Omaha Local TV News Channels

Post by **Brad** » Fri Oct 25, 2019 7:49 pm

Rusty posted on Facebook they are moving the meteorologists around on 6. He is going back to daybreak but staying then”Chief”.

Wouldn’t surprise me if more people watch daybreak than 10pm.

damonhynes · Post by **damonhynes** » Mon Oct 28, 2019 8:10 am

Brad wrote: Fri Oct 25, 2019 7:49 pm Rusty posted on Facebook they are moving the meteorologists around on 6. He is going back to daybreak but staying then”Chief”.

Wouldn’t surprise me if more people watch daybreak than 10pm.

And I don't think either daypart surpasses low four digits. Aside from breaking severe WX, there is absolutely no reason to get your news from a local broadcast.

nativeomahan · Post by **nativeomahan** » Tue Oct 29, 2019 9:38 am

I recall the promo Channel 6 did, years ago. The ad said “How many people watch the Channel 6 News at 10 pm?” Then they answered their own question by posting 2 duplicate photos of a full Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, with the tag line “This many!”

Curious at to how many watch now. I used to watch regularly. Now maybe only 25% of the time, and probably Channel 7.

Post by **Brad** » Tue Oct 29, 2019 9:56 am

For most of my adult life, I watched the local news 2-3 times a day. About a year or so ago, I stopped. I don't know why, I just didn't flip it on one evening and I have never got back in the habit. I may see the local at 10 pm once or twice a month these days.

With the internet, there really isn't a reason to waste a full 30 min. There are usually 2 or 3 stories I care about, I can just read them online and move on.

I don't miss the "kicker stories", I don't miss all the sports, I don't miss all the people getting ripped off in scams. I follow the weather really close, closer than the local news gives us, so I have no need for TV weather either.

damonhynes · Post by **damonhynes** » Tue Oct 29, 2019 10:46 am

When I sit down and think about it, there's not a good reason for me to do so--it's out of habit. I don't really GAF how many thugs and activists are holding up C-stores, or how many meth-heads stole a car and wound up in someone's backyard. Ch 3 went full tabloid at 5PM and no one cared good or bad.

I touched on the weather, Husker coverage has become vapid and no one cares about it anyway. The only people woofing the team are those who have a vested financial interest in doing so. I wonder what Sean Callahan's day job is, nothing personal.

There was a story that showed up on my FB within the past month that I sent to my OmaNews page, the post was from a professional group for PR professionals providing outreach for media personalities looking to get into Corporate Communications and PR careers. Twenty years ago, TV reporting was a career!

So why do I watch, apart from muscle memory? Cleavage. Even that's gone downhill, since all the boopsies are one third my age. Only exception are those professionals still left--Jennifer and Jennifer, Julie and when she's not on mama duty, Melissa. That's nothing against the other newsreaders--they're victims of unrealistic expectations, idealism and lazy post-secondary educational systems.

I think I'm going to make an effort to turn away from local news. I already refuse to watch the 5:30 Deep-State news and have been successful in keeping away from it.

bigredmed1 · Post by **bigredmed1** » Tue Oct 29, 2019 7:42 pm

I have quit watching all televised national news. The opinion shouting matches went first, then the rest of them including all cable news channels. I vowed to stop when I realized that with the flood last March, all of them got smoked by the Nebraska Through The Lens Facebook group and Frankie. Frankie is a mentally disabled man living in rural Ontario. The nets got plunked by a Canadian with disabilities.

News online is more efficient. If I read a crazy statement, I can at once check the facts. Not so with TV.

Local news is spotty. KETV has a clear left wing bias, but for fact based news, they seem worth the time investment.

Omababe · Post by **Omababe** » Wed Oct 30, 2019 4:34 am

nativeomahan wrote: Tue Oct 29, 2019 9:38 amCurious at to how many watch now. I used to watch regularly. Now maybe only 25% of the time, and probably Channel 7.

Omaha local news has been incredibly lame for a few decades now, admittedly with KETV being the least lame of the majors. I'm not even counting the outsourced KPTM "news" (is it still even going on?) full of their "Must Run" drek!

The only one I regularly watch is the 10pm news on Channel 3, and the reason is that I don't have to change the channel for Colbert and Corden. I usually fall asleep during one of the three.

