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6/23/06 - Friday Friday Letter is up Inside LA TV - KCAL management concerned about Mia Lee's   lips. KTLA Morning Show to expand. Check out Recent Issues 6-20-06 Tuesday's OTR 6-16-06 Friday's OTR          Send your opinions to BRUIN74@aol.com.

If you'd like to know when each issue is ready, and receive email news updates which occur between issues...  email to Bruin74@aol.com

Note: As I think most of you know by now, my web host server was down for a couple of days. Thanks for your patience and understanding. And that is another good reason to be on the email reminder list. That allowed me to reach those on the list to explain what was going on. Anyway, good to be back in service.  Because we were down for so long, I'll continue the KCAL anchor poll.  

Of course if you missed Tuesday's issue, the usual link is right above for you to check out.

NOT PAYING ATTENTION AT KTLA

As you'll recall, Mayor Villaraigosa flew to Sacramento on Monday to save his plan to take over the Los Angeles Unified School District.  On KTLA at 10pm, Hal Fishman said "Those opposed to the mayor’s plan protested outside the Bob Hope airport in Burbank, where the mayor departed for the capital."

Apparently KTLA was the only newsroom in town which did not realize Villaraigosa actually took off from LAX.   As early at 4pm KCAL reported that the mayor left from LAX, despite protesters at Bob Hope Airport. 

 And at 10pm KTTV also got the story right. In fact anchor Phil Shuman says the protesters claim they were targeting legislators who fly out of Burbank. Though as you can see, one of their sign suggests they thought they were reaching Villaraigosa.

When you miss something that everyone else gets right, that can be embarrassing.  Even being Young, Hip and Sexy doesn't really compensate for dropping the ball, does it?

OTHERS SHOULD FOLLOW KTTV'S LEAD

Near as I can tell, KTTV was the only newsroom to send a reporter to Sacramento for this story.  It seems that surveys always show that viewers consider education a very important issue. Stations like to claim they cover it well. Yet in a story that  could affect LA school children for generations, only one station sends a reporter to Sacramento?(Update: I am told that KNBC sent Conan Nolan to Sacramento). And on Wednesday, after the deal was struck, KABC's Sacramento bureau reporter Nannette Miranda was oddly absent from their coverage.  

At 11pm on Monday, neither KCBS, KABC or KNBC covered the story at all.

IT GETS WORSE

While KNBC and KABC covered the compromise agreement at 11pm on Wednesday, KCBS didn't cover it!  How can you ignore a story of that magnitude?  Maybe if we can get Executive Producer Jeff Soto to stop thinking about Laura Diaz, he could better concentrate on his job.  Or could he actually think the story was not important enough to include in the 11pm news?  This was the front page lead story in the LA  Times on Thursday. I don't think there is ANY debate that this agreement  is big news for Los Angeles, regardless of where it goes from here.  With this screw-up, and KCBS/KCAL being the only nighttime newscasts not to lead with the death of Zarqawi, I seriously have to wonder just what qualifies Soto as an EP of the station's most important newscast?  

And while I question Soto's news judgment, you must consider that he may be making the decision that news director Nancy Bauer Gonzales would also make. Pretty scary.

What is pretty telling is that on the KCBS 11pm news from Wednesday Night, every story in the first segment, with just one exception (Arnold visiting the border), was a crime story. That includes Jennifer Sabih reporting a prison shootout in Florida.  But there was no room for the Villaraigosa story. Now that is a crime against those who watch the KCBS news and expect coverage of stories that affect them.

WHERE KCBS IS COMING FROM

On the 5pm news on Wednesday, which is not overseen by Soto, they covered the Villaraigosa story, but only gave it less than 55 seconds. Yet, at 5:30 they devoted a full package, voiced by Sylvia Lopez to a story they promoted with "Sex, Lies and Murder. "

This was the trial of a 79-year old woman who shot to death her 85-year boyfriend who was leaving her. This case is out of Georgia! The crime happened a year ago. Yet this got more time that the education story.  

So yes, this does tell you something about the priorities of news director Nancy Bauer Gonzales and GM Don Corsini, who you will recall told the people at KCBS when he took over that they needed to "sex it up."   And I guess at KCBS no story subjects are too old to "sex up."

COMPARING THE GOOD WITH THE NOT-SO-GOOD

Recently both KABC's Rob Hayes and KCAL's Suraya Fadel covered a shooting death (later turned out be a murder/suicide) in the parking lot of The City of Hope. Neither had an interview, so it was just a matter of explaining the story, with not too many facts, over the video.  This is a good comparison, especially for those who may just be breaking into the news biz. 

First, the KCAL story:

Good Afternoon, I’m Harold Greene. And I’m Ann Martin. We start with that breaking news out of Duarte at 4 o’clock .   A shooting at the City of Hope Hospital . And that’s where KCAL 9’s Suraya Fadel is live with all the latest for us. Suraya?

