The NFL season is upon us, which has much of America psyched but may have those in the Dallas metro area even a little more pumped. The beloved Cowboys take on the rival New York Giants on Sunday night (September 10) in New Jersey.
KTVT will have a live-streaming special focused on the fans. Telemundo’s KXTX is the Spanish-language home of the Cowboys. KDFW’s Sunday night sports program, Free 4 All, will break down the matchup like quarterback Dak Prescott picking apart an enemy secondary.
“You can’t get away from it,” Marc Hefner, KDAF VP and general manager, said. “It’s everywhere.”
You can’t get away from the heat in North Texas either. General managers spoke of temps well over 100 in recent days. At deadline, it was down to 97.
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“It’s just hot,” Tony Canales, KXAS-KXTX president and general manager, said. “We all hope the cooler weather comes sooner rather than later.”
The competition is hot in DMA No. 5 too. Tegna owns ABC affiliate WFAA. Fox has KDFW and MyNetworkTV station KDFI. NBCUniversal owns KXAS-KXTX. CBS owns KTVT and independent KTXA. Nexstar has CW station KDAF and Univision holds KUVN.
Charter is the primary pay-TV operator in Dallas-Fort Worth.
The market has some new general managers. Canales, who was B+C’s General Manager of the Year last year when he ran KTMD Houston and had oversight of KASA Albuquerque, became NBC’s GM in Dallas-Fort Worth in January. He called the stations there “a well-oiled machine” and has focused on increasing content on streaming platforms, including simulcasting linear newscasts on NBC 5’s FAST channel, and launching an original 8 a.m. newscast on that platform, too.
“It’s a big opportunity we’ve been able to fulfill,” he said.
Jeff Gurley was named KDFW-KDFI senior VP and general manager at the end of July, succeeding the retiring Kathy Saunders. He had been the stations’ VP and director of sales for 13 years, and has over 25 years at Fox’s Dallas stations, known as Fox 4 and More 27. He’s also focused on streaming, with Fox Local, and is meeting with every single employee at the stations, which will take the rest of the year.
“I’m spending a little bit of time with everybody,” Gurley said.
Duopolies are commonplace in Dallas-Fort Worth, but lone wolf WFAA is a powerhouse. In May, June and July, KDFW, which has a six-hour morning block (“It’s quite the beast,” said Gurley), took the household and viewers 25-54 contests at 6-7 a.m., according to Nielsen ratings provided by a station rep. WFAA won the 5 p.m. battle in households across those months, with KUVN on top in the demo. WFAA won both races at 6 p.m. In the tight 10 p.m. household race, WFAA averaged a 2.6, KXAS a 1.9, KUVN a 1.8, KTVT a 1.7, KDFW a 1.6 and KXTX a 0.7. In the 10 p.m. demo race, KUVN got a 1.5, WFAA a 0.7, KDFW and KXTX a 0.6, KXAS a 0.5 and KTVT a 0.4.
What drives WFAA is a crew of anchors and reporters that viewers are happy to welcome into their homes, said Carolyn Mungo, VP and station manager. “We’ve got talent behind the anchor desk that is authentic,” she said. “The authenticity just jumps off the screen.”
Brad Ramsey, WFAA president and general manager, added, “The look and the feel of the newscasts is different and more approachable.”
WFAA was thrilled to pick up the 2023 National Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall Excellence last month. “It’s a great, great, great honor for a phenomenal body of work,” Mungo said.
Hustling to Pick Up New Viewers
New arrivals are constantly landing in Dallas-Fort Worth — Ramsey likens it to a 737 aircraft dropping off a full load of passengers every day — and the stations are hustling to make them regular watchers. KTVT had a compelling report on a shooter at a shopping center in Allen that featured live body cam footage from a police officer involved. It ran the five-minute clip in its entirety the day it was released. Anchor Doug Dunbar told viewers, “These five minutes are gonna be palpable, maybe even emotional.”
Meagan Harris came on board as KTVT news director in June. “I’m in awe of how incredibly creative and thoughtful she is,” said Raquel Amparo, KTVT-KTXA president and general manager, “in terms of true journalism and strong storytelling.”
KTXA premieres a weekday newscast in the 7 p.m. slot on September 12. “It has a very different feel and approach,” Amparo said. “It’s more conversational and more relatable while getting deep into the context of the day.”
The CBS pair benefits from having CBS News and Stations’s Innovation Lab on site. Amparo mentioned an hour-long special on the Uvalde school shooting last summer, with the lab augmenting the reporting effort. “We get to ideate and collaborate as we pass each other in the hallways,” she said.
KXAS, which turns 75 September 27, has a new co-host on lifestyle show Texas Today in Adriana Lopez, who is an anchor on Telemundo 39. She represents the unified approach shared by KXAS and KXTX, which have a joint newsroom and, more recently, joint marketing teams. “The fully integrated perspective maximizes our total reach,” said Canales.
KXTX offers regional newscasts, and Canales said a DFW-specific one is at least “on the table.”
The stations had their tenth Clear the Shelters pet adoption campaign in August. The initiative was born at KXAS-KXTX.
WFAA produces the weekly Inside Texas Politics program, which runs on the 11 Tegna stations operating in Texas, and on their Plus apps on Roku, Apple TV and other digital platforms.
It may have a new general manager, but the talent at KDFW, known as Fox 4, is long-running. That includes Clarice Tinsley, who hits 45 years at the Fox stations this year, Steve Eagar, with 28 years, and Mike Doocy, with 29. “The longevity of our talent across the board is amazing,” said Gurley. “That’s the secret to all our success.”
KDAF does not offer news. It does have sports on The CW, including LIV golf and ACC football, and its own high school football program. CW33 introduced a batch of new lifestyle shows, including Inside DFW with Jenny Anchondo, local travel program Fun on the Run with Yolonda Williams, and food show Taste of North Texas.
“Our programming is all fun,” said Hefner.
Weather Leads a Lively News Cycle
Weather is a story all year-round in DFW, including the blazing heat in the summer and tornadoes in the fall. Last winter featured an ice storm.
The general managers like the diversity of Dallas-Fort Worth, the big-city attractions, including pro sports, arts and restaurants, and the lively atmosphere. “There’s a lot to do in this town,” Hefner said. “If you’re ever bored, it’s entirely your fault.”
The newsrooms are covering the impeachment trial for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. It is yet another major story for reporters to sink their teeth into.
“There’s no shortage of great news out there and solid opportunities for strong reporting,” Mungo said. “There’s never a dull moment.”
