Give me news!

News from the world of Television

Postby sparky » Mon Apr 16, 2007 9:01 am

I have no problem with the extended Canucks coverage on CTV. The bit with the reporter in a bed at Sleep Country was something you'd expect to see in Lloydminster or Prince George.

A couple of weks ago CTV was covering some skiing event at Whistler. Anytime Perry did a report from Whistler, an ad for GM Pontiac popped up on the screen. Were these reports paid for by GM and were they in reality commercials for Pontiac that were being passed off as news stories?
"You get a bunch of clowns together and sooner or later you've got a circus"
User avatar
sparky
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 378
Joined: Sun Jul 09, 2006 12:48 pm
Location: Coldstream, BC

Postby Jack Bennest » Mon Apr 16, 2007 9:35 am

I don't know station bark (er brk) but I must say I totally agree with one of
his points:

radio is not looking for news

radio will read the wire, take the beat reports on predictable handouts and news
conferences etc.

But the day seems to be gone when some one is really digging.


A canuck in the sleep country bed is much easier to do than actually
reportage.


but now it is time for hear the wailing - "its just isnt the same anymore
the stations dont have the money, the bean counters are in charge,
people don't care about news".....I have heard them all

Did someone not say WX had about 50 people in the newsroom. Could not one of those positions be full time digging - each reporter given two months to work on projects before switching to another. Be good for george gordon to prove he is in news and not advertising.


received a note from the wx newsroom about my reference to george gordon.
Hey its my opinion - but can we compare him to ashbridge, garrett, cam mccubbin,
barker?
If someone comes from the east and proves themselves as a reporter I have a lot of respect. And I am not dismissing the fact that Gordon's voice and personality are in some way responsible for the WX rise in ratings. Shillinf for lawyers on TV - it is difficult for me to take him too seriously. And Yes I noticed that once Garrett
was no longer on the beat he was shilling for the truck association or something.

I think we did that thread a while back
User avatar
Jack Bennest
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 4471
Joined: Mon Apr 17, 2006 9:25 pm

Postby Marke Driesschen » Mon Apr 16, 2007 11:30 am

sparky wrote:A couple of weks ago CTV was covering some skiing event at Whistler. Anytime Perry did a report from Whistler, an ad for GM Pontiac popped up on the screen. Were these reports paid for by GM and were they in reality commercials for Pontiac that were being passed off as news stories?

Sparky..
The event was the Pontiac GMC Canadian Championships featuring the Canadian Alpine Ski Team. The "ad' you saw was not an ad but the event logo, which GM paid lots of money to sponsor and has the right to put their corporate logo on it. Just like the Telus Ski and Snowboard Festival, The Scott Tournament of Hearts, the ScotiaBank CFL Championships and so on. That includes using their name on signs, printed material, merchandise, etc.
But that's where it ends. There were not "commercials" passed off as news stories, as you suggest. Perry was there to cover the event which features some of Canada's best skiers and is an important annual event in the Canadian ski season. He was there to cover the event, not to sell cars. GMC paid no money nor had any say in the content, interviews or anything in his stories. I know some people have a hard time with corporate sponsorship, but to suggest we would sell out like that is a bit much. Are we to think that every Canuck game from GM Place is a commerical cleverly disguised as a hockey game? Of course not.
Marke Driesschen
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 46
Joined: Tue Nov 21, 2006 4:48 pm

Postby sparky » Mon Apr 16, 2007 1:30 pm

Marke Driesschen wrote: Sparky..
The event was the Pontiac GMC Canadian Championships featuring the Canadian Alpine Ski Team. The "ad' you saw was not an ad but the event logo, which GM paid lots of money to sponsor and has the right to put their corporate logo on it. Just like the Telus Ski and Snowboard Festival, The Scott Tournament of Hearts, the ScotiaBank CFL Championships and so on. That includes using their name on signs, printed material, merchandise, etc.
But that's where it ends.

Marke

I have no problem with sponsor's logos or banners showing up in stories. What hit me as odd with this particular event was that the banner or event logo appeared on the screen between Coleen's or Bill and Pamela's into to Perry. It wasn't something that was in the background of Perry's reports, it was a full screen buffer between intro and report.

When Tamara or yourself are on location at the home or the auto show, a banner ad for the show doesn't appear between the intro to you and the weather forecast.

No big deal .. .just one of those things that made me wonder.

Anyways ... glad you're onboard at CTV for weekends and fill in. I'm sure we'll see lots more of you when mat leave time rolls around for Tamara. Please don't start wearing tacky Hawaiian shirts and handing out 5 cent pens!
"You get a bunch of clowns together and sooner or later you've got a circus"
User avatar
sparky
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 378
Joined: Sun Jul 09, 2006 12:48 pm
Location: Coldstream, BC

Postby Marke Driesschen » Mon Apr 16, 2007 6:39 pm

Thanks Sparky..I appreciate the compliments and don't worry.
My Hawaiian shirts aren't as tacky as Wayne's!
Marke Driesschen
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 46
Joined: Tue Nov 21, 2006 4:48 pm

Postby Stn Brk » Mon Apr 16, 2007 8:13 pm

I have no idea why anyone would think I dislike sports or sportscasters. I watched the Canucks game last night. However, I didn't immediately tune into a radio sports talk show or join an internet sports chatroom or bore the hell out of my co-workers today with comments on the game. Sports is entertainment - nothing more. You enjoy a game if you have the time, otherwise you get on with real life.

