I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT KEN BASTIDA'S END GAME IS BUT I CAN GUESSI can guess he continues to get a lengthy paycheck from CBS until they figure out the veteran KPIX lead anchor has reached his peak and now is but a visual dud; for some reason the suits at 855 Battery still regard Bastida as their hood ornament --I have no idea why.
Bastida is a good man and can read the teleprompter adequately enough but he's tremendously boring now. There is no spark to his anchoring on KPIX. Even in his glory days, Ken was as dull as a kitchen knife on sale at Woolworth. He's adequate at best now. That's not good.
Bastida in prime never could adlib if his life depended on it. Today, Bastida would be brutal in a breaking news event and KPIX knows it yet they continue to put him on the air. It is significant and a sign of the times that Bastida is free to roam the airwaves; at least he's not the disaster known as Veronica De La Cruz but st least she's more beautiful to watch then him.
Bastida has Bay Area roots. More distinctly, SF roots which explains why he's still on the air at PIX where if you're a AT&T or Direct TV cable subscriber, you can't see PIX (or KRON) which isn't such a bad thing --years ago there would have been a huge outcry; today, nobody gives a damn which better explains why Bastida continues to read copy.
I'm not saying Bastida is awful; hardly; more simply generic and benign --like peroxide you buy cheap at the local Walgreens. It is antiseptic local TV anchor flavor at its best (worst).
I believe KPIX is hoping the Disney princess will carry him into retirement.
ReplyDeleteHe looks like Ken Passtheweeda in that bottom picture.
ReplyDeleteThat's his "Baby, we were born to run" phase.
DeleteTo make matters worse.... They dumped his nightly "good question" investigative nightly report(s).
ReplyDeleteNow, KPIX reports are about the equivalent as that Ronn Owens report. Filler & fluff news.
NOT just KPIX but now KCBS 740 AM
The dumb female news reporter on Wednesday night called Westlake shopping center in Daly City "Westfield shopping center"
About as dumb as a tourist asking for directions to the cable cars.
Idiots
The man has a choice of the Disney Princess or the hair flipper to sit next to him every night. I can understand why he gave up.
ReplyDelete> Bastida is a good man and can read
ReplyDelete> the teleprompter adequately enough
> but he's tremendously boring now...
Unlike Julie Haener, who said "Veláz-qwez" instead of "Velázquez" tonight and then topped it in the next hour with "Trice-er-RAP-tus" when talking about the dinosaur Triceratops.
What an idiot. I'd heard you can see a reflection on the far wall when you shine a light into her ear. Now I've witnessed it.
His ab-lib struggles and his mailing-it-in demeanor are why I really don't want Bastida to break McElhatton's longevity record among PIX anchors (Dave Mac 23, Ken 19). Unfortunately, PIX & SF State are bonded like brothers. All of KPIX's archives are stored at SFSU. Even CBS HQ doesn't want to upset the SFSU Alumni. So Bastida (& O'Donnell) stays.
ReplyDeleteVery funny post by 8:33 about Bastida's Dr. Don Era photo.
VDLC contract status? Please say she wasn't extended.
After maternity leave, does Cook replace Griego?
With social media etc these people on radio,TV, newspaper are irrelevant, so wake-up and get with the 21 century.
ReplyDeleteYou are all in for the shock of your lives when you get old. For one thing you REALLY DON'T CARE anymore. Your body doesn't function like it is supposed to, and if you're not in screaming pain 24/7, your brain has developed a few idiosyncratic glitches that, try as you might, seem to kick into high gear just at the most inappropriate times.
ReplyDeleteIf you can manage to smile through it, which isn't easy, you might be able to make it to retirement and the rocking chair. You need to take these things into consideration when formulating an opinion of those over about fifty, because the universe dishes out its retribution based on how understanding you were of the failings of others. If you can't cut the aged some slack, your old age will be hell, believe me. There is nothing fun about getting old. Consider yourself warned.
I still flip through the various 11 pm newscasts. Regarding PIX, Maria Medina does a nice job covering breaking news, she is pleasant but fairly basic. The only talented PIX reporter doing the truly original stories on air is Betty Yu. She also dresses the part and is clearly highly educated. I picture her in LA or NY markets. Pix seems to assign the other "reporters" to fluff and tacky "breaking news". That being said, I don't watch the afternoon telecasts and can't comment on afternoon on air talent. I tend to prefer NBC anchors in the evening, Raj is the best anchor locally IMO.
ReplyDeleteYu has been assigned to many of their "glamour" stories, i.e. high-profile award shows, etc..
DeleteYep, at a certain time in your life you realize it's all bullshit and can't stand it anymore. Pretty much done with Bastida's smirk.
ReplyDelete