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May 28, 2024 8:17 pm  #1


Four WDIV Detroit On Air Staff And Others Take Buyout Package

Of interest to those in Southwestern Ontario that watch Detroit TV, NBC affiliate WDIV offered some staff buyout packages and four well known on air people will be leaving.  From The Detroit News...https://www.detroitnews.com/story/entertainment/television/2024/05/28/bernie-smilovitz-to-leave-wdiv-along-with-meloni-tutman-macdonald/73883189007/

 

May 28, 2024 8:22 pm  #2


Re: Four WDIV Detroit On Air Staff And Others Take Buyout Package

American local stations are on the precipice of what we've seen here. Fee-for-carriage bought them a little more time, but as cords get cut that money's drying up too.

 

May 28, 2024 9:47 pm  #3


Re: Four WDIV Detroit On Air Staff And Others Take Buyout Package

Smilovitz was part of Channel 4's "dream team" in the '90s with Mort Crim and Carmen Harlan at the anchor desk, and Chuck Gaidica with his "Big Picture" weather. Many memories of watching Detroit TV via cable as early as 1989, and where I am now, Cogeco continues to carry that city's "4+1" stations in HD.

 

May 29, 2024 12:39 am  #4


Re: Four WDIV Detroit On Air Staff And Others Take Buyout Package

RadioAaron wrote:

American local stations are on the precipice of what we've seen here. Fee-for-carriage bought them a little more time, but as cords get cut that money's drying up too.

Local stations also relied on political ads during election season, and that money is also drying up.

 

May 29, 2024 11:12 am  #5


Re: Four WDIV Detroit On Air Staff And Others Take Buyout Package

ED1 wrote:

RadioAaron wrote:

American local stations are on the precipice of what we've seen here. Fee-for-carriage bought them a little more time, but as cords get cut that money's drying up too.

Local stations also relied on political ads during election season, and that money is also drying up.

The big reason why CBS Detroit got back into local news in a big way a couple of years back was because they were losing out on millions and millions of political advertising dollars.  For over 20 years they had no local newscasts and almost no local programming.  They are a CBS owned station.  

Last mid terms Detroit television was full of political advertising.  During newscasts and local breaks 2-4 ads in every commercial cluster.  Michigan has been a very lucrative market for political broadcast advertising in the US. It will be interesting to see if this changes in a few months.  

     Thread Starter
 

May 29, 2024 4:41 pm  #6


Re: Four WDIV Detroit On Air Staff And Others Take Buyout Package

ED1 wrote:

Local stations also relied on political ads during election season, and that money is also drying up.

I see lots of political ads on all the local Detroit stations... so I guess that's not the issue.

I will miss Bernie thought, he's quite the 'personality'.

Last edited by zed (May 29, 2024 4:43 pm)