Los Angeles, CA—Television
news has been a 60-year exercise in monkey see, monkey do plagiarism.
Today’s TV executives are playing
to the lowest common denominator. The
unproductive and ignorant seem to be the current TV news target audience. Does
this serve the sponsors that thrive on financially sound viewer’s buying power?
Is this more about guiding
the lame, dependent and ignorant to vote for the Liberal political ticket? I have no doubt that’s too often the reality.
It’s not the number of
viewers but rather their spending power that counts in the end. How can anyone sell new cars to brain-dead and
impoverished underachievers?
TV news would have died long
ago but for lucrative political ads during elections.
My recommendations?
I will begin with the abuse of
the Breaking News label. Last night’s
news is not breaking in the morning. Are
viewers so dumb they can be convinced yesterday’s news is breaking?
The overuse and abuse of silly live
shots sending crews to scenes just to be there when nothing is happening is so
lame. Viewers would be better served by
more comprehensive and pre-recorded video packages.
Why are they always broadcasting
those gossipy-nosy neighbor reaction interviews for crime stories? Revealing the results of verified public record
checks makes much more sense. This also
leads to finding great people to interview.
Helicopters and drones are a
must to gather images since all news is appearing on screens rather than
traditional television. Drones are much
cheaper and in many applications superior and certainly always safer.
Television news must begin to
simulcast news on the Internet and when they do their advertisers should be
joining them. Between broadcasts a menu
of stories to watch makes sense. Looking
at viewing stats tells us just what stories viewers want to see.
The overuse and abuse of
redundant TV news identification graphics.
They far too often interfere with
viewing the video. A small watermark is more
than enough.
One of my favorite news
directors ever developed a slogan her station wisely used, “Less Chit-Chat and More
News.”
I loathe today’s TV news organizations
doing crime stories the most. The
reporters are sent out for live shots with police PIO’s that will only release
self-serving and often misleading information.
Tracking down and
interviewing the witnesses, the accused and their lawyers will tell the whole
story. Only getting that sound bite from
the PIO’s makes using reporters unnecessary. Only a photographer is needed to get the “official”
filtered government version.
Covering news conferences by
law enforcement officials live on a big story is always a terrible idea. The local politicians and the police bosses use
the first 15 minutes congratulating themselves and each other while mugging for
the cameras. Too often these things
degenerate into a campaign photo-op for politicians.
The most obvious red flag is seeing politicians
in attendance at those news conferences.
Would the news audience be deprived if they didn’t hear some mayor droning
on about his great leadership being responsible for the solving of a
crime? Let the politicians purchase airtime
rather than simply give it away!
TV news unwisely jettisoned their
field producers long ago. It’s almost
impossible for a TV reporter doing live shots to flesh out a news story alone.
Does every story deserve a
live shot at the expense of content? The answer is greatly limiting the live
shots opting instead for significant content. Talking heads are no comparison to quality video
with competent voiceover and meaningful witness interviews.
TV executives must learn that
their audience has already moved on to iPhones and iPads. Only the elderly, handicapped and least affluent viewers
sit in front of TV sets at home anymore.
It’s time for TV news to
adapt and regain the viewers that fled traditional TV for the Internet.
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