I haven't made any secret about how I feel about KSNF's new 5 p.m. variety show, "Live with Gary and Tiffany." You can read Tiffany Alaniz' response to my criticisms by following the link to
http://rturner229.blogspot.com/2005/06/ksn-offers-lightweight-news-at-5.html
I get a not found error when clicking on the link...has it been pulled?
ReplyDeleteSorry. When I added the headlines a couple of hours ago, it changed the links. It should have the right one now.
ReplyDeleteThe public airwaves are limited and allocated by license to KSN and it's competitors, and I may be wrong, but I don't believe they pay a fee for that use. They profit from these public commodities by attracting an audience for advertisers. Programming is only the tool they use to that end. In return for the free and exclusive use of that public property, they are required to provide local citizens with the information which is necessary in a democratic society. That may not be "new and different," but it's a public obligation. The remaining 22 or 23 hours in the day when you're broadcasting on the publicly-owned airwaves, you can enrich the lives of Four State folks with all the Fear Factor and Top Model programs they'll watch. Heck, you can even have Tiffany flaunt her Alaniz, with appropriate rating of course. The local news exists to inform citizens, not entertain them. The stations get plenty of time to entertain, but even on the 30 minute news broadcasts, less than 10 minutes is ever spent on local news. The time is filled with the mindless babble of the local celebritys (that's you Tiffany), rebroadcasts of critical national news stories (like the Michael Jackson, Robert Blake, etc. dramas), and sports and weather. Okay, I like the sports and weather, but I could do without the trite filler comments on how to dress for the rain. If Tiff and Gary and their comrades at other stations would just cut out the "cute" drivel and unending "teasers," they'd have lots of time for, I don't know, real news. News people need to know, and not fluffy boosterisms read from a PR department's press release. If you can't find enough to report on, perhaps you could just read the Globe...or dare I say it...the Turner Report on the air.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I haven't followed what has been said about Ms Alaniz in this blog. Perhaps she has cause for offense but, for someone who's job it is to publicly communicate, her reply sounded trite and sophmoric.
In response to "Two Cents" comment: Absolutely no one would watch with your suggestions. There are 180 different channels if not more out there. We have the attention span of a knat. If you don't throw in some entertainment into the news people will get bored. Especially that 18-35 demo they all want.
ReplyDeleteI like the KSN 5pm show, it's a blend of news and entertainment, and it's local.
"In return for the free and exclusive use of that public property, they are required to provide local citizens with the information which is necessary in a democratic society"
ReplyDeleteWhat info is required? There are many network affiliates that do not have a local newscast at all.