Blowing Up the TV News Format
Why not try something different and see what works?
I have long believed that any TV station that played around with the typical newscast format is doomed to fail. Since the dawn of television, viewers have gotten used to the basic format of two segments of news, the weather and then sports. End with a kicker (a lighthearted story), smiles all around and close on a wide shot showing the anchors chatting amiably as the theme music swells.
The CBS affiliate in Chicago was already in last place in 2000 when it tried a new format at ten o’clock. A single anchor would focus on hard news only. Longer stories. Investigative stories. No diet fads or celebrity gossip. The station committed to the new format for one year, but the dreadful ratings fell even further, and management killed the experiment after eight months. Back to the tried-and-true formula.
Other stations experimented with segment times. If sports is the big story that day, they would lead with it and give it a lot of time. The next day the station might skip sports all together. If the weather was sunny and mild, offer only one minute of weather instead of the usual three. Most stations tried it, failed, and returned to what viewers are comfortable with.
These days, I’m not so sure the comfortable format is working. Newscast audiences are shrinking, and the younger demographics are shrinking even faster. My own kids, having grown up in a household that watched a LOT of TV news, are well-informed adults with strong opinions about current events, but these days they wouldn’t watch a TV newscast at knifepoint.
Trying something different
The CBS affiliate in Orlando, Florida is trying something different. According to media industry website TVNewsCheck, WKMG-TV is breaking format on its 5:30 p.m. half-hour newscast by merging the station’s digital content with a typical newscast. The anchors are not on a traditional set. Each weekday is a different format. Monday is scripted like a podcast, so the anchors wear headphones and sit in front of big podcast microphones. Tuesday is about local people who solve problems. Wednesday is Florida Foodie, focusing on farmers, chefs and others discussing the local food scene.
I watched several WKMG newscasts this week, which they call “News 6 Plus Takeover”. I saw a nine-minute-long lead story interviewing a couple who search for treasures on the beach after a hurricane moves through. I watched an informative long segment on Florida traffic engineers who designed automated devices to detect wrong-way drivers. And the Florida Foodie newscast spent the entire half-hour interviewing a couple who started a bagel outlet.
It’s not my cup of tea. I didn’t see any news of the day or even a forecast. But I’m older than the intended audience, which is aimed at the younger demos advertisers crave, like 18-49 and 25-54. (Although if advertisers don’t care about anyone older than 54 in Florida, aren’t they writing off a large segment of potential customers?)
Will younger viewers tune in?
The important part is that WKMG is trying something different. The news director says, “In essence, it’s the opposite of our traditional newscast.” And it’s only ONE newscast out of many on the station that day. There’s a traditional newscast at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., as well as morning and late news. Why not try something different and see what works? News managers are trying to appeal to younger viewers who have mostly rejected a traditional newscast, though I suspect most younger viewers are tied up that time of day with getting kids to practice and putting dinner on the table. The graphics are snazzy. The anchors are off the desk and dressed casually. It’s worth giving it a shot and see what can be learned. If they’re successful, you can count on these new formats spreading like wildfire across an industry hungry for ways to connect better with young viewers. If they’re not, it’s back to the usual news-weather-sports-kicker format. “And finally tonight…”
Dave Busiek on Media is part of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative. Check out some other columns you’ll enjoy:
Very interesting, Dave. You didn’t mention the most important sign-off skill by the anchor(s)… rearranging, then tapping vertically the papers we’re meant to assume was their script. Just for a change why not have them tear the papers into little pieces as the credits roll? Reminiscent of Nancy Peloisi tearing up Trump’s speech after his first State of the Union.😎
I'm right there with you, Dave, as usual. We both aged out of the target demo quite a while ago, and we both remember many ill-fated and short-lived "reinventions" of newscasts. Like the infamous "News Out of the Box" experiment, most were forgotten as quickly as possible, and replaced with painfully predictable, traditional formats.
I enjoy showing my college students examples of newscasts that are designed to lure younger viewers. And yes, I have to show them, because of course they aren't watching on their own. Generally, their responses range from a shrug to a chuckle. A TV newscast trying to look like TikTok is like an old guy trying to look young and cool. It rarely works.
For old guys like us, the answer is acceptance; eventually, we stop struggling to be something we aren't. It's liberating not to need everybody's approval. Television stations don't have that luxury, and I actually admire their efforts, even if I do feel a bit of gentle skepticism. They have to keep trying. Now and then, somebody succeeds.