A way out of Iraq

[tw]

Originally posted by sycamore
And for that matter, who here seriously watches Action News?

I do.. Shhhhhsh.. If I don't, then I miss Peter Jennings.

Actually I only listen; speaker in another room. Why do I so dislike Action News? Maybe because I have to wade through it just to get to ABC Network News.

[elSicomoro]

Aha! Now the truth is known!

[tw]

Originally posted by sycamore
Aha! Now the truth is known!

Here's the trick. Liza Thomas is a pretty babe - I am told. But I only know these people from their grey matter. I listen on speaker without video. Therefore I can not biased by her looks. Only by what she says.

Robin Quivers ( back when they were doing the show as demonstrated in Howard's movie) I always thought of as a long, legged, slinky, dark haired white girl who wore long red dresses every day. But then I saw her. Short, black, and fat (she has changed tremendously for the better since then). If she had not spoken, I would have never recognized her. People's interior and exterior have little in common.

At least Howard has a nose big enough to go with his mind. Maybe that is what Liza Thomas needs - a nose job?

[Undertoad]

I always thought of Robin Quivers as the woman who was basically an incompetent DJ, who was fired from the Harrisburg station I grew up with when she fell asleep at the job and left listeners with a long session of popping vinyl track of dead air. But that's just me, remembering a better time when DJs actually required talent, running equipment and making actual real-time content decisions.

T, the secret to local news is that it is aimed at an IQ of about 90, in order to draw the largest possible audience. Now that the middle class is fully wired for cable, they may be aiming even lower with the local station news.

But Ms. Thomas-Laury, as a proven talent in a major market, probably brings in about $250,000 a year. Mr. Howard, as a newly-hired-away major anchor, probably brings in $500K. At that level they are expected to know how to pronounce "Azerbaijan" but they don't need to know where it is.

[tw]

Originally posted by Undertoad
But Ms. Thomas-Laury, as a proven talent in a major market, probably brings in about $250,000 a year. Mr. Howard, as a newly-hired-away major anchor, probably brings in $500K. At that level they are expected to know how to pronounce "Azerbaijan" but they don't need to know where it is.

That may be true. Local Gossip news reporters may need not know the news to make big bucks. But the great news broadcasters got that way because they knew enough about news to openly challenge every reporter. Ted Koppel is a prime example of what an anchor must do.

Classic example is Walter Conkite. He was not the kindly gentleman we thought. He was a reporter's worst nightmare - or best boss one could ever have. Walter got the story right every time because it was his job. He held reporter's feet to the fire.

Ten years to the day, CBS replayed Walter's broadcast about 3 Mile Island. Entire broadcast devoted entirely to the meltdown. With but days to figure out what had happened, and with GPU outrightly lying and intentionally providing disinformation, Walter's reporters got the event down correct and accurate. Why? David Halbersham delineates examples of what an anchor (including Cronkite as example) does in his book 'The Powers that Be'.

A news anchor is the best reporter who also makes every reporter do more than they thought they could. However I saw Liza Thomas Laurie do a three part report on lost airline baggage. What a waste of electricity! She could not report how a cat got stuck in a tree. It shows in how Actions News reports. Maybe those with an IQ of 90 could not see it. But anyone with an IQ of 100 has to be asleep or locked in prision to waste time watching Action News foolishness.