Monday, November 07, 2005

Nexstar not getting what it wanted

Today's Television and Business Report says what I have been saying for the past few weeks on this blog: Nexstar didn't get the money it wanted as compensation when it reached its agreements with Cox Communications and Insight.
The TVBR observation was: "Clearly Nexstar is finding new ways to come to terms with the cable MSOs, but hasn't succeeded in its original objective of being paid a fee of a penny a day per subscriber by the cable companies."

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

In the last year, KODE has lost 50% of their viewers at 6pm and 30% at 5pm and 10pm. KSNF has fallen 40% in the Morning News, 10% at 5pm and over 10% at 10pm. Cable One doesn't represent enough subscribers to have caused these drops. Maybe they determined that while they are having serious audience erosion problems, they shouldn't be reducing their cable carriage.

Anonymous said...

Where did you get those numbers? Seems like you might work in the sales department at KOAM with those stats. And Randy, its amazing to me that with all your work on the book and your alleged teaching duties, that you have time to be in on negotiations between companies. Keep up the good work and keep moving your personal agenda forward.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like someone who might work for KSN or KODE is feeling a little frustrated. Maybe you or someone from KODE and KSN could inform us if the information is wrong. I have noticed that Nexstar is in the news every couple of days and yet they never really say anything. I think your curiosity with KOAM is interesting. Where is their press release of the day on cable. If they had one, I hope they would actually say something instead of hogging the spotlight to say nothing. You are quick to try to point the light elsewhere when it doesn't fit the Nexstar press release spin.

Anonymous said...

Mustache ride anyone?

Anonymous said...

Just thought I would mention this. First I do not have cable! There have been a few times I remember during a violent thunderstorm that KODE and KSN would be knocked off the air at the same time. However, KOAM TV would remain broadcasting. I guess that is an advantage to not having the station in Joplin. So I watched KOAM TV for weather updates, Doug Heady does a fine job. I noticed that KOAM TV will generally be the first station to break in when severe weather is threatening Joplin, followed by KSN, and then KODE. If it’s the weekend good luck Joplin, unless you’re watching KOAM TV or by chance Bandy and Foreman decide to come in on their weekend off.
My thought with KSN TV staff, too many of them work at their job like it’s a circus. There is nothing wrong with having fun on the job, but keep the on air antics to a minimum. Remember you in the local media are professionals! I work in the medical field at a CHI hospital in town and I know when to have fun and when not to.
I think all the stations in Joplin-Pittsburg area have different areas of strength and weaknesses. But as a weather spotter for the city of Joplin, if I had to rely on quick information off the TV my first choice would be KOAM (not counting the internet of course). I am just one of those viewers who watches KOAM news probably 75% of the time, with KODE 20% and KSN at 5%. I am referring to the 5 and 6 PM news, not to compete with the 9PM news on FOX.

Anonymous said...

Last weekend did anyone notice that KODE and KSN at 5PM was airing the same exact RONCO infomercial at the same time?

Anonymous said...

To the person who wrote this quote:
"My thought with KSN TV staff, too many of them work at their job like it’s a circus. There is nothing wrong with having fun on the job, but keep the on air antics to a minimum."

Care to explain with some examples instead of broad strokes?

Anonymous said...

I am not the one who posted the remark about the circus, but I will tell you what I have noticed.
KODE & KSN newscasters make coments back and forth about each other that does not need to be air as news.
I think it was just this morning that one of them made the remark about weight to the other one and he replied that he has gained 15 lbs since getting married.
Why did the four states need to hear that?
I could go on and on but I think you get the idea.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like you want a robot reading the news. What's wrong with a morning newscaster talking about his/ her life on the air? The morning show is lighter and the goal is to wake people up. Today show anchors commonly bring up their personal likes, dislikes, things happening in their life. Matt, Katie, Al and Ann all talk about themselves every now and then.

Anonymous said...

Nobody wants a robot to do the news! Its good when tv personalties talk about themselves a little bit. You get to learn a little more about them. I think sometimes its the goofyness(for the lack of a better word)that happens every now and then that gets on some peoples nerves.

Anonymous said...

Randy...it's threads like this one that show how much competition there is between the stations. They all want to win, which is good, but two of those stations are at a distinct disadvantage not being on cable. How can you win in the ratings if you are not reaching as many homes? The answer is simple, you can't.

Randy said...

I agree. Nexstar's decision to pull its programming off Cable One has been a major disaster for KSNF and KODE.

Anonymous said...

Last call for mustache rides!

Anonymous said...

What is a mustache ride?

Anonymous said...

