Wednesday, May 23, 2007

NBC Skips Stone


First it was John Seigenthaler, now it's Stone Phillips - both gone from NBC News. Each was found guilty of making too much money! What about the person or people who agreed to pay these guys "too much money?" More importantly, how much is "too much money?" If your programming is so superior that people "must see" it, the ad revenue will follow! This means that the network makes money even after paying their expensive hunks of beef, in this case, John & Stone. This type of hindsight management interests me.
I was once fired from a radio station in a cost cutting move. My air shift was the only one to increase in ratings. My pay, at the time, was pocket change above minimum wage. (Thanks, Harvey, you did me a favor!)
Back to Seigenthaler and Phillips, don't sweat it, guys. Each of you can write a book and/or teach. I can see thousands of bright eyed journalism students, eager to soak up whatever you have remaining inside you.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Life Is Short...


From the Windy City comes a new low from the legal profession. The same people who tell is that bankrupcy is the answer have come up with another suggestion.

The billboards were removed after public criticsism.

Wouldn't "good taste" have prevented this in the first place?

Oh, I don't recall signing a release for the picture on the right. The girl, well, nice outfit!

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Katie, nobody's watching...


CBS Evening News is hurtin' for certain. During the last week of April they had their lowest viewership in 20 years! About 6 million daily viewers as opposed to ABC's 8.1 million with Charlie Gibson and 7.5 million viewers for NBC's Nightly News with Brian Williams. If Katie Couric was so popular on the NBC Today Show, why is she stinking up the place at CBS? Maybe CBS should ask a newsman about their ratings problem. Most of the CBS Evening News is FLUFF. Now, fluff is OK....on a news magazine show. Today was a sort of "magazine show." Hard news dominating an evening newscast? What a concept!

Here's CBS' solution. Fire two people: Katie Couric and the person who hired her. Oh, and while you are passing out pink slips, give one to the person who produces the show! So who should sit in the chair? John Roberts, reading real, hard news stories - with a daily commentary segment from Don Imus! You want ratings? You'll get your ratings!