WABC - 7 Eyewitness News

[MediaZone4K 2172]

1 minute ago, MorningNews said:

This longstanding reluctance and defiance to adapt is why I’m rooting hard for the continued erosion of the broadcast networks newscasts. Everything from GMA to WNT to Meet The Press just objectively sucks compared to 10 years ago.

Yikes! I would rather see them improve than go away entirely. I still love traditional legacy media, I just hate when it's become.

[HanSolo 159]

They’re different t than 10 years ago but don’t adapt.

 

Maybe it’s a dislike of what they’ve adapted to, but that’s something different. And it’s subjective. 
 

[ns8401 941]

Go watch any of the big 3 evening news programs from 20-25 years ago and then ask yourself… why don’t they do that anymore? I remember when Peter Jennings was anchoring World News Tonight it was news from all over the world. They had stories from civil wars in various countries and other things that had nothing to do with the U.S… in a world where we are more connected than ever and information is endlessly available that should have increased not disappeared. 
 

Not to mention that David Muir has the most bizarre speaking style in the history of anchoring. It sounds like William Shatner is reading the news and speaking in bizarre flowery meandering sentences. “That crash, those victims screaming in terror, the first responders rushing into danger pulling the victims to safety.”

 

Speaking straightforwardly is so very much better. 

Edited November 28, 2024 by ns8401

[Dave Lampstein 106]

In my experience the quality of the producers being pumped out of j-schools these days is a pretty big part of the problem. 

[ns8401 941]

5 minutes ago, Dave Lampstein said:

In my experience the quality of the producers being pumped out of j-schools these days is a pretty big part of the problem. 

Is it that hard to watch some old newscasts, take notes and then do that? It’s a hell of a lot easier than losing viewers by reinventing the wheel and annoying them endlessly. 

Edited November 28, 2024 by ns8401

[HanSolo 159]

1 hour ago, ns8401 said:

Go watch any of the big 3 evening news programs from 20-25 years ago and then ask yourself… why don’t they do that anymore?

My guess: because it’s not a quarter-century ago anymore? 
 

Related: what was being done a quarter-century ago differed from a quarter-century before that. 
 

Time moves on. Few things, particularly in any form of media or art, are the same over that time span. Audiences change. Styles change. Business realities change. 

[ns8401 941]

2 hours ago, HanSolo said:

My guess: because it’s not a quarter-century ago anymore? 
 

Related: what was being done a quarter-century ago differed from a quarter-century before that. 
 

Time moves on. Few things, particularly in any form of media or art, are the same over that time span. Audiences change. Styles change. Business realities change. 

And one of the most cited reasons people don’t watch is because it isn’t the way it used to be. Just because times change doesn’t mean you need to throw the baby out with the bath water. The 90’s weren’t radically different from the 70’s really. But now is radically different from the 90’s. 
 

Legacy media is as ignorant of what ails it as the American automakers were while they declined for 30 years. 

Edited November 28, 2024 by ns8401

[HanSolo 159]

“One of the most cited.” Which would suggest someone would thoroughly clean up by simply rolling back the clock. And yet, they don’t. Maybe because whatever is supposedly “cited” is rubbish.

 

The entire world shifts around us. Technology, tastes, demographics…and “news” does not exist in an isolated bubble in which the same approaches from decades ago magically work. 
 

How many times did we hear “viewers told us they want a straight news approach”—no

fluff or whatever one wishes to call it. Yet when tried,  it fails. Because what people supposedly say in dubious polling isn’t what they do. 

[ns8401 941]

12 hours ago, HanSolo said:

“One of the most cited.” Which would suggest someone would thoroughly clean up by simply rolling back the clock. And yet, they don’t. Maybe because whatever is supposedly “cited” is rubbish.

 

The entire world shifts around us. Technology, tastes, demographics…and “news” does not exist in an isolated bubble in which the same approaches from decades ago magically work. 
 

How many times did we hear “viewers told us they want a straight news approach”—no

fluff or whatever one wishes to call it. Yet when tried,  it fails. Because what people supposedly say in dubious polling isn’t what they do. 

Some of that may be true. On the other hand they may have alienated a bunch of people and attracted a bunch of different people or fewer people by changing the format as radically as they have.

 

The times “straight news” has been tried incidentally the marketing for it wasn’t very good and the execution was poor. Think CNN. You have to do the FOX style pro wrestling thing… by calling out FOX on a daily basis in a less than statesman like way. But you have to use facts as your weapon. Not only that but FOX has slick marketing and is extremely polished and flashy… that’s execution and not content. You see that in which local station is number one in a given market. Often times it’s flashier and more polished and just feels official. It’s kinda like a sports team.. the good teams LOOK good and do things well. 
 

But mostly my biggest gripe is why Muir talks the way he does. If someone walked up to you and started talking like that you’d try to either run or have them have some sort of evaluation as their mental well being would be a primary concern. Second gripe… why in the world is “those powerful storms, millions under the gun” news? Keep the weather off the national news as a daily thing. The local stations already cover it so unless a school bus with 50 kids gets washed away in a flood or something just gripping and tragic it’s a waste of a reporter and 2 minutes and that’s not time they exactly have to waste in a 30 minute show. 
 

To keep this relevant to the thread… local news hasn’t changed so much that I want to scream. That includes WABC. It’s more or less what it’s always been with different people, graphics and segments. 

Edited November 29, 2024 by ns8401

[Telly Genick 0]

Where’s Jim Dolan?  Off-air since before Election Day, and his bio is gone from the WABC7 webpage.

[NYNewsCoverage 300]

6 hours ago, Telly Genick said:

Where’s Jim Dolan?  Off-air since before Election Day, and his bio is gone from the WABC7 webpage.

