Big press release from Fox 13 about newscast expansion, time slot changes and newscast name changes. You will need to read the details multiple times to get a handle on everything.
Quick shortcut to note that the morning news will go from 5-11 a.m. (not sure what is happening with their current 430 a.m.) and Studio 13 Live moves to 11 from its current 10 a.m. slot. That will put it head to head with New Day NW on KING. Washington Sports Wrap moves earlier weeknights to 6:30.
Lots of new names for already existing newscasts (aka rearranging deck chairs), like Seattle News Tonight and Washington News Wrap.
Be warned that this means a more repetition of news stories and new graphics to digest. I wonder if new talent or reporters will be added?
Read the hyperbole and PR spin for yourself:
- 4 p.m. & 5 p.m.: Seattle News Tonight: Local news with depth, context, and the stories that matter to our community. Long-form interviews, extended live coverage on local stories, and in-studio guests.
- 6 p.m.: Washington News Wrap: A nightly focused look at state headlines and regional developments.
- 6:30 p.m.: Washington Sports Wrap: The day’s top sports stories from across the state.
- 7 p.m.: West Coast News Wrap: Coverage and commentary on major stories along the coast.
- 10 p.m.: Seattle News Tonight
On KZJO:
- 8 & 9 p.m.: Seattle News Tonight
Additionally, beginning later this summer, Good Day Seattle will now run six full hours, from 5 to 11 a.m., providing early risers and late starters with live local news, weather and features. At 11 a.m., Studio 13 Live, offers a half-hour of lifestyle and community stories.
Together, Fox 13 and Fox 13+ are adding two and a half hours of additional news content to their weekday broadcast schedules.
“By expanding our local programming and enhancing our streaming presence, we’re making it easier for viewers to stay informed, wherever and whenever they choose to watch,” said Amber Eikel, KCPQ- KZJO SVP and general manager. “This transformation reflects our commitment to delivering trusted, relevant news across all platforms.”
There is quite a bit to unpack here.
ReplyDeleteStarting in the morning, I get the impression from Fox 13's press release that the 4:30am half-hour of "Good Day Seattle" is being cut since they mention the show going for six full hours starting at 5am. This wouldn't be out of line with what has been happening in other large TV markets. Since COVID, a number of stations have cut the 4:30am half-hours of their morning newscasts, including some in Dallas, San Francisco, San Diego, Miami, and Milwaukee. It could even start a trend among our local stations, though I would hope that at least one station continues to have a 4:30am newscasts. Morning traffic starts getting bad early enough in the day that there has to be enough viewers to sustain at least one very early morning newscast.
Extending "Good Day Seattle" to 11am also isn't out of line with what has been happening in other large TV markets. There are several markets where the Fox station has already extended their morning newscasts into the 10am hour, such as Los Angeles, Hartford, and Denver. There are also several markets where standalone 10am newscasts have been launched, including New York, Raleigh, and Philadelphia.
Putting Studio 13 Live up against both KING's New Day Northwest and KOMO's 11am newscast, in addition to cutting the runtime from one hour to just 30 minutes, feels like Fox 13 is setting the show up to fail. I hope it thrives in its new timeslot and shorter format, but its likely to be an uphill battle.
As for the evening, the name "Seattle News Tonight" strikes me as being a bit off putting towards those of us who live outside of King County. I get that Seattle is both the largest city and regional center of the Seattle television market, but the branding completley ignores other important places in the market, such as Tacoma and Everett. "Northwest News Tonight" or "Washington News Tonight" would have been more fitting. That being said, they do seem to be making up for this with the "Washington News Wrap" at 6pm. It will be interesting to see how much focus the show gives to news outside of Seattle.
Unless the 7pm show "West Coast News Wrap" is expanding to an hour, moving the "Washington Sports Wrap" to 6:30pm opens up a space at 7:30pm for another local program or a syndicated program to air. I look forward to seeing what Fox 13 will put into that timeslot.
Bringing back the 8pm news hour on Fox 13 Plus/KJZO seems like a good idea. 8pm is an ideal time for many people who are unable to catch the news during the traditional dinnertime hours to be able to sit down and watch. It is also a good time for those who don't want to stay up late to catch the news. I don't fault Fox 13 for dumping the 8pm newscast in favor of the 6pm newscast a few years back as 6pm newscasts do tend to draw more viewers than 8pm newscasts. That being said, there is a large pool of potential viewers out there for an 8pm newscast, and if given the option, there are enough people who will watch it to make it worthwhile.
To make a long story short, there are both good things and bad things about this major revamp of local news and programming from Fox 13. I look forward to seeing how it all unfolds in the coming months.