Commentary: FOX "expanding" local news is good news

[Nick]

During an investor conference Monday, News Corp. Chairman and Chief
Executive Rupert Murdoch made an interesting comment that has been
almost overlooked in the afterglow of CES. In a story published today,
SkyReport.com reports on Mr. Murdoch's remarks (see link below). The
easily overlooked final sentence in the report reads:

"Fox-owned stations across the country are expanding the number
of hours devoted to local coverage..."

This is great news for local news reportage, particularly since FOX News
has become such an important player on the national news stage. I hope
FOX will continue its leadership in delivering HD content by placing
a priority on its O&O stations and affiliates to broadcast locally-originated
programming in HD. If this is done, it would position FOX for the future
and would likely catapult FOX News to a position of leadership in local
news coverage across the country.

http://www.skyreport.com/view.cfm?ReleaseID=1824

[kc1ih]

Oh great, more "news" about fires and petty crimes, just repeated over and over and over and over. My point is that most of the local news we get today is crap. Hell, the Boston stations with their hours of local news hardley covered at all the recent Boston mayoral and city-council elctions.

[cj9788]

Oh how I miss Miami's WSVN. Back in the late 80's when they lost their NBC afilliation and took on the FOX moniker they had a novel idea. 8 hours of local in your face news coverage. Running all over the the three counties covering every thing from rapes to car crashes to suicides to murder. It was very entertaining. They took the "if it bleeds it leads" mentality and turned it into an art form. Many a local news cast tried to duplicate it. It was even tried on WSVN's sister station in WHDH in Boston.

It is no surprise that the network owned FOX stations are following this path. If it is done well with out repeating the same news over and over again it can be a winner. The news is out there they just need to find it tape it and out on the air.

[Link]

How much more local news do Fox O&Os need?? Most in large markets already have 5am-9am morning newscast, a half hour midday newscast, an hour or more in the evening and an hour at 10pm. How much more do you need?

I had read that some Fox stations would start airing 11pm newscast in addition to the one hour 10pm newscast. Other Fox stations would start airing evening newscasts between 5-7pm.

When you already have most ABC, CBS, and NBC stations airing evening news and 11pm newscasts, why do you need more newscasts in the market!

[Nick]

How much more local news do Fox O&Os need?? ... When you already have most ABC, CBS, and NBC stations airing evening news and 11pm newscasts, why do you need more newscasts in the market!...because most one-hour local newscasts consist of 12-15 minutes of news repeated four times. For example, the CBS Savannah affiliate has a 2½-hour local morning news block before they throw it to the network. After 30 minutes, I've seen the local news, such as it is -- twice. :rolleyes:

If FOX's affiliates are aggressive in pursuit of local stories, especially of the "investigative" and "exposé" variety, they should do well, even up against the more entrenched "big 3" network affiliates.

Oh, and a lot of ads on local billboards and on the sides of city buses.