Memo To Local TV News Directors - Forget the Snow Jobs - They Are Not Working
So, it is Wednesday night and we’re watching some TV. It was Law and Order. I wish Fred Thompson were back on the show. It was a better fit than running for President. All of a sudden, Hurricane Schwartz pops up on the screen. His veins seem like they are going to pop out of his head. He is almost grimacing as he warns of snow. I mean this was scary. It was enough to make me run to the market and buy enough milk and cereal to last through April! I don’t know Schwartz that well but on the air he was frightening as he was “teasing” the weather forecast at 11.
Now, first I have to say that I do a show for Comcast and I consult for the Comcast Network. We have very good weather forecasting, but it is on the Your Morning show. So we are not competing for weather in prime time. So the following has nothing to do with any competitive agenda.
I practically invented the prime time news tease in the early seventies. I know the value of hooking people in. I was dramatic and I hope, exciting, but I tried to do it without frightening people. I didn’t always succeed in that regard. But now I have a new perspective. I am a viewer.
I have to tell you that the weather teases are, at times, deceptive and scary, and that is not what TV news should be about. Weather “teases” should be interesting and suspenseful but they also need to be honest. It is time for “weather fright night” to end in local TV News unless there is something really to be frightened about.
In the case of Wednesday night, it was a forecast for a small amount of snow, if that, on Thursday afternoon, affecting a small part of the region. But listening to Schwartz, I felt like it was time to unpack the salt, batten down the hatches, and certainly, set the alarm for 5 a.m. to begin shoveling. I mean, if you’re reading this , Hurricane, my advice is to calm down.
Now, here’s the problem: TV viewers have figured this exaggeration business out. They know what’s going on. In real fact, 30 percent less viewers watch local TV news than eight years ago. Do you think the super-hype may be one of the reasons. I don’t know. But I do know what good TV is.
That same night at 11, we watched Channel 6, where Adam Joseph, one of the best broadcasters to come this way in a long time, told the real story. I’m sure Schwartz also did so at 11, because the guy knows what he is doing. And I am positive that Kathy Orr told it straight. If Cecily were on, I’m sure she would have done the same. It’s the scare tactics that bother me.
On the subject of Adam Joseph: Where does Channel Six find these people. Do they “raise them” at some secret TV University. I mean, this guy is sensational.
Back to the point.
I get concerned for our business when over-hype takes over. It diminishes us as a factor. You’ll be hearing a lot more from me on this, because bad or distorted information can be very dangerous.
In the meantime, warmest regards to all the fine people (most of them) that I have worked with at Channels 6. 10, and 3, and the other stations.
And if “the big one” is on the way, let me know about it any way that you can. But don’t hype minor storms, or “brushes” with storms.
Now there is one exception: If you don’t know exactly what’s going to happen , which can be a forecaster’s nightmare, be sure and warn me as much and often as you want. I would rather be prepared. And if you’re wrong, that’s okay.
But don’t scare the hell out of the viewers when you know that it really is not that serious.
Mr. Kane;
This is one (sensationalism) of the reasons I do not watch local news anymore. Heck, in your story it barely snowed and these guys (the local news folks) are flippn’ out. When it does snow, we have all day live shots and enough City Line Avenue footage to make even Dave Roberts go nuts.
The profession you once were so good at has found itself in a pit of entertainment gossip, Inquirer rehashes, and phony weather scares.
This dinosaur is heading for the tar, and our (the local viewing public) collective backs are turned.
Mr. Kane,
Hurricane Schwartz is probably not reading this. However, I think your columns have shown a marked improvement in the past month. You have my permission to continue writing this blog.
Gustav, unfortunately, if the local viewing public really had its back turned stations wouldn’t be running these types of teasers anymore. Giving the people what they want and all that.
Larry
One of the worst abusers of snow jobs is played every night at 7 pm by Entertainment Today. They will take a story (eg Anna Nicole Smith’s death), put a teaser in the front and split the story into 5 1 minute segments to be shown over 5 days as if we were idiots that needed 5 full days to be told the full story. They do this instead of telling the whole story at once over several minutes. I stopped watching Entertainment Today because of this.
You hit the nail right on the head, Larry.
Heck, Bolaris was practically run out of town when his “Storm of the Century” forecast fizzled. I know he has name recognition and it generated publicity, but I don’t see the long term benefits for Fox 29 with bringing him in - he has to be a little gun shy now with predicting a “big one”.
