By: Nick Brungardt
Back in March the merger of two tv stations from separate owners occurred in Denver, Colorado. And some view it as the worst decision ever made by any station in any group. Well in some respects it was, competition died a little more in the community. Loss of jobs began to rack up at the station being taken over by the station that has had more viewership at 9pm, A prominent local tv personality was silenced and the name and direction of the station dramatically changed.
Today the station has made even more changes, At the end of may the 11am newscast was canceled and replaced by a repeat of a paid for consumer hour with lack of any real substance. More people where cut because of the economy the bigger stations chief meteorologist, two reporters and more behind the scenes staff. Some things are unavoidable in a nasty downturn in the economy for the good of the station and to keep more people.
The stations I speak of are one’s I am particularly fond of, KDVR and KWGN came together under what is known as a LMA or Local Marketing Agreement which in effect makes a unofficial duopoly but with two separate owners with a KDVR’s management team running both. I did an article earlier this week that talked about the fall offerings the stations will have during daytime, evenings, late nights and weekends. And I can see the logic in why they are moving tv shows around because of demographic mumbo jumbo. But KWGN got the short end of the stick again, they got generic reruns of America’s Funniest Home Video’s while Bonnie Hunt moves over to KDVR. The raitings I know will not increase due to this move. Yes they are trying to niche out audiences to increase advertising revenue.
Here is the thing that I would do to schedule a more effective gain in ratings and the respect of the viewers of both stations. I would add more news and local talk shows, less of the low class national talk show’s. I would also bring both news teams together under one banner. More on the personnel changes later, on to scheduling.
KWGN Monday – Friday – This schedule would allow for more High Definition programming during most day parts.
4:30am – Daybreak on 2 [ HD ]
9am – Live with Regis and Kelly [HD]
10am – Tyra – The CW
11am – Tyra – The CW
12pm – Midday on 2 [HD]
2pm – Wendy Williams
3pm – Afternoons on 2 [HD]
4pm – Everybody Loves Raymond [HD]
4:30 – Everybody Loves Raymond [HD]
5pm – My Name is Earl [HD]
5:30 – My Name is Earl [HD]
6pm – Two and a Half Men [HD]
6:30 – Two and a Half Men [HD]
7pm – Evenings on 2 [HD]
8pm – The CW [HD]
10pm – Late Night on 2 [HD]
11pm – Friends
11:30 – Friends
12am – Malcolm in the Middle
12:30 – Malcolm in the Middle
1am – Maury
2am – Steve Wilkos
3am – Paid Programming
KDVR Monday – Friday – Pairing up shows that make more since in the Women 25-54 demographic
5am – FOX31 News at 5am [HD]
6am – FOX31 News at 6am [HD]
7am – Good Day Colorado [HD]
9am – Martino TV Live [HD]
10am – Law and Order: CI
11am – FOX31 News at 11am [HD]
12pm – Seinfeld
12:30 – Seinfeld
1pm – Bonnie Hunt
2pm – Marie
3pm – Are you Smarter then a 5th Grader?
4pm – Everyday With Libby and Natalie [HD]
5pm – FOX31 News at 5pm [HD]
5:30 – FOX31 News at 5:30 [HD]
6pm – TMZ
6:30 – Access Hollywood
7pm – FOX [HD]
9pm – FOX31 News at 9pm [HD]
9:30 – FOX31 News at 9:30 [HD]
10pm – The Simpsons
10:30 – The Simpsons
11pm – Family Guy
11:30 – Family Guy
12am – King of the Hill
12:30 – King of the Hill
1am – Judge Joe Brown
1:30 – Judge Joe Brown
2am – FOX31 News at 9pm (repeat)
2:30 – FOX31 News at 9:30 (repeat)
3am – Paid Programming
4am - TMZ
4:30 – Access Hollywood
As far as staffing of the newscasts I would move some people around.
KWGN -
Daybreak and Midday: Tom Green, Angie Austin, Jason Boyer, Mellisa Mollet, Dan Duru
Afternoons: Kellie MacMullan, Natalie Tydal, Nina Sparano, Dave Frasier, Chris Parente
Evenings and Late Night: Kellie MacMullan, Leland Vittert, Nina Sparano, Dave Frasier, Chris Parente, Chris Tanaka
Weekend Evenings: Deborah Takahara, Dave Young, Chris Tomer, Zubin Mahenti
Weekend Mornings: Shaul Turner, Greg Nieto, Nick Carter
KDVR -
5am, 6am, Good Day and 11am: Peggy Bunker, Ken Clark, Crystal Egger, Dan Duru, Mellisa Mollet
Everyday: Libby Weaver, Natalie Tysdal, Dave Frasier, Nina Sparano, Chris Parente
5pm, 5:30,9pm,9:30 : Ron Zappolo, Libby Weaver, Dave Frasier, Chris Tanaka
Weekend Evenings: Deborah Takahara, Dave Young, Chris Tomer, Zubin Mahenti
Weekend Mornings: Shaul Turner, Greg Nieto, Nick Carter
By moving Mellisa Mollet to Showbiz/Social Media Reporter for both KDVR and KWGN, and bringing in Leland Vittert as Evening C0-Anchor and sharing other talent between the stations would be more effective to extend and add newscasts/local programming on both KDVR and KWGN and creating better chemistry during all newscasts as well as appeasing the viewers negative response to the changes.
I do not expect the station management to miraculously say this is a great idea or that they would even consider it, but the fact is demo’s , advertisers, and viewers would. And the name ” The Deuce” is not appealing to audiences at all and just calling the station 2 or even KWGN 2 would appeal to the masses more effectively.
5 Comments
July 18, 2009 at 10:52 am
It’ s a good line up. Your line up is very smart it would for them because it would bulid up a news power house to compete against CBS4,9NEWS,7NEWS . Plus bring Denver a full hour news cast at Noon. Plus have the Only 3pm Newscast in state.
July 18, 2009 at 4:44 pm
The only problem I see with KWGN’s lineup is that there are too many news broadcasts, other then that, it would be a great lineup for the station.
July 18, 2009 at 4:59 pm
I do see your reasoning, but I think having the amount of local programming I put on the schedule is fair only because you would have options between both KWGN and KDVR most of the day. And the newscasts on KWGN are newscasts but in the traditional since as they are on KDVR. Thank you for your comment to keep the conversation open is always a good thing. – Nick
July 19, 2009 at 12:14 pm
Is the Midday show you have made supposed to be 2 hours?
July 19, 2009 at 5:45 pm
Yes I did make it 2 hours only because it makes since to have a morning news type show at midday with weather and traffic as well since people that come home for lunch might not get home until 1pm and want to watch local news. But also to dedicate the 1pm hour to another syndicated show that might not work and they are stuck with until they can find something else.
I see it as a newscast costs less to produce and own then a syndicated talk show and if one of the hours doesn’t work then they can just double up on one of the current talk shows they are already broadcasting or bring in a show they air in late night.