Save Local TV?

[4X4]

Print media isn't really going down the tubes, it's being forced to change - through dropping revenues.
People no longer buy newspapers and magazines to stay informed, they buy them to stay entertained in places they otherwise would be bored. Breakfast table, waiting rooms, airplanes, transit, etc. So a few newspapers die. Big deal. It won't kill the industry, it'll streamline it. The strong will survive and I'll continue picking up a copy of the latest Astronomy magazine every time I fly.

As for the papers like Metro, they're not there to tell you stuff. They're there to keep your eyes pointed in a particular direction so that you're not uncomfortable in a sardine can full of strangers. And the ads are there because eventually you'll read all the "news" (haha, you know you're just re-reading an article you read two days ago and checking to see if the story is being reported the same way) and move on to the advertisements.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

The only way local TV would be relevant if it was 100% community oriented. Sort of like a CNN for Calgary that just played non-stop local content and information.

Yeah, that makes sense. Other than the local news it's much the same programing with any CTV station throughout Canada

[4X4]

Originally Posted by Dion

Yeah, that makes sense. Other than the local news it's much the same programing with any CTV station throughout Canada

Exactly. Couldn't they just have one news room, with the same people, recording the local news in half hour increments in the hours leading up to local 6pm?
No offense to our local newscasters, but their jobs seem redundant. I mean. look at the amount of time they spend on meteorology. I'm sure KG appreciates it, but it makes me change the channel. It's worse than the first three dates. First date, she gives you a 'f*** me" smile - evening news equivalent, "the weather's gonna change tomorrow. We'll tell you more in 10 minutes". Second date, she lets you french kiss her and grab her tit - evening news equivalent, "today it rained, tomorrow it might, and the five day forecast in ten more minutes". Third date, you nail her - evening news equivalent, "warm front, cold front, it rained here, snowed there, the forecast for the next 5 days is this".

Thanks. The internet could have solved that about half an hour ago.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by Dion

Yeah, that makes sense. Other than the local news it's much the same programing with any CTV station throughout Canada

And most of that is imported American shows and the rare Corner Gas type deal anyway. Useless network stuff that you would rather watch from the cable channels or download from the internet or even stream for free.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by 4X4

Exactly. Couldn't they just have one news room, with the same people, recording the local news in half hour increments in the hours leading up to local 6pm?

That makes too much sense. I'm suprised CTV and such hasn't picked up on that idea. Better than that create a national news channel where each city records it's own local news and have it aired at a certain time each day. CFCN covering the south end of the provice and the one in Edmonton covering the north.

[Finny61]

CNN sucks, we don't need one in Canada mind you technically we already have one CTVnewsnet but no one watches it, likely for a lot of the reasons discussed they are all headliners that we can get quickly and efficiently off the internet at anytime versus wading through the filler on the news channel.

Local news for small communities should be more emphasized on radio broadcast, for example my hometown news never makes any local tv channels but I get all kinds of stuff on the local AM station and on top of that I can pick up that broadcast from the internet so no matter where I am I can get informed on what's happening with my town.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Finny61

CNN sucks, we don't need one in Canada mind you technically we already have one CTVnewsnet but no one watches it, likely for a lot of the reasons discussed they are all headliners that we can get quickly and efficiently off the internet at anytime versus wading through the filler on the news channel.

Pretty much. I get Canadian Press on my Blackberry, so I've got the news whenever I want it, wherever I am. Virtually everything on network television is crap these days, and what is interesting can be bought on DVD to watch at my leisure.

As with others, I agree that network television has long since fallen to irrelevancy. I do like watching the local newscast from time to time, but not often enough that I'd miss it if it was gone.

[OilKiller]

I've got a big middle finger for CTV and Canwest.

Sick of these companies crying the blues while they hold our entertainment hostage, block competition and rake in millions and millions of dollars.

Suck it...

[Titan]

Originally Posted by 4X4

Exactly. Couldn't they just have one news room, with the same people, recording the local news in half hour increments in the hours leading up to local 6pm?
No offense to our local newscasters, but their jobs seem redundant. I mean. look at the amount of time they spend on meteorology. I'm sure KG appreciates it, but it makes me change the channel. It's worse than the first three dates. First date, she gives you a 'f*** me" smile - evening news equivalent, "the weather's gonna change tomorrow. We'll tell you more in 10 minutes". Second date, she lets you french kiss her and grab her tit - evening news equivalent, "today it rained, tomorrow it might, and the five day forecast in ten more minutes". Third date, you nail her - evening news equivalent, "warm front, cold front, it rained here, snowed there, the forecast for the next 5 days is this".

Thanks. The internet could have solved that about half an hour ago.

You bastid.!!

Now I am going to get wood every time the weather comes on tv.

[Titan]

I think we are observing the downslope of the cycle. It relates to both the Brandon stations and to the NYT. It is the reporters hired by the NYT that bring the big and international stories that drives viewers and readers. When the companies go away, the reporters go away. But...the market will demand these stories and someone will come up with a model that allows the reporters to do what they do and make it profitable. The same with the local stations. If Brandon, or wherever, feels the need is going unfulfilled then someone will step up and set up a new station, or an internet channel, or something to fill the void. That is how all of these places were served 50 years ago and then Rogers and Conrad bought all of the small pieces and away we go. I do think this is a great opportunity for someone figure out how to deliver what people want, locally relevant stories and large international stories, in a new and profitable way. We'll see.

