Tegna Dispute - how much longer?!

[chuckster_dude]

Interesting article about Tegna and the Dish dispute.

TEGNA Stock: Fading Deal Prospects Could Hit TGNA (NYSE:TGNA)

There is no official word on the TEGNA (TGNA) sale, despite a goal to finish talks or end them by New Year. Regulatory and financial obstacles are substantial.

seekingalpha.com

"Among those is Charlie Ergen, DISH Network CEO, who dropped TEGNA stations three months ago and, with football over, is now highly unlikely to bring them back."

Football is over??? We haven't even gotten to the Super Bowl yet. The game is on my local NBC station and with my free OTA antenna from DISH, I can easily watch it. I get that if you want local news, you have other options in your local market so I can see why there would be no rush to make a deal.

I think that it's Interesting Mr Allen believes local news is important..He must not have a wife with facebook or checked with people under 65 Our 3 daughters ages from 21thru32 don't watch anything but streaming TV and no news unless it's on some social media platform

Only getting news through social media is pretty wacked out and dangerous.....and it applies to both ends of the political spectrum.

 

[Russ8594]

This Tegna situation caused me to research an internet alternative to the satellite I had. I found a local WISP that was willing to help. They had to bounce the signal off the top of a neighbors barn and it cost about $800 to set up but I can now watch football on Peacock!

 

[navychop]

and, with football over, is now highly unlikely to bring them back."

Football is over??? We haven't even gotten to the Super Bowl yet.

I’m sure the comment is based on there not being enough time left to make a deal and get everything set back up to cover what’s left of the season, enough to make it worthwhile.

 

[reubenray]

I have not watched any news in years. If something drastic is going on I will flip through the stations. Otherwise I get my news from their websites.

 

[Tvland1]

Only getting news through social media is pretty wacked out and dangerous.....and it applies to both ends of the political spectrum.

And getting news from the left or right owned stations with their fake news is wacked out also..I don't watch any fake news

 

[navychop]

So you don’t watch ANY news?

 

[Yespage]

I think that it's Interesting Mr Allen believes local news is important..He must not have a wife with facebook or checked with people under 65 Our 3 daughters ages from 21thru32 don't watch anything but streaming TV and no news unless it's on some social media platform

I would expect the elderly watch the local news out of inertia. Everyone else... aren't parking in front of the TV to watch local news. They can get it online or via the radio. People watch the locals for Prime Time television and sports, weather, and occasional large events.

These large companies took on debt to buy a dying method of television broadcasting. ATSC 3.0 might provide a rebirth for revenue, but these companies have to survive to get to that point. OTA is critical to some, but not a lot, and there appears the death spiral, where they are losing revenue for commercials and put on more infomercials, which leads to less people watching and makes people like me give up on paying for OTA with Dish and trying to get as many channels I can OTA.

 

[Yespage]

And getting news from the left or right owned stations with their fake news is wacked out also..I don't watch any fake news

I don't know, The Onion has some good stuff. Though I don't think they produce as much video news anymore.

 

[sam_gordon]

I’m sure the comment is based on there not being enough time left to make a deal and get everything set back up to cover what’s left of the season, enough to make it worthwhile.

How much set up can there really be? The logistics should all still be in place.

 

[edisonprime]

So you don’t watch ANY news?

None of these "news" stations are really "news", and that includes both left and right stations.

 

[llokey]

I would expect the elderly watch the local news out of inertia.

Just out of curiosity, what do you consider elderly?

 

[Yespage]

Just out of curiosity, what do you consider elderly?

Depends. The number continues to increase as I get older.

 

[Bobby]

Depends. The number continues to increase as I get older.

When I hit 75 I said screw it, I'm elderly!

 

[charlesrshell]

When I hit 75 I said screw it, I'm elderly!

I'm right behind you at 74.

 

[Bobby]

I'm right behind you at 74.

Actually I'll be 78 in 68 days, I've been elderly for almost 3 years!

 

[long_time_DNC]

I wish that Locast hadn't gotten hammered...

 

[dweber]

I think that it's Interesting Mr Allen believes local news is important..He must not have a wife with facebook or checked with people under 65 Our 3 daughters ages from 21thru32 don't watch anything but streaming TV and no news unless it's on some social media platform

I believe there are quite a few people that watch local news including myself. If local news had few viewers the local stations would not be expanding their coverage. In Columbus, Ohio WCMH (NBC) has local news coverage from 4-7 AM, 11 AM-12:30 PM, 4-6:30 PM, 7-7:30 PM, and 11-11:35 PM. Do you think they would have that much news coverage with no viewers. WSYX (ABC) has local news from 4:25-7 AM, 12-1 PM, 5-6:30 PM, 7-7:30 PM, and 11-11:35 PM. WBNS (CBS) has local news from 4:30-7 AM, 9-9:30 AM, 12-12:30 PM, 3-6:30 PM, and 11-11:35 PM. WTTE (Fox) has the least news since the ABC and Fox share their news teams both affiliated with Sinclair.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Yespage]

I believe there are quite a few people that watch local news including myself. If local news had few viewers the local stations would not be expanding their coverage. In Columbus, Ohio WBNS (NBC) has local news coverage from 4-7 AM, 11 AM-12:30 PM, 4-6:30 PM, 7-7:30 PM, and 11-11:35 PM. Do you think they would have that much news coverage with no viewers. The ABC, CBS, and Fox channels also show a lot of news. The ABC and Fox share their news teams since they ate both affiliated with Sinclair

I'd say it is more likely cheaper to produce (show). There is the overhead to do the news, and then it is just fluff costs after that.

 

[sam_gordon]

I'd say it is more likely cheaper to produce (show). There is the overhead to do the news, and then it is just fluff costs after that.

You look at the cost it takes to put something on vs the amount you get (in this case in ad sales). The more viewers you get, the more ad sale money you have.

And "cheaper to produce"? Compared to what? A syndicated show? Infomercial? It takes a lot of people and equipment to put a newscast on. Granted not as many as it used to.

I'd argue the local news is what brings in more money. Which again, if you didn't have viewers, you wouldn't be getting the money.

 

[AntiMoz]

Our NBC affiliate is a TEGNA owned station. The network content “the Boss” cares about is on Peacock (This Is Us) which is nearing its end. Local news on that station is streamed via their website or we simply watch another local channel to receive our endless weather tutorials, daily COVID updates, paid content and station website promotions. All on repeat every 20 minutes it seems.

Bottom line is that I agree that the affiliate model will go by the wayside because of streaming and also that local news is not that big of a driver. Weve not missed our TEGNA station since it was taken down and really could care less if it returns.

We would probavly drop locals altogether but we are in the boonies and cant get a good OTA signal.

Thankfully we now have cable internet that was installed last year under a state subsidized rural internet initiative. We could stream Peacock, Paramount, etc. but its cheaper for us to keep getting locals through Dish as opposed to subbing to each of the four network over the top services.

We will be going to someone’s Super Bowl party this year instead of hosting. NBD.