Comments on: Sweeps can KILL YOU!

By: RadioActive

RadioActive — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 02:11:00 +0000

If I ever get the chance to teach college level broadcasting again, I am going to force my students to listen to Don Henley’s Dirty Laundry on the first day of class… and then we are going to set the stage why this kind of mentality is NOT what journalism and news reporting is all about.

By: The

The — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:56:56 +0000

There are some TV news people I’d like to see storm off the set…and NOT come back.

By: Wrabbitt

Wrabbitt — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 15:56:39 +0000

I remember hearing about a weather guy on a Denver TV station that would throw a huge fit on the air during sweeps. He’d be all yelling about this and that then storm off the set. Ratings the next night were huge. People wanted to see if he came back. love to see that happen here!!

By: Rainshadow

Rainshadow — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 12:23:54 +0000

Nope. Not Joe McCarthy, but the idea is the same. I don’t think the anchor did all that well at stirring things up. The ratings weren’t all that great for the station.

By: The

The — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 08:04:15 +0000

“The: I also like the idea of turning the news programs into infomercials for the latest celebrity project or product. Yep. Great profit center there.”

Yup, Big Time cross-promotion possibilities.

“NOTE: There was a news personality in Seattle who would get all worked up over some injustice by the county (or whatever) and his gimmick was to wave an envelope at the camera and say ‘the proof is right here in these documents!’”

“The envelope was filled with blank paper.”

Was that Senator/News Anchor Joe McCarthy?

By: elchupacabras

elchupacabras — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 03:17:50 +0000

It’s one of the reasons I decided to leave the world of TV news and return to my first love of radio. Not that all of the stations are that bad, but there are some that are apt to do anything during sweeps to grab attention! Thanks for posting.

By: Rainshadow

Rainshadow — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:44:42 +0000

I think they should bring J. Fred Muggs out of retirement. He was the chimp on the original Today show who was fired for biting the guests once too often. At 53 or so, I’m sure he’s mellowed somewhat.

I think there was some talk of doing this when Katie Couric left for CBS, but they hired Meredith because NBC thought she was a lot cuter.

Damned “PC” attitudes. There are some guests on the Today show that deserve to be bitten.

The: I also like the idea of turning the news programs into infomercials for the latest celebrity project or product. Yep. Great profit center there.

NOTE: There was a news personality in Seattle who would get all worked up over some injustice by the county (or whatever) and his gimmick was to wave an envelope at the camera and say “the proof is right here in these documents!”

The envelope was filled with blank paper.

By: The

The — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 00:52:56 +0000

Are you ever right, Rainshadow! I was in L.A. a few years ago and I could actually feel my IQ dropping as I watched the local TV news.

It was embarrassing that this crap was airing on major market stations.

I honestly think we’re no more than a few years away from when local stations, at least in the biggest markets, will feature occasional “guest anchors,” like movie stars and other celebrities who will sit in for a day or week and plug their newest projects in the process.

Credibility? That’s SO pre-1996 Broadcast Act!

By: Rainshadow

Rainshadow — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 23:22:30 +0000

Having lived in Los Angeles and watched what passes for “news” coverage I think this was hilarious (but true).

By: rapidrunner

rapidrunner — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 20:37:56 +0000

Funny stuff! (and since you want to stay away from talk of local news outlets…team reports, etc)…I thank you for sharing it!