Tragedy in the sky

Four people died in Phoenix, Arizona today when two television news helicopters collided as they followed a car chase. The pilot and photographer aboard each helicopter died.

Part of me wonders why something like this didn't happen sooner. In large markets like Phoenix, every station has a helicopter, and whenever there's a car chase, up they go. Combine that with a police helicopter, and you've got perhaps four or five hovering close to each other, trying to pay attention to the chase, and to each other. It's a recipe for a tragedy, which sadly happened in this case.

For those of you who aren't squeamish, there is video of the last seconds of video of one of the helicopters.

Hazleton's back in the spotlight

A federal judge just decided that Hazleton's immigration ordinance - the law that brought so much national attention to our area - is unconstitutional. At the time I posted this, WBRE and WYOU already had a breaking news update posted on its website. WNEP didn't have anything.

This is sure to be the top story on all three stations tonight, so I'd like to know your thoughts on tonight's coverage. Respond here, or shoot me an e-mail!

EDIT: Typo fixed. L before E!

Celebrity news, BEGONE!

A lot of you paid attention and applauded when MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski ripped up a script about Paris Hilton a couple of weeks ago. Now, here's something new to buzz about. CNN anchor Jack Cafferty also expressed his disgust with celebrity news by asking to skip a story about Lindsay Lohan.

I don't know if both Brzezinski and Cafferty's on-air displeasure was real, or scripted, but it's refreshing. I'm fed up with all of the attention paid to spoiled celebrities who get arrested, when there's more than enough local and national/international news to "fill the void" in a newscast. If there's one good thing to be said about the news stations in this area, it's that they're not obsessed with celebrity news.

WYOU reporter now writing for newspaper

Former WYOU reporter Phil Yacuboski has been hired as a writer for Scranton's Electric City. He's also done some work for them in the past.

A reader also swears to have heard Yacuboski reading the news on an area radio station this week. Is true, perhaps that non-compete clause from Nexstar is no longer an issue?

Buyer beware

It's pretty bad when you have to do a story about people using your station's website to try to scam people. WBRE reported this week that scammers were trolling classifieds ads on PAHomePage.com to find people to rip off through so-called advance fee fraud. You know how it goes; seller posts ad, scammer sends check for more than the actual price, asks seller to send difference. Good luck getting your money.

(PAHomePage.com's classifieds now sport a warning from WBRE consumer reporter Jeff Chirico on how not to lose your money.)

To be fair, PAHomePage.com isn't the only place where scammers look for suckers. Anyone who's posted a classified ad, in the newspaper or online, has probably gotten a bite from someone hoping to rip them off.

We somehow impressed New York City

I spent the past week getting caught up on some off-Internet work, and look at what I missed! Two accused cop killers from New York City pick the Poconos as their hideout, just like the Fort Dix terror suspects, and the area is swarmed by reporters from the Big Apple.

A person with close knowledge of the whole affair writes in to say that WBRE and WNEP did great coverage by teaming up with their respective network affiliates in NYC. "Apparently all of NYC guys left with stellar impressions of the Scranton news market... go figure!"

The folks from WNBC probably didn't leave with good impressions of the State Police. The aformentioned source reports a trooper from PSP Swiftwater ordered the combined Wilkes-Barre/Scranton/NYC press corps off I-80 around 6:15 p.m. last Wednesday, and killed WNBC's live shot after the crew didn't move its satellite truck.

"The bottomline, PSP was awfully difficult to work with during this ordeal. It wasn't until midnight that a dispatcher from Swiftwater informed everyone about the nuts and bolts, and she only did it out of compassion for the lack of repsect all night long."

One does, one doesn't

A viewer points out an interesting discrepancy from the local Nexstar duopoly this morning. WBRE chose not to air the President's press conference, while WYOU did. Both stations share the same news video, but not the same press conference?

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.