Cermak · Post by **Cermak** » Thu Oct 31, 2019 3:34 pm

I’ve been usually watching channel 3 at 10pm as well.

mrsticka · Post by **mrsticka** » Mon Nov 04, 2019 10:34 pm

Here in Lincoln, I still watch 10/11 News. And yes, Ken Siemek is STILL there today. He's been at 10/11 longer than Mel Mains was.

damonhynes · Post by **damonhynes** » Fri Nov 08, 2019 9:49 am

mrsticka wrote: Mon Nov 04, 2019 10:34 pm Here in Lincoln, I still watch 10/11 News. And yes, Ken Siemek is STILL there today. He's been at 10/11 longer than Mel Mains was.

My cable provider at the time in Springfield ran Ch. 10 along with the Omaha stations. 10 was the station to watch when severe WX was coming--because it got to Lincoln first! Ken's a badazz.

mrsticka · Post by **mrsticka** » Fri Nov 08, 2019 2:34 pm

damonhynes wrote: Fri Nov 08, 2019 9:49 am
mrsticka wrote: Mon Nov 04, 2019 10:34 pm Here in Lincoln, I still watch 10/11 News. And yes, Ken Siemek is STILL there today. He's been at 10/11 longer than Mel Mains was.
My cable provider at the time in Springfield ran Ch. 10 along with the Omaha stations. 10 was the station to watch when severe WX was coming--because it got to Lincoln first! Ken's a badazz.

I wish the Omaha stations were all still available on cable here in Lincoln.

GrandpaaSmucker · Post by **GrandpaaSmucker** » Fri Nov 08, 2019 9:01 pm

mrsticka wrote: Fri Nov 08, 2019 2:34 pm I wish the Omaha stations were all still available on cable here in Lincoln.

Download the Newson App on your smart TV then you can watch any newscast from hundreds of stations around the country. It has all Omaha channels except 3. Streaming is good

P.S.- It is FREE

mrsticka · Post by **mrsticka** » Fri Nov 08, 2019 11:42 pm

GrandpaaSmucker wrote: Fri Nov 08, 2019 9:01 pm
mrsticka wrote: Fri Nov 08, 2019 2:34 pm I wish the Omaha stations were all still available on cable here in Lincoln.
Download the Newson App on your smart TV then you can watch any newscast from hundreds of stations around the country. It has all Omaha channels except 3. Streaming is good

P.S.- It is FREE

I don't have a smart TV.

Omababe · Post by **Omababe** » Sat Nov 09, 2019 6:26 am

mrsticka wrote: Fri Nov 08, 2019 11:42 pmI don't have a smart TV.

Many stations (not sure about those in Omaha) have a "Watch Live" button or something similar on their web sites. I know that WCBS, in NYC, WGN in Chicago, and KYW in Philadelphia all have them for news at least.

Cermak · Post by **Cermak** » Sat Nov 09, 2019 7:28 am

I know at one time WOWT was part of the cable lineup in Lincoln. It would be nice if at least one Omaha station was available in Lincoln. I think if Omaha and Lincoln were about 10 miles closer to each other they probably be one large TV market. Which I would prefer instead have having them split apart like the are now. Albuquerque which is about the same size as Omaha has a much larger geographic Size TV market than Omaha. Thus they have stations with bigger budgets and can afford more and better on air talent. I don’t know if the Lincoln and Omaha TV markets will ever merge, Because they are just far enough away to form two separate TV markets even though it’s less than 60 miles. Luckily because of smart phones I don’t watch local TV news as much as I used to.

GrandpaaSmucker · Post by **GrandpaaSmucker** » Sat Nov 09, 2019 2:16 pm

mrsticka wrote: Fri Nov 08, 2019 11:42 pm I don't have a smart TV.

No problem, all you need is about $30 then. Take that and go up to Walmart and buy a Roku stick and plug it into your TV. Now you got a smart TV. It is the same thing and works perfectly. Worth every bit of that $30 too. If you do not have a wireless router then you are going to need another $30 for that.

Padre · Post by **Padre** » Sat Nov 09, 2019 2:23 pm

GrandpaaSmucker wrote: Sat Nov 09, 2019 2:16 pm
mrsticka wrote: Fri Nov 08, 2019 11:42 pm I don't have a smart TV.
No problem, all you need is about $30 then. Take that and go up to Walmart and buy a Roku stick and plug it into your TV. Now you got a smart TV. It is the same thing and works perfectly. Worth every bit of that $30 too. If you do not have a wireless router then you are going to need another $30 for that.

