In the big picture, Thursday's cluster of earthquakes that rocked the Bay Area, (centered near the Oakland/Berkeley border on the Hayward fault at 2: 48 and 8: 16 PM) were not that large, but they were large enough to rattle nerves and make us all ponder what the "big one" will feel like. (I can't wait.)
TV coverage:
Props to KRON and KTVU for instantaneous coverage, particularly during the nighttime shaker, (a pretty solid jolt even if it only registered a meager 4.2, (soon lowered to 3.8 by the USGS experts).
KRON's Pam Moore anchored a steady and solid program, with spot-on eyewitness accounts via phone and complete with a close-up of the station's Richter scale. For a change, no gushing/gee-whizz style of reporting from the usual suspects. (Take a guess.)
Moore's calm demeanor and anchor presence was a huge plus for the always challenged KRON. Another highlight: fellow anchor, Catherine Heenan's on-scene phono from a local restaurant.
KTVU also excelled with the advantage of a strong lead-in with viewers watching the end of the World Series Game Two.
Anchors Frank Somerville and Julie Haener went to an immediate live shot in Berkeley with plenty of real-time actuality and personal effect too: both Somerville and Haener, along with newsroom staff felt the temblor and were descriptive in their accounts. Good stuff.
NBC Bay Area and KGO-TV stuck with network programming, although Raj Mathai of NBCBA did a quick cut-in around nine to report the latest quake, (which felt a lot stronger than 3.8, but what do I know).
KGO and KPIX had extended reports, (obviously), on their 11PM newscasts.
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You can tell who the non-Californians are when the piddly little 4.0 quakes get their panties all in a twist. These aren't even quakes; they're sneezes.
ReplyDeleteTurned on Ch 2 at 10. Three person liveshot team coverage. Looks promising. First up, a reporter near the epicenter who said glasses rattled in a bar behind her. Cut to picture of glasses that were said to have rattled a couple of hours ago. But not now, of course. Let's see what else is on...
ReplyDeleteOvercovered, wall-to-wall nonsense on KTVU. Wife and I couldn't believe they were still covering the tremor.
ReplyDeleteLOL, Rich you are so full of contradictions. Giving props for instant coverage over a non-story like 4.0 earthquakes in the Bay Area, but then in other posts, absolutely lambaste media coverage whenever there is rain. You will bitch and moan when idiot reporters are sent out to ask stupid questions about water falling from the sky, but it's commendable when these same idiot reporters are sent out to take video of bags of chips on the ground at convenience stores after a nothing-earthquake?
ReplyDeleteI found the coverage insipid and mind-numbingly stupid. Caller, go ahead: "yeah, it shook my windows and a vase fell over"....YAWN! Tell me the magnitude and get off. When we have another Loma Prieta, then go wall to wall, otherwise I don't need to see packs of smokes on the ground at the Quickie Mart.
When KTVU took callers I was praying to god someone would blurt out "Baba Booey!"
ReplyDeleteYou can tell who the non Californians are when they piss on a 4.0. A 4.0 in San Ramon pulled a golf clubhouse apart and a private home on the edge of the golf course was red tagged. A 4.0 can do real damage if you happen to be sitting on top of the epicenter.
ReplyDeleteYa'll missed Jade Hernandez editor let a "S___" slip through on the first showing of the video from the liquor store ? The FCC will be sending a fine.
ReplyDelete