There is still time for the local news shows to shape up and keepper-haps even add-viewers. Local newsratings, along with network news ratings and newspaper circulationhave been declining in recent years.
Terry Jones' column in last month's SJR noted that there is still interest in local news, especially on television. He cited results from a report, "Young People and the News" from the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public policy. The report indicated that the number one source for news among young people is not the Internet, as one might expect, but local television news.
The story selection on our local newscasts may turn those viewers away. Our stations are overly top heavy on crime news and light on stories that are more relevant to viewers.
Take, for example, the 6 p.m. news on KMOV (Channel 4) on Oct. 1. On that day, the St. Louis fire chief was demoted. This is a significant story that has many angles, from a discussion of authority to racial issues. Instead, the station led with a shooting and followed with another crime story. Wrong. The fire chief's demotion should have been the top story. The shooting story, even though it involved a policeman (who was not hurt), was simply more recent, not more important.
KTVI (Channel 2) seems to lack relevant stories, but that may be because they have so much more time to fill, they are forced to look beyond the police blotter. That's not to say some crime news isn't worth reporting. But there are so many more things happening that touch our lives. Television stations should spend more time seeking out those stories.
One reason crime news is covered so heavily is that it is cheap and easy. It doesn't cost much to cover and takes less of a reporter's time during any given day. Covering other kinds of stories can cost more in terms of a reporter's time. The solution? Hire more reporters. But that costs money, and the media corporations of today don't like that one bit.
However, if viewership continues to fall, local stations may command less in terms of advertising dollars. So perhaps by investing money inreportingadding to a staff, more people may return to watching local news, ultimately making a station more profitable. There is still time to prevent the Internet from completely taking over in terms of where people turn for news. But not much.
The regional Emmy Awards are scheduled to be announced on Oct. 20.
This year's nominations have an odd twist. In some categories, there is only one nominee. Anne-Marie Berger, in charge of the awards for the mid-America chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Science, says that's because the judges deemed only one nominee to be Emmy worthy. Some categories had no nominees. The entries are sent to other regions for judging.
"The current awards procedure, which is now followed by all regional chapters, is based on excellence. This allows for multiple Emmys in a category even if they are not tied. It also means that some categories will receive no nominations because judges did not determine the entries to be "Emmy-worthy," said Berger.
So is Frank Cusumano of Channel 5 the only decent sports anchor in St. Louis? That's what the Emmy judges said. Cusumano is an outstanding sports anchor, but so is Steve Savard of Channel 4, and he is not nominated in the
"On-Camera Talent-Anchor-Sports" category. Rene Knott of Channel 5 is nomination worthy too, as is Martin Kilcoyne of Channel 2, as is Rich Gould of KPLR (Channel 11). Yet none are listed.
That's because what plays in St. Louis may not play in Washington, for example. Anchors who are very popular here might never win favor in other cities. Winning an Emmy in no way means you are the best. It simply means that a group of TV types in another area of the country liked you best.
Chris Balish was named co-host of "CW Now," the weekly entertainment news program which debuted on the CW Network in September. Balish was cohost of Channel 5's "Show Me St. Louis."
Tripp Frohlichstein owns Media Masters and consults with business, government and non-profit organizations. He will not comment on any television coverage if it involves his clients
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