Oregon Media Insiders

"i don't understand why advertisers still pay for time during their news."

With those demos, KOIN pays the advertisers!

...cue the KOIN ad guy...

-----
Lynn Siprelle * Fairy Blogmother

has changed his tune.

Does that mean the same thing as technical?

One hour. They tied in the demos during one hour. Yeah, that's a real run at em.

If memory serves... Kelley (re)joined KOIN in August 2004. She most likely signed either a 3 or 4 year agreement -- meaning that it's up this summer or next.

When Jeff arrived at KOIN in 1998, Pete Schulberg (writing for the Oregonian at the time) reported that Jeff signed a 6 year agreement with KOIN. I remember reading that in 2004, he re-signed for another lengthy term -- "into the next decade" was the phrase used, if I recall correctly.

The word on the street over the years is that the language in their contracts is such that KOIN cannot easily terminate the agreements.

The "rating" (as opposed to "share") indicates the percentage of the market in the listed demo (25-54) who watched at least 5 minutes during the time period listed.

Rating = viewership divided by population
Share = viewership divided by population watching any TV

So at 4 am you could have a 40 share of those watching, and a 1 or a .5 or smaller rating..... since very few folks are actually watching at that time.

What is a 1? I believe one point is equal to about 10 thousand homes. Correct me if that number has changed.

Well, you may have good ideas, but, you have to also have a realistic way to carry it out. KOIN doesn't really have the resources to go in depth. Do they?

Also, one thing I've never understood....it seems like it would be easy to let your reporters have more time for their packages (and i'm talking 3-6 minute packages or longer) and stories so you wouldn't have to fill up the rest of the newscast with junk. And if it ever got to the point where you couldn't actually fit all the stories in a newscast, then yay for you! You would actually have NEW content for the next newscast.

Boy, am I dreaming...

That sound you hear is the clicking of remotes acress the viewing area as viewers look for something faster paced and more interesting to them.

Nonsense. I just sat through a two hour movie about a rat who can cook. People will sit still for a story well told. Countdown spends time on stories and even manages to include the fluff.

If you can't hold a viewer's attention for three minutes, you're a bad storyteller. Or your story wasn't worth telling in the first place.

If the story is good, they will watch.

Is that the future of TV news is in the morning. Consider this:
The top rated shows at 6am outperformed the majority of evening shows (5pm, 6pm etc), and tied the top rated show at 6pm (!!).
And I can't believe KPTV's 4:30 am show got the same number as KATUs 5pm. That is truly crazy.

It's the only place where viewership is increasing. That's why it's so discouraging when KOIN and KATU don't compete with the big guns. When I watch those stations, it's like they've given-up in the morning news race. Get some watchable people!

Carl, Angelica and Rhonda?

Katu finishes in a distant 3rd place.. and they're not gaining viewers with the current team. My question is how long does KATU stick with those 3?

Carl and Rhonda are okay, but Angelica is really dull and run of the mill. She needs some energy. I think she would be better out in the field, where her roots are. I really believe they need a strong, experienced anchor in that spot. Maybe someone who has local roots or at least a local following.

Two words: shred day.

But that's ok.. we're flattered really.

KGW was the first to do a "shred day -- which is very successful. KGW did the first one so long ago.. those over at KPTV think they thought of it..

before paper was invented.

KGW has been asking reporters to use props and walk during standups for the past decade or more. It's certainly nothing new and is something Magid (consultant) has been pushing forever.

KGW used consultants. Consultants have been telling their clients to use props and walk in stand ups for 20+ years.

...viewers don't have anything to shred because they roll it up and smoke it !
The reason KPTV has big numbers, is because POrtland is 85 percent white trash...now there's a demo everybody wants in their billing books.
KGW has a much more intelligent...or shall I say, educated... following.
That's O-K for KPTV though too---look at how well NASCAR is doing nationwide with their moon-shine packin', chaw-spittin' fans.
It's all good. There's enough opossum pie and chitterlins' to go around for everybody to get stuffed at the trough of local TV news billing and revenue; Of course the hogs upstairs all stuff it in their pockets and buy their BMW's and Lexus SUV's...but that's another whole can of worms...

classist much?

-----
Lynn Siprelle * Fairy Blogmother

ask the KGW elitist how well the 'White Trash' argument went with a local BMW dealer.

A lot of sales types lurk here..

