760 replies to this topic

[Autumn1501]

Kathy Vara and Kent Schoneck anchored the morning news on KNBC and were let go awhile ago and both ended up doing morning news on different stations. I was really happy to see them both get jobs. Kathy is on KABC and she just makes me smile in the morning. Kent is on CBS and it wouldn't be LA without his cute, boy scout ways.

[Mamalita]

The NBC affiliate in our area (WAVY) has a weekly segment called Road Rebels. Basically, this reporter goes out into heavy traffic areas and yells at people who speed, run red lights, try to beat trains, etc. When he can catch them at a red light, the cameraperson tags along while he sticks his microphone into their car windows and yells at them for being such bad drivers. Sometimes they talk to him, more times they flip the bird and tell him off. He also takes calls, where viewers can vent about particularly bad intersections, giving him ideas for the next week's location. It's amusing, yet embarrassing to watch the out-of-towner reactions to the whole thing; for some reason it makes them think we're so country.

[Alexandria Bay]

Any other Connecticut residents reading this? What is up with Ch. 3? People keep leaving (Dave Nelson, Ellie Pai Hong, Brian Aikin) and shifted around (Kara Sundlyn), but Al Terzi mumbles on, making the evening show unbearable.

They used to have my favorite morning line up, and now it's just painful. Ellie Pai Hong fleeing to Chicago totally ruined it. (One of the Ch. 8 morning guys went to Chicago, too. Hmm.)

And Scot Haney lost something a few months ago and hasn't been quite the same since. I used to be adequately distracted and amused to ignore his irritating habit of saying "a.m. in the morning" and "p.m. at night" (I HATE that) but now he's just grating.

I actually prefer Ch. 8 for news and weather--at least they cover the crap with the governor at the top of the news where it belongs instead of burying it--but Ch. 3 in the morning used to be a good way to start the day.

[Gloworm]

Here's something I hate that local news reporters and anchors do constantly: they insert the word "apparently" when it's totally inappropriate. It seems to be some kind of lame ass-covering instinct at work--they're so afraid of getting caught saying something that will later pan out not to be the truth that they hedge their bets reflexively even when certainty is on their side. "John Jones apparently died of a heart attack this evening"--well, no, he definitely died, and the cause of death as attested to by the attending physician was heart attack, so no "apparently" is necessary.

I worked with a producer who used "apparently" so much! It annoyed me to no end. I would think "did anyone ACTUALLY do anything or was it all just smoke and mirrors? really?"

Another one is "The AP is reporting tonight...blah blah blah". Well, why make the distinction that the AP is reporting this when the rest of your newscast came from AP wires as well. This one gets used when the story is something they don't actually want to take credit for if it doesn't pan out.

[Alexandria Bay]

They use "allegedly" inapropriately, too. "The alleged perpetrator of the crime escaped through the back door." No. The perpetrator of the crime escaped through the backdoor unless you think someone else went through the backdoor who was not the perpetrator. When someone is charged with the crime, he or she will be the alleged perpetrator.

[Meedis]

An interesting link from a Texas station...pay special attention to the background in the locker room:

Locker Room Antics

ETA...and they thought Janet was revealing.

Edited by Meedis, Feb 11, 2004 @ 9:45 AM.

[StephenTrendy]

Holy crap Meedis, that was hilarious. I don't think I've laughed that hard at a news item in a long time. I live in Dallas and saw that broadcast, but I didn't even notice that in the background. Hilarious.

[Senor Audacity]

What stupid things have your local TV news stations done for sweeps? Earlier this month a reporter actually asked that if any viewer witnessed two people on a snowmobile plunging through a frozen lake (this is the Twin Cities) to call them. Remember, call the station before calling the police. And this is the time when teasers get all loaded witih insinuation. One from earlier in the week was: "Is your OB/GYN paying for sex?"

[Isaboe]

Let's see...last year they had a topless woman walk into a bar and timed how long it took for someone to notice her. I can't remember the results, it was so stupid. Of course it's our local FOX affiliate so no surprise there.
Same station has a morning news show that has all the anchors hopping like idiots. The woman is so skinny you can see her shoulder bones sticking out and has the "news anchor" helmet hair. I don't watch them, it's to gruesome.

[Symmetrically]

One from earlier in the week was: "Is your OB/GYN paying for sex?"

I feel skeevy for even asking, but did you see that item? I heard "Is your OB/GYN paying for sex during lunch?" or something like that, rolled my eyes, clicked the box off and went back to doing the dishes. Not that I Need To Know, but out of sheer curiosity, what was the deal with that?

[Senor Audacity]

Hope you catch this, Symmetrically, seeing that I'm answering a week and a half after you posted your question. But yes, your "during lunch" addition is correct: It turns out this physician in question was arrested for either picking up a prostitute on the street for sex or going to a massage parlor during his break. Nothing skeevy about doing it in his workplace at all. Not only was this a typically salacious sweeps news teaser, but also a typically exaggerated one.

