What's going on with KPTM?

Stargazer · Post by **Stargazer** » Sun Sep 05, 2010 9:34 pm

I just saw this strange tribute to the ENTIRE news staff at KPTM... suggesting that they were ALL leaving??

Anyone know what's up with this??

Stargazer · Post by **Stargazer** » Sun Sep 05, 2010 9:56 pm

Wow, I found the answer (outsourcing the newscast to Davenport, IA?!?) ... this is nuts. I'm sorry, but I cannot take a newcast seriously which is done by an anchor team located 200 miles away... it will be interesting to see if they throw in the usual, in between story personal comments about the weather/traffic/events/etc... this is a joke.

http://www.omaha.com/article/20100708/LIVING/707089915

Stargazer · Post by **Stargazer** » Sun Sep 05, 2010 10:54 pm

Let's bring this social media resource to bear on the issue...

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=1 ... 453&ref=mf

Zilla · Post by **Zilla** » Sun Sep 05, 2010 11:48 pm

Honestly, I don't watch much news anyways. Never have. Apparently, if they're not getting good ratings. I guess many other people weren't watching either. Regardless, I thought this was funny:

"The arrangement allows us to deliver high-definition television in a financially manageable fashion,” said Oswald.

Who really cares if their news is in HD??? I understand the need for "digital" productions....but HD? If that's the driving force behind this it's stupid.

ricko · Post by **ricko** » Mon Sep 06, 2010 12:36 am

Because it isn't REAL news unless you can count the anchors' nose hairs.

GetUrban · Post by **GetUrban** » Mon Sep 06, 2010 10:30 am

Stargazer wrote:Wow, I found the answer (outsourcing the newscast to Davenport, IA?!?) ... this is nuts. I'm sorry, but I cannot take a newcast seriously which is done by an anchor team located 200 miles away... it will be interesting to see if they throw in the usual, in between story personal comments about the weather/traffic/events/etc... this is a joke.

http://www.omaha.com/article/20100708/LIVING/707089915

Davenport is over 300 miles away....closer to Chicago than Omaha.

The days of local anchor persons being local quasi-celebrities is over. I guess it really doesn't matter anymore where the anchors sit as long as they still have reporters based in Omaha. Other stations spend most of their broadcasts reading police reports anyway. I do think KPTM will loose more viewers of their newscast though.

Stargazer · Post by **Stargazer** » Mon Sep 06, 2010 10:58 pm

First newscast aired tonight...kind of funny to watch. Comments like "That will feel nice." in response to the weather forecast. Sports anchor seemed to struggle a little with his new subject matter. I'm waiting for the big Hawkeye to inadvertently show up on the Saturday extended forecast graphic.

Omababe · Post by **Omababe** » Tue Sep 07, 2010 8:11 am

Stargazer wrote:I just saw this strange tribute to the ENTIRE news staff at KPTM... suggesting that they were ALL leaving??

Anyone know what's up with this??

This was reported on Ted's Omaha News blog some time ago. I didn't think it was practical, but I guess I was wrong.

http://omanews.blogspot.com/2010/07/chopped.html

Omaha local TV news is in a very sorry state, and unfortunately this stunt is only bound to lower the bar to yet-again new lows.

S33 · Post by **S33** » Tue Sep 07, 2010 10:23 am

I see nothing wrong with it assuming they maintain a certain level of commitment to local reporting. Skip the "feel good" "heartland" cute cr-ap, skip the "1st" or "7th" birthday cr-ap; we don't care to see pictures of your children, skip the "Julies Diary", the Jim Fowler animal segment, cooking tutorials, etc. etc...

Just do a short, to the point local news broadcast with real news stories. 15 minutes a news is plenty for the Omaha market. We don't need 3 freakin' recaps of the weather, and for god's sake, please let the Davenport anchors make less awkward and mildly funny jokes.

Stargazer · Post by **Stargazer** » Tue Sep 07, 2010 11:23 am

Well it sounds like they found their niche then... although I think you're missing out on this amazing information resource called the world wide web. It provides you with everything you're looking for.

S33 · Post by **S33** » Tue Sep 07, 2010 11:41 am

Stargazer wrote:although I think you're missing out on this amazing information resource called the world wide web. It provides you with everything you're looking for.

Yeah, because I access this site via walkie-talkie.

Omababe · Post by **Omababe** » Tue Sep 07, 2010 12:20 pm

Stargazer wrote:Let's bring this social media resource to bear on the issue...

