Anybody who comes here knows that I've been a frequent critic of the NBC Bay Area, (KNTV) 'Investigative Unit'. Not the concept mind you; any decent local TV news operation that wants to do some grunt work like making sure politicians and city hall corruption are exposed is a valued commodity.Except that NBC Bay Area's group--a bloated 18-person staff led by reporter, Tony Kovaleski, hasn't uncovered any ground-breaking stories. Mostly, they've been on the receiving end of a massive, money-laded ad campaign with glossy radio/TV and print packages. Clear style over substance.
ON the other hand, we have the KGO-TV, (ABC7) 'I-Team', headed by Dan Noyes with a staff of one producer. Noyes even shoots his own stories.
Noyes is not flashy nor overly hot-headed although he sure as hell breaks stories and delivers some hard-hitting TV journalism.
In the first week of the on-going November sweeps, I-Team made mincemeat of the much-ballyhooed Investigative Unit. It wasn't even close.
**In the first week of the November book, Noyes I-Team cleaned their clock with exclusives:
- Dangers on SF streets for cyclists and how they screw up
- Plea deal in perhaps the biggest investment fraud in state history
- Cal binge-drinking soars and strains the county EMS system
Kovaleski uncovered a much-publicized "cancer station" on a local fire department station whose fighters have seen an unusually high amount of cancer cases inflict its officers; good work, but nothing even remotely close to the volume of stories put forth by I-Team.
'Investigate Unit' has great intentions and the bulk of its reporters do good work but from here, it's more glitzy than ritzy.
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Noyce is no joy in the office which is one reason he never got his coveted network gig....but....he's doing way more with far less. NBC spends gobs of cash promoting "talk the talk" but KGO "walks the walk." They even make poor Dano shoot his own video!
ReplyDeleteThe correction phrase is "walking the talk and talking the walk." Bells, whistles, smoke and mirrors are the output of the novices. In the information economy, presenting illusions and mirages is the norm.
DeleteWhy are you overlooking the recent but so-far-very-good "2 Investigates" on KTVU? They've done some terrific stories this month. My only question is is this just temporary for sweeps or is this a new permanent feature?
ReplyDeleteSweeps.
DeleteGood stories? That incomprehensible story about white people leaving the I-880 corridor except maybe they really aren't? Why doesn't KTVU follow up on a story they broke on the possibly dirty Oakland cop who hung out at a downtown massage parlor? KTVU seems hell bent on destroying what good reputation they have left.
Delete> Good stories? That incomprehensible story about white people leaving
Delete> the I-880 corridor except maybe they really aren't?
You have a reading comprehension problem. I said "2 Investigates" does great stories. The I-889 story wasn't a "2 Investigates." It was on the weekend and Key Wayne was the reporter/anchor.
Please forgive me for not knowing the difference between a poorly reported regular story and a poorly reported investigative story. To a non media viewer it all looks like the same crap.
Delete> Sweeps
DeleteWrong again.
"Please forgive me for not knowing the difference between a poorly reported regular story and a poorly reported investigative story. To a non media viewer it all looks like the same crap."
DeleteStraw man argument. We were discussing investigate reports. I said 2 Investigates was good. You said it wasn't and cited something irrelevant as your evidence. Their regular reporting was not the topic of conversation here; their enterprise reporting was. The chilled shrimp at the Palace Hotel wasn't good last night either. Want to blame KTVU for that too?
I'll say it again: if those clowns at The Investigative Unit want to see REAL investigative reporting, they should watch Dan Noyes' spots on KGO. Results without the hype.
ReplyDeleteDan Noyes is such an asset for KGO-TV...again and again with the backstory on the most riveting issues of the day, locally...from Mirkarimi to government fraud...etc. Well done!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Dan.
DeleteRich, you define a good investigate unit as one who digs up political corruption. That is fine and dandy but there are other things to investigate, then you mention how so and so has "cleaned someone's clock" and mention their stories----------not one of them is the "City Hall corruption" type you crave. I wouldn't count Nadia L's pathetic story as corruption btw.
