Senior Entertainment Reporter John Kiesewetter has been covering TV and media issues for 20 years. After joining the Cincinnati Enquirer in 1975 as a summer intern, he worked as a county government and suburban reporter; assistant city editor and suburban editor; and features editor supervising the Life section. He has a B.S. in journalism from Ohio University.
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Reaction to the Marcus Fiesel story
Got some interesting reaction to my story yesterday (Wednesday) about why so much national media attention has been paid to the JonBenet Ramsey case, and why so little to Marcus Fiesel. (http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060830/NEWS01/608300357/-1/back01) I also want to share an aspect from my reporting that didn’t make the story: TV news experts tell me that, if JonBenet had been killed this year, in the post-9/11 era, the media coverage would have been far less.
"JonBenet would not get the same coverage today,” says Adrew Tyndall, who has monitored network news content for 19 years. (www.tyndallreport.com) "The JonBenet case comes back today because of the residue built up a years ago. Cable news networks and morning TV shows can be egregious, but it’s better than it was in the 1990s, at the peak of the feeding frenzy. That’s the good news."
Since 9/11, the media world has changed, says Steve Ackermann, the WXIX-TV (Channel 19) news director who worked 12 years as a CBS News producer. Viewers want more serious news, and not the 1990s tabloid crime stories, such as JonBenet, O.J. Simpson or Susan Smith, the South Carolina mother who drown her two sons by driving her car into a lake.
"The national media landscape has changed. There are serious national and international issues now. We live in a different world than we did 10 years ago," Ackerman says. Emails
--"I read with great interest your article about the lack of national media attention in the Marcus Fiesel case. I was as dismayed as you were (although I did receive an email from my brother in Idaho, who had read of the story in The Idaho Statesman). Since the arraignment of the Carrolls this afternoon, however, CNN has covered the story three times, even making it their top story at the 3:00 hour. They list it as a "Developing Story." I thought you’d be interested to know that, and perhaps a little encouraged."
--"My co-workers and I have been discussing this very issue for days -- wondering why, and coming to the same conclusion: the JonBenet Ramsey murder. My thoughts are, it is not too late to pitch the story to Fox Nexs again, and to CNN and other major news networks. I believe that national media attention may be an effective way to ensure that justice is served for Marcus. Why not rally the masses behind the unified cause of vindication for Marcus? The Carrolls need to pay for what they did to that poor little boy."
--"Too true. I live in eastern Pennsylvania and the only reason I’ve heard about the story is because my ex-wife, who lives in Cincinnati, called me and told me about it. I was surprised that it hadn’t been picked up by any national outlets... As as a former newspaper reporter myself, I am less than surprised. Right before I left a job at a daily, I wrote two stories: one was about how handicapped people in the city of Easton can’t find accessible housing and are often forced to leave their wheelchairs in stairwells and drag themselves up dirty stairs. The other was about how someone found a dead dog and puppies in the woods. The dog had been tied to a tree and left to die with the puppies. Guess which one got picked up by the radio and TV media? It wasn’t the story about the people suffering, that’s for sure."
Reaction to the Marcus Fiesel story
Got some interesting reaction to my story yesterday (Wednesday) about why so much national media attention has been paid to the JonBenet Ramsey case, and why so little to Marcus Fiesel.
(http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060830/NEWS01/608300357/-1/back01)
I also want to share an aspect from my reporting that didn’t make the story: TV news experts tell me that, if JonBenet had been killed this year, in the post-9/11 era, the media coverage would have been far less.
"JonBenet would not get the same coverage today,” says Adrew Tyndall, who has monitored network news content for 19 years. (www.tyndallreport.com) "The JonBenet case comes back today because of the residue built up a years ago. Cable news networks and morning TV shows can be egregious, but it’s better than it was in the 1990s, at the peak of the feeding frenzy. That’s the good news."
Since 9/11, the media world has changed, says Steve Ackermann, the WXIX-TV (Channel 19) news director who worked 12 years as a CBS News producer. Viewers want more serious news, and not the 1990s tabloid crime stories, such as JonBenet, O.J. Simpson or Susan Smith, the South Carolina mother who drown her two sons by driving her car into a lake.
