Archive for March, 2011

SJL Broadcasting replaces general managers at WJRT and WTVG

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Posted 31 Mar 2011 — by Michigan Media
Category Flint-Saginaw-Bay City

WJRT and WTVGSJL Broadcasting is replacing the general managers at WJRT in Flint and WTVG in Toledo. Peter Veto is the new GM at WJRT and John Christianson is the new GM at WTVG.

SJL Broadcasting, which officially takes over WJRT Flint and WTVG Toledo tomorrow, is replacing the stations’ longtime general managers, Tom Bryson and David Zamichow. Both executives have opted to leave on their own, says SJL President George Lilly, and both replacements come from within the extended Lilly family.

“Both of them are class people,” says Lilly. “We would’ve kept both in a heartbeat.”

WJRT’s new GM is Peter Veto, who will also be director of sales at WJRT and WTVG. He comes from Lilly Broadcasting’s WENY-EENY-GENY, an ABC-CBS-CW trio in Elmira, New York.

WTVG’s new GM is John Christianson, who also comes from Lilly Broadcasting. He’s been general manager at WSEE, WBEP and One Caribbean Television in Erie, Pennsylvania since 2007.

Broadcasting & Cable

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Top TV ownership groups in Michigan

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Posted 30 Mar 2011 — by Michigan Media
Category Detroit, Flint-Saginaw-Bay City, Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo-Battle Creek, Lansing

TVNewsCheck and M.C. Alcamo & Co., Inc. assembled a list of the top 30 TV ownership groups in the United States. Out of the top 30 groups, 16 own and operate stations in Michigan. Here are the rankings:

Rank
Group
% TVHH
Michigan Stations
1 Ion Media 64.3 WPXD, WZPX
2 Univision 44
3 Trinity 41.2
4 CBS Television Stations 37.8 WWJ-TV, WKBD
5 Fox Television Stations 37.2 WJBK
6 NBCU Stations 35.8
7 Tribune Broadcasting 35.5 WXMI
8 ABC Owned Stations 22.5 WJRT*, WTVG*
9 Sinclair Broadcast Group 20 WSMH
10 Gannett Broadcasting 18.2 WZZM
11 Hearst Television 18
12 Entravision 17.4
13 Daystar Television 16.9 WUDT
14 Belo Corp. 14.5
15 Raycom Media 12.5 WTOL
16 Liberman Broadcasting 11.2
17 Local TV LLC 10.8
18 Cox Media Group 10.4
19 Scripps Television Group 9.8 WXYZ
20 Meredith Local Media 9.1 WNEM
21 Richard French Stations 9.1
22 Newport Television 8.8
23 Nexstar Broadcasting 8.6
24 LIN Media 8.5 WOOD-TV, WOTV, WXSP, WUPW
25 Media General 8.4
26 Post-Newsweek Stations 7.4 WDIV
27 WLNY 6.5
28 Gray Television 6.3 WILX, WNDU
29 Granite Broadcasting 5.6 WMYD
30 Young Broadcasting 5.4 WLNS
* Pending sale to SJL Broadcasting
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Conklin named GM of WSMH

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Posted 30 Mar 2011 — by Michigan Media
Category Flint-Saginaw-Bay City

WSMH FOX 66Chad Conklin will replace John Hummel as general manager of Sinclair FOX affiliate WSMH in Flint. Hummel is moving to Raleigh, NC for the GM job at WLFL and WRDC.

Sinclair Broadcast Group has made two general manager appointments this week. The company, which manages 58 stations across the country, announced on Wednesday that John Hummel had been named general manager of WLFL and WRDC in Raleigh, NC, and that Chad Conklin would replace him as GM of WSMH in Flint, MI.

Hummel has served as general manager of WSMH, a Fox-affiliate, since 2007.  Conklin has been with WSMH for the past 11 years, most recently serving as general sales manager.

“We are excited to promote Chad to the general manager position,” said Steve Marks, COO of Sinclair’s television group. “He has worked his way up through the ranks at the station, understands the market he is serving, and has demonstrated that he is ready for the next challenge. We look forward to Chad’s enthusiasm and leadership as he continues to build on the successes of John Hummel.”

TV Spy

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WLNS partners with Jackson Citizen Patriot

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Posted 22 Mar 2011 — by Michigan Media
Category Lansing

WLNSYoung Broadcasting’s WLNS (Channel 6) in Lansing entered into a partnership with the Jackson Citizen Patriot.

Lansing’s WLNS has entered into a partnership with a local newspaper–a move that has become increasingly common among TV stations across the country.

WLNS, a CBS-affiliate serving central Michigan, announced this week that it has launched a partnership with the Jackson Citizen Patriot, which will give WLNS greater resources in covering the Jackson area.  Jackson is the second largest city in WLNS’s market behind Lansing.

“The Cit Pat does an excellent job, and we’re proud to partner with them,” said Jam Sardar, news director at WLNS (channel 6). “Now 6 News will give the people of greater Jackson the quality TV coverage they’ve always deserved.”

As part of the agreement, WLNS reporter Abby Grimmett will have a desk within the Citizen Patriot newsroom and serve as the stations’ Jackson bureau.  The arrangement is similar to one recently launched by WTNH, in which the New Haven ABC-affiliate opened a bureau in the newsroom of the Connecticut Post.

