From the 415 Media Storm Central! RAIN!! Rich and his team will give total coverage, including a live report from downtown Walnut Creek!
I miss the old days when Pete Giddings or Joel Bartlett (when on KPIX) would just say "we'll have rain for the next couple days" and move on. Why nowadays I don't watch local news.
I had read about but had not seen the KTVU "WEATHER AUTHORITY" logo until last night. I started laughing uncontrollably. I wonder if Bill Martin produces a badge like an FBI agent emblazoned with his name and a FOX logo at Blue Bottle Coffee which he frequents and says: "Bill Martin, weather authority. one cappucino to go." Hilarious! The best was when he told Frank Sommerville that more rain might be on the way, Frank did a fake sigh of relief and said: "I hope you're right. We REALLY need the rain." I felt so warm and fuzzy inside.
Lieberman continues to celebrate his inability to comprehend the ramifications of a sustained drought upon his own existence and the lives the rest of us.
Does he believe that belittling this serious problem is amusing or proves his superiority?
I don't believe Rich has a science background at all (not that you need one to know the seriousness of our extreme weather) plus he's an urbanite. Thinks milk comes from Safeway and water from the tap.
I really don't think the point has anything to do with science. We've had droughts and floods for years. What's new is the annoying and extreme efforts of various news media to shock or frighten viewers with baseless hyperbole. It's already starting to get old.
When such sensational nonsense becomes the object of ridicule, maybe it’s time to re-think using it. It’s getting hackneyed along the lines of a substitute anchor filling in because the main anchor is “on assignment”. I actually heard this used not long ago and couldn’t stop laughing for a couple of minutes.
It would be wiser for news orgs to spend money on quality reporters and sack the weather except for it as part of the regular newscast. I agree with Rich: seasonal weather. Fog mornings. Sun afternoons. Variable cloudiness. Might rain. Screw the microclimates. Give me real news.
Quality reporters cost money. They are supported by writers and editors, who cost money. Often, unless they are doing press release journalism, which is becoming more and more common, they pursue stories which don't lead to a "payoff," which costs money. And the suits generally consider themselves to be in the "infotainment" business, which means they'll pay money for a story about Kim Kardashian but not a city council member. Weather is cheap, and once you invest in the fancy graphics doesn't add to the budget (and that shit can be depreciated...you can't depreciate writers and editors). More than one ND I've worked under began his tenure with a staff meeting where s/he said, "I love weather. We are going to become The Station of Weather. For those of you not involve with weather you'd better start putting in your applications to other stations." That's why all the stations now have two and three and four weather hits during the show, where basically they say the same thing over and over, leaving out just one thing as a tease into their next segment. Reporting is risky business. Weather any chimp can do.
Only super chimps, like yours truly, can present accurate weather forecasts! But do bear in mind that, despite my high level of intelligence and expertise, I work for peanuts!
From the 415 Media Storm Central! RAIN!! Rich and his team will give total coverage, including a live report from downtown Walnut Creek!
ReplyDeleteI miss the old days when Pete Giddings or Joel Bartlett (when on KPIX) would just say "we'll have rain for the next couple days" and move on. Why nowadays I don't watch local news.
With all this storm coverage, you'd think Lawrence Karnow would still have a job at PIX...
ReplyDeleteI had read about but had not seen the KTVU "WEATHER AUTHORITY" logo until last night. I started laughing uncontrollably. I wonder if Bill Martin produces a badge like an FBI agent emblazoned with his name and a FOX logo at Blue Bottle Coffee which he frequents and says: "Bill Martin, weather authority. one cappucino to go." Hilarious! The best was when he told Frank Sommerville that more rain might be on the way, Frank did a fake sigh of relief and said: "I hope you're right. We REALLY need the rain." I felt so warm and fuzzy inside.
ReplyDeleteLieberman continues to celebrate his inability to comprehend the ramifications of a sustained drought upon his own existence and the lives the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteDoes he believe that belittling this serious problem is amusing or proves his superiority?
I don't believe Rich has a science background at all (not that you need one to know the seriousness of our extreme weather) plus he's an urbanite. Thinks milk comes from Safeway and water from the tap.
DeleteI really don't think the point has anything to do with science. We've had droughts and floods for years. What's new is the annoying and extreme efforts of various news media to shock or frighten viewers with baseless hyperbole. It's already starting to get old.
DeleteWhen such sensational nonsense becomes the object of ridicule, maybe it’s time to re-think using it. It’s getting hackneyed along the lines of a substitute anchor filling in because the main anchor is “on assignment”. I actually heard this used not long ago and couldn’t stop laughing for a couple of minutes.
DeleteIt would be wiser for news orgs to spend money on quality reporters and sack the weather except for it as part of the regular newscast. I agree with Rich: seasonal weather. Fog mornings. Sun afternoons. Variable cloudiness. Might rain. Screw the microclimates. Give me real news.
ReplyDeleteQuality reporters cost money. They are supported by writers and editors, who cost money. Often, unless they are doing press release journalism, which is becoming more and more common, they pursue stories which don't lead to a "payoff," which costs money. And the suits generally consider themselves to be in the "infotainment" business, which means they'll pay money for a story about Kim Kardashian but not a city council member. Weather is cheap, and once you invest in the fancy graphics doesn't add to the budget (and that shit can be depreciated...you can't depreciate writers and editors). More than one ND I've worked under began his tenure with a staff meeting where s/he said, "I love weather. We are going to become The Station of Weather. For those of you not involve with weather you'd better start putting in your applications to other stations." That's why all the stations now have two and three and four weather hits during the show, where basically they say the same thing over and over, leaving out just one thing as a tease into their next segment. Reporting is risky business. Weather any chimp can do.
DeleteOnly super chimps, like yours truly, can present accurate weather forecasts! But do bear in mind that, despite my high level of intelligence and expertise, I work for peanuts!
DeleteHowever, this is the first one we've had with the WEATHER AUTHORITAH! on KTVUr Now Faux 2
ReplyDeleteLIVE BREAKING RAINING HERE IN SACRAMENTO MORE AT 11PM
ReplyDelete