Courier Journal Nominated for Online Journalism Awards

Copy and paste the link to see the great feature presentation the Courier Journal did on horse racing.

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=EXTRAS03&template=fullpage

WSTR Updates Power, Signal Strength

Sinclair's WSTR, the MNT affiliate in Cincinnati (DMA 33) on ch. 33, has replaced its main transmission antenna with a new one that the station says will allow WSTR to reach many more viewers in the greater Cincinnati area.

A Dielectric omni-directional fully circular polarized UHF antenna was installed on Sept. 22, atop the "Star Tower" located on Winton Road in Cincinnati's College Hill neighborhood.

http://www.tvnewscheck.com/articles/2009/09/24/daily.5/

Blogger Says WLEX Turned News Site into a Blog

WLEX-TV in Lexington, Kentucky, an NBC affiliate, has turned its news site into a blog. It actually contains news produced independently of what goes out on broadcast. Very very interesting. It’s a different way of slicing the news, with much debt to Dave Winer’s river of news idea, and it’ll be fascinating to see how and in what ways it’s useful and how it changes our idea of what news should be.

http://cms.sys-con.com/node/1121709

Miranda Combs Leaving WKYT and WDKY

Miranda Combs, co-anchor of the highly successful 10 p.m. news on Fox affiliate WDKY (Channel 56), is leaving next month to take a public relations job at Preston-Osborne.

Combs has been at CBS affiliate WKYT (Channel 27), which produces the Fox news, since October 2002.

http://www.kentucky.com/lexgo/tv/story/952114.html

WFIE Making Changes to Its Digital Lineup

Two weeks ago, I mentioned in my column that 14WFIE-NBC would be making some changes to its channel lineup, but at that time, I didn’t have the go-ahead to explain all of those changes in detail.

Now, however, the details are in and I can share what I know.

Currently, WFIE offers three subchannels. The first, 14.1, is the regular broadcast channel that offers the NBC programming we’re all familiar with. The station’s First Alert weather information runs on 14.2, and ThisTV is on 14.3.

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/sep/25/jacob-newkirks-weekly-look-local-tv/

There Are 2 Million TVs in the Bathroom!

Just thought this was an awesome story.

WCPO Requests New Digital Channel

Still plagued with viewers' digital TV reception complaints, WCPO-TV (Channel 9) has asked the federal government for a new TV channel.

The ABC affiliate requested to switch to UHF Channel 22 - from VHF Channel 10 - because the VHF signal does not carry as far as, or penetrate buildings as well as the analog signal turned off June 12.

A new digital antenna installed in July, and a 47 percent power boost last month, did not eliminate reception complaints, the station told the Federal Communications Commission last week.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090921/ENT/309210065/Ch.+9+requests+new+digital+channel

WXIX Showcasing Local Bands Next Summer

Inspired by the "Today" show and "Good Morning America" summer concerts, WXIX-TV wants to showcase bands from Fountain Square on Fridays next summer.

"Fox 19 in the Morning" tests the format with the band Come On Go With Us from the MidPoint Music Festival 8-9 a.m. Friday (Channel 19).

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090920/ENT/909200318/1175/Ch.+19+hopes+to+showcase+local+bands

WLWT.com's Crazy Animal Stories

WLWT.com featured some interesting animal stories this past week. Some of the animals had unique skills, the others managed to grab headlines in a different way.

http://www.wlwt.com/news/20992558/detail.html

How Terre Haute Legends are Made

See how the Terre Haute Walk of Fame displays are built.

MultiMedia Staff Roles Change at WCMH

Media General's NBC affiliate WCMH Columbus, Ohio (DMA 32), is changing the roles of two managers.
Ike Walker has been named director of digital journalism for the station and its Web site, nbc4i.com. Walker joined WCMH as content brand manager in 2008 overseeing the staff and operations of the content department. In his new role, Walker will lead the effort to create and disseminate local digital journalism content across multiple distribution platforms.

http://www.tvnewscheck.com/articles/2009/09/18/daily.7/

Local School Plugged In to WBNS with Weather Bug

Temperature, wind speed, wind chill, dew point, rainfall, humidity and the percentage of outside light are among the real-world, real-time weather data available to Fredericktown teachers and students through the district’s new WeatherBug system.

