So long, News Central!

[fybush]

WUHF is signing off News Central as I type this, with a classy roll of everyone who worked for channel 31 news during its brief (seven years, was it?) run.

Amazing how many people that place chewed up and spat out in such a short time. There've got to be more than a hundred people there. At least some of them I recognize and know they landed on their feet in a better place.

Wonder how quickly channel 8 will get the replacement 10 PM show up and running? I hear they want to do it before November. <P ID="signature">______________
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[Mark_Giardina]

> WUHF is signing off News Central as I type this, with a
> classy roll of everyone who worked for channel 31 news
> during its brief (seven years, was it?) run.
>
> Amazing how many people that place chewed up and spat out in
> such a short time. There've got to be more than a hundred
> people there. At least some of them I recognize and know
> they landed on their feet in a better place.
>
> Wonder how quickly channel 8 will get the replacement 10 PM
> show up and running? I hear they want to do it before
> November.
>
WROC wants to get Channel 31's news up and running the week before this year's elections. So that means, if everything goes as planned, WUHF's 10:00 news would return around the first of November.

I personally didn't watch Wednesday night's newscast, but you right about the number of people that have worked at that station over the years. I remember back when Donna Dedee left Channel 10 to start up 31's news department. She worked very hard to recruit some good talent, only to see all of her hard work go down the drain with the eventual arrival of 'News Central'.

One has to wonder if Dedee, and the others who worked at 31 over the years, feel vindicated with the demise of 'News Central'? I'm sure there are a few former staffers who would love to tell the management “See I told you so".

The demise of 'News Central' did prove one thing. Despite what some broadcasting consultants believe, schlock doesn't always sell to the general viewing public.



<P ID="signature">______________
"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted and I won't be laid a hand on.
I don't do these things to other people and I expect the same from them".</P>

 

[BobRoss]

> > Wonder how quickly channel 8 will get the replacement 10
> > PM show up and running? I hear they want to do it before
> > November.

> WROC wants to get Channel 31's news up and running the week
> before this year's elections. So that means, if everything
> goes as planned, WUHF's 10:00 news would return around the
> first of November.


That makes pretty good sense. Not only is it a plus to have a 10PM outlet for election night, but it also gets the 10PM newscast on in time for the full November ratings period. WROC and WUHF will have immediate results to see how the show is doing as it begins.

Is WROC still the #3 game in town? It'll be interesting to see if this Fox show helps them gain anything at 11, or even for the overall image.

 

[fybush]

> Is WROC still the #3 game in town? It'll be interesting to
> see if this Fox show helps them gain anything at 11, or even
> for the overall image.

I think what it'll do more than anything is to provide a few more bodies for a newsroom that desperately needs them. WROC has a lot of momentum right now, and they've finally figured out the importance of finding an anchor lineup and sticking with it. I'm pretty sure that the current lead anchor team there now boasts the longest tenure at WROC since the strike in the 70s that took the station out of the number-one spot. The graphics and set look good, there's a decent amount of promotion, and the reporters are some of the best in town. There just hasn't been enough manpower there to cover the market the way 10 and 13 can. (Not that sending a reporter to Houston and Baton Rouge, as WHEC did this week, really makes that much sense from a journalistic standpoint, but I digress.)

The added staff that WUHF will bring over should help even the field a little bit. <P ID="signature">______________
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[Mark_Giardina]

> > WROC wants to get Channel 31's news up and running the
> week
> > before this year's elections. So that means, if everything
>
> > goes as planned, WUHF's 10:00 news would return around the
>
> > first of November.
>
>
> That makes pretty good sense. Not only is it a plus to have
> a 10PM outlet for election night, but it also gets the 10PM
> newscast on in time for the full November ratings period.
> WROC and WUHF will have immediate results to see how the
> show is doing as it begins.
>
> Is WROC still the #3 game in town? It'll be interesting to
> see if this Fox show helps them gain anything at 11, or even
> for the overall image.
>

The game plan is to have WUHF's 10:00 news back on the air Tuesday November 1st. That is one week before Election Day.

WROC will also benefit greatly by having their news exposed to a younger audience (those who watch FOX).

Even though 31's anchors Melanie Barnas and Ty Chander reportedly will be taking turns anchoring the 10:00 news, this 'new and improved' newscast will also feature reports from Channel 8's news team. Plus there will be local weather and sports, which 31 sorely lacked by carrying " News Central".

And I wouldn't be surprised if viewers see a cross-promotion for WROC's 11pm news during the 31 newscast.

The big question is what will Channels 10 and 13 do before 10:00 to promote their news? One possibility is to feature a newsbreak say at 9:58pm, telling viewers what they can expect to see at 11.



