Obviously, I am too old fashioned, but I hate KODE's decision to have a crawl at the bottom of the screen during its newscasts. I realize the station must feel a need to do something different, to set it apart from its sister station, KSNF, as well as KOAM, but this is not the right move.
KODE has assets. Its young reporters have done well in recent months, and it has managed to hold on to two veterans who have added stability in Gretchen Bolander and Shannon Bruffett, but all this new crawl does is reemphasize the point that the station has the least interesting anchors of any of the local stations. (And is there anyone who has not noticed that whenever Gretchen Bolander substitutes on the morning show, it improves immensely?)
While KSNF has the dean of area anchors, Jim Jackson, and veteran Tiffany Alaniz, whose stock has been helped by her recent forays into the field; and KOAM has rock-solid Dowe Quick and Rhonda Justice, who has impeccable investigative reporting credentials; KODE has two anchors, Tara Brown and Brian Hamman, who have little experience (at this level) and who are really not doing much to distinguish themselves.
KODE should be applauded for trying something different, but area viewers are used to seeing crawls at the bottom of the screen only in emergency situations, such as inclement weather. Those are considered to be a service. This new use is just a nuisance.
21 comments:
The news crawl is a good idea for 24 hour news networks so why not at the local level. It gives people more information than they would have recieved, like sports scores from major sports not covered in a local sportscast, lottery numbers and other national headlines. A newscast is supposed to deliver news Randy, this approach works...it will just take time for you and maybe other viewers to get used to change. Chalk it up to another station trying something different and since their call letters were not KOAM you don't like the idea. You had the same comments when KSNF tried something new with their 5:00 show.
With that said, I do agree with your talent evaluations.
I like the news crawl.
I'm with Randy. The crawl is a distraction, not an attraction. Ditching it and the Aaron Sucks pseudo-interviews would be two big assets for the station.
So you don't like the crawl guys? Does this mean it's a "distraction" on Fox News, MSNBC, CNN and ESPN? Never judge a change in the first week, give it time.
I have never believed the crawl is that effective at the bottom of the screen on the cable channels that have been mentioned. I never had a big problem with ESPN doing it to keep people up-to-date on the latest scores, but it is a major distraction on Headline News, CNN, Fox and MSNBC. At one time, you knew that if there was a crawl it meant something major is going on. Now there is a crawl no matter what so its effectiveness is limited. If crawls are being used to relay information about stories that are minor in nature, then why take away from the attention to the local news team's product?
Dang Randy, you sure getup early!
wait a minute, I guess you don't. It is 11:11 am and the time stamp on my previous entry shows 9:11 am. Guess you don't get up too early! love your blog!
Randy you are obviously in the minority in this opinion. The face of television news is changing to serve this "fast-food" world we live in. Research indicates you only get 6-10 minutes of a viewer's time...if you are lucky. If the tickers were a distraction to the majority more stations and news networks would be dropping them rather than adding them.
Fortunately, I have never been one of those who minds being in the minority. I realize that everyone is doing it, but it has not reflected in the ratings. CNN Headline News only has better ratings because for some odd reason Nancy Grace draws an audience. CNN's ratings are down, MSNBC's ratings are microscopic. Fox News Channel's ratings are more due to its style and personalities than to its graphics. I saw the same thing in newspapers for years; Editors and publishers would fall all over themselves trying every new fad that came along and in the long run circulation kept dropping. Perhaps the reason we are unable to hold on to readers and television networks are unable to hold on to viewers is because we continually insult their intelligence. I keep hearing there is no market any more for intelligent journalism, but I won't believe that until I see someone actually try it.
I sort of fall in that first 6 min. category. I like the crawl because for whatever reason I am watching the local news...perhaps I will not even have to watch for 6 min. to find out what it is I want to know....example ...school closings & ect.
I'm with Randy. The crawl at the bottom is very distracting. The size is much bigger than CNN, and while I think it works for CNN it stinks for the local news. I have now switched my station to view.
I find I pay too much attention reading the scroll and forget to listen to the report. Sorry I just can't do both at once.
I think the crawl is an asset that has been proven over time. If CNN and Fox still use it, it must be worth something. A word about KODE's anchors. I think Tara has a down home flavor and didn't Brian come from Ft. Meyers which is a bigger tv market than Joplin. Also, since when does not getting a job in a bigger city (Dowe Quick) mean you are a solid anchor. Just a thought
^ Agree with previous. Reminds me of the sketch on SNL where they make fun of TV news graphics that cover the anchors faces.
I know that your a loyal KOAM guy Randy, and that's fine....but to me ....listening to KOAM is kind of like watching paint dry. BORING! And that weather guy...he scares me...he reminds me of a mortician or something...and he always puts the emphasis on the wrong word in a sentence.
