Jessell At Large

Exclusives

RSS

  • Survey: Local NDs Give So-So Marks To National TV News

    In a TVNewsCheck survey, a cross-section of news directors at TV stations around the country were asked to grade ABC News, CBS News, CNN, FNC, NBC News and MSNBC on "overall journalistic quality." None received an A, four earned Bs and, as for Fox News Channel and MSNBC, they may have to stay after class. More | Comments (7)

  • Ex. Session: Record Political Ad Boom Looms, But ...

    TVB’s political ad guru Jack Poor says there’s good news and bad news for TV stations in this election year. The good news is that their four-fifths share of total TV spend will be up 20% to around a record $2.5 billion, and no other medium seems positioned to cut into stations' share. The bad news is that the total take will be suppressed due to the lack of any major gubernatorial contest that swelled the coffers in 2010. More | Add comment

  • Jessell: Disclosure Rule The First Step Toward Quotas

    The FCC's proposed disclosure rules, which would require stations to detail the kinds of programming they air and post the info on their websites, should be fought tooth and nail by broadcasters. What the regulators want are statistics that they can use to hang over stations in the form of a programming quotas at license renewal time. And a quota is nothing but a mandate. It's the federal government telling stations what programming they must air, and that slams right into broadcasters' First Amendment rights. More | Comments (9)

  • Front Office: Cord Cutting Is Gen Y’s Latest Trend

    A growing number of young adults born between 1980 and 1995 — Gen Y — are purchasing over-the-air antennas to watch television programming. Gen Ys are inherently more adept at, and prone to, experimenting with alternative forms of viewing TV content; they are less likely to accept the need to subscribe to subscription-based pay TV once they’re free to make their own decisions about it. More | Comments (11)

  • NAB 2012: Getting The Shot Cheaper, Easier, Faster

    JVC%27s+GY-HM150
    JVC's GY-HM150
    As more and more stations adopt the one-man band approach to newsgathering, the camera manufacturers are turning out new units that are small enough and light enough to be managed easily, and big enough and heavy enough to be balanced for a steady shot. Plus, they’re inexpensive enough that any station's budget can handle them, too. More | Comments (7)