http://www.mountvernonnews.com/local/09/09/18/real-time-data-available-through-weatherbug

WKYU to Premiere 'A Mammoth Cave'

On Sunday, October 4, thousands of southcentral Kentuckians will see Mammoth Cave National Park as they never have before, and they won’t have to leave home to do it. WKYU-PBS, Channel 24, will broadcast a virtual visit to the far reaches of the park in a one-hour high-definition documentary called Mammoth Cave: A Way to Wonder.

http://www.bgdailynews.com/articles/2009/09/17/the_amplifier/stage_and_screen/doc4ab296aa2dc74896717427.txt

DISH Network Offers Local HDTV in Columbus

WHAT: DISH Network® today expanded its local lineup of high definition (HD) channels in six DMAs, fortifying the company's HD leadership.
WHERE: New HD channels include WTVC (ABC) Ch. 9 in Chattanooga, Tenn.; WBNS (CBS) Ch. 10 in Columbus, Ohio; WICU (NBC) Ch. 12 in Erie, Pa.; WWMT (CBS) Ch. 3 in Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo-Battle Creek, Mich.; WTHR (NBC) Ch. 13 in Indianapolis, Ind.; and WPEC (CBS) Ch. 12 in West Palm Beach-Ft. Pierce, Fla.
WHEN: WBNS, WICU and WTHR will become available to DISH Network subscribers at approximately 7 p.m. ET on Sept. 16, 2009. WTVC, WWMT and WPEC will become available Sept. 17, 2009.
WHY: No one offers more HD local channels in more markets than DISH Network; currently DISH Network provides HD local channels in 152 markets covering more than 93 percent of U.S. TV households.
HOW: DISH Network customers with an HD receiver who subscribe to HD programming and locals will receive HD feeds of their broadcasts at no additional charge. For more information about DISH Network's HD offerings, please visit www.dishnetwork.com or call 1-800-333-DISH (3474) or talk to us on Twitter (@dishnetwork).

http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/news/2009/09/dish_network_expands_local_hd_offerings_in_six_markets.php

Blogger Shows Folks How to Build Their Own Antenna

I'd like to start off this week by thanking everyone who took the time to get in touch with me. I've answered 25 to 30 e-mails from readers.
Probably the top concern of those who've written to me involves problems getting certain stations. WEHT-ABC25 is, as I figured it would be, the hardest station for most folks to get. There is some good news to report: The station has taken delivery of its new transmission antenna, and hopefully that will solve many problems. But we won't know for sure until it's installed and operational.

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/sep/17/build-your-own-antenna-from-things-around-the/

Celebrate WOUB Radio's 60th Anniversary!

Celebrate 60 Years of Radio on WOUB
Ohio University Homecoming and WOUB Radio 60th Anniversary
October 16 and 17
• Reception and tours of the facility beginning Friday, October 16 at 7 p.m. - RTVC Building 3rd floor Studio

http://www.woub.org/about/index.php?page=47&item=1850

2 From WDTN Inducted into Hall of Fame

Two members of the 2 NEWS family were honored Saturday at Sinclair Community College.
Our own Marsha Bonhart and assignment manager Teresa Weaver were inducted into the Dayton Area Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

http://www.wdtn.com/dpp/news/local/WDTN_anchor_assignment_manager_inducted_into_HOF

KET Surprises Winners of Reading Rainbow Contest

Chloe Otterback and Cora Kirby have a few things in common. They like to read, they've both written books, and now they are winners of the 2009 Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest.
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20090914/NEWS0105/909140320/Young+authors+win+Reading+Rainbow+contest

Wife of Honored WDTN Anchor Carl Day Has Died

Donna Day, the wife of Carl Day, the well-known retired Dayton television anchorman, died early Thursday morning, Sept. 24.
According to Day his wife was pronounced dead at Southview Hospital shortly after 4 a.m. where she was rushed by paramedics after he found her unconscious in a chair in the family room of their Centerville home.

