Great Recession did in print. I think this upcoming one takes out local TV news.

Just the vibes out there as I see the numbers.

Once the ad money stops flowing through, I'm not sure I see it coming back to local TV newscasts.

Competing with streaming and sleep is an endless battle. Sure, some of the "cold & old" markets will survive but, outside of that, I just don't see a lucrative audience for us.

This is a bit different as, during economic recession, people usually come back to us because we're free. I think this will be different -- the final TKO of our fading influence.

 

The economics of local news seems absurd to me. Boston has five stations, all doing at least 3 hours of morning local news. Each one has two anchors, a meteorologist, a traffic person, and at least 3 reporters. All for a hundred thousand viewers each.

Yet the Fox station and an independent station air close to 12 hours of news on weekdays.

 

What are stations going to replace it with? A third showing of Steve Harvey? A lot of the other options to fill slots are unappealing. You can use the same feature segment on three or four newscasts. Passable anchors for lesser dayparts are aplenty and come cheaply. I wouldn’t be so pessimistic.

 

All I know is that online or streaming video advertising — such as YouTube, Hulu or Twitch — is much cheaper and much more targeted than local TV news advertising.

 

We’ll be fine thru 2024 on political advertising alone.

 

Always thought the morning news was where they made their bank. Two or three hours "updating" the 11 p.m. news, maybe one reporter and a weather person, and a producer. A lot of local news stations have the anchor "directing" from the anchor desk, switching cameras, rolling tape. I think the one thing that makes morning news shows almost bullet proof is that the TV is on and there is minimal switching - if any - since people are getting dressed, having breakfast and making lunch for the kids.

 

And then we're all thoroughly fucked.

 

Huh?

 

You haven't seen a broadcast where the anchor has a "clicker" thing in their hand when they are doing the news? I figured it was to direct cameras - i was wrong, it controls the teleprompter.

 

Yes, it's the prompter.

 

When I watch the local news, the ads are all local home-improvement people: Window World, roofers, plumbers, Bath Fitters, Empire carpeting, etc. When I watch prime-time programming, it seems to be all prescriptions, all the time. You hardly ever see "traditional" advertisers from 20+ years ago: soft drinks, beer, airlines.

 

Thank god for accident lawyers and “we’ll buy your home” ads.

I used to do a noon newscast. Lots of ads for tubs with doors.