"The national media landscape has changed. There are serious national and international issues now. We live in a different world than we did 10 years ago," Ackerman says. Emails
--"I read with great interest your article about the lack of national media attention in the Marcus Fiesel case. I was as dismayed as you were (although I did receive an email from my brother in Idaho, who had read of the story in The Idaho Statesman). Since the arraignment of the Carrolls this afternoon, however, CNN has covered the story three times, even making it their top story at the 3:00 hour. They list it as a "Developing Story." I thought you’d be interested to know that, and perhaps a little encouraged."
--"My co-workers and I have been discussing this very issue for days -- wondering why, and coming to the same conclusion: the JonBenet Ramsey murder. My thoughts are, it is not too late to pitch the story to Fox Nexs again, and to CNN and other major news networks. I believe that national media attention may be an effective way to ensure that justice is served for Marcus. Why not rally the masses behind the unified cause of vindication for Marcus? The Carrolls need to pay for what they did to that poor little boy."
--"Too true. I live in eastern Pennsylvania and the only reason I’ve heard about the story is because my ex-wife, who lives in Cincinnati, called me and told me about it. I was surprised that it hadn’t been picked up by any national outlets... As as a former newspaper reporter myself, I am less than surprised. Right before I left a job at a daily, I wrote two stories: one was about how handicapped people in the city of Easton can’t find accessible housing and are often forced to leave their wheelchairs in stairwells and drag themselves up dirty stairs. The other was about how someone found a dead dog and puppies in the woods. The dog had been tied to a tree and left to die with the puppies. Guess which one got picked up by the radio and TV media? It wasn’t the story about the people suffering, that’s for sure."
Reaction to the Marcus Fiesel story
Got some interesting reactions to my story yesterday about why so much national media attention has been paid to the JonBenet Ramsey case, and why so little to Marcus Fiesel.
(http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060830/NEWS01/608300357/-1/back01)
I also want to share an aspect from my reporting that didn’t make the story: TV news experts tell me that, if JonBenet had been killed this year, in the post-9/11 era, the media coverage would have been far less.
"JonBenet would not get the same coverage today," says Adrew Tyndall, who has monitored network news content for 19 years. (www.tyndallreport.com) "The JonBenet case comes back today because of the residue built up a years ago. Cable news networks and morning TV shows can be egregious, but it’s better than it was in the 1990s, at the peak of the feeding frenzy. That’s the good news."
Since 9/11, the media world has changed, says Steve Ackermann, the WXIX-TV (Channel 19) news director who worked 12 years as a CBS News producer. Viewers want more serious news, and not the 1990s tabloid crime stories, such as JonBenet, O.J. Simpson or Susan Smith, the South Carolina mother who drown her two sons by driving her car into a lake.
"The national media landscape has changed. There are serious national and international issues now. We live in a different world than we did 10 years ago," Ackerman says. Emails
--"I read with great interest your article about the lack of national media attention in the Marcus Fiesel case. I was as dismayed as you were (although I did receive an email from my brother in Idaho, who had read of the story in The Idaho Statesman). Since the arraignment of the Carrolls this afternoon, however, CNN has covered the story three times, even making it their top story at the 3:00 hour. They list it as a "Developing Story." I thought you’d be interested to know that, and perhaps a little encouraged. "
--"My co-workers and I have been discussing this very issue for days -- wondering why, and coming to the same conclusion: the JonBenet Ramsey murder. My thoughts are, it is not too late to pitch the story to Fox Nexs again, and to CNN and other major news networks. I believe that national media attention may be an effective way to ensure that justice is served for Marcus. Why not rally the masses behind the unified cause of vindication for Marcus? The Carrolls need to pay for what they did to that poor little boy."
--"Too true. I live in eastern Pennsylvania and the only reason I’ve heard about the story is because my ex-wife, who lives in Cincinnati, called me and told me about it. I was surprised that it hadn’t been picked up by any national outlets... As as a former newspaper reporter myself, I am less than surprised. Right before I left a job at a daily, I wrote two stories: one was about how handicapped people in the city of Easton can’t find accessible housing and are often forced to leave their wheelchairs in stairwells and drag themselves up dirty stairs. The other was about how someone found a dead dog and puppies in the woods. The dog had been tied to a tree and left to die with the puppies. Guess which one got picked up by the radio and TV media? It wasn’t the story about the people suffering, that’s for sure.”
