Remember when...?
I've written in the past about the treasure trove of NEPA television you can find on YouTube. Besides historical perspectives from the era when WYOU had a helicopter, there's also things that make you laugh, shake your head, or both.
WBRE's Josh Hodell and Kerry Shahen report on the February snowstorm in a professional matter befitting of such a serious event. Oh wait, they made snow angels on the roof.
You're not allowed to smile when you're on WBRE's I-Team.
WYOU 1st News, "the area's only 5:30 newscast!" I don't know about you, but I really liked WYOU's old theme music.
Being an intern at WNEP means you can jump on a slip-n-slide. Just don't mention this to a prospective employer when you're asked about your internship experience.
From 20 years ago, a promo from Norfolk, Virginia's WVEC, with a younger Mike Lewis!
Search for any of the stations on YouTube, and you'll find many more videos.
WBRE's Josh Hodell and Kerry Shahen report on the February snowstorm in a professional matter befitting of such a serious event. Oh wait, they made snow angels on the roof.
You're not allowed to smile when you're on WBRE's I-Team.
WYOU 1st News, "the area's only 5:30 newscast!" I don't know about you, but I really liked WYOU's old theme music.
Being an intern at WNEP means you can jump on a slip-n-slide. Just don't mention this to a prospective employer when you're asked about your internship experience.
From 20 years ago, a promo from Norfolk, Virginia's WVEC, with a younger Mike Lewis!
Search for any of the stations on YouTube, and you'll find many more videos.
posted by Howard Beale at 10:10 PM
21 Comments:
Of the two, I think Josh was the sweetest angel.
So Josh and Kerry rolled around in the snow. Why so critical? It was the end of the show, it was cute, it illustrated conditions, and it was obviously memorable enough that someone posted it to YouTube.
Howie, you wanted--what? Doom, gloom, hand-wringing and teeth-gnashing?
I say good job.
Remember when...
Vince Sweeney was doing the weather in the morning.
So Josh and Kerry rolled around in the snow. Why so critical? It was the end of the show, it was cute, it illustrated conditions, and it was obviously memorable enough that someone posted it to YouTube.
Howie, you wanted--what? Doom, gloom, hand-wringing and teeth-gnashing?
I say good job.
I say it made light of a storm that led to a statewide emergency, and also led to several deaths. That's like having someone swim laps around the block the next time downtown Wilkes-Barre floods.
Save the cute stuff for a snow storm that only cancels school, not shuts down the state.
Howard Beale said...
"I say it made light of a storm that led to a statewide emergency, and also led to several deaths."
12:27 AM
I hadn't thought of it that way. Can we have them arrested for negligent homicide? Maybe "contributing to having juveniles make snow angels?"
Don't you think the flooding analogy is just a bit over the top, Howie? Even YOU don't have the stick so far up your butt that you can NEVER smile, do you?
"Remember when...
Vince Sweeney was doing the weather in the morning.
8:54 PM"
Ancient history.
Howard, you're right! YOU'RE RIGHT! YOU ARE RIGHT!
No more stories about backyard barbecues, because someone out there somewhere is getting salmonella. No more stories about the local swimming pool, because someone somewhere is drowning. No more stories on traffic because someone somewhere is in a wreck.
NO FUN!
Just leave your number so we can run every story by you: we don't want to offend your delicate sensibilities with more outrageous behavior like making snow angels on the roof.
Howard, you're right! YOU'RE RIGHT! YOU ARE RIGHT!
No more stories about backyard barbecues, because someone out there somewhere is getting salmonella. No more stories about the local swimming pool, because someone somewhere is drowning. No more stories on traffic because someone somewhere is in a wreck.
NO FUN!
Just leave your number so we can run every story by you: we don't want to offend your delicate sensibilities with more outrageous behavior like making snow angels on the roof.
Glad to see I hit a nerve somewhere. :)
Look, kickers have their place in a newscast. There's nothing wrong with ending a show on a light note. But I think it's REALLY inappropriate to make light of such a serious event, one which led to several deaths and a statewide emergency.
How about if WBRE ends a show with Josh Hodell and Kerry Shahen playing Marco Polo at the swimming pool where someone died earlier that day? Who cares if it's inappropriate? WE'RE HAVING FUN!
I say again: leave your number. We'll check with you regularly. That way we can all benefit from your wisdom BEFORE the fact rather than AFTER.