One approach I might suggest, if you're serious about this, is to assertively contact the local sponsors of the KPTM news and bug the heck out of them! My impression is that the new station owners are the type who think only with their pocketbooks, and only if their decision can be made to appear less than cost effective -- as in the diminished value of the airtime -- will they reconsider what they have done. I know this approach has been proven effective in other cases where pressure is to be applied to a local media outlet.

Omababe · Post by **Omababe** » Tue Sep 07, 2010 12:43 pm

S33 wrote:I see nothing wrong with it assuming they maintain a certain level of commitment to local reporting.

I really need to avoid passing judgment before I view the new "product", but I admit I'm not expecting much of an improvement. I do admit that I seldom watch 9:00pm news, as it's just the wrong time for me.

Skip the "feel good" "heartland" cute cr-ap, skip the "1st" or "7th" birthday cr-ap;

I do admit that the incessant over-use of the term "Heartland" on Channel 6 has become majorly annoying.

One other station (I forget which one) has begun to pick up the term as well. I admit it had a certain warm fuzzy feeling to it when it was first used, maybe a decade ago, but it's now worn out and needs to be retired.

Also the term "Web Channel", but I understand that their corporate office insists on the term.

None of the stations really give you much hard news. There's too much empty content, meaningless banter, and stuff like reading blog comments verbatim and passing them off as news! (If you're gonna do a "rip-n-read" at least do it off the wire!)

Oh well ...

Just do a short, to the point local news broadcast with real news stories. 15 minutes a news is plenty for the Omaha market.

I disagree. I think that a quality 30 minute newscast could be produced if a station would make the investment to do it. The problem is that the viewers are used to the mediocre drek which 3-6-7 put out and the airtime rates have been established at a level which supports only such mediocrity and nothing more. A quality newscast would require higher rates, thus driving the sponsors to the other two.

My hunch is that KPTM will most likely abandon the newscast after a while. Any bets?

Post by **Brad** » Tue Sep 07, 2010 1:13 pm

I wish one of the local stations would do more of an NBC nightly news format. Do in depth converge of 8 or 10 stories and that's it.

I am tired of every week seeing some idiot that is mad because they got scammed when they "Won a jackpot" but mailed $3000 to claim their prize... Or someone that got new windows from a Door to Door sales person that didn't finish the job.

We also don't need to see Bo Pelini NOT answering the same question all week. However may be the same people that mail $3000 to claim a prize don't remember from Monday to Tuesday that Bo isn't announcing a QB until Saturday...

I don't need to see what's going around or who's sick with what, if you feel bad, go to you doctor, don't guess from a 30 second report you saw on tv.

My Rundown:

KMTV Channel 3: They have had so many opportunities to work it out, but they can't go 3 weeks without making a change and people grew tired of it. They have also had the worst staff turnover of any station. They had most of the pieces at different times, but never had anyone to put it all together.

WOWT Channel 6: Somehow they are still number one when they can't even make it through a news cast without. They also are good at catering to the older crowd that still like watching the news every night and appreciate their never changing news cast. However they need to get rid of that their dumb add-ons... the "Hour by Hour Forecast", the "Back Back Journalist", the "web channel" and the new online chat where the anchor reads viewer comments live on the air.

KETV Channel 7: When I catch the ketv news, the seem to do a good job. There are two things I really don't like about ketv, one is not part of the news cast, but it makes me so mad, I don't watch the newscast.... Their weather page on the website is the absolute wost thing I have ever seen. Whoever thought that website page was a good idea is an idiot! I also don't like their music or tone or whatever you call it when they go to or come back from commercial.

KPTM Channel 42: Taylor and Amanda were good, but there had a few other staff members that were questionable. Something I thought I was watching a story with a high school girl reporting. I think their news was about 30 min too long and their biggest problem was they were running a low budget operation during prime-time.

TechnicalDisaster · Post by **TechnicalDisaster** » Tue Sep 07, 2010 1:29 pm

KETV Channel 7: When I catch the ketv news, the seem to do a good job. There are two things I really don't like about ketv, one is not part of the news cast, but it makes me so mad, I don't watch the newscast.... Their weather page on the website is the absolute wost thing I have ever seen. Whoever thought that website page was a good idea is an idiot! I also don't like their music or tone or whatever you call it when they go to or come back from commercial.

I agree. Before the change, KETV's website was my primary source for viewing the weather radar. They had tons of options to choose from and it was really easy to use. Now it is a complete cluster f-bomb piled under a train wreck of a user interface.

I am mostly sick of everyone's fear mongering advertisements; "Warning to parents, this popular toy will instantly murder your babies. Find out what it is, at 10!" Followed up by "later in the news cast we'll tell you what toy is murdering babies, stay tuned." Until the very last second. They advertise stories as if they're broadcasting a reality game show, not actual news.

