| At the end of the 1990s, Barry Diller — already a media legend — took a bold swing at reinventing local television. Through his USA Broadcasting group, he introduced the CityVision model: independent TV stations offering hyper-local, must-see programming that mixed original entertainment, lifestyle shows, live local sports, and a fresh approach to localism — all free over the air. It was a daring pivot away from the syndicated reruns and generic newscasts clogging most local airwaves. The pilot effort at WAMI-TV channel 69 in Miami featured shows like The Times (a lively news-meets-lifestyle magazine hosted by a fresh-faced Ben Mankiewicz), Generation ñ (targeting Miami’s Latin youth culture), Ocean Drive (mirroring the glossy local magazine), and youth-driven entertainment blocks — all produced locally. There were even high-profile local personalities like ex-NBA, then Miami Heat star Rony Seikaly hosting segments. Crucially, Diller’s CityVision stations also secured broadcast rights to live local professional and college sports, including Major League Baseball and NBA games. WAMI, for instance, aired Miami Heat NBA and Florida Marlins MLB games. Live sports gave CityVision stations a powerful appointment-viewing magnet — a way to draw regular audiences while building a real sense of hometown connection. Diller imagined a network of independent stations breathing life back into "local TV" — a striking contrast to the increasingly cookie-cutter world of national networks and formulaic local newscasts. Critics at the time called it a moonshot — expensive, risky, and maybe a little naïve. In the end, CityVision faltered financially, with the stations sold off to Univision by 2001. Yet now, looking at the local broadcast landscape in 2025, it’s hard not to think Diller was simply too far ahead of his time. Today’s local TV stations are facing a crisis of relevance. Traditional linear TV viewing is plummeting, with the latest Nielsen data showing a 12% year-over-year decline. Streaming services have overtaken cable TV in viewership share. Worse, younger audiences — the 18–34 demographic so prized by advertisers — are abandoning local stations altogether. … Continue reading Tim Hanlon’s full column here. |