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

Our Advertisers

First PagePrevious Page12345678910Next PageLast Page
Jessell at Large
Disclosure Rule The First Step Toward Quotas
TVNewsCheck, Feb 3, 2012, 3:39 PM EST
The FCC's proposed disclosure rules, which would require stations to detail the kinds of programming they air and post the info on their websites, should be fought tooth and nail by broadcasters. What the regulators want are statistics that they can use to hang over stations in the form of a programming quotas at license renewal time. And a quota is nothing but a mandate. It's the federal government telling stations what programming they must air, and that slams right into broadcasters' First Amendment rights. Full Story | Comments (9)
Jessell at Large
A Year Later: Comcast Walked Its NBC Talk
TVNewsCheck, Jan 27, 2012, 3:33 PM EST
When Comcast first announced its plans a year ago to buy NBC Universal from General Electric, the experts felt it was the cable networks, not NBC and its television stations, that Comcast really wanted. There was across-the-board gnashing of teeth about what would happen to NBC. But Comcast executives assured regulators and tried to persuade the experts that that wasn't the case. They really believed in broadcasting, they said. They looked forward to reinvigorating the business and restoring the Peacock's colors. And over the past 12 months, Comcast has shown that it meant everything it said. Full Story | Comments (7)
Jessell at Large
NATPE 2012: It's Still All About Oprah
TVNewsCheck, Jan 20, 2012, 3:00 PM EST
Oprah is long gone — she taped her last show for broadcast syndication eight months ago — but her presence (or absence) is still being felt throughout broadcasting and will pervade the NATPE conference next week in Miami Beach. She'll continue to be the measure by which every other talk show evaluates itself and the subject of countless conversations about her impact on broadcasting. Full Story | Comments (4)
Jessell at Large
Newt: 2012's Candidate With TV Policy Chops
TVNewsCheck, Jan 13, 2012, 1:19 PM EST
At first glance, the lineup of Republican presidential candidates doesn't yield anybody who can discuss broadcast ownership limits or media content regulation with any authority. The exception may be Newt Gingrich, and we have good idea of his thinking on broadcasting and cable matters, at least as it was nearly 17 years ago. In a 1995 B&C interview, the then-House Speaker demonstrated a strong grasp of communications issues as well as the technological changes that were driving policy. Full Story | Comments (2)
Jessell At Large
What’s On My Mind As 2012 Begins
TVNewsCheck, Jan 6, 2012, 3:31 PM EST
Besides the outcome of the BCS Championship and NFL playoffs, there are a number of issues that deserve our attention: Can dereg be too much of a good thing?  ~~ The hyprocrisy of the American Television Alliance and some of its cable MSO members. ~~ The move by CBS from station seller to buyer. ~~ Why aren't CBS and ABC in the mobile DTV game? ~~ Blair Levin’s belief that the Internet is more American than broadcasting. ~~ TV stations’ burgeoning political ad windfall from Republican presidential candidates. Full Story | Comments (7)
Jessell At Large
Broadcasting Wins Big With NFL Deals
TVNewsCheck, Dec 16, 2011, 3:15 PM EST
The contract renewals of NBC, CBS and Fox preserve for another nine years the mutually prosperous relationship between pro football and TV broadcasting. The extensions send a wonderful message about broadcasting and the network-affiliate partnership at the heart of it. They say that broadcasting is here to stay and will continue to be the dominant television medium. And it's all thanks to retransmission consent. Let's hope the FCC doesn't mess that up. Full Story | Comments (11)
Jessell At Large
Now’s The Time To Make Virtual Duopolies
TVNewsCheck, Dec 9, 2011, 3:37 PM EST
The FCC will soon launch a rulemaking that could very well lead next year to a prohibition against so-called virtual duopolies or at least rules that make them more difficult to put together. So, if you're thinking about doubling up in your market through shared services agreements and the like, you ought to act now. This is no time for proscrastination. Full Story | Comments (1)
Jessell At Large
Uncovering The Truth About Retrans Value
TVNewsCheck, Dec 2, 2011, 2:50 PM EST
A new SNL Kagan report shows just how fat cable networks have become — more than 30 networks have margins of 50% or more topped by Nickelodeon, with a 64.6% margin and the Food Network at 60.5%. So, when your local cable operator gags on your asking $1 per sub per month  and says he can't afford anything close to that, show him the SNL Kagan report and point out that it isn't his neighborhood broadcasters who are getting rich off of his subscribers, but those remote cable networks that, by the way, only have a fraction of the audience that you have. Full Story | Comments (5)
Jessell at large
Two Tough Jobs For Two Proven Execs
TVNewsCheck, Nov 18, 2011, 3:33 PM EST
Rebecca Campbell (l), CEO of the ABC Owned Television Stations, and Valari Staab, CEO of NBC Owned Television Stations, face very different tasks. Staab has before her a full-blown reclamation project while Campbell is charged with maintaining her group's reputation as local TV broadcasting’s premier franchise. But the two women also share attributes: Both are engaging personalities and boast proven aptitude at running major market TV stations. It will be interesting to see how they approach their respective challenges. Full Story | Comments (6)
Jessell at large
Come Home Oprah. All Is Forgiven
TVNewsCheck, Nov 4, 2011, 3:32 PM EDT
Despite the brand name of perhaps the most famous and beloved woman in the history of television, Oprah Winfrey’s OWN cable network is not doing well. It suggests that Oprah didn't fully appreciate the promotional power and quality programming environment she had during her long run in broadcasting. So here's a suggestion for her: Turn OWN into a multicast channel and seek carriage on broadcast subchannels. Suddenly, instead of working against you, you will have TV stations working for you again. Full Story | Comments (19)
Jessell At Large
FCC’s New Disclosure Plan: Not Even Close
TVNewsCheck, Oct 28, 2011, 2:11 PM EDT
