The Senate Commerce Committee‘s Subcommittee on Communications, Media and Broadband on Wednesday (Oct. 6) took up a bill that would force Fox to program WWOR, licensed to Secaucus, N.J., but serving the New York City market, more to committee Democrats‘ liking in terms of local news and other programming aimed at the Garden State. It is possible the bill could be appended to an end-of-year, must-pass funding package.
New Jobs Posted To TVNewsCheck
New jobs posted to TVNewsCheck’s Media Job Center include openings for a promotion producer, and two media sales account executives at Fox, Nexstar and Hearst stations.
Pointing out that the fate of its newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership rule is in legal limbo, the FCC’s Media Bureau has denied Fox Corp.’s request for a permanent waiver to own both WWOR Secaucus, N.J., and the New York Post, instead granting it another temporary waiver.
In something of a blast from the past for those who have followed the peripatetic course of New York Post-related waivers, Fox Television Stations has asked the FCC for a permanent waiver of the newspaper-broadcast crossownership rule for WWOR Secaucus, N.J. It already has a permanent waiver to own WNYW New York, dating back to 1993, but only a temporary waiver to own WWOR, which it bought in 2001.
Fox-owned WNYW in New York has been on the front lines of the coronavirus epicenter for weeks, weathering sick employees, virus vulnerabilities and the gauntlet of covering a metastasizing story with endless moving parts. “It’s the most challenging environment I’ve ever had to manage through,” says VP-GM Lew Leone. Above, Rosanna Scotto interviewing Dr. Anthony Fauci.
NJ Dems Want License Renewal Study
In a letter to the General Accountability Office, Sens. Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, citing Fox O&O WWOR New York, which is licensed to their state, claim the FCC hasn’t held it to its “special obligations to serve New Jersey.” In their letter, the senators ask a series of questions that amount to a call for specific and concrete license renewal criteria, which the broadcasting industry has long opposed.
Exclusives
Nate Rodgers has joined Chasing News with Bill Spadea as a reporter, effective Feb. 5. The half-hour program, airs weekdays at 11 p.m. on WWOR and 1:30 a.m. on co-owned WNYW New York and 3 a.m. on WTXF Philadelphia. It is a host and issue-driven program, focused on investigating and debating hot button topics with […]
Sens. Booker, Menendez Go After WWOR
New Jersey’s two U.S. senators charged Secaucus-based WWOR with failing to live up to its federal mandate to cover its hometown state, and have asked FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to ensure that the Fox-owned station fulfill its legal obligations to “devote itself to meeting the special needs of its … community (and the needs of the Northern New Jersey area in general).”
The Fox-owned New York stations will move their transmitters to the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere early next year.
Fox Television Stations has asked the FCC to continue its temporary waiver of the newspaper-broadcast crossownership rule allowing its ownership of the New York Post, Fox O&O WNYW and MNT affiliate WWOR.
He will oversee creative services and public affairs departments, in addition to programming and research at WNYW-WWOR.
‘Chasing New Jersey’ Chasing Viewers In NYC
Fox’s unconventional local newscast that airs on WWOR New York and WTXF Philadelphia has not taken New York by storm at 10 p.m., with ratings down by double digits since its debut last summer. In Philly, it airs at 12:30 a.m. and its 18-49 ratings are up 33% from the time slot’s year-ago numbers. Fox is constantly tweaking its TMZ-like elements and creator Dennis Bianchi says the show has matured, offering a smoother pace, more informative discussions and better stories. TMZ creator Harvey Levin says “they will catch fire.”
New Jersey’s General Assembly honored WWOR’s Chasing New Jersey on the occasion of its 200th episode, which aired April 11. The 30-minute topical program, focusing on all things New Jersey, airs weekdays on WWOR New York (10-10:30 p.m.) and on WTXF Philadelphia at 12:30 a.m. Originating from the state capital of Trenton, Chasing covers a […]
Marcocci New WNYW General Sales Manager
Rita Marcocci today was named VP-general sales manager of Fox owned WNYW-WWOR New York (DMA 1). Marcocci’s first day at WNYW-WWOR will be April 7. Marcocci has been the VP-general sales manager of Fox’s WFLD-WPWR Chicago since 2012. Prior to that, she was the VP-general sales manager of Fox Stations Sales in New York. Nick […]
WNYW-WWOR Names 2 New Sales Managers
Walter Augustin has been named national sales manager Fox’s duopoly WNYW (Fox)-WWOR (CW) New York (DMA 1). Augustin has been the VP-regional sales manager for Fox Station Sales in Chicago since 2011. Prior to that, he was the national sales manager for WFLD-WPWR Chicago. Augustin’s first day at WNYW/WWOR will be March 19th. Jim Sweeney, the […]
Chasing The Next Big Thing In Local TV News
Fox Television Stations CEO Jack Abernethy explains his vision for transforming local TV news. That vision includes more engaged anchors, non-traditional formats, more reliance on multimedia journalists and investigative reporters, sharing of news resources and deeper integration of social media. Read Part One of this two-part Q&A here.
Chasing The Next Iteration Of Local TV News
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Thursday night, WWOR VP-Station Manager Dianne Doctor aired an editorial addressing the criticism — and praise — of its new nightly news effort, Chasing New Jersey. Watch it here.
This Jersey Boy Applauds WWOR’s ‘Chasing’
The new New Jersey-centric news show airing on Fox-owned WWOR New York and WFXT Philadelphia has taken some hits from politicians and others, but it’s just the kind of fresh, provocative approach to news that local television is in dire need of. Sure, it could stand some tweaking — even creator Dennis Bianchi says it will evolve — but Fox should commit serious resources and promotion dollars into this promising experiment.
The Writers Guild of America East has blasted News Corp. over its recent closure of New Jersey-based WWOR’s news division, alleging the move violates FCC rules. Seven news writers, all WGA East members, were dismissed July 3 as a result of the closure.
Criticism about the decision by Fox-owned WWOR Secaucus, N.J. (New York), to replace its nightly newscast with Chasing New Jersey continued Tuesday with calls for the FCC to revoke the station’s license. In a letter to FCC Acting Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn, Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez asked for a “prompt and thorough” review of News Corp.’s application to renew its license and a ruling about “misrepresentations by WWOR” that were first investigated by the FCC in 2011. Menendez’s criticism came a day after U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone also called on the FCC to not renew the station’s license.
After Rep. Frank Pallone, a Democratic New Jersey congressman running for the Senate, called for the FCC to revoke Fox’s license for its Secaucus, N.J., MNT affiliate because it replaced its 10 p.m. newscast with the nontraditional Chasing New Jersey, WWOR Station Manager Dianne Doctor defended the new programming: “Based in Trenton, Chasing New Jersey is a news program immersed in all aspects of the state. Politics. People. Issues. It’s enterprise journalism that no one else is doing.”
U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, a Democratic New Jersey congressman running for Senate, is asking the FCC to revoke the license of WWOR, which is licensed to Secaucus, N.J. FOX, which owns WWOR, this week replaced the station’s only newscast with Chasing New Jersey a 30-minute show focused on “issues driving conversations” in the state. Pallone voiced his thoughts on Twitter by saying, “WWOR’s cancellation of nightly news fails New Jerseyans who want & deserve local news coverage. FCC must take action.”
Fox-owned WWOR New York wanted to replace its traditional 10 p..m. news with something different. Chasing New Jersey, which debuted Monday, certainly fits the bill; the question is whether younger viewers will appreciate a broadcast that right now may be trying a little too hard to be hip.
WWOR Replacing 10 P.M. News With NJ Show
The new half-hour Chasing New Jersey will highlight the state’s politics, infrastructure, businesses and celebrities and will also air on WWOR sister station WTXF Philadelphia.
Fox Makes Exec Moves At WWOR, WNYW
Dianne Doctor is named VP and station manager of WWOR and is succeeded as news director of WNYW by Byron Harmon.
Pat Collins Leaving WWOR After 25 Years
Beginning today, Fox MNT affiliate WWOR New York will be saluting local Marines, soldiers, sailors, pilots and others who serve and protect in a feature called Hometown Heroes. Launching this Memorial Day weekend and lasting through Memorial Day of next year, a new hometown hero will be honored every night during The 10 o’Clock News. Viewers are encouraged to send in their own hometown heroes to be highlighted.
The new network targeted to African American audiences will appear on a subchannel of Fox’s New York MNT affiliate.
Fox-owned MNT affiliate WWOR New has added Matt Alvarez as a general assignment reporter for its 10 O’Clock News. Alvarez will contribute to the weekday evening newscast alongside anchors Brenda Blackmon and Harry Martin, as well as meteorologist Audrey Puente and sports anchor Russ Salzberg. Most recently, Alvarez has been a freelance reporter for WWOR […]
Fox-owned MNT affiliate WWOR New York (DMA 1) will be the exclusive local broadcast home of the New York Yankees for the eighth consecutive year. During the 2012 MLB season, Yankee fans will see their favorite team play 21 games on WWOR. In making the announcement, WWOR General Manager Lew Leone said: “We are proud […]
NY, DC Stations Take Stock 10 Years After
To commemorate the anniversary of the attacks, TV stations and cable news channels in New York and Washington are planning a host of special programs ranging from recollections to analysis of all that’s changed since 2001. The broadcast networks’ news departments also have a full plate of coverage planned. This is the second in a TVNewsCheck series this week on how broadcasters responded to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
The New York MNT affiliate is replacing its 11 o’clock news with the new broadcast beginning June 27. Brenda Blackmon and Harry Martin remain as anchors.
Two years after moving its long-running 10 p.m. newscast to 11 p.m., the Fox-owned MNT affil is going back. The half-hour newscast, The 10 O’clock News, will launch June 27.
