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Really WSYM? This is News?

Discussion pertaining to Lansing, Jackson, Owosso, and all areas from Alma to Hillsdale
EdWalker
Posts: 125
Joined: Sun Nov 04, 2018 2:51 pm

Really WSYM? This is News?

Post by EdWalker » Mon Jan 04, 2021 7:16 am

I really hope the newscasts scheduled for the rest of the day are better than what I'm seeing this morning.

No anchor.....just a rolling playlist of pre-recorded mostly-stale and mostly national news stories. All the local stories were fluff-pieces.....new business opening, Lansing Arts Council story and something at Potter Park Zoo.

Only live face is the weather person and she is out of WXMI....you can even see a Fox 17 logo in the background.

6-7am hour appears to be repeating at 7am; likely will repeat 8-9am.

Was expecting lots more out of Scripps.

(Perhaps this is temporary pending a ramp-up, but first impressions are everything)



EdWalker
Posts: 125
Joined: Sun Nov 04, 2018 2:51 pm

Re: Really WSYM? This is News?

Post by EdWalker » Mon Jan 04, 2021 8:16 am

Tuning back in during the 8am hour, itsmy thought that one issue with this anchor-less format is that without a voice introducing the stories, you've got to watch the screen to know what the next story is. And that doesn't work in mornings when you're busy getting ready for work or school and are more likely to just be listening to the TV, rather than watching.



SBaxley
Posts: 111
Joined: Mon Nov 28, 2016 3:27 pm

Re: Really WSYM? This is News?

Post by SBaxley » Mon Jan 04, 2021 12:31 pm

Just watching their noon news, and this reminded me of a news hybrid called 'NewsFix" that aired on 3 CW stations KDAF Dallas, KIAH Houston, and WSFL Miami [WSYMs sister station which is ALSO supposed to be doing their own newscast in mid 2021] the format was anchorless newscasts with only a "Voice Artist" introing the news story, the only live personality was the weather anchor.. suffice to say that the newscast didn't last too long: 1 season in miami , 2 seasons in Dallas-Fort worth, and 5 seasons in Houston. I so am hoping that this is just temporary and that WSYM will have their news department in full force soon.



gotigers
Posts: 63
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2015 9:40 pm

Re: Really WSYM? This is News?

Post by gotigers » Tue Jan 05, 2021 4:55 pm

WILX making it clear that the new Fox 47 News isn't their doing: https://www.wilx.com/2021/01/05/wilx-no ... newscasts/



gotigers
Posts: 63
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2015 9:40 pm

Re: Really WSYM? This is News?

Post by gotigers » Wed Jan 06, 2021 11:04 am

Julie Williams (Fox 47's former morning anchor) weighed in yesterday on Facebook. It seems sarcastic and I hope it is because that's the level of snark I need. If she really does think it's SUPER exciting, she and I will agree to disagree. hahaha

https://www.facebook.com/JulieWilliamsJ ... %2CO%2CP-R



gotigers
Posts: 63
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2015 9:40 pm

Re: Really WSYM? This is News?

Post by gotigers » Fri Jan 08, 2021 10:33 pm

There are currently 8 posts on Fox 47's Facebook page complaining about the new format. They've only responded to one of them with this...
Good morning and thank you for writing. First and foremost, thank you for watching FOX 47 News and for being a loyal viewer! As you noted, we have a very different looking format to FOX 47 News in 2021. If I could make one request of you, it would be to give us time to make an outstanding new News show. This week's first shows were just that, our first shows. We have additional team members joining us over the course of the next few weeks and will be fully staffed by mid-to-late January. Earlier this week our shows relied too much on national content without enough local reporters. This will all change very soon. What you'll see in the coming weeks is more local reporters on camera, telling local stories from right here in Mid-Michigan. Shortly, FOX 47 News will have more local reporters than any other local news organization. Please know, the last thing we want to do is alienate long-term viewers like you. We will work tirelessly to improve the newscasts and bring personality, enthusiasm and compassion to the news and our storytelling. If you don't mind, I'd like to ask a favor of you. Would you please tune in again between now and late January and let us know if you see improvement? Is the newscast enjoyable to watch? Did you feel like you learned something about your neighbors right here in Mid-Michigan? Until then, I wish you a blessed New Year in 2021! Thank you!
I guess we'll see what happens, but if they don't turn it around quickly, I don't see them rebounding from this.



wsummers
Posts: 59
Joined: Sat Apr 01, 2006 6:22 pm

Re: Really WSYM? This is News?

Post by wsummers » Sat Jan 09, 2021 11:26 am

They have known for months...this wasn’t thrown at them at the last minute even though it looks like it was. Looks to me like they are scrambling to make a bad idea work. I’d hate to try to sell ads for this.

