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News :: Media |
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The Oncoming DE-Localization Of Our Local "NewsChannel" |
Current rating: 0 |
by Paul Riismandel
Email: paul (nospam) mediageek.org (unverified!)
Address: Champaign, IL |
22 Jan 2003
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Tonight on NewsChannel 15 News at 10 I saw the first glimpse of the impending dismantling of local news at that station, as planned by owner Sinclair Broadcast Group. |
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Just after tonight's 10 PM local news broadcast ended, at about 10:34, I saw a new commentary segment called "The Point with Mark Hyman." It was a 30 second editorial, in the style I used to see when I was younger, when the local news director or station manager would come on and comment on a local issue.
Only this commentary had nothing to do with a local issue. It was about three seventh graders at La Valle Middle School in Colorado who were expelled for bringing a laser pointer to school, along with an exhortation to call the school to complain.
While the segment ran the following web address was on the screen: http://www.newscentral.tv
As a ardent mediageek, I know that NewsCentral is a new program being rolled out by Channel 15 owner Sinclair that will centralize local news broadcasts, with most of the program coming from their central studios in Maryland. This "the point" segment, I guess, is our first taste of this new approach to "local" news.
Really, of how much real interest is this story about studens expelled in Colorado to people in East-Central Illinois? While the story may be roughly indicative of a broader trend in school administration, it's otherwise of little consequence to people locally, except as something to get upset about that we actually have no control over.
Is this what we want from our "local" news?
Unfortunately, just recently Sinclair announced that it plans to roll out the full half-hour NewsCentral to all of its stations, including WICD-TV Ch. 15, within two years. This program will replace the local news broadcast. Say goodbye to your local newscasters, say hello to "local news" from Maryland.
I'm writing a longer article on this and the potential affects of the FCC media ownership review on our local media for the February issue of the IMC's newspaper, the public i (http://publici.ucimc.org). (psst -- you can see a draft of it right now at: http://print.ucimc.org/newswire/display/425/index.php )
For more news about Sinclair and its proclivities, see some entries on my website:
"Concern about Media Monopolies Plays in Peoria" - http://www.mediageek.org/archives/001992.html#001992
"Comments to the FCC on Media Ownership" - http://www.mediageek.org/archives/001991.html#001991
"Sinclair Moves To Consolidate Local News" - http://www.mediageek.org/archives/001923.html#sinclair |
See also:
http://www.newscentral.tv
http://www.mediageek.org
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Re: The Oncoming DE-Localization Of Our Local |
by pm
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
22 Jan 2003
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If Paul is right--that the local news is going to become a broadcast from Maryland with an editorial to follow--it'll look a lot like the news-gazette, without the local newsroom (which is fairly big). We'll be left with a local editorial and lots of wire stories.
Just a quick reminder: General Electric, one of the world's largest military contractors, owns NBC. Westinghouse, another of the world's largest military contractors, owns CBS. Disney owns ABC.
If we want the public interest reflected in our media, we need to fight for it. In the words of GEO Speedwagon, "It's time to organize!" |
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Re: The Oncoming DE-Localization Of Our Local |
by Michael Feltes
mfeltes (nospam) shimer.edu (verified) |
Current rating: 0
23 Jan 2003
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This is so crazy. They might as well just take out the local broadcast and replace it with a rerun of "Seinfeld". |
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Re: The Oncoming DE-Localization Of Our Local |
by Kimberlie Kranich
kranich (nospam) uiuc.edu (unverified) |
Current rating: 5
27 Jan 2003
Modified: 11:22:39 PM |
Here's one recent example of the effects of the defunding and de-localizing of local TV news:
WICD did a story on Friday night about Monday's (tonight's) anti-war resolution before the Urbana City Council. They had no reporters to send out into the field to do the story so they called the Mayor on the phone for a comment and asked Alderwoman Chynoweth to come to the station for an interview which she did. The reporter, who said she covered local government, didn't even know Ms. Chynoweth was an alderwoman. She did not have a copy of the anti-war resolution nor did she want one for her story on the anti-war resolution.
Tonight, WICD came to city council to report on the anti-war resolution. They stayed for 45 minutes leaving at 8:15pm. Public comment ended at 9:45 pm. Yes, they have a 10pm deadline to meet. But the reporter did not bother to call city hall to find out if the comments were coming down in favor of or against the resolution so it was reported that "people spoke for and against the resolution." In fact, 96 people spoke for it and 4 against. I called the reporter and we talked. She is going to make a correction for tomorrow morning's newscast.
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Re: The Oncoming DE-Localization Of Our Local |
by Danielle & Sascha
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
22 Feb 2003
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We just watched "The Point" before viewing Saturday Night Live, Saturday Feb. 22. This is the transcript of the 15 second crazy right wing rant being piped in. I am scared out local news isn't just decentralized, it's frothing at the mouth conservative.
"Axis of Drivel, which reported that the Washington Post and New York Times neglected to mention that an anti-war rally was organized by a Marxist organization and that other groups committed to overthrowing the U.S. were prominent protest attendees, brought in a ton of email.
Ironically, several self-identified peace activists made a few violent threats. And Chad of Athens, Ohio offered that "you evil bastards [should be] killed in your wars of folly." While John, of Springfield, Massachusetts emailed that "The truth… is a very difficult commodity to get here in Stinkfield, Taxachusetts."
from: http://www.newscentral.tv/thepoint/commentary.shtml
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Re: The Oncoming DE-Localization Of Our Local |
by ML
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
23 Feb 2003
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Having seen and been disgusted by the same televized editorial, I have my doubts about the identity of those who were quoted (from what seemed to be email comments.) To me, the comments cited seem far more like a parody of what right-wingers think peace activists think and talk like. In fact, the quotes were very similar to some of the trolling that we regularly encounter on Indymedia.
I seriously doubt if those quoted had ever been to a peace demo. More likely, they were a few teenage keyboard commandos pulling the leg of the rather disreputable host of this editorial comment. There certainly wasn't any proof presented to back up the claim being made that those quoted in any way represent the opposition to war on Iraq. Hasn't he ever heard of calling up representatives from those he is attacking? I guess he considered that to be entirely too fair towards those he wished to trash. And, given the clear bias displayed by the commentator, it wouldn't surprise me if it was eventually discovered that he set up a couple of Hotmail accounts and emailed these "threats" to himself, all in an effort to prove his point. At best, it was like quoting a couple of drunk Republicans on the Fourth of July. They sure might say a bunch of things that would embarrass even so shameless a chararcter as the pResident and it would never be claimed that they somehow represent the pResident's views.
The overall theme was an appalling piece of shoddy, ad homiem propaganda. If this is the standard that is being set for news from the centralized bureaucarcy that now owns WICD, it is likely that the worst fears of losing local news origination expressed above will be realized -- and maybe even worse. |
