Another great column, Dave. It's especially instructive for the average TV viewer.
Television ownership is everything! My departure from broadcast journalism was definitely hastened by the purchase of KGAN-TV (in Cedar Rapids) by Sinclair Broadcasting. Suddenly, budgets were cut, employees were cut and the sales department got involved in the newsroom. As a result, the on-air product greatly suffered . And a storied Midwest news station quickly went downhill.
My only professional regret is that I never had the chance to work with you at KCCI!! 💔
Just a point of clarification. ABC owns eight stations--none of them in Iowa. However, for at least 20 years the company has referred to them as "ABC-owned stations" rather than "Owned and Operated." With this change, the former head of each station was given the title "President and General Manager" instead of simply "General Manager. These (and several other less evident) changes were made to reflect autonomy of the local stations rather than mere relay stations whose marching orders were taken from far-away New York.
Thanks Dave. You just wrote a lead-in for a future piece. When you wrote, "Astute viewers can usually figure out the difference if they know what to look for, " I would like to read your thoughts on what to look for.
Dave- An excellent primer on local television and how important the role of ownership is for the viewers. I had the privilege to be appointed the president and g.m. of WQAD-TV, Quad Cities when the station was purchased by the Des Moines Register way back in 1977. The Register at that time was led by David Kruidenier and Michael Gartner who strongly backed our staff of mostly young to people. David and Michael believed the same high standards of news gathering at the Register should apply at the new acquisition in Moline. This resulted in the station vaulting to a number one position sign-on to sign-off in the then three-station market. Timing was good. It was helped with the emergence of ABC becoming the dominant network at the same time we were making a full court press to strengthen the local news products and build a newsroom that was the largest staff in the market. In all my years in media management I have never had more fun! Herding cats works when you get them all focused on the same mouse! Investing in news paid off financially as well.
Thanks Dave...my father (Dean Naven) long-time radio and television newscaster (KRNT radio, KOIL Good Guys, KMA, KMTV, KTIV, KWMT and lastly KVFD) saw this happening in his 48+ years in the business. He witnessed radio & television stations being gobbled up by larger stations. When KVFD got sold in the 90's? Management let him go ...but the local newspaper Fort Dodge Messenger had a journalist who wrote an article calling for a write-in/call-in to management to get him back on the air. (It worked)
I look askance at local news stations and want only the news. I don't like the personality-based newscasts. Old-school. Frankly I watch little local television newscasts. Only listen to local radio newscasts.
Humanity needs more journalists (print and on-air) in the field, especially now.
Great piece. Provides background I always wondered about. Thanks!
Another great column, Dave. It's especially instructive for the average TV viewer.
Television ownership is everything! My departure from broadcast journalism was definitely hastened by the purchase of KGAN-TV (in Cedar Rapids) by Sinclair Broadcasting. Suddenly, budgets were cut, employees were cut and the sales department got involved in the newsroom. As a result, the on-air product greatly suffered . And a storied Midwest news station quickly went downhill.
My only professional regret is that I never had the chance to work with you at KCCI!! 💔
Just a point of clarification. ABC owns eight stations--none of them in Iowa. However, for at least 20 years the company has referred to them as "ABC-owned stations" rather than "Owned and Operated." With this change, the former head of each station was given the title "President and General Manager" instead of simply "General Manager. These (and several other less evident) changes were made to reflect autonomy of the local stations rather than mere relay stations whose marching orders were taken from far-away New York.
Dave, I always learn a lot from your stories. I'm saving this one to read again.
Thanks Dave. You just wrote a lead-in for a future piece. When you wrote, "Astute viewers can usually figure out the difference if they know what to look for, " I would like to read your thoughts on what to look for.
KYOU in Ottumwa. Iowa is also owned by Gray,
Very informative! Similar dynamic in print.
Dave- An excellent primer on local television and how important the role of ownership is for the viewers. I had the privilege to be appointed the president and g.m. of WQAD-TV, Quad Cities when the station was purchased by the Des Moines Register way back in 1977. The Register at that time was led by David Kruidenier and Michael Gartner who strongly backed our staff of mostly young to people. David and Michael believed the same high standards of news gathering at the Register should apply at the new acquisition in Moline. This resulted in the station vaulting to a number one position sign-on to sign-off in the then three-station market. Timing was good. It was helped with the emergence of ABC becoming the dominant network at the same time we were making a full court press to strengthen the local news products and build a newsroom that was the largest staff in the market. In all my years in media management I have never had more fun! Herding cats works when you get them all focused on the same mouse! Investing in news paid off financially as well.
Thanks Dave...my father (Dean Naven) long-time radio and television newscaster (KRNT radio, KOIL Good Guys, KMA, KMTV, KTIV, KWMT and lastly KVFD) saw this happening in his 48+ years in the business. He witnessed radio & television stations being gobbled up by larger stations. When KVFD got sold in the 90's? Management let him go ...but the local newspaper Fort Dodge Messenger had a journalist who wrote an article calling for a write-in/call-in to management to get him back on the air. (It worked)
I look askance at local news stations and want only the news. I don't like the personality-based newscasts. Old-school. Frankly I watch little local television newscasts. Only listen to local radio newscasts.
Humanity needs more journalists (print and on-air) in the field, especially now.
Term "collaborative" sounds pretty wokey. How 'bout guild or league or group ?