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CW18 bringing back Steve Wilkos Show

February 11th, 2009 No comments »

Are you a fan of Steve Wilkos? If so, this should make you happy.

NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution announced The Steve Wilkos Show has been renewed for a third season by stations across the nation, including Orlando’s WKCF-CW 18.

Wilkos — the former muscle man on the Jerry Springer show — is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, a former Chicago cop, and is now a national spokesman for USA Cares, a non-profit organization that supports military families.

NBCUD said the show has the biggest year-to-year growth of all nationally syndicated strips and hit its all-time-high ratings in recent weekly syndication figures, according to NBCUD.

WMFE, WRDQ, WVEN to turn off analog signals next week

February 11th, 2009 No comments »

Three Orlando TV stations have notified the FCC they plan to turn off their analog signals next Tuesday — the date originally set for analog’s end.

Public broadcaster WMFE-Ch. 24, independent WRDQ-Ch. 27 and Univision’s WVEN-Ch. 26 all decided not to extend their analog broadcasting to the government’s new cut-off date in June, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

Why turn off the analog signals now and go with only a digital signal? Money. Cash-strapped WMFE can save $10,000 a month by turning off its analog transmitter. ”It is a substantial cost to WMFE to maintain the analog signal for four more months,” WMFE president Jose Fajardo said. “In these difficult economic times, this is an unbudgeted cost the station cannot incur.”

All other local stations plan to continue broadcasting in both analog and digital beyond Tuesday. WFTV-Ch. 9 confirmed it keep its analog signal at the new deadline, June 12.

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Posted in Orlando TV, WFTV-9, WRDQ-27

Tags: Digital TV

New news leader? WFTV, WESH battling it out

February 6th, 2009 No comments »

Could WESH be about to end WFTV’s 30-year reign as the king of TV news in Orlando?

New Nielsen “people meters” data show — and parties at both stations acknowledge — a tight, two-station race between WFTV and WESH for the title of Central Florida’s news leader.

According to Sentinel TV Guy Hal Boedeker, WFTV averaged 48,000 viewers to WESH’s 46,400 at 6 p.m. in the news-coveted 25-to-54 age group. For the demo at 11, WFTV had 43,200 to WESH’s 37,500.

Here’s the amazing part: Among viewers ages 18-to-49, WESH is the No. 1 station at 5, 5:30 and 6 p.m. — 30,000 viewers for WESH to 29,000 for WFTV.

“It’s a two-station race,” WFTV GM Shawn Bartelt told the Sentinel.

WESH GM Jim Carter agreed: “Based on the ratings I see, it’s a two-station race, and closer than it’s been in a long time. We were No. 2 at 11, just slightly behind WFTV. The rest of the time periods, we’re right there with them. The horse heads are next to one other. They’re neck and neck.”

WFTV still leads in the overall household ratings — 128,800 homes to WESH’s 100,100 at 6 p.m. But the demo results are a bit startling and perhaps indicate a shift in Central Florida’s viewing habits.

Read the full story here.

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Posted in Orlando TV, WESH-2, WFTV-9

Tags: Jim Carter Ratings Shawn Bartelt WESH-2 WFTV-9

Forget extension, Orlando stations set to drop analog signals

February 6th, 2009 No comments »

Despite lawmakers’ approval of a plan to extend the digital transition period until June, at least three Orlando stations may pull the plug on their analog broadcasts as early as Feb. 17.

Public broadcaster WMFE-Ch. 24, Univision’s WVEN-Ch. 26 and indy WRDQ-Ch. 27 may turn off their analog signals 12 days from now, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

“I don’t think there is much of anything to be gained by postponing it to June 12,” WVEN VP/GM Antonio Guernica told the Sentinel. “I think everybody who is going to be ready is ready and those who aren’t ready now, I don’t believe they will prepare between now and June 12. There are some folks who will react only when they go to their TV and their favorite programming is not there.”

Meanwhile, among other stations: WKMG-Ch. 6, WESH-Ch. 2 and WKCF-Ch. 18 will likely wait until the new June deadline to end analog broadcasts, while WFTV-Ch. 9 hasn’t made a decision on what to do.

Why pull the plug early? Money. The stations could save thousands of dollars in electricity bills by turning off their analog transmitters by the original DTV deadline of Feb. 17. They’re already paying for power for both analog and digital transmitters now.

Read the full story here.

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Posted in Orlando TV, Public Broadcasting, WESH-2, WFTV-9, WKCF-18, WKMG-6, WRDQ-27

Tags: Digital TV WMFE-24 WRDQ-27

More layoffs at WMFE TV/radio

February 4th, 2009 No comments »

Public broadcaster WMFE is continuing to be hit hard by the economic downturn.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, the local PBS/NPR station group laid off 28 percent of its staff – 15 employees — in its most recent cuts. This follows layoffs in October that cut 10 people from the stations’ staff.

Among the high-profile positions gone this time: classical-music radio host Dave Glerum and the six-person staff of TV’s “The Arts Connection.” Others losing jobs were a radio reporter, two receptionists, a program scheduler and a person each from engineering, membership and finance.

Jose Fajardo, WMFE’s president and CEO, told the Sentinel that the station is making the cuts to focus dwindling resources on maintaining key PBS and NPR resources, such as Masterpiece Theather.

“The core product of public broadcasting will still be delivered,” Fajardo said. “The cuts were necessary to protect those programs.”

Former WKMG morning traffic reporter Secily Wilson, who was part of “The Arts Connection,” told the Sentinel: “It’s very unfortunate. It marks the end of local TV production” at the station.

Read the Sentinel story here.

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