September 27th, 2009 
joel This week has been one very long computer session, and I’m looking forward to some more old media activities this week…maybe an episode of 30 Rock or The Office..woohoo!
At the beginning of last week, the major national headlines were about President Obama’s media blitz of the TV Sunday talk shows, with every major network represented except Fox News. That was curious to me since their ratings are highest for the 24-hour cable news channels, and because the President of the United States shouldn’t be fearful of talking to anyone. Anyway, the blazing headlines were regarding the Blitz, and my thoughts went to CommArts 101 and Marshall McLuhan’s “the medium is the message.”
So what was the story last week: the President’s details on health care, or that he was ubiquitous on the airwaves?
As always comment here on Erie media by clicking the title and scroll down. Or you can opine via e-mail at joel@nataliemedia.com, or tweet @pressandtower.
Embrace the chaos!
Posted in 
Tags: 
Loading ...
WHERE is the new WSEE news set? 2 weeks ago Scott Bremner announced the new set would be unveiled “in a couple days” and that “exciting things are in store.”
OK, where? where is it (the new set) at? Where are all these “exciting things” at that have been promised since the merger took place back in June?
Maybe it would be prudent to not promise something until you know you can deliver the goods? I’m just saying…
As a complete outsider here, it sounds to me as if Scott was instructed to promote the new set and exciting things happening by upper management. I’ve seen this ploy before, tell the viewers things are happening and they’ll keep tuning in to see them. Another example of how little management thinks of its true clients, the viewers. We (the TV industry) treat our viewers as if they’re stupid…an idea that continues to be driven, in my opinion, by consultants. Tell them something is going to happen or is happening, and they’ll believe it because we said it on TV…therefore, it must be true.
This mindset also leads me to believe that there is complete chaos behind the scenes at 12/35…probably along with quite a bit of bickering. Good luck wading through this to all of my old friends and colleagues…I fear that you are going to need it.
Legend, I also share your views on consultants. Treat the viewer like their stupid and they’ll always come back for more.
As for complete chaos behind the scenes at 12/35? Surely you jest (comments dripping with sarcasm for effect)Don’t you realize it is all one big happy family at Lilly Broadcasting!?
This merger is the best thing that could have ever happened 
Everyone is in agreement on everything 
and employees are allowed to express their opinions on any topic without fear of retribution by upper management. 
And if you believe all that then you must believe Jay Leno at 10pm is the best thing to ever happen at NBC – LOL
The thing about consultants is that they seem to want to “trick” or “fool” the audience into watching. They DO come into the process with the mindset that the viewers are sheep who can simply be herded to your station just by following their “ideas”. (BTW, they are almost always ex-news directors whose “ideas” didn’t work, they got fired, and then, became consultants.)
The best way to gain viewers for a news product is to present a good, locally-based broadcast that deals with topics that are of interest and important to the viewers. You need to do this with anchors and reporters who are credible, respected, well thought-of, and competent. You do this with tech people who are creative, tight with their shows, and who are paid enough to CARE about their jobs. You do this with photogs who consider themselves journalists, who care that they get interesting shots that advance the narrative, not just 22 year olds who just graduated. You get this with reporters who care more about the facts in their stories than about how they look or how this story might get them out of this “hellhole”.
You get this with a concern about getting IT right. IT is the facts. IT is the signal quality. IT is professional presentation, not just getting something on the air to fill the time. IT is professional lighting – both in the field and on the set. IT is audio that is crisp and clean. IT is employees and management who are there to serve (Joel, as we both learned in CommArts 101) the Public Interest, Convenience, and Neccessity.
Owners were granted access to the Public Airways to serve the PICN. They are licensed with that in mind. Any profit that they make due to their access is gravy. That was the deal made between the gov’t. and broadcasters. The broadcasters can make any amount of profit that they can as long as they serve their communities. Apparently, the owners have forgotten this, and the FCC doesn’t have the stomach to keep up their end of the contract either. (And not just in this market – it is the same all around the country.)
I am also awaiting the “exciting” new look (news set) and changes in for WSEE. Unbelievable that it is taking this long to debut it. After all, it was announced over a month ago. A house can be built and constructed faster than that. It better be worth the wait. I am hoping their are new graphics and an opening as well.
Maybe the Extreme Home Makeover people should have built it.
Bob,
You’re absolutely right in your post. It is the same all over, not just Erie. Many of us have said for sometime now that the worst thing that ever happened to TV news was that someone found out how much money could be made from it. That has changed (in my opinion for the worse) what once was a noble profession.
Did you all hear that the GM is now the interim news director at WPXI in Pittsburgh ? Can’t wait to see how that works out.
Legend – that is Ray Carter. Before becoming GM at WPXI he was (I believe) ND at the Cox station in Atlanta, WSB-TV.
If this works out (GM being Interim ND as well as GM) could it be another cost cutting move? Having the GM serve as ND as well?
Cox is also, so I hear, moving toward combining many duties. Could that also mean hubbing of say Pittsburgh, Johnstown and Steubenville ? Signs of possible things to come…I hope not.
GE to spin off NBC? Comcast to get 51%?
http://www.cnbc.com/id/33123120