Frank Somerville shot back at my report involving the lackadaisical numbers involving KTVU's new 4 PM newscast that debuted a little more than a month ago. In the report, I quoted anonymous station sources who attributed much of the blame (early on) to anchors Mike Mibach and recent Fox2 hire, Keba Arnold.
The sources ripped both Mibach and Arnold:
(Arnold) a Sacramento 'lightweight." In other words? "She doesn't know the market here." Just 30days in? Rough.
Same source on Mibach: "He's just coasting in here--This isn't Mornings on Two--you really have to work here --it's a newscast."
Somerville reacted to the quotes direct to 415 Media:
"I sit right next to Mike and Keba. And I really like both of them. I can tell you for a fact that they work very hard. I see it every day. I can also tell you that they care about the stories their covering. They care about the people they’re interviewing. They care about getting it right. And they’re not in this business just to see themselves on TV. Those are all qualities that I value and look for in coworkers."
I pointed out to Somerville that the sources never said anything about Arnold and Mibach not "getting it right"--just that they're obviously critical of the new duo's performance so far.
To which Somerville countered:
"Look, they called Keba a lightweight... and they implied that Mike was coasting and wasn't working hard... I'm saying I respect both of them.. and I like their work... and I listed the reasons why."
I pointed out so far, early on, I too have not had a favorable opinion of KTVU's 4 PM presentation --granted, it's way too early to gauge what's to become of its fate but results so far (by station internals) are not promising. The newscast has a very ordinary look and offers nothing of substance which, who knows, may be KTVU's intention given its FOX-owned infusion.
We'll wait and see. With AUTHORITY.
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