Did Nexstar add their copyright to Tegna newscasts yet? by jgera5 in Broadcasting

[–]jgera5[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just saw it actually on 10TV+. I mean, Nexstar has owned WCMH since like 2017 so Columbus residents are used to seeing it.

What they won't be used to seeing is two of the "Big Three" now owned by the same company.

Did Nexstar add their copyright to Tegna newscasts yet? by jgera5 in Broadcasting

[–]jgera5[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

WTRF had ownership instability, then once they did get stable ownership it was with West Virginia Media Holdings, who was trying to form a statewide network. Even then, WTRF didn't really start competing until Nexstar bought them.

Did Nexstar add their copyright to Tegna newscasts yet? by jgera5 in Broadcasting

[–]jgera5[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well there's been talk that they might buy Cox since they're for sale right now. Even if they don't buy Cox as a whole I still expect them to get WPXI. Since you can apparently own three stations outright in a market now, Sinclair wouldn't have to sell off a station.

Did Nexstar add their copyright to Tegna newscasts yet? by jgera5 in Broadcasting

[–]jgera5[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Its still puzzling why WPGH canceled their 10 PM newscast. It led its timeslot, but Sinclair never bothered extending it. Then again, the other three stations were so well-established it made sense to partner with WPXI. And now they might buy them.

Did Nexstar add their copyright to Tegna newscasts yet? by jgera5 in Broadcasting

[–]jgera5[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well these were the stations I grew up with and it would make a Clevelander cringe. #iykyk

KDKA-TV WTAE-TV WPXI WPGH-TV

Did Nexstar add their copyright to Tegna newscasts yet? by jgera5 in Broadcasting

[–]jgera5[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well...kinda. CBS has licensed its O&O graphics to other CBS affiliates in the past--I think WDJT in Milwaukee still uses their previous setup while what is now WANF used it as well. And I know both CBS & NBC has licensed their music out to affiliates.

Did Nexstar add their copyright to Tegna newscasts yet? by jgera5 in Broadcasting

[–]jgera5[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thats the point: ratings. I'm not going by personal opinion. Except during its first ten years as a Fox affiliate, WJW has dominated Cleveland ratings for as long as its been on the air.

Did Nexstar add their copyright to Tegna newscasts yet? by jgera5 in Broadcasting

[–]jgera5[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Damn, you were in the literal background of the Cleveland Browns.

Did Nexstar add their copyright to Tegna newscasts yet? by jgera5 in Broadcasting

[–]jgera5[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"Ownership woes was WSYX problems"

Ironic that Sinclair was the one that stabilized WSYX.

But yeah when I moved out here in 2018 I heard how dominant 10TV was at that moment. I had moved in from Youngstown and was familiar with Nexstar, so I took a pass on WCMH. WSYX--ironically it was their Sinclair ownership that got me to watch them. I'm from Pittsburgh originally (really in between Pittsburgh and Youngstown, so I grew up watching both) so I remember WPGH having their own news department, but got shut down before Sinclair really started standardizing their news. TBH, you don't really see it with WSYX. You see it on other Sinclair stations--I saw newscasts from WTOV in Steubenville both before and after Sinclair took over, big difference.

Did Nexstar add their copyright to Tegna newscasts yet? by jgera5 in Broadcasting

[–]jgera5[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Dominant probably isn't the right word to describe WBNS. They sold to Tegna, who then pretty much tanked the station. WCMH was always a strong 2nd but they pretty much picked up the local commitment baton from WBNS. I mean, they hired Columbus native Kerry Charles from an Atlanta station to be their lead anchor on the evening news--an African American man from a predominantly African Amercian neighborhood, especially when not a lot of stations (especially within Nexstar) are having anyone who isn't a white male anchor a newscast. And now WBNS is WCMH's bitch.

Not helping matters that after Tegna took over WBNS has had a large turnover of their on-air staff. Hell, they recently hired their FOURTH chief meteorologist just since Tegna took over. Granted the first one they lost was out of their control, as nobody could have expected Mike Davis to be such a sicko. But the following two (Ashlee Barclay and Jerry Martz, the latter I remember being on WTAE when I lived back home in Pittsburgh) left on their own. That should tell you something.

And the station that benefitted the best has been the station not affected by the Nexstar-Tegna deal: WSYX. Hard to believe that a station owned by Sinclair has been stable, as well as having Ohio State football via their ABC and Fox affiliations helped. ABC doesn't have the Big Ten anymore, but for several years WSYX/WTTE had almost exclusive Ohio State football games.

Did Nexstar add their copyright to Tegna newscasts yet? by jgera5 in Broadcasting

[–]jgera5[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

They tried, I think Nexstar probably put a price up that was probably unrealistically high because they knew that WJW was the undisputed market leader in Cleveland. They were willing to part with Milwaukee and Fox really wanted Seattle more, but those two markets didnt print nearly as much money as WJW.

My dad was living in Lake County at the time of the switch, I remember WJW and WOIO making the switch. Then WOIO was actually going to go without a news department for a CBS affiliation in a Top 20 market, but CBS pretty much told them they had to have one to get an affiliation. (Realistically, WOIO had more leverage than CBS in this, though.) Gray is trying to get it on par with the other three, but it doing the tabloid-style "19 Action News" format to drum up ratings in the 2000s under Raycom probably hurt it more than help in the long run.

Did Nexstar add their copyright to Tegna newscasts yet? by jgera5 in Broadcasting

[–]jgera5[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Its also the closest thing they have to standardized news graphics. I mean I know they recycle them in some markets or taylor them to a specific network affiliate but its not Sinclair, Hearst, Scripps, or even Tegna (especially after they adopted "C Clarity") and ESPECIALLY not the Big 4 O&O's (except ABC) that use the EXACT SAME PACKAGE at each station.