Somehow I suspect I'm not the only one bitching about the Canucklehead marathon on CTV-9 last week and there were more than a few calls of complaint to the station. I notice CTV has NOT led with the Canucks the past few nights. If the games are so important, why aren't they still 'top of the cast'??

Note to Sparky - that commercial for Sleep Country disguised as a news story was more like something you'd see in Eyelash, Saskatchewan. So much for Vancouver being a 'world class city' if a hockey game is all we have happening!
User avatar
Stn Brk
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 167
Joined: Tue May 02, 2006 10:39 am

Postby cart_machine » Mon Apr 16, 2007 8:56 pm

Top Dog wrote:Did someone not say WX had about 50 people in the newsroom. Could not one of those positions be full time digging - each reporter given two months to work on projects before switching to another. Be good for george gordon to prove he is in news and not advertising.

Does working on something for two months make something a news story?

How about if it runs 30 minutes? Is something news then but it's not if it runs 30 seconds?

Furthermore, why would someone else's work prove anything about another person?

Top Dog wrote: Shilling for lawyers on TV - it is difficult for me to take him too seriously. And Yes I noticed that once Garrett
was no longer on the beat he was shilling for the truck association or something.


There's a slight difference. I don't believe Mr. Gordon identified himself as himself or any newsman, in the spot. He's an anonymous actor in a different medium. You're treating it like an endorsement deal, kinda like those spots that would go "Hi, I'm ____. Join me and my wife on a fun-filled trip aboard the Rotterdam ..."

Andy Walsh has done TV, too. Don't tell me you're going to jump on dear old Andy next.

cArtie.
User avatar
cart_machine
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 1710
Joined: Tue May 09, 2006 12:52 pm
Location: The Past

Postby FormerLady1130 » Mon Apr 16, 2007 9:38 pm

Holy Hell.. .It'll be interesting to see what happens when I start floggin' my toy store in ads. :wacko:
FormerLady1130
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 88
Joined: Tue Jan 23, 2007 10:57 pm

Postby Jack Bennest » Mon Apr 16, 2007 10:06 pm

dear cArtie - I thought I saw your fiddlepak flash in my eye today.

I think my questions are valid and you obviously do not.

This particular part of the thread started with news value. The hockey game was
not news but the reaction of the patrons/fans was - I don't watch TV/or Canuck games that much so I don't really know what the fuss is all about BUT

Stn Brk's point I believe is that the resources of the news organizations (radio and TV) are not fully utilized on news gathering - as much as they have been in the past - I don't think that can be disputed. I do not recall seeing a meaningful defense for the lack of an investigative reporter for WX or any other station.

As for my vitriolic attack on GG, the new mister gg, my opinion stands and I shall not recant no matter how wrong you believe me to be. Its an ethics issue to me
and its a monetary issue to Mr. Gordon. His income is more important than his ethics.

If Andy did commercial work now or then - it is news to me and I cannot comment on something I am not aware of. I like both of the gentleman and their presentation. I was commenting on ethics and George made a great target.



Thanks to Pave for this additional thought:

Don LaFontaine movie-trailer voice: "In a world gone mad.... where broadcasters... attempt to do more.... with less... and with competition circling like sharks.... smaller networks puff themselves up... in order to appear... greater than they are.

And yet...in a cycle-of-Nature.... that has driven evolution... for millions of years... only some can survive.... on... Illusion."
User avatar
Jack Bennest
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 4471
Joined: Mon Apr 17, 2006 9:25 pm

Postby Marke Driesschen » Tue Apr 17, 2007 1:02 pm

Stn Brk wrote:

Somehow I suspect I'm not the only one bitching about the Canucklehead marathon on CTV-9 last week and there were more than a few calls of complaint to the station.  I notice CTV has NOT led with the Canucks the past few nights.  If the games are so important, why aren't they still 'top of the cast'??


Wow Stn Brk...you can spin words better than those nasty politicians you want those intrepid journalists to go after!
Of course CTV did not lead with the Canucks for the past few days, not because of any great public outcry as you imagine. Sure, the excitment is still there, but not to lead the newscast with. Obviously, as others have pointed out in previous posts, the news changes from day to day. It was the lead item on THAT PARTICULAR DAY, and CTV, plus all the others lead with it THAT ONE DAY! When they win this series, that will be another reason to cover it deeper. Do you see the pattern here? There was no "Canucklehead marathon" on CTV last week. And, as I recall, your initial post was after THAT ONE DAY, after the first game of the series, the overtime and all the excitement around it. According to your post, the people at CTV had completely lost their minds and were sending their entire newsroom out to cover the Canucks. In reality, it was 2 reporters and it was the lead item because that was the big story that day, whether you agree with it or not.
Sure, we all watch the games and sports, to some of us, is entertainment. But to a lot of people, its more than that.
You may also remember that CTV went big coverning the BC Lions during the Grey Cup. We sent a reporter there and our sports anchor. The result? Great coverage, lots of positive viewer feedback and no one, that I know of, ever saying "What is this ? It's only a game! Stick to news!" I think you'll find the same result as the Canucks continue down the road to the Stanley Cup.
Enjoy the games, and the coverage!
Marke Driesschen
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 46
Joined: Tue Nov 21, 2006 4:48 pm

