NBC Bay Area is having a blast this year; the November Sweeps were really good; station morale is relatively cool and unlike KTVU, (which really kicked ass) staffers enjoy coming to work and are not the subject of hostile, paranoid management.
KNTV seems to be enjoying a relatively successful reign from still fresh,VP- ND, Stephanie Adrouny, who was once thought to be on the hot seat because of internal struggles with station higher-ups but that has largely abated.Lead anchor, Raj Mathai, has settled in to become one of the Bay Area's most popular anchors (alongside Dan Ashley and Frank Somerville) Mathai, who is celebrating his sixth anniversary as primary anchor this month, has become an established newsman (a ten-time Emmy winner) who is also the face of the station and possesses star material. So much so, rumors swirled around the biz that Mathai was headed to NY for a network gig but that's not happening now; NBC rewarded the hard-working anchor with a new contract extension (reportedly in the high $400K range putting him in the company of Ashley and Somerville) so Mathai is staying in the Bay Area for the foreseeable future. Stability is an asset.
His co-anchor, veteran Jessica Aguirre's status, (KGO/KNTV) remains a question mark. Aguirre's contract is up in early '18 and so far, it hasn't been renewed. In my mind, Aguirre is still top-notch and has quite the presence but NBC might think otherwise; I reported that KNTV is trying to woo Carolyn Johnson back to the Bay Area. So far, nothing is imminent but Aguirre is supposedly freaked out over the prospect of not being renewed. At the age of 55 some women (stupidly) are deemed "old" in local TV News and Aguirre might be in that predicament. It's really pathetic but it's reality too. Even if she was dumped I would bet someone would hire Aguirre but that's for the future. We should know sometime soon.
The ethnic pandering gets old. Psst..they aren't even watching.
ReplyDeleteGive me Carolyn Johnson any day. Beautiful lady!
It's true they aren't watching. I mention Latino personalities to latinos I know and black personalities to blacks I know, etc., and they say, "Who?" WHITES, on the other hand, can identify them. Interesting.
DeleteJessica could be 25 and I still wouldn't be able to stand her delivery. I think Dion Lim learned everything she knows from her.
ReplyDeleteI still think Jessica's got it to be an anchor. She's got credibility.
ReplyDeleteRich, is it possible that management is using Carolyn to low ball Jessica into signing a new contract?
ReplyDeleteI like Jessica and I hope she is able to stay. And I hate to be a Debbie Downer but I just heard some sad news over the wire that longtime sportscaster Dick Enberg passed away this evening from an apparent heart attack. Enberg was 82. :-(
ReplyDeleteMy response to Enberg's passing: "Oh My, I'm gunna cry!" A friend of mine said: "Oh, NO!"
DeleteRegularly listened to his LA work (Rams, Angels, Bruins) in the '60s and '70s. Impeccably versatile and professional, and what a vibrant and genial presence. He will be missed.
Female and male anchors can work into their late 60's if they forego the knife. Unfortunately, men and women can't resist facial surgery and sometimes, as proved by a famous local female anchor, the result is almost grotesque.
ReplyDeletethe past is prologue..when ratings go up, the bosses dump the people who made the ratings go up in the first place. This insures the never ending drama..watch
ReplyDeleteAs a south bay resident, I am particularly partial to KNTV/NBC Bay Area, so it is great to see them doing so well in the ratings. I particularly like that they focus on delivering news and informing the public. Good for them.
ReplyDelete> I particularly like that they focus on delivering the news
Delete> and informing the public.
What do the rest of them focus on, hip-hop dancing?
Dion Lim's voice is sickeningly childlike; makes inane comments after sports stories she knows nothing about; then tilts her head as if she's doing a photoshoot......GAWD, I can't stand watching & listening to her!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteAGREED. Who hired her?!?
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