And yeah, I get so peeved about the 'consumer watch' stories that really amount to someone being stupid in the first place. "I bought tickets to Hannah Montanna from a stranger on the internet, it turned out to be bogus, and now my precious little snow flake can't go to the concert." I believe at least half of Omaha can't read their cell phone contracts. "What do you mean my fart ring tones cost $5.99? That's unpossible!!"

S33 · Post by **S33** » Tue Sep 07, 2010 1:41 pm

TechnicalDisaster wrote:
I agree. Before the change, KETV's website was my primary source for viewing the weather radar. They had tons of options to choose from and it was really easy to use. Now it is a complete cluster f-bomb piled under a train wreck of a user interface.

I am mostly sick of everyone's fear mongering advertisements; "Warning to parents, this popular toy will instantly murder your babies. Find out what it is, at 10!" Followed up by "later in the news cast we'll tell you what toy is murdering babies, stay tuned." Until the very last second. They advertise stories as if they're broadcasting a reality game show, not actual news.

And yeah, I get so peeved about the 'consumer watch' stories that really amount to someone being stupid in the first place. "I bought tickets to Hannah Montanna from a stranger on the internet, it turned out to be bogus, and now my precious little snow flake can't go to the concert." I believe at least half of Omaha can't read their cell phone contracts. "What do you mean my fart ring tones cost $5.99? That's unpossible!!"

Correct, correct, and correct.

Never did understand the change with the weather page. A simple two paragraph description of the weather for the next 24hrs with a weather toolbar would be sufficient. It doesn't need to look like a |expletive| children's toy.

I find wowt.com the easiest, although, I cringe if I ever decide to torture myself and read viewer comments. Though, if you want a good laugh, jump on over there and read "Jim's Blog - La Nina", it got pretty funny assuming the comments weren't deleted.

thenewguy · Post by **thenewguy** » Tue Sep 07, 2010 10:37 pm

dumb. That'd be like NYC news stations outsourcing to Albany.

Post by **Brad** » Wed Sep 08, 2010 7:25 am

I watched it last night. I don't see where the money savings is. I figured they would tape a sports segment, I weather segment, and tape a news segment all separately and they could knock out the 1 hour news in 30 min and go on to the next station, but it appears they are all doing a normal news cast all interacting together. It seems ridiculous... but so do most big companies anymore.

It also sucks my photo is not behind the news desk anymore

Post by **Brad** » Wed Sep 08, 2010 8:10 am

I would say Ted Brockman's Omaha Media Blog sums up the state of local media right now...

http://omanews.blogspot.com/

Ted Brockman wrote:There've been quite a few departures and arrivals in the past several weeks. We see the exits of weekend anchor Devon Patton and Kerri Stowell as positives for the Channel 3rd. Then again, lord knows what they'll hire. So far Dave Roberts doing weekends has worked. Maybe they should stick with that.

At Channel 7, longtime morning field reporter Mike'l Severe is out the door, and it's been a while since we've seen Eddie Munster doppleganger Ryan Luby on the air. Severe's departure is a big loss for the station, since he is perhaps the hardest-working man in Omaha TV right now. There have been several new hires at 7, but, for the life of us, we can't recall a single one of their names.

Of course, even the greenest of KETV's new hires would top just about anything working at SuxNews. No one there seems to be going anywhere. (Who'd offer them jobs?) Mumbly, videotape-thanking weekend morning anchor Bryan Latham is gone; no loss there. And Dave Weber, who supposedly retired a year ago, keeps resurfacing alongside amply-eyebrowed Greg Ortiz, who was hired some months ago to replace Merlin Klaus. Although Weber is still more palatable than his successor, Ross Jernstrom, his post-retirement loitering is second only to Rainbow Rowell's return to the local paper in the "Pathetic Retreads" department.

S33 · Post by **S33** » Wed Sep 08, 2010 10:04 am

"Eddie Munster doppleganger Ryan Luby"

Lmao, so true.

nativeomahan · Post by **nativeomahan** » Thu Sep 09, 2010 10:22 pm

Cruel. Cruel. Cruel.
Keep it coming.

cdub · Post by **cdub** » Fri Sep 10, 2010 7:46 am

Brockman sounds like a giant girly who wanted to be Anchorman but couldn't get the job.

Not being able to look at Keri Stowell is a very sad turn to my day.

