Ron Fineman's OTR * The Latest Letters

Reminder: Please send your letters using upper AND lower case, and remember to include your first and last name. Also please SPELL CHECK before sending.

I, like you, can plainly hear Zorianna Kit pronounce Alhambra “Ala-hambra”. I don’t know about Ms. Roberts hearing when the city’s spelling leaves little doubt of its pronunciation, but obviously from her signature, like most attorneys her hearing is selective.

On top of the credibility-robbing KCAL "sex news", I find that the new KTTV promos and show open, with their guitar riff-driven music and the annoying "Just you waaaAAAaaatch" are the first steps down the slippery slope to KCOP-Land. I find John Beard and Christine Divine two of the best in the business (as are Jeff Michael and Susan Hirasuna on the weekends), and to come out of this Slash-inspired lead in to a somber heavy lead story, for me anyways, just erases any sort of credibility KTTV still manages to hold on to and makes them look silly.

Ken Koller

Dear Ron,

The case of Kit vs. Alhambra is now called for "hearing":

First I pronounced Alhambra outloud. Then I listed to the Kit/Alhambra audio. She pronounced it exactly as I do, and I have been living here since 1977. What are you saying: that the protocol is to pronounce the second syllable as if you were saying the word "ham?" That's news to me, but in any event, where's the beef (ham)? If you're going to pick on Ms. Kit, please pick on something worthier, as you did previously concerning her failure to disclose the prior litigation between her husband and the subject of her story.

Cordially,

Vicki Roberts, Esq.

(Yes, ever since I went to Alhambra Park as a kid back in the 50s, I remember it being pronounced with the "ham" sounds. Further, Kit gives it an extra syllable so that it comes out Alahambra.- Ron)

Ron,

Poor Eric and Emmett, I've been there and feel their pain.
First, how can anyone who has at least graduated from high school, not
know that you have to be registered to vote. Same minimum educational
requirements to know there are incorporated cities, counties, statewide
offices and federal elections-- tragic, just tragic that a major market
news anchor would ask such a stupid question.
But, Cher isn't alone. Consider an anchor asking me when I was in the
chopper over a bank robbery that had just occurred, "How much money was
taken?" One can only imagine how difficult it is to not reply, "Now,
that's a stupid question, how the hell am I supposed to know how much
doe was taken-- I'm in a chopper 1000 feet over the robbery that just
happened."
I never really learned why anchors ask really dumb questions, save for
the belief they have to contribute to the story--read: face time.
I know for a fact there was a time it really took talent and experience
to be in the Los Angeles Market-- but I opine now the only factors are
race, gender and how little money the talent is willing to work for.

Sleeping In Daily,

Rod Bernsen
roderick.bernsen@verizon.net

I read with both disgust and interest the various comments and stories about KCAL and its post-Laker game news. I'm a big fan of both Pat Harvey and David Jackson, and was very pleased to have Jackson return to KCAL a couple of years ago. The really, really, sad part is that I honestly believe that these two journalists are powerless to do anything about these stories. I think that decisions about local news are more and more being made at a corporate level, not a local level, so that even local news directors have little control over certain issues. When KCAL isn't doing post-Laker game...er, stuff...I think the station does some marvelous work with their prime time news block. The station actually gives time for analysis and perspective of the news -- any station that has the services of both Dave Bryan and Linda Breakstone will have a strong advantage. It makes the aforementioned Laker-related offerings even more embarassing.

Isn't there any station here in L.A. that's willing to take the chance and do a hard news-based presentation? Given how much the L.A. audience is fragmented, I'd think that such a newscast would attract a loyal audience. As I said before, maybe I'm just old-fashioned...or just getting old.

Add comment Ron: the graphics that you're getting via your TIVO have been outstanding! The website looks better than ever!

Continue to be well Ron...someone has to keep L.A. TV in check!

Sincerely,

Alan Oda

(Thanks Alan. It's actually a digital video converter by Plextor which I connected to my TiVo which has made the big difference. I agree, the pics do look good! - Ron)

I noticed this weekend that Denise Valdez is gone and taken off of NBC4's website. Do you who will be replacing her on the weekends permanently? I noticed Kim Baldonado was doing the weekend shift. Anymore personnel changes?

(I had been wondering when Valdez would be gone, and my thanks to Michael. His email alerted me that she was taken of the KNBC web site. If I can report any other changes, I'll pass them along. -Ron)