KSN's issues are really not that much about cable. Here are a couple of quotes from Chief Executive Officer of NBC, Bob Wright, printed in the New York Post. "We are definately a desperate network right now." "It's going to take a few years to get back to where we were," he said of NBC's former position. As for ratings, if the information I've seen in Joplin's Chamber newsletter and local Movie Theaters is accurate, and I have to believe it is or some would have cried foul, then it isn't even a close race as to who has the most viewers. I think cable is just a small part of the issue. If NBC's head man calls them a Desperate Network, how can the local station, who alledgedly reports facts, say they are doing so well.

Anonymous said...

Oh, they're all about credibility. (NOT) Aren't they the same organization that had Jim Jackson pitching satellite sales in the news for their former weatherman's business Wireless Connections. They not only left cable one, but had their news people making commercials for the competition of cable one. That's a credible class act. I have noticed they try to direct attention to KOAM or FOX. I've also noticed KOAM and FOX seem to stay out of the ruckus. I wish KOAM would make comment so we could at least hear something credible.

Anonymous said...

The movie theater ads are paid by KOAM. Even when they were #2, their slides said the opposite.

Anonymous said...

Two comments.

1. Replying to the "exact same commercial at the exact same time." That is not acutally strange at all. Many advertisers request a specific time they want to air, its possible to be on all 3 stations at the exact same time. There isn't anything strange about that.

2. Do not be fooled by the slide. It is an "ad" for KOAM. KSN or KODE could put one up and slant it their way for different time periods/programing ect. The Movie Ad is just that...an ad paid for by KOAM. What I always think is funny is the many times I have been in a movie theater...and people see it, they are like "KOAM? I never would have guessed they were the most watched show." "Wheel of Fortune? I watch Friends on KSN"

Anonymous said...

In regards to " Two comments: replying to the exact same commercial at the exact same time."
Up above, earlier in the blog a person mentioned that "both KODE and KSN TV aired the same RONCO infomercial at the exact same time". Yes both stations have the right to air a half hour of RONCO at the same time. However if a person only picked up those two stations off an antenna, that would'nt give a person any choice in viewing. This is something you think you would see more on cable with such a larger selection of channels repeating some shows.

Anonymous said...

The good news is that Nexstar will most likely be selling off stations since they failed in their bid to be paid-per-cable viewer.
The Joplin market never worked out for Nexstar. They planned on putting both stations in the same building and that failed. They failed to retain most of their most talented people at both stations. Their ratings are off (according to Nielsen and the story about the ratings published in the Joplin Globe) and their product is absolute crap at this point. I'd say the two stations are high on Nexstar's dump list at this point.

Anonymous said...

Not being on cable reduces their selling price. Might as well wait a bit longer and see if they gain any ground.

Five stations in four markets indicates that essentially it will be 3 single stations and a dual station market. I'd bet they'd get rid of the smaller dual in Montana way before Joplin. It doesnt fit in to their regional area, pulls in less money, and has less profitability.

Nielson is irrelevant as long as sales are being made. A good chunk of commericial time is sold on KSN in the most prime slots.

Anonymous said...

Randy,
Any chance you could make a message board for us to talk about these issues? I'm not a fan of the neosho forums.

Anonymous said...

Your exactly right..KSN & KODE are still selling out in their prime time programming...so as long as there are advertisers who are willing to advertise...there is money to be made....ABC has some of the best Prime time programs out there...Boston Legal, Desparate Housewives, Lost, Extreme Home Makeover, Grey's Anatomy, Alias, Invasion....all of which are normally sold out.....the daytime programming as well....Good Morning America, Regis & Kelly, The View, ABC Soaps & Oprah are also sold out nearly every week. So, I doubt KODE is hurting Nexstar much.

Anonymous said...

My bet is the Joplin properties get dumped quickly.

Anonymous said...

I'll take that bet, put your money where your mouth is.

Anonymous said...

Take a look at the Nexstar stations before blowing smoke about which stations will be sold. Both stations here make money and are professionally managed. Nexstar has other stations that would make more sense to move.

Anonymous said...

Those of you who don't think Joplin could be on the block need to go listen to some of the stockholder conferences online. Apparently you aren't.

Anonymous said...

So one says the Movie Ads are bought by KOAM. Isn't that what KSN sells businesses so they can talk about themself. They imply they are wrong. Prove it! Why would anyone put out information that is wrong so that it could be corrected as a lie. If it is a lie, expose it, if it is not, shut up.

Anonymous said...

I work for a local business. A representative from KSN came in and proposed advertising to us and gave us what they said were the audiences for their shows. When my boss looked into it and in fact called a local advertising agency who apparently had the real data, he found out their information was extremely wrong. They told us audience levels that were 4 and 5 times higher than real. The comment that KODE has some good prime is somewhat correct.

Anonymous said...

Nexstar stock is down, and it is obvious they are resorting anything they can to try to get more income. Even lying. It would not surprise me if they end up bankrupt.