Local TV news is “dying a desperate and ugly death,” proclaimed laid off anchor Jim Walker, formerly of WBBH Fort Myers.
And local TV news is enjoying a particularly lively time right now, says Brian Stelter at the NY Times.
Here’s what he says about KSDK St. Louis, and numerous other stations.
As in many other markets, the news is starting earlier than ever in the morning, and replacing “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in the afternoon. To supply it in St. Louis, KSDK is hiring 10 people and buying new cameras and trucks.
This is what the rebound in local television looks like. Three years after the business buckled under the weight of the advertising recession, the more popular stations in markets like St. Louis are adding newscasts and in some cases employees - though not as many as were dismissed during the downturn.
Uh, who is right? Both? Neither?
