[Medianext.MX]

KMOV, the Gray CBS affiliate in St. Louis, has started to transition its moniker from News 4 to... First Alert 4. Although the News 4 moniker is still used in many places (including graphics), anchors and reporters have started to introduce and close segments under the new moniker.

www.youtube.com 

This move apes what Gray did after taking over Raycom station KOSA (also a CBS affiliate) did after the takeover: plastering First Alert branding into all news and information departments (First Alert News, First Alert Sports, First Alert Weather...)

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Mass cuttings have started at Scripps: the company has reorganized its local TV operations, laying off most of the station’s general managers, and installing centralized, regionalized management:


[*]Kathleen Choai (from KSHB/KC) now will also oversee KXXV, KRIS/KZTV, WRTV, KJRH and KMTV
[*]Anita Helt (from KNXV/Phoenix) now will also oversee KGUN, KERO, KSBY, KGTV and KTNV
[*]Nick Nicholson (from WFTS/Tampa) now will also oversee WSFL, WPTV, WTXL, KATC and WFTX
[*]Lyn Plantinga (from WTVF/Nashville) now will also oversee WCPO, WEWS, WKBW and WLEX
[*]Joe Poss (from WTMJ/Milwaukee) now will also oversee WGBA, WXYZ, KOAA, WMAR, WSYM and WXMI
[*]Joe Saunders (VP of Scripps Local Media ops and who manages the Montana Television Network, led by KTVQ/Billings) will now also oversee KIVI, KSTU, KMGH, KOAA, WMAR, WTVR and WTKR


However, everything is not lost: each station will have a “station manager”, which will oversee mostly local news and commercial responsibilities.

thedesk.net 

Although the move is also business-minded, there are plans for Scripps to increasingly and deeply integrate local news programming into the helm of the Scripps News national division and network, already done in an extent by merging the Newsy and Local Media Washington bureaus into a single one, as well as the formation of a network news division to operate the digital FTA network. Since late June, more integration was implemented, including stations' airing national reports from the service, as well as a 30- or 60-minute simulcast block of the network schedule in the afternoon, replacing the internally-syndicated shows The List and The Upside (formerly Afternoon Focus, produced by Scripps News itself). Cox-owned KIRO in Seattle has also signed up for the syndicated service.

tvnewscheck.com 

Additional changes in the long-term involve eliminating some anchor positions at the local stations, as well as beefing up heavily on MMJs (including giving substantial pay raises), eliminating the chief meteorologist title and placing all meteorologists under the purview of the assistant news director.

rbr.com 

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