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dayton-news/retired-wdtn-anchorman-carl-days-wife-has-died-314837.html

YourCity.MD Announces 2 Year Partnership with WLEX

YourCity.MD today announced a two-year partnership with Cordillera Communications' WLEX, the NBC affiliate in Lexington, Ky. (DMA 63).
This agreement allows WLEX to use the YourCity.MD geo-targeted, city health care platform www.Lexington.MD, which lets the station provide local health resources, providers and facilities with the inclusion of formalized patient word-of-mouth testimonials and ratings.

http://www.tvnewscheck.com/articles/2009/09/10/daily.3/

Hall of Fame Honors WHIO Videographer

Saturday afternoon the Dayton Area Broadcasters Hall of Fame inducted a long-time WHIO-TV videographer.
The Hall of Fame honored videographer Denny Cheatham who retired from WHIO in April 2009.
Cheatham joined Channel 7 as a studio technician in 1963 and soon became one of WHIO’s top videographers.
Cheatham’s career spanned 46 years.
Saturdays other inductees included Gene “By Golly” Barry, Arlen “Bucky” Bockhorn, WDTN’s Marsha Bonhart, A.J. Brown, Dr. John “Turk” Logan, Deborah Parenti, WHIO Radio’s Toula Stamm and Teresa Weaver. Idotha “Bootsie” Neal was honored with the 2009 Community Service Award.
The Dayton Area Broadcasters Hall of Fame aims to recognize talented broadcasters in the Dayton area for their many years of service in the industry and their dedication to the community.
http://www.whiotv.com/news/20879600/detail.html

Why One Viewer Rethought Cutting the Cable Cord

Over the past few years I have written several columns about the impending death of cable in the face of Internet-distributed content.
With the rise of the iTunes Store, Netflix Instant Streaming and Hulu as distribution systems for television and movies, cable should be scared.
Being the cutting edge technology columnist that I am, I thought it was time that I eat my own dog food, cut the cable and adopt these Internet services as my primary means of television consumption. So three months ago I unplugged my TiVo and returned my CableCards to my cable provider with the confidence that I could replace their service with the Internet.

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/sep/11/cutting-cable-experiment-works-until-its-time-to/

WEVV Goes Pink

There's a reason for the pinkish hue you're about to see on Evansville's CBS affiliate.In a press release, WEVV says their station IDs and spots for syndicated programming will be pink and bear the signature pink ribbon of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, signifying the station's support for the "Race for the Cure" on September 19 and also for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is the month of October.
http://jakesdtvblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/wevv-is-going-pink.html

KYPost.com Wins 11 SPJ Awards

Local journalists came together Thursday night to celebrate the best of the best in their field at the Cincinnati Pro Chapter of The Society of Professional Journalists’ 2009 Awards Banquet.
KyPost.com’s web content producer/reporter Jessica Noll received 11 awards in total for her reporting, photography and headline-writing work in 2008.
http://www.kypost.com/content/news/859/story/KyPost-com-Takes-Home-11-SPJ-Awards/sdDrCJsq1kmRoYHa1FBoDg.cspx

WHIO Wins 10 Awards

WHIO-TV was awarded 3 regional Emmy awards and 7 awards from the Society of Professional Journalists of Ohio. The awards include an Emmy for News Center 7 anchor James Brown and a 1st Place SPJ Award for Best Website in Ohio.
“We are committed to our viewers and are delighted to receive these awards and recognition for our efforts in serving them,” said Harry Delaney, WHIO-TV Vice President and General Manager.

http://www.whiotv.com/station/20835712/detail.html

Local TV Still Ironing Out Digital Lineups

Growing up in the Tri-State means I've witnessed a lot of memorable TV moments over the years.
Strikes.
Plane crashes.
Personnel changes.
Severe weather.
The 1995 "great affiliate switch" that saw WTVW, WEHT and WEVV all change networks.
But nothing has captured my attention the way that the recent switch to digital television has.
Television in the Tri-State today is, if anything, even more interesting than it's ever been. Even for those — such as myself — who refuse to subscribe to cable, the choices available to us are great.
http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/sep/10/no-headline---10b10tv-col/

Winners in Celebrity Grape Stomp Announced

Media celebrities from Indianapolis, Vevay and Madison Ind., along with those from Cincinnati and Louisville took the center stomping stage at the 38th Annual Swiss Wine Festival for some toe-to-toe grape stomping action.With the chance to bring home checks to their favorite charity and bragging rights, 19 media celebrities met up in Vevay on Aug. 29 for the inaugural “Media Celebrity Grape Stomp for Charity.”

