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A media critique... and then some!
Tuesday Letters - in defense of Jim Hill, a non-fan of Rick Garcia, and more. Inside LA TV - An insider complains about Jim Hill. New Chris Kazarian column is up. Check out Recent Issues 6-07-04 Monday's OTR 6-11-04 Friday's OTR
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ONLY ON KTLA
While I could've missed it, I didn't see this story anywhere else on Thursday. But what I can confident of, is that KTLA is the only station that would do a "package" like this on such a story. A package is when a reporter records his voice track over video. Normally that includes a stand-up, which this story had, and sound bites which this story lacked. So, reporter Bill Smith took 1:30 to tell a story - start to finish - without anyone else speaking to enhance the story. Further, the entire video was courtroom shots like the one above.
If you can find another station in LA that would make that a package, as Barry White once told me "I'll take my hat off and eat it for you." Barry wasn't wearing a hat at the time, but then again, neither am I.
But I better not bury my lead any further, which is, I think it worked! This was the story a woman who was sentenced to life in prison for murdering her child. People in the coroner's office said it was the worst case of child abuse resulting in death that they'd ever seen. It was so bad, that at first the judge hesitated to go along with a 2nd degree plea bargain. Lawyers on both sides agreed that she tried to hurt her child, but never intended to kill her. This woman was herself an abuse victim, having been raped by two uncles when she was twelve. She was on drugs when she murdered her child. In the end, the judge went along with the agreement. Smith says she will be eligible for parole in 15 years, but it's not likely she'll get it. And the judge would not let him show her face, for fear she'd be killed in prison. However, Smith did give out her name.
Normally, if you're going to do a courtroom criminal package, you'd at least go out to the scene of the crime. But credit to Bill Smith and KTLA for breaking the rules of contemporary TV news. Sometimes, it can work.
ROGGIN VS FUKUZAKI
We've got 43 votes as I write this, early Monday evening. It'd sure be nice if we could reach 100. So if you've not voted in the runoff, please do. Who is LA's best TV sports anchor?
Please click on your choice and hit "send."
THAT DIDN'T LAST LONG
On Friday, I told you about the new policy on the KCAL 10pm news of using only 2-shots with Pat Harvey and David Jackson. Well, the above still comes from tonight's 10pm news. I did make it clear that they weren't married to this new idea, but this didn't even last a week.
EW?
While commenting on a story she finds distasteful, fill-in anchor Maria Quiban commented "ew." Sounds more child-like than anchor-like, doesn't it? Listen as Quiban adds her ewditorial comment while Sanchez is reading. This audio goes quickly......
A BAD TEASE
Here's what the tease said on KCBS, "The arrest of a suspected gunman goes terribly wrong....still ahead, a deputy is shot but the question is, who fired the gun?"
But the reality is, the station already knew that another deputy fired that gun. In fact, the lead-in to the story said he was "shot by one of his own." So why pretend in the tease you don't know that? That is what I call deception. Someone should have caught the error....unless they actually think this is good tease writing. Let's hope not.
SPORTS BIAS
There he is, KABC reporter Leo Stallworth dressed in Lakers clothes as he covers The Lakers. While it may be only sports, there is a principle here. Even though the vast majority of KABC viewers who care, are rooting for The Lakers, a reporter should be impartial. Yes, even in sports. Maybe it's just me, but it would make me suspicious of his fairness in other stories. Because if the principle is lacking in sports, just maybe it's lacking elsewhere.
RAY CHARLES COVERAGE
Some newscasts led with the death of Ray Charles last Thursday, while some others still led with Reagan's death. I realize that stations like to vary their lead stories on their different newscasts. But given how big Ray Charles was, and that President Reagan was already dead for five days, Charles should have been the lead over him in every case. KCBS at five, KCAL at eight and KTLA at ten were stations which I saw which put Charles' death after their Reagan coverage.
QUESTIONABLE TEASE ON KCOP
As Maria Quiban read the tease, she said "Hit the road Ray, hit the road to heaven." Was that really the best way to get into this story? And what about those who may not have listened to the tease? Then they just saw what you see above, which by itself is insensitive. Put another way, if the acceptability of a line on the screen is dependent upon a line that is only heard, it's probably wise to rethink it. Wonder if they had any complaints?
Rick Garcia said "The man who sang I'll Be Good To You, was good to us for 73 years." True, Ray Charles sang that song in 1989....reaching #18 on the Billboard Hot 100. But the song is far more associated with the duo who originally sang it in 1976, The Brothers Johnson. I wasn't even aware of the Charles version. Once again, KCOP is trying real hard to play off the titles to his songs. But he had SO many hits. Why not play off a song title that cannot be offensive and which is mainly associated with Charles?
WHY DIDN'T SHE DO MORE?
Meantime, wasn't it odd that on KTLA their entertainment reporter Mindy Burbano didn't do the package on Charles? By comparison, George Pennacchio did the job for KABC. Nothing wrong with the job Walter Richards did for KTLA, but why not Burbano?
At the end of her entertainment segment, she showed a brief clip of when she interviewed Charles, and had a couple of nice comments about him. And certainly, she could've worked more of that interview into a package. Just why have a reporter who supposedly specializes in entertainment if they aren't your "go to" person when a star dies? If a major sports star died, would they give that to a general assignment reporter too?
MATTHEWS MAY BE RIGHT
On Hardball tonight on MSNBC, Chris Matthews said that based on the look on Bill Clinton's face after first seeing his White House portrait, he did not like it. I did see his face, but I also don't think it's an especially good picture of President Clinton. On the other hand, I think Hillary looks very good.
I did like seeing Bush make nice with Clinton. It would be nice to see a more civil tone set for the political discourse in this country.
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