Monthly Archive for April, 2006

7’s new graphics, not yet

I don’t think they’re going to get out the new graphics. It appears that finishing the newsplex is first on the agenda. The weather set is almost done, a new stand-up area with monitors and a new news desk are next. Plus sweeps are on.

There’s new weather graphics but no info on when they’ll slip them in.

So the truth is we know nothin’ about nothin’, everything will happen when it does

WLTV with new graphics/music

Someone tipped me WLTV - Univision 23 have changed their graphics and music. I’ll post a few screencaps at 6pm.

- I think the new graphics have a bit of an Entertainment Tonight feel to the open, just not as flashy and swooshy. Screencaps coming

Screen caps

10 already running hurricane promos

Emptying the DVR I just ran across a WPLG promo from the 9th of April, running a promo featuring a viewer saying how Local10 help them during last year’s hurricanes.

Car crash, feet away from CBS4 reporter

Someone just sent this - CBS4’s Ileana Varella reporting on that fire truck that collided with a car and killed a woman, as she’s wrapping up her live report two cars crash just a few feet away from where the crew is at! Video link on CBS4.com

WPTV’s website makeover

Just noticed a while ago - WPTV’s website has a new look and ahs been detached from TCPalm.com and now sits on it’s own domain.

I like it, surprisingly it doesn’t feel overloaded, separates all of the content columns nicely. I think it looks better than what WTVJ has :)

WPTV’s Rob Lopicolla leaves abruptly after 8 years

Palm Beach Post - Page Two reports that WPTV’s meteorologist Rob Lopicola has left the station abruptly and nobody seems to know why. Personal issues were mentioned but no one knows for sure. Lopicola was a meterologist at WPTV for 8 years.

Meanwhile 5’s chief meteorologist Steve Weagle has been signed for 5 more years

Palm Beach Post
Did Lopicola storm out of channel 5 gig?

7 already giving preview of the new graphics?

The new promo “See It on 7″ with the weird 7 logo and glass-looking elements must be a preview of 7’s new graphics. I’m speculating here but we’re 4 days away from sweeps and last time around the all-red themes with chrome showed up in the May of 01 sweeps promo, with the graphics debuting in November ‘01.

WNBC creates new digital channel, KTVX makes a hive

WNBC - NBC affiliate in New York City have made use of their digital spectrum by creating a new channel called 4.4. The new channel will showcase independent original production.
KTVX - ABC affiliate in Utah have named their newly created channel ‘The Hive‘ with a slogan “Sweet TV”.

Looks like WNBC’s production is local, but it could very well be something that came down from the network. I would not be surprised if NBC6 tries the same thing here in South Florida. But would anybody watch? There’s some interest but I don’t think any of these digital channels will draw a significant crowd there is too many other channels out there and that internets thing.

via LostRemote

Hristos Voskrese & Hristos Aneste

For some of us on the eastern side of things, Easter is today and it’s almost as big a celebration as Christmas is in the US. So Hristos Voskrese, or Hristos Aneste if you’re Greek :) … and to anyone who might be celebrating it today.

Caution: Spam control

I’ve grown f-n tired of the barrage of spam I have to sift thru every day (upwards of 200-300 a day) so I have installed spam controls to, hopefully, help with the spam bots. If seemingly your messages are dissapearing into a black hole it’s because they might have been inadvertedly marked as spam, so if you are really concerned you can use the tip link and let me know

NBC6 goes all out, creates Digital media department

Someone anonymous sent me a press release from NBC6 on their new ‘Digital media department’. Jose Suarez, currently executive producer of the evening news, will be heading the new department, his role in which will be creating more content for NBC6.net.

I’ll reserve judgment untill I see what they have in mind, hopefully they won’t be trying to be my
local-national-world-entertainment-weather-sports-everything-else site.

PR release after the jump /excuse the formatting, it got borked by my email client/
Continue reading ‘NBC6 goes all out, creates Digital media department’

7’s new weather set almost complete

An insider sent a note saying 7’s new weather set is complete. It’s built as a stand up area, like the previous one, with large plasma on one side and 2 smaller monitors on the other with a counter-like surface and a computer screen for the weather anchors to use.
No info on when it will debut, but I’ll guess and say maybe next week for sweeps!

Founder of “TV SPy” passes away

Don Fitzpatrick, founder of TV Spy has passed away this weekend in California, his long-time friend said. TV Spy is, somewhat, the reason why this blog exists. Before Vault bought them I used to visit a lot and thought wanted to create a local site like it, eventually ending up where FLTV is today.

B&C
TV Headhunter, Early Blogger Fitzpatrick Dies

LostRemote
Don Fitzpatrick, talent scout and ‘TV Spy’, dies

CBS4’s online video with ads, larger size

If you go to the CBS4.com site and look at the video library they have added a tab on the upper left corner to enlarge the video you’re watching.. Smudged and blocky but better than a puny 320×240 screen. The audio can use some tweaking too, it’s like it’s coming over the phone line.

They’ve also added an option to get a direct link to the video and paste it whever, maybe in your blog. Although it would be nice if they mimic say YouTube and let you embed the video into the page itself!

Here’s a link of a UPN33 open with the graphics hodge-podge they have and will hopefully end come May.

Coming up, NBC6 on your gas pump! Huh?

NBC O&O’s are set to begin delivering local news, weather, sports and entertainment to on-pump gas screens across the US. Only where NBC owns stations.

The program will be 3 minutes long, starting when the gas pump nosle is lifted which means you can’t shut them up unless you start pumping. That or turn up your car stereo. The technology will be provided by some company called VST, which has only 17 monitors in LA at Shell Stations and plans to add 500 more this year. Miami/Ft. Lauderdale isn’t mentioned but I guess we’re not high on the list yet

WTVJ is an NBC owned-and-operated station and their viewing area will get those monitors.

News on gas pumps? Who needs that?

B&C /via LostRemote/
NBC Offers Gas-Pumping Entertainment

Caution! Wet … design

I’ll be tinkering with the design this weekend, if anything looks broken it’s probably because I broke it and don’t know how to fix it. But If all goes well Comment RSS will be back