But we all know that with most things “sex sells” but with the local news “snow sells”. They need to get you all scared, then they tease you with half-forecasts all through the newscast and make you wait until 11:25 to get the actual forecast (when they tell you it’s not really so bad).
They are so desperate for snow that they have extended “north and west of the city” to the Lehigh Valley and Poconos on some nights! I used to be “north and west of the city” here in Chester County! Now I don’t know where the heck I fall out in their hyped forecast…
And one other thing - a house fire, while a tragedy, is not “BREAKING NEWS”…
John Bolaris has to be the worst offender of the weather scare. Does anyone remember when he interuppted network television to warn of a blizzard that was a week away, and in the end never came. He later left for NYC, but sadly he is now back in the Philadelphia market.
Its the NBC way of doing business, track it to GE, they think they are smarter than everyone with their six sigma research so they run ideas into the ground, all for the sake of the allmighty dollar. Ratings, and Ratings only, are driving Hurricane.
Well said Larry, but most of us with Internet access don’t even watch the TV for weather news. There are so many good websites concentrating on local weather that they make the TV weather a very poor choice for information. Also, the TV news only concentrates on burning houses in Philadelphia. They forget all about South Jersey and the five surrounding counties in PA - where all the economic activity is.
I too agree 100%! During American Idol last week Fox 29 (Bolaris) ran a weather crawl “Big Storm - Rain or Snow” gimme a break!
Joe is so correct. Seems like Pittsburgh is now a western suburb and Scranton is a northern one.
Schwartz is /has become a joke…I love it when Ch. 10 blows the forecast, backpedal on the 5pm broadcast and then at 6 and 11 congratulate the bowtie on being correct “as Hurrican predicted”. Which is why I don’t bother with 10 anymore for weather or news.
Sadly journalists inflate anxiety in the weather and in other areas. For example how many times have I heard in the last six months how bad the economy is? Lots. Facts don’t support it. We have not had a recesssion since the 9/11 shock and that was brief. Unemployment is at a reasonable level and the economy is growing. Granted we had a good reason to react this week to assure the economy does not go into recession and remarkably Congress created a bipartisan approach. (must be the first in six years). But if you listen to the news the scare tactic is we are in the recession now. NOT TRUE. This is one of the reasons local news and network news is losing viewers to the internet.
Hey Beatle Boy
I have the solution.
Its called NOT WATCHING THE LOCAL NEWS.
I challenge you to do this:
One night next week, pick an evening and dont watch.
Then ask yourself the next day: Did I miss anything?
The answer will be “NO”
Another funny thing - I remember a few years back when Schwartz, Bolaris & crew started NAMING thunderstorms and snowstorms, similar to the way the NWS names hurricanes! LOL
Too bad they pushed Herb Clarke out… I don’t recall him going overboard.
Larry, nothing like kicking a guy when he’s down. Hurricane is in the market for a new beau and all you can do is belittle his promos. Even his previous wife has nicer things to say about him.
Maybe some constructive criticism is in order. Tell him to drop the bow tie and get a turtleneck, then give him the number of your hair stylist. Show him how to be intense without popping his cork. You might end up killing two birds with one stone. Improve his forecasts and get him a date.
How about last night when Kathy Orr called for an “Arctic Blast” when the temp was in the mid 20’s this morning? I though they were going to a replay of the Green Bey and Giants game!
It’s all about perspective - in the Philly area you know how to handle snow, yeah it may mean a day off from school,a nd shovels and salt, but here in Eastern NC the predictions of FLURRIES sent our community into overdrive - the grocery store loked like any Acme the day before a forecasted “Big One”. No milk, no bread, no eggs, everyone was ready for French toast! Raleigh area schools closed the night before a single flake ever hit the ground! Oh, it did snow, just enough to coat the dog and not the road. Gone in 10 minutes! In 2 years as an ex-pat Philadelphian in NC we have NEVER seen a snow that accumulated or lasted long enough to coat the road. We also have never had a hurricane since we moved here, but since we are in a severe drought, that’s not a good thing. OH, maybe I’m the reason we haven’t had one…”Did I do that?”
Keep up the great blog, it[’s like talking with an old friend!
