On Sat, May 5, 2012 at 1:29 PM, Steve Timko <[email protected]> wrote:
> There's news and there's news that draws higher ratings. CNN focuses on the > latter because that's what gets ratings. it's like they hit the beach ball > into the air and they keep trying to keep it in the air because people will > leave their sets on if they think something interesting is coming up on the > topic. So that's where the opinion and speculation come into play; They > allow CNN to keep the beach ball in the air. Well, no. There's news, then there are opinions and rumors and unconfirmed reports and press releases and press conferences and propaganda. CNN fills its programing with column B. They would argue that in a 24-hour news cycle, they need filler between the hard news pieces. I maintain, again, that they are full of crap and point to the shift I mentioned earlier. It is a reporter's job to take what is newsworthy and make it interesting. CNN fails to do that, opting to stick with the easier job of trying to turn entertainment into something news-like that viewers will flock to. > The sad truth is a lot of CNN's ratings problems could be fixed with a > charismatic anchor. Someone telegenic and who inspired people's confidence. > I don't see a person on the national level right now. Maybe there's someone > in a local market. Local markets don't spill into networks like they once did. Not saying it doesn't happen, but it is rare. More likely are cable "personalities" transitioning to broadcast. Cablers are getting drafted out of college. A few years back I took my middle school students on a tour of NBC and CNBC. While at CNBC, my former boss from the days when I was an intern introduced me to a new reporter -- she looked roughly the same age as my middle school students. In front of her, and in front of my students, he made fun of her. He said that when I was an intern I didn't get a paycheck, but she gets six figures while he has to train her and take the fall for her many screw-ups. He lamented that cable had become a trade school for reporters and anchors, and he is not wrong. There are many reasons cable news ratings are down. One is because they fail to actually report the news. The other is that cable news isn't taken very seriously by those who own it. Think of the youth (lack of experience) in CNN's Atlanta center. Think of the closed bureaus. Think of the British ponce who took the Larry King chair. -- Kevin M. (RPCV) -- TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en