Instead of congratulating themselves for dumping some unworkable rules and showing the world that a Democrat-controlled agency could actually deregulate something, Genachowski and the other commissioners moved forward with plans to substitute new disclosure rules that may be just as onerous, unnecessary and wrong-headed as the 2007 rules. What the FCC needs to do is open a proceeding to lessen regulations on broadcasting. Full Story | Comments (7)
Jessell At Large
Mobile DTV: Would You Believe Xmas 2012?
TVNewsCheck, Oct 21, 2011, 10:45 AM EDT
It’s looking like it will be at least another year before TV stations will be able to offer over-the-air programming to smartphones, tablets and netbooks. Much progress has been made, but there’s still a lot of work to be done. But broadcasters don't have all the time in the world. They are in a competition with broadband. If broadcasters drag this out too long, the broadband carriers will come up with their own "broadcast" solution and broadcasters won't get their chance. Full Story | Comments (7)
Jessell at Large
Many Winners In The Scripps Station Buy
TVNewsCheck, Oct 14, 2011, 8:48 AM EDT
With its purchase of McGraw-Hill’s stations in Denver, Indianapolis, San Diego and Bakersfield, Scripps is benefiting three constituencies: Itself, the viewers in those markets and the industry at large. Itself  and viewers because its plan to boost the new stations’ value stems from investing in news to raise ratings (and ad rates), giving viewers better news options; and the industry because the deal finally sets a price for stations that could get the station trading market rolling again. A lot of potential sellers have been sitting on the sidelines because they don't know what their stations are worth. Now they do. Full Story | Comments (4)
Jessell at Large
Vigilance Is Vital To Hanging On To Retrans
TVNewsCheck, Sep 23, 2011, 3:33 PM EDT
While the FCC’s desire to get back TV spectrum from stations is grabbing a lot of attention, there’s another issue that shouldn’t fall under the industry’s radar. The attempt by cable and satellite operators to get the commission to change the retransmission consent rules to decrease the broadcasters’ leverage. This second revenue stream is vital and is growing more important each year. This is a dangerous proceeding. If broadcasters don't pay enough attention, all their spread sheets showing steadily rising retrans revenue over the next decade could suddenly become moot. Full Story | Comments (6)
Jessell at Large
Irene Illustrates Meaning, Value Of Hyperlocal
TVNewsCheck, Sep 16, 2011, 2:29 PM EDT
The national and regional coverage of Hurricane Irene was fine before the storm actually passed through my suburban New Jersey town. But then, what I wanted  — and needed — to know came from my local AOL Patch site. There were fresh updates, pictures and even a brief video tour of the damage. The lesson here for broadcasters dabbling in hyperlocal websites or mobile apps is that you can't do it on the cheap. Just like any kind of journalism, hyperlocal journalism takes well-educated, well-trained, responsible reporters and editors. Full Story | Comments (2)
Jessell at Large
Perry Sook: Broadcasting’s Action Figure
TVNewsCheck, Sep 9, 2011, 12:40 PM EDT
In a tip of the old bottlecap to Dos Equis, I say the Most Interesting Man in Broadcasting is Nexstar mastermind Perry Sook. Look at what he's been doing just this summer: Engaging in a no-holds-barred struggle with Fox over retrans, working to find a new private equity partner to refinance his company and continuing to add stations to his burgeoning portfolio of small and middle-market stations. Cheers. Full Story | Comments (13)
Jessell at large
Local TV Will Prove Again It Deserves Better
TVNewsCheck, Aug 26, 2011, 3:00 PM EDT
If anybody really needed a reminder of the power of broadcasting, they got it on Tuesday when a rare earthquake shook things up in the same region that Hurricane Irene is now threatening. Given that, why is broadcasting getting so little respect in Washington these days? Perhaps the folks at the FCC, Congress, the White House, the Commerce Department and the Department of Homeland Security will want to think about what they can do for broadcasting once they tear themselves away from their TVs and radios after Irene passes by this weekend. Full Story | Comments (7)
Jessell at Large
A Plan For Spectrum Peace In Our Time
TVNewsCheck, Aug 19, 2011, 2:54 PM EDT
The fight between the NAB and the FCC over spectrum auctions is ugly. The two groups should be working together for the common good — that is, enhancing broadcasting as a strong, free and universal service and, at the same time, freeing up some additional spectrum for wireless broadband. Let me offer a compromise, a new National Broadband/Broadcast Plan. The NAB and the FCC would persuade as many stations as possible to give up their channels with the promise of a big pay day. And then the FCC would use a portion of the freed up spectrum — let's say about a third — to improve broadcasting by giving the remaining stations more room to breathe. Full Story | Comments (16)
Jessell At Large
What Did TV News Really Learn From 9/11?
TVNewsCheck, Aug 12, 2011, 2:54 PM EDT
Remember all those predications in the wake of the disasters that TV news would finally get serious — that more sober local newscasts would turn their attention to public affairs and that the networks would increase their coverage of happenings in other parts of the world? It might have happened at first, but it didn’t last. Time and the economy has taken its toll and much TV news has gotten thinner and more parochial, while enterprise reporting has diminished. But there may be a positive change: stations are better prepared to cover events of 9/11’s magnitude. Let’s hope they don’t need to. Full Story | Comments (5)
Jessell At Large
Delay On Spectrum Models Raises Suspicion
TVNewsCheck, Aug 5, 2011, 3:44 PM EDT
This is getting ridiculous. The FCC was supposed to make public its technical models for its proposed spectrum reallocation that would make its proposed auction plan possible. Broadcasters are still waiting. It keeps promising, but it never delivers and that's straining the commission's credibility. Until the modeling is made public, broadcasters should remain skeptical — and wary — of the anything having to do with incentive auctions. And Congress, too. Full Story | Comments (14)
First PagePrevious Page12345678910Next PageLast Page

