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A media critique... and then some! 8/22/01 - Wednesday Wednesday Letters - comments on Bogey & his producer, more on Lee Hamilton, and California's energy mess. Inside LA TV - Boguslawski is confronted in his station parking lot and  called a liar.  Also, we've got a station memo that the news director would rather you didn't see. Links to Recent Issues 08-20-01 Monday's OTR 08-15-01 Wednesday's OTR 08-17-01 Friday's OTR If you'd like to help keep OTR going you can send ten dollars to Ron Fineman PO Box 42364 Bakersfield, CA 93384 -  Your help is  appreciated.  My thanks to Mike Nolan and Bill Gephardt for being the latest contributors! Send your opinions to BRUIN74@aol.com.

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KCOP LAYOFFS BEGIN

Sources tell me layoffs began yesterday at KCOP. Ten people have lost their jobs in  the accounting and programming departments. Nothing in news so far.

IT COULD'VE BEEN A GOOD LEAD

As we've all learned, KCOP has an unconventional newscast. So last week, when they led their newscast with the fact that the Census shows the black population has increased to 13 percent of the country, I wouldn't automatically say it's a weak lead. After all, they've got a lot of black viewers on Monday nights, and they'd like to keep them watching the news. The fact is, it could've been a strong story, but it wasn't.

Reporter Sam Louie talked to a couple of black people who were glad to see their numbers on the rise. He talked to a professor who explained some of the increase was due to immigration from particular areas of the world. It was a very lightweight treatment of what could've been a serious informative story.  Interestingly, Louie started out the story say how well blacks are doing these days in various businesses including music and acting. You see African Americans everywhere.  Yet his upbeat angle was pretty different than the 'sky is falling' outlook we've heard recently from the NAACP, which is again threatening to boycott a TV network.  It would've been nice to hear people on both sides of that issue. It was as if Louie didn't know there was controversy.  And we know babies being born out of wedlock is an especially big problem in the black community. Obviously that must have a lot do with the population increase. Yet, there was no mention of that in the story either. 

I realize these are subjects which are worthy of a lengthy documentary. We all know local TV news has its limits. But if you're going to lead with a story like that, the audience deserves a far more substantive story than what they got.

BUT IS IT A STORY?

Once again, local TV news is making a big deal out of what the Sheriff's Department says is a 'missing person' case. According to the reports I saw last night on the news, there was no evidence of a crime being committed. But the daughter of former State Senator Paul Carpenter is missing, her husband is naturally worried, and somehow that translates into a news story? The Sheriff's Department did call her disappearance suspicious, which does make it a tougher call as to whether it is news. And her husband is offering a hundred thousand dollar reward, which certainly doesn't happen in a typical missing person case.  Every now and again, one of these stories may turn out to end tragically. This could be one of those. You never know. But right now it appears from here as if a woman decided to take off and leave her husband with no warning. Husbands and wives never want to think their spouses could do that, but it happens. Unless authorities say there is evidence of a crime, the Sheriff's Department is holding something back, or she's been involved with Gary Condit, I would suggest it may not news. At least not yet.

SPEAKING OF CONDIT

While I'm glad to see Bill O'Reilly is keeping his eye on the Condit situation, he was caught exaggerating by a Condit supporter that he was grilling. O'Reilly said that the Levys had said that Condit's treatment of them was "cruel."  The Condit supporter said he didn't believe they'd ever said that, and suggested that O'Reilly was just suddenly pulling the word out of the air.  O'Reilly looked at his notes, saw that he had nothing which indicated they used the word "cruel", and then tried to wiggle out of it. He found some other words the Levys had used, and suggested that they added up to cruelty. O'Reilly is really good at what he does, and I like to watch him. I think he really knew he got a little carried away, but didn't want to own up to it in the heat of the moment. It's not easy to score points on him in the Condit arena, but this guy in Modesto managed to do it.

