Our outpost in the New York City market asked a provocative question we have been pondering over the weekend. Why are some local television stations as consistent across each day and time period–as an order of fries at McDonald’s? (Great nearly 100% of the time, in our humble opinion.) While others are as schizophrenic as slot machines in Las Vegas?

The consistent performers in the nation’s largest market are pretty apparent. And then there are the inconsistent performers. Stations that deliver newscasts that can range from just “meh” to being surprisingly good when least expected. This kind of station isn’t just in market number one. You can find an example of a local TV station that may be a perennial underdog anywhere. Perhaps they were at the top once upon a time. Or maybe they never have been. But they can still produce the occasional newscast that can make you check the on-screen graphics just to make sure you know which station you are watching.

We see this often with weekend morning newscasts. Stations frequently have their up-and-coming on-air talent getting their reps at the anchor desk on Saturday and Sunday morning. These newscasts are usually less traditional in how they are produced. The pace is better matched to days when the audience isn’t trying to crash out the door to get to school or work. These morning shows often have more opportunities to develop interesting interviews and other segments you wouldn’t typically see during the week. In short, they are willing to take chances and try new things.

One example of achieving this is the KTLA Morning News, which has long been an example of a local morning newscast that delivers differently. Since its debut in 1991, KTLA’s mornings have featured a roster of top-flight camera talent matched with a style aligned with the station’s long-time branding of being “LA’s Very Own.” It smartly plugged into the fact that Los Angeles is, by and large, a “company town,” with the “company," in this case, being the entertainment business in all its various aspects.

KTLA isn’t alone in producing a morning show that matches its market’s sensibilities. In Chicago, WGN also has a local morning news outlet that resonates differently from other stations. We don’t believe it is a coincidence that these two stations started down an alternative path. When they first launched, KTLA and WGN did more traditional morning newscasts, and both stations struggled to find an audience. Both stations had experienced talent and producers, but that didn’t make any difference. They were doing a standard morning newscast. Neither station had recognized that their strength might be in the people creating the product.

Reportedly weeks away from cancellation and unemployment, the broadcast’s producers and talent figured they would try being themselves and having a little more fun while they could. It is important to note that each station never abandoned its basic mission of covering the news. But they began to realize that they were creating something genuinely different.

KTLA and WGN had management that let the morning news production teams develop this different kind of newscast. The look and feel of both stations in the morning differed from those seen in the evening and nighttime time periods. The morning talent played to their natural instincts as people who could genuinely talk with each other, and the audience began watching.

Every station must consider how it can make a different impact, remembering that while content is still king, emotion matters as well, and so do people. This is just essential human nature. Almost everyone likes to be around genuinely interesting people, whether in a social setting or on a television newscast.

Watch enough newscasts over time, and you’ll conclude that one of the most significant differences between stations is how the people who appear on camera relate to each other and the audience. Much has been studied, researched, and speculated about this aspect of television news. The so-called “likability factor” is a key aspect that the people who lead news operations spend a significant amount of time trying to decode and enhance wherever it may be possible to do so. At best, achieving it comes from being willing to experiment, along with some gut instinct and, if we are honest, a bit of luck.

Great coaches and leaders recognize this combination and aren’t afraid to change their lineups. Shaking things up is sometimes necessary to help move a would-be contender into the position to play for a title. Sometimes, that’s when players come off the bench and make it possible to win. (Cue that NCAA Tournament theme music here.)

Be aware of the ‘likability’ that occurs off-air in the newsroom and control room. Generally speaking, if the on-camera talent is comfortable and likable, so are the people who produce the newscast. In a station fighting for market position, just doing the same old thing probably needs to be replaced. And no, that doesn’t mean “innovating” by removing the anchors or hubbing local weather from someplace else. That’s just making budget cuts to prop up a sagging bottom line on a spreadsheet.

We suggest looking at times when something might be working and building on that. We bet there are people in your newsroom who can help if given the opportunity and encouragement to try something different.

Given the current state of the local television business, the game clock is ticking down faster than ever. There may be no better time to try something different.