ABC-45: an example of doing away with local news

The extreme possibility of doing away with sports desks at local television stations made me think of a case study...one only needs to look at ABC-45 (WXLV) and the cost-cutting that resulted in the closure of its news division not once, but twice. (see this neat Wikipedia entry for a short history lesson).

Sinclair Broadcast Group's commitment to ABC-45's news division was paltry and at best, pathetic. And it was their non-commitment that led to the news division's demise. More local media choices, not less, is always good for the consumer.

E.C. :)

No more sports? Could it really happen?

...all jokes aside, it will be an issue if sports coverage is cut completely from local broadcast stations. Sadly, my friends over at GreensboroSports.com ponder what may happen if this comes to a head.

GS thinks large TV groups may consider this as a cost-cutting measure. The recent firing of Dave Goren over at NBC-12 (WXII) may have been an example of such a measure.

Time will tell...

E.C. :)

No prize...

Every once in a while, one has to take a step back...and take it on the face. The last hour was one of those occasions.

A while ago, I wrote a post on how I thought the N&R reposted a wire story regarding a proposed tourist attraction in Martinsville to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Bassett Furniture.

To the first-time discerning reader (who, like me, knows nothing about furniture/never covered the local furniture beat--and probably never will after this), it appears as though the article could mean the anniversary is upcoming (as in 2012). Looking at the article a couple of times, I thought there was a mistake.

The paragraph I had a difficult time with was this:

That's what the Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corp. plans to do with a giant chair made by Bassett Furniture Industries for its 100th anniversary in 2002.

I don't know, but if I was the article writer, I would have written:

That's what the Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corp. plans to do with a giant chair made by Bassett Furniture Industries for its 100th anniversary, celebrated back in 2002.

Further investigation revealed that in fact, the article was correct, there was no mistake. I have pulled the post and I'm man enough to take it on the chin every once in a while. And it's probably why I'm no longer employed as a working journalist and selling airplane tickets at night.

So kudos to the N&R for getting it right and shame on me for falsely accusing them of getting it wrong.

Moving on...

E.C. :)

UNC-TV tackles Triad's economy

From the Winston-Salem Journal:

UNC-TV will broadcast a live forum on the local economy at 8 p.m. April 1 at Research Triad Research Park in Winston-Salem.

Participating in the invitation-only forum are Dr. John McConnell, the chief executive of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center; Michelle Clark, a regional executive at American Express; David Congdon, the president and chief executive of Old Dominion Freight Line Inc.; Allen Gant Jr., the chief executive of Glen Raven Inc.; and Bobby Long, the chairman of the Piedmont Triad Foundation.

Shannon Vickery will be the moderator.

The forum is expected to examine current financial conditions and take a longer-term view to consider how the latest developments in population, wages, technology, education and training affect the Triad's economic climate.

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E.C. :)

WTQR raises money for St. Judes

From the Winston-Salem Journal:

Radio station WTQR in Greensboro and its listeners helped raise $213,244 for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital during its Country Cares for St. Jude Kids radiothon on Feb. 26 and 27. This year, title sponsor New Bridge Bank hosted a penny drive, which raised $2,326, including a donation from New Bridge Bank. For the three weeks before the radiothon, Bojangles' was also a partner with WTQR for its "Boot Childhood Cancer" campaign. Thirty-seven area stores sold pinups to customers, resulting in a fundraising total of $47,707. Both organizations also volunteered in the phone bank during the two-day radiothon.

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E.C. :)

Majic 94.1 fills morning spot with local on-air vet

Former Oldies 93 on-air personality Max McGann fills the morning spot over at Majic 94.1 (WTHZ), according to published reports. McGann fills the spot formerly owned by Bob Campbell and Wendy Gatlin (a.k.a the Bob & Wendy Show).

Campbell and Gatlin were recently fired due to what the station called "low ratings." (more from NBC-12 WXII)

Many of you are still voicing your comments about Bob & Wendy, and TMW is forwarding all of them.

E.C. :)

Class final: How to kill an American newspaper (SEA P-I)

In a case study of how the Seattle Post-Intelligencer died, P-I columnist Bill Virgin discusses the state of American newspapers in context with not only how the P-I died, but how other newspapers may be going down the same slippery path as the P-I and the late Rocky Mountain News.

A sample:

What sorts of mistakes did the industry make? Its reaction to the Internet is a mother lode. Instead of using the Internet as a complement to its print product, the industry went chasing after the Web and offering its most valuable property -- the news it so carefully and expensively gathered -- for free, while chasing the chimera that online advertising would support the whole thing.

The trend was no service to either readers or advertisers -- people read far more in print, and see more ads, than in an online version. The bandwidth for delivering material may be nearly infinite online, but readers' ability to absorb it isn't, and it gets even narrower online.

In the process, what newspapers did was devalue their brands and the heritage and legacies built into them, their core products and the value proposition that brought them readers and advertisers in the first place.

The genius of the American newspaper was never that it was the only place you could get information. Given enough time, money and energy, even in the age of the telegraph you could assemble the same information

But the essential point was that you didn't have to.

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E.C. :)

Life without the newsprint?

It's hard to fathom, but it is happening, and it is very real. Two major papers have shut down in a matter of weeks. And it has provided fodder for dinner conversation at the Robinson's.

News & Record editor John Robinson pens a blog saying that the conversation dealing with life without newspapers is not a lengthy one:

I was at a dinner with friends Friday, and we talked briefly about the future of newspapers. They were aware of the troubles the newspaper industry is dealing with. It wasn't a long conversation -- what is there to say? -- and we soon moved on to something else.

E.C. :)

Vote for us

In its two short months, Triad Media Watch has very quickly become a regular "must read" among those who follow local journalism in the Piedmont Triad. And I'm happy to oblige.

To that end, I'm happy to announce that Triad Media Watch has been nominated among YES! Weekly's "Triad's Best" for 2009 for the area's best blog. Cast your vote here at YES! Weekly's site.

And for the support and kind words TMW has received recently, thank you. Please continue sending in your scoops, tips, press releases; I still want to hear from more of you radio stations out there. The e-mail address is triadmediawatch@gmail.com.

E.C. :)

Former Rocky Mountain News staff create new online venture

Former Rocky Mountain News staffers announced a unique online venture called InDenver Times. Massive goal of 50,000 subscribers by April 23, the 150th anniversary of the first edition of the RMN, in order to go with a launch of a new site at www.indenvertimes.com on May 4.

Coverage from IWantMyRocky.com. See news conference below from DEN:




E.C. :)