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Roger Simmons
Roger Simmons

Birds, Words, Pics + TV

11 Orlando TV predictions for 2011

Roger Simmons, January 3, 2011

Why not bring out the crystal ball and make some predictions for the new year? OK, glad you asked. Here are 11 predictions for 2011:

  • Barbara West will return to Orlando TV. (As she made clear in her final comments on air, it wasn’t her idea to leave WFTV. Some area station will  hire her.)
  • WESH moves ahead of WFTV in the evening ratings after Oprah leaves. (WESH finished ahead of WFTV at 5 p.m. in December and has been slowly closing the gap. Once WFTV loses the Oprah advantage, look for 2 News to overtake Eyewitness News.)
  • WKMG abandons 7 p.m. news, goes with a half hour newscast at 6 p.m. (Nice try, but the audience that wants local news at that hour probably won’t justify the newscast. Plus, just to spite you Local 6, WFTV will launch at 7 p.m. newscast on WRDQ to end any momentum you might gain.)
  • At least one Orlando TV station changes owners. (Once the economy improves, someone will want to get out of broadcasting and someone will want to get in.)
  • Another station will join Fox 35 and drop sports coverage. (Most likley what will happen is that a local station will outsource its sports news to Bright House Sports Network.)
  • Bright House will combine operations for Bay News 9 and Central Florida News 13. (OK, maybe a longshot here, but seems to make sense.)
  • Bob Opsahl will retire. (The WFTV anchor legend can’t be expected hang around forever. Time for him to go out on top.)
  • Some station will be smart enough to broadcast the Casey Anthony trial in its entirety on its digital sub channel. (Duh!)
  • WFTV will launch its own 24 hour news/weather channel on its digital sub channel. (Have you seen News 13’s ratings? They are getting better. With digital subchannel WFTV-9.3 just sitting there with a test pattern, why not try the same news-wheel format that has been successful for 13.)
  • WKMG will finally go HD for its newscasts. (I believe it’s the only Post-Newsweek station that hasn’t gone HD. I suppose they will finally take the plunge — if they intend to stay in the news business.)
  • At least two Orlando TV news directors will be shown the door. (Sad but true fact of life in television — the minute you are hired, the clock starts on when you will be fired.)

I would not exactly bet the mortgage on all of those predictions, but I suspect more than half come true. Add yours in the comments area

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