A friendly reminder

The "NEPA negativity, revisited" thread seemed to bring out the worst in people, and in retrospect, there are some comments there I probably shouldn't have approved. So, I believe it's time for a refresher in what's not allowed.

1. Unfounded personal attacks

To borrow words from a Supreme Court justice, I can't define what a personal attack is, but I know one when I see one.

2. Rudeness or obscenity

If you can't post without a stream of words that would make a sailor blush, then don't do it.

3. Anything involving a person's personal life

We're here to discuss broadcast journalism, not what someone does on their own time. Go read one of the gossip columns in the local "alternative" newspapers, or head over to Talkback 16 to speculate about hair color.

4. Speculation about who posts here

Most posts here are anonymous for a good reason. Please respect a person's decision to be anonymous.

Let's keep it civil, OK?

Former WYOU photographer dies

Bob Dennis, a former photographer for WDAU/WYOU, died of cancer Friday night. WNEP's Andy Palumbo
shares a pretty touching story about his last day on the job with Dennis...

"Bob was the photographer on the last story I did as a reporter for WYOU, in August of 1996. We were on our way to Mahanoy City to do a follow-up story on a rather large fire. The station had a new owner, and changes were in the works. I had a feeling I wasn’t included in the plans of the new regime. I told Bob how I felt in the truck on the way to Schuylkill County. Bob replied that I was too valuable to the company, and management would never get rid of me. He was trying to calm me down, and get my mind off my problems. I got fired that afternoon. Bob felt worse about it than I did."

Exclusive: More firings to come at WNEP?

Beale's Bites has learned that the four firings that happened earlier this year at WNEP may not be the only ones to happen under new ownership at Montage Mountain Road. Sources have revealed there may be plans to jettison staff that has been there for quite some time. It's not known when this could happen, but some people at WNEP are apparently aware of the cost-cutting plan.

NEPA negativity, revisited

Al Zobel was right.

That statement alone is bound to ruffle many feathers among the television reporters in this area. But when Zobel spoke about the pervasiveness of negativity in northeast Pennsylvania, he was right.

I should know; I have to review all the submitted comments to decide which ones get posted and rejected. In those comments, people usually point fingers at each other for the misfortunes of their station, their jobs, their personal lives, etc. So what's being done about it?

You know, besides posting here?

Probably nothing. Part of it is because every company that owns a television station is concerned about making money, not pleasing their employees. The other part of it is because people here are more apt to bitch and moan amongst themselves. Hell, around here, there are STILL people who whine about past events and people who have long since left NEPA!

Your job is what you make of it. If you spend your way whining, you're not going to like your job. But if you try to make your job better, then hey, coming into work won't be as bad. Maybe others will see what you're doing, and follow your lead!

Remember, you chose to work at your station. You can always choose to leave (and take some office supplies with you) if you don't like the way things are going.

You know, I should submit this to Soapbox 16!

(I'd like to amend my initial statement. Al Zobel wasn't right. Television people outside NEPA complain just as bad. A former reporter shared a tale with me about their current station, where people still complain about being understaffed, even though the place has more resources than you can shake a stick at. Can't win 'em all.)

Ticked about a ticker

WNEP wants to know what you think about its apparently controversial morning news ticker. Ever since it was introduced this week, Talkback 16 has been flooded with comments for and against the ticker. As of this posting, the poll on WNEP's website shows 53% of people want to keep it, with the rest either against it, or unable to care.

Honestly, I'm not surprised there's been so much unrest over a simple news ticker. Lots of people in this area don't do well with change. Look at what happpened when someone noticed a reporter's hair color was darker than usual.

WYOU loses meteorologist

After 12 years, Scott Stuccio is hanging up his hat at WYOU. The station's chief meteorologist will resign on September 28th to take a marketing/on-air analyst job with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, the area's minor league hockey team.

"Weather has always been important to Scott, but hockey is his true passion. I've had the opportunity to hear Scott broadcast some Penguins games and I can tell you he is very talented. I have no doubt that Scott will be every bit as successful in his new venture as he has been for many years here at WYOU," news director Ron Krisulevicz told employees via e-mail this week.