The Emmys
So did you like the Emmy Awards last night? I enjoyed the show, not because of the winners or losers, but because it was well paced and entertaining. One of the big winners was Conan O’Brien, for his opening video through Lost, The Office, South Park and House, and for pulling off the Music Man musical number. The other big winner was Jon Stewart and The Daily Show, for best variety/music/comedy series, and best variety/music/comedy series writing, and his bit with Stephen Colbert. To me, the most memorable moment to me was the guy who reminded us that we’re in another Golden Age of TV. Despite all the quirks of the goofy Emmy balloting system – why wasn’t Lost up for best drama? – the show reminded us of all the great TV today, from House, 24, My Name Is Earl, The Office, Sopranos, Entourage, The Daily Show– not to mention a ton of shows that didn’t get any awards last night, like Lost, CSI, Without A Trace, The Simpsons, The Closer, Grey’s Anatomy, Scrubs, Two And A Half Men, Letterman,etc. Last night made me think that I’d better clear out the DVR to make room for a lot of new fall season shows…. The crash
As for Conan’s opening with the "Lost" spoof : Obviously the folks at Channel 5 didn’t know it was coming, but I would have pulled the news ticker about the Lexington plane crash as soon as I saw Conan on a plane in the taped opening. And I thought that Channel 5 overdid the news ticker throughout the three-hour Emmy broadcast…
As for Sunday morning: Frankly, it didn’t occur to me to see which local stations provided coverage, and which ones didn’t (as folks posted Sunday on my blog). I have friends in Lexington, so I was seeking information, and found myself flipping back and forth between Ch 5 and 9 most of the morning. I gravitated to the stations that served my needs.
I believe in times of tragedy folks flip around for the most useful information… and the next time that big news breaks, they’ll remember the stations which met their demands and expectations.
Big Night for 64 & 12
Looks like the billboards and promotions has paid off for Channels 12 and 64, for the new "Local 12 at 10 on My 64" 10 p.m. newscast launched Monday. Last night, with Fox 19 running a NFL game, Channel 64's 10 p.m. news drew a 4.4 rating and 8% audience share --which was four times what the old Channel 64 newscast had a year ago (and close to a news ratings record for 64?). Sure, there was no local news competition at 10 p.m. But the numbers indicate that people have found the newscast -- always a challenge. Says Ch 12 GM Chris Sehring in an e-mail to me: "Yes, our competition at 10 p.m. was airing an NFL game -- but they will face the same challenges with baseball later in the year. Far more important is the fact that it gives viewers a chance to sample another newscast; now it's up to us to try to keep them!" Reds radio updateDid you see our Reds radio story today by John Fay, in response to Lance McAlister's HOMER 1530 posting yesteday saying the club was hiring Thom Brennaman (Marty's son) to replace Steve Stewart? Brennaman told Fay: "That is unequivocally not true. He has not talked to the Reds." We continue to hear that the team wants a former player as an analyst with Marty... though hiring Thom to replace his dad eventually would be a very smart move, if Thom wants to leave a great situation in Arizona. Here's the link to Fay's story, in his Reds notes today: http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060825/SPT04/608250449/1071
Hey, We're No. 33!
New Nielsen Media Research market estimates came out today, and Cincinnati has moved up one spot to No. 33, jumping over Milwaukee. The Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky market gained 6,780 TV homes, for a total of 886,910. No. 34 Milwaukee has 882,990. Columbus remains No. 32, with 898,030 TV homes. One ratings point here now should represent about 8,869 homes, up 67 from last year. Kiese-watching
Too bad someone didn’t tell Cirque du Soleil promoters how to pronounce the historic Roebling Suspension Bridge. TV commercials refer to it as the ROBB-ling bridge. How embarrassing.
New "Survivor" cast: Recognize anyone??
I had heard that there may be a local connection -- possibly in the Lawrenceburg area -- for one of the cast members on "Survivor: Cook Islands" announced today... but nothing is apparent from the CBS release. If you recognize a name below, or the cast photo posted at www.cbs.com, pls email me soonest at jkiesewetter@enquirer.com. The new twists for "Survivor13" are the largest cast ever (20), and most racially diverse, divided into four ethnic tribes: African-American, Asian-American, Hispanic and Caucasian. Now won't that make for an interesting merge! Here are the contestants. Holler ASAP if you recognize anyone: REBECCA BORMAN
34
Laurelton, N.Y.
Make-Up Artist ANH-TUAN “CAO BOI” BUI (Pronounced Cowboy)
42
Christianburg, Va.
