As Ferguson Awaits So Does Media In Bay Area And Beyond

 Media gathers to await Grand Jury decision from...

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Your Top 10 BART/Strike Observations Day One From the Car Pool Lane On The Maze

 1. Ah, what do you know, people are inconvenienced. Stunning. (zzzz).

2. The buses are crowded at "busy" Walnut Creek, (destination of choice by demo-driven news managers--again, just shocking!--at least there were no shots of the fountain).

3. The Bay Bridge is backed up "well past the maze!"--Amazing.

4. The usual assortment of happier-than-hell reporters who sound and look as if they just finished off about 10 cans of Red Bull.

5. The proverbial MOS interview of Connie Pittsburg and Rory Ziggmeister at carpool lane: "How do you like this so far?" "Uh, well, you know, it sucks but, uh..." (What the hell are they supposed to say, dummies?)

6. Way, way, way happy anchors: KCBS' Stan Bunger did a 5: 12 AM phono in his car on the Bay Bridge en route to the city with enough zesto and pesto to fill Candlestick Park. Stan was one happy dude.

7. Yeah, you saw it right: On KGO-TV's otherwise decent 6 PM newscast on Thursday, Larry Beil continuously broadcast only pro-BART Mtg, tweets. Not one union tweet. I have no dog in this fight, (although I tend to lean pro-union), but not reading just one union tweet was conspicuous --Wait, ABC7 is owned by Disney--one of the biggest anti-union companies in USA. Coincidence? Perhaps. You be the judge.

8. Ferry boats: You mean we have a ferry? Yeah, they navigate on water and you can get from Oakland to the city in 20 minutes. I hear they have excellent coffee and pastries too.

9. Kim Wonderly was also just a tad too happy and Tim Ryan spent about 90 hours on how to casually carpool. (Que the editor's desk.)

10. Chris Filippi of KCBS finally left his home after 97 hours hanging out at the BART negotiations building at Caltrans in Oakland.

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BART Coverage Brings Out Best And Worst; KCBS' Filippi Stands Out; KTVU 'Breaking News' Fetish

 In a mostly feast-or-famine environment, reporter Chris Filippi of KCBS has been steady and solid on the possible BART strike story.

Filippi's been on the scene since day one of the back-and-forth negotiations which have taken on a life of their own. But give him credit: unlike a lot of other breathless members of the local glee club, Filippi's methodical approach of providing information without sounding as if he was reporting the second coming was welcome and appreciated.

Granted, this is a difficult story to report because of the gag order both sides have stuck to; there's really been no official information or feel of how the negotiations were going until late Monday when the talks went past yet another BART union deadline--in fact, just plain common sense indicated that there was movement because both sides had much to lose in the event of a strike.

*As a reader pointed out, the "Breaking News"-fetish that permeates KTVU was evident with a "story" that was not a story at all Monday night...2, complete with sounder and graphic galore splashed a "Breaking... across its screen only for the viewer to see in fact that "Breaking" was no-breaking after all but a bank of microphones in front of an empty lectern. There was no breaking news.

*KCBS did a very good job as I pointed out. But their relentless plugging to listeners to send a text to the station to get back a text if the labor situation changed was over the top. I get it that it's important and a community service for commuters, especially, to have access to the latest info but KCBS went above and beyond in promoting its text deal after each and EVERY report.

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The Bitch and Moan In Me About The New Bay Bridge And Journalism Or Lack Of It; Here I Go Again; Tuesday Media Culture

Yes I've been bitching a lot more lately. Maybe I'm in a dream world. I expect a lot more out of you and you continue to underwhelm me. Most of the masses too.

You've all become a bunch of carnival barkers. I've never witnessed a more embarrassing act of local reporting self-indulgence than this past week.

This is news.

This is not. Come to think of it, we need more of this and less of this.

Go ahead and call me an asshole. I just don't like the pack mentality; we've have all been barraged with a shitload of pre-coordinated Caltrans infomercials. The public is taking it in and some are even enjoying it--do they have a choice? It's all they're being fed.

