In The Midst of BART Tragedy KGO Radio Presented Cooking Show; KCBS Top Dog on Scene in Walnut Creek

 Saturday afternoon was chock full of news dominated by the BART tragedy in Walnut Creek where two people were killed after being struck by a train.

In addition, the strike presented traffic nightmares all over the Bay Area as freeways became congested particularly near the MacArthur maze near the Bay Bridge. Not surprising.

But the big news was the accident in Walnut Creek.

KCBS, as usual, was the go-to platform on radio with reporter, Anna Duckworth on the scene with the breaking news from the scene of the accident.

Later updates included especially pointed reports from Phil Matier, who on short notice provided early analysis on how the accident might get the unions and BART management back to the bargaining table and accelerate a settlement.

What was KGO, your "news and information" station up to? How about consumer shows and cooking with Ryan Scott. KGO managed to provide updates but all it amounted to was innocuous tidbits from its affiliates. In other words, unless you liked hearing a grown guy chortling over tapas and burgers, you didn't want to be listening to the KGOne albatross. That is, if you wanted to know about the on-going developments in Walnut Creek.

Utter clueless. You'd figure someone in the news dept. would have called the boss and said  we might want to get an anchor down or reporter, but why bother with basic intelligence. Even by KGO's byzantine standards, Saturday's circus was beyond the scope.

*Follow me on Twitter

BART Strike Nearing Friday; All Local Outlets Offering Expanded Coverage

Several local outlets will be on the air at 4 AM ...with the usual reports from traffic hotspots including the Bay Bridge, SF near the Mission/Howard-Transbay Terminal. Of course, yes too, the ferry buildings in SF and Oakland too.

Expect extra traffic reports with enhanced coverage.

KPIX, KTVU, KNTV, and KGO-TV and Radio plan extended coverage. Ditto KCBS and KGO; KQED Radio will run expanded news in its local news blocks.

*Follow me on Twitter

SF/Oakland Bay Area TV/Radio Traffic Reporters Having Quiet Orgasm As BART/AC Transit Strike Beckons

 As BART and its unions meet tirelessly in Oakland to avert a strike deadline early Tuesday, this bit of news might have given the rank and file more leverage: AC Transit workers have just issued their own strike threat.

Bay Area commuters have an impending carmageddon.

Traffic reporters won't dare admit this in public but they're having an orgasm right now.

*Follow me on Twitter

BART Strike Brings out Best and Worst of Bay Area TV/Radio

Nothing like a transit shutdown to bring about the best and worst of local TV News and Radio. At least, for once, the endless traffic reports, (which is the tapestry of morning-news TV), were longed for and legitimate.

The BART strike of 2013 is a big story, no doubt, but it has brought forth all the icky elements of why many people have a distaste for the media.

For one, the noticeable rush of adrenaline seen on the Bay Area TV screens was not from the commuter but instead on way-too-giddy local reporters doing live shots with the glee of a kid inside a toy store about to go on a free shopping spree.

As usual, the Bay Bridge Toll Plaza was a popular destination for reporters. The overhead shots from the helicopters made for compelling TV and for once, actually showed the vehicular mayhem, the Bay Area's version of carmageddon. Too bad one reporter, instead of asking the usual ridiculous "is it rough driving?", could not think on their own and better ask, "did you not think about alternative ways to get into the city?" I know, grumpy me, dare thinking beyond the usual standard-fare morning TV news minutiae.

*Follow me on Twitter