WTRF News in High Definition.

[news89]

According to WTRF Facebook page. WTRF is now in High Definition with local news. Started Thursday Dec 29 at the start of the Noon Newscast. They got new graphics and music.

[---]

I checked the website and the graphics look almost identical. Maybe some Youtube vids will show improvement, but I sure hope they don't try to remake WVMH's current gfx when WOWK goes HD. The graphics already look absolutely terrible.

[news89]

I checked the website and the graphics look almost identical. Maybe some Youtube vids will show improvement, but I sure hope they don't try to remake WVMH's current gfx when WOWK goes HD. The graphics already look absolutely terrible.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1xV9kIuhy8

[---]

The noon newscast video on the site must have been old. The new graphics look pretty good. The music is certainly better than Finale!

[Paradigm]

I watched the 5 pm news tonight and it is a big improvement. There was some audio issues with a "crackle" throughout the newscast. Studio looked good, only the weather was not in 16x9. I was impressed that the field reporters were in 16x9 as well. Overall a huge improvement, but still not the quality that WTOV has.

[news89]

I watched the 5 pm news tonight and it is a big improvement. There was some audio issues with a "crackle" throughout the newscast. Studio looked good, only the weather was not in 16x9. I was impressed that the field reporters were in 16x9 as well. Overall a huge improvement, but still not the quality that WTOV has.

WTOV is only 16x9 digital widescreen. The weather is still in 4x3 which is normal for small markets. I remember when WTOV flipped to digital widescreen the weather stuff was in 4x3 till August 2010. WTRF is now using Aerial by Stephen Arnold music so no more Finale.

[darkpower]

I watched the 5 pm news tonight and it is a big improvement. There was some audio issues with a "crackle" throughout the newscast. Studio looked good, only the weather was not in 16x9. I was impressed that the field reporters were in 16x9 as well. Overall a huge improvement, but still not the quality that WTOV has.

WTOV is only 16x9 digital widescreen. The weather is still in 4x3 which is normal for small markets. I remember when WTOV flipped to digital widescreen the weather stuff was in 4x3 till August 2010. WTRF is now using Aerial by Stephen Arnold music so no more Finale.

If I remember right, WTOV didn't even advertise that they went HD until a few months after the fact. They then debuted the new set, graphics, music, and weather department. Now if they would just change that logo (was okay in the beginning, but the blocky nature of the logo has become tiresome to look at compared to how sister WPXI changed their logo).

As for 7, I do have a few gripes on an otherwise improvement to the newscast:

• No intros yet to the weather or sports. I'm sure they're coming, as they JUST changed over to the new package and they are still trying to get the bugs worked out. But it would be nice to see them acknowledge what we're about to see. No "Top Story" or anything like that, either. In the age of making a newscast attractive to look at, I wouldn't mind them doing something about this.
• As Paradigm said, the audio issue wasn't dealbreaking or anything we couldn't get over, but it was noticeable.
• The ENTIRE weather graphic package needs an overhaul. They have to make it 16x9 (or not leave the black sidebars black: do SOMETHING about that), and do something about how they display the forecast, especially the 7 day. The imagery they use is an absolute MESS of words and graphics and hard to read. Please do something about at least the 7 day ASAP.
• The logo bug (which they didn't do quite right;will chalk that up to it being new and that they're still working out the kinks) was pretty looking, but some might see it as distracting at first. Doesn't need changing (since I can see they put some work into that display), but I'm sure we'll see a few complaints followed by a knee jerk change to it. It DID display places for the time and temp bugs that weren't there when I watched. Perhaps that's one of the things they're still trying to get up there.
• Okay, WTRF, start working on getting OTA HD working on your FOX and ABC subs. The 10PM and simu-newscasts need this same treatment, and Dish/DTV subscribers will LOVE you for this. If you're going to be dicks about enforcing non-duplicate rules, at least try to make us not have to "move" to get a FOX/ABC/MNTV affiliate with actual WORKING HD! The news going HD is the perfect chance to upgrade something about the rest of your subchannels (or give up one of them because it seems like something isn't working out with the bandwidth space).

I would also complain that they ran the seizure-inducing Big Brothers Big Sisters AD Council spot a bit much, but that was not on the newscast.