Look, there is no doubt a legitimate--a very legitimate story has finally happened. The build-up, the relentless chirping, the over-hyped program, I don't buy and never will. And mind you, I'm not even talking about all the problems --some, that still exist, that has plagued this new bridge from beginning to end.

Excuse me but as I have maintained all along, I'm not a believer in press affiliates acting as a virtual conduit to the presenter, in this case, Caltrans. The overwhelming and insufferable hype over this Bay Bridge affair has been nauseating, frankly. Sorry, but I'm very much old-school. I like more objectivity and actuality as opposed to the giddy press-release packages I've seen and heard for the better part of two weeks.

What happened to the skeptical press here? We must have a short memory. Were we not inundated, (thank god), by mounds of information a mere two and a half months ago that maybe, just maybe,  this bridge had massive problems and issues and the idea of IT opening as scheduled, on Labor Day, would be out of the question? Damn right I'm skeptical, but hold on.

I actually like the look of the new bridge--it's spectacular, in fact. A native Oaklander, I'm delighted of the allure of the single tower; its sheer luster, its signature logo, its architectural splendor. I just wish some of our local fifth estate would be more immersed in checking out facts and looking at the data, investigating and reading the blueprints, (like the Sac Bee correspondents did), as opposed to acting like a bunch of third-graders on their way to summer camp.

Throughout the past week Bay Area citizens have been deluged with endless "updates" and non-news, frankly. Granted, a major traffic artery has finally been created--for better or worse, I get it. I get the idea of reasonable news reports and traffic updates as we neared the opening of this mega-infrastructure event, and it is/was an event. But the Supersize spread we were all fed was much-to-much needless content--it's as if our local TV/Radio comrades felt as if too much was a lot better than not too much. It should, by extension, tell you all what they think of you but that's another story.

In the end, I saw a lot of reporters hamming it up with various politicians and hard-hat guys--Caltrans reps, MTC suits. That's not good. I saw, of all people, our beloved LG, Gavin Newsom; one of the SF pols who wanted the new bridge to resemble an innocuous viaduct look, cutting some stupid chain that opened the bridge. How ironic. Did any of the glee-club press ask him about that? Not a one. They were probably busy doing a live shot near the new asphalt Caltrans stuffed down our throat, courtesy of the 415-408 enablers.

This is not the end of it. There will now be endless actualities from commuters on the appearance of the new eastern span. And that's fine--for a day. If we continue past Wednesday, SF-Oakland-San Jose, Walnut Creek, we have a problem. I wouldn't be shocked though--after all, that would require heavy lifting into the reporting of real news we probably don't care much about which is kind of disturbing.

Meanwhile, we go back to Breaking News near the tunnel where our Betsey Snuckledork has a live interview with Caltrans spokesman, Baldie McFuckface....

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Somber Feeling at KTVU Over Airline Gaffe Firings; Cox Sent Its Own Media Attorney; More Could Go; Bay Media Notes Thursday

While the mood is somber around the Jack London Square studios of KTVU over the firing of some veteran news staffers, a sense of relief, albeit temporary, permeates the station.

For one thing, Wednesday's mini-bloodbath, however dreadful for those who got the hook, was not shocking for many.

"We're definitely down," a longtime air talent told me. Although the word of the dismissals was announced by News Director, Lee Rosenthal, rumors started fast and furious at the Oakland Fox affiliate. Even some of my most dependable insiders were reluctant to talk, on or off the record.

I got word midday about the developments and tried to gauge reaction and what's in store for the future.

QUICK BULLET POINTS---

1. Cox sent its own media attorney to Oakland to head the internal investigation. Ever mindful of its image and brand, which has taken a beating over the Asiana Airline name gaffe, Cox was adamant that it got to the bottom of the affair.

2. An e-mail that made its way to the newsroom the day of the gaffe, was seen by 4-5 people, (Brad Belstock, one of the staffers fired, was not a part of the gaffe, but his tweet, "Oh Shit", immediately after it was read, was let go because he violated station social-media policy.)

3. Cox and upper management suits at KTVU have not completed the investigation. The matter is not closed. Keep in mind that this is the worst mistake that has ever happened at KTVU, (duh!); it's a matter so stark and disturbing, the possibility of more firings is likely.

