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Terri Chappelle out at The 33

K

KERCAlum

Surprised nobody picked up on this. Terri Chappelle, who had anchored at KDAF/Channel 33 for ten years, was fired this week. http://www.dfw.com/entertainment/story/70977.html

Even though I didn't watch their news often (it reminded me too much of a small-market operation), I thought she had a pretty smooth delivery. Kind of reminded me a little bit of Karen Borta on KTVT/Channel 11.

Is this an indicator that, instead of improving their news product, that Tribune Co. is planning on ash-canning it?
 
All indications are that Tribune wants a better product at 33. They hired the former ND of Channel 8 to fix things.
I don't know what the budget situation might be there, but I suspect this was a quality move - not a budget move.
 
I tend to agree about it being a quality move. I know my local Tribune-owned station (KPLR) has been making a lot of changes, too. Of course, some of that is to get it out of competition with its new sister station, which also happens to be a Fox affiliate. However, I've also been told this isn't just a St. Louis thing and that similar changes will be happening company wide. Apparently, Tribune would like to find a way to get the CW off of most, if not all, of its stations. I have no idea what they'd run in Dallas instead. Rumor here is that KPLR will flip to ABC, but Tribune doesn't have that kind of an option in Dallas.
 
I think Tribune is showing its hand already. They've run some blocks of sitcoms or syndicated dramas on saturday nights. From all indications, the ratings are on par with the CW. I suspect they'd also make a strong bid for Rangers, Mavs and Stars games if they ditched the CW. They likely forked over a small fortune to run the Cowboys NFL Network game on December 20th.

In St. Louis, they'd be fools not to grab ABC away from KDNL. That has to be ABCs worst market in the country because of the poor performance of that station.
 
I have a feeling they trying to reinvent the station in more of a "big market"-style cast similar to what they have with PIX 11 and KTLA. Those products have consistantly good ratings and high production value, not to mention top notch morning shows. Also, I have a gut feeling they're going to go after a sports franchise, as KDFI has screwed around with the Starts and Rangers broadcasts over the years.

The Cowboys/Ravens is NFL Network Simulcast, as TW is too cheap to bring the network to their cable system
 
debt wise, im wondering how much of it is redundancy in staff positions and their digital/HD upgrading at their stations??

I have a feeling the paired down tribune will spin/sell off TV operations completely to another group, save their flagships (NY/LA/CH).
 
"Redundancy" doesn't seem to be the problem, unless you want to present your newscast with only one anchor. But hey, it works for the networks.

As to the debt, I agree that you can look to see their broadcast properties sold off to some other conglomerate for probably pennies on the dollar. As far as the Cubs, unless MLB loosens its stand against Mark Cuban, they may not be sold before the 2010 season, if then.

What must be preserved is the newspapers. If the Trib's two biggest rags - the Chicago Tribune and the LA Times - go belly-up, you can kiss the print media goodbye. It'll start a domino effect that will take down every physical newspaper in this country. Then the only way you'll be able to get printed news is via the Internet - and if not everyone has the Internet, pretty soon you have a country divided into intellectual haves and have-nots. And isn't that what destroyed 18th century France?
 
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