Stuccio's job has already been posted on WYOU's website.

(Remember, if you've got a tip, you can anonymously e-mail it, or send it via AOL instant message to Howard Beale NEPA.)

New contact method

Since instant messaging seems to be all the rage in the newsroom and elsewhere, I've decided to jump aboard the bandwagon. So, whether you've got a tip, question, or a death threat, you can now shoot it to my AOL screen name Howard Beale NEPA, provided I logged in. E-mail still works as well.

Ch-ch-changes

WNEP is making two changes to its morning news show this week. The biggest change is a new co-anchor, Mindi Ramsey (formerly of WVIT-TV in Hartford, Connecticut), who formally replaces Kim Supon tomorrow morning. WNEP has already introduced her through various promos and segments, pairing her up with the seemingly zany Tom Williams and the certifiably zany Joe Snedeker, who I hope won't make the mistake of asking her to choose between her job and her children.

The other change is the addition of a news ticker to the bottom of the screen, similar to what you see on WBRE and WYOU's "Pennsylvania Morning." The bored housewives and chatterboxes on Talkback 16 are already in an uproar over this.

Sid Michaels back at WYOU

Imagine my surprise when I saw Sid Michaels on WYOU Sunday night. The anchorman who left the station last summer when "Dialing for News" eliminated weekday sportscasts, is back as a fill-in anchor. Either that state PR job isn't paying well, or he couldn't get the sports out of his system.

I'm not the only one who's scratching his head. Several of you e-mailed me in shock as well, with one of you comparing Michaels' return to that of a woman who goes back to her abusive husband. I wouldn't go that far, but then again, this is a guy who saw the writing on the wall after WBRE axed sports anchorman Jacon Knapp.

Grading the Video: WYOU

Here's the final critique in the "Grading the Video" series.

Bar Shooting
Any efforts to prove WBRE and WYOU are separate entities were shot in this story, as Laurie Monteforte's mic had a WBRE logo. Oh well. That said, the video in this story was average. We had police officers walking around a crime scene, and other outside shots of the bar. Final grade: B-

Bus Fire
You can't get much better on a story about a bus fire, than by seeing the burned-out bus itself. Final grade: A

Overrun Shelter
Video of cats in a shelter...well, that's what the story was about. Final grade: B-

Duathlon
It's a story about people running around Wilkes-Barre, and that's what we saw. Eh, nothing exciting really. Final grade: B-

Father's Day
It was an interesting take on Father's Day, with dads and sons spending the day piloting model airplanes. and that's what we saw in th video. Final grade: B

Car Show
Unexciting video of a car show. Eh. Final grade: C+

Swimming
Unexciting video of people swimming. Another "Eh." Final grade: C+

Miner Dedication
There wasn't too much video to this story, just a statue of a miner. Yet another "Eh" response. Final grade: B-

Grading the Video: WNEP

I wasn't able to catch the 6 p.m. news tonight for my ongoing video critique, so I tuned to WNEP at 11 p.m. I'll get to WYOU tomorrow. As always, I don't count video that came from other sources, like network video or online video. Ergo, I won't mention the Obama YouTube story, or the Lancaster County murder (unless WNEP did go down there to cover the story).

Schuylkill Murder
Unless my eyes deceived me, I saw a major mistake in this video. It's called a flash frame, which I saw somewhere before Ryan Leckey's stand-up. And I'm sure there was better video for this story, as I flipped over to WYOU, and saw video of what looked like blood at the crime scene, and a makeshift memorial there. Final grade: F

A Tree Falls in Scranton
You couldn't do much better for the story: we got to see the tree that fell on the highway. Final grade: A

Snake Wranglers
Again, you couldn't do much better: we see video of people handling snakes. It's hard to not use video like that. Final grade: A (because I was hoping someone would get bit)

Nay Aug Reunion
This story was a perfect example of what some in the business call BOPSA. It's short for "Buunch Of People Sitting Around," which you normally see in stories about municipal government meetings. In this story, we saw kids playing, and adults sitting around. Final grade: C

Cancer Walk
The story was about people walking around a track for a cancer benefit event, and that's the video we saw. Final grade: B

Endless Mountains Concert
Let's end the newscast on a happy note, with video of a bluegrass concert in Tunkhannock. I'd have liked to have heard more of the music, but I guess that's why God invented CD and MP3 players. Final grade: B

That's what I think. How about you?