4. ND, Rosenthal, is safe for now, (he's only been here barely 3 months), but his much-ballyhooed PR release only a few days after the crash, left many disgusted and added to the embarrassment --don't think Cox high-ups were too pleased with this sheet.

5. Tori Campbell, who read the dreaded script, is also safe and is most likely spared. For one, she recently re-signed a contract extension, (for fairly decent money), and letting her go would be fraught with legal issues and financial matters.

By the way, Campbell is not on the air this week--she's on vacation, (which has nothing to do with Namegate--the vacation was planned months ago.) Probably good timing.

**Developing...

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Breathless TV/Radio Voices during BART Strike; Dearth of Black Anchors in 415 Media Fortress; Cumulus SF Morning Dreck Shows; Why is Kate Scott So Special?; Tuesday Bullet Points

The BART strike made for unintentionally funny scenes on the local TV news fronts; reporters looked more flustered than commuters, most of whom seemed to take in this mighty inconvenience with relative calm.

On the contrary, a few newbies and some bay native TV people provided the usual breathless live shots as if they were about to go to the senior prom. Look, there is a lot of activity. There is, in fact, drama; right before our eyes we see the endless traffic logjams, people waiting blocks long for buses at the Transbay Terminal about to be packed in like a bunch of sardines. Yet, who are the calm bodies? Commuters, hands down.

**Steady TV and Radio traffic voices: KTVU's Sal Castaneda; always reporting with a consistent, calming style; you'd expect that from a professional doing his job; Kim Wonderly on KCBS; another calm and rational voice in a sea of hyper, gee-wiz characters. (She wasn't working Monday, but her style and command was needed.)

**I remarked the other day about Carolyn Tyler's lack of looking like Soledad O'Brien at KGO-TV, thereby her rather understated role at the station, but then KGO isn't the only guilty party here. Most all the other outlets have a dearth of Black anchors. How do I know this? Take a look. Dave Clark of KTVU is the exception to many Caucasian faces. And then I got an e-mail from a veteran reporter who agreed with me; (the individual asked me not to use their name for fear of retribution from the station); the vast majority of Black media faces here are comprised of mostly light-skinned people. In other words, don't be too Black if you want to make it onto Bay Area TV news screens.

**Morning nausea shows, courtesy the Cumulus terrestrial Sweetjack factory: KSFO: multiple seizures; KNBR and its cast of the Defecation dancers: too bad to be funny, too awful to even contemplate--you'd be better off using your vomit bag and sip lots of water; and the KGO Radio morning-news gigglers, about as compelling and useful as a cold, pineapple pizza.

**It's rather sad and revealing that a woman sports/traffic reporter on KNBR gets high marks from the mental midgets that make up the Chronicle these days. Yeah, she's so special and enlightening; loves to use the word, frickin, and has built up a residue of good will based mostly on her sexual orientation without the slightest bit of reporting acumen. Wonderful. And a certifiable sham too. Only good news: she's not Powlie, the guy with the fake New Jersey accent who uses his soundboard as an audio-masturbation instrument.

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KPIX5's New Bay Bridge Dilemma

KPIX will run a program on June 22 about the safety of the new eastern portion of the Bay Bridge. Sounds like a good idea given the numerous press accounts that the bridge is beset with problems and is unsafe.

Here's the kicker: KPIX is also the semi- official local TV station of the new bridge and is promoting the scheduled Labor Day opening. In addition, the station aired this program on the night after the Super Bowl.

Is there something wrong here?

I'm not suggesting that PIX is in cahoots with CalTrans to get the bridge opened up on time so it can take advantage of all the PR associated with this massive project. In fact, the more you read and hear about the very legitimate safety issues, (or lack thereof), the more you think PIX and its suits probably wish they weren't associated with this $7B potential white elephant.

I'm just wondering aloud how the local CBS O and O can execute such a difficult balancing act without the slightest appearance of some sort of conflict of interest. It's a legitimate question that deserves some feedback don't you think? I do.

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