MediaZone4K

7 hours ago, trustno1 said:

Sam was a presence on Australian TV as well.  He used to file reports here on the goings on in showbiz.

Yes! I didn't realize how many countries he had an entertainment segment in.

Sibila Vargas has reappeared in NYC and on NBC ---on Law & Order SVU

On 5/3/2024 at 12:45 PM, abc7 Man said:

Al Primo movie link available on ABC7NY:

 

https://abc7ny.com/al-primo-and-his-eyewitness-news-revolution-film-takes-a-look-at-history-decades-in-the-making/14758186/

Going back to the conversation of WABC being flashy and the editorial tone of it's writing---in the documentary there was a writer who did WABC on the weekdays and ABC national on the weekends. For a story on a Vietnam war attack he wrote "death and destruction rained from the sky". That writer's superiors asked "couldn't you just say they droped bombs in an areal attack?!" to which the writer remarked "we already said that yesterday" and "that's how we do it on eyewitness news". An analyst in the docuntary even explicity stated that WABC's version of Eyewitness News mirrored the NY Post, something theorized by many in this chat.

I bring these clips up again---you could really see WABC'S flare for flashy and dramatic language in reports like John Gotti's conviction or John Johnson's report on New York City's crumbling infrastructure in the 1970s.

Johnson's report at (9:47)

On 5/10/2024 at 9:31 PM, MorningNews said:

Goodness. This is unbelievable.

What makes Sam's passing all the more unbelievable is its absolute randomness. This was someone on our screens everyday, still very much relevant, had no visible signs of illness, and he wasn't that old. RIP to Sam. 

On 4/20/2024 at 2:20 PM, C Block said:

Mark Mester is returning to television – as main anchor at KMIR in Palm Springs:

 

https://nbcpalmsprings.com/2024/04/19/welcome-mark-mester-to-the-nbc-palm-springs-family/

Wow Market 2 to Market 134 that's a massive drop. I suppose his firing from KTLA was that messy that other stations in the area didn't want to touch him.

Sam Rubin's passing is just random, shocking and sad. Simply put he was one of the main faces of the station and he'll truly be missed.

This is shocking. He's just one of those faces that you're just used to so the fact that he's gone now just feels wrong. RIP

Whoops for Bill Ritter. Someone in the comments said he's working for KendrickThe audible "oh my God" in the background. 

4 hours ago, SoFloTVClassics said:

Scripps could try to get WJLA, and your right about the latter.

 we've come to a point where Scripps isn't much better.

On 5/7/2024 at 9:09 AM, TheNewsTV said:

Early Today with new graphics and aligned with the Today Show graphics package:

 

 

 

 

 

Love that crescent moon design! The intro looks better than the main today show's.

6 hours ago, 24994J said:

Ginger and Somara Theodore can handle 90% of what the network needs, with frequent calls to the affiliates for weekend fill-ins. They call up Sam to do a little weather & a little entertainment stuff, but there's zero need for him to return to the network, full-time. I like Sam, but he can't (won't) commit to 5 days a week at his current job, so why would anyone expect him to commit to a hard schedule at the top?

 

Frankly, if the network's 2 meteorologists (which Sam is not) were men, I don't think we'd have this constant conversation, pushing for Sam's return. Just saying.

I don't really see gender as a factor in this. 

If anyone is pushing for Sam's return, I would attribute that to his popularity, not because a "need" for a male meteorologist.

3 hours ago, mrschimpf said:

 By the end the only thing Rob did was pointless live shots in front of the Tappan Zee.....

Yes! Very pointless lives!

21 hours ago, Georgie56 said:

Rob Marciano has been fired.

 

 

Yikes! Blatant speculation ahead...Does this leave room for Sam Champion do national weather content (not the weekends Since Sam apparently works 4 days a week). 

5 hours ago, MorganRadfordFan22 said:

He’s looked more frail compared to when in recent months?

In these interviews, one from nine months ago the other from a year ago his face appeared less drawn. His voice fading but not as weak. 

It appears WXIA has moved their hour-long noon newscast to 11 am. Their local lifestyle show Atlanta & Company and  Daytime Jeopardy now occupy the noon slot.

IIRC, 11 Alive had Atl & Co at 11AM then  paid programming at 11:30 as a weak lead in to the noon. Today, morning anchor Aisha Howard, and Christie Diez, were anchoring. Previously the much-promoted 4 pm team of Faith Jessie & Johnathan Martin were moved to noon as well.  (TV Passport)

Former CBS Evening News host Dan Rather was on CBS Sunday Morning today, his first appearance on the network since his 2006 ouster. Remarkably,  the Evening News has remained unstable in the 19 years since Rather left the desk in 05.  The piece was well done especially the shot of Dan under the old oak tree.

Sadly, Rather apprears more frail than he's looked in *very recent* months past. 

On 1/28/2024 at 12:06 PM, Jascarter said:

Beautiful tribute to Charles Osgood today. And really made you see how much the show is a former shell of itself. Charles was so curious and seemed to bring that curiosity into the show each week. Jane Pauley really doesn’t do that, and is there to really just introduce the stories. If Charlie was still hosting, it would still be on set. Otherwise where would they put the piano???

Toward the end, Charlie (who I loved) did little else but introduce stories. Jane turns a package now and then. 

Dan Rather was on CBS Sunday Morning today, his first appearance on the network since his 2006 ouster. The Evening News has remained unstable in the 19 years since Rather left the desk. 

One of the biggest rationales for non competes in journalism is safe guarding intellectual property. From my time in a newsroom I can tell you that photographers and digital writers (who aren't under contract) are privy to just as much intellectual property and "company secrets" as reporters/anchors and producers (who were under contract). So, IMO that doesn't hold up. 

