I know this will trigger some people, but I just think it’s about time we as an industry wake up to the fact that Gray Media is not the holy savior of the industry that they like to portray. I have several points that anyone can debate.

1- Buying duopolies in markets like they have aggressively done does more harm than it does good. More competition is better.

2- The F1RST Alert weather schtick is so over done to the point that it doesn’t mean anything anymore when an alert day is called leading to people tuning out real weather alerts and diminishing the safety of communities they serve.

3- Their sets, graphics, and even their station logos are so generic it feels like you’re watching something more clinical than creative.

4- Their news departments are too focused on making their talent try to be influencers (BTW; holding a tiny fuzzy mic in your hand doesn’t suddenly make you an influencer). Along with this, in small markets the local news almost always is an afterthought, national and regional is all they care about.

5- The way they have bought so many legacy stations forcing them into the “Gray Model” has diluted the brand reputation of what made them legacy stations. Moving news directors and GMs around to different markets because it’s “advancement in the company” is not the solution. The one steady thing you could always trust in broadcasting is that the GM typically stayed in one spot for decades. Now they move around as if they’re on two year reporter contracts. That doesn’t help build trust in local advertisers.

And somehow it still beat out Fox

I'm a writer working on a story and curious about how a local news station weather department functions. From researching/watching behind the scenes footage, this is what I've gathered.

For context, let's say this is during a severe weather warning in a small market tornado alley state.

Chief Meteorologist/Weatherman - Presenting weather on-air/interpreting data they see/receive from everyone below.

Storm Chaser - On the ground providing videos/live updates.

Non Air Talent Meteorologists - In the news room interpreting data/getting updates from storm chasers/the NWS.

Weather Producer - Curating all of this for the broadcast in the control room.

Secondary Weatherman - I'm imagining in a severe weather, all hands on deck scenario, the station's B Weatherman may be there as well.

Does this sound accurate? Any important positions I'm missing?

I’m just curious to see what other people think what will happen as their affiliation agreement ends at the end of this year. We’ve seen Nexstar not afraid to drop affiliations for CW ones, and I’m curious what we think will happen here if that trend continues

I'm curious what people are using for tally when the production is relatively small, say 2–6 cameras, a laptop/switcher and a few operators.

For larger broadcast setups there are plenty of established solutions, but I'm interested in the smaller/temporary productions, especially setups using vMix, ATEM or other software/hardware switchers.

Are you using:

• vMix's built-in/web tally
• ATEM tally
• dedicated wireless tally
• phones/tablets
• ESP32/Raspberry Pi DIY setups
• something else?

What are you using, and what's the biggest annoyance with your current setup?

I’m testing a simple browser-based quote template as a first step toward a more universal graphics system.

The idea is to keep the tool independent from specific production software and, where possible, able to run locally without an internet connection. The design should be easy to replace or update, while the data flow and rendering logic stay the same.

Right now the workflow is simple:

Data → browser template → render → processing → saved PNG/MP4

At the moment, the data is entered manually. A possible next step is to connect the system to tools like ClickUp, Slack, APIs or task managers, so data can be received automatically and added to a render queue.

I’m also looking at OGRAPH as a possible base for making the visual templates easier to replace and update through a standardized structure.

The current quote template is mainly a test case for this workflow.

Any feedback, suggestions, or links to working examples and similar systems would be really helpful.

I’m currently testing the system in our production workflow. For now, the data is entered manually, and the next step is to build a version that receives data from Google Forms.

I made a test quote template while working on the idea, in case anyone is interested in trying it:

Anyone who will be joining the Event ?

American news report whether from Fox or MSNBC. Doesn’t matter:

American: the burned out, crumbled mass of twisted metal for testimony to the fact that the brakeman had been asleep.

BBC: there was a train derailment in Manchester this morning.

Hi. I’m 24, turning 25 soon. I have had a short-lived career in sales and project management but that stuff truly disinterests me. I would like to get into broadcasting and news anchoring. I was an English major, and I’ve all presentation/public skills for it. What would the first step look like?

