Ah, it's that time to make predictions for the New Year in Seattle Media, so let's get started. And, if you want to add your Nostradamus-like skills to forecast the future, please do.
1. I am 100% sure that Seattle's morning news crew of Jake Whittenberg, Mimi Jung, will host the 'New Year's at the Needle' festivities along with some coverage from Kelly Hanson of New Day NW and Chris Cashman of Evening. My crystal ball also tells me KING5+ will have coverage starting at 11 on K5+ and the big show at 11:30 will also go out to Portland and Spokane and even San Diego thru the Tegna stations network. Amazing!
2. As I turn over my Tarot cards, I foreshadow that Tegna, owners of KING, KGW and KREM in the PNW, will be taken over by Nexstar by mid-year, if not sooner, with job losses to follow.
3. The stars auger that they will never ever align for KOMO's owner, Sinclair, as not even the forlorn Scripps group wants to hook up with them.
4. Sadly, a black cat crosses my thoughts when I predict that KIRO will not ressurect its dearly departed sports department in 2026.
5. Through my omniscient trance, I see Paul Silvi and Walter Jones hosting a Seahawks playoff victory show on K5's Fifth Quarter. Maybe two, altough the spirits are a tad blurry right now on that.
6. The voices that surround me portend more excellent growth and popularity for KOMO's Sports Director Niko Tamurian and weather anchor Stella Sun.
7. I clearly foretell confusion over how exactly Mariners fans will see their team on TV for the 2026 season, considering the demise of Root Sports and MLB taking over broadcasts, but with fervent hope that a braodcast station offer a rescue.
8. I envision more energy, enthusiasm and new segments on the KHN pre-game shows.
9. The tea leaves prophesy that there will be better studio furniture for the live programs at KCPQ when the station moves to a skyscraper in Seattle's Denny Triangle by next November.
11. Even though it's probably available 'on demand,' I anticipate a 2026 summer rerun on KOMO of Fox 13's Aaron Levine's appearance on Jeopardy.
Bonus. Most importantly, my right palm's long lifeline divines continued success for my Seattle TV Media blog in 2026 with its excellent readers offering more and more knowledgeable, pointed comments.
Happy New Year to one and all. Celebrate safely.
Great predictions, Wayne! I suspect that most, if not all of them, will come true.
ReplyDeleteHere are a few predictions of my own.
1. When Nexstar does acquire Tegna, they will poach the CW affiliation away from KUNS and move it to KONG as soon as they get the chance. That could be sometime in 2026, but it may also come in 2027.
2. The Mariners will find a local broadcast partner for select games, and that partner will be KOMO. Why KOMO? They need more content for KUNS, especially since the odds of KUNS keeping its CW affiliation long term are looking to be low. Mariners games would go a long away towards filling some of the primetime hours that would become vacant. It would also likely bolster content for Portland's KUNP, which is very similar to KUNS, but doesn't have the CW affiliation.
3. Once KOMO and The Mariners form a partnership, KOMO will either hire another sports reporter, or appoint Chris Daniels to the sports department full time and maybe hire someone to take over his news reporting duties.
4. KIRO's parent company will announce that they have finally found a buyer for their stations, and that buyer will be Sinclair (if they can't get Scripps, why not Cox?). However, because Sinclair owns KOMO and KUNS, KIRO ends up needing to be divested to a third party. That third party is either Gray, Hearst, or Scripps. Whoever buys KIRO also buys Portland's KGW since Nexstar already owns KOIN and KRCW down there.
5. Redevelopment plans will be announced for Fox 13's current building. Those plans will consist of pricey apartments and condos. Maybe a bit of ground floor retail, and possibly a rooftop restaurant.
6. Nexstar will trim KING's journalism awards competition budget.
I think KCPQ could up their ratings if the David and Hannah were sitting on the edge of a bed instead of easy chairs making goo goo eyes at each other.
ReplyDeletePerception vs reality. We went to the New Year's at the Needle, to the actual party at the top with the in-laws in 2006. We were at the top, it was so boring. A bunch of people milling drinking around with nothing in common. However, when the camera is on, everyone is trying to get on TV. They are waving and cheering, so if you are watching at home, it looks like a rollicking great time.
ReplyDeleteInteresting perspective. I'll have to keep this in mind the next time one of the stations does a live cross to a holiday or viewing party.
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