This might be a radial leap but contracts should be abolished for all LOW WAGE employees. It's one thing to lock in Hoda Kotb or Robin Roberts for two years when you pay them millions. But small to medium market MMJs/Reporters making around $20 an hour should have the freedom to leave if necessary, especially because companies do not care about living expenses etc..

Aside from wanting your face exclusively on their channel, contracts are typically a mechanism for stations to curb high turnover. They lock talent in rather than improving the working conditions (and pay) that cause the turnover to begin with. 

5 hours ago, C Block said:

 

 

He's writing this as if the industry isn't already a revolving door of talent. Has he watched the news at all in the last decade? Even in big markets, it's pretty astounding how much attrition there is on and off screen. I don't think I could name more than a handful of reporters on competing stations. When I turn on Denver TV, there's barely anybody recognizable to me on there.

 

 

Just look  at market 1! Half the reporting staff at WCBS, WNYW, and WPIX and to a lesser degree WNBC are unrecognizable---and this is the highest paid market. The only station that has heavily retained reporting talent is WABC. 

It's almost insane that a company can fire you (or you leave them) yet they can dictate your post employment actions in a "free country".

Anchors aside, I highly doubt the audience will abandon a station in droves if a reporter switches from say KABC to KNBC. So the rationale for post employment non-competes doesn't hold up to me.

Related anecdote --- During college I applied for a $12 h/r job at Uniqlo who said we couldn't hold any simultaneous retail jobs.  If someone is working in retail, most likely they only qualify to work within the industry. So how can you tell them they can't seek supplemental employment in their field?

Not surprisingly this same company that recruited directly from college campuses also told students with 8:00 a.m. classes that had to be able to close at 1:00 a.m. a few nights a week --- so I'm pretty sure they don't care.

Not sure where else to post this....Apparently the Federal Trade Commission has banned non-compete clauses. The announcement from the FTC website promotes NDAS as a better alternative to keeping trade secrets rather than non-competes.

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/04/ftc-announces-rule-banning-noncompetes

The report criticized the clause as an exploitative practice to keep employees locked into low wage jobs rather than employers treating their employees better.

During the State of the Union President Biden criticized non-competes for banning a fast food worker from taking a simultaneous job at another fast food restaurant.

Any thoughts?

My question is.... does this ban now mean that a reporter can work at say ABC 7 and NBC 4 simultaneously, or does it just mean that ABC 7 cannot tell a reporter they are banned from working within X miles of their station for X months (post employment)? I'm thinking the latter.

In situations like these, I'm a big advocate of pre-recording the newscast and airing it after the game, instead of keeping the talent around to go live after the game. I don't think the audience cares whether or not the newscast was recorded live (in that instance). 

4 minutes ago, RealNews18 said:

No shocker Bill Ritter let his opinion show, station management should put a stop to it, you don’t really see any other local anchors including at his own station doing this, just him. 
 

I do agree with the whole weather team line up. Reagen has the personality for the lighter weekend morning newscast and would work great with Michelle. Brittany does great in the morning with the team and a promotion for Jeff is well over due 

Being the lead anchor (though not the longest tenured anchor) I'm sure he can get away with more than others at the station.

With the exception of Rosanna Scotto, I agree that I don't really see other anchors doing this

3 hours ago, TVNewsLover said:

 As much as I admire Bill and as hard of a worker as he is, he should’ve not been brought in, as he was too close to the story, and it showed. On Saturday they were doing a story on how Trump was using the situation to fundraise, and Bill added in his own commentary. And I say this as someone who is not a fan of Trump. 

I like Bill too. But again, he needs to keep his side commentary to himself.

By his own admission he was expelled from college for leading an anti- war protest. I don't disagree with him for doing so, but it does show that Ritter is a strongly political person. That's okay. Just don't let it bleed into your reporting. 

On 3/25/2024 at 1:45 PM, Vlad said:

 

 Plus the 11 pm on Fridays is the lowest rated show

I'm surprised Saturdays at 11 doesn't hold that title. 

On 4/14/2024 at 2:33 PM, TVNewsLover said:

It seems that Sam makes his own schedule. 
 

On another note, Bill and Pedro co-anchored Saturday at 11pm with Lee doing weather.

Speculation: Sam wants his GMA gig back, but Ginger is there, so he can't.  

Two male anchors plus the lead anchor and meteorologist in on a weekend! interesting.

On 4/14/2024 at 6:24 AM, JTT said:

Why do they need a different anchor for Sundays?  Why can't the Saturday anchor work both days and have a couple of weekdays off like Mondays / Tuesdays or Thursdays / Fridays?  Or find someone that can anchor on both Saturdays and Sundays while also contributing during the week without working everyday.

(Not that anyone wouldn't be happy to anchor a national evening newscast) but they might be  having trouble finding people who want to give up both days of their weekend.

On 4/2/2024 at 5:05 AM, RealNews18 said:

It looks pretty cool I will definitely have to tune in and watch it at some point, it’s definitely something different even from the channel 5 format. 

Yup, but I think Ch 2's experiment though is executed better than Ernie's. I remember a segment where he sat at the edge of his office desk style anchor desk and he was holding a baseball or something to talk about that subject. It felt a little cheesy/contrived, but  I still appreciate the effort they made in delivering a non standard newscast with positivity.

The earthquake coverage really highlighted the difference in tone between the two stations. From what I saw of the extended coverage and Noon, CBS 2 had John and Cindy stery covering this in a serious tone. Meanwhile, around 11am on Fox 5 Rosanna, Curt and the GDNY crew were expectedly more light hearted. Rosanna even said she though she could could have been drunk since the earth was shaking, lol.