The new WTGS Fox 28 News! (Atlanta, Savannah: 2014, beach, station)

[Newsboy]

I was out of town for 2 weeks and missed the fact that WTGS FOX 28 broke away from WJCL on June 1 and launched their own news operation. Apparently this was one of the promises Sinclair Broadcasting made when they bought the station in 2014 (at the same time Hearst took over WJCL).

Fox 28 News at 10 is now a stand-alone operation with all new anchors, reporters, weather forceasters, etc. PLUS a total rebrand and new set that's nothing like WJCL. I'm wondering now if Jennifer Andrews moved over?

Also, I'm curious if they have their own studio space now? They still list their address at the SMN building on Chatham Parkway (which is certainly big enough).

WHY IS THIS A BIG DEAL? It's another local news source for the Savannah market (now ranked 90th in the country) which is unique for a city our size Just in comparison, 4 stations in Atlanta do local news, and just 3 in Jacksonville. Augusta recently lost one of their's when one big station bought out another and shut them down, firing the whole staff. That leaves them with just TWO locally based news crews, since their Fox affiliate is actually broadcast out of WTOC here in Savannah!

https://changingnewscasts.wordpress....anks-sinclair/

[Newsboy]

The "new" WTGS Fox 28 News has been on the air for a couple of months now, and sad to say ... It's a big step down from the quality of news that WJCL used to provide. The main reason for this, obviously, is that every single person who works for the WTGS News operation is new to the market. Ordinarily, you would at the very least hire a news director, anchor or a couple of reporters from other stations in Savannah so you're people at least sound like they know what they're talking about.

So yeah ... If you've watched WTGS Fox 28 News and thought, "This feels kinda weird. These people don't act like they know what they're talking about. This doesn't feel local at all." Well, there's w good reason for that: While the reporters are based in Savannah, the actual broadcast (anchors, weather people etc) comes from a central production complex elsewhere in the country. This is pretty much the norm now for both TV news and newspapers, believe it or not (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, just FYI, is in fact produced out of Dayton, Ohio.)

At any rate ... WTGS is still an independent 4th TV news operation in Savannah, and I'm willing to give them more time to find their way. But I haven't been blown away (or even impressed) by what I've seen so far.

[DanielAvery]

My 'introduction' to this out-of-market production of "local news" was when I went to Myrtle Beach a few years ago and heard a familiar voice coming out of my radio doing the weather--'Big' John Wetherbee was telling me all about the storms coming down from the Pee Dee.

Do they have actual Savannah-based reporters contributing, or at least doing lead-ins/lead-outs to make it appear local? I would feel like I'm being lied to (or at least misled) if the on-air talent went out of their way to make themselves look like they're locally-based when they aren't.

[Newsboy]

Originally Posted by DanielAvery

My 'introduction' to this out-of-market production of "local news" was when I went to Myrtle Beach a few years ago and heard a familiar voice coming out of my radio doing the weather--'Big' John Wetherbee was telling me all about the storms coming down from the Pee Dee.

Do they have actual Savannah-based reporters contributing, or at least doing lead-ins/lead-outs to make it appear local? I would feel like I'm being lied to (or at least misled) if the on-air talent went out of their way to make themselves look like they're locally-based when they aren't.

My understanding is that the REPORTERS (none of whom are very good) are based out of a news bureau inside the Savannah Morning News building. But the entire rest of the operation comes out of Myrtle Beach.