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TV Gets Idiot Callers Too

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Football_Bat, May 31, 2010.

  1. Football_Bat

    Football_Bat Well-Known Member

    This is epic.

    How dare they pre-empt Criminal Minds for severe weather coverage?

     
  2. Precious Roy

    Precious Roy Active Member

    The sad thing is that I understand her pain. However, I get mad cause the weather people here interrupt TV when there is just a hint of lightning or some small hail. They are alarmist to be sure, and it drives us all crazy. Oh well, that's what we get for living where we do and having a TV station that believes they are only good for their weather coverage.
     
  3. Mark2010

    Mark2010 Active Member

    Weather coverage is overrated anyway. By the time the weather gets severe enough to matter, the electricity is already out.
     
  4. No question, this woman is a self-centered idiot. Problem is, she's not completely wrong.

    The weathercasters tend to break in for too many insignificant events, and instead of getting to the point quickly and moving on, they drone on and on because they have the cameras on them. For gosh sakes, act like a reporter, take some notes, refer to them and get off. Most of those "alerts" could be handled in a crawl anyway.
     
  5. Pete Incaviglia

    Pete Incaviglia Active Member

    I love it. Makes me want to start my own network: TV1, Where TV Matters To You, And Only You.
     
  6. spikechiquet

    spikechiquet Well-Known Member

    IT'S A TORNADO! Whomever agrees with her is a doofus. You mean to tell me they shouldn't talk about a life-threatening storm that could affect the lives of its viewers?
    Who cares if she is on the far western end of the market area and the storm in on the far eastern end! LIVE WITH IT!
    Maybe you have a relative in the town getting hit...doesn't that then affect you...what if it was heading to your town...wouldn't you want to know?

    /rant by former TV guy

    Also, this reminds me of last night and how WTHR-TV13 in Indianapolis showed the Indy 500 Awards Banquet in favor of the Stanley Cup Final's Game 2. Their facebook page was showered with hate. The station did bump the Cup game to it's weather subchannel (in SD) while people getting checks were shown in HD.
    Yet, I had to explain to co-workers why the NBC affiliate in Indy can't just have the Cup Final shown on MSNBC or CNBC instead. Most people don't understand national vs. local TV! LOL
     
  7. HanSenSE

    HanSenSE Well-Known Member

    Yeah, the caller's a few fries short of a happy meal, but I wonder sometimes if, in this era of the Super Doppler, pinpoint forecasts, ect., if some weather events aren't overhyped just so the station can justify the purchase of the equipment.
     
  8. PCLoadLetter

    PCLoadLetter Well-Known Member

    They're overhyped mostly because every study by a consultant says weather is the number one thing people care about. If there's an excuse to make a big deal about the weather, most stations will go overboard. Of course, most viewers aren't interested in breathless team coverage of "drizzle," which is frequently the end result of this, but stations do it anyway.

    Having said that... it's a freakin' tornado. This caller is an idiot.

    Back in 1991/92 I was working at an ABC affiliate during the presidential campaign. Ross Perot was on CNN doing a much-hyped interview with Larry King -- he may have been announcing his candidacy, I think. A woman called and asked me if we could switch our broadcast from the ABC program over to Larry King, because she didn't have cable.

    People are dumb.
     
  9. Pete Incaviglia

    Pete Incaviglia Active Member

    Are you my father? My dad says this during every snowstorm and thunderstorm TV personalities break into to tell us about.
     
  10. Oggiedoggie

    Oggiedoggie Well-Known Member

    The woman's a foof.

    But here, let a storm line break out and it's hours and hours of TV coverage on all the local channels.

    Except for last Sunday night. We had hail, strong winds and three inches of rain. Not a peep on the television.

    Weather's no danger on a holiday weekend.
     
  11. doubledown68

    doubledown68 Active Member

    I'll admit to being pissed a few years ago when CBS interrupted its Sun Bowl coverage (Mizzou-Oregon State) to carry footage of either Reagan's or Ford's funeral.

    My thought: the death was old news. If the hopped out of the casket and start walking around then yes, by all means, cut away. Otherwise, not so much.
     
  12. Stitch

    Stitch Active Member

    Imagine living in a state where the affiliates have small satellite stations in my area, with their own call letters, but have newsrooms 100 miles away at the main station. If a tornado hits my town, we won't hear about it beforehand.
     
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