Get ready for universal "VJ" implementation, Bay Area. Already in place at KRON, and just recently, NBC Bay Area, the "video-journalist" format, (reporters both shoot and produce their stories), will no doubt be in place at both CBS5, (KPIX) and ABC7, (KGO-TV.) KTVU News, which generates massive revenue, is also looking to go down the VJ path.
ABC News, which last week, pink-slipped over 140 of its news personnel, is reportedly looking at utilizing the format. No word from CBS or NBC yet, but I'd bet, given the bottom-line mentality in the industry, the concept of "video journalists" is here to stay.
As always, its about money. Or lack of it.
Locally, outside of KTVU, local news ad revenue continues to lessen. The economic climate is still in deep fiscal purgatory. Layoffs are prevalent, and its to the point where every single expenditure is under close scrutiny. Cost-conscious corporate owners who own the bulk of the locals are showing no mercy.
An AFTRA union observer here in SF told me he's never seen the industry in such bad shape in the thirty-plus years he's worked in the industry. "It's going to get worse before it gets better, but right now, 'everyone's worried."
Particularly worried are news editors. Producers. With VJ's, who needs editors. You want to know why everyone's on edge?
Worse yet, take a look at KRON's news footage. You notice its quite grainy? Ditto NBC Bay Area.
Well, get used to it. It's on its way.
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I talked with an executive at a major network almost a year ago about my efforts to promote members of NABJ for jobs in television. The response was, "Bob it's great what you are doing but make sure the people you are promoting can shoot and edit. Because the one-man band is back and it's not going away."
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ReplyDeleteSo, in the end, KRON was just ahead of their time
ReplyDeleteA few years back, when KRON was first transitioning to the VJ format, Bill Mann, who used to author a local media column, wrote in his weekly piece that if you don't think you'll miss professional camera people, wait until you start to see VJ news reports at KRON and decide if you can tell the difference. He was implying, of course, that anybody could easily discern which segments were professionally photographed, and which were done by the VJs. I still think of that particular Mann column to this day, every time I see some other crummy KRON report with bad lighting, composition, etc. Truthfully, I've seen Disneyland home movies shot by insurance salesman dads that had better production values than some of these KRON pieces. (And don't even get me started on the atrocious Skype bits they do.) So now, the VJ concept appears to be growing because it saves costs. It will be interesting to see if other networks are able to produce a better-looking product than KRON has been able to with these VJs. I don't doubt that they can, but will they be the equal to the current production quality of news segments? I can't see how that is possible. It's all just another indication of the gradual erosion of quality electronic journalism....
ReplyDeleteyour link to ABC7 is going to KABC's website in LA and not the San Francisco site
ReplyDelete