A few weeks ago I was watching the local news--can't remember the station nor the particular story but it was compelling enough that the anchors did something unusual--at least unusual in 21st Century TV news--they actually spoke to one another. WAIT, I mean they went beyond innocuous insincere chit-chat--they conversed! It was telling because in today's news template an actual conversation is tantamount to a really revolutionary idea.I'm making a big deal about this because when's the last time you saw a TV anchor offer up a few questions back to the reporter doing a live shot? And I'm not talking your garden-variety verbal who-what-where; more to the point concise, specific actual dialogue--remember that age-old relic? It's become a commodity, a rare glimpse of human interaction as opposed to the banal back-and-forth between anchor and reporter.
Matter of fact, when's the last time an anchor had a legitimate conversation between his or her partner on a subject matter? You don't see a lot of it--my feeling is that, A. the consultants don't like it and B. It's embarrassing but in today's younger, newbie environment the anchors simply don't know how to talk to one another and even if they tried it would come off looking foolish and contrived. Imagine that: you have a big news story or some off-the-radar material-- (like the kid with the replica AK-47 who was shot dead by the Santa Rosa cops who thought it was real). In my mind if I were a viewer watching a story like that, the idea of anchors simply discussing the sheer tragic nature of that story would bring out an utter human emotion. Keep in mind that I'm not talking about a long, drawn-out back and forth, merely a few moments of reflection; of actual verbal content and not a phony, "Thanks Bob for that report, giggle, giggle."
The late Pete Wilson, (KRON/KGO-TV), was a master at this formula. Wilson was engaging and focused on certain stories; matter of fact, at times he almost overdid it, but it wasn't phony nor disingenuous--Wilson was as passionate a news reader as there was and it was that element, that personal touch that resonated with viewers. Wilson would have eaten up the tragic Santa Rosa cop-kid tragedy. Most of today's anchors would have simply read the notes and moved on. Ad-libbing is a virtue today. Relevant conversation is a commodity. The times they are a changin'.
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Rich, you ignorant slut!
ReplyDelete> Matter of fact, when's the last time an anchor had a legitimate conversation
ReplyDelete> between his or her partner on a subject matter?
Heenan and Radnich, last night.
But Catherine is old school. One of the last. And one of the best. When is the Bay Area gong to have Catherine Heenan Day?
Never. You really think people in the Bay Area care about any news readers?
DeleteCouldn't agree more.
DeleteWrong. Mr Rad(u)nich talks to the anchor attempting to be funny. Nothing legitimate there.
DeleteThe last two times I watched KRON at 11 Gary was cut off in mid sentence at the end of his segment. Is this a running gag or does he feel that he is above time limitations?
> Wrong. Mr Rad(u)nich talks to the anchor attempting to be funny.
Delete> Nothing legitimate there.
Apparently you have reading comprehension problems. Or hearing problems. I was talking (only) about last night's segment where he did no such thing. Did you see it? Obviously not. Did you comment on it anyway and reveal your ignorance? Yep.
There's a lot more to the eye between Radnich and Heenan. Its the constant touchy feely they do,the admittance by Raddy that Heenan has a personal relationship with his family,and I notice Radnich lately seems to say things like "I always wanted to jump you Cathy" and it sounds like a double entendre to me...
DeleteSince you mentioned, I tuned in last night and found it unbearable to watch Radnich and Heenan flirting. Do they know they are far from being kids in school? Some gray hair decency would be appropriate.
DeleteSpot on about Pete Wilson. I was half way through your post when I was thinking, "God, he should mention Pete." And you did. And you're right about the Santa Rosa shooting: Pete would have had something meaningful to say. A dozen years ago, he became a big advocate for Shawn Jones (the boy in Oakland who had his ears ripped off by pit bulls). As one of his old radio producers I miss that kind of no bull dedication. His critics didn't care to notice, but Pete actually gave a shit - unlike many of his critics.
ReplyDeletePete Wilson knew that no one would disagree with him that a boy attacked by a dog was a good thing. He wasn't a dog lover to begin with, and the station helped him raise considerable money for the boy, a good thing.
