Get Ready For January TV Meltdown – And More “Weather Scares” From Local TV
Although I’ve been obsessed with Campaign 08 (I just can’t help it), my thoughts are also turning to the dilemma facing my favorite non-news TV show, Fox’s “24.” First of all, star Kiefer Sutherland is in the clinker for DUI stuff, serious violations. And the writer’s strike continues. This means that “24″ may become “12″ , as in hours, by the time the season is over.
The writer’s strike means that January will be a month of prime time refuse, mostly reality shows, unless of course you watch my colleagues on CN 8 (plug!) or get fixated on CNN’s election coverage, or video on demand, or actually read a book. Even if the writer’s strike is settled soon, January fare on the networks will be mostly reality junk. It is already too late to get stuff produced. If you like that reality stuff, God bless you!
But there is a problem here, a big one. Networks, the four big ones, are dramatically losing their market share. The network owned newscasts in our town have a total of 20 rating points between them at 11. Years ago, Channel 6 alone had 20 rating points at 11 o’clock.
Why is this important to you? As 11 o’clock ratings diminish, the local stations resort to weather scare and sensational tactics to try gain a larger piece of a smaller pie. If the prime time turns into a sewer of reality programs, the lead in shows to the news will have less ratings. Therefore there will be less and less viewers watching local news at 11. The programs will suffer and so will their quality.
I promise you: If prime time ratings decline, every minor snowfall or rain shower will be turned into a “major weather development” in January. Just last week, the bow tie man at Ten and the new mom at Channel 6 issued dire warnings about a dusting of snow. The only forecaster who doesn’t seem to fall for the weather distortion game is the fantastic Kathy Orr on Channel 3, but I’m sure that she, too, is under pressure.
It’s a vicious cycle. The prime time mess will soon lead to boredom, which will lead to lower ratings and desperate News Directors who will be under pressure.
These are issues as we get ready for a January to remember, or forget.
Of course, there ARE many good books to read, internet sites to visit, and TV suspense on the nights of January 3, the Iowa Caucuses, and January 8, the New Hampshire Primary.
As you know, the state of local TV News is not my problem anymore. It used to be. But I worry about responsibility and the future of local news. I really worry about it.
I also worry about Jack Bauer of “24.” Will he save the nation in 2008? Or will he remain in jail watching a TV that features a 12-hour marathon of the “Biggest Loser” on NBC?
Comments(19)
Dear Larry,
For what it’s worth, a large part of the reason for WPVI’s News Ratings in the 70s and 80s was the Action News format and Anchor Larry Kane. When I lived in Philly, I HAD to have my daily fix of Action News. After you left, it was OK, but just noth the same. It is too bad that you aren’t anchoring a national news program, but such is life. You brought a freshness and integrity to Phillynews on TV during your tenure, and it did not go unnoticed – why do you think I keep checking out your website after escaping Philadelphia so many years ago? I like your honesty and candor – it is a breath of fresh air! Thank you for what you have done and for what you are doing. God Bless You!
Good Job Brownie.
I agree with the above comment, Larry, about your excellence as a newscaster. If I watch the news, it is the Wolfman on CNN. As far as the weather, didn’t an irate “fan” pee on John Bolaris’s leg when he, and all the other forecasters of the apocalypse, mis-predict a snowstorm? Best wishes for a happy and healthy holiday season. Keep writing!
Karl
Yo Larry
Please tell your friends at CN8 that the programming is dull.
Whenever I want to fall asleep, rather than putting on a nice soft melodic music station, CN8 is my spot.
That Barry Nolan is a digital ambien waiting to happen.
The Sports yakfest is a cheap imitation of Fox’s Best Damn show.
If you guys want to get more viewers on CN8, especially with your “weather concerns”, perhaps bring back Robyn Stevens. She always was on target.
For someone whose problem is not local news anymore, you seem pretty interested….
Youre doing a helluva job, Brownie!!!!!
-Spiderman
My life partner and i enjoy channel 10 for the first 15 minutes then we flip to channel 3 for the last 15 minutes of the news.
on the weekends we watch channel 6 because they have a lot of young talent,larry do you know what station is john bolaris coming to?
to all the leftwingers you’re hypocrites!
Larry
Truth is I find it hard to watch the local news anymore. You’d think THEY are in reruns. Every day its the same news just the names are changed. We get the obligatory report of one or two killings in Phila overnight, a rape or sexual attack story, followed by a horrible car crash finally ending with a huge fire somewhere That’s it your local news. I could do that in five minutes and still include the sports and weather.( Eagles lose and it will be cloudy today with a high of 59 degrees. DONE) the four major channels in this city average three and a half hours of news per day. I have it broken down somewhere but between sleeping, prepping for work, commuting, work itself,and having a bite to eat throughout the day we are left with exactly three and a half hours of down time during the day. Coincidence I think not!