A CHUNG/CONDIT POLL

The Connie Chung/Gary Condit interview will be airing tomorrow night, and I'm sure many of you will be watching.  When it's over, I'd like to know what you thought of it. So, I've added a couple of questions to our weekly poll in the poll section on the menu. Please head over their Thursday Night, Friday, or over the weekend, and let us know what you thought of it. And please don't fill it out until after the interview. I say that because when I last tried this with a Gore/Bush debate, someone answered the question before the debate even took place.

JUST WONDERING

If they capture the Sacramento killer alive, do you suppose Katie Couric will give out an address for his defense fund?

WHAT WAS THAT GETUP ABOUT?

As I got up Monday and checked out the KTLA Morning News, there was Sharon Tay-voted one of the four best looking newsbabes in an OTR poll- wearing a man's coat and tie! For a second I thought it might've been Cross Dressing Monday, but thankfully neither Sam Rubin, Mark Kriski or fill-in anchor Emmett Miller was wearing a dress. Call me crazy, but I just don't appreciate women who dress like men, or men who dress like women.  Jerry Garcia ties are as wild as I like to get. I have to admit, Tay is about the last female anchor who I would've guessed would go for the masculine look. Maybe she missed Carlos Amezcua, and decided to wear one of his suits to feel close to him. Whatever the reason, it was nice to see the normal Sharon back on Tuesday.

COMING FRIDAY

Part two  of our interview with Good Day LA host Steve Edwards.

TALK ABOUT A POLITICIAN WHO'S LESS THAN TRUTHFUL

Did you see Dick Gephardt on Meet The Press on Sunday?  I know there is always a certain amount of BS from politicians, but this just seemed like too much. For example, he told Tim Russert that he believes that Gary Condit is as concerned about Chandra Levy as her parents are. Does anyone believe that? He said he thought Al Gore ran a good campaign for president, and though he's a big Cardinals fan, he said he'd be happy to see Barry Bonds break Mark McGwire's home run record. It's guys like him who make Jesse Ventura look so refreshing.  A politician who seems to be willing to say what he actually thinks.

TRYING TO GET BOTH SIDES

When it comes to being fanatical, the Southern California Vietnamese community could certainly give Miami's Cubans a run for their money. Last weekend, the former South Vietnamese demonstrated outside of a concert performed by someone from Viet Nam. They branded it as a communist event. When I saw KNBC cover this, that was about all they had. We heard nothing about the other side. But on KTLA, they actually interviewed the promoter, who said it was his way of showing off our freedom in America to the performer. He considered it a way of building bridges. Good for KTLA for doing their Journalism 101, and getting both sides of the story. It may be easy to always play up the angry demonstrators, but that doesn't make them right, or the only voice on an issue.

HOLDING BACK INFO - A DECEPTIVE TEASE?

Last week KABC TV anchor Laura Diaz said there were "possible new developments" in the disappearance of a local woman. She also said in this tease "They're searching for her body."  But when  reporter Bob Banfield did the story, he said that a body had been found hours earlier, and they believed it was the missing woman. So how can you suggest in the tease that a search is underway, when you know a body has already been found? Suggesting that the story is up in the air may make for a better tease, but if you already know the outcome, isn't it wrong to imply that you don't?

WHERE HAS SHE BEEN?

Don't even non-baseball fans know that Tommy Lasorda used to be the Dodgers' manager? Last week on KABC radio, anchor Sharon Dale referred to him as the team's former coach. Why do I get the feeling she's not from around here?

BROADCASTEZE VIOLATION OF THE WEEK

Who: Hal Fishman

Where: KTLA

What: "flee on foot"

I heard this cop talk three times during their newscast last night. What is wrong with "run away?"

Put your hand on the monitor and count to three...one, two, three...HEAL!!

WE CONTINUE TO TALK ENERGY WITH MR KABC

OTR - When you started looking into the state energy situation, you used
to complain that Edison seemed to be trying to pressure your station.
Recently I believe I heard to you say they've laid off you. Can you fill us
in what they did, and why you think they'd stopped the pressure?