ON this note, would anyone listen to a 5 secon ad at the start of a song if you could download it for free? I probably would.

[Barnes]

Originally Posted by OilKiller

I've got a big middle finger for CTV and Canwest.

Sick of these companies crying the blues while they hold our entertainment hostage, block competition and rake in millions and millions of dollars.

Suck it...

Word.

I'll add newspapers too. I had a guy come to my door to offer me the Herald free for 3 months and I said no, I won't read it. It will just get recycled. His answer was the Herald is now smaller and won't take up as much room in my blue bin.

Hahahahahahaha

Door close. Greatest selling point ever.

[Titan]

One other thing. Let me pick my own damn channels. I hate paying for APTN and such. Let me pay for 10 channels and then pickem, or 20 or 30 or whatever.

[fredr123]

We watch Global News in the morning before we head off to work. The wife and I watch the newscast on CTV every evening while we have supper. If I had my way, we'd watch something else but I never get my way.

A couple things really bug me about local newscasts here in Calgary. First, I don't need Bruce McAllister to read the paper to me in the morning. Just about every day you see him talking about something in the Herald and often times he'll even hold it up for the camera to see it. If I wanted to read the Herald, I would just go grab it and read it. This is redundant.

Speaking of redundant, CFCN runs basically the same news program three times in a row during the supper hours but with different hosts. I'm pretty sure Darryl Janz and Barb Higgins don't do the shows for free but it seems they only have to work half an hour a day. If they're chasing down leads or editing stories or something the rest of the time, then my apologies. If not, CFCN has three sets of anchors on the payroll to do the same newscast three times. That doesn't seem efficient at all.

On local TV in general, outside of the news (which is of minimal value) I don't know what local TV is really doing for me. I can't think of a single Canadian program outside of sports (so that really only applies to the CBC) that isn't on cable that I actually enjoy. Everything I like to watch is an American production with simsub advertising.

[mykalberta]

If they are going to do that then Shaw should introduce ala carte pricing for everything. I only watch one local news station, why should I pay for all 4.

[IntenseFan]

CTV Calgary became dead to me when they launched their HD channel just in time to sim-sub the Super Bowl. Most frustrating experience ever.

I will now not lift a finger to help them.

[Thunderball]

Originally Posted by Titan

One other thing. Let me pick my own damn channels. I hate paying for APTN and such. Let me pay for 10 channels and then pickem, or 20 or 30 or whatever.

That would be nice, but they know full well if they don't package dud channels like APTN, HGTV, etc. with Comedy, Sportsnet, etc., they'd never make a cent off those channels.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by fredr123

We watch Global News in the morning before we head off to work. The wife and I watch the newscast on CTV every evening while we have supper. If I had my way, we'd watch something else but I never get my way.

A couple things really bug me about local newscasts here in Calgary. First, I don't need Bruce McAllister to read the paper to me in the morning. Just about every day you see him talking about something in the Herald and often times he'll even hold it up for the camera to see it. If I wanted to read the Herald, I would just go grab it and read it. This is redundant.

Speaking of redundant, CFCN runs basically the same news program three times in a row during the supper hours but with different hosts. I'm pretty sure Darryl Janz and Barb Higgins don't do the shows for free but it seems they only have to work half an hour a day. If they're chasing down leads or editing stories or something the rest of the time, then my apologies. If not, CFCN has three sets of anchors on the payroll to do the same newscast three times. That doesn't seem efficient at all.

On local TV in general, outside of the news (which is of minimal value) I don't know what local TV is really doing for me. I can't think of a single Canadian program outside of sports (so that really only applies to the CBC) that isn't on cable that I actually enjoy. Everything I like to watch is an American production with simsub advertising.

CFCN has 2 half hour news casts which are almost identical and then a one hour one.

Global has a 1/2 news at 5, then Global National at 5:30, then 1 hour news.

And yeah, I agree that they go over the same story a number of times. Same thing as TSN Sportcentre does; even though it is a "One hour edition" they break it into half hour segments and therefore do half-assed jobs.

Make the stories a little longer, a little more in depth. Make the weather and sports each one segment so they can actually do a decent job.

And as for Canadian Content, we can do News, Sports, Documentaries, reality shows (I'm thinking "Holmes on Homes" type of shows), and some variety comedy shows (Rick Mercer Report).

But outside of those the only sit-com that was very good, Corner Gas, just ended their run. I would hope that would give the networks and idea how to do shows like these, but I'm not holding my breath.

[4X4]

Dont forget TPB!

[You Need a Thneed]

Shaw's been running full page ads in the Herald the last few days countering the ads that are seen on TV.

[ken0042]

Added a Public poll. I made it public so maybe somebody who makes decisions will see it, and be able to see it isn't some obscure internet poll.