So I had blogged a few times how I was wondering when a station would alter their Sweeps plans and do one based on the tornado in Greensburg. I had said at the time, if done right, this could be the best Sweeps story of the period. It didn't quite live up to that.
So late this weekend or Monday, KSN started promoting a story on a town in Wisconsin which was destroyed from an EF 5 and rebuilt, much like what Greensburg is up against. Suspiciously, Yesterday KAKE started promoting a story on Hallum, Nebraska, and an EF 5 tornado which leveled that town a few years back and its rebuilding process. I was actually looking forward to see which station delivered. Earlier this weekend I congratulated KSN for flying out a crew to Wisconsin to do the story. A commenter stated, how did I know they flew a crew, when they could have depended on an affiliate in Wisconsin for the video. I admitted I didn't know. However, in KSN's story Tonight, you could see reporter Josh Wittsman was there. Meanwhile at KAKE, in what could have been, at most, a 3 hour journey, it looks like KAKE didn't make the journey and depended on an affiliate for what turned out to be an over hyped piece done, purely to counter programming on KSN. Lame effort at that.
KSN's story had good content and for the people of Greensburg, I think it would be an inspiration at what can be done. The pictures from after the tornado in Wisconsin looked eerily similar to that in Greensburg, so seeing the rebuilt Wisconsin town should give hope to Greensburg. The story overall was well done, though at times it was a little sappy. It was a decent effort at what I was hoping as far as turning a good Greensburg related tornado story for the end of Sweeps, but I cant quite say it would be the best of Sweeps.
KWCH tonight showed why on the outside it thinks solid, but cannot execute all that well, and still can get by with it in ratings. As the flooding was occurring in Reno county, KWCH and KAKE, for that matter had live phoners from officials at 6PM. KWCH's presentation came off very professional, but at 10PM it was a different story. They had two stories and they were largely the same thing showing a bunch of flooded cars and people pushing them out. I thought KAKE and KSN did a better job at dealing with the concerns of the levees and and other emergency issues.
Meanwhile i don't know if it was KAKE's final Sweeps piece or not, but Deb Farris' piece on lost dogs was one for the dogs (sorry I couldn't resist). Including tears from a owner of a lost pooch, the piece had way too much drama, for my concerns. -Hal
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6 comments:
How wrong you are Hal. KWCH brought up the levy issue days ago, Monday I think, and has done something on it everyday since.
And again you are cutting KSN slack. They missed the boat, pardon the pun, early in the evening and were playing catchup all night, like they do most times.
Maybe I wasn't clear, I was purely talking about tonight. I dont care if a station talked about the levys days ago, multiple inches of rain in that area Today, makes it an issue a station should have at least followed up on again Tonight. I will agree KSN got a late start on things and again was forced upon salvaging efforts, and like you said something they often have to do. But if you hadn't watched at 5 and 6 and keeping a scorecard at home, I dont think you would have noticed, even if the other stations each had 2 reporters on the stories. KWCH's stories virtually said and showed the same things, while KAKE's had a little more merrit to it. -Hal
KWCH did have the levee angle. IMHO I think you have a bias against them because they are number one. They didn't get that way and stay that way by sitting on their duffs.
On the tornado story...KOLN/KGIN in Lincoln is a Gray-Owned station....which explains how they got the Hallam Video.
The fact of the mater is that, the story was not really promoted, which shows they were completely counter-programing.
They have done this to KSN on several stories. Funny, considering everyone at KAKE says they're only competing with KWCH.
Sounds like the KAKE'ers feel a little heat.
Glen Horn knew how to stab a station in the back with style! The new guy needs help!
nice blog
Why do you need to go to Wisconsin to do a story on rebuilding after an F5 tornado? Don't we have Hesston and Andover right next door.
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