CBS News names a new president and it’s, actually, two people

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Steve Timko

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Apr 16, 2021, 3:26:34 PM4/16/21
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Diner

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Apr 16, 2021, 3:52:59 PM4/16/21
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Dan Rather and Connie Chung?

Seriously, this is the first I've heard about Zirinsky leaving. Sounds like it was not the smooth match that had been expected.

Mark Jeffries

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Apr 16, 2021, 5:21:20 PM4/16/21
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What's interesting is that CBS is going back to having News control the owned stations' local news shops--something they and NBC did back in the 50s and 60s, until the ABC-owned stations, which news shops weren't controlled by the news department, changed local news forever with the "Eyewitness News" format (and what was called disparagingly back then "happy talk").  Eventually, News let go of the local departments and CBS and NBC-owned stations continued to have soft  ratings while ABC's stations continued to dominate in those markets (although "happy talk" per se at its worst eventually disappeared).  Is CBS going to try to rebuild the local shops as serious news outlets like in the Cronkite days?

Mark Jeffries
spotl...@gmail.com


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PGage

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Apr 16, 2021, 5:52:10 PM4/16/21
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Agreed. Would be great if this signaled a return to serious local news.

The LAT, not surprisingly, frames this move  as a response to their investigations into gender bullying and discriminatory racial practices in the CBS Department.



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Kevin M.

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Apr 16, 2021, 5:52:25 PM4/16/21
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The “local shops” have no budgets, and have either fired or forced into retirement all the veterans with experience doing actual news. My guess is they will further consolidate news, one “local” producing stories for entire regions (i.e. the entire Midwest gets a single assignment editor), stripping away community studies and local identity.

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Kevin M. (RPCV)

Dave Sikula

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Apr 17, 2021, 6:11:31 AM4/17/21
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In the Bay Area, at least, KPIX does pretty well with reasonably hard local news (especially in the context of competing with the Comical), and while I wouldn't call any of the reporters or anchors "veterans," the on-air personnel is pretty stable. They are (seemingly) short-staffed, since poor Da Lin seems to cover every story on the weekend, but I come away from a broadcast feeling like I know what's happening locally.

That said, they can't seem to keep a weatherperson in place for more than a few months (they currently have three or four who rotate -- including one of the weekend anchors) and the sports staff is TERRIBLE (but that's true for all the stations in the area).

Thinking back to my days in LA, I remember the reporters and anchors were relatively stable, but with a difference: people stayed in the market, but rotated stations (with notable exceptions like Jim Brown, who's been at KNXT/KCBS since the Ice Age, and Fritz Coleman and Fred Roggin, who despite evidencing any humor or talent, were virtually glued to their spots at KNBC). The last time I was in town, I was surprised to see Colleen Williams, still plugging along at the anchor desk, and was delighted to see her.

--Dave Sikula

Bob Jersey

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Apr 17, 2021, 9:42:30 AM4/17/21
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Which will only p!ss off the community groups, and Philly f'rinstance is jam-packed with 'em.

To Sikula's point and yours, Kev,, KYW is down to anchor Ukee Washington and health reporter Stephanie Stahl, both of whom joined in 1986. Only rival Jim Gardner has been around longer, and none of 'em look like they're slowin' down any time soon...  B

Kevin M, to Mark Jeffries, April 16th; emphasis added:

Mark Jeffries

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Apr 17, 2021, 4:07:05 PM4/17/21
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And the old-show familiarity (most of the on-air staff has been with the station for at least over a decade) is why WPVI's "Action News" is still [Jeff Kaye/Charlie Van Dyke] "Delaware Valley's leading news program." [JK/CVD]  Move closer to your world, my friend.

Mark Jeffries
spotl...@gmail.com


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Henry Fung

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Apr 18, 2021, 3:09:42 AM4/18/21
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When you have an older demographic that watches news, it helps to have familiarity. Kevin, your serious news in the LA area is going to be on Spectrum News 1, which few people watch even if they have Spectrum. 

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