KRON's Staff Inner Paranoia; Nexstar Suits Invade SF; Justine Waldman Feels (Maybe) Boston NBC Love; Circle7/KGO Hires Jackie Speier as Political Analysts; Disney Nepotism?; A PIX Wish: Should Have Kept Thuy Vu; KTVU Rosemary Orozco Factoid; Jenny Seelig/KCBS Not So Newsy; Thursday Buffet
WHAT'S THE BIG FUSS? Paranoia at KRON--the corporate suits are coming.
Even though there's relative tranquility at KRON, the corporate suits at Nexstar want to make sure, even investigate.
Which is why a senior team of advisers (their term), are dispatched to SF to conduct an "internal study" on where the cash is being spent. Essentially, an internal audit. There's nothing fishy, I'm told,and there's no big issues, but?
They figure out why KRON is still under-performing, (in their mind) and who's running the ship.
Which is why Jim Rose, (GM) and a few air people who make a lot of money are nervous.
*ADD KRON: Justine Waldman, in case you wanna know, has Boston roots which is why she could return to Beantown and read the teleprompter at the NBC Boston O/O but that's just insurance. Waldman, married to Grant Lodes, loves the Bay Area --plus she has kids. But if KRON doesn't pay her, it might be worth the cost to uproot and enjoy some delicious clam chowder.
*I'M SURE it was just a coincidence KGO (ABC7) named ex-Congresswoman, Jackie Speier, its new political analyst. Speier is the mother of Stephanie Sierra, a Circle7 GSA reporter. Nepotism and love, Disney-style.
*Had KPIX not low-balled Thuy Vu a few years back, they'd have probably retained the classy, newsy former anchor, a real, legit ace newswoman. Instead, PIX/CBS lost a key member of its beat and so did Bay Area viewers. Vu would have been more expensive than the disco music furniture currently on the 11 but it would have been worth it and then some.
*Rosemary Orozco, the fashion designer at KTVU, is no longer taking lunch/coffee breaks inside KTVU. Her suspicion of leaks from friends and picture takers has taken on a life of its own. Rosey keeps the fashion biz alive in case The Firm/Fox tells her to split and take a nooner with Mark Ibanez.
Oh, yeah, don't invite Countess Orozco to dinner with Pam Cook.
*The reason why, (among many), that Jenny Seelig is so clueless at KCBS: she NEVER had a job as a reporter in the field. She was able to squeeze many gigs as a news exec/manager because she's great at making deals with PC-minded corporate (men), bosses, (like Audacy), who are comfortable with her look and respect her chops as an exec.
News? No. She has ZERO news acumen which is part of the reason everyone who can is RUNNING out the door/ESCAPING at KCBS' studios.
so you thought it was "nepotism", that a longtime member of congress and survivor of the Jonestown massacre would get a political commentator spot on KGO-TV because her daughter works there?
Speier has always worked the connections to get gigs. When she termed-out from the State Assembly in 1996, she worked the connections to have a "VP of Governmental Affairs" position created for her at a company in San Mateo. She held that position until running for the State Senate in 1998 and then the position magically went away again.
Every time someone brings up Speier and Jamestown I'm reminded of that Seinfeld episode about the Andrea Doria. George, myself and many others are currently rolling our eyes.
I must say KPIX 5 News did a stellar job covering the house fire in San Francisco today. Interviewing the right people and asking the right questions. I hope everyone is safe and recovers.
Jackie S. has creds - she took a couple of bullets down in Guiana years ago during the Jim Jones adventure - she was left for dead but survived and most recently was voted to succeed the late Tom Lantos San Mateo seat in the Congress. She has since retired and though I was wishing she would run for Feinsteins' seat, this new job might be a nice way to gain some additional public exposure. I think you got it all backwards, it's more probable that her daughter was hired because of her Mom's position than the reverse...
You seem to think that Waldman can leave for another pasture. As long as Lodes is with KRON (and, given his new idiotic "Hey I can maybe act like Doug McConnell even though I have 1/10th the personality" Bay Area Backroads knockoff, KRON is invested in him staying here), she can't leave. Unless of course she gets a divorce. If KRON is smart (I know...a stretch) they've got Lodes and Waldman on contracts that don't expire at the same time to prevent a double pull out. Lodes featuring in KRON's plans and a happy marriage means Waldman's options are strictly in the Bay Area...
He's the only reason she was hired here. She's not getting paid anytime soon. Mostly because she's not very good. Half the time I can understand what the hell she's even saying. Aren't they reading what they say? When I watch her it seems like she's making it up on the spot. Can't follow her at all.