I pay more attention to the news portion of the program than I do to weather and sports, but I will agree that I would much prefer to watch Ray Foreman or Gary Bandy do the weather, or for that matter Shannon Bruffett or Toni Valliere or Dave Pylant. I always liked the late Earl Ludlum and Lou Martin on KOAM. As far as sports are concerned, I always preferred the KODE sports with Erik Schrader, Bruce VonderHaar and Steve Edgerley, Don Gross on KTVJ (now KSNF, and Ned Reynolds on KYTV.
Randy is correct on this one, the crawl takes attention away from the anchors and the news product. It works for CNN & FOX News because people tune into that for a few minutes to get the headlines quickly then turn the channel. But if you are watching a 30-minute local newscast it isn't necessary. Brian and Tara I'm sure are nice people but they need help getting people to watch them consistantly, viewers now are being distracted from them even more now & are not listening.
I remember the good old days with Siedlecki, Maddox, and Vonderhaar...crawls weren't necessary to try to attract viewers with them.
The crawl is coming to KSN soon.
Why am I not surprised?
An interesting debate. Whether it is the set or the graphics, local television news cannot help itself but to attempt replicating 'the look" du jour of what is perceived as leading (ratings not quality) network news. If we can have a crawl like MSNBC, CNN or FoxNews, maybe people will watch our cast at the rate they watch some of the news programming found on those networks. I believe the real answer to any woes KODE may have is found within this blog-line (Hey, I do not know the lingo - only very new to blogging - but I digress). People are viewing creatures of habit. They watch many of the same shows, and are comfortable with the characters. Here, you referenced Dowe Quick and Jim Jackson. Both have been in their respective news seats for well over 20 years. Viewers can count on finding Jim or Dowe there every weeknight. KODE has had some very talented anchors, who have moved on by choice or by mistake. Rob Hanrahan (remember him) was one of the smoothest "readers" I have ever seen - and he was 10 years younger (at least) than Jim and Dowe. Also did a nice "man on the street" - and did some very good "My Kids" specials with Darren Dishman (talk about unbelievable talent). Hanrahan climbed the market ladder all the way to the 5 p.m. newsanchor at WABC-TV, the ABC affiliate in New York (number 1 market), where he stayed for 7 years or so before going to Miami (without the "uh" at the end) to be the 6 & 10 anchor. He was followed by Rich White's second coming. Rich had been to Joplin earlier in his career, before doing his own climb to reach his goal of working in his home market of Cleveland. He was the weekend anchor in Cleveland, Ohio for a number of years, but fell victim earning himself out of a job through yearly pay raises. The reality is, the large market bean counting looks at a 7 year weekend anchor, with 7 years of pay raises, and it is "off with your head." Rich had more high-level experience and talent than most small market television news stations ever have the pleasure of having on-hand. You may get them on the way up (Hanrahan), but White was a greater find the second time around. His public departure was a shame in many ways. Since the time of Hanrahan and White, KODE has not had stability on the anchor desk, and no where near the talent level. When the front desk is not as stable, in my view, the technical mistakes of small market television are not as well masked or forgiven, and the news reporters can seem a little more "green" than the rest. It is a tough predicament, as well, in the hiring process. Do you hire the immensley talented, who will be gone as soon as the resume tape is up-to-par, or do you go with a local or acceptable talent whom you may have around for awhile. Regardless of quality, that familiar face and/or voice is, nevertheless, familiar.
Rich White here. I find the comments on Joplin TV news very interesting. Let me bring you up to date on my situation. I have been out of TV news for nearly 20 years. I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1997. For anyone with MS, stress is one of your biggest enemies and TV news is STRESSFUL. My departure from KODE was quite public. Sexual Haressment was the reason given, but the truth of the matter was financial. KODE was in the middle of one of its' many sales and dumping a big salary made the deal more attractive to potential buyers. Oddly, a former co-anchor of mine helped ( believe) in this process. She wanted out of her contract so she oculd be with her boyfriend (a former KOAM Sports Director whom she THOUGHT was kgoing to marry her. This couldn't have been further from the truth. He wound up dumping her and that was the end of that story.) I found it ironic that she chose to screw me over when it was ;ME who went to bat for her telling the GM; ;hat she would make a good co-anchor with me on the 6 & 10. That's the thanks I got for helping her get her first anchor job! It was poetic justice when her boyfriend decided to 'release' her. The lesson there: 'don't screw someone who has helped you'
Fast forward to the presnt. I'm glad to hear some of the KODE staffers are doing well. I can remember when Gretchen and Shannon were just getting started in the business. I'm surprised Gretchen isn't city manager by now given all the time she spent at city hall (not necessarily pursing stories bur rather her husband!
Speaking of the 'competition' I was surprised to read that Jim Jackson is still at 16. I remember a time when JJ was considering a run at political office and Dowe has the talent he could have gone anywhere. It is very difficult as you get yup in the larger markets since there are so many wanabees looking the become 'stars'.
I have no ill feelings about my time in Joplin. The people were very nice. For those in TV news, Joplin, being a small market, will always be a stepping stone and a good place to learn.
P.S. Is Poochies BBQ still in biz?
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