TWoPpers in the Kansas City area can help me with this one. I caught a story on the CBS Evening News about the local affiliate arranging a sting operation where guys cruising the Internet for sex with young boys and girls went to a house in Independence, Mo. and were greeted by a reporter and a camera in their faces. Some of them ran for their cars, some tried to pass themselves off as Jehova's Witnesses. I would call it sleazy if it weren't done for a good cause and if not for the "holy shit!" spectacle of it all. How was the buzz/reaction in the area after that story aired in K.C.?

Edited by Senor Audacity, Mar 9, 2004 @ 5:31 AM.

[ChinkyGirl]

Apparently, the trend amongst local news here in NYC is to get a British chick to report on absolute nonsense. You know, like "Subway Idol" and "the hottest nail polish EVER".

[Ashliz23]

Today, on a local 6 o'clock news broadcast in New Orleans, a clip from a surveillence video was shown. On this clip was a guy holding a gun to a woman's head (which was off-screen) and shooting her. Very disturbing.

[Senor Audacity]

Oh goodness, you're kidding me. Free press and all, but do we really need to see that? I always change the channel when they play a 911 call and I still am haunted by the surveillance video from the back of a car wash of that 11-year-old being taken by the arm by the man who killed him. Where's the discretion?

[Symmetrically]

It turns out this physician in question was arrested for either picking up a prostitute on the street for sex or going to a massage parlor during his break.

There are so many jokes in this that I couldn't even begin to tease them out. But other than that: meh. I'm sure that my Ob/Gyn has learned to scrub between visits (office or otherwise), and I'm sure I'd feel crawly if I decided to dwell how many diseased patients he's been in (let alone hookers) so, whatever.

One thing that I hate -- hate -- are the newscasts about some local yokel who mutilates/sets fire to/otherwise torments an animal. I know that when the animals survive, it's supposed to be something of a sad story with an uplifting ending, but when I catch these it puts me off my meals for the rest of the day. I don't feel the "tough little scrapper" uplift at all.

Edited by Symmetrically, Mar 14, 2004 @ 8:25 PM.

[kd0g527]

My husband and I just moved from Oklahoma to Iowa. Now, the Oklahoma market isn't a big news market by any stretch of the imagination, but the NBC affiliate here in Iowa is just. So. Bad. I love watching it because the anchors/editors/cameramen mess up at least 3 times per newscast. I love when the tapes aren't ready, so they have to sit there and shoot the shit for 5 minutes.

I've never lived this far north, so I'm not accustomed to the wierd weather terms this station uses. "Saskatchewan Screamer?" "Alberta Clipper?" "Fropa?!?!" Apparently they use these terms instead of what the main weatherman called "meteorological mumbo jumbo." Apparently they think the locals can't keep up if they use big words like "Frontal Passage."

And apparently I also like to use the word apparently. Alledgedly, at least.

Edited by kd0g527, Mar 15, 2004 @ 3:07 PM.

[mayes2004]

Here in Connecticut, all the news stations suck. They all have commercials advertising themselves as the best. Channel 8 has to be the worst. It seems that not one commercial break can go by where they don't talk about themselves. The worst is during Jeopardy! (between Double and Final Jeopardy!--about 7:25pm) when they have a "mini-newscast" complete with it's own commercial break and weather segment!

Speaking of weather, once any snow is in the forcast, no matter how little, all the stations jump over it as if it were Armaggedon! During this time, every news commercial you see has to do with snow ("Is there snow in the forecast? We'll show you how much at 11" or the ubiquitous "Winter's Back!"). Thank God for the National Weather Service, or I would actually have to watch the news!

And also during college basketball season, all they do is talk about the damn UConn Huskies. It's even the TOP story on some newscasts (usually NBC30's). I'm probably the only one in this state and the only one who went to UConn that doesn't give two shits about UConn basketball.

Edited by mayes2004, Mar 25, 2004 @ 7:47 PM.

[joanie42]

Does anyone here watch the NBC channel 4 team in the Washington DC area? (Jim Vance et al) I'm such a fan of that team's chemistry. They aren't bimbos -- or himbos -- and they aren't 12 years old. That channel has had the same team for eons. It's a pleasure to watch, and I don't say that about newsreaders very often!!

Edited by joanie42, Mar 28, 2004 @ 9:12 PM.

[PostToastie]

Holy crap Meedis, that was hilarious. I don't think I've laughed that hard at a news item in a long time. I live in Dallas and saw that broadcast, but I didn't even notice that in the background. Hilarious.

I live in Dallas too and I remember seeing the broadcast (the reporter is a real ass so he's fun to snark on). I didn't see the 'item', but my computer saved the thing as an animation so I have a screen by screen look. Eeew!