Living in the Boston area after spending 37 years in the Bay Area, I haven't heard anything about any anchors planning to leave NBC Boston or its sister regional cable news channel. Given NBC's O&O cost cutting that took place at the end of last year and that NBC Boston spent some money to poach one of the market's top investigative reporters from ratings leader WCVB (Hearst's ABC station), there wouldn't be much money in the budget for them to bring Justine Waldman back to Boston.
Not that this affects new content, but I think KRON has The Ugliest Set in the Business. Looks like they're broadcasting from a corner window of some SF skyscraper. And since the image is always a bit tilted toward the view, I think of the Millennium Tower.
They have a really nice studio. But they haven't figured out how to use it. The lights are pointing at something but it's not their anchors. Maybe whoever set it up never finished? That traffic lady in the morning actually looks green. My guess is Nexstar cheaped out on finishing the job and they're stuck with it like it is because no one knows how to fix it.
I met Justine Waldman at a charity event last year. I’ve never been a KRON watcher and wasn’t familiar with her. She was so incredibly kind to everyone she interacted with and extremely down to earth. She was there with one of her children and it was clear how much she enjoys being a mother. Based on what I saw that day I can’t picture her wanting to uproot her life and move back to Boston.
6:47PM It was good to read something upbeat and positive about one of the news ladies. See? They don't all turn into Cruella deVil as soon as they leave the studio.
It will be interesting to see if Jackie will be able to analyze and comment without a bias or maybe that won’t play well. New sets what’s with the meandering around the set now?
Thuy Vu, wow, I had forgotten about her, I am sorry to admit! Once again though, Rich was right on in his assessment of her. Vu was completely flawless in her appearance, as well as her delivery. One would never hear her say "uh". She was completely smooth. And as someone else mentioned, I knew she was on PBS, which of course means that she had disappeared. Thuy Vu though, like many others I could mention, is one of those classic Anchors that are sorely needed today, and very much missed. And regarding Jackie Speir, I am pretty much tired of people mentioning about her getting shot in Ghana or wherever it was. I mean, c'mon, how does her getting shot make her a good congressman, which she wasn't, or qualify her to be a political analyst? I would say she is qualified to be a political analyst, because of her many years doing nothing in congress. But her getting shot honestly has nothing at all to do with being a politician, other than to milk her getting shot for sympathy votes.
Dear 3:46...It wasn't "Ghana", and of course you don't understand the significance of crazy religious cults and the danger thereof. You don't even know the history here.
Anonymous@10:01am, I mean, it doesn't matter WHERE she was shot, as the basic point is the same. Her getting shot is not a qualification to become a politician or to be a political analyst, at least, the last time I looked at qualifications for either of those "jobs". And I LIVED the history of these things, but hey, it has been SO LONG AGO, that I have forgotten the details. But again, it doesn't matter because it has nothing to do with becoming a politician or a political analyst.
Amazon Fire TV has the KRON app for free. My cable "service" dropped it a while back. All 4, all the time. I specifically asked to download the 1982 KRON version, with Paul Udell, Sylvia Chase, and Wayne Shannon.
so you thought it was "nepotism", that a longtime member of congress and survivor of the Jonestown massacre would get a political commentator spot on KGO-TV because her daughter works there?
ReplyDeleteYes...I do.
DeleteBut I don't question Ms. Speier's roots --I know her political career and have followed her plus her Jonestown ordeal.
I only brought it up as a factual observation which it is at the very least.
Speier has always worked the connections to get gigs. When she termed-out from the State Assembly in 1996, she worked the connections to have a "VP of Governmental Affairs" position created for her at a company in San Mateo. She held that position until running for the State Senate in 1998 and then the position magically went away again.
DeleteEvery time someone brings up Speier and Jamestown I'm reminded of that Seinfeld episode about the Andrea Doria. George, myself and many others are currently rolling our eyes.
Delete"Stephanie Sierra" sounds like a porn name to me ...
ReplyDeleteWe only wished she was.
DeleteThuy Vu was on KQED but I think the last time I saw her was pre-COVID. Has she done any TV work since then?
ReplyDeleteOff subject:
ReplyDeleteI must say KPIX 5 News did a stellar job covering the house fire in San Francisco today. Interviewing the right people and asking the right questions. I hope everyone is safe and recovers.
Jackie S. has creds - she took a couple of bullets down in Guiana years ago during the Jim Jones adventure - she was left for dead but survived and most recently was voted to succeed the late Tom Lantos San Mateo seat in the Congress. She has since retired and though I was wishing she would run for Feinsteins' seat, this new job might be a nice way to gain some additional public exposure. I think you got it all backwards, it's more probable that her daughter was hired because of her Mom's position than the reverse...
