AT
KTVU, there's been a lot of closed-door meetings of late--
LOTS...
So pronounced and obvious, even the on-air talent is aware and has seen several management figures come and go, secretive and all. They're not alone: the producers, writers, assignment editors have also witnessed the
behind-
closed doors meetings and there's been plenty to observe.
Just what's taking place and what are the suits, (and skirts) talking about?
I KNOW.
KTVU execs, including high-ranking officials from
FOX, are in deep thought over the "
amazing decline" of their Bay Area O and O --they see a
TERRIBLE TREND: a "
massive" decline in ratings at their franchise newscast, "
The 10 O'Clock News"--once, a ratings
KING, now being run into the ground by personell movement and declining viewer numbers. Moreover, the numbers continue to slide and crater. There's no upward trend in sight.
The Firm (Fox) is so concerned with these developments that they ordered internal audits of the entire Oakland, (Bay Area) operation. That includes everyone--from sales, advertising, news and HR inside the Fox/Jack London Square Office and studios at the KTVU compound.
"No one is immune from accountability," a key KTVU/Fox source told me.
"
Hell, even the janitors are on notice!, " said a contact. I thought that comment was a joke.
It was not.
*DEVELOPING STORY...
The Firm wants answers? Here's your answer: People have tuned out and no longer view their news source as credible.
ReplyDeleteRich isn't talking about MSNBC or CNN. Their ratings are catastrophic. Stay on topic.
DeleteAs opposed to a year ago when Licht took over CNN from Zucker and said that they were going to get back to, "Real news and less sensationalism"?
Deletehttps://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/02/new-cnn-boss-has-a-message-for-staffers-cool-it-with-the-breaking-news-banner.html
It's all broken! The charade is up!
DeleteThe general reputation of Fox Cable News is not something that currently attracts much of a Bay Area audience. The power of branding can work against you.
DeleteWho cares? Overpaid people paid to run the same stories over and over again. They tell us nothing new and it's time KTVU cuts the fat and gets rid of more bloated, overpaid weight. For example, Sal Castaneda. Nobody needs to know about traffic. Those of us that might be watching are working from home and those it might effect are already on the road. KTVU runs their newsroom like Chef Slowik did in The Menu.
ReplyDeletethere is nothing ominous about "closed door meetings". I can't think of any business that conducts management sessions with doors open.
ReplyDeleteThere is no "upward trend" in television news viewership anywhere in the US. Fewer and fewer people get their news from radio or tv anymore.. It's a different world.
ReplyDeleteThe janitors are probably on notice because cheapo Fox doesn’t want to pay for housekeeping services. “Clean your own toilets, peons!”
ReplyDeleteSounds like Elon Musk's Twitter. Bring your own toilet paper. Phew!
DeleteThey don't have to waste time auditing the entire operation. Just fix the news department. Get rid of the existing "formula"...and go back to the old-style, content-driven formula. And by driven, I don't mean quick-paced, bang-bang-bang stories.
ReplyDeleteGo back to story-telling. I was always envious of KTVU back in the day, when crews were given a couple of days or more to "craft" 3-5 minute-long packages--while I and the rest of us at other stations were stuck with 1:20-maximum on-tape story lengths.
Bring back journalism...bring back story telling...and you will bring back viewers.
Segment 2 was the best. We'll never see that again.
DeleteSpot on! It’s funny that management is “perplexed”. Look in the mirror you dopes. The decline coincides with the FOXIFICATON of KTVU. Why take over a station and rebrand it if it was doing well previously?
DeleteSo here’s the honest truth from someone who worked there for years. The fixes are ease. Fire the gm and the nd. Fire the assistant nd Simone aponte fire the assignment editor kelly Roman. And Fire the ep Amy wentworth. They are all useless. And have no clue what they are doing. Secondly bring back Summerville and Ibanez. Summerville was the general. Julie was a perfect number two. But mibach will never be a number one guy. You need a number one guy. That’s Summerville. Same with Ibanez. He’s a general. Appelbaum and fonZi will always be number two. I guarantee if you make those changes ktvu will once again be number one. Mic drop.
ReplyDeleteYou make some good points... especially every single person you mentioned is a woman that needs to go. So does Pam Cook! Problem is FOX management will never bring back Summerville (too much of a liability). If he was truly a "general" wouldn't someone else offered him a job other than continued rumors he's going to Sacramento? Also, Ibanez "retired" and him coming back while similar to TB12 would be too much egg on KTVU's face. Plus if they dismiss his bestie, Julie Haener, there is no way in hell he comes back. The golden age of KTVU set sail years ago and needs to be given a Viking funeral. Archers!
