Monday, March 1, 2010

NEW: Insight Scrapping Local Programming on ICN6 - AFTER Moving to channel 2

Insight is about to make yet more moves - and one has already hit by the time you read this.

Insight is moving ICN 6 to channel 2 effective as of Monday...in other words today. All the local programming you've seen on ICN 6 is now on channel 2. At least, for the next few weeks.

At the end of THIS month, Insight will scrap all the local programming on channel 2. This includes shows like "Northern Kentucky Magazine", "On the Record", and "Sports Page". An email from Nancy James, host of the aforementioned "Northern Kentucky Magazine", says that "some consolidation is being done and specific programming is in the works for the better of the State of Kentucky".

The entire email, which was originally posted on John Kiesewetter's blog here, follows:

Dear Friends, Sponsors and Guests of Northern Kentucky Magazine, and Faithful viewers:

There are two reasons for my email. Simply put: As we approach March 1st, “Things they are a changin’onICN6!” As you might have already heard, our location on your dial or “remote” will change effective this month. We make the move from Channel 6 to Channel 2. All the programming will switch, leaving all local programming on Channel 2.

Then effective April 1st, another change will take place. On that date, all local programming seen on Channel 2, including our show Northern Kentucky Magazine will no longer be aired there. There has been no official ‘press release’ to this effect or any official direction for us to communicate to you, other than ‘some consolidation is being done and specific programming is in the works for the better of the State of Kentucky’. But this is not a secret. The ‘word is out on the street’ and I wanted you to be just as aware.

Here is the first of my two requests: The relationship between our staff, our guests and our viewers is a very important one to me. You have been an integral part of our family and we yours. Please allow us the honor of being able to be your “voice” for your event, your gala, your new CD, your business, your cause, your news, your story, whatever, one more time. Northern Kentucky Magazine has been proud to be your voice for almost 20 years, and I would love for these last 4-½ weeks to reflect that same proud stance. So please email me ASAP with your availability and I, along with Sandy Megowen, will make every effort to accommodate your wishes.

The second request is simple: Please reply to this email with a couple of sentences that describe what this show, Northern Kentucky Magazine, has meant to you, your clients, your family, or our community. Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think I am alone in believing that if the management of Insight were to be informed as to just how very important this show was to our community, we might be looked at differently! I don’t know what difference they might make, but I would love for YOUR voices to be heard.

I have been honored to have interviewed most of you or your clients and hope that our paths will continue to cross in the future!

With Warmest Regards, Nancy James


Our take: Channel move is an okay idea. In fact, I believe that in Louisville, similar programming is already found on channel 2. Not great, but a good idea.

However: The idea to scrap the local programming in favor of statewide programs is a BAD IDEA. ICN6, along with all the other "ICN" channels across the state, serve their local communities. There's a local focus on news among other things. Besides, KET already DOES statewide programming here, probably pretty close to what Insight is planning to do.

In short, good channel move, BAD idea to scrap local programming...

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