Local Nexstar Stations Get New Mobile Service

It looks like folks on the go who want to keep up with news and information coming from WTVW-Fox 7 will soon have a new way of doing so.


Nexstar Broadcasting Group, which owns WTVW, has signed an agreement with LSN Mobile to provide wireless services to the company's stations, and viewers will be the beneficiaries.


The new services will include apps for iPhones, Blackberries, Droids and probably some others I don't know about yet. Users will be able to get news updates and see videos (on compatible devices) according to TVNewsCheck.

As of now, I've not been able to find a timetable for the debut of the new services, but with the fast pace of today's media environment, I think Nexstar will move quickly to roll this out, especially since many other station groups also have mobile apps, alerts and other offerings.


NOTE: In Indiana, in addition to WTVW, Nexstar also owns WFFT-Fox 55 in Fort Wayne and WTWO-Newschannel 2, the NBC affiliate in Terre Haute. The company also operates WFXW-Fox 38 in Terre Haute through a local marketing agreement.

WEHT Sends Reporter to Haiti

January 21, 2010, Greencastle, Ind. — "WEHT sent reporter Courtney Fischer to the devastated island nation of Haiti yesterday," notes an item in the Evansville Courier & Press. "She is traveling with Bible Center Cathedral members, who are there to assess and repair damage to the orphanage the church sponsors there, as well as prepare it for use as a relief station for those displaced by the massive earthquake that struck the island recently. Fischer is expected to report live from Haiti this week via broadband."

http://www.depauw.edu/news/?id=24769

WFIE and WEVV Partnering for Colts Specials

14 WFIE is partnering with WEVV to produce Colts Super Bowl specials.

Both companies are pooling their resources to produce Colts-themed programming that will air during the Super Bowl weekend.

http://www.14wfie.com/Global/story.asp?S=11891593

WEVV to Air Show on the Colts' Run to the SuperBowl

Thursday at 6:00pm, My44 (channel 44.2) will broadcast SOUND OFF, an hour-long sports call-in show featuring discussion and debate on the Colts’ run to Super Bowl XLIV. SOUND OFF will give a voice to the fans and allow them to ask questions of those who cover Indiana sports every day.

http://jakesdtvblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/ready-to-sound-off-about-your-colts.html

WTWO Heading to Auschwitz

On Friday, WTWO's Elyse Evans previewed a trip she is making to Auschwitz, a Nazi concentration camp.

Saturday morning, Elyse and videographer Mika Brown boarded a bus for Chicago.

From there, they along with 53 others will fly to Cracow, Poland.

Holocaust survivor Eva Kor is organizing the pilgrimage to Auschwitz, where she was held captive during World War II.

http://mywabashvalley.com/content/fulltext/?cid=100031

Evansville TV Updates in Sports, Programming, and Haiti Live Shots

Friday night promises to be another great night for fans of high school sports, as WEHT-News25's sports team will broadcast the Class 3A boys basketball matchup between the Washington Hatchets and the Princeton Tigers live from Princeton's historical gym.

The game will air at 7 p.m. Friday on RTV25 (channel 25.2), which is available over the air and also on a number of cable outlets in the Tri-State. For those of you who can't get the channel, it also will be streamed live on the station's Web site.

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/jan/21/high-school-basketball-coverage-tips-off-on-weht/

WFIE GM Happy Leno's Back to Late Night

After watching its affiliates' late news ratings tank since the September debut of "The Jay Leno Show," NBC finally has capitulated to the stations' demands and announced that the show will move from that slot soon.

Network officials announced Sunday that Leno's last show will be Feb. 11.

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/jan/14/affiliates-thrilled-nbc-moving-leno-to-later/

WEVV Resolves Basketball Conflict

It's nice to see other stations step up to the plate when sporting (and other) events of local interest get bumped elsewhere. WEVV-My44 is doing so this coming weekend with the SEC basketball games on Saturday.




Here's the official press release from the station:

http://jakesdtvblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/wevv-my44-to-air-sec-basketball.html

Evansville Anchor and Producer Heads to Louisville

There isn't much news to bring you this week because not much happens in local TV over the holidays, but I do have a couple of items to pass along, so let's get right to it.

First up this week, our loss is Louisville's gain as WEHT-News25 bids farewell to two team members: Daybreak anchor Jon Chrisos and newscast producer Ryan Nash are leaving the station for new positions at WAVE-3, the Raycom Media-owned NBC affiliate in Louisville, Ky.

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/jan/07/local-tv-station-bids-farewell-to-anchor/

Evansville Ratings - Leno Effect at Play?

Well, folks, the numbers are in, and as I suspected, there's good news and bad news for just about everyone at the local news stations.



Get the full details after the jump ... the graphic is just part of the story!

When I wrote recently that I wasn't sure if WFIE's 14NEWS at 10 would overcome the inertia of Jay Leno's almost complete failure at 9:00, I told you that I thought NEWS25 had the opportunity to take the time slot.

http://jakesdtvblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/ratings-are-in-wfie-maintains-lead-in.html

WVUT Receives Grant for HD Transition

PBS member station WVUT-TV in Southwest Indiana is the third public station in recent weeks to receive federal monies for digital broadcasting. WVUT, owned by Vincennes University, received $596,000 from the Department of Agriculture’s public station DTV transition grant program, Inside Indiana Business reports.

The two-year grant will fund new studio cameras and other digital production equipment that allows the station to create local programming in hi-def.

http://www.televisionbroadcast.com/article/88832

Public Broadcasting Adapts in a Changing World

Last week, WNIN-PBS9 received a 2009 My Source Community Impact Award from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for its efforts to promote healthy lifestyles in the Tri-State. Vincent Curren, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the corporation, presented the award.

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/oct/11/public-broadcasting-adapts-in-changing-world/

Local HD News Coming to Evansville

Last week, I mentioned that 14WFIE-NBC intends at some point to broadcast its newscasts in high definition. That would make WFIE the first station here to broadcast local news in HD.

However, when it comes to network and syndicated programming in HD, the fine folks at 44 Main St. took up the task of converting their station to "all-HD, all the time" just about a year ago — and they did a fantastic job.

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/oct/08/wfie-taking-first-leap-into-high-definition-news/

WNIN to Air the Indiana Channel

It looks like WNIN is the first of Indiana's eight PBS television stations to carry the new Indiana Channel.

In today's "News from WNIN" e-mail newsletter, WNIN's president and general manager, David Dial, said, "As envisioned, the Indiana Channel will effectively bring greater information about Hoosiers, our communities and our aspirations into homes throughout our great state." He added, "It will create opportunities for expanded public service, better education, more visibility for statewide leaders, and new partnerships among Indiana institutions."

http://jakesdtvblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/wnin-first-to-carry-indiana-channel.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/

How Terre Haute Legends are Made

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

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/

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

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