Ron Fineman's OTR * The Latest Letters

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Dear Ron:

I about fell off my chair after hearing of the Kyung
Lah affair and the subsequent firings. She was always
a favorite of mine on the KNBC newscasts. Thorough,
credible, personable. All the elements that make a
good reporter/anchor.

Sadly, this breaks up my "dream team" of David Cruz,
Kyung Lah and Rachel Boesing. It just won't be the
same without her.

To work as hard as I'm sure she did all these years,
and to throw it all away for a "roll in the hay." I
hope he was worth it!

Regards,
Bev Maxfield

There was a remarkable amount of misinformation and lack of understanding on TV news at the time of the Glendale/Atwater Park Metrolink crash. But I thought the incident would cause news reporters to finally get a clue about how push-pull trains operate.
Yet on the KTLA 10pm news tonight, Bill Smith showed video of two trains to illustrate pull vs. push. The first train had the locomotive on the front. The second one was led by a "cab car" while "the engineer drives from the rear." If Bill really believes the crew member is way back there in the engine, why doesn't he do an investigation of How the heck can the guy see what's in front of the train? Or maybe he has the same idea as another reporter stated a while back-- the conductor RADIOS from the front, to the engineer in the rear! No, it's called a CAB CAR because it is equipped with just about everything you would normally find at the front of a train-- headlight, horn, throttle, brake controls, engineer's seat-- and the controls are connected though the train to operate the locomotive. The same sort of system has allowed one engineer to control two, five, or ten locomotives on freight trains, for more than a half-century now. They're "MU-ed" for Multiple Unit operation. No, there aren't two, five, or ten engineers on freight trains. And there's no need for anyone to be in the locomotive when a Metrolink train is in push mode.
Scott Pitzer
Norwalk

I have noted your proper correction of mispronunciations of cities and locations in Southern California.

It actually extends all across the country. I grew up in Kansas City, Missouri and know that Salina, Kansas is pronounced Sa-LIE-na, not the Sa-LEE-na that it seems almost every anchor used when talking about the around the world flight story of a few weeks ago. I understand they were swayed by the town in Northern California, Salinas, and its pronunciation. There are several small towns in Missouri that have this local pronunciation different from what you would expect. Versailles, Missouri (Ver-sales) and Versailles, France (Ver-sigh); Cairo, Illinois is pronounced Kay-roe; Arkansas City, Kansas is Are-KAN-zus not ARE-kun-saw, etc.

Just depends on where you are from and the local custom.

It doesn't take very long to look up on the internet the local pronunciation for that region.

Keep up the good work, Ron. The constructive criticism is nice to see.

Bob Nichols
Duarte, CA

Hi Ron,
I know your website is devoted to covering the news,
but a "broadcasteze violation" is by definition
something stupid said during a violation. Hence:

Who: Jim Nantz
When: The second half of the Michigan State-Duke
basketball game
What: "Randolph pilfers that one."

Jim, I know we let you wax romantic about the Masters
golf tournament, and it may be cruel and unusual
punishment to pair you with Billy Packer; but leave
your thesaurus at home during the NCAA tournament.
What's next -- "The Wildcats pillaged their way
through the Sweet 16?"

Hope you're doing well, Ron. Are you still watching
the tournament, or are you on the "CSI" marathon on
SpikeTV?

Take care,
Eva Winkle

(I've never seen an episode of CSI - an admission which would certainly disqualify me from working at KCBS. Though I have been watching some of the Terri Schiavo marathon coverage. And I must admit, I haven't watched much of the tournament.- Ron)

I just got my subscription and was reading some back issues and read in
the March 7th Inside LA TV that KTLA might be ready to let go of Carlos
Amezcua. If they do, that would be a BIG mistake on their part. I live
on the other side of the country in North Carolina and catch LA TV (2,
4, 5, 7, and 11) on the dish. One of the reasons I watch the KTLA
Morning News over local programs or even KTTV's Good Day LA is because
the whole team they have assembled for the morning news gets along just
like a family. I find that the program isn't as enjoyable when someone
else is filling in for Carlos, and usually I'll give KTTV a chance that
day. I can't possibly be the only viewer who feels that way. After the
long history on the program that Amezcua has, it would seem to me that
whatever money they'd save on his salary by getting someone cheaper they
would lose anyway on revenues when the ratings go down.

Just $.02 from a new OTR reader 3,000 miles away! Keep up the good work
Ron.

Scott James
Greenville, NC

Dear Ron:

Congrats on your continuing health success. I know each day you will get stronger and stronger. As the KNBC situation, I'm surprised, but not too shocked. But I do have one question.

Being a neophyte to the inside dealings of a media newsroom, what can you tell me about the effects of the firing of Ms. Lah. It seemed for awhile that KNBC was high on her. They had her in as the mid-morning anchor, or as the first reporter up cut to on their "Today In LA" broadcasts. However, with these events, what happens to her professional career as a reporter.

What I mean is, does she become a pariah in the newsroom if she is hired somewhere else. Having an affair with a producer can easily be interpreted as trying to get to the top of the anchor/reporter food chain quicker. Even if this wasn't the case, does suspicion and innuendo follow her around from job to job. Will these events affect her professional career.

I am just wondering about the inner workings of the newsroom. When last I heard a case of the breach of profession ethics, NBC News removed Michelle Gillen from "Dateline NBC." I know for a time she was with KCBS, but I believe she is in Miami now. Her national stock forever lowered by her GM story.

I do not even want to speculate about her private life. That is for her and her husband to work out. I'm wondering if her professional career will be irreparably damaged.

Thanks for the time and the info.

(You ask a good question that I can't answer. I do know that newsroom affairs are not at all unusual - though I would guess that most are not between married people. In any case, I welcome the opinions of in-the-biz readers as to whether they would have any problems working with either of these people. - Ron)

I was very sorry to hear of the firing of KNBC's Kyung Lah. She is indeed a solid reporter, I was pleased when she was hired away from Chicago's WBBM-TV to work here in L.A. I obviously don't know all of the details of what happened over her release, but I do think it's worth commending someone who was doing quality work on local TV. I do hope that she re-emerges somewhere again on the local dial.

Re your "broadcasteze" violation about KNBC's Michele Ruiz using the term "eatery" -- I've had out of town friends use that term. Maybe because I work with academics who talk funny anyway.

Finally, I'm thrilled to hear the results of your latest medical tests! Of course you have my prayers and good wishes, as well as the prayers and good wishes of many -- keep up the good fight!

Sincerely,
Alan Oda

Hi Ron,

During the coverage of the Robert Blake verdict, I kept hearing Wendy
Burch at KABC-TV say Blake was found "innocent." That's wrong. The
jury found him "not guilty." In fact, several jurors said later that
they thought he was somehow involved in his wife's murder, but they
couldn't put the gun in his hand. Reporters need to be careful when
giving verdicts. It's guilty or not guilty, but not innocent.

Barbara Tarlau

Be careful, Ron-- you write
"And needless to say, we all know who the current president is."
And just below that you show Lauren Sanchez...

For the caption, I'd suggest
"Ooooh! RICK! I didn't know you cared!"

By the way, I'm trying to stay away from eateries-- watching my weight you know. But if you can recommend any good niteries, I'm all ears!

Scott Pitzer
Norwalk