What would you do to fix the country's worst television stations?

[TexasTom]

KCDO 3 (RTV) - The only reasons I include this station are its news & persistence is running informercials whenever they're not airing news or network programming. It's news is imported from Iowa & is fed to them by SATELLITE sister station KGWN 5 (CBS/Cheyenne, WY). If they're going to have newscasts, THE LEAST they could do is have LOCAL anchors & MORE REPORTERS (Denver is a Top 20 market ya know)

This station would also benefit from having 7:00 AM 5:30 & 9:00 PM newscasts as well. This, as well as off-network Classic TV fare not in reruns, local & International sports & other locally produced shows would help to offset the number of hours currently taken up by informercials (In fact, during its America One days, they were the place to turn to for Austrailian Rules Football)

This station hasn't even scratched the surface of the things they can do IMO

I saw an article on KCDO a few months back. This station is literally being run out of the owner's living room, with a staff of three people. In short, it is an absolute shoe-string operation that is trying to get established -- and to offer (albeit imprefectly) some sort of alternative to what is currently available. While they do carry a lot of informercials, they are also making a real effort to include some real programming, as well. It would be easier (and cheaper) just to run a non-stop infomercial feed, and they deserve credit for making the effort.

Now if they tried to do what you're proposing, what it would do is drive their overhead and operating costs through the roof -- and the result would be bankruptcy, not a stronger station. Really, do you have the foggiest clue as to what it would cost for a station that currently has a staff of three people to expand to the point where they could produce multiple local newscasts? Do you have any idea where the revenue to support that sort of programming would come from? And, for that matter, what it would take for them to compete against the very established newsrooms of the existing Denver stations?

Seriously, I think it's pretty cool that the owners are trying to run a really tiny station in a major market -- and I wish them all the success in the world for their efforts. I hope that they will do well and will be able to gradually expand their programming -- and that's going to be the way that they can bcome a better station, not through a foolish over expansion into offering unneeded and duplicative local news shows.

 

[TexasTom]

Rather than going after categories of programming, the best way to correct the market is to remove must-carry requirements. Must-carry in its nature isn't market driven.

Local independent outlets would be in a sink or swim mode.

I don't think this would work out quite as you envision. What *would* happen is that new stations that aren't major network affiliates or part of large media companies would never get the chance to get carried on cable. Far from being "sink or swim", this would be a guaranteed "sink" for any new entrants to the television business.

Consider that while many new cable networks have been launched over the past decade, no independently owned network (ie, not part of an existing, large media group) has successfully launched in well over ten years, except by buying an existing cable network that was widely distributed.

What makes you think that the cable companies would be open to providing channel space to newly launched broadcast TV stations absent a must carry mandate?

 

[Sammi Brie]

...Consider that while many new cable networks have been launched over the past decade, o independently owned network (ie, not part of an existing, large media group) has successfully launched in well over ten years, except by buying an existing cable network that was widely distributed....

The closest we've ever come is PAX/i/ION, and that's looking at a piece of paper and saying how many stations the group owns.

 

[KERCAlum]

In the D/FW market, the worst network affiliate has to be KXAS, hands down. Since NBC took over majority ownership of the station, they've become a laughingstock. They used to be a strong news organization (and when it was WBAP-TV, invented television weather with Harold Taft), and even during the LIN Broadcasting days they were still perennially #1 or #2 (this was before the big network swap of 1995). Now, KTVT (CBS) is arguably the strongest station in the market, with WFAA second (due mostly to viewer loyalty rather than ABC programming), and KXAS is a joke. (Note: KDFW/FOX 4 is OK, but just so. Their 9pm news is their big draw.)

Since it's an NBC O&O, only when you improve NBC will you improve KXAS. Now that Zucker's gone, that could happen, but not quickly. As long as CBS stays strong in primetime, KTVT will maintain its news ratings lead, with WFAA nipping at its heels.

As to the other stations, I'd dump KDNT/2 (Daystar), KDFI/27 (MNTV), KDAF/33 (CW), and KFWD/52 (Ind.). Most of the rest of the stations need to go as well (we have five or six Spanish-language stations, for example, and a number of LPTVs). And I agree with a previous poster who advocated the end of LMAs and those other devices that allow for duopolies and multi-opolies. If New World TV wanted to keep both FOX 4 and MNTV, move MNTV to 4.2 and dump 27. Same with KTXA/21 and KTVT/11 - move 21 to 11.2 (and that frees up OTA Ch. 29 as well). Some of the smaller stations are only on the air to make their owners a quick buck, but with as much cable/satellite penetration as there is in D/FW, those guys will never be seen with anything other than an antenna. Time for them to cut their losses and go dark.

Another poster recommended involving the FCC in cutting the dreck. I disagree - there's a little matter of freedom of speech involved here, and if you own a station and you're adhering to the requirements of your license, you should be able to program anything that is not inflammatory, derogatory, or illegal. Just because you don't watch it doesn't mean the programmer doesn't have a right to broadcast it. That being said, these guys will leave the air soon enough when their operating losses get too big.

 

[compubit]

As I said before, I can think of a network that could use some tweaking.

That is Universal Sports, NBC's sports channel that makes use of Digital TV subchannels instead of trying to survive as a cable/satellite channel as it (Unlike FSN) doesn't have the infrastructure to support such an operation...

Universal Sports could also pick up games from the MLS, Arena Football, Minor League & Little League Baseball, UFL, UFC, WWE & a whole host of other sources on a non-exclusive basis too.

I'm sure there are many other useful purposes for Universal Sports too. I just haven't thought of them. Feel free to add to this list though

I'll argue for keeping Universal Sports as it is - the channel focuses on sports not covered often on the other channels - in particular ones where normal folks participate and can relate to: marathon, triathlon, beach volleyball, as well as Olympic sports not often covered by the main or regional networks (Gymnastics, cycling, etc.). I liken it to "Long form Wide World of Sports" - showing events from the beginning to the end, rather than a 20-minute segment during a compendium program on Sunday afternoon.

Being a participant in some of these (triathlon, marathons) and having friends who participate in some of these events, it lets me feel like I was there cheering them on.

Just my 2 cents.

Jim

 

[TexasTom]

As to the other stations, I'd dump KDNT/2 (Daystar), KDFI/27 (MNTV), KDAF/33 (CW), and KFWD/52 (Ind.). Most of the rest of the stations need to go as well (we have five or six Spanish-language stations, for example, and a number of LPTVs). And I agree with a previous poster who advocated the end of LMAs and those other devices that allow for duopolies and multi-opolies.

I'm no fan of duopolies, and wouldn't be unhappy to see them eliminated -- but considering the massive concentration of ownership of cable channels, going after broadcast combinations of *two* stations in a market while allowing a dozen or more cable networks to be commonly owned seems like dubious policy priorities, to say the least.

As for the stations that you'd like to eliminate -- yeah, the news programming on KDAF is pretty awful, but their entertainment schedule is good. And the classic TV shows on KFWD serve a valid niche audience in the area. So I'd pretty much disagree with your assessment of which stations should go away.

As a practical matter, I would much prefer to see a competitive market environment determining which stations succeed and stay on the air, and which ones go away. While markets aren't the panacea for everything, determining which stations live and die does seem like something that market forces can most effectively deal with.

 

[nathannah]

As I said before, I can think of a network that could use some tweaking.

That is Universal Sports, NBC's sports channel that makes use of Digital TV subchannels instead of trying to survive as a cable/satellite channel as it (Unlike FSN) doesn't have the infrastructure to support such an operation...

Universal Sports could also pick up games from the MLS, Arena Football, Minor League & Little League Baseball, UFL, UFC, WWE & a whole host of other sources on a non-exclusive basis too.

I'm sure there are many other useful purposes for Universal Sports too. I just haven't thought of them. Feel free to add to this list though

I'll argue for keeping Universal Sports as it is - the channel focuses on sports not covered often on the other channels - in particular ones where normal folks participate and can relate to: marathon, triathlon, beach volleyball, as well as Olympic sports not often covered by the main or regional networks (Gymnastics, cycling, etc.). I liken it to "Long form Wide World of Sports" - showing events from the beginning to the end, rather than a 20-minute segment during a compendium program on Sunday afternoon.

Being a participant in some of these (triathlon, marathons) and having friends who participate in some of these events, it lets me feel like I was there cheering them on.

Just my 2 cents.

Jim

Also remember that 85% the time it isn't NBC producing any of the coverage; they're just either passing down the world feed of an event or another outside producer like IMG is producing it for them. All NBC is doing is paying money to air, say the world championships on the main networks, and then they get the rest of it in the package deal. Where they used to do nothing with the coverage (or throw it on at 3am to make the lawyers happy), now they air it whenever they want.

Really, the network that needs to go is MyNetworkTV. Without Smackdown all Fox is doing at this point is sticking their stations with pieces of syndication packages that they can't strip at all anywhere else, episodes of game shows and other shows they never wanted and let go to the cheap indie which runs on a shoestring, and lousy movies that you can watch on Netflix without the ads anyway (and lately are pre-empted by many stations by high school football because any local marketing whiz knows nobody was planning a night around the world broadcast premiere of the Al Pacino bomb 88 Minutes last month). If they aren't going to go to the effort of even throwing on new segments of even a cheapo video show, or like they promised when the network started, import the best programming from Sky in the UK and Fox 8 in Australia in order to exploit NewsCorp's worldwide resources, they're just spending two hours sending something out on a satellite that nobody watches (I'd love to find weekly MyNet numbers but Fox has decided not to let Nielsen release the average weekly number anymore for MyNet in the weekly AP Nielsen ratings release story. Suffice to say ION is now just over 1 million a week for the first time in years.)

 

[Sammi Brie]

Really, the network that needs to go is MyNetworkTV. Without Smackdown all Fox is doing at this point is sticking their stations with pieces of syndication packages that they can't strip at all anywhere else, episodes of game shows and other shows they never wanted and let go to the cheap indie which runs on a shoestring, and lousy movies that you can watch on Netflix without the ads anyway (and lately are pre-empted by many stations by high school football because any local marketing whiz knows nobody was planning a night around the world broadcast premiere of the Al Pacino bomb 88 Minutes last month). If they aren't going to go to the effort of even throwing on new segments of even a cheapo video show, or like they promised when the network started, import the best programming from Sky in the UK and Fox 8 in Australia in order to exploit NewsCorp's worldwide resources, they're just spending two hours sending something out on a satellite that nobody watches (I'd love to find weekly MyNet numbers but Fox has decided not to let Nielsen release the average weekly number anymore for MyNet in the weekly AP Nielsen ratings release story. Suffice to say ION is now just over 1 million a week for the first time in years.)

More stations need to have local commitment. HS football is a place to start: it's relatively cheap and it gets a pretty good audience especially the larger school matches. Actually it'd be a good building block for the rebuilding of independent stations and former My/CWs decimated by network branding.

But MyNetworkTV has no reason to exist. Fox should have plowed the lessons of the UPN-WB merger back into the ground. MyTV was a sixth network. And that failed...heck, even having five failed.

I also agree with this:

"import the best programming from Sky in the UK and Fox 8 in Australia"

Thank you. For all Fox/News Corp's global reach not doing that is a crime.

 

[bpatrick]

In the D/FW market, the worst network affiliate has to be KXAS, hands down. Since NBC took over majority ownership of the station, they've become a laughingstock. They used to be a strong news organization (and when it was WBAP-TV, invented television weather with Harold Taft), and even during the LIN Broadcasting days they were still perennially #1 or #2 (this was before the big network swap of 1995). Now, KTVT (CBS) is arguably the strongest station in the market, with WFAA second (due mostly to viewer loyalty rather than ABC programming), and KXAS is a joke. (Note: KDFW/FOX 4 is OK, but just so. Their 9pm news is their big draw.)

Since it's an NBC O&O, only when you improve NBC will you improve KXAS. Now that Zucker's gone, that could happen, but not quickly. As long as CBS stays strong in primetime, KTVT will maintain its news ratings lead, with WFAA nipping at its heels.

As to the other stations, I'd dump KDNT/2 (Daystar), KDFI/27 (MNTV), KDAF/33 (CW), and KFWD/52 (Ind.). Most of the rest of the stations need to go as well (we have five or six Spanish-language stations, for example, and a number of LPTVs). And I agree with a previous poster who advocated the end of LMAs and those other devices that allow for duopolies and multi-opolies. If New World TV wanted to keep both FOX 4 and MNTV, move MNTV to 4.2 and dump 27. Same with KTXA/21 and KTVT/11 - move 21 to 11.2 (and that frees up OTA Ch. 29 as well). Some of the smaller stations are only on the air to make their owners a quick buck, but with as much cable/satellite penetration as there is in D/FW, those guys will never be seen with anything other than an antenna. Time for them to cut their losses and go dark.

Another poster recommended involving the FCC in cutting the dreck. I disagree - there's a little matter of freedom of speech involved here, and if you own a station and you're adhering to the requirements of your license, you should be able to program anything that is not inflammatory, derogatory, or illegal. Just because you don't watch it doesn't mean the programmer doesn't have a right to broadcast it. That being said, these guys will leave the air soon enough when their operating losses get too big.

Having been away from Dallas/Ft. Worth for more than 30 years, I'm probably not qualified to speak out, but at the time Harold Taft was probably the best weathercaster in the Metroplex, but Troy Dungan was the most popular, in part because WFAA benefited from ABC's being number one at the time, while KXAS was stuck with third-place NBC. Also, at the time the Columbia Journalism Review ranked Ch. 8 as one of the two best local-news operations in the country (the other was WCCO Minneapolis/St. Paul). Apparently, as Ch. 8's front four of Tracy, Iola, Troy, and Verne have moved on, the quality of the station's news has declined. What I am interested in, though, is how Metroplex viewers have taken to Pete Delkus as Troy's replacement, and is David Finfrock considered the best active weathercaster in the market, as I believe he was a few years ago?

It's interesting that you consider KTVT the best (I can't comment, I haven't watched the station since it went to CBS), but a former independent can certainly develop a top-notch news operation when it becomes an affiliate: case in point, KARE in the Twin Cities, an independent which got NBC on the rebound when KSTP went to ABC in 1979, and within five years was challenging WCCO at 10 PM.

Also, I see some of the same things you're talking about happening in Birmingham: perennial loser WIAT (CBS) is now number one, WBRC (Fox) has some of the highest news ratings in the country thanks to its 9 PM newscast, and perennial number-two WVTM (NBC) has fallen as low as fourth. In WVTM's case I don't know if that's because of NBC's position or Media General's ownership.

But things may start turning around for the NBC affiliates; its first-week ratings are up 8% over a year ago, while ABC and Fox experienced double-digit drops. As they say in this business: stay tuned.