<P ID="signature">______________
"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted and I won't be laid a hand on.
I don't do these things to other people and I expect the same from them".</P>

 

[fastone]

> > Is WROC still the #3 game in town? It'll be interesting
> to
> > see if this Fox show helps them gain anything at 11, or
> even
> > for the overall image.
>
> I think what it'll do more than anything is to provide a few
> more bodies for a newsroom that desperately needs them. WROC
> has a lot of momentum right now, and they've finally figured
> out the importance of finding an anchor lineup and sticking
> with it. I'm pretty sure that the current lead anchor team
> there now boasts the longest tenure at WROC since the strike
> in the 70s that took the station out of the number-one spot.
> The graphics and set look good, there's a decent amount of
> promotion, and the reporters are some of the best in town.
> There just hasn't been enough manpower there to cover the
> market the way 10 and 13 can. (Not that sending a reporter
> to Houston and Baton Rouge, as WHEC did this week, really
> makes that much sense from a journalistic standpoint, but I
> digress.)
>
> The added staff that WUHF will bring over should help even
> the field a little bit.
>

If you have any more of those rose colored glasses....you may want to share them with some of us. In my opinion....if you take something that is BAD and make it BIGGER....you get something that is simply badder and bigger.....not BETTER

 

[fybush]

> If you have any more of those rose colored glasses....you
> may want to share them with some of us. In my opinion....if
> you take something that is BAD and make it BIGGER....you get
> something that is simply badder and bigger.....not BETTER

You're entitled to your opinion, I'm entitled to mine.

I don't think what WROC's doing right now is "BAD"; it's actually the only local TV news I can stand to watch for very long at the moment. I think Dave McKinley and Rachel Barnhart are two of the best reporters the city has at the moment, I love the personality that Hetsko brings to the weather, I think Maureen and Kevin make a solid anchor team, and I appreciate the relative lack of gimmicks and useless flash on 8's news, even if it's more the result of lack of resources than anything else.

But that's the great thing about American TV. If you like what 10 or 13 or R News is doing better, nobody's stopping you from changing the channel. And if more viewers see things your way than mine, the ratings will show it and channel 8 will change course or even shutter its newsroom. (There's an argument to be made that a market this size can really only support two TV newsrooms.) We'll see.

And no, I don't work for channel 8 - I was their competition (if you want to call it that) just a few years ago. I'm just impressed with the hard work that I see every night when I turn on their news.<P ID="signature">______________
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[fastone]

> > If you have any more of those rose colored glasses....you
> > may want to share them with some of us. In my
> opinion....if
> > you take something that is BAD and make it BIGGER....you
> get
> > something that is simply badder and bigger.....not BETTER
>
> You're entitled to your opinion, I'm entitled to mine.
>
> I don't think what WROC's doing right now is "BAD"; it's
> actually the only local TV news I can stand to watch for
> very long at the moment. I think Dave McKinley and Rachel
> Barnhart are two of the best reporters the city has at the
> moment, I love the personality that Hetsko brings to the
> weather, I think Maureen and Kevin make a solid anchor team,
> and I appreciate the relative lack of gimmicks and useless
> flash on 8's news, even if it's more the result of lack of
> resources than anything else.
>
> But that's the great thing about American TV. If you like
> what 10 or 13 or R News is doing better, nobody's stopping

I guess I hit a nerve or something....but here's safety tip....take off the rose colored glasses when you drive at night.
> you from changing the channel. And if more viewers see
> things your way than mine, the ratings will show it and
> channel 8 will change course or even shutter its newsroom.
> (There's an argument to be made that a market this size can
> really only support two TV newsrooms.) We'll see.
>
> And no, I don't work for channel 8 - I was their competition
> (if you want to call it that) just a few years ago. I'm just
> impressed with the hard work that I see every night when I
> turn on their news.
>

 

[Kohoutek]

> > > If you have any more of those rose colored
> glasses....you
> > > may want to share them with some of us. In my
> > opinion....if
> > > you take something that is BAD and make it BIGGER....you
>
> > get
> > > something that is simply badder and bigger.....not
> BETTER
> >

> >
> > I don't think what WROC's doing right now is "BAD"; it's
> > actually the only local TV news I can stand to watch for
> > very long at the moment. I think Dave McKinley and Rachel
> > Barnhart are two of the best reporters the city has at the
>
> > moment, I love the personality that Hetsko brings to the
> > weather, I think Maureen and Kevin make a solid anchor
> team,
> > and I appreciate the relative lack of gimmicks and useless
>
> > flash on 8's news,
>>
> I guess I hit a nerve or something....but here's safety
> tip....take off the rose colored glasses when you drive at
> night.


Oh, no. I think MR. FYBUSH is the one who hit a nerve.

