Friday, March 28, 2008

The Six to premiere Monday

We see KEVN is moving its 5:30 p.m. weekday newscast to 6:00 p.m. starting next Monday, March 31st. I’m glad to see that, since it’ll give me – and presumably many other folks – an opportunity to see what the Fox affiliate can do in that time slot.

It gives them a clean shot at “news junkies” and others who must choose among competing broadcasts between 5 – 6 p.m. Of course, a few folks are home earlier and able to watch KCLO’s “KELO-land News,” at 4:30 MDT, but I’m not among them. I also have a little disdain for them, since they claim a local service presence statewide, but they have a decidedly “east river” flavor to their Sioux Falls broadcasts, which emanate in the Central Daylight Time zone. There is no or little concern over the time difference.

As one who relies upon ABC’s Charlie Gibson and PBS’s Jim Lehrer to provide a television window on the world, I seldom watch Fox, CBS, or NBC at suppertime. Consequently, I know little about the kind of work these stations do during the supper hour.

The Rapid City Journal this morning reported some “big changes” at KEVN starting Monday. General Manager Cindy McNeill is quoted as saying that “more people are watching at 6 p.m.” KEVN is re-labeling the broadcast “The Six.” They’re touting a new set and a new pace. Whether that’ll translate into a new and bigger audience remains to be seen.

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