Open Mike

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  • Air Check: WXLV, TWC Share And Share (News) Alike

    As part of a retransmission consent deal, Time Warner Cable’s statewide 24-hour news channel in North Carolina, is producing three newscasts a day for WXLV Greensboro, Sinclair’s ABC affiliate. Executives on both sides of the agreement say their goal is to use the newscasts to lure and hook more viewers, resulting in ratings for WXLV and subscribers for Time Warner Cable. More | Comments (7)

  • Jessell: Broadcasters, Wireless Missed Joint Victory

    With the passage of legislation authorizing incentive auctions of TV spectrum for wireless broadband use, broadcasters scored a victory in getting numerous safeguards included. Good job. But if the FCC, broadcasters and broadband proponents could have found a way to work together, they could all have been winners. They could have found a plan that produces the extra spectrum that's needed for broadband and improves rather than degrades broadcasting service. More | Comments (6)

  • Sales Office: Is Your Station Getting Enough Legal Ads?

    If not, here is a step-by-step primer on this growing local ad category, including how to get started, what kinds of questions to ask potential advertisers, how to talk to lawyers, how to create a strong value proposition and which dayparts are the best fit for which types of legal ads. More | Comments (1)

  • NAB 2012: Loudness Gear To Make Big Noise In Vegas

    Now that the FCC has decided on tech specs for TV commercial audio loudness, broadcasters will be in a buying mood to get in compliance by the end of the year. A host of companies will be offering equipment and software  to monitor and correct any potential problems and document compliance. More | Comments (5)

  • Focus: David Smith, Sinclair Are Turnaround Champs

    A mere two-and-a-half years after facing the possibility of massive loan defaults, Smith has guided his group of 68 stations into financial security and positioned it to capitalize on the improving economy. Sinclair has whittled down debt and corresponding leverage ratios significantly, all while steadily upgrading station technology and striking deals that expand its scope and scale. It’s bought 15 stations since last September and is ready to buy more if the deals are right. More | Comments (4)

Special Reports

  • 2011—Year In Review: Revisit the year’s top developments in business, programming, journalism, technology, regulation and more.
  • Audience Measurement: The state of ratings is examined in three parts: an interview with the head of the Media Ratings Council; the growing presence of Rentrak; and the search for a better local ratings currency.
  • Traffic Reporting: This four-part TVNewsCheck Special Report focuses on what it takes to stay on top of the growing commuter gridlock across the country.
  • Remembering 9/11: TVNewsCheck looks back 10 years after the attacks with a series of five articles.
  • Severe Weather News: This five-part TVNewsCheck Special Report focuses on the changing technology used to stay ahead of storms.
  • TOP 30 TV STATION GROUPS: TVNewsCheck's exclusive ranking by coverage with a summary of each group's holdings and top executives.

Industry Calendar

March 2012
Tu
Th
13-15
American Cable Association
ACA’s 19th Annual Summit
Washington, D.C., DC
We
We
21-22
Borrell Advertising Associates
The Borrell Local Online Advertising Conference
New York, NY
We
Th
21-23
BIA Kelsey
ILM EAST
Boston, MA
April 2012
Sa
Th
14-19
National Association of Broadcasters
NAB Show
Las Vegas, NV
June 2012
Tu
Th
12-14
PromaxBDA
PromaxBDA: The Conference 2012
Los Angeles, CA

