Don’t get me wrong: my blog articles and social media posts are not attacks on the television broadcast industry. They are not written by someone standing on the outside throwing rocks at a business he does not understand. They are written by someone who has spent nearly 15 years taking the industry’s pulse—one conversation at […]
Concern Is Not Cynicism Read More »
For decades, local television executives looked at newspapers the way a healthy person looks at someone else’s diagnosis: unfortunate, but not contagious. Print publishers got flattened by Craigslist, Google, Facebook, and the internet’s dismantling of classified advertising. Television stations, meanwhile, sat behind a protected moat of retransmission fees, political advertising, cable bundles, and weather coverage
America’s Local TV Industry Has a Newspaper Problem Read More »
There is a new format taking hold in local television, and it should make every broadcaster stop and think. WMAR-2 in Baltimore has eliminated live anchors from its 7 and 11 p.m. newscasts. The broadcasts now begin with weather, then move into prerecorded local stories, national content, and graphics. No familiar anchor at the desk.
When Local News Removes the Anchor, What Else Does It Remove? Read More »
There is one question I ask almost every candidate I talk to. “Tell me your story.” It sounds casual. It is not. I’m not asking because I need you to read your résumé to me. I already have it. I’m not particularly interested in where you went to high school, the first job you had
Tell Me Your Story. Just Not All of It. Read More »
The BBC recently hired a 26-year-old entrepreneur, Brandon Relph, to help shape strategy around younger audiences. He did not come up through a traditional newsroom. He built businesses, worked in technology and youth-focused media, and understands audience behavior from a different side of the business. Before we go any further, let’s meet the “kid.” Relph
When an Outside Hire Becomes a Leadership Signal Read More »
Nexstar’s message is straightforward: local television needs room to compete. Fair enough. The rules governing broadcast ownership were written for another era. Before streaming. Before smartphones. Before Google and Meta took an enormous share of local advertising dollars without having to cover one city council meeting, one school closing, one hurricane or one breaking-news event
The FCC Can Remove the Cap. It Cannot Remove the Excuses. Read More »
The FCC voted to eliminate the national television ownership cap. Broadcasters celebrated. Wall Street started doing math. And now Newsmax says it is preparing to sue. Welcome to the next chapter of local television. The FCC’s vote removed the long-standing 39% national audience-reach cap and replaced it with case-by-case review of broadcast transactions. Newsmax CEO
Everybody Wants Consolidation. Nobody Wants to Talk About the Hangover. Read More »
The proposed merger between Nexstar and TEGNA has sparked a national debate over the future of local journalism, media ownership, and rising consumer costs. Supporters say consolidation is necessary to compete in a streaming-first world. Critics warn it could reduce competition and weaken local news coverage. Depending on who you ask, it’s either a necessary