Fadel:  And we’re told that this is a homicide investigation…an active crime scene, still developing at this hour. Right behind me you see some of the activity. We’re told that a 911 call from someone inside the Hospital City of Hope led authorities here to the employee parking lot in Duarte . Take a look at some of our pictures. Sky 9 you’re looking at the scene. LA County Sheriff’s homicide detectives are on scene. They’ve cordoned of parts of the employee parking lot here at the City of Hope hospital in Duarte .

Now here’s what we know so far.  Shots were fired shortly after 1:30 this afternoon.  One person taken to the hospital and a Hispanic female died here at the scene.  We do not know the circumstances surrounding the shooting or what led to the violence.  City of Hope is a cancer medical treatment center and a research institute. It  sits on  93 acres and has been here since 1913.  Again all of this is under investigation.  This hospital has been recognized as one of the top 50 cancer hospitals in the United States .  Authorities still don’t know the motive behind this shooting.  We are waiting to hear more information. For now authorities are not talking on camera. They’re trying to piece this all together.  As we said earlier, this is an active crime scene and for now a homicide investigation.  

------------------------

All of the phrases in red are redundant, although I do think a summation, while technically redundant, is appropriate. Fadel also said the word "scene" five times.  Of course this doesn't even consider Fadel's less than major market vocal style. Really, she is so mediocre, I don't know why KTLA hasn't hired her.

Now the KABC version:

Anchor lead:  A shooting outside City of Hope Hospital. One person is killed, another wounded.  We’re on the scene with a breaking story. Good Afternoon, I’m David Ono in for Marc Brown.  I’m Michelle Tuzee. You’re looking at a live picture now from Air 7. As a deadly parking lot shooting in em, the city of Duarte at the City of Hope Hospital has taken place. Eyewitness news reporter Rob Hayes is live on the scene now.  Rob what do we know about the victim?

Hayes took fewer words (208) than Fadel (231) and did a better job. Besides the lack of redundancy, he also pointed out the irony of having to fly the victim to another hospital. Fadel didn't have that. She did have that a 9-1-1 call came from the hospital, which Hayes did not.  And she had that City of Hope has been around since 1913. It was not relevant to the story, but I still found it interesting, since I would not have guessed that it's been around so long. But if you look at what both said -- not even considering how they sounded -- I think it is an excellent comparison of two different levels of talent and experience.

HONORING LARRY KING?

Sometimes I don't know what to make of the Los Angeles Press Club. A few years ago, they gave a lifetime achievement award to Laura Diaz,  for which I condemned them.  A few months ago I had coffee with their new president Anthea Raymond.  I liked her. And they ended up doing a panel discussion, which included me, on LA media oriented web sites.

But now, at their awards dinner tomorrow night, they are honoring Larry King!  Give me a break. They should be honoring the best in our business, not King.  As I think most of us realize, King is usually just too soft. He doesn't ask follow-up questions that he should, which is why all politicians will go on his show. He doesn't do much in the way of challenging them. His stock in trade is lobbing soft balls.  Further, the guy doesn't do his homework.  He is too often unprepared. 

Granted, he is an institution. And I do think he does a very good job in some areas, like a celebrity feature interview in which he is familiar with that person's work. But by and large, Larry King is not very good in terms of  journalism, and is not someone who should be honored by the Los Angeles Press Club.  They should be honoring excellence, as they are with KCBS reporter Dave Lopez, not mediocrity. 

YES, SHE CAN SING! BUT IS IT A SURPRISE?

Lissette Gonzalez filled in on the KTLA Morning show this week and out of the blue, Sam Rubin asked her to sing. She sang some of  "At Last"and sounded great. But I thought some of the on-set reaction was a bit disingenuous. The applause made sense, but Rubin and Pereira seemed almost surprised. Surely they must know that she has been a professional singer (and actress). Why else would Rubin ask her to sing?

This also gives me an opportunity to make a clarification.  When KTLA hired Gonzalez, one insider told me she had no TV news experience. I had also done an internet search and could not find anything news related about her. Checking back with my source, they tell me that Gonzalez told people at KTLA that she had never worked in a newsroom.

Here is  part of what KTLA put on her bio:  Miami born and raised, Gonzalez reported for the Miami NBC and Telemundo affiliate television stations. She also spent three years as host/reporter for "Miami Hoy," an entertainment and lifestyle show. Other broadcast experience includes hosting positions on "The Sports Authority Network" and "FYE Music Store."

Traveling to Los Angeles, Gonzalez was co-host and special correspondent for the nationally syndicated English and Spanish editions of "Livin' Large," hosted by Carmen Electra. She also co-hosted a pilot for the Spanish language version of "EXTRA" with Mario Lopez, and was invited back to co-host a special hour-long weekend edition of "EXTRA."