I would agree with this. We use the Roku a lot more than watching the regular channels these days. It's probably about 70% Roku, 30% regular TV.

mrsticka · Post by **mrsticka** » Sat Nov 09, 2019 4:46 pm

Let me put it this way: I don't WANT a smart TV. I'm happy with the TV I've got. Besides smart technology can spy on you, track you, collect data on you. I don't want my TV knowing anything about me or what I watch. I don't care to have Big Brother in my bedroom.

GrandpaaSmucker · Post by **GrandpaaSmucker** » Sat Nov 09, 2019 5:59 pm

mrsticka wrote: Sat Nov 09, 2019 4:46 pm Let me put it this way: I don't WANT a smart TV. I'm happy with the TV I've got. Besides smart technology can spy on you, track you, collect data on you. I don't want my TV knowing anything about me or what I watch. I don't care to have Big Brother in my bedroom.

I read somewhere that they quit spying on us with our TVs 10 years ago. Nowadays they spy on us through micro-transmitters injected when they give us those yearly Flu shots.

mrsticka · Post by **mrsticka** » Sat Nov 09, 2019 6:10 pm

GrandpaaSmucker wrote: Sat Nov 09, 2019 5:59 pm
mrsticka wrote: Sat Nov 09, 2019 4:46 pm Let me put it this way: I don't WANT a smart TV. I'm happy with the TV I've got. Besides smart technology can spy on you, track you, collect data on you. I don't want my TV knowing anything about me or what I watch. I don't care to have Big Brother in my bedroom.
I read somewhere that they quit spying on us with our TVs 10 years ago. Nowadays they spy on us through micro-transmitters injected when they give us those yearly Flu shots.

Well, you can't believe everything you read.

GrandpaaSmucker · Post by **GrandpaaSmucker** » Sat Nov 09, 2019 6:35 pm

mrsticka wrote: Sat Nov 09, 2019 6:10 pm
Well, you can't believe everything you read.

Do you believe in Amish Fireplaces?

mrsticka · Post by **mrsticka** » Sat Nov 09, 2019 7:10 pm

Amish fireplaces?

mrsticka · Post by **mrsticka** » Wed Nov 13, 2019 10:31 pm

I watched WOWT 6 News tonight. John Knicely's looking old. But I guess that was inevitable. His co-anchor's a cutie. Dave Webber is still there doing the sports. He must really enjoy his job. And Charlie Van Dyke is still doing voiceovers for WOWT even though his voice sounds pretty weak. But they mentioned something that caught my attention: Rusty would be on in the morning doing the weather. Why? He's the chief meteorologist and the chief meteorologist does the weather in the evenings.

damonhynes · Post by **damonhynes** » Thu Nov 14, 2019 11:52 am

Well, if he's the chief, he can work when he damn well feels like :-) Maybe he's got a day job--real estate or consultancy--but that would put a hole in the LinkedIn "Chief Met =$200k" point that was discussed earlier. For all I know, he wants to be home when the kids get off school.

Cermak · Post by **Cermak** » Thu Nov 14, 2019 9:22 pm

I remember when Knicely did sports on KETV, that was a long long time ago mid 80’s.

mrsticka · Post by **mrsticka** » Fri Nov 15, 2019 1:23 am

Cermak wrote: Thu Nov 14, 2019 9:22 pm I remember when Knicely did sports on KETV, that was a long long time ago mid 80’s.

So do I. Jim Flowers did the weather at KETV in the 80's, too. Both he and John left for WOWT in 1992. Ross Jernstrom also did the sports at KETV until the early 90's. And Charlie Van Dyke was the voiceover for KETV in the late 80's. So WOWT's taken several people from KETV. John Knicely, Jim Flowers, Ross Jernstrom and Charlie Van Dyke.

damonhynes · Post by **damonhynes** » Mon Nov 18, 2019 11:04 am

mrsticka wrote: Fri Nov 15, 2019 1:23 am
Cermak wrote: Thu Nov 14, 2019 9:22 pm I remember when Knicely did sports on KETV, that was a long long time ago mid 80’s.
So do I. Jim Flowers did the weather at KETV in the 80's, too. Both he and John left for WOWT in 1992. Ross Jernstrom also did the sports at KETV until the early 90's. And Charlie Van Dyke was the voiceover for KETV in the late 80's. So WOWT's taken several people from KETV. John Knicely, Jim Flowers, Ross Jernstrom and Charlie Van Dyke.