With regards to the weather, I’m sure that you know that John “turtleneck” Bolaris is returning to Philadelphia. Will history repeat itself? Are we due for another storm of the century? Button up everybody its cold out there. Larry I got to go I’m off to see the groundhog (if you get my drift).
Larry,channel 6 is the gold standard for local news in this city and country,Jim Gardner is the best and Dave Roberts brings class and some humor to the news,also the theme music at the beginning is excellent.
the other channels 3 and 10 are like a bunch of used car salesman with bozo the clown doing the weather.
as far as the comment by Flip Flop Mike,i can care less what you do behind closed doors!
Mr Murry captured exactly what many of us feel (good job). When the first 15 minutes are murder, robbery and assult, they kind of run together to a background noise level, which does lead to boredome.
Weather forecasts are my personal boiling point. I realize that with cables expanded reach that the geography has stretched, but when did Lancaster and Allentown become suburbs of Philly? Teasing about impending snow in the “western” suburbs used to mean Kennet Square or “northern” meant New Hope. For the amount of time spent, do you think thay could just do a county by county summary: snow in Berks and Lehigh, rain in Chester, Delco, Montco and ice in Bucks? And really, MEGA DOPPLER 10,000,000 is about as accurate as my bad knee. I want to know what the weather is going to be in West Chester, I go to the weather channel.
There used to be a time I would never go to bed without watching the 11 pm news. Not anymore.
A car careens out of control and hits a huge oil tanker which in turn ignites a massive fire which kills several people who at he time were committing a sexual assault on a young female who just returned from Iraq to help her father recuperate from a kidney transplant which he obtained through the death of someone who had a heart attack after finding out that someone kidnapped his dog. Now that’s a news story!!!
Let me add at the time of the incident the road was clear the sky was overcast and the temperature was 45 with a slight possibility of showers throughout the day.
The young woman had just left the
Eagles game where they had just lost to the NY Giants on a missed field goal at the end of the game. i
I think Ed should write this blog instead of Larry.
Or maybe Larry can allow him
to “Ghostwrite” for him
Much more entertaining and interesting than Larry.
Good job Ed!
Larry,i confess, i was the “fan” that peeee’d on john bolaris’s leg.
Larry, if you ever need a speech writer
for the next reunion at st.peter and paul cementery,Ed’s the man!
Larry Good Luck and God Bless
I remember one Christmas in the 1990s when you kept talking about this “powerful Nor’easter” that was going to destroy Philadelphia, or so you kept droning. The night it was supposed to strike, I was at a Hanukkah party in Center City and we were out on the patio because it was cloudy and 65 degrees. Christmas Eve, the next day, it drizzled and it was in the 60s. Physician, heal thyself.
You got the wrong station buddy! But that’s ok.
Spiderman, Ed IS a good writer.
And Jack, always great to hear from you.
Larry
What Happens when a major TV network, owned by a multi-national conglomerate can’t find enough viewers to deliver the ratings they’ve promised to the advertisers who sponsor the programs on the network? You give away money, you give away commercials and you bring back
American Gladiators!
The link below is for a very interesting and insightful story in mediaweek about NBC’s current dilemna.
http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/networktv/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003682844
Jim from West Chester, I hate to nit pick but, its the Mega “DOPE” LER 10,000 not 10,000,000. I know it was probably just a mistake but they have spent millions on this stuff. Its only right that we call it by its proper name. ANYWHO….. thanks for the compliment. You made some good points yourself, but I’m afraid we live in a new day and age.
I personally have a nephew who commutes to work from Lancaster to Conshohocken every day. Can you believe that? Just yesterday there was a billboard on the xpressway at the Conshohocken curve which said “If you worked here you would be home already”. Not today…..!
Times have changed in the news also. It’s like Dracula and his search for more blood. Just as he had to leave Transylvania, so to must the news shows search for more victims….er ah I mean more viewers. The relevance of local news is waning. To paraphrase Larry “It’s a new day hit the highway.” So get used to hearing “REPORTING FROM THE LEHIGH VALLEY THIS IS…… COUNT DRACULA REPORTING”
Don’t you people know writers strikes are why we have DVR’s and VOD? Then again, we also have the internet.
I don’t want to hog the airways so to speak but upon reflection of my last post I am a little unsure now of one thing I might have got wrong. If someone knows for sure, please let me know, did that billboard on the Schuylkill expressway say “IF YOU WORKED HERE YOU WOULD BE HOME ALREADY” OR….. IF YOU LIVED HERE YOU WOULD BE AT WORK ALREADY”? Just goes to show you the value of some advertising. I’m serious and probably neurotic.
What a riot. I was just reading this entry tonight while watching Pushing Daisies on Channel 6 and what should come on… a promo for the 11 o’clock news all about the big storm coming tomorrow – which the National Weather Service is saying is not that big!