Portland IS white trash. Oh sure, there are small groups of non-WT folks. The so called "Cultural Elitists", Portland's growing "Creative Class" made up of writers and artists, as well as a few soccer families bumping around here and there. But, and it's a big one... a large part of the Portland Metro area is made up of lower middle class working poor who find it entertaining to see if one of their friends made on KPTV's Meth Watch. These folks are lighting up joints, drinking PBR, and snorting meth while they watch the news. Sweet. You are what you eat, and in this case you are what you watch!

Show me any market where the vast majority of folks aren't lower middle class people. Maybe not white, but most people period from Anchorage to Yreka are not upper crust wealthy folks.

Was Portland filled with classy, educated people when KGW was number one (for years and years and years)? Or did they all move away a couple of years ago, leading to KGW's crash in the ratings? Please enlighten me.

What numbers are you reading?

The show that's been hurt the most by KPTV's growing numbers. You can't deny that their 11 O'Clock ratings have incredibly low. I don't remember them getting 4's and 5's (or lower) on such a regular basis. They can't claim number one late night anymore. You can't spin that one, can you?

I think it's clear the KPTV's entry into the 11pm contest has had an impact. KPTV is averaging a 3 rating... and, in my opinion, those viewers aren't "new" 11pm news viewers. Instead, they're 11pm news viewers who used to watch another station. In essence, KPTV has "stolen" 3 ratings points from KATU, KOIN and KGW at 11pm. I think you see the most loss from KGW, but that could also be due to NBC lead-in programming declines. Regardless, it doesn't cost KPTV much money at all to put that 11pm newscast on the air, yet it has hurt the other stations tremendously as measured by their ratings drops at 11pm in the past year. Contrast that to KPTV's jump from a 0 to a 3 rating.

Like 'em or hate 'em, KPTV is doing a lot of things right these days. Their 10pm news is the highest-rated and most profitable newscast in the market; GDO is making a killing with record-high morning numbers and advertising income; their 9am show is going to be syndicated nationally this fall; and KPTV's aforementioned 11pm show is stinging the competition... even though it finishes 4th in the time slot.

I think it's safe to say that KPTV has emerged to be the smartest-managed station in the market... despite the shortcomings that are so-often (and sometimes rightly) mentioned on this blog.

KPTV hires part-time anchors. The whole thing will implode at some point. Sooner or later their employees will demand to be paid at least market wages for their work. Why do the people over there allow themselves to be hosed by a company that's making soooooooo much money. Are most of them too young to know any better? I don't get it.

KPTV will have no shortage of decent talent for their shows no matter who leaves and who they do not replace. Any talent trying to work their way through the hundreds of small markets will no doubt take part-time work, or in a few cases work 10 hours a week, just to get into a market size 23. This creates younger, very ambitious talent willing to work for nothing. I miss the Kevin and Hillary weekends. Content was cheesy but talent was great.

KPTV takes advantage of young, desperate people so they can avoid paying for health insurance and a 401k. What happens when that part-time employee gets sick? Do they have enough money to see a doctor? How about a hospital visit? Will we see KPTV employees on the Oregon Health Plan -- where the rest of us taxpayers pick up the tab because their TV station is too cheap to hire them full-time? The people at Meredith must be really proud!

...that KPTV isn't offering insurance for this position? I'm just sayin'.

-----
Lynn Siprelle * Fairy Blogmother

The job will come with benefits.

That must be a KPTVer's wet dream.

Thanks for using such a broad brush to paint us all. I'm nothing like this and everyone person that I know isn't either. Where are you hanging out. Thanks also for reminding me why I only watch KPTV for the weather.

Yes, KGW is a solid station and has great numbers for the most part. But you can't deny they used to own late night, along with every other daypart. They don't anymore. And the white trash comment was targeted at the 10 O'Clock news, not GDO or any other newscast. So the question remains, when KGW ruled late night, were the viewers smarter, richer and classier than they are now? I don't think the WT argument holds up. Not only is it offensive, it's just down right wrong.

11PM ratings are dropping across the country.. and morning news numbers are rising.. People aren't staying up as late as they once did.. I know you'd love to give the credit to KPTV but it's a nationwide thing.

I doubt that the KGW'er was really from KGW.

That would require internet access :)

I absolutely agree! I used to be in the business and seeing reporters hold up the mandated hub cap from the accident five hours earlier is beyond ridiculous. We literally laugh out loud and, by the way, miss the story because the reporter's credibility is shot.

Seriously....conduct polls, talk to your neighbor at Stumptown...whatever it takes to figure out what Portlanders want, because for the most part - you're all missing the boat.