by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
In 75 days, Jacksonville will become home to one of the most unique television partnerships in the country. The fact that both Ch. 47 and Ch. 30 share one roof and many staff members, including on-air talent is rare. Toss in 11 Clear Channel-owned radio stations and an outdoor billboard plant and things really get interesting.
The situation is similar to the current partnership between Ch.’s 12 and 25, which are NBC and ABC, respectively. However, having 11 radio stations on site adds a dimension that elevates the Ch. 30 and Ch. 47 situation way beyond what Ch. 12/25 has at this point.
When CBS officially joins the team July 15, having two major networks and a successful independent in one building will be unlike anything else in the United States and, perhaps, beyond.
Susan Adams Loyd, the general manager of both Ch. 30 and Ch. 47, said there has been an almost constant buzz in the building since last November when all of those entities combined to create a megamedia facility. Adding CBS to the mix, Loyd contends, will only serve as the proverbial icing on the cake.
“This is a chance of a lifetime. We were already excited and stoked about the opportunity that the synergy of having two TV stations, 11 radio stations and an outdoor billboard plant all under one roof created,” said Loyd. “That is an unmatched scenario in any other market and the industry has taken notice. By adding CBS, it can only get better.”
Loyd came to Ch. 47 and Ch. 30 two and a half years ago. Although she wasn’t in on the ground floor of an independent station joining forces with a major network like she is this time, Loyd did join a station in Minneapolis shortly after it became an NBC affiliate. The positive changes were dramatic during Loyd’s nine-year tenure with the station.
“I joined that station shortly after the transition,” said Loyd. “We went from from No. 4 in the market to a dominant No. 1. I come from a traditional affiliate background having worked for ABC and NBC stations, but not at a CBS station. They have all been stations with a strong news presence. Jacksonville’s Fox and UPN stations have a strong news presence and that was what I wanted.”
The day Dan Rather, “60 Minutes” and NFL football become mainstays of Ch. 47 one could also expect major changes at the local level, especially regarding the on-air talent. Hardly, says Loyd. At this point, management is very pleased with anchors Beverly Brooks and Russell Motley, Meteorologist Bob Alan and Sports Director Ryan Elijah and the ratings that crew is getting. By having Ch. 30 on-air talent also available — as well as several reporters, cameramen and support staff — Loyd believes her two stations represent a formidable news staff and she has no intentions of instituting any drastic chances once the CBS affiliation becomes official.
Interestingly, audience demographics and ratings show that each station’s newscasts have a loyal following and Loyd said at this time there are no plans to separate the teams. While there may be two distinctly different anchor teams, they are under the same news umbrella, which is advantageous for both stations.
“Because the audiences are different, we have a different on-air look and different anchor teams,” explained Loyd. “That won’t change. We will continue to have one news organization and we have ample resources. Those shared resources give us more for both stations, not less. We get resources from Fox, CNN and the Associated Press.
“When you birth a new station, it is very important, from a positioning standpoint, to do that with the audience in mind. Look at the history of both stations; the audiences are well-established. WETV [Ch. 47] is routinely No. 3 in the marketplace and is one of the strongest independents in the country. Fox does well in prime time and late, but of the whole 24-hour day, WETV is number three.
“We can end up alienating both audiences if we don’t do it carefully. We are being very pragmatic and strategic about it. We are planning on taking the staff we have and put the right people in the right places and then add to that. I see us adding staff to fill out the demands of three networks. We will not get rid of UPN, we just have to figure out how to marry that with the other two networks.”
Loyd did not rule out creating an “all-star” team of on-air talent from both stations to serve as the 6 p.m. news crew. She did admit, however, that everyone involved in the decision-making process understands that time is not on their side and that the next 75 days will be gone soon.
“That has added some pressure, but we are not just sitting here scratching our heads and wondering what to do,” said Loyd. “These are people with vested interests in the organization.”
While audiences will certainly recognize the faces bringing them the news, weather and sports, they may not recognize the set. Loyd said there are definitive plans to modify the set of Ch. 47’s newscast to more closely resemble that of a typical CBS affiliate and the network itself. Lighting, equipment and graphics will be overhauled. Officials from CBS will provide not only guidance as the look of Ch. 47 is amended, but the network will also help fund some of the changes.
“It’s the partnership with CBS that affords us the ability to engage our on-air look with them,” said Loyd. “CBS and WETV are very much linked together. There will be enhancements, augmentations and cross promotional platforms.”
The fact that Ch. 47 will become the flagship station of both the Jacksonville Jaguars and AFC football has simply added to the enthusiastic atmosphere that already permeates the halls of the station’s building in the Eastpark Industrial Parkway area. Loyd said since moving into the new building last November everyone at both stations has been excited about the situation. Having CBS join the party only serves to heighten that exuberance.
“What you end up with is an added rush of adrenaline,” said Loyd. “We are always excited about what we are doing here.”
The addition of CBS has also spurred a heavy increase in job applicants. Loyd said both stations will certainly look to expand, provided enough quality applicants express interest. However, she said, the addition of CBS to the mix actually bodes well for those already in-house.
“It’s an opportunity for our own staff, not just outside people,” she said. “It’s a chance for our staff to step up the plate. I don’t know how much we’ll expand. That’s still being defined. Again, our commitment is to serve the community and do what is necessary. We will augment our staff accordingly.”