Barry Diller's CityVision debuts in Miami

[Bossmsx@aol.com]

This Monday, our local HSN affiliate WYHS/69 here in Miami, gave up the ghost
and became WAMI-TV, the pilot for Barry Diller's CityVision plan which should
eventually spread throughout most if not all of the HSN O&Os, including
Boston's WHSH.
My first impressions: very slick, network quality on a local level, with a
minimum of TV reruns, and mostly locally produced programs, originating from
the station's studios in a busy area of Miami Beach.  Incidentally, alot of
the programming is done live on the street right in front of the WAMI studios,
and it's the first case that I've seen where a station is constantly plugging
its address.
The day starts of with "Traffic Jams"...A unique concept (at least in this
area), consisting of continuous maps of South Fla. traffic hotspots, with
background music.....Other shows are 'RadioVision', classic radio shows with
the video being pictures of South Florida streets, hotspots, etc.....In the
afternoon, it's Fox Kids (Ed Ansin/Sunbeam's Fox affiliate, WSVN does not air
FK), with local inserts, and live 'games' featuring kids competing right
outside of the station's studios....Then it's Barcode, a dance/rave type show,
The Times, a newscast at 7pm, then on to locally produced talk shows tackling
issues affecting South Floridians....Popular South Florida radio talker Neil
Rogers also has a nightly show, featuring edited bits from his radio show.
The station's unique logo is nothing more than the word 'miami'  . No channel
number, no call letters, just 'miami'.
It's too early to find out what exactly is the street vibe, but I think it's
gonna usher in a new era of television here, and, of course, in markets like
Boston, where this trend is supposed to spread to in time.
Anyone know how far Boston is from having CityVision on WHSH??

- --Tony in Miami

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