ReplyDeleteYou seem to think that Waldman can leave for another pasture. As long as Lodes is with KRON (and, given his new idiotic "Hey I can maybe act like Doug McConnell even though I have 1/10th the personality" Bay Area Backroads knockoff, KRON is invested in him staying here), she can't leave. Unless of course she gets a divorce. If KRON is smart (I know...a stretch) they've got Lodes and Waldman on contracts that don't expire at the same time to prevent a double pull out. Lodes featuring in KRON's plans and a happy marriage means Waldman's options are strictly in the Bay Area...
ReplyDelete"Hey I can maybe act like Doug McConnell even though I have 1/10th the personality"
DeletePerfectly stated.
2:26...You thought husbands owned wives or vice versa? Couples have long distance arrangements often.
DeleteHe's the only reason she was hired here. She's not getting paid anytime soon. Mostly because she's not very good. Half the time I can understand what the hell she's even saying. Aren't they reading what they say? When I watch her it seems like she's making it up on the spot. Can't follow her at all.
DeleteLiving in the Boston area after spending 37 years in the Bay Area, I haven't heard anything about any anchors planning to leave NBC Boston or its sister regional cable news channel. Given NBC's O&O cost cutting that took place at the end of last year and that NBC Boston spent some money to poach one of the market's top investigative reporters from ratings leader WCVB (Hearst's ABC station), there wouldn't be much money in the budget for them to bring Justine Waldman back to Boston.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteNot that this affects new content, but I think KRON has The Ugliest Set in the Business. Looks like they're broadcasting from a corner window of some SF skyscraper. And since the image is always a bit tilted toward the view, I think of the Millennium Tower.
ReplyDeleteThey have a really nice studio. But they haven't figured out how to use it. The lights are pointing at something but it's not their anchors. Maybe whoever set it up never finished? That traffic lady in the morning actually looks green. My guess is Nexstar cheaped out on finishing the job and they're stuck with it like it is because no one knows how to fix it.
DeleteI met Justine Waldman at a charity event last year. I’ve never been a KRON watcher and wasn’t familiar with her.
ReplyDeleteShe was so incredibly kind to everyone she interacted with and extremely down to earth. She was there with one of her children and it was clear how much she enjoys being a mother. Based on what I saw that day I can’t picture her wanting to uproot her life and move back to Boston.
Ok, Justine.
DeleteLOL!
DeleteI think you mean her Instagram accessories. She cares deeply for her instagram accessories child 1 and child 2.
DeleteJustine, I’d suggest checking in with “LT” Jessica Burch who has mastered the art of posting ridiculously positive “anonymous” comments about herself.
Delete6:47PM It was good to read something upbeat and positive about one of the news ladies. See? They don't all turn into Cruella deVil as soon as they leave the studio.
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see if Jackie will be able to analyze and comment without a bias or maybe that won’t play well.
ReplyDeleteNew sets what’s with the meandering around the set now?
Thuy Vu, wow, I had forgotten about her, I am sorry to admit! Once again though, Rich was right on in his assessment of her. Vu was completely flawless in her appearance, as well as her delivery. One would never hear her say "uh". She was completely smooth. And as someone else mentioned, I knew she was on PBS, which of course means that she had disappeared. Thuy Vu though, like many others I could mention, is one of those classic Anchors that are sorely needed today, and very much missed.
ReplyDeleteAnd regarding Jackie Speir, I am pretty much tired of people mentioning about her getting shot in Ghana or wherever it was. I mean, c'mon, how does her getting shot make her a good congressman, which she wasn't, or qualify her to be a political analyst? I would say she is qualified to be a political analyst, because of her many years doing nothing in congress. But her getting shot honestly has nothing at all to do with being a politician, other than to milk her getting shot for sympathy votes.
Dear 3:46...It wasn't "Ghana", and of course you don't understand the significance of crazy religious cults and the danger thereof. You don't even know the history here.
DeleteAnonymous@10:01am, I mean, it doesn't matter WHERE she was shot, as the basic point is the same. Her getting shot is not a qualification to become a politician or to be a political analyst, at least, the last time I looked at qualifications for either of those "jobs". And I LIVED the history of these things, but hey, it has been SO LONG AGO, that I have forgotten the details. But again, it doesn't matter because it has nothing to do with becoming a politician or a political analyst.
DeleteThuy Vu used to Anchor on Newsy??? Did she and Veronica De La Cruz get along??
ReplyDeleteChuck
San Ramon
Amazon Fire TV has the KRON app for free. My cable "service" dropped it a while back. All 4, all the time. I specifically asked to download the 1982 KRON version, with Paul Udell, Sylvia Chase, and Wayne Shannon.
ReplyDelete