It could be called rude, but I prefer to call it clueless.
For the second time in three weeks, KODE has cut off the last half hour of a presidential debate on ABC's This Week with George Stephanopoulos to make sure that on would miss a single second of Robert Schuller's Hour of Power, a nationally syndicated religious program.
Two weeks ago, it was the Republican candidate debate that was cut; this time, it was the Democrats. And both times, viewers were not given any warning that they were not going to be able to watch the debate. They were told by moderator George Stephanopoulos that the debate would return after a few messages, then viewers were greeted by Robert Schuller.
At the least, viewers deserve an explanation. I could understand if KODE was pre-empting the final portion of the debate to show a live service at an area church, but to cut in, without warning, and go to a syndicated religious program, was either rude, or if KODE was really unaware that This Week had another half hour to go- clueless.
This is amateur hour and the viewers are the losers.
14 comments:
It's their station, Randy, not yours.
The audience for the religious show has probably watched it faithfully for years. Why should they have to miss their show for a silly dog and pony show that happens to be oh, I don't know, 15 months before the election? The fact that the "debates" are happening on Sunday morning shows how low-rent they even are.
Yes, it is their station, and they do have the right to run it as they see fit. They have the right to run whatever program they want to and to cut into the middle of another program without even telling the viewers that is what they are going to do. Would it have been too much to ask for them to simply have told viewers they were going to break away from the debate to show the Hour of Power? It does not matter what you think of the debates or their worth, viewers should not be treated that way, and for KODE to do so shows an incredible lack of common decency and respect.
In checing TitanTV.com, it looks to me like KODE had scheduled Hour of Power for it's normal time all-along. Correct me if I am wrong on that. So they DID tell their viewers. What else can they do?
Stop fretting about crap that doesn't matter, Randy. What I want to know is why Julio Leon "retired". What caused it. Why is he still being paid if he "retired"? No news outlets seem to be doing anything other than the thinnest "retirement" stories.
What really happened Randy? Get off the Micronesians and get on to something else!
They probably thought about as long about the debate as they did with their incredibly offensive promotion of the church shooting story. I'm suprised anyone would be so proud of tragedy that they run video and braggish commercials of their coverage of it every half hour. Notice they didn't miss airing any of them.
Finally, someone else gets it. KSN is equally as guilty but aren't KSN and KODE one in the same, there video is. And before one of their many employees who are readers of this blog jumps in to say because they were FIRST, which they weren't, with the story, Let me ask how in any form of decency they can defend airing clips from the worst story to hit in years so that the hundreds of people personally affected are constantly reminded. One reason might be, these people don't watch them. There wasn't a local station, national netwrork, local radio or regional newspaper that didn't have this story. Only KODE and KSN are so hard up for something to claim that they promote the tragedy as if it was a fubd raiser for MDA. In fact, KODE is running this crap more than they do MDA, something they used to do that was at least a glimmer of good. Shame on you both. Your heads and hearts are both up your hind end.
It was not a party sponsored "Debate."
It was a discussion on a show.
You will see true debates between candidates of opposing parties as we get closer to election time.
No debate - KSNF did not do anything wrong. They can run religious programming AS SCHEDULED even if it bugs you.
What possible difference does it make if it is a discussion or a debate? We haven't had true debates in presidential politics since the days of Lincoln and Douglas. And I agree with you, KSNF did nothing wrong...the program was on KODE. I realize that both stations are operated by the same company, but they are separate stations. And I am fully aware that the programming schedule showed the Hour of Power. Many people do not check the schedule. If they hear the host say it is going to be a 90 minute program, they are not expecting a 60-minute program. KODE had a number of ways it could have handled this situation better. Since Nexstar is so enthralled with running crawls at the bottom of the screen, it could have easily put the message that the debate would end at 9 a.m. That would also have allayed any concerns regular viewers of the Hour of Power might have had about their show starting late or not being seen at all. This would be like starting a two-hour movie, ending it with 30 minutes left, and abruptly going to other programming without a word. You can talk all you want to about whether it was a debate or a discussion, or whether it is too early to be having these debates anyway (and I am inclined to agree on that point), the fact is they're on, and the folks at KODE, whether through lack of knowledge (and I would guess ABC let them know well in advance), or through a cavalier attitude toward its viewers, did not have the courtesy to give the viewers a heads-up.
Chances are Robert Schuler was a rerun, or soon will be. Pass the plate give till it hurts. Schuler needs it.
I flipped it over to Face the Nation and Schieffer.
Doesn't anyone else care about the comments on promotion of the Neosho Tragedy. I think it sounds like a Jim Jackson idea, but that is just an opinion. He's the one who pulled them out of the St John's Blast From The Past Event because he didn't like the rules. What does that have to do with this...... He has so much tenure that they bow to his request/demands without much thought. Isn't this the elephant in the room in this thread.
First of all - who was watching that silly standoff between politicians? They are going to be like leftover mashed potatoes by election time.
The station probably saw this as a great excuse to get them off the air. I would rather listen to a donkey bray than watch them this early in the campaign!
Thanks KODE...at least there is some very beautiful cathederal music on Rev. Schuler's program...that's a nice change of pace from some of religious music we get most of the time.
Blast from the Past is stupid. Even stupider was the fact that on-air talent was forced to act like marionettes in the competition.
If JJ got them out of it, good for him.
I agree, if JJ, as he must be called, got them out of the blast from the past, good for him. It is a cheesey event. Now on to the real question, Is JJ proud of their commercialation of Death and Horror that surrounds the event in Neosho? Since it was his hometown, and his station, you would have to believe he was an opinion. So why doesn't someone forard this chain on to JJ for a response. Surely there is a KODE or KSN employee reading this.
Don't claim to be a cowboy unless you're willing to ride the horse.
I haven't seen the commercial in question taking credit for the Coverage of the horror in Neosho. I've made an effort to see it since this came up, but have not seen it. Did they pull it? Did it exist? I, like the previous comment, would like JJ, as it seems he is called, to comment on this question.
Was the commercial in question aired?
What was the thinking behind it?
Has it been pulled, or can I have a time I can plan on seeing it?
If it was pulled, what was the reason?
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