With the vote less than 2 weeks away, this might be a good time to evaluate the coverage to this point for the upcoming casino vote in Sedgwick County. Thanks to the commenter who mentioned this as a possible topic. I had been thinking about the topic a little and actually if someone wanted my honest opinion who had the best coverage, I probably would say KWCH before giving it much thought. Their poll was good over a week ago showing that the margin of a lead for the "Yes" folks was shrinking. Although it appears as if it was done after KAKE's, their "Fact Finder 12" investigation on the Pro and Anti Casino spots was better. I thought Kim Wilhelm presented it in a little more of a conversational manner and still with a little more urgency. It also looked like it had a little more post production work done to it and looked better .
I had to check the web to see exactly when the two did their pieces, but I think KAKE might have done theres at least a half week earlier than KWCH's. (Update 12:33AM: Check the comments following this entry and you make your own judgement). That's about the only area in which they trumped KWCH. Once again KAKE's post-production work on the piece isn't anything near KWCH. Reporter Deb Farris had the facts (and were the first ones to report it) but they were not as easy to follow as KWCH's. They both found similar things in their stories.
Following up the rear, not surprisingly at least in timing, was KSN as they ran their promoted Casino piece Tonight. I think my head is still spinning similar to the reels on the slots. The piece by Jason Kravarik certainly was the most in-depth piece on the issue yet, done by any of the stations. The interviews worked well, mixed in with the various ads. You don't often hear, yet alone see Phil Ruffin so that proved interesting. It proves that this is a complicated topic that had been under reported by KSN up until this point. I think it also shows that with a smaller staff, KSN might do best focusing on longer in-depth pieces like this and less breaking news stories. If it only had the right on-air talent, it might be able to find a niche in Wichita and gain some ratings. It might not make them #1, but this format might improve their current spot. They currently are #3 so what do they have to lose in trying this route and promoting it.
Since apparently the web is the future for the business, I think I need to mention a few things I found when researching the story. First off, I really am not familiar with the equal time rule when it comes to campaigns. I don't know if it really even exists at the local level or not, but KWCH just may want to even things out for their sakes. This is a hot button topic and I think many will be going to websites to read and WATCH the various stories the stations did on the topic. I wanted to catch a 2nd look at the KWCH Fact Finder investigation of the commercials so I went to their web site and found that although the text of both sides are on the web, the video of only the anti-casino ad story is on the site and not the video on the pro-casino ad story. (Update 12:35AM: Since this post, the problem on the KWCH site has been corrected according to the time stamp at 12:02AM on 7-27-07. I'll admit it I might have been partially wrong on this one, but at the same time I was right too. See the comments.)
Since people we'll be checking out the web for Casino coverage prior to the polls, KSN needs to take a hint from KAKE and KWCH's sites. KAKE and KWCH have separate icons listing all their stories to this point on the vote. Its nice and makes the stories in one spot and easy to see and watch (when posted, KWCH). Maybe KSN can put a link up above their "KSN Throws a Wedding," ad. (Boy the wedding sounds like a fun gimmick, on an unrelated note. I am sure the wedding will be fodder for Hal at a later time. I will be interested to see how the newscasts will somehow get involved in this obvious sales stunt. Hey, maybe Paul could be the wedding singer. He has the hair and schmucky style for it.) A link taking the person to a list of stories KSN has done on the casino would be helpful.
I also see KWCH plans a debate on the topic. They will not broadcast it live over the air, but rather live through the web. I'll be interested to know how many hits that gets. I like this person, but I was interested in seeing that Michael Schwanke will co-host this with an announcer from KFDI radio, rather than KWCH using one of their main anchors solo or with someone with KFDI.
Also I am curious who all of you think has covered the casino issue best. Try not to let your views on the casino get in the way with who you think has the best coverage of it. -Hal
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13 comments:
You are wrong on both accounts about KWCH and here is the proof. I hope you correct the record.
1) Both the Pro and Anti Casino videos and accompanying stories are on their site. Below is a link to their casino page and if you look at the video player play list both FactFinder 12 stories are there.
http://www.kwch.com/Global/category.asp?C=106291
2)KWCH's report on the No ad ran on Sunday 7/15. Their report on the Yes ad aired the following Sunday 7/22 during the same 10pm show.
KAKE's story on the ad ran on 7/19. That is a full four days later. You can look at the timestamp on their web story.
Again I hope you correct your errors which I hope are just an honest mistake but since you made two that would have taken almost no time to find out the right answer I am doubtful.
3) Someone posted it in a previous topic but KWCH has covered both sides about the same. The reason it seems that the No side has gotten more press is because they have been much more mobilized and visible as of late.
Hal,
I watched the reports on both sets of ads on KWCH's website earlier this week. Unless they took them down for some reason, I think you are wrong.
You may be right, but I am not totally wrong, either. AS of 12:02 AM if you go to their (Your) special Casino section and just scroll down through the stories on the left side of the screen, not the right side showing videos, and you click on the "Fact Finder 12 Checks Pro-Casino Ads," the story opens up and there is not a video link for this story. http://kwch.com/Global/story.asp?S=6824090
However for the "Fact Finder 12 Checks Anti Casino Ad" there is.
Also the time stamps. I thought I had seen these stories a few days earlier, and thanks for correcting me. I think your web guy may need to change the time stamps as well, maybe use a "created" and than "modified" stamp. Because the Anti story has a stamp listed as 7/23, while the Pro is listed as 7/25. I hope you can see why this can prove confusing. Getting back to the video links, I feel if there are multiple ways to get to a story, both should have the video link on them. -Hal
http://kwch.com/Global/story.asp?S=6824090
Glad this blog works for something. The error on the KWCH site has since been corrected in the last 5 minutes. Glad I can help you guys sort your video links out. -Hal
What TV stations are getting the most money from advertising from the NO and YES campaigns is one thing I must ask...
If that shows we dont have KWCH employees all over this blog nothing does, Hal points out a mistake, you guys jump all over him, and it gets corrected. *rolls eyes*
Does NOT show I mean...
(from the post above)
From your description it was a missing link and not an error. The video was available elsewhere on their site.
Now can we get back to the topic at hand please?
Semantics aside. I believe when you had the video link for the other side of a topic, such as this, but not for the other, I think it was an error. Not intended, and I am sure innocent, but never the less something that had to be corrected and was. So yes, lets move onto the topic at hand and away from the web issue. Who has had the best coverage of the Casino issue. -Hal
Who did they bring in to replace Matt Makens?
Hal,
There means location; their means possession.
This blog gets more annoying every time a KWCH employee toots their own horn.
Thanks for writing this.
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