Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Sparano lands at WB2



From Mike Coletta, formerly of Newsblab:

Nina Sparano left KRDO last December... I've heard because KRDO didn't
re-new her contract (rumor), but anyway... Nina is now at a staion in Denver.

She started last night on Channel 2 (now known as 2TheDeuce, http://www.2thedeuce.com/)
She is on set with Kellie MacMullan, who also left KRDO.


The Deuce paired with Fox/Channel 31 and they broadcast from one set,
one building. They also changed their format and news times a bit.

Anyway... Nina does a segment each night at 7PM called internet cafe.
(iCafe) You can see her there or on the iCafe link on their website. www.2thedeuce.com/news/internetcafe/

Monday, March 30, 2009

Reality bites


Loved this line from an Oregonian story about the truth behind History Channel’s “Ax Men”:

“We sat down with the producers last summer and asked them why they didn’t show loggers planting trees or protecting streams, instead of all the danger and drama.


“They just looked at us and said, ‘Because we want people to watch the show.’”

My wife was crushed to learn “Top Gear” makes stuff up.


Which goes to show how blurry, and potentially troublesome, the line between information and infotainment is. People think this stuff is real.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Crystal balls at the ready

Along with today’s story on the National Weather Service, I asked our local TV meteorologists for their best guess on today’s snow totals. Kinda unfair, since I asked at like 4 p.m. yesterday, but here’s the predictions:

Brian Bledsoe, KKTV/Channel 11
Forecast: 3-8 inches
“I’m always hesitant to put in huge snow for the Springs and Pueblo. I’m looking at one model that says the Springs could see a foot and a half and I’m looking at another that says we’re only going to get five inches.
“Here, just because of terrain issues, we could run 14 (inches of snow) at Briargate and only two at the airport. We’ve seen that happen many a time.
“As it is, it’s going to cause some pretty good problems. The afternoon commute is probably going to be horrendous.”

Matt Meister, KRDO/Channel 13
Forecast: 2-6 inches
“It looks like during the morning (Thursday), things will start to go downhill. By noon time, we’ll have a couple places up north of downtown that are starting to get pretty rough.
“It is a spring storm - you get a lot of variability, too. Real localized stuff happens and you get thunderstorm pockets, basically, that drop huge amounts of snow. Something crazy like that is still a possibility.
“You have to keep adjusting as the thing comes in. Those small details, they’re important.”

Terry Gerbstadt, KXRM/Channel 21
Forecast: 3-6 inches

Mike Daniels, KOAA/Channels 5&30
Forecast: 6-12 inches

Steve Hodanish, National Weather Service
Forecast: 4-8 inches
“We’re pretty confident about this one; the tough part is predicting just how bad it’s going to be. But I’ll be shocked if I-25 doesn’t get closed.
“It’s Colorado Springs - the south side may not get much, while on the north side it could be pounding. If you’re going to Denver (on Thursday) to work, you’re not getting home.”

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

At least we can laugh about it

Which of the seven stages of grief is comedy? Jet Blue capitalizes on the financial meltdown to good effect:




More here.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Congratulations to the CBA winners

KOAA won "Station of the Year" honors in the non-metro market division and nine individual first-place awards, including best newscast, best anchors (Rob and Lisa), best coverage (Jarman), and breaking news. Also, Lisa won broadcaster of the year honors and Georgiann won the citizen of the year award.

KKTV took home six awards, including sportscaster (Jesse), single program (economic crisis special) and website.

KRDO won for news feature.

On the radio side, KIBT "The Beat" won five awards in the major market category, including Dallace Jade for best midday show and best personality, Jet's CK won best afternoon show, The Beat's Madboy won best evening show. KCCY won two awards and KRXP won one.

Who's next?

Clay Shirky wrote this wonderful and frightening piece on the end of newspapers and what comes next.

My only problem with it is that he only addresses the part he’s interested in – newspapers.

His logic applies equally well to music, to television, to radio, to books, to magazines, to art – to any intellectual content however it’s packaged.

If you agree with Shirky that the system won’t bend its knee to accept the yoke of intellectual property, then you have to accept, design and prepare for a world where no one owns any idea.

Scary, but fascinating.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Beware the Talkpocalypse!

Here's the inevitable denouement (?) of the Jon Stewart-Jim Cramer smackdown:




(that's just the longest segment, it's broken up into five parts - go to The Daily Show for everything)

This was, as I'm sure you're aware by now, uncomfortable-to-watch television. And I'm left squeamish not just because of the confrontation, but because - come on! - Stewart was being unfair.

Yes, presenting financial news as entertainment is probably not helping promote financial literacy. Of course, if CNBC didn't do it that way, they wouldn't have enough of an audience to stay on the air (I know, cry me a river).

But really, blaming Cramer and company for not seeing the financial meltdown coming? As opposed to who? Greenspan? Geithner? Anyone not named Nouriel? And blaming them for having CEO's on who lied - as opposed to every politician who has ever appeared on television.

I think Cramer did himself and his network a disservice by sitting there like a deer in the headlights and taking the punishment. Yes, they had much of it coming, but defending why things are the way they are and why they made the mistakes they did would have been educational for the audience (and less squeamish - nobody likes to watch roadkill, even if they can't look away).

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Jon Hamm's plan to fix the financial crisis

Why didn't Obama think of this?

Coming soon to a Royal Gorge near you

Tom Brokaw, who’s going cross-country on U.S. 50 in search of “Obama’s America.”

Dude, if you can find Obama’s America in Cotopaxi, you are one heck of a reporter.

Thursday, March 05, 2009

Comedy Central v. CNBC

If you haven't seen this yet, it's one of the all-time great TV smackdowns: