Will 5,11 and 46 expand news

[RickRose]

Fox stations on the east coast in Miami,Tampa and Orlando all now have 11pm newscasts to compete with the big 3 affiliates. I am still wondering if WAGA will actually join the pack and re-enter the 11pm news race. I wonder if an expansion to 11pm will occur when Fox 5 gets its corporate make over.

I'm still waiting to see if WXIA will add a morning newscast to channel 36 like Gannett does in Denver from 7-9am


I am reading that channel 46 is looking at putting together a morning news program again in the coming months but I think it would make more sense to shut down the news department at 46..

 

[jal41]

Fox stations on the east coast in Miami,Tampa and Orlando all now have 11pm newscasts to compete with the big 3 affiliates. I am still wondering if WAGA will actually join the pack and re-enter the 11pm news race. I wonder if an expansion to 11pm will occur when Fox 5 gets its corporate make over.

It would be smart if they did. They are close behind WSB and have been for years.

As for the makeover - I'm waiting for the conservative bias to start. Then I'm gone.

I'm still waiting to see if WXIA will add a morning newscast to channel 36 like Gannett does in Denver from 7-9am

And take away from the Today show. I suspect not.

I am reading that channel 46 is looking at putting together a morning news program again in the coming months but I think it would make more sense to shut down the news department at 46..

Ditto. Unfortunanty, I suspect if WAGA goes HD then Meredith might file Chapter 11 bankruptcy just so 46 can go HD. Recent decisions as of late just don't add up.

Meredith needs to sell WGCL before shutting down the news department if it wants a good ROI. The value of the station will go down dramatically if the news department is closed.

 

[troone]

Does anyone know for a fact that 46 news is unprofitable? As little as they spend compared to 2,5 and 11, it may serve them well to keep at it. Continue to blow off the agencies and sell to the "Brown College of Court Reporting" and "Woodstock Furniture Outlets" of the world. And even if they suck at 11, there are a lot of media buyers who will buy 46 when they're coming out of CSI and Cold Case. The CBS network 10pm lead-ins are very strong.

 

[e-dawg]

I don't understand why WGCL CBS 46 is in the bottom of the 4 newscast in Atlanta. Their sister station in Portland (KPTV ranks #1 or #2 in the news race. Also, does CBS 46 reports hard news all the time like their sister station up in Portland?

 

[jal41]

I don't understand why WGCL CBS 46 is in the bottom of the 4 newscast in Atlanta. Their sister station in Portland (KPTV ranks #1 or #2 in the news race. Also, does CBS 46 reports hard news all the time like their sister station up in Portland?

1) 46's only done news since 1989 (Indie WGNX/Tribune days). They have only been on the air since the 70's. They are the newer kid in town.

2) 2, 5, and 11 all have market veterans (The most of the team at WSB, Amanda Davis and Ken Cook at WAGA, Brenda Wood, Karen Grier and Paul Ossmann at WXIA). 46 does not (Only Mark Harmon, who was there when the station launched news in 1989, would be a vet). People in this market are very loyal (espcially with WSB-TV) with what they watch.

3). In 2001, 46 stopped reporting hard news in what was called "Clear News". On Valentine's Day 2002, a new Meredith VP found out about what WGCL was doing and almost had a massive heart attack. They went back to hard news, but talent turnover was very high. It has for the most part settled down.

Last February they canceled their morning newscast. Point is, 46 can try, but they will not succeed. They might as well shut up shop.

Most of the other Meredith stations are heritage (Portland, Phoenix, Kansas City) and on lower dial positions.