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| Janelle Wang/NBC Bay Area |
NBC's Winter express begins Feb. 7th.
I asked Wang whether she had any jitters. "No trepidation at all. Just excited to cover it and our NorCal athletes. Security will be extremely tight. "
Normally, a two-week vaunted franchise like the Olympics would be a valuable entity to build up both local and national programming. But this Olympics, (set to begin February 7), has been littered with endless potential terrorism stories.
Combine that with a lack of American athlete star power and the dank surroundings of a relatively obscure and remote city in Southern Russia and you could have the least-watched games ever.
*Speaking of KNTV, they've added a new face to replace Marla Tellez; Peggy Bunker has been installed as the new 11 AM anchor and will also fill in on various news blocks as a general assignment reporter. Bunger comes to NBC Bay Area from Seattle's ABC affiliate, KOMO.
*To show you what the local TV News ND's and assignment editors priorities were Sunday night post-game, just note the fact at least a pair of news choppers hovered over both the Mission district and Marina; downtown too. Wonder why.
*No class dept: KGO-TV has not said a word about its fallen reporter, Heather Ishimaru. Not a word. How about an acknowledgement? How about just showing some common human decency by telling its viewers about Ms. Ishimaru's condition. But of course that would require common sense which apparently is a foreign concept at 900 Front. Yeah, I know about the legal implications but this has nothing to do with lawyers and everything to do with class. That's a bad scene over there.
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KNTV, which is it, Peggy BUNKER, or Peggy BUNGER? Maybe they're lesbian twins?
ReplyDeletemaybe she doesn't want anyone to know about her private affairs? Ever think of that? It's not their job to report on their own.
ReplyDeleteActually there's pretty much a gentleman's agreement in TV land that they never report on themselves or each other, unless maybe it's the death of a beloved personality.
DeleteNot saying that's right or wrong. Just the way things are.
NFL ( not for long ) ND Tracey Watkowski is the problem. Why else would a high powered SF attorney like A. Aliotto even consider taking up a claim for Tracey generated harassment? Disney is tough to beat but Aliotto knows Tracey's "personality" makes it a winner for Heather.
ReplyDeleteTell that to Bernie Ward
ReplyDeleteArchie Bunkers granddaughter?
ReplyDeleteThese Olympic games could have been a huge win for Russia but instead of talking about our new American heroes or the state of the art facilities that the Russians built or showing off the beauty of Russia all we get are negative stories. Yes, I know the rule - if it bleeds it leads. The US press is like a bunch of blood hungry NASCAR fans just waiting for a crash.
That's only one reason for the tone of the coverage. Now, I don't want to sound like a producer at FOX News, unless it means working closely with Megyn Kelly (mmmmm Megyn Kelly!) but I have to point to the politics involved. Much has been made of Russias less than tolerant attitude towards homosexuals. It's no secret that the US media tends to lean to the left. Obama has gone as far to fill the delegation with as many "out" members that he could find (Billie Jean King? Tennis isn't a Winter sport!) just to make a political point. So it makes sense that the media would go out of its way to paint the great Russian nation and its beautiful people as negatively as possible. So instead of focusing on our victories on the slopes or on the ice we are treated to a throwback of the cold war and a backwards portrait of an "Evil Empire". Shame.
Sorry 10:50 about your belief in all the "greatness and beauty" of all things russian, but it ignores the fundamental brooding, brutish reality. As for any reporter going to "cover" the event(s), to not have any trepidation,given the obvious threat of terror, it is naive or dim-witted, or both. It's a public relations effort, not a journalistic one. I think these games will be widely watched, but not for the athletic feats.
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