Tegna is taking the News out of the Newscast

FTVLIve was the first to tell you that Tegna was going to try and change how many of their stations do newscasts.

Tegna has hired an outside consultant to basically blowup the newscasts of their low rated stations and try to prop up their ratings.

The project first started at Tegna owned KXTV in Sacramento. 

So we had someone watch a recent KXTV's newscast and give us their thoughts.

Here's what they said: 

You really have to stream the KXTV show to see how awful the approach really is.

It’s the  old “Channel 2 Information Network” meets the Facebook feature stories everyone shares on their timelines.  We know how well that “information network” worked for WCBS in 2001.

Oh…this is the “ABC 10 Information Network.”

At :19 after….I’ve not seen one frame of Sacto news.   There is a long package on now about what to do when you’re on a flight and you’re seated next to parents with babies.

And all of this is delivered by tie-less anchors (the existing anchors) reading with a smarmy, we’re-hipper-then-you-are attitude and looking VERY uncomfortable.

Just saw a tease for 10LNT.   Wait…you don’t know what that is?   Everyone knows it’s “10 Late News Tonight.”

They keep going to a 20-something reporter (anchor?) surrounded by other 20-somethings, all furiously working on their Macs and PC’s.  She does the story that are hipper than the already too-hip-for-the-room content.

Over/under….6 months before everyone gets blown up.  

This same approach to news is being used by Tegna's Tampa station WTSP as well. 

---