This is significant, in that CBS has lined up 24/7 news streams in their major O&O markets. Now KSTW is moved into the fold, under the CBS News label.
Currently, KSTW News emanates from the KPIX/San Francisco studios, with some field reporters in Seattle.
Lou Robbins — Admin/Editor | Airchecks
KTOY | KVAC (WA-1974) | KDFL (WA-1975) | KTTX (TX- 1976) | KWHI (TX-1976) | KONP (WA-1977) | KBAM (WA-1978) | KJUN (WA-1983) | KRPM (WA-1984) | KAMT (WA-1986) | KASY (WA-1988) | KBRD (WA-1989) | KTAC (WA-1990) | KMTT (WA-1991) | KOOL (AZ-1994)
It can be argued that network affiliation ain’t what it used to be. Things have changed alot…from being PAID to clear net shows, to PAYING to clear net shows and a disproportionate revenue split with the network of cable retrans fees, to dramatically falling ratings, networks bring less value to the table? That is an oversimplification, but notice the explosion of local newscasts because that inventory is locally controlled and shared with no one. Here’s what gets said today – “CBS? Yeah…everyone’s heard of CBS but no one watches them anymore”.
You’d think that would breach some sort of agreement with KIRO, but apparently not. I’ve noticed that KIRO is the only one of the “big 4” that never displays a network logo as part of their identity.
CBS, 7, and 11 have been strange bedfellows for the better part of 65 years. (With the exception of the period in the late ’60s and early ’70s when KTNT was essentially the secondary NBC affiliate. I was surprised to learn that Elvis’ comeback special aired on 11 because KING had a Sonics game that night.)
I wonder if programs like the Elvis special helped Channel 11, in the long run. Might have been a great lead-in to the Ten O’clock news. 11 had a lock on the off-network reruns, before the WTCG Superstation came to cable.
You are right about KIRO shunning the CBS logo. Hard feelings from the loss of the network twice before?
Jason, to my knowledge KIRO has only lost CBS to 11 once – in the mid-1990s. But 11 lost it three times – when KIRO came on the air in 1958, at the conclusion of a strange 1960-62 arrangement that had both stations as simultaneous CBS affiliates, and when KIRO got the affiliation back in the 1990s.
I claim the dual affiliation period was sort of a loss for KIRO, infringing on their coverage area. True, the actual count was ONE.
During that 1960-1962 period I think we stayed with KIRO for most CBS programming unless the wind blew our rooftop antenna off kilter.
Dad was climbing onto the roof a lot.
At least that night, KTNT was running the NBC lineup all the way to 11 p.m., so their newscast was pushed into direct competition with the Seattle stations. Bill Wippel vs. Brubaker, Wike, and a pre-WBZ Jack Williams.
Building a 24-hour news operation with KSTW would be expensive. The competition in this town is fierce.
When CBS Corporation bought 11 in the late 1990s, I assumed that at some point they might AGAIN return CBS programming to 11 despite the past challenges previous owners of the station have had with affiliation. But CBS has been content to keep 11 with the CW. And I read recently — was it on this website? — that CBS just renewed its affiliation agreement with KIRO for another 10 years. In comparison to many other markets nationally, it is amazing how little affiliation switching has occurred over the past 50 years among the Seattle stations.
I remember not so long ago the uproar on social media about the horror that Elmer Fudd had a shotgun chasing poor Bugs Bunny. Contrast that with many of the extremely violent and graphic programs on the CW. Just strikes me funny.
All of these different groups running around with their agendas. Thankfully, Elmer did not bend to the woke society and apologize for being the alpha male he was.
I was glad Elmer survived cancel culture. 😉