used to (may still) insert pre-recorded segments into main satellites stations around the province (CFRN Central Alberta News, CFRN Grande Prairie News) - in this case, they did bring local news to areas that wouldn't normally support a full local newscast.
- NBC Montana stations air
- NBC North Dakota airs KFYR news on KUMV/8/Williston for the first 10 minutes, then KUMV takes over for the last 20 of the 6pm newscast. This also used to be done on KMOT/10/Minot, but now KMOT has a full local newscast.

I don't think CFRN is doing that anymore. CKCO in Kitchener, Ontario used to do that with its stations in Sarnia and Wiarton/Huntsville, but that has also been discontinued. The MCTV stations in Northern Ontario may still do that. Until recently CFPL London did that for CKNX Wingham. And in Newfounaldland and Labrador, the supperhour news was run from CBNT in St. John's, but there were inserts for CBYT Corner Brook (Here & Now from the West Coast), CBNLT Labrador City, and CFLA-TV Goose Bay. That was discontinued in 1991.

 

[compubit]

I don't think CFRN is doing that anymore. CKCO in Kitchener, Ontario used to do that with its stations in Sarnia and Wiarton/Huntsville, but that has also been discontinued. The MCTV stations in Northern Ontario may still do that. Until recently CFPL London did that for CKNX Wingham. And in Newfounaldland and Labrador, the supperhour news was run from CBNT in St. John's, but there were inserts for CBYT Corner Brook (Here & Now from the West Coast), CBNLT Labrador City, and CFLA-TV Goose Bay. That was discontinued in 1991.

I didn't think that CFRN was doing that anymore - CTVglobemedia has made the "satellite" stations nearly full satellites. The catch is that in order to run local commercials on the "satellites", the "satellites" have to run a certain amount of "local" programming per week (dependent on market size and other factors - and it didn't have to necessarily be locally produced, but separate from the primary station). I have a feeling that the bean counters got into the books and discovered that for the 10 minutes of Car and Tractor Dealership ads on the secondary stations, it wasn't worth the staff in the smaller towns.

I do believe, though, that there have been a couple of stations in Canada where truly local news has been reintroduced: both Yorkton and Prince Albert, Saskatchewan were for a while just repeating Regina and Saskatoon respectively, but both have added some local news back (Yorkton at Supperhour and PA at noon, I believe). Also, I think that CHWI/Windsor has added local news back after just repeating CFPL's newscasts, but CKNX is now just a full repeater of CFPL. There was a bit of consolidation in the CBC local news world in the early 90s (CBLN/London, Newfoundland and Labrador's stations).

I almost forgot about the "CBC Alberta News" from the mid 90's. 1 anchor in Edmonton, 1 in Calgary, province-wide weather, 2 sports guys - 1 in each city. (Weekends were run out of Edmonton, I believe - of course back then CBC had local weekend news - plus some Kick-a news themes). I'll have to dig out my tape of this from a trip back then.

 

[mjlarochelle]

I do believe, though, that there have been a couple of stations in Canada where truly local news has been reintroduced: both Yorkton and Prince Albert, Saskatchewan were for a while just repeating Regina and Saskatoon respectively, but both have added some local news back (Yorkton at Supperhour and PA at noon, I believe). Also, I think that CHWI/Windsor has added local news back after just repeating CFPL's newscasts, but CKNX is now just a full repeater of CFPL. There was a bit of consolidation in the CBC local news world in the early 90s (CBLN/London, Newfoundland and Labrador's stations).

CHWI never repeated CFPL's newscasts per se, although for a number of years their newscasts were produced entirely out of London and the anchors were even in London, the reporters were based in Windsor and Chatham. CHWI to this day repeats weekend newscasts from CFPL, and when that station had noon news they also repeated that. CBET Windsor did however repeat the CBC newscasts from Toronto from 1991-94, but that station had its local news brought back. CBLN repeated the Toronto newscasts from day one in 1988, although there was a London-area reporter for awhile.