Funny, the local news shows all have expanded the definition of suburbs to Allentown and Harrisburg, yet here we sit in Wilmington, DE, barely 15 miles away and we never get mentioned
Ah, local broadcast news. They’ve done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works every time.
Also lets not forget the 4 things that you can guarantee seeing when the 1st snowflake hits the ground:
1) News Reporter at PennDot facility.
2) News Reporter at Acme, etc (gotta get the bread & milk).
3) News Reporter on side of road with a ruler measuring the “accumulation”.
4) News Reporter at Home Depot checking on snow shovel and salt inventories.
Paul - right, and they interview a manager at PennDOT, who tells us what a great job they are doing - yet there doesn’t seem to be even any salt on any of the roads I drive.
(PennDOT always gets caught like a deer in the headlights on the first snow of the year, like last Thurdsay.)
The entire state of network news (local and especially national) is a sad one.
Local news- there’s still some good stuff out there, but I can definitely point to NBC 10 as one of the stations that doesn’t seem to be upholding their tradition of dignified news reporting…
I think it started to go downhill for channel 10 slowly after their format switched (from CBS to NBC… they really rode that wave of NBC popularity). Then it seemed like all of the old reliable reporters left or retired (Steve Levy, Art Fennell (sp), Terry Ruggles, Dianne Allen, Herb Clarke, Herb Dennenberg), and they started interrupting the news every two minutes to plug their website or run some sensational news story (health scare, weather scare, etc. basically NOT NEWS). Now channel 10 is at the bottom of the heap as far as quality, in my opinion- I’d much rather watch 6 or 3… even 29, before tuning into 10 for my much needed news.
And national news… a disgrace. Between the hand-picking of news stories, filtered content, P.R. “news” from corporate sources and stories that at times can borderline on propaganda (not to mention the endless pharmaceutical advertisements in between), anyone who’s primary source of national and world news comes from NBC, ABC, CNN, CBS or FOX needs a reality check (not a reality show).
One other thought- how come when a big snow storm does hit, people worried that they may be trapped inside for who knows how long, go out and buy perishable items like bread, milk, eggs, etc?
Paul and Joe you guys hit the nail on the head. IF I see Nick Martino from PenDOT one more time on tv talking about how “ready” they are for the snow, I’m gonna throw up!! I think he was on all 3 broadcasts on Wed night. It’s terrible to say but I only watch local news anymore so that I laugh about it with my co-workers the next day. Swartz and Bolaris are major sensationalists..Cecily, and Adam Joseph are the best.
Chris - I think that, when it snows, everyone makes french toast.
You people are all missing the obvious answer as to why this continues:
No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people.
HL Mencken
Since we’re talking about not trusting local newscasters and general suspicion about the media telling us the truth, has anyone seen the Katie Couric clip on YouTube before the New Hamshire primary? Apart from the catty comments about Mrs. McCain’s eyes (husky dog) and conducting herself like a high school school girl obsessed with her voice and looks, she revealed a total cluelessness about basic election facts.
She thought Obama was up by 20points in polls, didnt know a thing about Huckabee, needed cheat sheet notes for Clinton and Obama facts. She had less knowlege about the NH primary than someone who just looks at color charts and graphs in USA Today. In fact, she appeared to only want to know enough to get by, absolutely no inttellectual curiosity in this woman. I’m not even going to mention her obvious liberal bias. She wanted the word “dramatic” added to a story about Pentagon tapes being released, not because she knew what was in them, or that they were actually dramatic, it was just someting on tape that could be connected to Bush- so she want to call it dramatic and sex up a dull story. She’s smitten with herself, a vain teenage girl who reads news snippets for $15 million a year. At least Hurricane knows something about meteorolgy and is well prepared when he tries to scare us.
we stopped counting which number snowstorm we have had at about the time the caucuses ended. The news stopped mentioning them after the 4th or 5th one, except for the icestorm. After awhile you just get numb and don’t notice them. Like Rocky taking punches in Round 10. Now we are just counting how many days it’s been since the high for the day got above 25.
I am going to send all these letters to my news friends. I really enjoyed reading all of them.
The weather forecasters are important, but they have to understand that “service” is everything, and that means leveling with the viewers.
Thanks to all of you for allowing me to vent,
Yeah, is that Penn Dot guy Frank Graff? Is he retired? I grew up with him in Brewerytown/Fairmount area. I recall he was always a straight shooter…no problems…so he is believable.