S33 · Post by **S33** » Fri Sep 10, 2010 12:05 pm

Or he's just your average viewer who is able to give a humorous slant at the expense of their poor anchor talent and studio production. :yes:

Stargazer · Post by **Stargazer** » Sun Sep 12, 2010 9:21 pm

I'm having a hard time figuring out the accent of the weekend anchor... is he disguising a British accent?? Sounds a little like Mr. Howell from Gilligan's Island.

jimbo1969 · Post by **jimbo1969** » Wed Oct 27, 2010 7:51 pm

Yea and whats with the guy with the bad rug? Stooges on 42 it sucks we want to see local anchors, not spoon-fed,if you cant, just can it all together, as for the elmer fudd guy , I cant tell if its an accent or a impediment, either way you can tell he doesn't know how to say the local names. A big failure all together.Sad

InTheO! · Post by **InTheO!** » Tue Nov 02, 2010 3:00 pm

I can't stand watching it now. I used to enjoy KPTM but now it's awful. I don't like the new anchors at all. The woman looks anorexic and she wears WAY too much makeup and the man is so boring I feel like falling asleep. It has a very second rate feel to the whole broadcast and you can tell the people could care less about things going on here. They should have kept it local, I miss all the old crew, at least they had some personality. I guess I'll just skip watching most nightly news or wait the hour and watch it on KETV. Very disappointed.

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Tue Jun 04, 2013 5:40 pm

Sinclair Broadcast Group Announces Agreement To Purchase Certain TTBG Stations

Sinclair buys KPTM and KXVO. I wonder if this will change anything.

Post by **nebugeater** » Tue Jun 04, 2013 6:12 pm

Coyote wrote:Sinclair Broadcast Group Announces Agreement To Purchase Certain TTBG Stations

Sinclair buys KPTM and KXVO. I wonder if this will change anything.

Sinclair is the worst for dealing with their stations with the Satelite Industry. Both Dish and Direct. Not much good is said abount Sinclair on any topic on a fourm about Broadcast Options I follow.

S33 · Post by **S33** » Tue Jun 04, 2013 6:33 pm

So it's not the big green dinosaur?

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Tue Jun 04, 2013 6:43 pm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclair_Broadcast_Group

Wow. Retransmission disputes with Suddenlink, Mediacom, Time Warner, Comcast, Dish Network, and DirectTV!

jessep28 · Post by **jessep28** » Tue Jun 04, 2013 7:35 pm

Coyote wrote: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclair_Broadcast_Group

Wow. Retransmission disputes with Suddenlink, Mediacom, Time Warner, Comcast, Dish Network, and DirectTV!

Ehh, the disputes were probably along the line of what we saw with WOWT and KETV bickering with Cox.

Post by **nebugeater** » Tue Jun 04, 2013 7:38 pm

jessep28 wrote:
Coyote wrote: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclair_Broadcast_Group

Wow. Retransmission disputes with Suddenlink, Mediacom, Time Warner, Comcast, Dish Network, and DirectTV!
Ehh, the disputes were probably along the line of what we saw with WOWT and KETV bickering with Cox.

far from it. They have a history of lengthy, and bitter. Way beyond what COX and the locals went through.

cp jay 07 · Post by **cp jay 07** » Wed Jun 05, 2013 10:22 am

Do we know when the sale will be finalized and they will take over the stations?

Post by **nebugeater** » Wed Jun 05, 2013 10:53 am

From the attached story that was included in the original post on this

Completion of the transaction is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including approval by the Federal Communications Commission ("FCC") and antitrust clearance, if required. The Company anticipates that the transaction will close and fund late in the third quarter /early in the fourth quarter of 2013,

cp jay 07 wrote:Do we know when the sale will be finalized and they will take over the stations?

jag42 · Post by **jag42** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 9:46 pm

new set and all new anchors on KPTM 42...wonder where it is originating from now????

jessep28 · Post by **jessep28** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 9:57 pm

jag42 wrote:new set and all new anchors on KPTM 42...wonder where it is originating from now????

The Moon.

zitro21 · Post by **zitro21** » Tue Jun 25, 2013 2:44 pm

Fresno, CA

Omababe · Post by **Omababe** » Wed Jun 26, 2013 9:46 am

zitro21 wrote:Fresno, CA

Are you serious?

jag42 · Post by **jag42** » Wed Jun 26, 2013 3:41 pm

"Beginning tonight, we have brought the news production back within the company and with the help of our award winning sister-station KMPH and their top rated news team, we have partnered to produce the all new “FOX 42 News at Nine”.

Yup...I googled KMPH...they are "Fox 26" in Fresno, CA.

jessep28 · Post by **jessep28** » Wed Jun 26, 2013 4:20 pm

http://www.kptm.com/category/106682/meet-the-team

http://www.kmph.com/category/109681/meet-our-team