A media critique... and then some! 9/21/01 - Friday Friday Letters are UP - More comments on Barbara Boxer, a couple of pros praise Carlos Amezcua, a fan of Giselle Fernandez, and more. Coming Monday - Evidence that a well known reporter didn't appear to know what she was  reading on the air. Links to Recent Issues 09-17-01 Monday's OTR 09-19-01 Wednesday's OTR 09-14-01 Friday's OTR OTR can use your help to keep publishing. If you like it, feel free to send ten dollars to Ron Fineman PO Box 42364 Bakersfield, CA 93384    OR you can send $ electronically by clicking on the PayPal logo   My sincerest thanks to all of you who have contributed so far.   Your help is very  much appreciated! Send your opinions to BRUIN74@aol.com.

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NEW ND REPORTEDLY HIRED AT KCAL

Electronic Media and others report that former KNBC news director Nancy Bauer Gonzales has been hired as KCAL's news director. As you know the rumor has been out there for a while, well before she left KNBC.  She'll start on October first. So, all you KCAL folks, let me know how you feel about this move. 

 WILL BILL MAHER BE A CASUALTY OF THIS WAR?

On Monday Night's "Politically Incorrect", Maher was saying that it was inaccurate to say the suicide hijackers were cowards. That's a point of view that has been expressed elsewhere, including right here. But then, Maher went on to say that launching cruise missiles from thousands of miles away, like the US does, is cowardly.  On later shows he explained that he felt the decision made by the man at the top to do battle that way was cowardly. He was not calling our soldiers cowards. He also reminded the audience that he has been a consistent supporter of our military over the years.  After he made the initial comment, at least one sponsor pulled out of the show, and others have called for Maher to be fired.

When I heard Maher make the coward reference Monday Night, I thought it was out of line. Even if he only meant the President and decision makers, as opposed to the soldiers, I would still disagree that using missiles to avoid losing your own people is cowardly. However, expressing such an opinion should NOT mean Maher should lose his show.

While talking about this on his show last night, Maher said it could be the last time he would have to talk to his audience. I only hope he was exaggerating.  It would be a terrible shame if our national trauma suddenly means that some points of view are not to be tolerated. It would be so wrong to no longer be able to watch Bill Maher, because he dared say something controversial, which was interpreted to be anti-American. The freedom that he and his guests enjoy, is exactly what the United States is all about. Sometimes that means opinions which upset members of the audience. I think Maher gets it wrong sometimes, but he is the kind of man who is not afraid to say things which may make his guests and audience angry or uneasy. More often than not, I think Maher is right. But that doesn't matter. He is an unusual voice in the sea of commentators and opinion makers. He says things that others are thinking, but are afraid to say. I think we really need a guy like Bill Maher, now as much as ever. I hope ABC-Disney has the brains and the character to keep him.  

PART ONE WITH TERRY ANZUR

Terry Anzur is a veteran LA TV anchor, and also teaches journalism at USC. She's written a book about the history of LA TV news, and I'm happy to say that she's agreed to be out latest Friday interview.

(1) OTR - You are working on a book about the history of LA TV news. First, why did you decide to do it?

Terry - Journalism has been called "history on the run" and I've always been a history buff. As we watch the live coverage of the tragic attack on America, we just assume that live TV cameras and reporters will be on the scene, bringing us the story as it happens. This type of news coverage originated here in Los Angeles and it's one of the great untold stories of U.S. media history. >>