TV Spy

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Kim Voet named News Director of WDIV

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Posted 19 Mar 2011 — by Michigan Media
Category Detroit

WDIVPost-Newsweek’s WDIV (Channel 4) in Detroit has promoted Kim Voet to News Director. Voet, a 14-year veteran of WDIV, was the Assistant News Director since 2009.

WDIV-TV is pleased to announce the promotion of Kim Voet to the position of News Director of WDIV Local 4 News.  Voet, a 14-year veteran of the WDIV newsroom, has held the positions of Local 4 News Producer, Executive Producer of Local 4 News at 11pm, Special Projects Executive Producer, Senior Executive Producer, and most recently, the position of Assistant News Director since December 2009.

Voet has been honored with awards for news coverage from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters, The Associated Press and the Michigan Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.  In addition, twice during her tenure in the newsroom, the station has received the RTDNA Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall Excellence in News Coverage, recognizing the efforts of the entire WDIV news staff.  Voet has described these team awards as her proudest accomplishments.

“Throughout her many years at Local 4, Kim has had a hand in every key initiative in our newsroom, and has been a driving force behind our election coverage,” said Marla Drutz, WDIV Vice President and General Manager.  ”She has consistently demonstrated a passion for being the best in breaking news coverage, and has a great understanding of what is truly important to our community.”

PRNewswire

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WOOD, WOTV reach deal with Dish Network

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Posted 13 Mar 2011 — by Michigan Media
Category Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo-Battle Creek

WOOD-TV, WOTVLIN Media has entered into a retransmission consent agreement with Dish Network. As a result, Dish Network has resumed carriage of WOOD-TV and WOTV in the Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo-Battle Creek television market.

LIN Media, a local multimedia company, announced Sunday that it has entered into a retransmission consent agreement with DISH Network, L.L.C.

As a result, DISH has resumed carriage of the local television stations that LIN Media owns, operates or services, including WOOD TV8 AND WOTV 4.

“We are pleased that our negotiations with DISH Network resulted in a fair resolution and a new retransmission consent agreement,” said LIN Media’s President and Chief Executive Officer Vincent L. Sadusky. “We thank our viewers and our advertisers for their tremendous support.”

WOOD-TV

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Bidding deadline for Freedom stations is today

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Posted 10 Mar 2011 — by Michigan Media
Category Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo-Battle Creek, Lansing

Freedom CommunicationsFinal bids are due this week in the auction of Freedom Communications. Freedom owns several newspapers and television stations, including WWMT (Channel 3) in Kalamazoo and WLAJ (Channel 53) in Lansing.

Final bids are due this week in the auction of Freedom Communications Inc. as several private-equity firms and media companies circle the publisher of the Orange County Register, said people familiar with the matter.

Bids for assets of the Irvine, Calif., media company, which owns the Register as well as other newspapers and local television stations, are due Thursday, the people said. Possible bidders include Denver Post publisher MediaNews Group Inc.; Tribune Co.; Gores Group; and Platinum Equity, owner of the San Diego Union Tribune, these people said.

Freedom, which emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy-court protection last April, is giving bidders several options. Suitors can make offers for the entire company or they can separately bid on Freedom’s eight television stations, its more than 100 daily and weekly newspapers or the Register alone.

The Wall Street Journal

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MAB announces 2010 broadcast awards

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Posted 10 Mar 2011 — by Michigan Media
Category Detroit, Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo-Battle Creek, Marquette, Traverse City-Cadillac

MABThe Michigan Association of Broadcasters announced their 2010 broadcast excellence awards.

Commercial Broadcasting Stations of the Year:

  • TV Market 1: WXYZ
  • TV Market 2: WOOD-TV
  • TV Market 3: WWTV/WWUP
  • TV Market 4: WLUC

Read More: 2010 Broadcast Excellence Awards

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Death of man on TV tower ruled a suicide

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Posted 09 Mar 2011 — by Michigan Media
Category Detroit

TV TowerThe man who was found dead on the TV transmission tower for WWJ-TV, WMYD and WTVS committed suicide.

A 23-year-old Detroiter reported missing earlier this month was the man found dead near the top of a broadcast tower in Oak Park, officials said today.

The Oakland County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the manner of death a suicide but declined to elaborate. The man died of multiple traumatic injuries after falling onto a platform near the top of the tower from a higher point on the 1,100-foot-tall structure.

Oak Park Police Sgt. Jason Ginopolis said the man’s family reported him missing March 3. They last saw him Feb. 28.

Maintenance workers found the man clad only in underpants and a T-shirt on the platform of the tower near 8 Mile and Meyers around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday. Oak Park police called in a special technical team of rescuers to remove the body.

Matt Helms/Detroit Free Press

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Man found dead on Detroit-area broadcast tower

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Posted 08 Mar 2011 — by Michigan Media
Category Detroit

TV Tower for WWJ-TV, WTVS and WMYDA man was found dead on top of a TV transmission tower in Oak Park. The tower transmits TV signals for WMYD (Channel 20), WTVS (Channel 56) and WWJ-TV (Channel 62).

A young man has been found dead 1,000 feet up near the top of a broadcast transmission tower in Oak Park.

Police said the man, who is believed to be in his 20′s, was found by a crew doing routine maintenance on the 1,100-foot tower.  A witness said he was wearing only a t-shirt and underwear.

Police said man’s body was found resting on a platform. It could have been there for a week or more since it’s been that long since anyone has worked on the tower.

How the man got up there remains a mystery.

CBS Detroit

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