Local News

Just the other night, the local news reported two stabbings. In light of all the recent knee-jerk gun legislation, where is the outrage and legislation for knife control? Knives should be banned. Knife owners need to be licensed and finger printed - so that when someone stabs someone, as happens in Maryland on a regular basis, the police know whom to go after. There should be consistent and fair legislation for such crimes. If there have to be draconian gun laws here, then judging by the news there should also be equally strict knife control laws in Maryland.

So far this year, 223 local TV stations have changed hands. This is the biggest wave of media consolidation ever - and it's all happening in small and mid-level markets, involving companies most people have never heard of. Leading this wave is Hunt Valley-based Sinclair Broadcast Group. Sinclair alone is behind seven deals this year, including a $985-million deal to buy nine stations from Allbritton Communications. But it's not alone; other media companies are also racing to gobble up stations.

After watching another TV reporter broadcasting from the great outdoors during the latest "blast of snow" we recently experienced, I think it's time we viewers said enough is enough. I realize that local weather is the life's blood of our local news stations. After all, if it wasn't for numerous forecasts, warmed over national news, and the latest "Sky Team" view of the nightly traffic accident, the local news hour would barely exist. But that doesn't excuse the constant gross exaggeration, screen crawls and teasers suggesting the need to "stay tuned" to hear about the approaching Armageddon - which frequently amounts to a snow shower somewhere in Cumberland.

Recently, a huge community meeting was held in Canton to discuss the Red Line and how it would impact the flood plain along Boston Street. Elected officials and all major news media were invited to attend. Unfortunately, The Sun, and the TV media did not feel it necessary to report this local news. The Sun would prefer to write articles about President Barack Obama's golf game and will apparently wait for the next big storm to report big news of a Red Line tunnel being flooded and costing millions of dollars to repair.

Recently, a huge community meeting was held in Canton to discuss the Red Line and how it would impact the flood plain along Boston Street. Elected officials and all major news media were invited to attend. Unfortunately, The Sun, and the TV media did not feel it necessary to report this local news. The Sun would prefer to write articles about President Barack Obama's golf game and will apparently wait for the next big storm to report big news of a Red Line tunnel being flooded and costing millions of dollars to repair.

Does it feel as if NBC and its affiliates are getting a little greedy with its London coverage? As one who has defended the network's right to try and make as much money as it can off the games in hopes of offsetting the $1.18 billion it paid for rights, I have to admit even I have been getting a little queasy as to the way  that long-held patterns of network prime-time programming and affiliate news are being bent in pursuit of extra profits....

Sinclair Broadcast Group's billion-dollar bet on seven ABC affiliates and a regional news network in Washington, D.C., hinges on a plan to transform that network into a national enterprise. Sinclair would use NewsChannel 8 to create a unique hybrid model for cable television news, blending national and international coverage with local news customized for each market. But the channel's success is far from certain, broadcast experts say, and depends on many unknowns, including Sinclair's ability to persuade cable operators to carry the network and the appetite of viewers and advertisers for more news.

Three local sports talk show hosts -- Stan "The Fan" Charles, Jerry Coleman and Rob Long -- will be without a home at radio station WVIE (1370 AM) as of Friday morning when the station starts moving to a mainly network news/talk format. The official move by V-1370 to news/talk won't come until July 4th when it goes to 12-hours-a-day Monday-through-Friday programming from America's Radio News, a news service based out of Alexandria, Va., that is carried on more than 100 stations nationally.

So far this year, 223 local TV stations have changed hands. This is the biggest wave of media consolidation ever - and it's all happening in small and mid-level markets, involving companies most people have never heard of. Leading this wave is Hunt Valley-based Sinclair Broadcast Group. Sinclair alone is behind seven deals this year, including a $985-million deal to buy nine stations from Allbritton Communications. But it's not alone; other media companies are also racing to gobble up stations.

When the sixth season of American Idol ends tonight with the crowning of a new winner, no one will mourn its departure more than local TV station executives such as Bill Fanshawe. For five months, Fox's megahit talent show has boosted late local news ratings on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings by an astounding margin - in some cases by more than 300 percent. Indeed, the show, which this year commanded an average nightly audience of 29.8 million, is so powerful that it has reshaped some local Fox newscasts.

Sinclair Broadcast Group's billion-dollar bet on seven ABC affiliates and a regional news network in Washington, D.C., hinges on a plan to transform that network into a national enterprise. Sinclair would use NewsChannel 8 to create a unique hybrid model for cable television news, blending national and international coverage with local news customized for each market. But the channel's success is far from certain, broadcast experts say, and depends on many unknowns, including Sinclair's ability to persuade cable operators to carry the network and the appetite of viewers and advertisers for more news.

