I guess we'll never know which TV station was considering dropping sports from local newscasts.
None of the local TV stations say they know anything about a telephone survey conducted here last month asking viewers how they would feel if a local TV station dropped sports. Some other stations in other cities have done this over the years, including WSYX-TV (Channel 6) in Columbus in 2005.
I've spoken to all the stations, and here’s what they said:
Ch. 9 GM Bill Fee: "It's not us."
Ch. 5 News Director Brennan Donnellan: "No, we are not considering that and we're not doing a survey."
Ch. 12 News Director Elbert Tucker: "It's not us."
Ch. 19 GM John Long: "There is no interest in dropping sports here. This is not a new idea. This has been going around for a long time." (Some news consultants recommend it "because of the plethora of sports news" on ESPN, other cable channels and the web.
I think dropping sports reports in this city – with high interest in pro, college and high school sports – would be a huge mistake... except maybe in the 5-6:30 weekday p.m. block some days. I think the station which dropped sports would lose more viewers than it would gain by the boast of having "more news." Don’t you?
Keep the sports, news and weather. Drop the ticker. It doesn't serve a true purpose.
ReplyDeleteAnd for channel 19, how about updating your "new" graphics. Us people over the age of 35 can't read size 24 Chyron. And Helvetica? How creative! NOT!
Assuming that they would fill the remaining time with good solid information and programming...the first local station to limit the weather segment to 90 seconds would become my new favorite.
ReplyDeleteI think one of the stations in Chicago switched to the short weather. I swear, the guy was on and simply said, here's what's happening now, here's what's going to happen. The end. It was kind of surprising to see how fast it went.
ReplyDeleteJohn
ReplyDeleteCould you please fix the site. It is running off the side of the page and I can't read w/o lots of scrolling.
thanks
Why even bother with sports during baseball and football season since the Reds and the Bengals are horrible and we know they will lose!
ReplyDeleteWho really cares?
Reds lose, Bengals lose..HELLO, nothing new here! I could turn on a sportcasts 5 years from now and see the same thing..Gosh, whatever happened to Al Schotekotte
I am not in favor of dropping sports but i do have a problem with not being able to even get a news update until 11 pm most Saturdays in the fall because of college football.
ReplyDeleteIts not going to hurt anyone to have brief update.in this case, wouldnt mind the ticker.
from the neighborhood
Here is a novel concept. News/weather/sports from 11:00pm to 11:15 the way it used to be before we had 60 gazillion cable channels and Corporation TV types being ga ga over revenue and ratings.
ReplyDeletekeep weather to 90 seconds, and cut anchors from two to one so we dont have to watch the one not speaking to look so serious over to the other speaking as if they really care what they are saying. Weak!!
ReplyDelete24 hours and no new posts? HELLO -- ANYONE HOME????
ReplyDeleteMan, this blog has gotten lame.
12:30 I live in Chicago and no broadcast station does "short weather." CLTV, the local news newchannel, does depending on the program.
ReplyDelete9:30 - Maybe it just seemed quicker. I think i'm specifically thinking of Brant Miller (?) on WMAQ in the 10pm news.
ReplyDeleteDepending on breaking news, Brant will sometimes have an early tease (well, a litte more than a tease...maybe a strip tease) with main weather in its usual spot. But nothing compares with GNs 10 minutes of weather at noon though! Every weather map on the planet is in full use.
ReplyDelete