ReplyDeleteYou left out the Investigative Units sweeps stories on San Jose City Hall manipulating Gang Violence Numbers, Rushed Pilot training and Special Ed disparity in public schools. Your point was about volume of stories and you conveniently left out 3 of their stories???
ReplyDeleteHey 11:56 you either work at KNTV or want to- where's the new, special, we watch out for you, "investigative" link to the stories you mention?? KGO kicks KNTV's ass. Always has always will, especially since KGO castoffs like Captain Keeshan now run the show.
Delete> Always has always will, especially since KGO castoffs like Captain
Delete> Keeshan now run the show.
Ha! Who do you think put that great team at KGO in place? Trixie the Wonderkunt? Keeshan ran a good ship. Wouldn't want to be at KGO now for all the tea in China, but before le biytch came back from exile it was a pretty good station.
Your right Trixie needs to switch to de-caf, but she's also good with money so chances are she'll survive despite people jumping off the Golden Gate. Here's a quick history lesson 4:37:
DeleteDean Edell
7 on Your Side
I-Team
Convincing Pete to leave KRON
The best ENG technology in town ( by far )
Those SUCESSFUL pieces were assembled BEFORE Captain Kangaroo. That's why KGO will always kick butt. They're riding on the coat tails of previous managers who had balls. Keeshan doesn't here's his legacy:
7 Live
4pm Newscast
We Investigative
Dumped by Disney
Does that help?
Right on Rich. "We Investigate" defines schlock, and I really object to the way Gil Gross has these people from "We Investigate" hyping their NEWS, when it is all one big phony advertisement.
ReplyDeleteGo Sirius XM!
pretty sure KTVU did that San Jose cancer firehouse story weeks ago
ReplyDeleteKovaleski and company are a bunch of hot air. That's been obvious from the start. Dan Noyes doesn't hold back. Kovaleski is self-agrandizing and looking for glory. Noyes is looking for the truth.
ReplyDeleteKovaleski tries to look all cool and old school in his suspenders, but instead he and his Unit are just . . . sad.
DeleteThe cancer story about firefighters is nothing new. That is why all types of cancers are legal presumptions under workers' compensation for public safety members. That is a risk of the job.
ReplyDeleteCan the "We Investigate" folks ever smile? Their stoic gazes somehow are supposed to give the credibility.
ReplyDeleteSomeone should investigate why Dan is down to just one producer. Just sayin'.
ReplyDeleteSHADES OF THEIR EPIC BRAGGING ABOUT THEIR ASIANA COVERAGE: KTVU can't seem to stop talking about two stories these days: their stupid casino-opening story and the story of the homeless man kicked in the head, and how SFPD was about to give up on the story until KTVU put on its red tights and got involved. I'm happy for this development, but ENOUGH ALREADY until there's actually a real development in the case. And they can't seem to find anything to talk about regarding the casino at all, aside from the fact that it opened and people are going there.
ReplyDeleteIn the meantime, why no KTVU follow up on the possibly dirty Oakland cop hanging around a downtown massage parlor?
DeleteKntv's investigative folks are doing some fantastic journalism forcing the other bay area stations to kick it up a notch with their investigative reporting... something the bay area has lacked. Good for KNTV for scaring dan and ktvu into working harder.
ReplyDeleteSo KNTVs Investigative Unit sweeps story on SJPD playing games with the gang crime numbers (a story you conveniently or ineptly left out) which resulted in the Chief of police apologizing on air and a followup investigation by city hall isn't good journalism? But a story on College binge drinking is? Ok I get how this blog works.
ReplyDeleteIt's isn't investigative reporting - it's Sweeps Week Sensational Story Telling - the Nadia story was a mistake on both sides. They linked it to the tv show "Scandal" - a scandal right here in our own backyard. There was nothing new... it went on all week ... the days of "Woodstein" are over
ReplyDeleteThe Mercury News had the gang crime numbers story published first.
ReplyDelete