SOMEONE ASKED ME TO OPINE about CBS News prime anchor, Norah O'Donnell --I must admit I'm in the minority; I find O'Donnell to be pretty damn good and solid. She does her job very well. If CBS was hoping for fireworks and explosions (figuratively, of course) ratings-wise, then I think someone in marketing seriously fucked up because even not knowing O'Donnell personally, I know just by watching her that she doesn't roll that way. Maybe they wanted her to do gymnastics while reading her notes but Norah didn't get the memo which is fine with me.
The traditional network anchor is no more. It's all about numbers now (and recent years too) but we're in a different world. There's far too many options out there including network news at 5 and 6 which along with the other millions of people on line, aren't glued to the TV set because the TV News division is getting clobbered by the Internet and smart phones and streaming devices. O'Donnell didn't put a gun to a CBS exec and say, "you better give me the network news gig, or else!"
They put her there and she's apparently underperformed, but so what, that's life in the big city. I like her sane disposition. I think she's simple and elegant in an otherwise crazy environment and that's the way it should be, especially at a place where news used to be measured by a different standard and not wholly controlled by ratings. That all said, there's good news of late.
Leave Norah alone. She's fine. She's solid. She has a decorum that works and although she hasn't so far panned out in ginormous numbers, she's still attracting viewers and makes money for the company which in the end is the only thing that counts.
CBS should move the Evening News to Washington D.C.. That'll really increase the ratings!!
ReplyDeleteThey did!! and the ratings still suck!!!
DeleteNice picture of Norah. Always admired her slim and elegant figure. Nice legs too.
ReplyDeleteShe really does look slim, especially nowadays.
DeleteI'm glad that Rich commented on Norah. That was going to be my next question for him, in an upcoming Q/A entry.
She's solid, as her work in the mornings has shown. Like you said, the competition from web sites, cable news channels and social media has reduced the impact the network anchors have. Chet Huntley, Peter Jennings and Walter Crankcase would've had a hard time competing in today's market, too.
ReplyDeleteThe sad thing is that we've become so polarized in this country - most people prefer someone perceived to being on "their side" who will support their world view rather than someone aiming to be neutral.
ReplyDeleteBring back Jeff Glor who was a lot better but lost his job simply because he's a male. Same thing happened to the moderator on Face the nation. Her ratings aren't that good!!
ReplyDeleteGlor seems like he's a nice guy, who was serviceable but (at times) overly emotional during his stint as the Evening News anchor. Reviews that I've read indicated that his performance was generally panned.
DeleteShe is a news-reader. She is easy on the eyes, but lacks gravitas. Her reading off the prompter isn't all that great either.
ReplyDeleteShe also had the misfortune of the CBS/AT&T dispute just as she took the evening "air"waves - those with airwaves could see her, those with Direct TV or U-Verse could not. She's my first choice of network evening news. Smart, direct, very little fluff in the product, and actually shown at a viewable after-work hour in the SF Bay Area.
ReplyDeleteTo use one of your phrases, Rich, to me she's melba toast.
ReplyDeleteFriday evening, 6:30. When you have a perfectly designed woman, wearing a perfectly designed dress, reporting from a perfectly designed set...you have absolute perfection! Norah O'Donnell.
ReplyDeleteMore proof...The Women Are The News.
Well said.
DeleteAs excellent and professional as Norah O'Donnell may be, at the opposite end of the spectrum is overweight Gayle King of CBS This Morning. She can barely get through reading a couple of lines without flubbing, as her left eye is half closed. The other day she claimed there's Tom Hanks, one of her favorite actors when it was clearly Mr. Rogers whom Hanks played in the movie. Only easy, softball interviews assigned. Multi million dollar salary (reportedly higher than Norah O'Donnel's) and a debacle.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment....I agree. GK is there because of Oprah.
DeleteNorah was a solid reporter when she covered the White House for CBS and NBC. I think that she will do well was anchor of a network newscast.
ReplyDelete