http://rodeo.cincinnati.com/getlocal/gpstory.aspx?id=100229&sid=154100

WHAS Cardinal Production Complaints

So, it has come to this. [Sigh]
It’s not bad enough that the Louisville football team delivered a lackluster performance against Indiana State. But WHAS-TV had to go and add insult to ignominy by delivering an equally dismal and depressing telecast.
http://uoflcardgame.com/amateur-hour-returns-on-whas-tv/9597

Viewer Accuses WXIX of Bias

According to Sheriff Jones of Butler Country, we drew 18,000 today while more were still streaming into the event. It was clearly our largest rally to date. This was the headline on the WXIX site:

http://cincinnatiteaparty.org/blog/?p=259

Cincinnati Market Updates: New Market Rankings, WLWT Makes History, and Nick Clooney Update

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20090906/ENT/909060336/

WOSU Goes Inside the Lives of Stefanie Spielman and Archie Griffin

Archie Griffin and Stephanie Spielman talk about paying it forward
Archie Griffin and Stephanie Spielman talk about paying it forward. This video was produced for Eye on Alumni, a studio-based interview show featuring some of Ohio State's most prominent alumnus.

WBKI Makes a Move

The Louisville affiliate of The CW Television Network is moving its operations to the St. Matthews area from eastern Jefferson County.
The owner of WBKI-TV has signed a 10-year lease for about 9,000 square feet in the Kaden Tower, according to several people involved directly in the transaction.

http://louisville.bizjournals.com/louisville/stories/2009/09/07/story4.html

WTVQ Joins Cardinal Sports Network

Television station WTVQ of Lexington has joined the Cardinal Sports Network, which broadcasts University of Louisville athletics across the state.
Fans in Lexington will be able to see U of L games, starting with Saturday's football season opener against Indiana State, on WTVQ's sister station, MyTVQ2, which is Channel 138 on Insight Communications digital cable.

http://www.kentucky.com/232/story/922277.html

DirecTV Adds Local HD Stations to Lineup

Lexington, KY becomes the 129th market where DirecTV is offering local broadcast TV signals in HD. The nation’s largest satellite TV company says it is now offering local-to-local HD to more than 90% of US television households.All four major network affiliates are included in DirecTV’s HD offering for Nielsen market #62. Now available to satellite subscribers are WTVQ (ABC), WKYT (CBS), WDKY (Fox) and WLEX (NBC).

Nice Feature Story on Dayton Reporter Jordan Burgess

Because news reporters see the very worst of human situations, they must be able to cover a tragedy in a sensitive, and sensible way.
For at least one young Dayton television news reporter, covering a bad accident reminds him of the worst day of his life — when an auto accident killed his father.

http://www.daytondailynews.com/opinion/columnists/channel-2-reporter-has-seen-both-sides-of-tragedy-278647.html

Big Ten Networks Starts Third Year of Operation

With seven football games on opening weekend, a full slate of new programming and nationwide distribution, the Big Ten Network is poised to begin its third year of operation.
The network will carry first game of the Big Ten football season at 8 PM ET on Thursday, as Indiana hosts Eastern Kentucky at newly-renovated Memorial Stadium. Six other Big Ten teams - Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin - will open their seasons on Saturday with games on the Big Ten Network. Overall, the network will once again televise between 35-40 football games and all of them will be produced in high definition.

http://www.gophersports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=8400&ATCLID=204785592

AT&T U-Verse Comes to Louisville

For years now Insight Communications has been the only cable option in Louisville. But AT&T hopes to end the monopoly by offering its cable system.
“It is the new entertainment for Lousiville," said AT&T’s General Manager for Kentucky and Tennessee, Bryan Klamer.



http://www.whas11.com/news/local/stories/whas11-topstories-090830-att-uverse.1307f3b0c.html

WKRP's in Cincinnati, But It's Hard to Find

Many Enquiring Minds want to know: How can you see "WKRP" channel listed in our TV grids?
It's not easy. WKRP-TV is a low-power TV station based in Roselawn. It used to be analog WBQC-TV (Channel 38).
With the switch to digital, WKRP-TV's over-the air signal moved to digital Channel 25.2. It's part of the digital multicast channels of sister Block Broadcasting station WOTH-TV (Channel 25.1).

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090830/ENT/908300337/WKRP+s+in+Cincinnati++but+it+s+hard+to+find