KOLR Debuts On-Air Makeover
SPRINGFIELD, MO.: KOLR-TV, the CBS affiliate in this Ozarks market, has updated its graphics, logo, music and news packaging in general. Nexstar senior vice president of station operations Blake Russell designed the set with Arkansas-based builder Lance Schroeder of Schroeder Enterprises, according to KOLR.
“This operation is now similar to what you would enjoy in a top rated television market,” said Mark Gordon, vice-president and general manager of Nexstar Broadcasting’s KSFX-TV, which provides local services to KOLR-TV and Mission Broadcasting. “In this era when people can watch so many news outlets on cable, it’s imperative that we as local broadcasters have to operate at the highest standards to compete for viewers.”
WOAW-TV General Manager to Retire
WASAU,WIS.: Laurin Jorstad is giving up the reins of WAOW-TV, the ABC affiliate in this Central Wisconsin market. Jorstad has worked at the Quincy-owned station for more than 36 years and served as vice president and general manager for 30. He’ll step down at the end of this year, WOAW reports.
KWBU-TV Cable Gets Disrupted by Porn
WACO,TEXAS: The PBS member station under the auspices of Baylor University is trying to find out how its program feed was hijacked with a porn clip Sunday evening. The station was running “My Music: ‘50s Pop Parade,” when it was interrupted by several seconds of adult programming on Time Warner Cable Systems. A spokeswoman for the cable provider said a “failed QAM tuner” was the culprit, according to the Waco Tribune-Herald..
KWKT-TV Scales Back Newscast
WACO, TEXAS: KWKT-TV, the Fox affiliate in this Central Texas community cut its 9 p.m. half-hour newscast down to a few minutes, according to the Waco Tribune-Herald. The weeknight newscast is now about eight minutes, “augmented” by seven, 30-second updates during the day. Five journalists were laid off the in wake of the changes.
“Our March sweeps were actually pretty good,” said KWKT General Manager Ron Crowder. “To us, we were doing better than we had expected. The company that owns us,” Lafayette, La.-based White Knight Broadcasting, “lost $8 million in auto advertising due to the economy, however. It prompted a look at our methodology for delivering the news.”
Stations Strategies Summarized
NEW YORK: Some stations are cutting news and people while others are expanding coverage. David Bauder of The Associated Press provides an overview of how the recession is affecting TV station operations and local news.
“You don’t want tough economic times to make it look like you’re giving up or coasting,” said Stacey Woelfel, news director at KOMU-TV in Columbus, Mo.