Station Directory

Net Essentials

AP Breaking News

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Open Mike by Matthew Polka
Super Bowl Spoiler: NFL TV Deals Blitz Public
TVNewsCheck, Feb 3, 2012, 7:19 AM EST
I am quite troubled by the soaring price of monthly cable and satellite TV bills fueled by hyperinflationary increases in TV rights fees won by the NFL and many other sports organizations. Non-sports pay TV subscribers are massively subsidizing sports viewers by an estimated $3 billion annually. A sports tier designed to reflect actual consumer demand for NFL games, golf tournaments, and baseball doubleheaders has the potential to allocate programming expenses more fairly within the pay TV universe. Full Story | Comments (4)
Open Mike by Ronen Artman
When Satellite, Microwave Just Won't Do
TVNewsCheck, Jan 12, 2012, 8:30 AM EST
For getting the news from field to studio, satellite and microwave have served broadcaster well for many years. But cellular uplink systems may be better and less costly alternative. Challenges of making the technology work reliably in tough news environment are being overcome and lease arrangements and data plans make it affordable. Full Story | Comments (4)
Open Mike by WJAC's Gary Sinderson
Why The Penn State Scandal Stayed Secret
TVNewsCheck, Nov 22, 2011, 8:30 AM EST
WJAC Johnstown, Pa., reporter Gary Sinderson says the university’s culture of protecting its reputation and limited time prevented him from investigating the "whispers" about former coach Jerry Sandusky. Corporate downsizing has eliminated a lot of enterprise reporting. “Pushing the limits — informing the public and getting people to debate and discuss the issues, even when they include facts like the Sandusky case that they may not want to talk about — is a good thing. We need more of that kind of journalism.” Full Story | Comments (7)
open mike by Jack Goodman
Watch Out for Fixed-Spot Package Buys
TVNewsCheck, Nov 8, 2011, 10:09 AM EST
FCC staff has expressed growing concern about station sales practices that provide benefits that effectively are only available to long-term commercial advertisers, pointing out that political candidates are supposed to be placed on an equal footing with a station’s most-favored advertiser. Full Story | Comments (3)
Open Mike by Steve Sloane
IP: New Option For Moving Video From A To B
TVNewsCheck, Sep 29, 2011, 7:33 AM EDT
Advances in the technology have made video transport over IP a robust, reliable and financially attractive proposition for local broadcasters. Applications include use as STLs, remote links from the field to the studio, PSIP insertion and program sharing. Full Story | Add comment
open mike by Richard Buchanan
Now’s The Time To Prepare For Disasters
TVNewsCheck, Sep 1, 2011, 9:59 AM EDT
A solid disaster recovery plan, combined with a good liability insurance policy, allows stations to maintain business continuity during a disruption. A station that fails to remain on the air when its viewers most need information can result in its losing market share for months or even years following the event. Here's a checklist of vital steps to be ready. Full Story | Comments (5)
Open Mike by Ken Lee
Less Is Plenty For ENG Over Broadband
TVNewsCheck, Aug 24, 2011, 10:37 AM EDT
One of the biggest myths is that broadcasters need a lot of bandwidth to import good video from the field via the cell networks. It isn’t true. One modem and 500 kpbs will do the job. And many broadcasters don’t realize that the more modems you stream with, the higher your on-air latency.  Full Story | Add comment
Open Mike by Scott Bosen
Options For Handling Embedded Audio
TVNewsCheck, Aug 18, 2011, 11:28 AM EDT
Embedded audio has become dominant because of its benefits, but it does have a downside: It is inflexible. Taking cost-effective advantage of the operational and cost benefits of embedded audio requires careful assessment of need and evaluation of the available technology, as well as solid planning and system design. Full Story | Comments (2)
Open Mike By Eric Dodson Greenberg
TV’s Next M&A Wave Won’t Be Like Last One
TVNewsCheck, Aug 5, 2011, 6:42 AM EDT
Changes in the television industry since the last wave of M&A activity will spur new deal-making and change its very nature. Retrans fees — which had not yet matured as a meaningful second income stream as of the last M&A cycle — will now be a new catalyst for growth and achieving scale. Add to that the differentiating value of broadcast television — its ability to generate cash, the near-term value of huge spending in political advertising, and the emerging (and, yes, changing) shape of station economics — and you have newly ripening incentives for buyers and sellers. Full Story | Add comment
Open MIke by Preston Padden
Stations Need To Stream Their Signals Now
TVNewsCheck, Aug 4, 2011, 11:38 AM EDT
Stations need to begin streaming their live signals, and to offer streams of past programs, before the future passes them by. The first steps are to fashion a business model and secure the necessary rights from broadcast networks. It's in the networks' interest to extend those rights to affiliates, which are still the strongest distribution platform around. Full Story | Comments (20)
Open Mike by Dave Van Hoy
Options, But No Simple Path To Video Storage
