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Killing Local Sports

Discussion pertaining to the Tri-Cities, Flint, Mt. Pleasant, and Bad Axe
sinklair
Posts: 2209
Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2019 11:59 am

Killing Local Sports

Post by sinklair » Wed Jul 28, 2021 7:08 am

One of Former 25-66 GM/Accountant in Chief/Egomaniac Chad Conklin’s lasting impacts is killing our local sports coverage. He (along with Corporate Death Star regional news dictator Lame Michaelsen) pushed out former Sports Director Jeanna Trotman (now at WXYZ in Detroit). He then promoted Johnathon Deutsch to the role but wouldn’t let the In Over Her Head News Director fill the weekend sports position. It has killed our ability to cover local sports and compete against 5 and 12.

Cock-lin is now taking his one-man wrecking ball to Seattle..,

https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2021/ ... in-seattle

Cock-lin feels coverage of local sports is a waste of time and money. He feels that viewers don’t need local sports journalists covering local prep teams, major colleges snd universities or professional sports teams. He believes an MMJ can sufficiently cover and get up to speed on a sports story if a major story angle breaks. It’s BS.

One of my mentors told me one of the greatest lies being told at stations is that local viewers don’t care about sports. They do. Covering local sports is akin to covering your local community. Sports is our local identity. It’s what brings people together on Friday nights to watch football and basketball games, etc.

It’s also a very successful business model, hence why Sinclair purchased the former Fox Sports Nets, now renamed after raking in millions from Bally Sports, and expanding and building on sports gambling. It’s why Sinclair is venturing into E-Sports.

The fact is Cock-lin ran a last place station in Flint even further into the ground by controlling costs. He’s now doing the same in Seattle. He’s already pushed out KOMO’s news Director and replaced him with a very nice guy from Tulsa (who will just follow company orders… kind of like the In Over Her Head News Director we have here at 25-66). Now he’s pushing out veteran sports talent again. No wonder why KOMO is the mutt of the market. #ThisIsSinclair



Realist
Posts: 979
Joined: Wed Dec 13, 2006 10:36 pm
Location: Northern Michigan

Re: Killing Local Sports

Post by Realist » Wed Jul 28, 2021 6:23 pm

Hmmm - after reading that FTVLive article, their sports anchor saw the writing on the wall and got the hell out. Wondering if they asked him to take a pay cut?

I’d run a dare to anyone who’s from out of the market. Without knowing anything about the stations and who owns them, watch a weeks worth of news offering from 25/66, 12 and 5 and figure out who has the highest and lowest ratings. It’s obvious that 25/66 is in last place as it’s obvious that every corner is cut on their on air product. I say that even as a faithful viewer of their 10pm news, as I need my 8 hours of sleep on work nights. Still can’t figure out how 5 is number 1 rated, as they seem almost as amateurish like 25/66, but that’s only in the Tri’s, as 12 is #1 in Genesee County



sinklair
Posts: 2209
Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2019 11:59 am

Re: Killing Local Sports

Post by sinklair » Thu Jul 29, 2021 4:18 am

5 has geography on its side with an albeit aging population that still watches traditional newscasts. But HUTs and PUTs continue to decline.

12 is far from the bastion they once were when GM Tom Bryson and News Director Jim Bleicher we’re running the station. It brought back good memories when a lot of that era gathered yesterday to spend time with former 12 Sports Director Ed Phelps.

As for 25-66, despite a strong start and tons of potential to shake up the ratings game in Flint, it has never found its way due to management not believing in and sticking to a long-term plan.



Realist
Posts: 979
Joined: Wed Dec 13, 2006 10:36 pm
Location: Northern Michigan

Re: Killing Local Sports

Post by Realist » Thu Jul 29, 2021 6:43 am

sinklair wrote:
Thu Jul 29, 2021 4:18 am
5 has geography on its side with an albeit aging population that still watches traditional newscasts. But HUTs and PUTs continue to decline.

12 is far from the bastion they once were when GM Tom Bryson and News Director Jim Bleicher we’re running the station. It brought back good memories when a lot of that era gathered yesterday to spend time with former 12 Sports Director Ed Phelps.

As for 25-66, despite a strong start and tons of potential to shake up the ratings game in Flint, it has never found its way due to management not believing in and sticking to a long-term plan.
I’m not in television. What’s HUTs and PUTs?



sinklair
Posts: 2209
Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2019 11:59 am

Re: Killing Local Sports

Post by sinklair » Thu Jul 29, 2021 7:03 am

Realist: sorry, HUTs are “households using television” and PUTs are “persons using televisions” — how rating services like Nielsen measure ratings for local stations like 25-66. When HUTs and PUTs are high, more people are watching, for example during Super Bowl weekends. But if you compare historic viewership levels for local newscasts over the past decade, all local newscasts are significantly down viewers — AKA local news isn’t “appointment TV” for most viewers anymore.



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