My DVR is telling me it’s finally time for “The Now.”
It wouldn’t be the first time a robot lied to me.
But the evidence suggests that “The Now,” a syndicated news-lite-infotainment format with contributions from E.W. Scripps stations, finally premieres on WTMJ-TV (Channel 4) Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
It will replace the “Wisconsin Tonight” news package weeknights. The show is also listed on WTMJ’s website schedule, so I guess its official.
It was originally scheduled to debut earlier this month.
Whither WTMJ-TV’s “The Now: Milwaukee?”
And what does its failure to launch tonight as originally scheduled say about the E. W. Scripps Co. station’s 10 p.m. anchor search?
“The Now,” a syndicated news-lite-infotainment format with contributions from local stations, currently airs on other Scripps stations. It will replace WTMJ’s “Wisconsin Tonight” news package at 6:30 p.m.
According to my – and your – cable guide it was scheduled to premiere tonight. I set my DVR accordingly.
Todd Hicks is reportedly the latest reporter to leave WTMJ-TV (Channel 4).
Hicks, who joined the station in 2012 and could not be reached for comment, is reportedly leaving to work in public relations for United Airlines.
Before joining WTMJ Hicks worked at WGBA in Green Bay and WSAW in Wausau.
According to his Facebook page he is “from the Pacific Northwest, but (has) lived all over the United States.” His station Twitter account has been deactivated.
Hicks joins at least seven other recently departed WTMJ employees in recent months. His departure occurred during the November ratings sweeps period, during which stations rarely make on-air changes.
Steve Wexler, E. W. Scripps vice president of radio, was named one of the “most powerful” people in the industry, according to the trade publication RadioInk.
Scripps’ also promoted the news on its own website.
Wexler squeaked into the top 40 at number 38.
Wexler grew up in the former Journal Broadcast Group.
In 1976 at the age of 16 he was hired as a gofer for announcer Jonathan Green and would ride his bike to the station.
He rose to the position of executive vice president of radio and television for the group which included WTMJ-AM (620) and WTMJ-TV (Channel 4).
Now that E. W. Scripps owned WTMJ-AM no longer has a newspaper as part of the family, it has entered into an agreement with Milwaukee Business Journal for “exclusive radio content.”
The partnership allows “team coverage on business news and information.”
WTMJ will air up to eight Business Journal updates daily “featuring the latest on business news.”
The paper’s reporters will also appear on the station’s news and talk shows.
The complete release is below:
E.W. Scripps Company has begun shuffling the deck chairs at its recently acquired Milwaukee NBC afiliate WTMJ-TV (Channel 4), and a number of on-air people are among the key departures.
They include:
— Sportscaster Jessie Garcia, a Madison native who joined the station in 1994 and is author of “My Life with the Green and Gold.” Her husband is a photographer at the station;
—Meteorologist Michael Fish, a Fond du Lac native who got his master’s degree in meteorology at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. He worked at the station part time.
The Lake is causing waves.
E. W. Scripps Company has contacted a Racine station that branded itself as The Lake to assert its copyright related to the nickname.
Scripps station WLWK-FM abandoned the slogan and changed formats last week.
The Racine station WMKQ-FM (92.1) confirmed that it had been contacted by Scripps about using The Lake and that “lawyers are involved.
Steve Wexler, vice president of radio for Scripps, had no comment. He previously said no lawsuit had been filed.
WLWK changed its call letters to WKTI-FM (94.5) and switched from adult pop music to country music last Friday.
What is or will be the trickle down effect of the format and call letter change by the E. W. Scripps Company radio station in Milwaukee formerly known as WLWK-FM (94.5)?
The change at 10 a.m. last Friday came out of the blue for listeners and observers and the station, now playing country music, itself seems a work in progress.
—-When asked how and by whom the music was being programmed, Tom Langmyer, vice president and general manager of Milwaukee radio operations for E. W. Scripps Company, replied in an email that he was programing the station himself.
Who will replace WTMJ-TV (Channel 4) anchor Mike Jacobs?
Let me state the obvious: it will either be someone you never heard of or someone from within.
Jacobs was the longest-serving anchor in the Milwaukee market; he joined WTMJ in 1977. He announced his retirement last week.
Several factors suggest the station could go off campus to replace him.
And clearly there is precedent for doing so.
On Wednesday the station’s ownership the Journal Broadcast Group will merge with E. W. Scripps, making it the fifth largest independent TV station group in the US, with 34 stations in 24 markets, covering 18% of households.
On April 1 E.W. when E. W. Scripps and Journal Communications merge, the group’s newspapers, including Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, will be spun off into a new company called Journal Media Group.
The Journal Sentinel will be the group’s flagship paper, but it will not be the only one undergoing a transformation.
So will the 14 daily newspapers owned by Scripps.
The newly formed newspaper publishing entity will have its headquarters in Milwaukee and operate in 14 markets. It will have about 3,600 employees. Over the weekend numerous Scripps papers took note the upcoming changes.