Oregon Media Insiders

some have heard about it and that it still has bugs in the system. It doesn't really live up to all the claims yet...

The system is used in many smaller markets, where production demands and expectations are much lower than larger markets. If you ask the people at KABC, KGO, and even KCNC in Denver they will tell you that while the system has some nice features, it is not a perfect solution. It works in some applications-- it not in others. KABC, which has had the system for nearly a year, has been unwilling to put it into full operation on its primary newscasts because of ongoing glitches.

Small market stations with more simple production requirements can make do, but it is a work in progress.

The tragedy of all of this is people like SJL jump in with both feet, dump qualified people, and wait for the bucks to roll in, without a shakedown period to see if the people they eliminated were really expendable. (See the last thread about Syd Bates, for instance.)

When it comes to saving money, you need to be smart about how and where you cut--Otherwise you shoot yourself in the foot, and have to back track, hire people back, or in KOIN's case, bring back laid off workers as Freelancers to pick up the slack and carry out scheduled productions.

Everyone wants to work for a profitable company. The paychecks never bounce. But it is foolish to strip a place to the bone before you really understand what it takes to run a quality shop, unless you really don't care about serving the customer, or treating employees with any respect. But then, Montecito has shown its true colors in this regard, already. Nuf said.

Sounds a little odd that a major market would try something unproven. I would think they'd give it a whirl in a much smaller market to make sure it performs as advertised. At least you can make some mistakes in those places and not pay dearly. Assuming Ignite is everything it's cracked up to be, I would think mid to smaller markets would love it. It's difficult enough to find production people in those places, let alone good ones.(Trust me, I've been there)But in places where you have fairly complex newscasts I would be highly skeptical. I saw one station in a top 40 that has its studio pretty much on the street, kind of like NBC's Today Show. A Chicago station has a similar set up. The anchors can get up and go outside for a segment, then comeback in and be at the desk. They had people all over the fricking place.

Not sure if this will have an impact; but for what it's worth...Follow the crumbs...It's seven degrees of separation!

1)SJL sold WBNG in Binghampton to Granite Broadcasting for $40Millon+...
2)Granite Broadcasting's purchase of WBNG was conditional of Granite
completing their sale of their stations in San Francisco and Detroit (Both WB)
3)WB is folding, and these two stations will be indies
4)Granite's sale of SF and Detroit is now on hold because of the stations' new "indie" status.
5)SJL's sale of WBNG is stalled now, and SJL suddenly doesn't have that $40 Million from Granite they were budgeting....

But, knowing SJL, their financing of WBNG is probably like a 21 year old maxed out on 14 credit cards. Who knows what this may mean, but it's something to ponder as SJL makes a mockery of broadcasting and a perfect case of a cautionary tale in PR nightmares...

Hey: Joey Mac, perhaps you can go back and get your old job back. It's obvious that you've screwed up the image of KHNL in less than a month!

I'm not a finance guy, so I don't know how these guys do their "smoke-and-mirrors" financing. But, here's the info...I am not sure if you follow the cash, if it's related to the SJL-Emmis deal (Since Blackstone provided the $$$ for that deal), but SJL probably is counting on some $$$ from the WBNG/Binghampton sale. They have already establshed themselves as the avaricious spendthrifts of broadcasting--SJL would not plan to sell WBNG without getting some $$$.

The info (Note second to last sentence of final paragraph):

"NEW YORK, Jan. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Granite Broadcasting Corporation

(BULLETIN BOARD: GBTVK) announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the assets of WBNG, Channel 12, the CBS-affiliated television station serving Binghamton and Elmira, New York, for $45 million in cash, before closing adjustments. Binghamton is ranked by Nielsen Media Research as the nation's 156th largest market, and Elmira is ranked 173rd.

The transaction is subject to FCC approval and other closing conditions and is expected to close during the second quarter of 2006. The Company expects to use a portion of the proceeds from the sales of its two WB affiliates to fund this acquisition. The sales of both WB affiliates are expected to close before the end of January 2006."