Just who is the face of the station? Nobody seems to know.
Is it Ken Bastida? Veronica De La Cruz? Elizabeth Cook? Allen Martin?
You think KGO-TV? It's Ashley and Daetz. KTVU? Somerville and Haener. KNTV? Mathai and Aguirre. In other words, they all pretty much have anchor identity.
PIX has NO identity.
Ask Ann Notarangelo (quietly).
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I will tell you why KPIX has an identity problem. There is a major disconnect between the viewers and their so-called stars. Liz and Veronica can read the news, but these aren't gals who were bred here. Sure, they are attractive, but KPIX is leaning toward finding good looking people who don't fit here. And they don't care. This becomes most obvious when Veronica mispronounces street name after street name. Ask somebody for crying out loud! I can tell they are all just doing the news here for the paycheck or as a launching pad to network or LA/NYC. When watching KPIX, I just don't feel like I'm watching a Bay Area station. It almost feels like I'm streaming news from another market or am watching on vacation.
ReplyDeleteMy advice to KPIX: Find your star. Ask yourself how you can get someone people will tune in specifically for. Because it sure the hell isn't sitting on your anchor desk right now
Well-stated @8:48, but your conclusion is directly opposite the current trend.
DeleteThat is, jettison stars, names, or long-recognized and respected on-air personalities. They are expensive, and that singular recognition affords them too much power for their place in the corporation.
Today's business model favors a visibly attractive product that can be quickly and easily replaced, with the least amount of public concern or input. Adequate satisfies the bottom line.
I think you have a point Rich. At one time the face of KPIX was Dave McElhattan and everyone knew that. And everyone knew who his co-anchors were, such as Kate Kelly or Wendy Tokuda. They were symbolic faces of a once powerful television station.
ReplyDeleteI thought Roberta Gonzales was the face of KPIX. She thinks she is anyway. Love her.
ReplyDeleteNo, she's the boobs. Like Darya's the boobs of KRON.
DeleteThat's the newsroom today? Wow, looks exactly the same as when I worked there more than 15 years ago.
ReplyDeleteI would say that Gary Radnich is the face of the KRONvicts. He may not be extremely wanted however.
ReplyDeleteThey've got great women on their team, Pam Moore and Catherine Heenan particularly. I guess Darya "stands out" in the morning as it were.
Maybe one of the problems of KRON is that Radnich is their face and, being a sports guy, he may not have that much street cred and his personality can be grating.
About the only one at KRON I look forward to seeing is Stanley Roberts. The only problem with his TV personality is that it works best in small doses so his current people behaving badly stories works fine for him.
They should bring back Mac & Mutley.
ReplyDelete(Or Mutley III, or Mutley IV, or whatever it would be by now...)
I second that!
DeleteThe first commenter said KPIX doesn't care and that's the ticket. They don't care. They must be making money and that's all that matters. I watch PIX only on Sunday mornings because it is the best local news show period. I never watch Pix any other time. When they fired John Kessler, I was done with them.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, KTVU news has turned into a clown show especially in the morning. Good talent being wasted. I watch KGO almost exclusively. The TMZ lead-in to KTVU's 5pm news kills it for me because TMZ ends at 5pm and I refuse to watch a second of that garbage. Used to turn to KTVU from KGO to KTVU but now I leave it on KGO.
You sound like me 6 months ago.
DeleteI gave up local news all together. weather and traffic from the phone. News bits (only stories that interest me). Hot topics from the radio. No more Dave Clark, Roberta, kron crew. Buh bye.
The first week took some adjustment but now? Less aggravation, more quiet time, more quality stories.
^^^@ April 24,2015 12:49PM
DeleteYour comment is very true, but wait... you're gonna just love this?! On tonight's 7:00 PM news show on KCIU, Somerville did the interview about Bruce Jenner's Gender Transition with TMZ....YIKES?!?! Somerville is the reader of SERIOUS NEWS!
Identity?? Really?? Nobody cares, just give the Damn news!!!
ReplyDeleteOf course KPIX has an identity. It's the CSI station.
ReplyDeleteBastida is the official identity of KPIX. But he's also very much a team player, and no matter who co-anchors with him, he's willing to make the adjustments to accommodate both the broadcast and fellow anchors. May not always be popular, but when your national network consistently produces the top programming in the country excluding premium cable, it becomes too easy to blow off struggles and criticism. KGO & KTVU may produce more top-rated newscasts, but as long as CBS supersedes ABC, FOX, & NBC, KPIX will always be in it, no matter what identity crisis may take place.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ken
DeleteOh, you are so welcome, Liz!
DeleteKPIX female lineup morning and night is not up to par with this market. Its just that obvious and simple. They have no bay area roots and they have no likeable connection to the viewer. I've tried to watch, but have to switch to other stations. Lucky for KPIX I don't have a Nielsen box.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a strong connection to any of their female anchors/reporters and I do have a box. A little local flair and maybe even some color would do the trick
DeleteKTVU seems to hire a lot of locals, and you can tell they care a little more about the Bay Area...where they grew up.
Too bad all of KTVU's reporters were born rich and all born in Marin and Walnut Creek
The above criticism of the current local news readers is so far over the top it's almost laughable. There is very little difference among all the news readers. Liz Cook doesn't fit, Veronica de la Cruz misreads street signs. Really? They read fucking news and they don't visually repulse you while doing it. That pretty much sums it up..
ReplyDeleteKPIX started to lose its identity when Dana King retired and the station officially made Liz Cook her replacement, which if you should recall, was originally hired to replace Wendy Tokuda. Seriously, Liz Cook, practically still a rookie, replaces not just one, but two veteran anchors? Literally, every day and every broadcast since the first day she went on air at KPIX, Liz somehow manages to improperly read simple words off the teleprompter at some point in any given newscast she's anchoring! Meanwhile down the line, the station hires VDLC, but at least with her, she's got way more experience than Liz and they're practically the same age!
ReplyDeleteDuring an attempted segue last night, Cook had another painful stammering episode. A few weeks ago, she blurted out "...might not never otherwise..." during an intro to one of her Jefferson Awards segments. Liz definitely struggles at times.
DeleteKate Kelly!!! Juliette Goodrich!!!! Where are they when we need them???
ReplyDeleteYou'll be seeing more of Goodrich after Notarangelo becomes yesterday's news.
ReplyDelete