Bay Area TV News stations are up in arms over a reported breach of protocol by perennial market leader, KTVU.
Their gripe?
Video footage of the suspect, Antolin Garcia-Torres, arrested in the case involving missing teen, Sierra LaMar. KTVU
According to local broadcast sources, KTVU, (which was first to break the story), used the footage on its "10 O'clock News" and didn't feed out the pool video until after midnight, well past the 11 PM newscasts of KGO-TV, KRON, KPIX and KNTV, (NBC Bay Area).
Local news heads were livid. Beyond waiting until after midnight to feed the footage, according to the sources, KTVU embedded its logo onto the video contrary to local news protocol on a pool basis, (see the video)
The brouhaha was met with considerable anger inside newsrooms. A KGO source told me that its news director, Tracie Watkowski, was on the phone for a lengthy time with KTVU news director, Ed Chapuis. In addition, a source close to KRON said the affair left several news managers "fuming."
Attempts to reach Chapuis for comment were unavailable.
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poor protocol but its pretty obvious the TV stations couldn't give two shits about an innocent girl who is likely dead. Many in TV news are heartless bastards
ReplyDeleteAs a former broadcast staffer, I know that newsrooms put great stock in "scoops" and "exclusives."
ReplyDeleteAs a viewer/listener, the only time that I can recall it making an impression on me was in the mid-seventies, when KGO radio broke the news that kidnapped heiress Patty Hearst had been found, and arrested. One of their reporters was in the Federal Building, on Golden Gate Avenue, and saw her being led down a hallway.
That was genuine luck, on their part.
My guess is that KTVU knew exactly what they were doing, decided to go ahead with it, and, afterward, promise never to do it again.
And the photos of Patty Hearst were taken by a San Jose State student who happened to be in the right place at the right time. If I recall he made a bit of cash when the photos were re-published in other newpapers and magazines.
DeleteThose bastards!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for trusting KTVU
ReplyDeleteWhat do you thing Rich? Does KTVU deserve some criticism for this? If KRON had done this what would be the angle of your post?
ReplyDeleteCall me cynical but I would never rely on a competitor to follow "protocol" and give me a hand. When KTVU broke the story at 10 I would have had one of my minions record the video from KTVU and then used that same video on my 11 oclock newscast after airbrushing out the KTVU logo. Besides, the news of the arrest is what matters not the uninteresting perp walk video.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a meeting is in order to re-establish basic coverage ground rules. Remember.. it is still only a sandbox.. the stakes may seem higher, the people older... but we have to remind everyone to play nicely and share if that is the given protocol.
ReplyDeleteBFD. Local news is horrible. Nothing but fires, rape, murder and molestation. I don't watch it...
ReplyDeleteI don't think KTVU knew it was the pool. The other stations didn't even know about the arrest until it aired at 10. Only then did they scramble and try to catch up. It may have been a misunderstanding between KTVU and the Sherriff's Dept. that KTVU agreed to "fix" by providing video to the other stations, but with their call letters on it. Me, I would have given the other stations the video with a picture of Frank and Julie in the upper left-hand corner.
ReplyDeleteI don't get it. if the Sheriff provided the tape, did it go only to KTVU? Or did KTVU shoot the footage for the pool?
ReplyDeleteI'm not understanding why the other stations couldn't have gotten the footage out for their evening newscasts if the tape went to all of them at the same time. What am I missing?
KTVU was giving the high hard one to all the other stations. Make no mistake.
ReplyDeleteKnowing Ed from his "glory" days at KCRA-TV, its no surprise. The attitude back then is the attitude now. We have the video you don't and it doesn't matter what we promised because nothing is in writing....go prove it.
ReplyDeleteYou all take yourselves too seriously. It's just TV. Churnalism at that. None of us few remaining viewers care when you get your video.
ReplyDeleteIn a non-innovative setting, the act of "competitive darwinism" leads the way. Playing by the pseudo rules is just an option.
ReplyDeleteED. CHAPUIS. IS. A. DOUCHEBAG.
ReplyDeleteA Double Douchebag at that
DeleteDirty pool, KTVU!
ReplyDeleteThis will kick them in the face. Not professional!
If this is true, channel 2 should be ashamed of itself. What goes around comes around.
ReplyDeleteIt was not pool, they shot the video themselves as they were covering another story in Morgan Hill and simply saw the arrest go down. They shot it and held it until the Sheriff could verify the arrest. They agreed to hold it until 10 and use it as it was theirs. The later release of the footage came in an agreement with the sheriff which I do not know the details.
ReplyDelete"Kick 'em when they're up. Kick 'em when they're down. Kick 'em when they're up. Kick 'em all around..." ~Don Henley / "Dirty Laundry" ~
ReplyDeleteFor those who do not work in the news biz: Press pools are fairly common. Violating pool coverage is not. The reason? Next time it could be YOUR station that's frozen out. If this version of events is accurate, KTVU should probably expect to be frozen out the next time another station is in charge of the pool camera. That video will be seen in Salinas before it's seen on KTVU!
ReplyDeletethis video was exclusive, no pool...if i was a boss at the other stations, i'd be livid too, for getting beaten on the biggest local story we have...sometimes you get the bear, sometimes the bear gets you.
DeleteMy only issue with all this is Rich calling KTVU the "perennial market leader." Check the ratings Rich. That would only be at 10 pm when they have no competition. Maybe ther morning show...all the others are not "leaders" and never have been.
ReplyDeleteLike Rich, you have no idea what you're talking about. Check the May book, dude. And KTVU's 10pm competes against everyone else's 11pm newscasts. Did you not know that? And no offense to the bad spellers out there, but if you can't spell, at least run spell check before you post.
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