[TheCustomOfLife]

When I visited Tampa, I noticed that the newscasts were more aesthetically pleasing than the ones in Mobile. When I was watching NewsChannel 8's weather, though, they played a little jingle, and I was like, "That's soooo News 5 in Mobile. Hello?" I'm a dork.

[Isaboe]

The local newscasters here are turning into "ambulance chasers". For what I don't know. An Emmy I guess. People are injured or killed in a crash and there they are, shoving the camera and a mike in the victims faces. "tell us how you feel!" Like to see this done to them a few times.
Jerks.

[kdboo]

I'll admit I've taken a liking to Chicago's WGN News at Noon & Nine. I watch it on cable on Superstation WGN. I find the News at Nine team easier to stomach then some of the anchor teams on my local stations. I also like the concept of watching Chicago local news on cable from the East Coast.

WGN News is one of the few things I like on WGN. For those of you who live in the Chicago area and get WGN-TV over the air as a WB station, the programming on cable Superstation WGN for the rest of the country basically consists of "The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air", WGN News, "The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air", Cubs & White Sox baseball games, "The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air", cheesy 80's/90's comedy and/or action flicks, "Will & Grace" and "The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air".

Edited by kdboo, Jun 16, 2004 @ 9:58 PM.

[Quag]

I've come to loathe local news shows. I hate their Sweeps Week teases or Gloom and Doom Very Special Stories. But sometimes it's just the reporters and how they do their jobs that rubs me the wrong way.

Channel 4 (Nashville) has started airing commercials showing their main anchors (Dan and Demetria) "ad-libbing" off-camera. Yeah, like they have all these wonderful, unscripted moments happen during commercials. The first time it was cute, but now it just looks like they're trying to show us how funny these two are. I don't really care if Dan and Demetria are funny off camera, people.

Channel 5 has a weatherman, Leland Statum, who spent some time at the NBC affiliate in my hometown in East Tennessee. It made me homesick to see him again. But for years, I couldn't understand a word he said. I don't know if he had a speech impediment or it was his accent. He finally got that worked out, but dang. I just thought people who went into broadcasting had to speak well enough to be understood.

Speaking of speech problems, or not, one of the anchors on Channel 17 wore clear braces for a while. I couldn't stand to watch her. She seemed to be just about to sprinkle my TV with a shower of spittle. I've had braces, so I guess I understand it can be hard to talk around them. But now she has the braces off, and she still keeps a mouthful of spit, and it just annoys me so badly I have to mute her and look away from the TV until somebody else talks.

And still on the speech thing. Why is it that in Nashville (and other places from what I can hear) that they pick the worst man/woman on the street for interviews: "I seent it down back over yonder. Me and my kids is skeered to live here and we ain't gonna live here no more."

Why does Channel 4 insist on sending Dennis Ferrier to Kroger every time there's a threat of snow? He descends on the stores to show the empty shelves where bottled water, bread, and batteries once sat. And he does it all with a voice of doom and gloom. Every year. We. Get. It. People in Nashville panic over snow flurries or the threat of snow flurries. It's a running joke around here, but it's hardly news.

Channel 5's Vicky Yates seems nice, but sometimes I wish she would calm down the weave a little. Sometimes it looks kinda nice. Other times it looks like The Hair and becomes hella distracting, like it needs it's own show or something. On the other hand, Channel 4's Cynthia Williams always keeps her weave tight. Of course, she seems to change the length and look of it every other day so that I have to look twice to make sure I know who she is, but she always looks nice.

[FlyingDuchess]

Fun thread. I don't watch my local news enough to know anchorpeople or even station call numbers, but one thing I've found that's pretty universal is the "Coming up after the break, important information that could save your life!" cliffhanger. If its so damn important, tell me now! What if I do something really dangerous during the commercial that later on you'll tell me I shouldn't have done. My death will be on your head, stupid local news people!

Also, the other week I was watching the local news in Charlotte (I live in Raleigh, but work in Charlotte during the week), the CBS affliate if anyone's interested. They were covering an unfinished townhouse fire, and everytime they went to the Live Reporter on the Scene for an update (!), she began by saying, "Well, Tina, (insert name of station here) was first on the scene, and when we got here..." And I'm like, its an unfinished townhouse fire. I wouldn't be surprised if you were the only pathetic station that covered the damn thing! I don't care if you were first because its a non-story! And mentioning that you were first is just desparate.

[redfullmoon]

I live in the deep South, and our local news is hilarious, if for the names of newscasters alone.

Here in Boston we have the inimitable Joe Shortsleeve. He's solely an in-studio anchor, so I've never seen him reporting on location in (casual) short sleeves.

[Marklar]

I love watching it because the anchors/editors/cameramen mess up at least 3 times per newscast. I love when the tapes aren't ready, so they have to sit there and shoot the shit for 5 minutes.

I worked for years as a newscast director and I would watch all the other newscasts (other than my own) just to see if the director (cameraperson, tape op, etc.) screwed up. Of course I loved the screw ups just because they made my shows look that much better. :-)