His X bio says "was a reporter for WABC", so it seems he has parted ways with WABC without any mention. Since he was there so long, it must not have been an amicable parting if there was no send off.

[Vlad 325]

Jim Dolan retired. He had a small gathering of friends and colleagues for his retirement on an IG post a few months ago. It wasn't posted on his profile but I believe another mutual follower posted it. I'll try to look for it and share it here. :).

 

[NYAZSporty 128]

On 11/29/2024 at 3:27 PM, NYNewsCoverage said:

His X bio says "was a reporter for WABC", so it seems he has parted ways with WABC without any mention. Since he was there so long, it must not have been an amicable parting if there was no send off.

Unfortunate for Jim if that's the case in terms of how he left. He's one of the best reporters they had & looks like they're grooming Josh Eininger into a similar role that he had. At least for some NYers, no more worrying about confusing Jim Dolan with the MSG, Knicks, & Rangers owner that many love to hate in James Dolan.

[MediaZone4K 2172]

On 11/28/2024 at 2:33 PM, Dave Lampstein said:

In my experience the quality of the producers being pumped out of j-schools these days is a pretty big part of the problem. 

Part of that is colleges are not doing an adequate job of preparing students for modern or television journalism. In my experience, unless the school specializes in broadcast, the average J School program targets written journalism.

 

An example of outdatedness: Years after I left college, a current professor asked me if it was still useful to have students make a website to reach employers. I said no because instead of having to pay a domain etc, they can just make a LinkedIn page, or post their work on social media and YouTube!  

Edited December 3, 2024 by MediaZone4K

[HanSolo 159]

Outdatedness is a key point. J-school, like any discipline, can’t be frozen in time with the “this is the way it must always be” as if God Almighty decreed it as the 11th Commandment. 
 

It’s hard for all of us to change what we know and are comfortable with. It can downright suck, but sometimes it’s needed, even among the experts. 

[ns8401 941]

On 12/3/2024 at 1:03 PM, HanSolo said:

Outdatedness is a key point. J-school, like any discipline, can’t be frozen in time with the “this is the way it must always be” as if God Almighty decreed it as the 11th Commandment. 
 

It’s hard for all of us to change what we know and are comfortable with. It can downright suck, but sometimes it’s needed, even among the experts. 

Are you a proponent of change for the sake of change or something? You come off as some sort of apologist for the way things are done right now being somehow superior and anyone who thinks otherwise has something wrong with them…

[MediaZone4K 2172]

2 minutes ago, ns8401 said:

Are you a proponent of change for the sake of change or something? You come off as some sort of apologist for the way things are done right now being somehow superior and anyone who thinks otherwise has something wrong with them…

Yes times have to change and evolve but I would question anyone who thinks the overall state of broadcast news right now is good.

[HanSolo 159]

12 hours ago, ns8401 said:

Are you a proponent of change for the sake of change or something? You come off as some sort of apologist for the way things are done right now being somehow superior and anyone who thinks otherwise has something wrong with them…

How about a proponent for understanding that the world moves quickly, audiences are more fragmented and diverse and it’s not 1995? I don’t have to like everything that changes, and quite frankly don’t. But I do understand my nostalgia is not a reason to ignore the reality now.

My generation had different experiences and expectations than my parents. My kids have different ones than me. They don’t consume media the same way I did nor should they as they make their mark on the world. 

[ns8401 941]

9 minutes ago, HanSolo said:

How about a proponent for understanding that the world moves quickly, audiences are more fragmented and diverse and it’s not 1995? I don’t have to like everything that changes, and quite frankly don’t. But I do understand my nostalgia is not a reason to ignore the reality now.

My generation had different experiences and expectations than my parents. My kids have different ones than me. They don’t consume media the same way I did nor should they as they make their mark on the world. 

To not examine what has been and take lessons from it that you can use because they are simply good ideas that make logical sense is foolish. I understand that times change… but folks under 35 or 40 or something aren’t the only ones watching (actually they don’t really watch)… sometimes it really is the details that matter. Being in first sometimes doesn’t indicate greatness… just being the least bad option. 

Edited December 5, 2024 by ns8401

[24994J 5575]

Could we not have this discussion in 2 forum threads? The WABC angle to this is no longer relevant. Please keep it in WNT's conversation only (or not at all, if I'm being honest, since we know no opinions are going to change).

[RealNews18 204]

Does anyone know if Sade is ok? It’s been weeks since I have seen her on air. And before anyone makes a smart remark, I don’t think anything was mentioned on social or on air because other viewers are asking on Bill and Sandra’s pages too. 

[MediaZone4K 2172]

2 hours ago, RealNews18 said:

Does anyone know if Sade is ok? It’s been weeks since I have seen her on air. And before anyone makes a smart remark, I don’t think anything was mentioned on social or on air because other viewers are asking on Bill and Sandra’s pages too. 

Agreed. It's a legitimate question.

[bob mercier 3]

is it true that bill ritter no longer does the friday newscasts, that he has reduced his schedule to 4 days a week?

[24994J 5575]

7 hours ago, bob mercier said:

is it true that bill ritter no longer does the friday newscasts, that he has reduced his schedule to 4 days a week?

 

Last I knew, yes. Marza moves from AM to PM, on those days. All of this is ahead of next year, when Ritter will likely cut down to just the 6, and Marza will fill in the gaps.

[bob mercier 3]

so it's indeed mike marza that does the 5pm, 6pm, and 11pm news now on fridays?

 

i can see why bill ritter has indeed reduced his schedule to 4 days a week when he's going to be almost 75.