 Mr K -" Edison doesn't need enemies or loud mouths like me throwing a monkey wrench into their "understanding" with the Governor to get a taxpayer bail-out.
For that reason, Edison will appear on a minutes notice on any show where
the host is ill-informed or sympathetic. Since the June letter Edison's
Communication and Media Relations Director privately sent to my General
Manager (copy below) and my public reading of the letter and demand for an
apology for the obvious intention to intimidate or silence me, they have
been publicly silent.

On Friday's KCET Life and Times, shrewd host Hugh Hewitt asked Stephen
Frank, CEO of Southern California Edison about the "hit" they've put on me. On the air, he denied any knowledge of me. I have it on good authority that in the
KCET "green room" when he was asked about me, he responded that I had been a bit rough with one of his executives. So, you tell me - how is it that he
knew about me 15 minutes prior to his interview but once in the glare of the
cameras and lights, he denies any knowledge of me?"

From: Gil.Alexander@sce.com
To: mihouses@hotmail.com
CC: bill.sommerrs@abc.com, erik.s.braverman@abc.com
Subject: Follow-up on your concern
Date: Wed, 6 Jun 2001 13:06:36 -0700

"Your e-mail and concern have been brought to my attention. I am the member
of the SCE media office who first contacted Mark Germain (Mr. KABC) and
KABC's station manager and program manager several months ago to express
SCE's concern that Mark was communicating inaccurate information about the
state's energy crisis and our company. In addition, I was the SCE employee
who wrote the e-mail Mark read on-air last week declining SCE's
participation in tomorrow's show.

You and other listeners are being misinformed by Mr. Germain. There have
been no efforts by SCE management or our communications office to influence
Mark's employment, nor would SCE ever engage in such unethical conduct. No
meetings have been requested or held on this subject. I am copying both
the station manager and program manager on this e-mail hoping they will
confirm this fact and that they will ask Mark to discontinue this most
recent inappropriate attack on SCE.

While we would never contact KABC about Mark's employment, we have asked
KABC to adhere to basic journalistic fairness and professionalism. We do
not believe they have done so.

I do not mean by that statement that we expect a media outlet to refrain
from challenging our positions. Nor do I mean that we expect journalists
to accept our positions after hearing them. We're big boys here. We can
do rough and tumble if a media outlet insists. If you heard Mark's
two-hour interview with our Senior Vice President Bob Foster you know that
to be true.

However, we expect balanced reporting, meaning that differing perspectives
on an issue are presented as sincere but differing explanations of facts.
And we expect that when senior executives take the time to give a
broadcaster lengthy, detailed explanations of complex issues, their views
will be treated with respect and as if they are speaking the truth as they
understand it. Mark has conformed to neither journalistic standard.

On occasion, our executives have been characterized as liars after they
left the studio. I recall one instance when Mark said, "I don't know how
Bob Foster could say that with a straight face." One wonders exactly why
Mark believes that we should be willing to continue sending spokespersons
into his studio.

Mark's clear anti-utility bias may be causing him to believe his very
public accusations that we are attempting to interfere with his employment.
Or he may be setting up a phony straw man for some perverse purpose. I
don't know Mark and cannot judge his motives. But I can assure you that
when I said to station management several months ago, and repeated here,
that KABC is misinforming its listeners about the facts of a significant
state crisis, I meant to communicate that and only that point.

Gil Alexander, SCE Corp. Comm., Media Relations"

OTR ON THE ROAD

As this web site evolves, it seemed like a good idea to offer my services for speaking engagements at colleges, service clubs or anyone else interested in the OTR gospel. Of course one of the great advantage to speaking  in person is that you get far few typos. If you check the OTR On the Road page on the menu, you can see learn more. You can also read what some well known OTR readers have to say about this web site.  If you are interested, you can email to OTROnTheRoad@aol.com.  

YOUR OPINIONS

They are an important part of OTR. Please send them along to BRUIN74@aol.com. Unless you say otherwise, I'll assume it is for publication.

OTR IS PUBLISHED EVERY MONDAY, WEDNESDAY AND FRIDAY   Letters to the editor are updated Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Ron's disclaimer: Like all reporters I have opinions.  I do the best I can to make sure that nothing I say here has any effect on my objectivity in covering stories.

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