What Dallas TV Station Do You Turn To For News? (Houston: to live, to move)

[case44]

Okay, everyone. Time for some TV talk here. What Metroplex TV channel do you turn to for local news? I had someone on the Houston threads ask me that question, so I thought we can get some answers here. I'll offer some other opinions for you shortly, but let us hear from all of y'all now. Who do you watch in Dallas/Ft. Worth? 4, 5, 8, 11, 21, 33? Maybe you watch the Spanish stations, too (23 and 39).

Let's hear it, fans. Let 'er rip!

[KewGee]

I actually like them all about the same, 4, 5, 8, and 11 but I watch 8 because it comes in clearer.

[FarNorthDallas]

It depends on the time of day for me. In the morning I watch Fox because it's all local.

Channel 5 has a 4:00 news I sometimes watch if I am home.

At 6:00 and 10:00 I will watch WFAA-Channel 8 for one and someone else for the other time if I see them both on the same day. Channels tend to run the same news stories over and over so you have to switch around.

If I have seen the noon Channel 8 news, I don't watch at 6:00 or 10:00 because it's such a repeat. I'll watch Channel 11 or Channel 5 although I still think Channel 5 is more Ft. Worth centric, but not as much as it used to be.

And then some days I don't see any at all. Some days I read the paper and some days I get my news from 1080 AM in the car while commuting because they pretty much just read the paper to you.

ETA - I also watch the Fox 9:00 pm news a lot and then no news at 10:00.

[case44]

Here is some analysis. All the Metroplex stations try real hard to put a good product together. And they do. I tend to think that, because I've lived here all my life, everything seems so plain vanilla identity-wise and product-wise compared to other cities I've seen. I get more excitement watching some of the other markets when I go out of town. We still have personalities that have been here for many years like Mike Snyder, Jane McGarry, David Finfrock on 5, Gloria Campos, Dale Hansen and John McCaa on 8, Tracy Rowlett on 11 (after 25 years on 8), and Clarice Tinsley and Ron Jackson on 4.
Through the years, 8 has ruled the roost in ratings, but 5 has been the leader the last few years, and 11 has threatened during a few sweeps periods. 4 has not been on top since being neck and neck with 8 in the late seventies.

To answer a question by KerrTown on the Houston threads, John McCaa is not going to leave Dallas for KHOU. It appears he's going to stay at 8 for a while longer. I think 5's been reasonably good for years with their fast-paced format, but they've gotten dull since they started their HD broadcasts. I'm not sure if NBC will ever take over KPRC in Houston, but stranger things have happened. I've never been a real big 8 fan, but that doesn't mean they aren't good. The awards speak for themselves. I was loyal to CBS11 for a few years, but after they brought in Kristine Kahanek, I've decided to make a switch. I've been glued to FOX 4 for the last few years; they, to me, are just better locally than everyone else. They just seem more local to me. And, no, 4 will not switch back to CBS and KRLD-TV will never be back again. KRLD radio has a decent product, but its heyday was really back in the 80s. To answer your question even further, KTRH in Houston has a better news product. I've never been a huge fan of BAP or KRLD, but I do listen now and then, particularly if there is severe weather coverage. Back to TV, CBS 11 is good, and they've made a good effort after Tracy Rowlett arrived back in 2000, so they have something going today. Hope that answers everything, KerrTown.
My only problem, and this is just a technicality, but my problem is why do channels 8, 11, and 21 have a thing for keeping the word "Metroplex" out of the newsroom vocabularies?? For the life of me, I don't understand that and it's silly; the Metroplex is, after all, what we are. Sheeeesh.

By the way, Channel 11 begins broadcasting their news in HD on September 25 (Tuesday). Stay tuned, and we'll see how that goes.

[MaryS80]

I watch Fox 4, I like their newscasters, especially the Good Day cast in the morning. I suppose more then anything its out of habit. Back when it was a CBS affiliate my mom always watched her soaps on CBS, and we just kept it on and watched the news.

[940]

Good comments, Case44, about the tickers on the local stations in Houston...wow, I hate that and hope it doesn't come here to every station any time soon, but that's my opinion!! I spent a lot of time in Houston visiting relatives while growing up and I still get down there often so I'm quite familiar with all the stations. I've lived in Miami, Chicago and NYC and I really think the DFW market puts out a good product and I for one am glad some local stations don't run that ticker. I cringe when I'm in Houston and I see KPRC 2..sensationalist news, and their weather dog.. ..is that even still on there??!! I do like KTRK 13 and that's always been consistently good... I also will miss Marvin Zindler. I have no opinion really on KHOU 11 since my relatives there rarely watch it so I don't view it much. KPRC 2 has dropped so much ever since the days of Ron Stone and Big 2 News...they were such a class act years ago...

In the DFW market for weather however, I actually like Kristine Kahanek and will watch KTVT 11 for that reason. I don't like the weatherman (Pete Delkus) on WFAA 8 and will turn it when he comes on. I do like David Finfrock on NBC 5. I also think news-wise, channel 8 puts out a consistently better product than either channels 11 or channel 5. Fox 4 is a great station for local news too so I don't want to forget them. Channel 5 wears me out because they think they need to feature yet another weight loss "secret" as a teaser in almost every 10pm newscast. I also remember when CBS was on channel 4 so it was strange to move back to the area in 2000 and see that it was now on the formerly independent station out of Ft Worth!

I've read that ABC would love to own channel 8 in the DFW market (now that it's officially the # 5 TV market in the US) to go along with all the other owned and operated stations here but Belo would never dare sell it to them.

[Guerilla]

I like CBS 11. WFAA has some good looking female reporters though and what would be the benefits of ABC owning WFAA? You also say you cringe when watching Houston news. Stick to KHOU and Channel 13. They are the best. The NBC's and Fox's in both Houston and DFW are similar (except the NBC in DFW doesn't have a weatherdog...which I think is dumb).

[940]

I said I cringe when I'm in Houston and have to watch channel 2...weather dog and all..and yes, it's dumb for a Top 10 media market to have a weather dog!! "I cringe when I'm in Houston and I see KPRC 2..sensationalist news, and their weather dog" --that's what I said...

The benefits to ABC to own the local ABC station in a Top 5 market is major $$ through advertising revenue that it would command...there's a reason most of the networks own and operate the stations in the largest markets. $$$

[Spree]

I have always watched NBC news and I am finding the evening newscasters very dull! I don't know what the names are, but the male newscaster has missed prompts, the camera has been on him when the female newscaster is talking. It does not seem like a good overall production imo.

One thing I liked about Tampa where I use to live is that they had a local 24 hour news station, it was excellent and the cable box was programmed to start on that channel when it turned on. They always had weather on the 9's which I loved since FL weather can be wacky during the rainy season. The local NBC am and pm news was fantastic, I really felt like I got to know the newscasters the years that I lived there.

[lpepping]

I watch channel 5 for the weather but that is about it. I do not watch the local news regularly due to the garbage that is typically shown. Lots of the typical sensationalism(is that a word?).