The very first "live shot" took place in 1947 when KTLA covered the electroplating plant explosion on Pico Boulevard, still the worst industrial accident in the history of Los Angeles. Few people saw it, because there were only a few hundred TV sets in the market. The first real-time TV coverage of a disaster was even earlier... the Long Beach earthquake of 1933. The disaster area was closed to the public, but the experimental Don Lee station obtained rapid-process film of the damage. You had to go into Lee's car dealership in downtown LA to see it. Of course, the most famous early live shot was the tragedy of little Kathy Fiscus in San Marino. It the first live TV coverage to be seen by an audience of significant size. However, there are a number of myths about the coverage and part of the challenge in writing the first chapter of the book was to separate myth from fact.
For one thing, there were TWO stations covering the Fiscus story. The news rivalry between KTLA and KTTV goes all the way back to one awful day in 1949. The Los Angeles market was unique in this respect. Most cities had only a station or two and they were affiliated with national networks. Los Angeles had more TV stations than any other city including New York and there were two independents with rich owners: Paramount owned KTLA and the Los Angeles Times owned KTTV. They couldn't rely on a network feed, so they had to generate their own programming. KTLA's Klaus Landsberg brought some ideas from Germany that were very different from the American concept of TV. Early programs were studio-bound and news was a radio-style headline service, occasionally with film that was days old. Klaus had the idea of building a TV station in a truck and dragging the huge studio cameras out into the street. Yes, other stations did remotes for scheduled events where they had lots of time to set up, like baseball games. Klaus was the first to respond to breaking news in the field. The Fiscus story is credited with selling more TV sets than any other single event and the popularity of the coverage prompted the station to go live at any possible opportunity. Ethical problems quickly came up. For example, the 1951 murder of little Patty Jean Hull raised the question of whether violent crime stories belonged on TV. Should TV news be a welcome guest in the living room or should it hold up a mirror to the worst of society? 
Other firsts for LA included the first live coverage of an atomic bomb explosion, an amazing adventure story. The networks said it couldn't be done, but Klaus Landsberg made a daring bet and proved them wrong. Had he failed, KTLA would probably have gone bankrupt. The first helicopter with live video capability was flying in Los Angeles in 1958, two decades before any other market as far as I have been able to determine. The inventor of that first chopper, John Silva, is one of the unsung heroes of our industry. And I'm only up to the 1950s!
The biggest obstacle so far is that I do not yet have a publisher, despite being represented by one of the best book agents in the business. The major houses are all in New York, where editors refuse to believe that anything significant ever came out of Los Angeles besides Hollywood films. Ironically, this proximity to the film industry and distance from the networks in New York meant that we had most of the technical innovations in local news first, such as the first one-hour local newscast. The working title of the book is "Strangers in the Living Room: Hollywood's Hometown News." I'll be relaunching the web site -- sitlr.com -- in a few weeks.

Well, here I go interviewing myself again. Next question?

(2) OTR -  So how did TV cover the murder of the little girl in 1951? Do you happen to know if they interviewed or attempted to interview her parents right away, as TV reporters probably would now? Along those lines, did you find in the 50s and 60s, there was more respect for the privacy of those who lost loved ones?

I don't want to give away too much of the book, but KTLA got beat on the story because of Landsberg's feeling that TV should not bring anything distasteful into the home. This story was awful. A little girl was kidnapped from a Saturday movie matinee by a man with a long history of child molestation. Police had the suspect and the blood-spattered crime scene and the live coverage centered on the search for the body. Lawmakers began proposing bills to provide more security for children in movie theaters, so they eventually justified the coverage by saying it might save some lives. There was nearly a riot as the girl's relatives confronted the suspects on the steps of the Orange County courthouse. KTLA's Dick Lane -- best known as a wrestling announcer -- interviewed the child's father and both men broke down and wept on camera. This was extraordinary on 1950s television because news reporters almost never interviewed "real" people. Soundbites usually came from politicians, cops and other official sources. >>


This was also a big change from the Fiscus story two years earlier. Neither station 
 interviewed the Fiscus parents because the reporters saw it as an invasion of privacy. The Fiscus coverage ended as soon as doctors determined the girl was dead. The TV cameras didn't stick around to see the recovery of the body. Two years later, KTTV was criticized for showing Patty Jean Hull''s body when it was found. It was the first live coverage of a crime investigation. 


People in the 1950s were generally uncomfortable talking about topics like child molestation and it's difficult to get some of the veteran broadcasters to talk about this story even today. They also tend to avoid talking about the Red Scare, even though the HUAC hearings in Hollywood were telecast live on the local stations. Hollywood careers were being destroyed on live TV and some veteran broadcasters make it sound like it was just another day at the office for them. I'd be interested in any recollections, films, or kinescopes people may have. Video tape was not in wide use until the 1960s and it can be difficult to find anything from the 1950s. The book is very much a work in progress and contributions are welcome.

NEXT WEEK PART TWO - How does today's content compare to what we had in the early 60s? I think you'll find Terry's answers interesting in more ways than one.

EVALUATING TODAY'S FEMALE ANCHORS

Since we are doing a poll now on best LA TV female anchor, PR person Kate Cooley sent the following opinions.

