Stations and companies
Forum Communications has launched Sioux Falls Live as it awaits approval of the purchase of KWSD/36.1 (Sioux Falls). A menu on the website lists KWSDLive as “coming soon.” The site and its associated social media pages include reports from former Argus Leader editor Patrick Lalley, who joined Forum in August, as well as Forum South Dakota Capitol correspondent Jason Harward. It uses the same template as other Forum newspaper properties and, like the other sites, includes video weather forecasts recorded at the company’s WDAY-TV (Fargo).
Nexstar is warning viewers of a possible upcoming outage on Comcast due to a retransmission consent dispute. Affected stations would include CBS affiliates WHBF/4 (Rock Island-Quad Cities) and WFRV/5 (Green Bay). The warnings on the stations’ websites do not say when the outage would begin.
TVNewsCheck profiled news ratings growth at Tegna NBC affiliate KARE 11 (Minneapolis).
Broadcasting & Cable reported that Allen Media’s Local Now free streaming app will add feeds of local PBS stations around the country. It does not appear the feeds have been added at this point. PBS also freely streams through its own app and website.
There’s an interesting regional quirk of NFL TV scheduling this weekend: All broadcast viewers will have access to the Packers, but not the Vikings — the reverse of the complaint heard in western Wisconsin several times per year. The reason is a difference in network scheduling. The Packers will play on Monday Night Football and the ESPN broadcast will be simulcast on the full ABC network. However, the Saturday NFL Network game featuring the Vikings will only have broadcast simulcasts in home markets (KSTP-TV has the rights for Minneapolis).
People
The Milwaukee Business Journal reported that anchor Toya Washington is leaving Hearst ABC affiliate WISN-TV/12 (Milwaukee) at the end of the year.
Curtis Feder is joining Sinclair CBS/FOX affiliate KGAN/2 (Cedar Rapids) as a sports anchor.
Hearst CBS affiliate KCCI/8 (Des Moines) announced several promotions: Scott Carpenter will move from weekend morning anchor to weekday morning anchor, reporter Nicole Tam will anchor weekend mornings, and Amanda Rooker will become chief political reporter. Tam will be the station’s first anchor of Asian heritage.
Mark Poulose is leaving his position as sports director at Gray NBC affiliate KTTC/10 (Rochester) to work as a news reporter at the Gray station in his hometown of Kansas City.
RadioInsight reported that NRG Media’s “1620 The Zone” (KOZN Bellevue-Omaha) has launched “Mornings with Sharp & Handley” featuring Nick Handley, Gary Sharp, and producer Jimmy Chavez.
NewsNation interviewed Brian Winnekins, owner of WRDN/1430 (Durand, WI), about the future of AM radio.
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Disclosure: Jon Ellis is an employee of Gray Media Group. The statements and views expressed in this posting are his own and do not reflect those of Gray Media Group.