The distinction appears to be that Gonzalez has worked in entertainment shows, but not a newscast.

WHY DIDN'T SIMERS ASK?

LA Times sports columnist TJ Simers interviewed Milton Bradley right before the Dodgers series in Oakland. Bradley made some comment about race always being a factor. So why didn't Simers ask Bradley to comment about the "white people" dinners that Derek Lowe talked about in his divorce deposition? Those were dinners (not organized by the team) that were attended by white players only during last season. I wrote about that in April. Yet to the best of my knowledge, not ONE mainstream media outlet picked up the story. Why is that? As far as I know, only Kevin Roderick's LAObserved.com reported it. And no doubt that makes the Dodgers very happy.

 I know TJ prides himself in not being afraid to bring up any subject. So why not this one?  I emailed Simers to ask him why he did not ask Bradley about it. He did not respond.

COMMENTS THAT DESERVE A  FOLLOW UP

Sometimes, a comment from an interview subject just cries out for a follow-up question. Yet, there is none. For example:

In a Gene Gleeson story on KABC, an attorney for a Marine accused of murdering an innocent Iraqi:  "How do you kill or murder an enemy combatant? It doesn’t make any sense. They’re trying to murder you at all times."

Two questions that should have been asked: "So you are saying that once our soldiers capture an enemy is it okay to execute them?"  And of course:  "What evidence do you have that the man killed was an enemy combatant?"

In the context on this story, the attorney's comment was outrageous. He absolutely should have been challenged.

In a Leo Stallworth story, the mother of 15-year old who stole a van with an Alzheimer’s patient inside: "You can’t control your kids, you can’t do anything. They tell you what you can and cannot say and  do. And look at all these things that these kids do nowadays. Everything. Our hands are tied as parents. We can’t do anything."

One possible follow-up might be: "So you feel you have no responsibility for your child's behavior?"  And "You let your daughter decide what you can say?" Because this woman sounds like the type of person who believes nothing is ever her fault.

She told  Paul Dandridge:  "She just has it in her head that she has no repercussions for the things she does, basically.  She feels that well, everyone’s showing her, she can do basically whatever she wants to do. And…there’s no consequences."  After that statement, she went right on the phone.

That was a bit different than what Stallworth got, but I still think some follow-up would have been appropriate, though Dandridge may not have bothered since she got on the phone immediately after making the statement.

MCINTYRE ON LIFE AND TIMES

KCET's "Life and Times" did the story about the charter elementary school which KABC morning talk show host Doug McIntyre has been questioning. I emailed Doug to see what he thought of their coverage.

He writes back: 

"I thought the "Life and Times" piece was very fair. In fact, it leaned to my point of view. When you hear a PBS reporter say, "And what are the children learning? Apparently not much." It doesn't get better than that.

PS: I am emceeing the last section of Saturday nights LA Press Club dinner and awards ceremony. I am going to talk about the assault on Sandy Wells at that time."

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With Doug speaking about the Wells incident, I am hoping this may finally launch an effort to start a reward fund to find Wells' attacker.  I remain troubled that this has not happened yet. And indeed, KABC and Wells' employer Metro News should be leading the way! But if they won't, then I still say, let the journalistic organizations, like the LA Press Club do the right thing.

GRADING KCAL ANCHORS

Because OTR was down for two days, we'll extend the voting. So if you have NOT yet voted in this KCAL poll, please do. We'll keep the poll open until Monday night at 6pm.  Thanks!!  Just click on the appropriate link and then hit "send."

Dave Gonzales

Gonzales - A

Gonzales - B

Gonzales - C

Gonzales - D

Gonzales - F

Mia Lee

Lee - A

Lee - B

Lee - C

Lee - D

Lee - F

Harold Greene

Greene - A

Greene - B

Greene - C

Greene - D

Greene - F

Ann Martin

Martin - A

Martin - B

Martin - C

Martin - D

Martin - F

Pat Harvey

Harvey - A

Harvey - B

Harvey - C

Harvey - D

Harvey - F

Sylvia Lopez

Lopez - A

Lopez - B

Lopez - C

Lopez - D

Lopez - F

Dave Clark

Clark - A

Clark - B

Clark - C

Clark - D

Clark - F

Leyna Nguyen

Nguyen - A

Nguyen - B

Nguyen - C

Nguyen - D

Nguyen - F

Mary Beth McDade

McDade - A

McDade - B

McDade - C

McDade - D

McDade - F

WHO ARE YOU?  

I invite all you to write in and tell your fellow readers a little about yourself. What you do for a living, why you are interested in TV news and anything else you'd like to include about yourself.  You can email to Bruin74@aol.com .