Star of the Lone Star State
Business booming, local shows launching in San Antonio
By Michael Malone -- Broadcasting & Cable, 9/6/2010 12:01:00 AM
San Antonio’s New ‘Mobile’ News
What do the rookie newscasts on KENS and
WOAI have in common, besides a rapid pace
and high story count? Both programs will feature
anchors up on their feet—and on the go.
“It’s faster-paced, with anchors on the move,” says KENS Executive News Director Kurt Davis of First at 4PM, which launched Aug. 2 and features anchors Deborah Knapp and Bill Taylor on the set.
WOAI Assistant News Director Mandy Johnston Mendoza says the 6:30 p.m. anchors, Randy Beamer and Elsa Ramon, will also burn a few calories during the show, which debuts Sept. 6. “The anchors rarely, if ever, sit down at the desk,” she says.
The moving-anchors motif is not a new one: WTVJ Miami, for one, was doing it more than a decade ago. Consultants say it’s popular in late afternoon, as viewers transition from the more open and fl uid nature of a talk show to the staid setup of early evening news. A few notes of caution: Walking while talking can be challenging at times, and the anchor has to have an actual destination on the set—a touch wall, another anchor—so as to avoid what TV insiders call the dreaded “walk to nowhere.”
“I think people are doing anything they can to make the news look and feel new,” says Crawford Johnson & Northcott Senior Communications Consultant Laura Hernandez, “and to make it more urgent and more relevant.”
—Michael Malone
“It’s faster-paced, with anchors on the move,” says KENS Executive News Director Kurt Davis of First at 4PM, which launched Aug. 2 and features anchors Deborah Knapp and Bill Taylor on the set.
WOAI Assistant News Director Mandy Johnston Mendoza says the 6:30 p.m. anchors, Randy Beamer and Elsa Ramon, will also burn a few calories during the show, which debuts Sept. 6. “The anchors rarely, if ever, sit down at the desk,” she says.
The moving-anchors motif is not a new one: WTVJ Miami, for one, was doing it more than a decade ago. Consultants say it’s popular in late afternoon, as viewers transition from the more open and fl uid nature of a talk show to the staid setup of early evening news. A few notes of caution: Walking while talking can be challenging at times, and the anchor has to have an actual destination on the set—a touch wall, another anchor—so as to avoid what TV insiders call the dreaded “walk to nowhere.”
“I think people are doing anything they can to make the news look and feel new,” says Crawford Johnson & Northcott Senior Communications Consultant Laura Hernandez, “and to make it more urgent and more relevant.”
—Michael Malone
There apparently doesn’t need to be. Consistency is a hallmark at KSAT, an ABC affiliate owned by Post- Newsweek. Joslyn has around 18 years at the station, and News Director Jim Boyle has logged 26. Joslyn says KSAT thrives by intently listening to viewers, whether it’s via e-mailed comments or at community events, such as station-hosted town halls. “The idea of getting into the community to talk to viewers is a big part of our success,” Joslyn says. “We know what they look like, and how they think.”
The numbers prove Joslyn’s point. KSAT swept the major races in May, with the top morning, early evening and late news ratings, along with the primetime and total day races. KSAT posted a 10.4 household rating/16 share at 10 p.m.—topping CBS affiliate KENS’ 7.9 rating/12 share. (Belo’s KENS did win the 5 a.m. news contest.) KSAT also won a close 2009 revenue race, its $37.9 million topping KENS’ $35.2 million, according to BIA/ Kelsey. Other players in San Antonio’s broadcast universe include Sinclair’s Fox-MyNetworkTV duopoly KABB and KMYS, Newport TV/High Plains Broadcasting’s NBC affiliate WOAI and Corridor TV’s CW affiliate KCWX.
San Antonio is also the nation’s eighth-largest Hispanic market; 53.5% of the population is of Hispanic origin, says BIA/Kelsey. Spanish-language options are vast; they include Univision’s KWEX, Telemundo’s KVDA and Una Vez Mas’ Azteca America outlet KVDF; KSAT airs LATV on its digital channel. KWEX’s Noticias 41 crew delivers strong ratings in evening and late news. Univision also owns the TeleFutura outlet KNIC and six local radio stations.
San Antonio’s major pay-TV operators are Time Warner Cable and AT&T’s U-verse service.
While it holds the No. 37 DMA rank, San Antonio is the No. 24 revenue market, reports BIA. Major employers include insurance outfit USAA, the military (Fort Sam Houston, Lackland Air Force Base and Randolph Air Force Base are among the local installations), and Toyota. The latter recently started production of its Tacoma truck out of San Antonio, which added around a thousand jobs to the market. San Antonio has manufactured Toyota’s full-size Tundra truck for several years.
“San Antonio has fared better than most cities,” says KENS Executive News Director Kurt Davis. “There’s a lot of construction going on—San Antonio is growing.”
Tourists choose San Antonio for a less expensive vacation option and attractions such as the River Walk and the historic Alamo. The diversity of the local economy, and the stable job sources, keep the area insulated from prolonged economic slumps. “I wouldn’t say the economy is great, but it is good,” Joslyn says. “The market has not been as vibrant, but it’s in awful good shape.”
The growth includes local TV. KENS has bumped Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? from the 4 p.m. slot for the fledgling newscast, which Davis says has an even higher story count than the newsroom’s usual rapid-fire output. “We’re starting to see significant growth in household ratings,” he points out. “It’s a high-energy newscast with lots of local stuff. It’s what’s happening right now.”
WOAI’s 6:30 news will stick with the station’s advocacy brand—callers to the station are greeted with WOAI’s “Dedicated. Determined. Dependable.” tagline—and feature a fast pace as well. “What sets us apart is the advocacy role we take in the market,” says VP/General Manager Jackie Rutledge, mentioning one recent investigative series that prompted San Antonio’s public bus system to outlaw text messaging among drivers.
Fox affiliate KABB, meanwhile, offers four hours of news in the morning, along with an hour at 9 p.m. The station provides news on the go with new iPhone and Droid apps.
Much like the general managers at most Oprah Winfrey stations, Joslyn is mum on what KSAT will do when Oprah departs broadcast TV next year. “We don’t know yet,” he says. “We’re looking at four or five different things.”
Crime is a big issue in San Antonio, and the newsrooms make an effort to keep it from dominating the news rundown. “It’s an excellent news town,” Davis says. “Unfortunately, the crime stories get a lot of attention, but there’s always something going on in San Antonio.”
E-mail comments to mmalone@nbmedia.com and follow him on Twitter: @StationBiz
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