Standard General Has Their Seat at the Table

Standard General is finally getting the seat at the table.

The company is buying up Tegna and Standard General’s head Soo Kim thinks this is a good timke to be entering the game.

Kim knows that the TV landscape is changing and he is ready to make sure that the Tegna stations change as well. ”Really, we think change is opportunity. We’re confident that we can help the company continue to evolve and to meet its challenge today and in the future,” Kim told B&C.

“They’re questioning the entire business model,“ Kim said. “I think this is a wonderful time to have a seat at the table.”

When Standard General takes over Tenga, Deb McDermott will move in and Dave Lougee (Tegna’s current CEO) will be kicked to the curb.

“We’re looking for areas where we can improve and operate even better,” McDermott says, We’ll take a look at everything. Our plan is really about how do we grow the company.” 

Many expect that McDermott will bring Journalism back to Tegna and sideline the “TikTok on TV” approach that Tegna is currently using.

FTVLive will say this, one of the most popular shows on television today is still CBS’s 60 Minutes. 60 Minutes has been a top show for decades and it doesn’t use any flying graphics, fancy sets or even lower thirds.

You have not seen a 60 Minutes Correspondent post a dancing video on TikTok and you don’t see them obsessed on taking selfies.

The show proves that good journalism still brings in viewers and it can do it without the flash and trash.

Hopefully, this is the direction that Deb McDermott wants to take Tegna after the sale.

Or would be a very refreshing change.