That was when 6 believed they could buy gravitas. They were desperate, with Byron Wood, Gary Kerr, Dale Munson all retiring/getting booted for cause pretty close to the same time. (There was also a horrible interview from Joni Hoffman with Bob Kerrey that wound up getting her bum-rushed and blacklisted).

Whoever owned 6 at the time apparently thought the station was worth throwing money at--both Jim and John had no-competes at 7 that needed to be solved. I'm willing to bet that John wanted to do news so bad that he was willing to take a pay cut to do news at 6. I have no clue what Rossy brought to 6, but I think his hiring was some misguided attempt to completely turn 6 into the new 7.

mrsticka · Post by **mrsticka** » Mon Nov 18, 2019 3:15 pm

Both Byron Wood and Dale Munson left WOWT in 1991. Gary Kerr stayed until 1998, then he stepped down.

I sometimes wonder what if after Munson stepped down in '91, Bill Randby went to WOWT instead of KETV and Jim Flowers stayed at KETV all these years until his retirement in 2016? How would that have worked out?

And Chronicle Broadcasting owned WOWT at the time.

Post by **Brad** » Tue Dec 10, 2019 9:22 am

Ross Jernstrom Leaving WOWT

Tom Shatel / World-Herald staff writer wrote:» It wasn’t long ago that I congratulated Ross Jernstrom in this space for his 40th anniversary of sports broadcasting in his hometown, Omaha. Jernstrom was recently told by WOWT that his contract will not be renewed at the end of the year. Man, TV is a tough business, too.

MadMartin8 · Post by **MadMartin8** » Tue Dec 10, 2019 9:37 am

Brad wrote: Tue Dec 10, 2019 9:22 am Ross Jernstrom Leaving WOWT

Tom Shatel / World-Herald staff writer wrote:» It wasn’t long ago that I congratulated Ross Jernstrom in this space for his 40th anniversary of sports broadcasting in his hometown, Omaha. Jernstrom was recently told by WOWT that his contract will not be renewed at the end of the year. Man, TV is a tough business, too.

Wow. That's not something I would have expected.

Post by **Brad** » Tue Dec 10, 2019 9:48 am

MadMartin8 wrote: Tue Dec 10, 2019 9:37 am
Brad wrote: Tue Dec 10, 2019 9:22 am Ross Jernstrom Leaving WOWT

Tom Shatel / World-Herald staff writer wrote:» It wasn’t long ago that I congratulated Ross Jernstrom in this space for his 40th anniversary of sports broadcasting in his hometown, Omaha. Jernstrom was recently told by WOWT that his contract will not be renewed at the end of the year. Man, TV is a tough business, too.

Wow. That's not something I would have expected.

I'm sure they will replace him with a recent collage grad and pay next to nothing.

damonhynes · Post by **damonhynes** » Tue Dec 10, 2019 10:36 am

Brad wrote: Tue Dec 10, 2019 9:48 am
MadMartin8 wrote: Tue Dec 10, 2019 9:37 am
Brad wrote: Tue Dec 10, 2019 9:22 am Ross Jernstrom Leaving WOWT

Tom Shatel / World-Herald staff writer wrote:» It wasn’t long ago that I congratulated Ross Jernstrom in this space for his 40th anniversary of sports broadcasting in his hometown, Omaha. Jernstrom was recently told by WOWT that his contract will not be renewed at the end of the year. Man, TV is a tough business, too.

Wow. That's not something I would have expected.
I'm sure they will replace him with a recent collage grad and pay next to nothing.

I thought he was an over-exaggerating, scenery-chewing, glad-handing homer, but he was our over-exaggerating, scenery-chewing, glad-handing homer!

Funny this comes up, as last night I was watching KM3 at 10 and they didn't have a sports segment at all.

