[BC] News in the 21st Century

[Mike McCarthy]

In Chicago a few years ago, when the NBC O&O here hired Jerry 
Springer to offer a weekly commentary on it's 10PM news, the two 
anchors quit in protest and most of the remaining anchors and 
reporters at the station wanted nothing to do with the concept 
either. The stunt lasted all of three or four weeks and that stations 
news operation was in shambles and ratings in the dumper for years after.

The VP of news at the time, Joel Cheetwood is now VP News, CBS owned 
stations.  He's of the mindset, if it bleeds, not only does it lead, 
it oozes from the lips of the hottest bodies on TV.  All hype and 
ZERO substance. Hence the reason for prompter readers at the O&O's of 
CBS.  And I'll bet he's the nutcase behind many of the cutbacks in 
news. He's a better fit for Fox. But even Fox didn't like his tactics either.

The male anchor went to ABC to succeed the long running top rated #1 
anchor when he retired a few years ago. He's now the #1 anchor in the 
market. The female anchor went to CBS and PBS networks to do 
investigative reporting.  She's back at the NBC station doing the 
same thing at the local level and politics.  But wants nothing to do 
with anchoring again.

The bottom line is these people stood up to management and thumbed 
their noses at the idiots keeping the integrity and reputations intact.

That said, a couple of the talents here in Chicago deserved to be 
terminated.  One was a more or less a stunt to get minority 
viewership up and the NAACP, et al of the station's back after they 
fired a couple minorities who had no business being on the air 
either.. OTOH, a couple were talented former anchors with LOTS of 
years left in front of and behind the camera.

So...now you know some of the rest of the story.

MM

At 05:58 PM 4/5/2008 -0700, Ronald J. Dot'o Sr. wrote

>Most news anchors that I've known are good at reading the 
>teleprompter or news copy and don't have a clue what they're talking 
>about and read off contradictory stuff that common since tells you it's wrong.