Today's Top Stories

Classifieds

The Market

Symbol Last Change (%)
Nasdaq 2915.86 +11.78 (+0.41%)
NYSE 8082.98 +13.27 (+0.16%)
S&P 500 1349.96 +2.91 (+0.22%)
Updated 02/08 4:56p ET Quotes delayed at least 20 mins.
Source: Financial Content

Ratings

Overnights, adults 18-49 for February 7, 2012
  • 1.
    3.1/8
  • 2.
    3.0/8
  • 3.
    2.4/6
  • 4.
    2.0/5
  • 5.
    1.6/4
  • 6.
    0.6/1
Source: Nielsen
Reviews
Opinions
Features
  • 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.

  • Hank Stuever

    Discovery's Bering Sea Gold doesn’t seem at first like it has crossed any new reality TV frontier, relying on elements and structure familiar to the form. Enticingly (to the network), it combines the ocean and the gold and the cold and the reactive testosterone among bad-tempered desperados. To which I am surprised to cry: Eureka, they’ve found it! Bering Sea Gold is a testament to how thoroughly absorbing the genre can still be, when it’s done right.

  • Joanne Ostrow

    Kiefer Sutherland displays his softer side in Fox's Touch, a touchy-feely drama merging paranormal, spiritual and sweetly familial elements. shows off his acting chops, long forgotten, in scene after scene. It's heavier lifting than usual for the actor who was often reduced to caricature in 24. Sutherland is all about vulnerability in a show whose goal is nothing short of proving the interconnectedness of human life. We'll see if audiences can tolerate the notion of profound interrelatedness as weekly entertainment.

This advertisement will close automatically in  second(s). You will see this ad no more than once a day. Skip ad