Hi, Ron.
Wanted you to know that your site is also popular with us in PR and 
marketing. We sometimes have to deal with local TV people, so it's very 
interesting reading about them from time to time on OTR.
Since you're having a female anchor poll coming up, here are some of 
our thoughts:
Sharon Tay is so fake. It's obvious she's had a lot of work done, but 
aside from that...it seems to be all about her. She seems to always be 
checking herself out...and placing her long hair in different places in 
between commercials!
Jillian B. (GDLA) is entertaining to watch sometimes, but I agree with 
some of your readers--she should NOT try serious news.
Mia Lee is too consumed with her breasts to deliver the news.
Leslie Sykes is ok...but she's growing too much hair!
I think Laura Diaz is good, but they need new blood there...and 
Michelle Tuzee is it! She's friendly, and doesn't do much that draws too 
much attention to herself.
Pat Harvey is good, although it seems like she's just uninterested 
sometimes.
Leyna Nguyen seems like she has a really good sense of humor. (and I 
think of the three Asian women mentioned, is the only one with natural 
breasts)
Jane Velez-Mitchell is too dramatic sometimes, and her hair never looks 
the same twice.
And finally...Gretchen Carr is beautiful...but with how horrible news 
is at that station--we never want to watch!
Yes, Ron, some of these things may be trivial...but these women need to 
understand that all of it affects how we see their performance as a 
newscaster. There is an art to looking good, without coming off like 
that's all you care about. And there's something to be said about NATURAL 
beauty!
Love your site!!

Kate Cooley

AN LA REPORTER TALKS ABOUT ACCENTS AND PRONUNCIATION

Hi Ron...

This doesn't seem to be the week for this but I couldn't resist replying to Jesse Vega's comments about Cristina Gonzalez.

I was an anchor in Mexico City for Televisa's ECO cable news channel (much like CNN - 24 hours of international news broadcast around the world). 

Now, I'm not Mexican and either is my family. I was born here in California and Spanish is actually my third language, but I am one hundred percent fluent in it.

When it came to reading news about then President Bill Clinton, I would always pronounce "Clinton" in English, as opposed to giving it a Spanish accent. I continuously did that with all the names in English. 

Some coworkers would tease me about my "gringa" accent; one boss asked me to try and give it the accent "en español" and I just couldn't. Clinton was Clinton. Period. It wasn't "Clean-tone".

One day the Vice-president of the News Division came down and told me something to the effect of "you go ahead and say the words the way you want to, after all you are pronouncing them correctly."

The other day here in Los Angeles there was another police chase. The driver's last name was released that evening by Inglewood Police and it was Cardenas. That evening I saw a reporter with a Hispanic surname pronounce the name "Car-DI - nas". Boy did I cringe! Then I watched Marc Coogan and he was able to pronounce it correctly.

If my native language was French and I was speaking in English about Champs Elysees in Paris, should I say "champs" as in "sports champs"? Or should I pronounce the word correctly, even if that means falling into my native accent?

Another thing Ron, Jesse says he's fluent in Spanish yet he wrote the following: "...then she can go to Gala Vison and be a ring announcer for "Luche Libre. "

Jesse, the name of the network is "Galavisión" and wrestling in Spanish is called "Lucha Libre", not "luche".

The point is (at least my personal point and opinion) that I would much rather hear a word or name pronounced correctly and with an accent, than incorrectly and without an accent, whether it be in Spanish or Swahili.

I much prefer Cristina's real accent to all the pseudo-Hispanic reporters we have that can't pronounce "taco"correctly.

Cristina is a good reporter. Let's learn to celebrate our differences rather than being so quick to knock them down.

Thanks!

Gigi Graciette

(My thanks to Gigi for sharing her opinions. I think her letter brings out part of the problem many of us see. Pronunciation and accent are two different things. For example, you'd be a real fool if you pronounced "Camarillo" as "Camarealo." But should you use a Spanish accent while saying it?  There seems to be little consistency on accent. For example, should you pronounce a Spanish name with an accent if that person does NOT say it that way? How is it that some reporters pronounce some Spanish words with an accent but others without. As I pointed out a while ago, one time Linda Alvarez pronounced Mexico two different ways in the same story. And since LA is a land of many backgrounds, should reporters use Armenian accents for Armenian names, or Korean accents for Korean names? Would this help or hamper clear communication to the viewer? All of this is noticed by viewers, and certainly worth talking about.-Ron)

NFL PICKS (1-2-1)

Dolphins vs Raiders - 1 1/2

Chiefs vs Giants  - 1 1/2

Colts vs Bills  -10

Packers vs Redskins -8 1/2

OTR ONE YEAR AGO THIS WEEK (9-20-00)

WHO ASKED YOU?

Too often these days, we hear anchors give their opinions on serious stories, something that I believe journalism textbooks would call editorializing. It is a mystery to me why any news director would tolerate this. Of course if  I wasn't easily mystified by contemporary news standards, I don't suppose I would have a lot to write about.

In this latest example, an OTR reader tells me that Wilma and Betty (better known as Kelly Mack and Michelle Ruiz) felt it necessary to give us their thoughts on the Firestone story.  This was the one  in which those who re-sell the recalled tires could be fined 11 hundred dollars per tire. Wilma said it wasn't enough money and Betty agreed. (Dino was unavailable for comment). If they must give their opinions on the news of the day, they should start their own web page.  Works for me.

