They call it NBCU: College Edition. College kids get to play NBC6 TV news anchor at WTVJ. Wannado City called, they’d like their attraction back. Just kidding. I really is a great oppertunity for these soon-to-be anchors and reporters. Most of them you can tell are new and really don’t have an idea of what to do, but others you can really see potential. Watch their 30 minute “fake” newscast here.
It looks like WSVN have finally gotten around to add some better tools to the hurricane section on WSVN.com
They added an animated radar map, done in flash and using Microsoft Virtual Earth. And hurricane tracker map, also in flash, providing projected path and
Both the radar and hurricane trackers are by MyWeather LLC, the online weather solution part of WeatherCentral which provides on-air weather graphics solutions for TV stations.
I believe WSVN switched to WeatherCentral’s HD offering recently as part of their transition to HD.
/hat tip sflv reader/
The CW news at 10 ended tonight at 10:30PM. I’m working on getting video, but it was rather funny seeing how “upset” everyone was over it. The CW news at 10 was always more of a chore then anything. The ratings and graphics suck, but still beat the “My 33 News @ 10.” There was really no mention of the CW news ending, until that last segment.
My favorite, Joel Connable ended it by saying:
“Before we go tonight, we have some news that has to do with us. This is the last newscast that you’ll see us anchoring and producing on the CW news at 10 o’clock. Thank you for welcoming us into your home for the past several years, and remember though for all your news and information you need, we’re just a few channels away on NBC6, we of course, will see you there.”
Makes me a tad upset to think that he may be saying that exact same line in about a year if the Post Newsweek deal goes through. But anyways, during the whole “goodbye” speech Joe Rose kept making witty comments about “how upset he is and never saw this coming”, and just wants to do “a couple more shows just for the practice.” Joel also poked fun about how he had to announce 20 times in a row that Rihanna’s song, “Umbrella” was number one.
So Joel, John, and Joe, this is for you:
See you on NBC6!
Congratulations! NBC has selected you… yes YOU to be a NBC Universal Panel Member! Before you tell me to “stfu” and to “get out of town”, you might be interested in knowing that everyone can be on this prestige panel. So, Panel Member (insert your name here), what are your new responsibilities? Answer about 20 questions about your TV viewing habits and Internet usage, give them your e-mail address, and bam, that’s it! Now you may bask in your new title as panel member, and brag to all of your friends. Make sure to let the police officer know when you get pulled over that, “I don’t know if this will get me out of anything but i am, after all, an NBC panel member.” Have fun!
-Panel member Alex
In all seriousness, this is a local media poll NBC O&O stations put up on their sites. NBC has national polls as well for news and other shows. Here’s another one to help you with that poll “street cred”
I don’t often say this, but this looks bad. Hurricane Gustav stares down the Gulf Coast looking to be a category five and make landfall as a category four. I’m not going to go all religious on you, but just keep all of the residents and families in your thoughts. This feels different then Katrina. We know how strong this is and the general direction it’s going. We 100% know it’s going to be bad. Again, keep them in your thoughts.
On to what forecasters are calling “Gustav’s little sister”, Tropical Storm Hanna. Who the heck knows where this thing is going. Basically every forecast model shows it going in a different direction. I guess we’ll worry about that when our local weather guessers can tell us where it’s going.
Here we go again…
Some wondered who did WPTV’s new graphics package. It was Renderon.
WPTV’s new boss Steve Wasserman, who headed WDIV in Detroit, also commissioned Renderon for that station’s WDIV’s graphics which are backed by music from WSVN’s Chris Crane.
Some frameshots below courtesy of Dan from Renderon
Say goodbye to the CWSFL News at 10. CW didn’t want NBC6 to continue doing their 10pm news, so August 31st will be the last newscast. Ratings sucked anyway but it still beat the “My33 News at 10.” The weekday producer of the CW newscast is a former intern with no other news experience. He is now the 6pm producer for NBC. The 6pm producer has been moved to the 11am slot. It is still unknown if other people will be moved or laid off since many people work under CW employment deals.
Update: So i looked at my DirectTV guide today. I hope you love Raymond! “Everybody Loves Raymond” is now in the 10PM slot, weeknights on WSFL.
Update: So tonight is the last night. Catch Joel and the gang, tonight at 10 for the last time on the CW.
Many have asked whatever happened with Danielle Knox who left WFOR amidst the changes that were taking place well here’s a bit of info.
According to this press release Danielle will be on Lifetime’s The Balancing Act this morning at 7am to interview the creators of a shapewear product called Slimpressions.
The PR also notes that Danielle now has her own company, Play Pretty Beauty, “a natural-based organic bath and body care company.”
If you’re a Republican, you are now officially allowed to speculate about NBC6’s political coverage. As many of you know, WTVJ is only sending political reporter Nick Bogert to the Democratic convention. NBC6 will just use the network reporters at the Republican convention.
The NBC6 news director, who is a well known supporter of Barack Obama said “the real show is in Denver.” Is it right for NBC6 to not equally cover each parties?.. or is this just simple budgeting and NBC not wanting to spend the money to fly Bogert around? You decide.
This from the Save WTVJ Blog
Miami attorney JB Harris announced today that he would file a formal petition with the FCC to stop the proposed sale of Miami television station WTVJ (NBC6) by owner NBC Universal to rival Post-Newsweek Stations, which owns and operates Miami’s WPLG (Channel 10).
The petition is being filed on behalf of a Coalition of Concerned Citizens for Competition and Fairness in Broadcast Journalism, headed by William McCormick, former President of the Fort Lauderdale NAACP.
The petition is 14 pages long!
I guess when someone said there was a grassroots effort to stop the merger they were not kidding.
We wish them success.
WPTV has new graphics. I believe they debuted it before hurricane coverage?
The logo got a minor update, now it’s white color even on the site. And there’s a a peacock logo on the bottom right side.
The open is flashy, the teasers also have a lot of swooshing graphics elements. In all the new look has picked up speed it seems.
I wonder if the change is the idea of the new chief, Steve Wasserman, who took over the helm of WPTV in early May. He headed KPRC-Houston and WDIV-Detroit. WDIV got a similarly faster paced more flashier make-over not long ago when he stepped in as a general manager.
I think the new look is pretty nice. It’s not too annoying although the logo transitions in the teasers are a bit overdone. And the lower 3rds are just huge!
Overall much nicer look than what debuted when WPTV went HD with the blue/white which looked very cold and sterile.
New Open:
New Teaser:
Previous Open (high quality):
Round up the kids, buy your 83-trillon gallons of water, stock up on the canned food, and fill your gas tank!…. a powerful thunderstorm is on its way? Well, South Florida is kind-of getting its first storm in two years. That means non-stop news. Great! Do you remember two years ago, tropical storm Ernesto? They went to 24 hour “Fear-Plex” style news… A live shot comes on from some anchor in Miami and….? It’s barely a sun shower. My advice to new Floridians, stay calm. The news (as you will soon find out) will lead you to believe the nuclear holocaust is here. Just stay inside, and you should be fine. For long residents of South Florida like me, this is good practice. Stock up on the water, and treat this with caution. Stay safe everyone!
Hanna, Ike, and Josephine
Well, three are brewing out there and looks like some may be heading our way. Hanna, just downgraded to a tropical storm, doesn’t know exactly where it wants to go. Ike and Josephine are “areas of concern” and look like they may head our way. So my South Florida neighbors, be prepared so you’re not out at 2AM the night before the storms expected landfall like i always am. Of course, i know everyone can’t wait for that fearplex news that will lead us to belive the world is ending. We’ll see what happens. Stay safe!