coronavirus

For primetime linear TV this year, absence has not made the heart grow fonder. Heading into the upfront selling season, there have been fewer scripted primetime broadcast TV episodes through March, as well as continued overall declining primetime TV ratings.

If Jonathan Adkins, who oversees the broadcast news operation at Cleveland’s WKYC, wants to see the dramatic effects of COVID-19 on TV news production, all he has to do is go downstairs. “If a year ago, you had told me I could sit in my basement in my house and see 16 live feeds from the field, have direct interaction with the talent on the set, and be able to watch feeds and our broadcasts with less than a half second delay, I would have thought you were crazy,” he says. Adkins can even re-set the teleprompter from home. “If we go back to the way things were, we failed.” Above, part of the makeshift control room in Adkins’ basement.

The major media companies Hollywood are ready for a post-pandemic return to theatrical releases, familiar business models, a normal awards season, and most importantly, a hybrid streaming future that still does most of what studios have done for 110 years.

Filming on NBC’s Law & Order: Organized Crime has been suspended following a positive Covid-19 test in Zone A, which includes the cast and those in direct contact with them. It is not clear yet how long the production shutdown will last.

Survivor has been one of the most challenging shows to get up and running during the Covid-19 pandemic but season 41 is finally moving into production. Host and exec producer Jeff Probst revealed that the team is returning to Fiji to start shooting — a year after initially hoping to do so.

Fox News Channel’s Janice Dean isn’t a political commentator — she’s Fox’s senior meteorologist. In the past year, though, a searing personal loss has transformed her into a fighter for families who believe that a Cuomo-backed policy encouraging the transfer of COVID-19 positive patients into nursing homes was a deadly error.

The novel coronavirus pandemic is one of those once-in-a-century stories that is nearly impossible to prepare for. For the TV news anchors and correspondents who led coverage of the pandemic, it was a balancing act between informing a shocked American audience turning to them to understand what was happening, and trying to keep themselves, their families and their colleagues safe.

Executives from Fox Sports and CBS Sports are among those predicting a sports production future with dramatically reduced onsite staff, greater operational efficiencies and cost savings, though with a fallout of job losses for mobile production personnel.

Former President Donald Trump told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo Tuesday night that he would recommend that viewers get the COVID-19 vaccine, despite polls showing higher skepticism and resistance among his own supporters.

A new survey by NewscastStudio finds that 70% of respondents feel the broadcast industry is adapting technologically to change, while 45% feel the solutions available today are inadequate for their current workflows.

As more of the population gets vaccinated and social-distancing restrictions are relaxed, many anchors have headed back to their familiar sets, where social distance is maintained. But the innovations and efficiencies discovered by the TV news business over the past year are likely to last when the pandemic is hopefully a distant memory.

Contributor Tomi Lahren has referred to facial coverings as ‘face diapers.’ Even news anchor Martha MacCallum has questioned their effectiveness.

ViacomCBS leadership has set a tentative timeline for employees to return to the media giant’s numerous offices, though in limited capacity, as coronavirus vaccines continue to rollout across the country and around the world. In a Thursday memo from CEO Bob Bakish, the executive outlined plans to return as early as just after the upcoming July 4 holiday.

Networks, mobile truck companies and tech vendors agree the pandemic will impact HDR and UHD production through this year through a combination of equipment availability, complex new remote workflows and financial constraints.

One year after panic on Wall Street, media stocks including ViacomCBS, Discovery and Disney are booming. Investors are bullish on companies with streaming services.

The $1.9 billion American Rescue Plan COVID-19 relief bill that passed the Senate Saturday night (March 6) also had some rescue funding for public broadcasting. The bill included $175 million in emergency assistance to public TV and radio stations.

The CW’s Superman & Lois is coming off The CW schedule temporarily after being impact by COVID-19. The show will take a break after its fifth episode and will return for new episodes and to finish up the season on May 18. Meanwhile, Supergirl, will premiere its sixth and final season on Tuesday March 30 in that same timeslot.

Television is slowly following radio into the adoption of audio over IP technology, but the transition has been hampered by infrastructure costs, the challenge of preventing audio latency and concerns over standards and security. Above, the University of Miami adopted Dante and AOIP for its live sports production workflows before COVID introduced the need for social distancing.

The company, which operates some 130 local stations and a number of regional sports networks, will lay off more than 550 employees as the pandemic continues to slow economic growth.

WXIA Atlanta took an innovative approach to address concerns and mistrust over the COVID-19 vaccines. Instead of a reporter interviewing the experts, they turned the questioning over to an Atlanta viewer skeptical of the COVID-19 vaccines, a mom with two kids who was also a caregiver for her live-in elderly mother.

Where’s Succession? Atlanta? After the number of scripted shows fell for the first time in a decade, Hollywood hopes to satisfy a restless audience with less costly fare.

Leaders and employees need to focus on self-care to avoid pandemic-related burnout. Staying healthy, and personally balanced is crucial as we continue to face an uncertain future. Here are some ways to work toward that goal.

ABC News chief national correspondent Matt Gutman has been suspended for violating a company policy on COVID-19 safety. A spokesperson for the network declined to comment, as did Gutman. A source familiar with the situation said that Gutman was suspended for violating company safety rules having to do with going into a hospital for a story without first getting permission from management. It was not immediately clear how long the suspension will last.

COVID-19’s social distancing requirements won’t have a lasting impact on studio design and trends like video walls are expanding, vendors say. But remote production has compelled them to offer simple-to-use at-home kits until COVD abates. Above, Devlin Design Group recently delivered the set for the new studio at the Tennis Channel. The set uses LED displays surrounding the studio. The Tennis Channel can use the same set for different programs since the LEDs can display “graphic wallpaper” that can be customized.

CBS’s The Equalizer, coming off its high-profile premiere after the Super Bowl, has suspended filming. According to sources, a positive COVID-19 test result was produced Monday as part of the show’s rigorous safety protocols. Immediate contact tracing began as outlined in the guidelines set by state/county and in the NBCU Production Playbook. Out of an abundance of caution, the production, based in New Jersey, has asked those in close contact with the impacted individual to self-isolate and paused filming.

Television stations should take a cue from the NAB, whose commitment to holding an in-person conference in October offers a light at the end of COVID’s long, dark tunnel.

Facebook today unveiled new actions it’s taking to fight the spread of misinformation about COVID-19, including vaccines to prevent it. The effort includes an expansion of the types of false claims that will be removed from Facebook and Instagram including a) that COVID-19 is man-made; b) that vaccines are not effective at preventing it; c) that it’s safer to get the disease than to get vaccinated; and d) that vaccines are dangerous or cause autism.