GETTING IT RIGHT CAN BE TRICKY

I'm among those reporters who covered negotiations last week, which led up to a transit strike in Los Angeles.  Let me tell you, there was this normally reliable radio reporter (his initials are RF), who put out a bit of misleading info, based on facts supplied by the MTA. (You know the old saying "confession is good for the website"). Here is exactly what the release said-- "MTA bus drivers and mechanics make an average of 50 thousand dollars a year, with as much as an additional 20 thousand dollars in overtime pay."  So, I reported that the average driver makes 50 thousand a year, NOT including overtime.  It turns out the 50 grand includes some overtime. I must thank LA Times reporter Jeff Rabin for pointing out the error to me. I felt a little better knowing that he initially took the information the same way I did.  An MTA spokesman then confirmed for me that the 50 thousand average does in fact include some OT. Certainly, the MTA could've been more clear in their fact sheet.

One of the issues in this strike is that the MTA wants 10 to 15 percent of their drivers to work four ten hour days. Each one would be a split shift, with two or three hours of down time between morning and afternoon shifts, in which they would not get paid. What many reporters fail to mention is that many drivers already do this split shift on a five day week. They do it, since they get paid OT for their ninth and tenth hours of driving each day.  The fact that drivers and train operators wouldn't get overtime in the 4/10 plan is certainly a legitimate issue. But if the public gets the idea that this split shift is something new for bus drivers, then that would leave a false impression, which would be unfair to the MTA.  Talks are starting again today. But based on how firm both sides appear to be, I'm guessing this strike is going to last for a while.

THE HEAT

I have complained about LA stations which take warm temperatures and then claim there is some heat wave going on.  At least lately, it really has been hot in LA. Nevertheless, does that mean you have to do a package on it? How many times can you interview people who work outside, and people who're eating ice cream?  How many sound bites do you need to hear telling you how hot it is? It is BORING!   But last Saturday, there was actually a hard angle to this routine feature story. Some people who were watching UCLA teach Michigan a lesson at the Rose Bowl, had to be treated because of the heat. But can you believe it? When Lora McLaughlin did her heat story on KABC, she ended  her package with some video of people being treated at the football game. On KCBS, they simply did short story on the heat, emphasizing those people suffering at the Rose Bowl.  Perhaps we should get Lora that above mentioned journalism textbook, with the chapter underlined which is called "Burying the Lead."  

BURBANO STRIKES AGAIN

If you ever wondered what would happen if you gave your 12 year old daughter a microphone and a TV camera, there's an easy way to find out. Just watch entertainment reporter Mindy Burbano on KTLA. I've never seen a reporter who seems so immature on the job.  Last week, she did a live shot from a Latin Grammy Awards party. She was with two women I've never heard of. They were either models or actresses, or at least two women who wanted to be on television.  Burbano was saying how "hot" Latin music is, and asked one of her female friends for her opinion on why that is.  She said it was the hot Latin men. The other woman agreed, saying that being "hot" was in their blood.  Hey, you won't get insight like that by watching Univision. Like water, I suppose sometimes interviewing seeks its own level.

 But what made me realize that Burbano was lacking in the maturity department was how she and her friends decided to "play" Charlie's Angels.  Yes, at the end of the live shot the three posed like the Charlie's Angels silhouette, with the three pretending to be pointing guns. What that had to do with Latin music, I have no idea. Even as a light entertainment feature, how does crap like this get on television?

THAT KISS

On MSNBC's "Hardball", a pollster said how the Al/Tipper kiss helped Gore with female voters.  Host Chris Matthews can understand how being pro-choice will help Gore with most women, but I think he's as puzzled as I am about how a kiss can make any difference. Anyway, on the same show last week he asked former Senator Alan Simpson what that kiss has to do with abortion. Simpson answered "Nothing. Well, eventually it does."

HOW DO YOU SAY THAT?

While watching the Olympics last night, there was a basketball player on Italy's team whose last name is pronounced "Foochkuh." But it's spelled "Fucka." I'd pay money to slip that one on the teleprompter of certain LA anchors.

YOU TELL 'EM, JUDGE

Right after OTR said that the treatment of Wen Ho Lee was an embarrassment to the United States, the judge in Lee's case said the same thing.  Do you suppose the judge reads OTR?  No, I don't think so either.  And I think we can all agree that such a statement from a judge has a bit more impact than it does from this small voice in cyber space. Well put, Judge Parker.

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.