Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Valley Center Explosion
No, I haven't given up on the blog. I must say thanks to the comments to a previous post earlier this morning, which alerted me to the events. I was checking on the comments about 10AM and a comment about an explosion and my thoughts of the coverage. I quickly found a TV and watched sporadically through the day. First thing, KWCH employees will be excited when I do say early on they definitely had things moving well. As the day continued Roger and Cindy showed without a doubt, why they are the market's #1 anchor team. Cindy is able to stay serious and focused, Roger does the same, but every now and then he is able to get a one liner in that kind of puts the viewer to ease somewhat. One problem with KWCH as I have said before, outside of Michael Schwanke, Jim Grawe and Kim Wilhelm, their reporting depth drops. Shots from Kim Hynes and others, have been worse in the past with other stories, but they still are rough compared to the others I mentioned. KAKE scrambled quickly and handled things about expected. Their 6PM had the nuts and bolts you would expect. Like all the stations the press conference a few minutes into the newscast I am sure threw a wrench into all the newscasts. I didn't get to see it but from the early comments, KSN had a rough start to the day's events. A little slow to get going. That isn't a surprise, normally though by the end of the day they do a decent overall job of wrapping up the days coverage. We'll have to see what happens at 10PM. I will say I thought Anthony Powell shows why he is their best on-air male talent. Maybe it was good he wasn't a main anchor and stuck out in the field, because he probably was one of the bright points for KSN out in the field, although a late press conference was a little rough. I will say KSN could have maybe bailed out of the 6PM news conference earlier, like KWCH did, but that's a tough call. KWCH went the longest with continuous coverage early in the day. They can do it especially when they have a strong crew like Roger and Cindy to come in and take over things. That is a real brief summary of my thoughts about the day. I probably saw at the most about 2 hours of total coverage through the day, so please comment and give me your thoughts about the highs and lows and please after your comments rank the stations 1,2,3 for who had the best coverage collectively through the whole day. -Hal
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
15 comments:
KWCH has a lot more who deserve praise than just the people you mentioned. You dog on about half-their reporters but they do a good job. The station also has a lot more resources than KAKE or KSN so that helps them in a big story like this, as it helped them with Greensburg and the neighborhood fire a few months back. Those are my thoughts now on to the facts.
They were the first on with today's events...by my count about 10 minutes ahead of KSN.
When KSN did go up they had a crawl. KAKE wasn't on for another 5 minutes.
KWCH also had the first live shot from their skycam and the first video from the ground.
KWCH also started streaming their coverage very early which I bet helped a lot of people at work who live in VC but couldn't get away from their desks.
In fact, I think they were the only ones who streamed it. KSN may have done it later on but KAKE doesn't even have that capability I don't think.
KWCH also had phoners long before anyone else. I believe they had the president of the company on before he boarded a plane to come to Wichita so that was a big get for them. As was the vet they had on talking about what affect this could have on the hundreds of pets who were left alone during today's events.
I think 12 won the day.
Hal,
You may want to e-mail KAKE. It's called Barton Solvents. Barsol is simply what it is called on their logo and not the company's name. They have been given the wrong information all day.
1-KWCH
2-KAKE
3-KSN
I also think KWCH's entire on-air staff needs kudos for a job well done. Kim Setty is just as strong as Roger and Cindy and just as confident a person on the desk as anyone.
To poster #1, you criticize me saying KWCH deserves more praise then I give them and I dog on half their staff. But then you unknowingly prove my point. You say the station has a lot more resources than KAKE or KSN. Exactly. So this isn't possible, but if we woke up tomorrow and all three stations had the same lack of resources, who would do well? I would certainly say as for reporting, KWCH would not do that well especially if they had to depend on those that you say I dog on. Dont get me wrong, I think it is great KWCH has the resources they have and more power to their owner and management, but lets not have that cloud the issue of talent. -Hal
KAKE said it was Barsol. I think that was wrong. It's Bartons Solvents.
KSN was streaming before 10a. Not sure of the time. But they were streaming.
Once again Anon #1... just tell us you work for 12 before writing such a glowing review of your station.
