a possible return of hard news to morning network TV

[TVC]

The program is to originate from the CBS Broadcast Center.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-500202_162-57325144/cbs-news-launching-all-new-morning-broadcast/

[trytobecharming]

The program is to originate from the CBS Broadcast Center.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-500202_162-57325144/cbs-news-launching-all-new-morning-broadcast/

CBS has been in third place during that time slot probably since shortly after GMA launched on ABC in the mid 70s. They keep trying though.

[someguy23475]

The only reason every CBS affiliate airs the show is because the network forces them too. Otherwise, I suspect many affiliates would drop it, because ratings are terrible.

[JohnHolder]

The only reason every CBS affiliate airs the show is because the network forces them too. Otherwise, I suspect many affiliates would drop it, because ratings are terrible.

The network doesn't "force" them to carry anything. There are several affiliates that have dropped CBS's morning news shows over the years. WWL in New Orleans runs a local show in that time slots and puts The Early Show on their co-owned independent station.

[William]

Yeah, he's right. The only network that is forced to air everything scheduled is ABC. All of their affiliates have a contract stating that they cannot air over or reschedule anything on the schedule. I just found that out when I talked to someone in programming at my local ABC affiliate, and I had been wondering why their schedule wasn't shifted around to air news at noon like the other two do. Personally I think that all three of the networks should have this contract.

[William]

What is it about The Early Show that everyone hates? I watched it once about 5 years ago, but I don't remember much of it.

[Superballer]

Truthfully CBS hasn't really done much of anything in the morning since they dropped Captain Kangaroo back in the mid 80s. 

[Axl]

Yeah, he's right. The only network that is forced to air everything scheduled is ABC. All of their affiliates have a contract stating that they cannot air over or reschedule anything on the schedule.

Maybe that particular station isn't given any outs, but that's not the case for every station.  It all depends on how much they can/want to negotiate with the network.  Many, many years ago I worked at a station that specifically had it in the contract that they didn't have to carry weekend editions of the CBS Evening News.  In carving out this allowance, it didn't hurt that our general manager was the president of the CBS Affiliates Board.  

Also, as I've mentioned many times, FCC rules specifically say that a broadcast station can not be forced to air any show, ever.  The worst that can happen to a station that violates a programming contract is that they lose any compensation they have coming to them and the contract is cancelled.  (And they theoretically might have to pay a penalty if one is written into the contract.)

The network doesn't "force" them to carry anything. There are several affiliates that have dropped CBS's morning news shows over the years.

CBS first started The Early Show at a time when a whole raft of stations were threatening to drop The CBS Morning News.  To keep them, they actually reformatted their clock in a way that allowed stations to fill about 75% of the first hour with local programming if they wished.  CBS only dropped that "flex" schedule a couple of years ago.

[Ccook]

In our area, WAGA/ch. 5 (when they were our CBS affiliate--they've been Fox since 1994) didn't just threaten to drop the CBS Morning News, they did drop it for what has since been Good Day Atlanta. The CBS Morning News got picked up by an independent out of nearby Rome GA (WTLK/ch. 14--now Ion station WPXA) that barely got watched simply because it was not on our cable systems. In December of 1994, independent WGNX/ch. 46 (currently WGCL) became our CBS station and they've cleared the CBS morning shows since, even though Good Morning America on WSB/2, the Today Show on WXIA/11 and Good Day Atlanta are clobbering it.

[someguy23475]

At one time our local CBS affiliate didn't air it either- but that was back in the early 90s. Since then, that station changed affiliations, and the new station carries the entire network (it's an O&O).


Honestly I don't mind affiliates not carrying the entire network, providing they put something good in its place. I remember years ago when the local sports teams were on broadcast TV and the network programming aired on weekends or late at night. Didn't bother me at all; I could just point my antenna to another market if I wanted to watch the network.

[JohnHolder]

In December of 1994, independent WGNX/ch. 46 (currently WGCL) became our CBS station and they've cleared the CBS morning shows since, even though Good Morning America on WSB/2, the Today Show on WXIA/11 and Good Day Atlanta are clobbering it.

Isn't just about everything on WSB, WXIA and WAGA clobbering just about everything on WGCL?

[Ccook]

Locally and in syndication, yes. WGCL does decent in prime time and quite well during college football Saturdays. They probably cleaned up with the LSU-Alabama game.

[ILoveBonusGame]

If networks cannot drop affiliates, then what about WHDH in Boston when they planned to air a newscast over The Jay Leno Show? NBC told them that was not allowed and that WHDH would lose their affiliation if they pre-empted prime time Leno, so they aired it as planned. Also, if ABC doesn't permit affiliates to reschedule programs, KMBC-TV in Kansas City has done that for years with Jimmy Kimmel and Nightline, which are usually delayed from 10:37 PM to 12:07 AM.

Also, KRON-TV comes to mind when it was acquired by Young Broadcasting. NBC told them if they didn't operate the station as an O&O with NBC 4 branding then they would lose their affiliation. And of course, they did.

[JohnHolder]

If networks cannot drop affiliates, then what about WHDH in Boston when they planned to air a newscast over The Jay Leno Show? NBC told them that was not allowed and that WHDH would lose their affiliation if they pre-empted prime time Leno, so they aired it as planned. Also, if ABC doesn't permit affiliates to reschedule programs, KMBC-TV in Kansas City has done that for years with Jimmy Kimmel and Nightline, which are usually delayed from 10:37 PM to 12:07 AM.

Also, KRON-TV comes to mind when it was acquired by Young Broadcasting. NBC told them if they didn't operate the station as an O&O with NBC 4 branding then they would lose their affiliation. And of course, they did.

Networks can drop affiliates when the affiliation contract expires, or choose to affiliate with a different station in the market, just as affiliates can choose to switch networks. From what I've read, the situation with KRON was a lot more complicated than their refusal to call themselves NBC 4.

[Ccook]

Jacksonville FL's WJXT also comes to mind, albeit that WJXT took it upon themselves to change. They were a CBS affiliate and balked at the network's carriage fees so in 2002 they reverted to independent. CBS is now on WTEV/channel 47.