TVNewsCheck, Jul 7, 2011, 11:49 AM EDT
With the move to file-based formats, storing and managing video that pours into TV stations is not as easy as it was in the days when it was on tape and you could label it and put it on a shelf. There is no single, cookie-cutter solution that will suffice for all stations. The needs of today’s file-based workflows, combined with the need for reliability inherent in any broadcast environment, require difficult decisions. Full Story | Add comment
Open Mike by Patrick Maines
FCC Charts A Wise Course For Media's Future
TVNewsCheck, Jun 13, 2011, 11:37 AM EDT
The long-awaited FCC report, "The Information Needs of Communities,” was released last week. Had the report endorsed radical (and preposterous) things, like a federal tax credit for investigative journalism, it would have attracted more ink, and been the subject of conversation far longer. But it's a credit to its authors, and to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, that it did not do so, because it shows they possess both a realistic view of the scope of the FCC’s limited authority and a healthy respect for the First Amendment. Full Story | Add comment
Open Mike by Patrick Maines
Michael Copps' Excellent Adventure
TVNewsCheck, Apr 21, 2011, 6:00 AM EDT
FCC Commissioner Michael Copps is now in his 10th and final year as commissioner and he still isn't happy with the state of media and the journalism it supports. If he and the rest of the FCC couldn't fix things during the last decade, perhaps the problem all along hasn’t been consolidation or avarice as he argues. Maybe it’s been that what ails the media, and the way forward, are more complex than to be availing of the kind of nostrums Copps has been peddling. Full Story | Comments (2)
Open Mike by Petter Ole Jakobsen
Automation Is Key To New Media Distribution
TVNewsCheck, Apr 20, 2011, 5:49 AM EDT
Broadcasters can extend their branded content to a global audience to capitalize on new revenue streams such as subscriptions and online advertising. But multiplatform distribution is technically complex, requiring support for thousands of mobile handheld device models, each with its own technical specifications. And while we’ve made great strides in solving the technical problems of serving media to thousands of mobile handheld devices, there are still creative problems yet to be resolved. Full Story | Comments (2)
Open Mike by Petter Ole Jakobsen
How To Deal With The Many Faces Of Mobile
TVNewsCheck, Apr 7, 2011, 9:56 AM EDT
Without an automated workflow, you either can’t deliver dynamic media content to mobile devices or you’re very limited in terms of the quality you can send effectively. Full Story | Add comment
Open Mike by Richard Lyons
Surviving OTT Rests On Station Cooperation
TVNewsCheck, Apr 6, 2011, 3:16 PM EDT
Stations in each market must band together and share master control and other technical facilities. It’s the key to operating the traditional broadcasting business most efficiently, and to entering the new worlds of mobile and OTT. Locally outsourced and cooperatively operated on a centralcasting model, such Media Processing Centers will empower TV stations to become right-sized and more profitable while implementing new services. For the participating stations, they would replace heavy capital and uncertain maintenance costs with steady monthly payments. Full Story | Comments (11)
Open Mike by John Hane
What You Should Know About iPad App Flap
TVNewsCheck, Apr 5, 2011, 6:22 AM EDT
The controversy over Time Warner Cable’s plan to distribute cable programming on tablets has implications for broadcasters. Like many cable programmers, most broadcasters don’t have all the rights needed to distribute programming on the Internet. Also, viewing on tablets is unmeasured. Do you want your station’s viewing shifting to unmeasured devices? Full Story | Comments (7)
Open Mike By Lynn Claudy
Claudy: NAB Doing Just Fine On Technology
TVNewsCheck, Mar 14, 2011, 4:21 PM EDT
Reacting to last week's Jessell At Large column, the head of the NAB's Science and Technology department says broadcasters should be applauding NAB's moves to absorb MSTV and expand its technology expertise and "not get misguidedly drawn into the realm of uneasiness that dominates the tone of...[Jessell's] article." Full Story | Comments (1)
Open mike By Mark Siegel
Smart Power Use Can Recharge Bottom Lines
TVNewsCheck, Feb 3, 2011, 8:20 AM EST
Energy efficiency is often overlooked in station operations, but a smarter physical layout, multiviewers, LED and flourescent lighting and an updated UPS can cut the electric bill and improve earnings With some planning, and often for a surprisingly low investment, you can significantly improve the energy efficiency and improve the workplace. Full Story | Add comment
Open Mike by Cindy Hutter Cavell
Consider: One Market, One Master Control
TVNewsCheck, Jan 12, 2011, 8:37 AM EST
TV stations in a market should band together and and create a facility that would provide centralized play-out services for all of the stations’ multiple program streams.The synergies could be huge, and would not be burdened with the heavy fiber connectivity costs that have discouraged regional and national centralcasting efforts. Full Story | Comments (10)
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The Market

