SUNDAY 415 MEDIA BRUNCHDoug Murphy was a hard-nosed, funny, interesting, tremendous TV News journalist --one of the best street side reporters who lost his life in 2005 in a house fire in Lafayette.
I posted a story about his demise three years ago.As I watch KPIX today, the throng of new reporters --different faces on a daily basis--I just wonder how Murphy would have reacted.
Wait a minute, Doug would have no part of it. He had issues sure; but he had principles too.
*The reason I love watching KGO's (ABC7) Morning News on Sunday: the leisurely pace and no-nonsense approach by veteran newswoman and anchor, Carolyn Tyler, and weather reports courtesy, Wonder Woman, Lisa Argen.
It's a simple, straight-forward, crisp, newscast with quick stories, sincere limited banter and intelligent people; what a concept these days. Perfect Sunday recipe.
*When BIG stories break, most radio stations break format; even if they no longer offer news and/or talk. It happened during the Loma Prieta quake; so too the 9/11 terrorist attacks; (I can remember even the FM music stations here were all dialed in to NY and Washington) So don't tell me KGO Radio "isn't a news station anymore."
Yes, it's a joke. It's run by a bunch of incompetent, know-nothing idiots who want their hosts to concentrate on superficial bullshit as opposed to legitimate news stories (and haven't we had a lot of news in the past year?)
So when the North Bay/Napa Fires broke out on a Sunday night and turned into a week-long inferno and its consequences, KGO; even juvenile KGO, had an OBLIGATION to report the goings-on; it would have required careful thought and managing --something foreign at the alleged "next-generation" 810 AM albatross that is going nowhere fast.I feel for some of the good people who work there and are handicapped by the incompetent dickheads who couldn't manage an ice show in Alaska.
*I find this sort of bizarre; maybe I'm nitpicking, but you be the judge:
The Chronicle runs a front-page story on sexual misconduct in the restaurant industry --and the food writer (Justin Phillips) pens the story.
There's nothing wrong with that but did it have to be, necessarily, the food writer? Could it have been written by a non-food writer? Of course, and again, I repeat, no issues with Phillips, just curious about the Chron's policy of assigning a story to the food guy when someone else could have done the job. What? Non-food journalists aren't qualified? Like I said, bizarre.
"It's run by a bunch of incompetent, know-nothing idiots who want their hosts to concentrate on superficial bullshit as opposed to legitimate news stories"
ReplyDeleteI immediately thought of the fill-in nighttime female host with the bra size, the superman aficionado with extensive Nixon knowledge and the evening female comedian with their constant ripping of the current president yet complete ignoring of the majority of the previous administrations transgressions. Thank you, Rich.
Having worked with Doug Murphy for over a decade I can attest he was a consumate pro. "Murph" was a great reporter, a smooth and confident anchor, and a genuinely nice guy who never copped an attitude; he had no enemies at 855 Battery. Whatever his personal issues may have entailed they never--ever--showed themselves on the job.
ReplyDeleteRe: Food writer on sexual harassment story. I would say that there's a strong argument that a food writer would understand the ins-and-outs of the restaurant industry better than a GA beat writer. And would also have a usefully deep source book to intelligently write a story about a niche industry.
ReplyDeleteAlso, from the food writer's perspective, it's a great way to expand that work portfolio to show breadth of writing skills.
My guess is that the food writer pitched the story to their editor rather than the paper assigning the story to the food writer.
Deletepodcasts are out. a ''podcast'' implies to me that bian sabean or anybody didn't say anything you would have already heard abot. nothing new. you want info, not ""Podcasts''.another common frivolity.
ReplyDeleteI was at a party the other night...this guy there told everyone he drove one of those trucks that empties port-a-potties. Turns out he really works for KGO. When the truth came out he burst in to tears and ran away sobbing.
ReplyDeleteFunny joke but people who own those trucks make a ‘shit ton’ of money.
DeleteI do call out Rothmann and Thurston for not saying, "Fuck you Twittmayer and Anthony, we're not going to follow your inane rules by changing the subject every 6 minutes. We're going to stick with a topic for the entire 3 fucking hours...ha ha ha haHAHAAHHAHA!!!"
ReplyDeleteMore of my Radnich tribute since Ed Lee doesn't ever listen to the guy= Congratulations on 25 years of saying you root for the Dodgers,25 years of Brett Favre,Payton Manning and Tom Brady ( as years go by he picks a new guy) were all better quarterbacks then Joe Montana.
ReplyDeleteAnd congrats for all the short people and how studious Asians are, jokes.
Congrats.
I had the pleasure of working w/Murph for over a decade. He WAS the consumate pro--a repoter's reporter. As a photog, I knew that ...no matter how late we were sent out...no matter how chaotic the scene, I knew I'd get my track in time to cut the PKG.
ReplyDeleteRegarding how Murph would've felt about today's crop of newbies: Even though he was a total pro, he would've kept his opinion to himself and not go to management about these youngsters. I remember we'd talk about so-and-so at our station...and I'd remark that I though he/she was lame and didn't belong in this market. Murf always said, "Hey...he/she's just trying to make a living." I would then shoot back, "Yeah, Murf--but YOU don't have to shoot/edit for him/her!" He'd just laugh--and not say anything negative. That laugh told he me was thinking, "yeah..he/she sucks. But it really doesn't affect me personally, so I'm not gonna get involved."
Murf was great...GREAT dry sense of humor.