DeleteGasia, Heather and that one chick Rich loves so much will be fine. Rendon, that's the name. Sal too. The others not so much.
ReplyDeleteMibach needs to up his anchor hair game. It's currently around a 3. He needs to get it up to around 8 or 9.
ReplyDeleteOne anchor to another "Why we have spider webs and rats in the studio?" "Blame Fox - they canned the janitors and will be issuing us brooms soon from Dollar General."
ReplyDeletePeople are leaving Comcast and company going to streaming apps. Many of the most popular shows are no longer on broadcast networks. They don't watch local news anymore Old folks watch MSNBC/FOX. Kids get their news from other places. It's not the 60s/70s anymore when we had only 4 stations: CBS/ABC/NBC/PBS
ReplyDeleteNothing was or wasn't done without Fox Corporate Direction.. Now Corporate has to find someone or people to blame within the KTVU building when its New York's fault. Look inward corporate and maybe you will find you need to fire/replace some of your corporate leadership first. Can fix broken when the faucet at headquarters needs to be fixed first. Its the blame game!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately anyone who hires Summerville will expose themselves to massive fiscal risk if another incident happens.
ReplyDeleteSomerville too.
DeleteTorrez can go. He spends more time at Steamworks than he does at work.
ReplyDeleteLOLOL!!!
DeleteBut Torrez is the biggest ass kiss currently at ktvu. Who will continue his brown toilet paper act if he leaves? (I’m guessing Greg Lee or Mike ’Jockeystrap’ Mibach)
DeleteDonkey tonight on 5pm news wearing lime green?? Guess she is going dancing after work??
ReplyDeleteSeems to be her color. She wears it every day.
DeleteJuliette on the other hand has worn leather skirts for three days in a row!
Is she on eternal st Patrick’s day mode?
DeleteWhere do you even purchase a lime green suit?
DeleteDonchey can wear a flour sack. I don’t care what she wears. She is easy on the eyes!
DeleteYou mean a GREEN flour sack @7:36?
DeleteRich what’s going on with Mibach? We’re all used to his perma-constipation face but lately he’s had this weird angry look on his face. Hard to describe but he’s been looking ticked off. He needs to get a grip.
ReplyDeleteKTVU went to hell after Frank left.
ReplyDeleteI agree 1000 percent. And I would say the same about Ibanez.
DeleteOn KTVU tonight, Mike Mibach read a story about the second Ohio train derailment and said that it happened “this morning.” Wow………
ReplyDeleteThere aren't enough words in the dictionary or hours in the day to describe all that is wrong with KTVU. I’m not sure whose fault it is but at this point it doesn’t matter. Local news is a sinking ship and KTVU seems perfectly content winning the race to the bottom.
ReplyDeleteHere are just a few of the issues that come to mind with ktvu (in no particular order):
1. Zero chemistry between anchors which leads to embarrassingly painful chit-chat and forced conversation.
2. Lousy story writing; humiliating lack of familiarity with Bay Area geography; referencing information that has already been referenced in the broadcast but saying it as though it’s the first time; anchors, reporters and weather giving conflicting information during the same broadcast.
3. Anchors who don’t review scripts prior to their newscasts, further exacerbating #2
4. The ‘any warm body’ approach to scheduling.
5. Playing musical chairs, throwing unqualified reporters on the anchor desk.
6. Anchors who are phoning it in or still broadcasting from home (why????)
7. The ‘press release journalism’ approach to stories.
8. Re-running the same story for 3-5 days straight.*
9. 75% of stories are from Fox News, Fox Business, KCRA Sacramento, random Fox affiliates around the country.
10. Most stories have zero relevance.
11. Way too many newscasts which only serve to highlight all of the above.
*For example, today they ran the EXACT same story about the bay bridge light display that they ran on Saturday. No edits. Exact. Same. Story. Four days in a row.
Wow! Hit most of the buttons that set me off as a viewer. Nice job!
DeleteYou are spot on!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI am a woman and like Mike Mibach. Much better than some of those morning anchors. Dave Clark? Please. And Sal Castadena? So pretentious.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you want reporters to do about finding this radio fellow's whereabouts? Should they be visiting his haunts and looking for decomposing bodies? They aren't private investigators. The stations should hire one and do some real reporting.
ReplyDeleteHeather has the IT factor but I think truthfully she is the only one. Completely revamp the whole operation and bring in a big hitter from somewhere else. I know that sounds simple but no one except probably Heather will move any future needle. Unless everything changes, nothing with change. It can't get worse can it?
ReplyDelete