What's your deal , Fastone? Out of curiosity, I took the time to read all 23 of your posts on this board, and the funny thing is almost every one of them has to do with Nexstar and for the most part they bash the company and Channel 8 in particular. You virtually never write about anything else. So what is it? Disgruntled former employee? Disgruntled current employee?? Or do you work for Ch. 13 or 10?
Just wondering.


>

 

[scooterodell]

> I think Dave McKinley and Rachel
> Barnhart are two of the best reporters the city has at the
> moment...
>
> And no, I don't work for channel 8 - I was their competition
> (if you want to call it that) just a few years ago.

But you did work with Rachel Barnhart when she was the "competition," too; might there be just a hint of prejudice in her favor as a result?

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

I think the new 10 P.M. news on WUHF-31 may premiere in mid-to-late October, around the time of the World Series.

While WROC-8 (who will produce WUHF's newscasts) has local news from 11 to 11:30 P.M., Fox's primetime World Series broadcasts seldom end before 11:30 P.M. EDT anyway, so it would be no problem for WROC. Just produce their own 11 P.M. news then the "late" news for WUHF.

Besides, having the World Series as a lead-in would insure a large audience "sampling" WUHF's new newscast.

My guess: While October 31st or November 1st have been discussed as launch dates, I think the new WROC-produced newscast may actually premiere on either October 22nd, 23rd, or 25th (probably the latter, since it's a weeknight), so it would follow Games 1, 2, or 3 respectively of the World Series.

 

[fastone]

> > > > If you have any more of those rose colored
> > glasses....you
> > > > may want to share them with some of us. In my
> > > opinion....if
> > > > you take something that is BAD and make it
> BIGGER....you
> >
> > > get
> > > > something that is simply badder and bigger.....not
> > BETTER
> > >
>
> > >
> > > I don't think what WROC's doing right now is "BAD"; it's
>
> > > actually the only local TV news I can stand to watch for
>
> > > very long at the moment. I think Dave McKinley and
> Rachel
> > > Barnhart are two of the best reporters the city has at
> the
> >
> > > moment, I love the personality that Hetsko brings to the
>
> > > weather, I think Maureen and Kevin make a solid anchor
> > team,
> > > and I appreciate the relative lack of gimmicks and
> useless
> >
> > > flash on 8's news,
> >>
> > I guess I hit a nerve or something....but here's safety
> > tip....take off the rose colored glasses when you drive at
>
> > night.
>
>
> Oh, no. I think MR. FYBUSH is the one who hit a nerve.
>
> What's your deal , Fastone? Out of curiosity, I took the
> time to read all 23 of your posts on this board, and the
> funny thing is almost every one of them has to do with
> Nexstar and for the most part they bash the company and
> Channel 8 in particular. You virtually never write about
> anything else. So what is it? Disgruntled former employee?
> Disgruntled current employee?? Or do you work for Ch. 13 or
> 10?
> Just wondering.
>
>
> >My you are a busy guy! Actually, I'm a totally disgruntled stockholder who at one time thought these guys would make a run at and bought the stock at$13and watched them mismanage it down to under $6.This isn't about WROC TV....this company is losing money in a big way everywhere! If you're so sure about their future....why don't you stop worrying about me and put your money where your mouth is. I did...


>

 

[NigelWick]

> > > Is WROC still the #3 game in town? It'll be interesting
>
> > to
> > > see if this Fox show helps them gain anything at 11, or
> > even
> > > for the overall image.
> >
> > I think what it'll do more than anything is to provide a
> few
> > more bodies for a newsroom that desperately needs them.
> WROC
> > has a lot of momentum right now, and they've finally
> figured
> > out the importance of finding an anchor lineup and
> sticking
> > with it. I'm pretty sure that the current lead anchor team
>
> > there now boasts the longest tenure at WROC since the
> strike
> > in the 70s that took the station out of the number-one
> spot.
> > The graphics and set look good, there's a decent amount of
>
> > promotion, and the reporters are some of the best in town.
>
> > There just hasn't been enough manpower there to cover the
> > market the way 10 and 13 can. (Not that sending a reporter
>
> > to Houston and Baton Rouge, as WHEC did this week, really
> > makes that much sense from a journalistic standpoint, but
> I
> > digress.)
> >
> > The added staff that WUHF will bring over should help even
>
> > the field a little bit.
> >
>
> If you have any more of those rose colored glasses....you
> may want to share them with some of us. In my opinion....if
> you take something that is BAD and make it BIGGER....you get
> something that is simply badder and bigger.....not BETTER

I wouldn't go that far, but I've seen it in other markets. WROC has to make the 10 pm and 11 pm shows very different, or it risks cannibalizing its own audience. Why I should watch at 11? I already saw that at 10.
>

 

[Kohoutek]

> > >
> >
> >
> > >My you are a busy guy!

Didn't take that much effort, really

Actually, I'm a totally
> disgruntled stockholder

Don't blame you for being disgruntled

who at one time thought these guys
> would make a run at and bought the stock at$13and watched
> them mismanage it down to under $6.