[Mr. Tom Jones]

Last time I heard, WTOV is shooting news in 16 x 9 SD. One would think they need to flip a switch in the camera to do HD.

WTRF went to shooting news in 16 x 9 HD, I've heard.

[darkpower]

So...lately on Direct TV, at least, WTRF Fox has seemed to no longer be in letterbox for the Fox broadcasts, at least on the sports broadcasts (which is really annoying right now in the Packers vs. Giants game as it's cutting off a lot of the edges and a third of Fox's scoreboard bug (since Fox doesn't do SD versions of their broadcasts anymore, as far as I can tell). I don't know what this means, but it seems as though at least WTRF knows of the issues us DTV subscribers have right now with their OTA broadcasts. But they REALLY need to do something about the FOX and ABC channels, because THIS way is making it even WORSE!

Don't want either way! Want WTRF to do something so we can have HD FOX and ABC without having to deal with the douchebaggery of Brad Cray! Stop caring about pushing political views and push more on upgrading technology to handle the monster he created and is just letting run loose. I'm sorry, but the laziness of WVMH to get something done about this is unreal to me.

[Greg Goodfellow]

From darkpower:
"WTRF Fox has seemed to no longer be in letterbox for the Fox broadcasts, at least on the sports broadcasts (which is really annoying right now in the Packers vs. Giants game as it's cutting off a lot of the edges and a third of Fox's scoreboard bug."

I came back from church and noticed this. This really needs to improve.

[Mr. Tom Jones]

I'm being told at least some of the Fox primetime on WTRF 7-2 is cutting off the Fox bug. Apparently something in the playout chain got switched when stuff got moved in and turned on.

I also had friends who were watching the AFC playoff game on WTRF 7-1 at a bar with the Pats and Texans. They complained of blockiness in the video. Sports and lower bit rates with MPEG-2 do not play well. Bray got what he paid for.

I continue to hear rumors that all the WVMH investors want out (except Bray, that is). One contact said he had been offered a minority share in WVMH for pennies on the dollar. He turned it down.

[darkpower]

I'm being told at least some of the Fox primetime on WTRF 7-2 is cutting off the Fox bug. Apparently something in the playout chain got switched when stuff got moved in and turned on.

I also had friends who were watching the AFC playoff game on WTRF 7-1 at a bar with the Pats and Texans. They complained of blockiness in the video. Sports and lower bit rates with MPEG-2 do not play well. Bray got what he paid for.

I continue to hear rumors that all the WVMH investors want out (except Bray, that is). One contact said he had been offered a minority share in WVMH for pennies on the dollar. He turned it down.

Bray is being WAAAAAY too stubborn at this point. He essentially owns a monopoly of sorts by having all of these networks under his roof so he gets the ratings, refuses to do anything different to help out the people that actually watch his channels (which he is mostly forcing people into watching the channels because they hold rights to so many networks), even though I'm not sure about the waiver rights I'm pretty sure Brad is a douchebag about those, too, and cares too much about politics and too little about the quality of his broadcasts and channels.

Thing is, we've heard all about the doom and gloom that WVMH has been in before, but nothing comes of it. It seems that with everything we heard about Cray's empire crumbling beneath his feet, he seems to only add on to the empire. As much as I hope this will bring some sort of change, I must ask of why I should think that news will mean that we'll see a significant change of some kind come when it has yet to mean any significant change in the past?

[Mr. Tom Jones]

Thing is, we've heard all about the doom and gloom that WVMH has been in before, but nothing comes of it. It seems that with everything we heard about Cray's empire crumbling beneath his feet, he seems to only add on to the empire. As much as I hope this will bring some sort of change, I must ask of why I should think that news will mean that we'll see a significant change of some kind come when it has yet to mean any significant change in the past?

The short answer to your question is, no. There is interest in Bray's company in the way people are interested in buying foreclosed homes. That's what I was trying to get across.

As I see it, only two groups could bring down the WVMH empire. One: CBS. Two: BB & T.

[Paradigm]

WTRF has now updated their weather package to HD as well
http://www.wtrf.com/story/16662390/new- ... -the-storm

[Oldiesdude]

Seems that WTRF 7 has gotten rid of Jim Forbes.