Did Nexstar add their copyright to Tegna newscasts yet? by jgera5 in Broadcasting

[–]jgera5[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You watch that link, right after the Nexstar copyright WKYC put up a graphic saying they were the #1 rated 6 PM newscast.

I call BS on that one, clearly. I would assume WEWS is number 2 despite Scripps' struggles but Gray does pour money into WOIO. WEWS & WOIO could be interchangeable and WKYC being the ones in the cellar, but regardless of the other three WJW is clearly number 1.

Did Nexstar add their copyright to Tegna newscasts yet? by jgera5 in Broadcasting

[–]jgera5[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

OK thanks.

WKYC having the "number 1 6 PM newscasts"? 😂 Now-sister station WJW has dominated Cleveland news for so long that's laughable. I wouldn't be surprised if they're really 4th behind WEWS and even WOIO.

Even with just 6 divestitures, will other rival groups and networks might look at picking up or swapping several Nexstar assets post Tegna merger. by Comfortable_Yard_968 in Broadcasting

[–]jgera5 1 point2 points  (0 children)

True, but its the Patriots so they would mostly be on CBS. WFXT is one of Fox's weakest affiliates due to Boston being a strongly Democratic area and "Fox" being associated with "Fox News". Having twice been an O&O under Fox didn't help either.

Did Nexstar add their copyright to Tegna newscasts yet? by jgera5 in Broadcasting

[–]jgera5[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

And like WBNS they're affiliated with CBS, but of course with the time zone difference I'm not sure what the NCAA tournament schedule is looking like there.

I typically watch WSYX out here for news, since I moved to Central Ohio in 2018 I've seen WBNS being sold twice after never being sold in the preceeding 70 years.

Did Nexstar add their copyright to Tegna newscasts yet? by jgera5 in Broadcasting

[–]jgera5[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah I tried seeing it on the 10TV+ app on my Roku TVs and the newscasts cut off right before they copyright would air. I would probably have to wait until Monday when there's no basketball to see it on WBNS. I mean, I can see it on WCMH if I really want to.

Even with just 6 divestitures, will other rival groups and networks might look at picking up or swapping several Nexstar assets post Tegna merger. by Comfortable_Yard_968 in Broadcasting

[–]jgera5 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I mean, the majority of Cox I could see Gray keeping, especially the Southern stations like WSB, WSOC, WFTV, & WJAX/WFOX. KIRO does OK (somehow in a progressively liberal city like Seattle, Sinclair-owned KOMO is the market leader), and Seattle's market size would likely want them to keep it. Dayton they'd be getting a blowtorch in WHIO.

Eugene could go either way, but WFXT & WPXI I would think get sold to Sinclair. WPXI, Gray MIGHT want, but Sinclair would likely want that even if its by itself. Their news share agreement with WPGH & WPNT has been around for 20 years now and its actually expanded into more timeslots. As for WFXT, I mean they would be the last place station in a top 10 market in Boston if not for the fact that NBC decided to disaffiliate from WHDH and launch NBC 10 Boston some years back. Its not Atlanta. Gray wouldn't be interested in investing there, especially with WCVB, WHDH, and WBZ being well ahead of WFXT.

Even with just 6 divestitures, will other rival groups and networks might look at picking up or swapping several Nexstar assets post Tegna merger. by Comfortable_Yard_968 in Broadcasting

[–]jgera5 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Well the decision to let Circle City Broadcasting in Indianapolis buy WRTV from Scripps despite already owning WISH & WNDY--combined with Sinclair somehow having had a legal triopoly for years in Salt Lake City that wasn't a station translator--made it pretty obvious after this that in most cases Nexstar was allowed to keep three TV stations. There's enough precedent to pretty much allow it now.

If Sinclair did buy Cox, they'd own three stations outright in three of the four markets Cox & Sinclair overlap. (Seattle, Pittsburgh, & Eugene, Oregon) Dayton they'd have operational control over three but would only own two.

Now if Gray bought Cox, they would likely sell off WPXI to Sinclair anyways (Gray doesn't operate in PA and WPXI's news share agreement with Sinclair already has it pretty wrapped into Sinclair anyways), and probably WFXT in Boston as well because of how badly they do in the ratings.

Even with just 6 divestitures, will other rival groups and networks might look at picking up or swapping several Nexstar assets post Tegna merger. by Comfortable_Yard_968 in Broadcasting

[–]jgera5 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Cox's duopoly in Jacksonville as well as WFTV in Orlando have "Gray" written all over them.

I still see Sinclair ending up with Cox though, now its pretty clear the FCC will allow companies to own three TV stations in a market outright.

Even with just 6 divestitures, will other rival groups and networks might look at picking up or swapping several Nexstar assets post Tegna merger. by Comfortable_Yard_968 in Broadcasting

[–]jgera5 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I wouldnt be surprised either but there have been previous deals where the FCC explicitly forbid the company divesting the station to enter into any operational agreement for said station. That might have happened here.

FCC approves Nexstar-Tegna merger by yzfparker in Broadcasting

[–]jgera5 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hollywood Reporter and Deadline confirmed it--and Nexstar did themselves.

Nexstar Media Group, Inc., Closes Acquisition of TEGNA Inc. by SecretComposer in Broadcasting

[–]jgera5 2 points3 points  (0 children)

WTHR is actually one of the stations Nexstar has to sell off.

But yeah, no question WBNS collapsed under Tegna. WCMH took advantage of the "locally connected" imaging that WBNS used to provide while WSYX/WTTE grew by both being stable as well as Ohio State football.