I can undertand your "disgruntledness", then

This isn't about WROC
> TV....this company is losing money in a big way everywhere!
> If you're so sure about their future....why don't you stop
> worrying about me

I wouldn't say I'm worried about you..

and put your money where your mouth is. I
> did...
>
Well, I certainly had my chance to buy Nexstar stock (like anyone else).
I wasn't that stupid, I guess.
>

> >
>

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

Nigel Wick commented:

> WROC has to make the 10 pm and 11 pm shows very different,
> or it risks cannibalizing its own audience. Why I should
> watch at 11? I already saw that at 10.

It's quite possible that the audiences for the two programs will have little overlap (and for that matter, the WROC-produced 10 P.M. news on WUHF-31 will have little audience overlap with any 11 P.M. newscast).

However, you can expect the 10 P.M. news on WUHF to feature more showbiz and pop-culture stories to appeal to the younger Fox viewer.

Also, Idol, Idol, Idol, especially when "American Idol 5" starts up in mid-January. If someone from the Rochester area ends up being one of the last two singers still in the competition next May, the WUHF 10 P.M. newscasts the night of the final sing-off (May 23rd, 2006) and the night the winner is announced (May 24th, 2006) could both be "All-Idol-All-The-Time".

Isn't/aren't the former anchor(s) of the local WUHF segments of "News Central" supposed to be anchoring the WROC-produced 10 P.M. news for WUHF??

 

[fastone]

> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > > >My you are a busy guy!
>
> Didn't take that much effort, really
>
> Actually, I'm a totally
> > disgruntled stockholder
>
> Don't blame you for being disgruntled
>
> who at one time thought these guys
> > would make a run at and bought the stock at$13and watched
> > them mismanage it down to under $6.
>
> I can undertand your "disgruntledness", then
>
> This isn't about WROC
> > TV....this company is losing money in a big way
> everywhere!
> > If you're so sure about their future....why don't you stop
>
> > worrying about me
>
> I wouldn't say I'm worried about you..
>
> and put your money where your mouth is. I
> > did...
> >
> Well, I certainly had my chance to buy Nexstar stock
> (like anyone else).
> I wasn't that stupid, I guess.
> >
>
> > >
> >
>
No...I guess you're just all talk and no actions to ever take a stand. I rolled the dice and lost so don't talk to me about my bad feelings about Nexstar. Just stay on the sidelines and keep quiet until you're in the game for real.

 

[Kohoutek]

> >

> > I wasn't that stupid, I guess.
> > >

> > >
> >
> No...I guess you're just all talk and no actions to ever
> take a stand.
I rolled the dice and lost so don't talk to me
> about my bad feelings about Nexstar.

Oh, really? Well, I (being obvioulsy more informed than you) decided to NOT roll the dice ..and WON.

Just stay on the
> sidelines and keep quiet until you're in the game for real.

Uh,..look...moron.. without saying more than I should: When it comes to Nexstar believe me when I tell you I'm in the game for real, and much more so than you probably are.
And, I'm done with you so you are dismissed.


>

 

[Radknowski]

Second Rate Sinclair

>
> One has to wonder if Dedee, and the others who worked at 31
> over the years, feel vindicated with the demise of 'News
> Central'? I'm sure there are a few former staffers who would
> love to tell the management “See I told you so".
>
> The demise of 'News Central' did prove one thing. Despite
> what some broadcasting consultants believe, schlock doesn't
> always sell to the general viewing public.
>
What would you expect from a half-asset company like Sinclair. "News Central," indeed. Schlock doesn't adequately describe the drek that's on that cast. Totally unwatchable in Buffalo, which explains the station's rating. I'm not totallu without compassion for the people who work it, however. they're just doing the best they can under less than optimum circumstances.

Sinclair. What a beacon of brilliance!

 

[SirRoxalot]

Beacon

> Sinclair. What a beacon of brilliance!

Wait a minute. Are you sure you're not Doug Young?

 

[fastone]

> > >
>
> > > I wasn't that stupid, I guess.
> > > >
>
> > > >
> > >
> > No...I guess you're just all talk and no actions to ever
> > take a stand.
> I rolled the dice and lost so don't talk to me
> > about my bad feelings about Nexstar.
>
> Oh, really? Well, I (being obvioulsy more informed than
> you) decided to NOT roll the dice ..and WON.
>
> Just stay on the
> > sidelines and keep quiet until you're in the game for
> real.
>
> Uh,..look...moron.. without saying more than I should:
> When it comes to Nexstar believe me when I tell you I'm in
> the game for real, and much more so than you probably are.
> And, I'm done with you so you are dismissed.
>
>
> >
>
Ah...spoken like a true Nexstar lover