Don't forget to rank the coverage 1,2,3. -Hal
KAKE had the first interview live on the air with authorities. KAKE had the first photographer on the scene and had great pictures. KAKE talked to the President long before anyone else. KAKE got the first eye witness from the plant on the air first, followed by KSN then KWCH. KAKE also had the first aerials. Barsol is what the company calls itself. The website is barsol dot com. KAKE referred to the company under both names but feel free to look at the website. And by the way Kim Hines is a lot better than Grewe.
maybe it's just me but unless you are first by a significant amount of time...what does it matter who is first. the media is supposed to serve joe public and as a joe public myself i can tell you that i'm don't care who is first...i want correct information. All the stations were on pretty fast but the only thing anyone managed to tell me was that the fire was big (which i could clearly see) and that i should stay away from a chemical fire (common sense). The point i'm trying to make is that i don't care - and i think many would agree with me - who told me about something first...i care who told me what was going on and it seemed that whoever ended up being first ended up being wrong....there's paint coming off cars...there's not paint coming off cars....they're letting people in...they are not letting people in. Hell somebody got the name of the plant wrong!! Instead of being first be right. If things might change say they might change. Rant over
#1 KWCH
#2 KAKE - good info..bad storytelling
#3 KSN good storytelling. little slow on the info and interviews
* Disclaimer - only saw about an hours worth of coverage around 10am and 5pm
Barsol is their trade name. Barton Solvents is the company name.
More lies from the KAKE people but what do you expect. Their ratings are dropping left and right.
KAKE was about 10 minutes behind even KSN with getting something on the air. They waited for Martha or whatever lame home improvement show was on before breaking in.
KAKE's website wasn't updated until noon, a full three hours after it happened.
The fact is KAKE lost and they are hurting about it.
BTB: It's an eyewitness NOT and eye witness.
Someone in here post the ratings books from May 2006 and then May 2007 who isn't biased... I'm sick of some claiming KWCH is so dominant and rising while KSN and KAKE are fading fast, while others are saying KAKE is rising while KWCH and KSN are dropping...
I personally have seen the books from as recently as February 2006, it went like this
KAKE was #1 in the mornings, followed closely by KWCH and KSN
KAKE's 11:30am newscast did ok and was improving..
KWCH had a 3:1 ratio over KSN at noon.
5pm KWCH had a firm lead but KAKE wasn't a bad #2, while KSN lagged
6pm..KWCH's lead grew, KSN was #2 and KAKE a close #3
10pm KWCH dominated, KAKE rising but a distant 2, and KSN right behind.
Its a known fact this blog circulates around the newsrooms and people chatter about it, time to put up or shut up
You cannot count the 11:30 on KAKE because they are by themselves. They do this because they are afraid to compete.
The fact is if KAKE or KSN had competent people they could compete. They can't so they bitch on here.
Here's a better rant- I believe if you read the first post they are talking about firsts.. now all of a sudden people do not care about who was first when the facts are presented? Seriously? Read before you respond. I actually would like to see someone post the ratings on here because I have seen them and pretty much what the previous poster wrote was correct. Honestly, the ratings can be twisted anyway you want them. If a station does poorly overall they can talk about the metro numbers. If they improve overall but their demographics are terrible they will talk about the overall numbers. Every station does it. It's a sales thing - not a news thing. To the 12 employee talking about bitching on here you seem a little stressed or insane. Do not talk about competance when you have the worst reporting staff in the market. Between Linda, Jim, (that girl from Western Kansas who needs to stay in Western Kansas for years)you have embarrassed this market. KSN has competant and experienced reporters, who unfortunately, have been dragged down by ever changing images and bad management. KAKE has experienced and capable reporters. Take away Schwanke and Kim W. and 12 is seriously behind. Kim H. and Cliff do a good job but still need experience. The rest of them, horrible. Take away the 55+ viewers who aren't capable of changing the channel and the race is close anyway you look at it! KAKE has an 11:30 because of Another World- no different than many other ABC affiliates in the country. The information presented yesterday, including the paint off the cars, came from authorities and was reported accurately as long as it was attributed to authorities. Maybe the reporters on the scene should have slipped through the barricade and conducted their own scientific tests to make sure what authorities were saying was accurate. In which case I guess 12 would have needed 2 reporters to go along so they would have 2 confirmed sources- right? No wonder they are number 1!
It's like a high school in here! I agree with the "Joe Blow" poster, I just want accurate information from my stations! I don't care who is first or who thinks they are better. If you all would quit worrying about what everyone else was doing maybe we'd have some decent reporting all around!
1-KWCH
2-KAKE
3-KSN
Grow up and act like professionals!
Post a Comment