Symbol Last Change (%)
Nasdaq 2933.17 -15.40 (-0.52%)
NYSE 8094.39 +0.00 (+0.00)
S&P 500 1357.66 -4.55 (-0.33%)
Updated 02/22 7:39p ET Quotes delayed at least 20 mins.
Source: Financial Content

Ratings

Overnights, adults 18-49 for February 21, 2012
  • 1.
    2.9/8
  • 2.
    2.8/7
  • 3.
    2.1/5
  • 4.
    1.7/4
  • 5.
    1.4/4
  • 6.
    0.5/1
Source: Nielsen
Reviews
Opinions
Features
  • Hank Stuever

    Clinton, a four-hour PBS American Experience documentary, is an honest but sometimes tediously predictable exercise in the further Wikipedia-ing and storage-packing of those years. Whether intentional or subliminal, the film conveys the obvious and completely mortal recognition of time's inevitable passage, but not much else.

  • David Knowles

    Nancy Buriski's HBO documentary The Loving Story chronicles the lives of Richard and Mildred Loving, the interracial couple whose court case brought down the last remaining miscegenation laws in the United States. The Loving Story is a perfect time capsule that illuminates the racist past of our country with a uniquely personal and poignant emphasis. It's a film that will continue to be enjoyed whether viewed on Valentine's Day, during Black History Month or any other time of year.

  • Neil Genzlinger

    Smash, NBC’s series about backstage Broadway, comes with New York and Hollywood names off screen (Steven Spielberg, Therese Rebeck) and on (Debra Messing and Brian d’Arcy James). Given that pedigree, you’re expecting to be bowled over by the pilot, but it ends up feeling like a collage of devices from the zillions of previous backstage plays, musicals and movies. However, be patient — Smash gets better as it goes along and by Episode 3 it shows signs of becoming an addictive pleasure along the lines of this season’s Revenge.

  • Lori Rackl

    Pop some Dramamine before watching ABC's new horror series, The River, because the shaky camera work is more likely to make you seasick than scared. You can, however, skip the sleeping pill. The River's two-hour premiere should suffice. Billed as a thriller, the show tries hard to be terrifying and eerie in a Paranormal Activity kind of way. It ends up being hokey and, even worse, boring.

  • Robert Lloyd

    Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, veterans of Fox's sketch comedy MADtv, have a new series of their own, Comedy Central's Key & Peele. It is a genial, at times almost genteel, half-hour in which the pair's obvious niceness shines through even their more pugnacious characters. (Key's version of road rage is to shout, "Selfish!") In a roundabout way, that's the point. The sketches are consistently smart and smartly acted and flow easily from ordinary premises to weird conclusions.

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