[Paradigm]

Forbes is no longer listed on their staff bios page. Actually looking at the page there are a lot that are no longer listed there....

[Mr. Jones]

From FTVLive:

Anchor Walks after being told of Pay Cut

Sources tell FTVLive that last Friday, West Virginia Media Holdings CEO Bray Cary and WTRF GM Roger Lyons called in long-time anchorman Jim Forbes and told him - effective immediately - they were cutting his 6-figure salary to $40k. If he didn't like it - he could leave.

He left and his bio has been yanked from the station's website.

He spent 10 years as the anchor of the station's newscast - and prior another long stint at competing station WTOV. The trouble is? He still has 6 months left on his contract. AFTRA is now involved and taking WTRF to arbitration.

A few days earlier, they did the same thing to longtime Huntingdon anchor Sandra Cole at WOWK.

[Greg Goodfellow]

I'll ask the dumb question, as I can't help myself:

What salary SHOULD be expected as the lead anchor of a station in a market that is continuing to contract, being only a shadow of its glory years of the 50s and 60s? It's been much outlined how Mr. Cary is uber frugal. I heard rumors of this large salary Mr. Forbes earned, while news ratings were consistently in the dumper. One wonders why Bray Cary paid such an exorbitant amount, yet not realizing a return vis a vis ratings? I have nothing against Jim Forbes...he always came off as a decent person the couple of times I was around him (he has no idea who I am, BTW, nor should he).

Again, what salary should be expected for the new lead anchor, which seems to be Nate Fluharty, as well as what Eric Minor is pulling down, in a station affiliated with a network whose glory days is long behind it, with only a couple of fleeting exceptions.

[darkpower]

I'll ask the dumb question, as I can't help myself:

What salary SHOULD be expected as the lead anchor of a station in a market that is continuing to contract, being only a shadow of its glory years of the 50s and 60s? It's been much outlined how Mr. Cary is uber frugal. I heard rumors of this large salary Mr. Forbes earned, while news ratings were consistently in the dumper. One wonders why Bray Cary paid such an exorbitant amount, yet not realizing a return vis a vis ratings? I have nothing against Jim Forbes...he always came off as a decent person the couple of times I was around him (he has no idea who I am, BTW, nor should he).

Again, what salary should be expected for the new lead anchor, which seems to be Nate Fluharty, as well as what Eric Minor is pulling down, in a station affiliated with a network whose glory days is long behind it, with only a couple of fleeting exceptions.

Wouldn't know what it should be, but for a big name person like Forbes that people know of in the valley, you would think that they would try to get him to stay or whatever, especially with the work he put into the newscasts.

Thing is, there are no real winners in that situation. Fair or not, Forbes could be seen as greedy and unwilling to take one for the team that he's worked for for a long time. At the same time, he could've seen TRF and WVMH as a sinking ship with him knowing that greener pastures can be seen elsewhere, or that he might be ready to step off of local news. Maybe WTOV wants him back or whatever.

Also, there comes the thing of what do you think such a job should be worth. One would wonder if someone would WANT to work there given current situations. For Nate, that's got to be a perfect opportunity to prove himself to some people. He was one of the few bright spots when he was on WVTX, and the reasons behind why they fired him there were outlandish and selfish. He seems to like his job, but I don't know if he likes the station or not. All in all, he does deserve the spot and the chance, but I don't know if the working conditions are ideal for anyone to succeed.

[Paradigm]

Just by looking at what WTRF is doing, it looks to me like they are going the WTOV route and that is to hire young attractive reporters and anchors, straight out of college when they will be cheap. WTOV seems to do a much better job at growing their talent and keeping them than WTRF does, which I'm guessing is a pay related side effect. I was looking at the bio page and realized that Leann Towne was gone as well, not sure when that happened, but I have heard that she was the other big money anchor. I wonder if D.K. Wright will be the next to go. Dave Elias and her are about the only older members of the team left. WTRF will be able to hire 3 or 4 fresh recent college grads with the money they were paying Jim. I don't think we will see Jim on TV in the OV anytime soon, Eric Minor is handling the job at WTOV nicely and I don't see them bring Jim back, i'll put money down that we hear him on WKKX soon though.