Network nightly news facing twilight time

[SecularMotion]

Source: Associated Press

NEW YORK -- Doomsday scenarios for the future of broadcast evening newscasts have floated around for nearly two decades now. The latest, though, comes from someone in a real position to do something about it.

CBS Corp. Chairman Leslie Moonves recently predicted a fast-changing newscast format because viewers now keep on top of the news through cable channels, the Internet and mobile technology. Yet those who manage or closely follow newscasts suggest Moonves may not have noticed changes they've already made.

"If I had a dollar for every time someone predicted some shift in the evening news, I wouldn't need to be working," said Jonathan Banner, executive producer of ABC's "World News."

Moonves likely had his own frustrations -- and business interests -- in mind when he spoke at the University of Texas earlier this month. Katie Couric never achieved his goal of lifting the "CBS Evening News" out of third place in the ratings, and a decision on that show's future is due soon with Couric's contract expiring next year.

Read more: http://www.berkshireeagle.com/entertainment/ci_16427703

[Vinnie From Indy]

1. Gee, Katie "Seals Rock" Couric failing is a real shocker!

Moonves might have done better by getting Rip Taylor to sit at the anchor chair.

I would propose that these executives consider a radical departure from the status quo and insist that their nightly news divisions actually choose and report on REAL issues of importance to Americans and do so in an honest way. In addition, I would offer that Americans are hungering for a major media outlet to fulfill the promise of the fourth estate and hold our leaders acountable.

Of the two ideas above, it is infinitely more likely that Rip Taylor would sit as anchor than any departure from the current format of pseudo-news, propaganda and lies being presented each night on the big three network news programs.

[DearAbby]

3. If I could rec an individual post within a post

This one would be it. :thumbsup:

Report the goddamm news, and hold everyone to higher standards, TRUTH!

[Iowa]

16. Well said. I agree.

[TygrBright]

2. Hey, Les... Consider an anchor contract with someone whose main characteristic isn't "perky."

Might actually get people to regard the news as, well... news.

helpfully,
Bright

[AlbertCat]

5. an anchor contract with someone whose main characteristic isn't "perky."

And then, tell us some news... from here and around the world... that's not really an ad for something.

[Arkana]

4. Good. Network news AND cable news blow goat balls.

[Bluenorthwest]

6. Les is just blowing smoke to make himself look good

The fact is, and Les knows this, that the broadcast news of the networks get exponentially more viewers than the highest rated 'cable news'. Millions and millions more watch number three Katie than number one cable, whoever that is, in terms of news, not opinion.
Les would no more end that profit stream than he'd cut off his left nut with a rusty spoon. They make money, and get millions of viewers.

[Toucano]

7. It's becoming irrelevant because it's nothing but advertisements.

The broadcast itself is reduced to 18 minutes and much of that isn't NEWS!

5 minutes are devoted to some cheesy "human interest" story that affects no one...usually about how great the troops are. D'uh! That's not news.

Then there's the time they spend discussing some "viral" Internet video...HELLO!! We have a medium for that...it's called the Internet.

"News" about products you can go to the mall and buy is not news. Neither are Hollywood boxoffice numbers or celebrity gossip.


If the "Evening News" were truly an intense digest of the days events, it would not be irrelevant.

[L0oniX]

8. I'll go to a circus if I want to see a dog and pony show.

[droidamus2]

9. Exactly

I have to admit I don't watch the broadcast nightly news shows anymore. For that matter I don't get MSNBC anymore and rarely watch CNN and wouldn't watch FOX if somebody paid me to watch. I would suspect though that the nightly news shows have fallen into what you mentioned and I call 'Circus News'. Its all bright lights, gaudy color schemes, smily faced newreaders instead of journalists, lets jump to that side of the studio (ring1) for this story and then the other side (ring2) for the next, short attention span coverage (if something gets 30 seconds your lucky), opinion thinly disguised as supposed journalism. I have even heard these idiots claim that the American people don't really want in-depth coverage they want the equivalent of reading a newspaper by only scanning the headings on each story. The downfall of news in this country was when the money people took over and decided that the nightly news should make money just like the entertainment shows. End result, the news becomes much more about entertainment (or in the case of FOX pushing a point of view) and a lot less about actually informing the public. If they would go back to the idea that the news is a service to the public and isn't there to make money but to inform and let journalists run it instead of the entertainment people we would all be better off.

[jwirr]

10. They screwed themselves when they decided that we wanted to be

entertained instead of informed. I watched Cronkite and Rather every night in the 50-80s. Now I do not watch any MSM news. I watch Big Ed, KO, Rachel and O'Donnell now. I watch them because they research their news not just try to entertain me and tell me what they think I want to hear.

[relayerbob]

13. No, they also tell you what you want to hear

It's just that you actually want to hear it, as opposed to Fox who tells the right things they wany want to hear.

"News" organizations are about ratings. Period.

[AndyTiedye]

15. They Tell Us What Their Owners Want Us to Hear

The power to dictate the content of the nightly news is far more important than ratings ever could be.

They would get better ratings if they weren't so obviously spewing propaganda, but they continue to spew.

[Vinnie From Indy]

18. I think you are mistaken about one thing

Olberman, Big Ed and Rachel appear to be factual and truthful in their presentations of the issues. FOX News is a lie factory populated by bigots and propagandists. I will grant you that FOX News viewers appear to want to get lies for news.

[damntexdem]

11. Oh, do they still broadcast those?

How very quaint. ;-)

[trud]

12. I took my television to the e-waste place about a year ago

but I'd buy another one if someone like Peter Jennings was doing the news.

[bemildred]

14. Good. Some of the most annoying crap on TV. nt

[alp227]

17. PBS Newshour=the only worthy broadcast news show. n/t

[Cleita]

19. He shouldn't have fired Dan Rather.

If he thought Katie could be better, then he's stupid.

[guardian]

20. Dan's take on his successor

"The mistake," Rather told the MSNBC channel, "was to try to bring the Today show ethos to the Evening News, and to dumb it down, tart it up in hopes of attracting a younger audience".

[spanone]

21. i think dan had his finger on the pulse. the today show mentality is everywhere in news.