Bob from Omaha · Post by **Bob from Omaha** » Tue Dec 10, 2019 11:15 am

damonhynes wrote: Tue Dec 10, 2019 10:36 am
Brad wrote: Tue Dec 10, 2019 9:48 am
MadMartin8 wrote: Tue Dec 10, 2019 9:37 am
Brad wrote: Tue Dec 10, 2019 9:22 am Ross Jernstrom Leaving WOWT

Tom Shatel / World-Herald staff writer wrote:» It wasn’t long ago that I congratulated Ross Jernstrom in this space for his 40th anniversary of sports broadcasting in his hometown, Omaha. Jernstrom was recently told by WOWT that his contract will not be renewed at the end of the year. Man, TV is a tough business, too.

Wow. That's not something I would have expected.
I'm sure they will replace him with a recent collage grad and pay next to nothing.
I thought he was an over-exaggerating, scenery-chewing, glad-handing homer, but he was our over-exaggerating, scenery-chewing, glad-handing homer!

Funny this comes up, as last night I was watching KM3 at 10 and they didn't have a sports segment at all.

Well, if they canned Jerstrom, according to their web site they will have no sports "team" at all. What a pathetic excuse for a television station.

Post by **Brad** » Tue Dec 10, 2019 1:26 pm

Bob from Omaha wrote: Tue Dec 10, 2019 11:15 am Well, if they canned Jerstrom, according to their web site they will have no sports "team" at all. What a pathetic excuse for a television station.

Before the Creighton game on Saturday, he was introducing some new guy to a few people in the media room and showing him around the CHI Center.

Post by **Omaha Cowboy** » Tue Dec 10, 2019 6:36 pm

Bob from Omaha wrote: Tue Dec 10, 2019 11:15 am
damonhynes wrote: Tue Dec 10, 2019 10:36 am
Brad wrote: Tue Dec 10, 2019 9:48 am
MadMartin8 wrote: Tue Dec 10, 2019 9:37 am
Brad wrote: Tue Dec 10, 2019 9:22 am Ross Jernstrom Leaving WOWT

Tom Shatel / World-Herald staff writer wrote:» It wasn’t long ago that I congratulated Ross Jernstrom in this space for his 40th anniversary of sports broadcasting in his hometown, Omaha. Jernstrom was recently told by WOWT that his contract will not be renewed at the end of the year. Man, TV is a tough business, too.

Wow. That's not something I would have expected.
I'm sure they will replace him with a recent collage grad and pay next to nothing.
I thought he was an over-exaggerating, scenery-chewing, glad-handing homer, but he was our over-exaggerating, scenery-chewing, glad-handing homer!

Funny this comes up, as last night I was watching KM3 at 10 and they didn't have a sports segment at all.
Well, if they canned Jerstrom, according to their web site they will have no sports "team" at all. What a pathetic excuse for a television station.

I’ve met Ross a couple of times over the years. Seemed like a nice person. I always thought his sports journalism was okay..Pretty much liked his delivery overall..

I hope he lands somewhere else in this market providing sports related content...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

Cermak · Post by **Cermak** » Wed Dec 11, 2019 3:51 pm

Maybe channel 3 KMTV will pick up Jernstrom like they did with Jim Flowers. Keep him for a year or two before he retires. Rossy is sorta a Omaha institution.

DennyMarkham · Post by **DennyMarkham** » Thu Dec 12, 2019 4:59 pm

Brad wrote: Tue Dec 10, 2019 1:26 pm Before the Creighton game on Saturday, he was introducing some new guy to a few people in the media room and showing him around the CHI Center.

This is the new guy:

https://www.facebook.com/RexSmithTV/

Cermak · Post by **Cermak** » Thu Dec 12, 2019 5:18 pm

Ross may just have to hang it up. That’s a young persons game. Anyone in Omaha over the age of 50 on TV is far and few between. Ross should dust off the old golf clubs, he could be doing alot of it soon. Maybe he could try sports radio.

mrsticka · Post by **mrsticka** » Thu Dec 12, 2019 6:02 pm

Ross is leaving but Dave Webber who's several years older than him is sticking around? Odd.

Uffda · Post by **Uffda** » Thu Dec 12, 2019 6:42 pm

DennyMarkham wrote: Thu Dec 12, 2019 4:59 pm
Brad wrote: Tue Dec 10, 2019 1:26 pm Before the Creighton game on Saturday, he was introducing some new guy to a few people in the media room and showing him around the CHI Center.
This is the new guy:

https://www.facebook.com/RexSmithTV/

Looks like his wife is on WOWT also ---
Emily Dwire
Daybreak Live Desk Anchor/MMJ
@WOWT6News