Local TV bits for 3/5/09

Regarding the recent Ellen/The Peoples Court switch, CBS-2 WFMY president and general manager Deborah Hooper tells Broadcasting & Cable:

"...it's an effort to counterprogram heavier fare...With all the doom and gloom talk...I think people just want to be entertained.”

Ellen is now seen at 4pm on CBS-2 to counter Oprah on NBC-12 (WXII).
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Regarding the CW-20 (WCWG):

CW outlet WCWG also got a new owner when New World TV grabbed the Pappas stations in a bankruptcy court sale recently; General Sales Manager Lynn Bailie says new projects are in the works.

This bears watching.
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Regarding the recent local news ratings:

Evening news is almost as close as late: WXII won with a 9.8/17 at 6, while WFMY posted an 8.0/14 and WGHP a 6.9/12. WXII takes the morning title. President/General Manager Hank Price has steered WXII's emergence by concentrating on a handful of key points: Own the big story, own weather, keep things fun. The streamlined game plan seems to be working. “We don't have consumer reporters, we don't have health reporters,” Price says.

Apparently, you don't have traffic reporters either...oops, did I say that?

E.C. :)