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WGN America begins the transition to 24/7 News.

C

CaliRadioFan

It looks like March 1 will be the "soft" re-launch date (New Name coming?) CNN Alum Ashleigh Banfield is the first new hire. Her 1 hour News/Interview show will follow News Nation at 10pm Eastern Weeknights, with more hosts and time slots TBA.
 
This is so ironic. They get rid of the Noon and 9:00 news from WGN 9 and go to nothing but old reruns and crappy movies...and now they are headed for full-blown news. I hope they get the word out because NewsNation is struggling in the ratings.
 
News is expensive to produce. Talking heads are cheap(er). If they're putting Banfield on at 10, it looks to me like that takes away one of the three live hours of news they're currently producing (from 8-11 ET), rather than adding to it.
 
tvnewscheck.com

Ashleigh Banfield Joining WGN America

WGN America, Nexstar Media Group’s, wholly-owned cable network currently reaching 75 million U.S. television households, today announced that veteran journalist Ashleigh Banfield will join the network as host of Banfield. The hour-long news and talk show will air weeknights at 10 p.m. ET...
tvnewscheck.com tvnewscheck.com

Here is the release by Nexstar to get Ashleigh Banfield on WGN America. But the show would start on March 1st with Banfield according to the Nexstar Release.
 
crainbebo said:
This is so ironic. They get rid of the Noon and 9:00 news from WGN 9 and go to nothing but old reruns and crappy movies...and now they are headed for full-blown news. I hope they get the word out because NewsNation is struggling in the ratings.
Click to expand...
Segments from News Nation gets reused on Stations owned by Nexstar for national content. the big ones such as KRON, KTLA, WGN and now WPIX would have to reuse News Nation Segments for their local newscasts as part of the National news portion. I don't think people are watching News Nation directly though but they are watching segments from News nation on their local newscasts.
 
Wouldnt it be cheaper to just go back to showing sports and movies on wgn america? What makes them think by adding a former cnn legal analyst its gonna make people want to watch this channel i dont get where they are getting their money to do this if the ratings are so bad. It must not matter because only if they could adjust the prices they charge for commercials if the ratings were better not sure how that works.
 
Don’t know. They seem to be doubling down. A big risk. Not sure they have the resources to make this work. But good luck I guess.
 
As for where the money is just look to current ownership, nexstar. As some have implied, this may be a push for a new news network. Or not.
 
Syfy said:
Wouldnt it be cheaper to just go back to showing sports and movies on wgn america? What makes them think by adding a former cnn legal analyst its gonna make people want to watch this channel i dont get where they are getting their money to do this if the ratings are so bad. It must not matter because only if they could adjust the prices they charge for commercials if the ratings were better not sure how that works.
Click to expand...
Sports are going to League pass and Movies are going to Streaming. Companies like Nexstar Owned WGN America and their O&O's need a ploy where they can stay relevant and it seems to be news as this is going right now.
 
No need for the 'WGN' anymore. There isn't any WGN programming left on 'WGN America'.
My choice for a network name? 'Rerun'.
 
WGN America lost me as a regular viewer after they dropped Out of Sight Retro Nights and Corner Gas. One good thing though that probably came out of it though was the beginning of Antenna TV and Me TV as diginets.
 
www.hollywoodreporter.com

Former Fox News Exec and White House Comms Director Bill Shine Advising Nexstar’s NewsNation

Shine joined NewsNation ahead of its launch last year.
www.hollywoodreporter.com www.hollywoodreporter.com

Staff Changes at News Nation Bill shine to Join as advisor,

www.nexttv.com

Nexstar Names Jeff Moriarty Chief Product Officer, Digital

Exec VP will manage broadcaster’s portfolio of digital destinations
www.nexttv.com www.nexttv.com

Jeff Moriarty joins as Chief Product officer of Digital and Sandy Pudar is out at Nexstar Newsnation operations.

Robservations: News director Sandy Pudar bails out of ‘NewsNation’ | Robert Feder

www.robertfeder.com www.robertfeder.com
 
anotherguy said:
WGN America lost me as a regular viewer after they dropped Out of Sight Retro Nights and Corner Gas. One good thing though that probably came out of it though was the beginning of Antenna TV and Me TV as diginets.
Click to expand...
They didnt start me tv because wgnamerica dropped retro nights.
 

Robservations: Time’s up for Dean Reynolds as ‘NewsNation’ correspondent | Robert Feder

www.robertfeder.com www.robertfeder.com

Dean Reynolds is removed at Nexstar.

Still reeling from the sudden departure of its news director, “NewsNation” just lost its best known and most experienced reporter. Dean Reynolds signed off Friday after six months as national political correspondent for the Chicago-based newscast on Nexstar Media Group’s WGN America. Over a distinguished 50-year career, Reynolds was a correspondent for CBS News and ABC News and covered the White House for CNN and United Press International. Reynolds, 72, told me he agreed to a six-month contract in August because he intended to work only through the presidential election and inauguration. “It just ran out. I’m totally fine with that. I have nothing but gratitude for them,” he said, adding: “But I get why the timing looks kind of funny.” Others say Reynolds is getting out just in time. His exit follows the resignation of Sandy Pudar as news director of NewsNation. Pudar declined to comment, but sources said she quit over interference by Bill Shine, the former Fox News senior executive and former White House communications director under President Donald Trump. Unbeknownst to the staff (until Pudar quit), Shine was working as a consultant to WGN America boss Sean Compton since June. NewsNation launched September 1 with a promise to be “100 percent absent of bias,” in the words of Nexstar chairman and CEO Perry Sook.
Click to expand...
 
IMO, this newsnation idea is a disaster before it even gets started. I don’t wish them ill will but the field is too crowded. I will predict by this time next year they won’t be around. A national newscast that tries to feel local is a mistake for one reason, they have to compete with local stations. Irony.
 
Syfy said:
Wouldnt it be cheaper to just go back to showing sports and movies on wgn america? What makes them think by adding a former cnn legal analyst its gonna make people want to watch this channel i dont get where they are getting their money to do this if the ratings are so bad. It must not matter because only if they could adjust the prices they charge for commercials if the ratings were better not sure how that works.
Click to expand...
It would make BETTER sense to simply return Court TV to cable with Ashley Banfield as one of the hosts as at least people WATCH it
 
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