Grading the Video: WBRE

What separates television from all other forms of broadcast media is its ability to use great video to tell or enhance a story. Listening to a story about a big fire isn't the same as watching the flames for yourself. If it wasn't for video, television would be radio! Alright, that's a dumb saying, but you get my point: great video is what makes television news.

I bring this up because a blog reader e-mailed me to point out the poor video seen on all three stations in this area. This person stated the quality of video was gradually going downhill across the board, so I decided to check for myself. Tonight, I watched WBRE's 11 p.m. newscast to judge its video. Here's my notes on the video used for each local story (this doesn't include video shot by other sources, i.e. national video).

Scranton Immigration Rally
The video was OK, as it was really just a bunch of people standing around, holding signs. But what made this stand out was the use of different soundbites to show how pissed off each side was. Final grade: B+

Story about some drunk guy
Like any crime story, this one included the requisite perp walk of the guy. It also included what looked like file video of the crime scene in question. It was pretty boring; here's a shot of two state troopers standing on a road, and here's a shot of something on the side of the road. Final grade: C

Another story about some guy in trouble
Same as above: requisite perp walk, and then a file video shot of an ambulance driving away. It doesn't tell me a lot about the story. Final grade: C

Pool Vandalism
It's a story about vandalism, and yes, we do see video of what the vandals did. From graffiti to damaged soda machines, the video really complimented the story. Final grade: A

Martz K9
For a story that mentions police officers patting down people at the Martz bus terminal in downtown Wilkes-Barre, I sure didn't see any video of said officers patting down said people. All you see are the cops, their dog, and a bus pulling away. Final grade: C

Filthy Animal House (with special guest appearance by Vince Sweeney!)
I would've loved to have seen the inside of this apparent hellhole, but I imagine the police didn't want any TV photographers in there. So we get the next best thing: people in hazmat suits carrying cats out of a filthy house that's been roped off. It gives you a great image of just how bad the inside was. Vince didn't want it to be like this! Final grade: A

McKinney Jobs Lost
Eh, this video was nothing home to write about. You see an outside shot of the building, but you do see the fired employees hugging each other in emotion. Final grade: B-

Call Center
This is a PERFECT example of the "wallpaper video" phenomenon. The term is used to describe video that doesn't add anything to the story. It's there for the sake of being there, like plain white wallpaper. This video showed boring shots of a call center, and the sign outside the call center. Final grade: F

Pharmaceutical Plant
More wallpaper video! Did this story really require the viewer see some shots of this plant's sign? Final grade: F

Octane Gas
The story mentions gas, and we see people pumping gas. Can't do better than that. Final grade: B

Make a Difference
The video in this story seemed blurry to me, which detracted from the story itself, which was really just a bunch of people at a college doing some sort of bonding experiments. At least we saw something more than just a bunch of people sitting around. Final grade: C+

Stroudfest
Oh boy, more wallpaper video. Here's a shot of downtown Stroudsburg, here's a close-up shot of a clock tower, here's another shot of downtown Stroudsburg, here's another close-up shot of a clock tower. Final grade: D

Movies In the Park
Plenty of people were in the park, watching movies with their families, eating popcorn, all that good stuff. The video captured it. Final grade: B

Tomorrow, I'll take a look at the video in WNEP and WYOU's newscasts. Until then, discuss the results of my review amongst yourself!