Postby johnsykes » Tue Apr 17, 2007 8:36 pm

To put it bluntly....I would much rather hear a story on the Canucks leading Dallas 3-1 than some announcement from the government and an automatic reaction piece from the NDP in opposition. It would be real news if ever a member of the opposition demanded equal time so as to offer congratulations to something the government did.
It is absolute crap to have some reporter jam a mike into an opposition's face to get reaction we all know will be verbal diarrhea.

That should set you news-types going!
User avatar
johnsykes
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 1355
Joined: Sat Apr 29, 2006 8:04 pm
Location: Abbotsford, B.C.

Postby Stn Brk » Tue Apr 17, 2007 9:50 pm

Marke. I hope you don't watch sports to relax. It seems to have the opposite effect on you!

For the record, CTV-9 led with and devoted 20 minutes of news time to the Canucks last Wednesday - just as the first game of the series was getting underway. On Thursday, the brain trust again led with the Canucks and spent ten minutes of news time on sports feature stories - including the now infamous St. John Alexander bed-athon. (FYI. John Lennon and Yoko Ono did it first and did it better!)

I have it on good authority that Global led with a health care story Wednesday night. No idea what the lead was on Thursday. Perhaps someone at Global can fill us in.

I'll give CTV-9 staffers the benefit of the doubt and assume the assignment editor and reporters are frustrated sportscasters and just got carried away - they wanted to play 'sports guy'.

The other possibility is that those involved are lazy. After all, it's much easier to do features on a hockey game than 'real news'.
User avatar
Stn Brk
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 167
Joined: Tue May 02, 2006 10:39 am

Postby Cliff Bashly Kinkade » Wed Apr 18, 2007 8:10 am

Yes Yes Yes - but are the hosts and weather people wearing home team jerseys? Nothing looks more pathetic than a slopey-shouldered blow-dried slaphead wearing a team jersey with his shirt collar sticking through. It just reeks of desperation.

I don't know what it's like in Vancouver, but here in Sodom on The Bow, it's like the idiots who ran the high school student council survived their peer group shunning and took over the media.
nudeswithviews.com / where right is never wrong
Cliff Bashly Kinkade
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 954
Joined: Tue May 09, 2006 11:54 am

Postby 2muchcoffee » Wed Apr 18, 2007 2:39 pm

Stn Brk wrote:I have it on good authority that Global led with a health care story Wednesday night.  No idea what the lead was on Thursday.  Perhaps someone at Global can fill us in.

Actually, Global led with an exclusive interview of Colleen Preston (former Poco Mayor's girlfriend) last Wednesday. The health care shortage story was on Thursday. Just to clarify.
2muchcoffee
Newbie
 
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2007 10:40 pm

Postby Marke Driesschen » Wed Apr 18, 2007 3:34 pm

Stn Brk..
Actually, watching sports relaxes me and is one of my favourite things to do. I do get excited and into the games, more so football than hockey, but believe me, I'm not as crazy about it as some people are.
We could go on and on about thie, but that would be a waste of time and cyberspace. So I'm not going to post on this topic anymore, except to say that you are entitled to your opinion and you make a couple of interesting points, But I think you are seriously underestimating the passion people in this city have for the Canucks and how much it means to them. So I hope you don't watch the news to relax, Stn Brk. If so, you better not watch anything over the next couple of days.
I also don't know whether you were trying to be funny when you called the assignement editor and reporters at CTV "frustrated sportscasters" and "lazy."
Even if you were, I think that's a bit of a cheap shot. I work with those people, some of them I've known since my days with Global, CKVU and City. They are neither frustrated nor lazy. They work their buns off every day, digging up compelling stories, getting on top of today's news and trying to put on 2 hours of 'real news' programming every night. They've won awards for it too. True, not every story is a gem ( like the bed story you can't seem to let go of) and you may not agree with what story leads and so on, but the effort and intent is always there. To suggest otherwise, Stn Brk, shows a lack of credibility and understanding on your part.
I also have a message for Biff Crashly Kinkade. Dude, I'm one of those slapheads who wears the home team jersey too-although I'm the furtherst thing from blow-dried as you can get. Plus, I make sure my collars are tucked in.
I know your team finally won last night, but it looks like you won't have to endure that hideous sight for much longer anyway!
Marke Driesschen
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 46
Joined: Tue Nov 21, 2006 4:48 pm

PreviousNext

Return to On the small screen

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 112 guests