To my knowledge this has been tried in other markets without success anywhere. The current product is bad. Since it can’t get worse it will probably improve some, but the big problem with this concept is breaking news coverage. Without someone live in studio you really are always presenting hours old news.

The rationale seems to be an attempt to appeal to the younger demographics and so they really don’t care that they are driving away the current viewers of local news who tend to be older. (My 20 & 30 something sons never watch local news getting everything off the Internet.) IMO if they want this to have a chance they need 1) someone live in studio giving breaking news and/or live reporting, 2) local reporters who promo their stories at the beginning of each newscast.



high fidelity
Posts: 59
Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2009 7:08 pm

Re: Really WSYM? This is News?

Post by high fidelity » Sun Jan 10, 2021 4:27 pm

Their newscasts are very impersonal and amateurish. No anchors? Weather done from Grand Rapids? How are they going to cover breaking news and breaking weather as it happens? For local news, you need to spend money in order to make money.



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MWmetalhead
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Re: Really WSYM? This is News?

Post by MWmetalhead » Fri Jan 15, 2021 7:07 pm

Typical Scripps; trying to take shortcuts instead of doing things the right way.



gotigers
Posts: 63
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2015 9:40 pm

Re: Really WSYM? This is News?

Post by gotigers » Sun Jan 24, 2021 11:51 am

About an hour ago, WSYM put out a post on their Facebook page encouraging people to follow their new reporters' pages. That went over about as well as expected... out of the dozen or so comments, not one is positive.

https://www.facebook.com/fox47news/post ... 4829885437



babastooey
Posts: 8
Joined: Thu Mar 03, 2016 4:29 pm

Re: Really WSYM? This is News?

Post by babastooey » Mon Jan 25, 2021 7:47 am

gotigers wrote:
Wed Jan 06, 2021 11:04 am
Julie Williams (Fox 47's former morning anchor) weighed in yesterday on Facebook. It seems sarcastic and I hope it is because that's the level of snark I need. If she really does think it's SUPER exciting, she and I will agree to disagree. hahaha

https://www.facebook.com/JulieWilliamsJ ... %2CO%2CP-R
Julie Williams is the only WILX person on Facebook who has even mentioned WSYM's new morning news, and she hasn't been on WILX since late December. If I had to guess she is waiting out a no-compete and will soon be WSYM's first morning anchor. I wonder how long she has to wait her deal out. Emily Wahls hasn't been on TV since September so I'm guessing Emily's no-compete is 6 months? I hope Julie's is less. Then when Emily Wahls goes on TV at 10 does Claire get bumped out and does she re-join her friend Julie?



wsummers
Posts: 59
Joined: Sat Apr 01, 2006 6:22 pm

Re: Really WSYM? This is News?

Post by wsummers » Mon Jan 25, 2021 2:09 pm

Emily Wahls is the chief meteorologist at WILX so she will be taking over an on air spot whenever her non-compete ends. Justin Bradford is still there, but appears to be doing behind the scenes work during the day and filling in as needed. Someone is likely to be out as it’s hard to see the need for 5 meteorologists at a station in this sized market.

As for Julie Williams, she’s the only person I’ve seen who doesn’t work for WSYM that seems to like the anchor-less low budget format. If it was the plan to bring her onboard in the future as an anchor, it seems they would have had someone warm the seat before driving most of their viewers (gotta believe advertisers will follow soon) away. Instead looks like someone in charge who thinks this is a good idea.

If I were 6 or 10 I’d be launching a 10 pm newscast on one of my subchannels and stream on the web.



scott8x82
Posts: 8
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2020 2:24 pm

Re: Really WSYM? This is News?

Post by scott8x82 » Fri Jan 29, 2021 7:49 am

Julie Williams announced on Facebook yesterday that she is the new evening anchor at WSIL in southern Illinois. Good luck to her.



wsummers
Posts: 59
Joined: Sat Apr 01, 2006 6:22 pm

Re: Really WSYM? This is News?

Post by wsummers » Sat Aug 21, 2021 10:45 pm

Just noticed WSYM has added news anchors…to no one’s surprise the anchorless experiment was a disaster.



SBaxley
Posts: 111
Joined: Mon Nov 28, 2016 3:27 pm

Re: Really WSYM? This is News?

Post by SBaxley » Mon Aug 23, 2021 5:26 pm

Actually, when you think about it, there was actually a method to their madness, now if we remember how when a new news department was being announced, they would use the newspaper, and a hiring process..etc. then build a news set, do several rehearsals, then boom, a newscast was born.
What WSYM and Scripps did, [in my opinion] was cut out the middleman, and allow the viewers to be where the newspaper critics and advertizers would be, In other words.. we were watching the ultimate newscast audition tape, while they were building a new set ..etc.
I have a feeling the new look FOX47 News will probably preem in September

again, think about it, if you were sick and tired of the old way of doing a building a news department and newscast, you'd probably think outside of the box too



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