"Absolutely, I'll look at your resume, kid!" Marian Pittman, WSB
"When you need a change of scenery, Monica, you know who to call." Steve Schwaid, WGCL
When the Atlanta Press Club gathered the four Atlanta TV news directors for a forum last week, the first question from moderator Denis O’Hayer addressed this hypothesis: TV news stinks.
The hypothesis wasn’t shocking. The shocking part is that it came from the mouth of the VP of News at WXIA-TV, Ellen Crooke. Crooke uttered the words in a GSU journalism class (and flashed them on a Powerpoint slide). We dutifully reported it on this site.
The cheery contrarian: Ellen Crooke, WXIA
Crooke expanded on her hypothesis during the forum. Predictably, the news directors at WSB and WAGA disagreed. Given the fact that their newscasts have the largest audiences in town, Marian Pittman and Budd McEntee told the audience that local TV news is mostly doing a fine job, thank you. WGCL’s Steve Schwaid gave a more nuanced answer that agreed with the essence of Crooke’s remark.
"Don't worry. Be happy." Budd McEntee, WAGA
The four news directors were collegial and in mostly good humor. The forum was a unique look at the four most influential behind-the-scenes folks in Atlanta TV news. Below, there are four unedited clips from the APC forum in response to the “TV news stinks” question. We may post additional material in the coming days.
Video and stills courtesy of Grayson Daughters; she’s also the blogger known as “spaceyg,” who recently referred to me on this blog as “his royal smugness.” Thanks, Spacey. Next time, you’re buying.
Ellen Crooke, WXIA
Budd McEntee, WAGA
Marian Pittman, WSB
Steve Schwaid, WGCL
Posted by kicker on June 15, 2009 at 8:39 am
Ellen -
the solution to relevamnt TV is answering viewer questions at 11 pm?
Or is it just how you fill your show.
Admit it. You don’t have a newscast at 11 pm . You want a magazine show. That’s fine. Just admit it.
Posted by Fence Sitter on June 15, 2009 at 11:17 am
It’s not just local news. #CNNfail.
Long live Larry King interviews of the Jonas Brothers.
Posted by longgone. on June 15, 2009 at 5:45 pm
my head is swirling…
do these people never look outside their “bubble”? They’re just hanging on till someone turns out the lights..
the AJC is almost gone, some of these stations staffers have been asked to take paycuts. (economy..)
What was their market shares 10 years ago vs now? (gone to non-tv competition..)
Who really watches their news? (marketable demographics..)
The content they cover just fills the ad-space hole… and they trot out the I-Team stuff only during sweeps and then point to that (with some justification=Peabody, Emmys..) as proof they are still doing legitimate news…
ouch.. what about the rest of the time… really
Posted by wgcler on June 15, 2009 at 8:30 pm
I can’t answer for the other stations, only about us.
Our ND had drilled it into our heads, sometimes painfully, that every day is a sweeps day. They look at, discuss and anlyze the numbers everyday.
I live on the street, but I’ve walked by meetings where you hear them ask what are people talking about on the street.
You’re right, Some stations live ina bibble. But we never had a bubble or it burst awhile ago here.
Posted by English Major on June 16, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Sadly – or maybe, admirably – the television industry still calls these broadcasts “news” even though they’re not. Most of the rest of us look at them as entertainment. That’s what they’ve become, so our expectations are not as high. Wish it weren’t so.
Posted by Sammy on June 16, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Dagmar is really hot!
Posted by Juanita Driggs on June 16, 2009 at 2:48 pm
I agree with Ms. Crooke. TV news does stink. I also agree with Sammy. Dagmar IS really hot! (I think I like where Sammy is coming from.) And the point is…? The vapidity of TV news reminds me of a famous quote attributed to a Canadian Oxfam official lamenting the inability to address the dismal state of health in many countries (including ours). “When all is said and done…more is said than done!”
Posted by 10 Atlanta media moments, 2009 « live apartment fire on December 29, 2009 at 7:19 am
[...] WXIA’s news director Ellen Crooke, defending her hypothesis that “TV news stinks” while reshaping WXIA’s newscasts, making [...]