ReplyDeleteAt another time KGO also let used the power of that signal to collect 39,000 signatures on a petition to a judge in Alameda. The man being sentenced had used a machete to chop of the legs of a dog he'd hung in a tree. That man received the first actual state prison sentence in Alameda county history for animal abuse, thanks to Mickey Luckoff and KGO.
I like Rich's point here and it reminds me of the wonderful old KQED-TV "NEWSROOM" with Mel Wax, Linda Schact, Bill Schechner and other notables. They'll all grill the bejesus out of each other on the stories of the day they had each covered. It was a wonderful , conversational roundtable, often quite edgy, that advanced your sense of community and knowledge.
There was a "there" there in those examples.
None of the anchors want to end up on YouTube, The Daily Show or the Colbert Report, saying something too "off the cuff." Better to not say anything at all.
ReplyDeleteOne of the many problems in today's society is that many people don't seem to 1.) either want or 2.) know how to have face to face conversations anymore. They'd rather check their e mail, facebook or text or tweet, and tune out the real world.
ReplyDeleteThis is especially acute in our cities where you see nit-wits walking across the streets and almost getting creamed by cars, buses or trucks. There should be no surprise that cell phone theft is rising in the urban areas, because these clueless twits are almost completely unaware of what's going on around them, and are easy pickings for thugs and thieves.
Worse yet are the fools who try to text and drive. Talking the on the cell phone is dangerous enough when driving, but texting while driving should be grounds for immediate suspension of a drivers' license, as well as a heavy fine. We've already had dozens of Americans killed in this country in auto wrecks, because some nit wit was trying to text while driving. I nearly got side swiped by some clueless nincompoop on the road the other day.
Finally, who many young people under the age of 30 ever bother to read the newspaper, or read anything any more? Outside or truncated versions of the news, and misspelled, minimalistic exchanges between their 'buds,' we have raised an almost semi-literate society. I was conversing with a young person on Facebook the other day, and she used a word I'd never heard or read: OWSOME! (I guess she meant awesome). I asked her what that word meant and she got a little overly sensitive and just said she was trying to tell me how great things were.
Young people today are not learning a valuable skill, and that is the ability to converse properly with another human being. This could harm them in many ways, such as trying to be likeable and outgoing and sound reasonably smart during a job interview. IN terms of being able to actually speak properly, use the language, and carry on a conversation, young Americans today are really missing the boat. Very sad commentary on where we're going in the 21st century!
An interesting post I found about this very subject, poignant and true: http://entertainingwelseyshaw.com/2010/10/18/a-famous-authors-take-on-the-age-we-live-in/
DeleteI miss Pete Wilson, loved his rants on his radio show. As for the boy who was attacked by the Pit Bulls, I read an up-date about him in Contra Costa Times several years ago. He was living in the Concord area, with his mother and step father I believe, attending high school, getting good grades, playing sports and wanted to become a doctor, partly due to his experience with doctors and hospitals after his attack. Pete Wilson had already passed away at that time, but I send an up-date to Ronn hoping he would notify Pete's family.
ReplyDelete@7:55 It's ironic, you point out that some young kid wrote "owsome" in the same paragraph where you write "Finally, who many young people..." Let me guess, you're under 30? No? So, you mean ALL people are capable of writing a typo? Even people who didn't grow up tweeting and twerking? Crazy!
ReplyDeleteThe tv news anchors in the bay area should not be allowed to comment freely on the air because they don't have the personal depth, intelligence, or wisdom to do so. Anchors don't do much else other than anchor.
ReplyDeleteHere's the thing. All of the chit-chat people here say they either revile, or love- is what made Local news Local. It's always been the distinguishing factor. If the locals are lucky enough to be in big markets with really big budgets, they can do some bigger stories, travel more, and market more effectively. But it's the connection that differentiates them from the networks. People like to see someone they "know".. and they're more likely to remember the someones with a little bit of personality, warmth, and some intelligence. It doesn't have to be warm and fuzzy all the time. But it does have to reflect that the anchors are "present."
ReplyDelete