Your hindsight isn't even CLOSE to 20-20.
I'm with Howard 100% on this one.
OK, here's inappropriate...
The storm was big enough, dangerous enough, crippling enough, that they bounced their morning meteo out of the show and put WBRE's chief in there. In there to do what? In there to show the severity of the situation? Yeah, I'd guess that's a fair assumption.
Not only was the regular guy bounced, they broke format with a "one day special" from the roof, which is strictly a WBRE gimmick.
Now the stage is set for them to show their strength during an enormous weather situation...and what do they do? They trivialize it all at the end of the show. It was a mistake. It never should have happened. I'm sure all parties involved wish they could take it back.
There is a time and place for everything - wrong place, wrong time.
BROADCAST NEWS
Powerful are those who choose
The items that make up the news.
And yet, in spite of all that power
It's much like singing in the shower.
For it is clear from card and letter
That you all think you could do it better.
--Charles Osgood
I think Howard makes an excellent point about 'BRE making light of a storm that had serious implications across the state. That's the problem with local news at all 2 1/2 stations in that market. They don't realize when a major news event is RIGHT UNDER THEIR NOSE!!! Unless it is a blazing fire or happening only in WB or Scranton....they don't see the true story..
Examples:
the 'NEP crew that was the only local television station caught in the major traffic jam during one of the snowstorms..the only crew with the opportunity to come back with the "REAL" story and pictures in the STATE that day. And they came back with a VO!!!!
Anything that happens in Sullivan, Carbon, Union or Pike County.. Ever heard of those counties? Those areas don't even exsists to the WB/SCR stations unless it is a blazing fire or has a connection to Wilkes-Barre and Scranton.
It's time for the local TV stations to get away from crap soft news and start doing real NEWS!!!
So someone died on the roof??
"How about if WBRE ends a show with Josh Hodell and Kerry Shahen playing Marco Polo at the swimming pool where someone died earlier that day? Who cares if it's inappropriate? WE'RE HAVING FUN!"
--- Kerry and Josh were not making snow angels anywhere near where someone died. It was on the roof. Ya know, Lots of people had to deal with the inconvinience of the snow, thats what they were having fun with. They gave many people something to laugh with in light of a snow storm that caused a lot of headache. Sorry Howard, maybe you've been in the biz too long if you see someone making snow angels and all you can think of is death.
Now, if Joe Holden did it during a report on the interstate when everyone was stranded for hours with out food, water, or warmth... THEN I'd agree with you! --- HUGE DIFFERENCE BUDDY.
"Anything that happens in Sullivan, Carbon, Union or Pike County."
OK, let's see...
Sullivan County has more deer than people. There is one, only one, traffic light in all of Sullivan County.
Carbon County is legit, deserving more attention as warranted.
Union County is fringe. Seriously, there are likely more people in Union County watching Harrisburg than Scr/W-B.
Pike County is not, repeat NOT, in this market. It's in NYC's, and has been, I'd guess, for at least 10 years.
Just my opinion, but everyone, radio and television, dropped the ball on that storm. No one had it nailed in terms of severity, no one had it covered properly as NE PA collapsed. Post storm coverage, of course, belonged to WNEP. What else is new?
How about Howie posts some vids of Snedeker making an arse out of himself during a snowstorm?
Never mind, not nearly enough bandwith for that.
"It was a mistake. It never should have happened. I'm sure all parties involved wish they could take it back."
While much of your makes perfect sense, do NOT bet the farm on your above assumption. Quite the contrary.
If memory serves, the snow angels came at the end of the morning show, long before there were any emergencies declared
You are all so unbelievably critical. From reading these comments, I'd think you all lived in glass houses...except I've never seen one in NEPA.
I guess no one besides Josh and Kerry makes mistakes. If you still think snow angels were a mistake.
Jeez.
The local TV people are apparently in a contest to see who can be silliest. So sad.
I just watched the slip and slide video for the first time, and I am now more convinced than ever that WNEP will allow Joe to anything on the air.
That looked more like a wet t-shirt contest than anything else.
And the only reason we are forced to put up with such nonsense is WNEP's ratings are soooo hiiiigh that anything like that day of nonsense is just written off as a publicity stunt.
Are they risk takers? Are they taking chances? No, because there IS NO RISK. If a station can pretty much do whatever it wants without risk of losing audience share, than we the viewer can expect just about anything.
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