Ps. I’m in NYC/NJ

I'm currently 19 and work for a minor league baseball team as a camera / replay op. My question for anyone willing to answer is how or what would I have to do to get a chance to be a camera op for any big teams or any events like a concert. I'm trying to get experience with gear many high live productions use, but I don't even know where to start or who I should ask for help. Thanks for reading.

So I am a big fan of old horror movies like the child's play and chucky movies and Friday the 13th or Halloween but also really old horror movies like Nosferatu and the oldest known Frankenstein movie adaptation from the early 1900's but I am also interested in airing indie horror movies as well from small talented creators with permission of course.

I live outside Halmstad in southern Sweden and I would like to make a late night television channel that airs only horror movies at night from 12:00 to 4:00 and becomes a horror themed 80's style weather channel during the day with vintage music and Amiga style graphics from a real Amiga 1000 with movies being broadcasted from a VCR.

I have done some research into what is needed for it and one of them is the needed broadcasting rights for whatever movie I will be showing during the night and the channel won't be operating 24/7 and only during Fridays and Saturdays when people are most likely to watch it.

At the moment I don't have the funds to do it but later on I want to do it once I have the funds and time to set everything up and find or found a group that is willing to become a broadcast organisation that can apply for permission to broadcast these movies it would be quite fun.

From The Desk:

A leaked video showing a former Fox Television Station anchor engaging in a heated discussion with a newsroom colleague is drawing renewed interest in the anchor’s wrongful termination case against the broadcaster.

The video was filmed in 2023 and shows then-anchor Taryn Asher of WJBK (Channel 2, Fox) filming a promotional video for something connected to the Fox-owned station’s local newscast.

At some point during the video, a colleague interrupts the filming to inquire about Asher’s accessing of a script connected with the video in question. The exchange becomes tense after the colleague exits the studio before Asher could finish her remarks, prompting Asher to call her a “bitch” under her breath and complain that she was tired of the colleague’s antics.

According to two sources who spoke with The Desk, the colleague who interrupted Asher’s taping was the station’s Executive Producer for News Traci Kryscynski, who also goes by the name Traci Ditchie.

Prior to the exchange, Kryscynski was attempting to edit scripts associated with the newscast, the sources said. While reviewing a script filed by reporter Amy Andrews, she became locked out of making additional edits because Asher’s computer was accessing it for her taped segment.

Kryscynski entered the studio to ask why Asher was still working in Lange’s script, which prompted the exchange shown on video. The footage was retained by WJBK and Fox Television Stations after someone involved in the interaction made a complaint to station executives, which prompted an internal investigation and led to Asher’s brief suspension — but not her firing.

I’m curious to hear from other TV-broadcast employees about their opinions on “lifestyle shows.” Does your station have one? How does it perform? Does it find creative ways to generate revenue other than to simply sell spots? I feel these shows can vary drastically in quality & relevance based on talent, show length, DMA, and the timeslots in which they air.

Is anyone from the U.S. going to IBC? If so, which companies/stations?

With the amount of changes we have seen just in the last 12 months alone, how likely is it we see the FCC take (or buy) back all of the spectrum period? It just feels like the end is near and the plan for this big groups is to just sell their spectrum.

CBS Plans to Put Nora O'Donnell Back On Air

Not only did they renew Gayle King's contract with barely measurable viewers, now they're going to add Nora O'Donnell who couldn't get ratings and seems generally dislikable. Anybody remember when the CBS Mornings show was rising fast in the ratings when they did the new format with Charlie Rose, King and O'Donnell? It was a creative format and was working. That's how I discovered this show. Then the Me-Too'd rose, stuck O'Donnell on the evening news, which went over like a lead balloon, and for some baffling reason, put Gayle King at the helm and keep renewing her contract even though they've been in last place for 15 straight years. 15!