Just the other night, the local news reported two stabbings. In light of all the recent knee-jerk gun legislation, where is the outrage and legislation for knife control? Knives should be banned. Knife owners need to be licensed and finger printed - so that when someone stabs someone, as happens in Maryland on a regular basis, the police know whom to go after. There should be consistent and fair legislation for such crimes. If there have to be draconian gun laws here, then judging by the news there should also be equally strict knife control laws in Maryland.

Does it feel as if NBC and its affiliates are getting a little greedy with its London coverage? As one who has defended the network's right to try and make as much money as it can off the games in hopes of offsetting the $1.18 billion it paid for rights, I have to admit even I have been getting a little queasy as to the way  that long-held patterns of network prime-time programming and affiliate news are being bent in pursuit of extra profits....

The head of Sinclair Broadcast Group has a definite idea about television's future: It will be a mobile medium. And he doesn't need industry research to tell him so. David D. Smith, president and chief executive of the Hunt Valley-based broadcaster, recalls an experiment he conducted during a trade show: He set a portable TV down in a bar and then watched as people gathered around, asking where they could get one. "People who say they won't...

After watching another TV reporter broadcasting from the great outdoors during the latest "blast of snow" we recently experienced, I think it's time we viewers said enough is enough. I realize that local weather is the life's blood of our local news stations. After all, if it wasn't for numerous forecasts, warmed over national news, and the latest "Sky Team" view of the nightly traffic accident, the local news hour would barely exist. But that doesn't excuse the constant gross exaggeration, screen crawls and teasers suggesting the need to "stay tuned" to hear about the approaching Armageddon - which frequently amounts to a snow shower somewhere in Cumberland.

Baltimore viewers will have an extra hour of locally produced news available starting Oct. 3 when WBAL-TV adds 60 minutes to its weekday morning newscast. The newcast will air on the station's digital Channel 11.2, while NBC's "Today" airs on Channel 11. WBAL is the NBC affiliate in Baltimore. Here's the email to WBAL staff from Dan Joerres, station general manager and president: As another testament to WBAL-TV's news leadership in the market, we are thrilled to announce the addition of a 7am newscast to WBAL- Plus Monday through Friday starting on October 3rd.  By continuing our morning news on WBAL Plus, we are able to offer the best of both worlds in local and national news, with viewers having access to both the Today Show and the market's number one morning news team.

People looking for local news still tend to reach for their hometown newspaper, but television and the Internet continue to draw away significant numbers of readers, according to a national survey being released today. A survey by the market research business Outsell Inc., which echoes other recent studies, determined that 61 percent of consumers look to their newspapers as an essential source for local news, events and sports, followed by television (58 percent) and radio (35 percent)

Say goodbye to Garfield, the Ninja Turtles and the Muppet Babies. In another example of the dramatically changing face of television, WBAL (Channel 11) yesterday announced it is canceling all Saturday morning cartoons as of July 18.The CBS affiliate said it is dumping Saturday morning network programming and replacing it with a 4 1/2 -hour locally produced news show designed to look like CNN, with the cycle of stories repeated every half hour. The local news show will also run Sunday mornings, but Channel 11 will continue to carry CBS' "Sunday Morning" as part of its lineup.

As reported yesterday, WBAL's new afternoon strategy of "Ellen" at 4 p.m. opened strong on Monday. And it did well again on Tuesday in Oprah's old spot with viewers 25 to 54 years of age. But WJZ, which had tennis on Monday, came roaring back Tuesday with the premiere of its afternoon lineup to dominate in overall afternoon viewership. From 2 to 3 p.m. WJZ's "The Talk" more than doubled WBAL drawing 53,300 viewers to 20,500 for Anderson Cooper's new show. Meanwhile, Jerry Springer drew 31,900 viewers for WBFF, with WMAR getting an audience of 13,200 for "One Life to Live.

Three local sports talk show hosts -- Stan "The Fan" Charles, Jerry Coleman and Rob Long -- will be without a home at radio station WVIE (1370 AM) as of Friday morning when the station starts moving to a mainly network news/talk format. The official move by V-1370 to news/talk won't come until July 4th when it goes to 12-hours-a-day Monday-through-Friday programming from America's Radio News, a news service based out of Alexandria, Va., that is carried on more than 100 stations nationally.