Going 4 it: The inside story of the rise of WDIV

[Deleted User 7620]

What I found to be most striking, is how Channel 4 blew the riots coverage. “Civil Unrest”???

I can see why WWJ 4 had so many problems in the 1970s. Luckily, Post Newsweek bought the station and brought the station back.

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What I found to be most striking, is how Channel 4 blew the riots coverage. “Civil Unrest”???

I can see why WWJ 4 had so many problems in the 1970. Luckily, Post Newsweek bought the station and brought the station back.

Civil unrest is often a polite term for a riot.

[Deleted User 7620]

Since calling the riots a “Civil Unrest “ had a major negative impact on the station, one that took them years to recover, downplaying such a horrible event was not wise at all. Channel 7 portrayed it exactly what it was, a riot. This was why WXYZ eventually went to the top. They earned the trust of Detroit viewers where at the time, Channel 4 lost it. In a way, it could be good as it eventually caused Channel 4 to change, once it became WDIV in 1978. It obviously was not a ratings success overnight but them having to rebuilt the station did eventually lead to them being back by the 1984-85. NBC rising to the top did help as well.

I think this is exactly why WDIV is the way that it is today. They’ve learned from past mistakes.

[Rate This]

Since calling the riots a “Civil Unrest “ had a major negative impact on the station, one that took them years to recover, downplaying such a horrible event was not wise at all. Channel 7 portrayed it exactly what it was, a riot. This was why WXYZ eventually went to the top. They earned the trust of Detroit viewers where at the time, Channel 4 lost it. In a way, it could be good as it eventually caused Channel 4 to change, once it became WDIV in 1978. It obviously was not a ratings success overnight but then having to rebuilt the station did eventually lead to them being back come the 1984-85. NBC rising to the top did help as well.

I think this is exactly why WDIV is the way that it is today. They’ve learned from past mistakes.

It may have hurt them but it’s not really fair in the least bit:

Civil unrest include RIOTS, demonstrations, threatening individuals or assemblies that have become disruptive.

The trade to The Washington Post was a big help. I’m under the impression that the Evening News Association wasn’t putting forth a great product and the new owners cleaned house. Let’s not forget that around 15 years ago they were 2nd to 7. 4 Then hired Marla Drutz away from 7… she brought them back up to the top. That’s not a coincidence. Now those dials are rusted in place. But from 2003-2009 they were in the wilderness.

[dial-it-in]

[rugratsonline]

The trade to The Washington Post was a big help. I’m under the impression that the Evening News Association wasn’t putting forth a great product and the new owners cleaned house.

It especially showed in Washington when the ENA got WTOP-TV, which they renamed WDVM -- don't know how they did with news, but they went on a preemption spree for many years until Gannett acquired the station, becoming WUSA-TV.

Interestingly, from 2005 to 2015, the Detroit Free Press, which Gannett swapped for the Detroit News years earlier, held the license for WUSA until the creation of Tegna, which took Gannett's broadcasting properties.

[Deleted User 7620]

Very fitting that the WWJ-TV calls are being used on an also-ran of a station today given how crappy channel 4 was during the 70s.

True!

[SolidGoldDancers]

Very fitting that the WWJ-TV calls are being used on an also-ran of a station today given how crappy channel 4 was during the 70s.

They're working on replicating that.