Ticked about a ticker
WNEP wants to know what you think about its apparently controversial morning news ticker. Ever since it was introduced this week, Talkback 16 has been flooded with comments for and against the ticker. As of this posting, the poll on WNEP's website shows 53% of people want to keep it, with the rest either against it, or unable to care.
Honestly, I'm not surprised there's been so much unrest over a simple news ticker. Lots of people in this area don't do well with change. Look at what happpened when someone noticed a reporter's hair color was darker than usual.
Honestly, I'm not surprised there's been so much unrest over a simple news ticker. Lots of people in this area don't do well with change. Look at what happpened when someone noticed a reporter's hair color was darker than usual.
posted by Howard Beale at 6:28 AM
12 Comments:
What's the over/under on when WNEP will start selling sponsorships on its ticker like the Nexstar folks?
I hope never. Having two stations diving for dollars is already two too many.
What is the difference between having commericals in a newscast and someone's logo in front of a new ticker?
Kind of funny how the leader is now the follower. Lets see WYOU has been doing a web poll, news ticker, and ask the expert phone panel for almost a year now! Interesting how somebody else blazes the trail, yet it becomes the "latest & greatest" idea when 16 finally starts doing it. WAKE UP PEOPLE, the days of NEP having to change nothing are over. How many times in the last couple months has channel 50 scooped 16 on stories, or gotten better scene video. Sure 16 has more resources, but if they are so great why is it they are having to play catch up? As for the ratings argument, start counting how many ratings periods 16's numbers "slip slightly" and 50's numbers increase.
I'm counting down the minutes when one of those talking heads at 'NEP will promote a vacation trip, i.e., Keith Martin and Andy Mehalshak.
Yeah, WBRE had great coverage of the storm damage earlier this week. Viewers saw a news car drving through rain and some wind blowing trees. WNEP had three packages on trees down across roads and on houses in Union, Lycoming and Lackawanna counties. WBRE did have a flooding story in Roscoe, NY though.
Progress? Right! Just like it was progress to put loads of billboards along highways so everyone could ignore the scenery and read ads. If these tickers are so important and needed, run them during the ads and commercials. That's when most of us would read them. But wait! That would distract them from the ad! It also distracts from the newscasts. Personally, I liked the trees that the billboards covered up. Same for the news. Don't bicker over the ticker, just dump it. I can comprehend the news without having to read the words.
Whether the ticker stays or goes, asking viewers to vote on its fate makes management look indecisive.
As for which station is the news leader, 16 still has scoops. The difference is how often Nexstar crews now beat 16. Sometimes The News Station doesn't even know it's been beaten.
Nexstar had a Shavertown doctor connection to a Philly area plane crash at noon and 5pm. NEP also had the crash at noon and 5pm, but didn't report the local tie until 11pm. How about Chirico's lead story on the Auditor General wanting to check gasoline octane levels after a 28 investigation? 16 reported a vo at 7pm the next day!
9:19 AM--
Let me see if I can follow your "logic."
You're saying that WNEP is copying WBRE/WYOU, apparently in hopes of catapulting the ratings to the level of...but wait a minute...I thought the May book...
Oh, I see, you're a Nexstar employee; living in a world where less is more (as in staff)--fewer is many (as in viewers)--loss is gain (all the good people who've been driven out)--pennies are dollars (your pay raise)--the leader (WNEP) is somehow the follower-- and a talk show passes for news.
Now tell us the one about how Perry Sook cares for his employees and the community and is leading the stations forward.
That would fall under the heading of "greed is good" if Gordon Gekko hadn't already said it.
"You're saying that WNEP is copying WBRE/WYOU"
Here's an observation from an outsider of the "50 vs. 16 debate" 16 has the edge ratings wise...No doubt about that. HOWEVER, as an observer, I can say that there are a few things that 16 has done AFTER they have been done by 50. Example: the seven day outlook was started at 22. 16 follows suit months later from the five to seven day board (which is crap on both stations anyway! A scud missile has better accuracy three days out), 22 created the "early weather" segment back in the Penny Lindgren days. 16 eventually touted it as one of their creations well after 22 had been doing it. The most recent example is since dialing for news has hit the air. It must be doing something because now 16 is running these "Call-in" segments on various topics during the 7pm newscast more frequently that ever before. Here are the facts. 16 has become what 22 once was. The ratings giant that got lazy. Can you honestly tell me that 16 has the same quality of talent covering stories that they one had? When they send out a reporter to cover anything 81 related, they usually stand outside the building by the fence or down at the gas station below the station!!! A good portion of their live shots take place at either of these locations! Nexstar runs their news department with the employees' hands handcuffed behind their backs. Under the new management, 16 may become the same thing.
...start counting how many ratings periods 16's numbers "slip slightly" and 50's numbers increase.
9:19 AM
Everything will be great once the new owners sink millions and billions and trillions of dollars into Channel 50.
And I won't (you know) in your mouth!
12:37 said: You idiots still think ratings matter? Please. television amateurs...but, it's not surprising. It's NEPA.
They sure do matter at the networks: Every digit up or down is a matter of celebration or despair. Even here, if there were two ways of measuring the audience, we might find there's more of a horse race than The Myth would have us believe.
As the numbers rise or fall, so do the rate and the number of advertisers.
The folks at Nexstar must be very proud. Arlen Specter was in Hazleton Monday. It was a visit announced days in advance. WBRE got its video from WYLN. Nice! You'll be beating 16 in no time.
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