Local Media Woes
My apologies to those of you not from around here as I lament the passing of another local institution. Youngstown, Ohio, has always been a self contained area with its local newspaper, and numerous radio stations, and three local television stations representing affiliates with the major television networks. It created a cocoon of sorts, as we were, and still are, totally insulated from the news in the rest of the state. Akron, for example, has its own newspaper, but no television stations. The folks there watch the Cleveland stations. My in-laws are from Mansfield, again with no television stations. They watch stations from Cleveland and Columbus. Not us, we watched, and watch, all things local.
Ohio newspapers have always been statewide, with folks all over the state reading the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Toledo Blade, the Columbus Dispatch, and the Cincinnati Enquirer. But not here in Youngstown. We read the Vindicator, and for the most part, only the Vindicator. When I went to Ohio State in 1968, it was probably the best paper in the state, and I had it sent to me in Columbus as the Dispatch was not so good.
Our broadcast media was terrific. WFMJ, the NBC affiliate, was owned by the Brown family who also owned the Vindicator. They also owned WFMJ radio, which is no longer with us. The Williamson family owned WKBN, the CBS affiliate, as well as WKBN radio. The radio station has the highest broadcast tower in the state, as well as the state’s strongest AM broadcast station. In college, I could listen to it in Columbus.
Then there was WYTV, the ABC affiliate. I was never quite sure who owned it, although it was locally owned. It was always the bastard child of the local media. It started late on UHF channel 45, now the channel for local public television. It then moved to Channel 33. I remember its beginning years when it broadcast for 15 minutes per day. Then during prime time. Then finally a full schedule.
All three stations ran full news departments. All stations, at some time or another, were top ranked for local news. For years WKBN led the pack. Then for awhile one watched WKBN for the news, but WYTV for the scoop. There IS a difference. Today, WFMJ is the #1 local news station.
Then came the death of manufacturing in the Mahoning Valley, and the media market began to shrink. Once one of the top tier media markets in the country, it sunk into the mid 80’s in rankings as the mills shut down. And as of the last census, our media market is now 103 in the nation. That is below the magic top 100 markets which justifies major advertisers spending bucks on local advertising. Our demographic is also the pits. Ad dollars dried up.
Over the years, old man Williamson died, and they broke up WKBN radio from WKBN television, and both operations were sold to outside companies. The radio is Clear Channel, I believe, and the television station is owned by an outfit in Atlanta. WYTV also lost its local ownership, and was recently sold to a California company that doesn’t have a website.
Last spring, WYTV and WKBN announced a deal whereby WKBN agreed to produce WYTV news, and to combine their news operations. The actual implementation of the deal begins today. WYTV will now broadcast its local news from the WKBN studios. They will share all news gathering operations, and most likely intermingle reporters. While there will still be separate broadcasts on their individual channels, the general belief is when the current agreement runs out sometime next year, WYTV will get out of the news business altogether.
Most of WYTV’s staff was laid off, as well as several well known local reporters. Layoffs also happened at WKBN, but not quite as bad, except for those on the chopping end of the layoff notices.
It was only 25 years ago when Youngstown had two locally owned department stores, all locally owned media, a locally owned dairy, numerous locally owned banks, and several national headquarters for major companies. Today, the banks are Huntington and National City. The mills are gone, as well as any major company headquarters. McKelvey’s and Strouss department stores are now Macy’s and Dillards.
And we now prepare to say goodbye to a local news outlet. Bummer.
Ohio newspapers have always been statewide, with folks all over the state reading the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Toledo Blade, the Columbus Dispatch, and the Cincinnati Enquirer. But not here in Youngstown. We read the Vindicator, and for the most part, only the Vindicator. When I went to Ohio State in 1968, it was probably the best paper in the state, and I had it sent to me in Columbus as the Dispatch was not so good.
Our broadcast media was terrific. WFMJ, the NBC affiliate, was owned by the Brown family who also owned the Vindicator. They also owned WFMJ radio, which is no longer with us. The Williamson family owned WKBN, the CBS affiliate, as well as WKBN radio. The radio station has the highest broadcast tower in the state, as well as the state’s strongest AM broadcast station. In college, I could listen to it in Columbus.
Then there was WYTV, the ABC affiliate. I was never quite sure who owned it, although it was locally owned. It was always the bastard child of the local media. It started late on UHF channel 45, now the channel for local public television. It then moved to Channel 33. I remember its beginning years when it broadcast for 15 minutes per day. Then during prime time. Then finally a full schedule.
All three stations ran full news departments. All stations, at some time or another, were top ranked for local news. For years WKBN led the pack. Then for awhile one watched WKBN for the news, but WYTV for the scoop. There IS a difference. Today, WFMJ is the #1 local news station.
Then came the death of manufacturing in the Mahoning Valley, and the media market began to shrink. Once one of the top tier media markets in the country, it sunk into the mid 80’s in rankings as the mills shut down. And as of the last census, our media market is now 103 in the nation. That is below the magic top 100 markets which justifies major advertisers spending bucks on local advertising. Our demographic is also the pits. Ad dollars dried up.
Over the years, old man Williamson died, and they broke up WKBN radio from WKBN television, and both operations were sold to outside companies. The radio is Clear Channel, I believe, and the television station is owned by an outfit in Atlanta. WYTV also lost its local ownership, and was recently sold to a California company that doesn’t have a website.
Last spring, WYTV and WKBN announced a deal whereby WKBN agreed to produce WYTV news, and to combine their news operations. The actual implementation of the deal begins today. WYTV will now broadcast its local news from the WKBN studios. They will share all news gathering operations, and most likely intermingle reporters. While there will still be separate broadcasts on their individual channels, the general belief is when the current agreement runs out sometime next year, WYTV will get out of the news business altogether.
Most of WYTV’s staff was laid off, as well as several well known local reporters. Layoffs also happened at WKBN, but not quite as bad, except for those on the chopping end of the layoff notices.
It was only 25 years ago when Youngstown had two locally owned department stores, all locally owned media, a locally owned dairy, numerous locally owned banks, and several national headquarters for major companies. Today, the banks are Huntington and National City. The mills are gone, as well as any major company headquarters. McKelvey’s and Strouss department stores are now Macy’s and Dillards.
And we now prepare to say goodbye to a local news outlet. Bummer.
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