Nail Salon Manager SEKOU BUNCH
45
Los Angeles (originally from New York)
Jazz Musician/Recording Artist J.P. CALDERON
30
Marina Del Rey, Calif.
Professional Volleyball Player CRISTINA CORIA
35
Los Angeles
Police Officer STEPHANNIE FAVOR
35
Columbia, S.C.
Nursing Student BILLY GARCIA
36
New York (originally from Miami)
Heavy Metal Guitarist ADAM GENTRY
28
San Diego, Calif. (originally from Fredericksburg, Va.)
Copier Sales NATHAN GONZALEZ
26
Los Angeles
Retail Sales JENNY GUZON-BAE
36
Lake Forest, Ill. (originally from Melrose Park, Ill.)
Real Estate Agent YUL KWON
31
San Mateo, Calif. (originally from Flushing, N.Y.)
Management Consultant BECKY LEE
28
Washington, D.C. (originally from Pittsburgh)
Attorney OSCAR “OZZY” LUSTH
25
Venice, Calif.
Waiter CECILIA MANSILLA
29
Oakland, Calif. (originally from Arequipa, Peru)
Technology Risk Consultant SUNDRA OAKLEY
31
Los Angeles (originally from New York)
Actress JONATHAN PENNER44 Los Angeles (originally from New York) Writer/Producer PARVATI SHALLOW
23
Los Angeles (originally from Atlanta)
Boxer/Waitress JESSICA SMITH
27
Chico, Calif.
Performance Artist/Rollergirl BRAD VIRATA
29
Los Angeles (originally from Seattle)
Fashion Director CANDICE WOODCOCK
23
Fayetteville, N.C.
Pre-Med Student Recognize anyone??? Let me know!
CET's Jewish-Muslim special tonight
They want to promote dialogue, but tonight’s big Jewish-Muslim perspectives special on CET with the National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ) will be a passive experience for most. Viewers won’t be able to call or email questions during "Jewish-Muslim Relations: A Cincinnati Perspective" (8-9 p.m., Ch 48) to speakers Dr. Inayat Malik, a Muslim, and Jerome Teller, a Jew. All questions will come from the invitation-only studio audience. The NCCJ and CET wanted a “balanced” audience of Muslims, Jews and Christians, so studio seating was not open to the public. The TV show was an outgrowth of a presentation by NCCJ board members Malik and Teller at a board meeting earlier this month. Fox shows on the net
If you missed Monday’s season premiere of "Prison Break," you don’t have to watch (or record) the repeat at 9 p.m. today on Fox (Chs 19, 45). Fox announced that it will stream the first three episodes of "Prison Break" and the new "Vanished" on more than 50 Internet portals to build buzz. Each week’s episode will be available for seven days -- for free, and commercial free -- until the next new show airs on Monday nights. They’re posted now on Fox.com, AOL.com, Google video, Yahoo, TVGuide.com and many other sites, Fox says.
Did You Watch Local 12 on My 64?
I've gotta say that Ch 64's 10 p.m. news produced by Ch 12 was impressive. I counted 17 stories in the half-hour. It was a fast-paced, thorough recap of the day, with a weather forecast completed by 10:20. Some of the stories were on Ch 12 earlier in the day, such as the interview with Liz Carroll, foster mother of Marcus Fiesel. The new stories included a couple of promos for more information if you watched at 11 -- but frankly, I had seen enough, and really probably wouldn't watch again at 11, if I was a typical viewer. One thing: Did they give results of the Local 12 poll, on whether Steve Stewart should have been fired? I don't recall seeing the results at 10:25, as promised. And I thought I'd be annoyed by the Local 12/My64 logo rotating every 5 seconds, but I just ignored it after a while. Overall, Ch 12's half-hour was well written, and the anchors are good. It could give Ch 19 a run for the ratings -- if enough people rememeber to watch news on Ch 64, particularly after it drops the WB network. Did you watch? I'll amend this in the morning with the overnight ratings. I'm really curious to see how 64 and 19 did in the overnight for 10-10:30. What did you think of the newscast? I'm anxious for some feedback. Overnights are hereThis just in... Ch 12's newscast on 64 at 10 p.m. averaged a 3.2 rating and 5% audience share, or 28,166 TV homes. That is four times more than a year ago Monday for Ch 64's "NewsCentral" newscast, which drew a whopping .83 of a ratings point, and a 1.1% share. Interestingly, Ch 19's 10 p.m. news got the same rating Monday (6.9 rating/12%) that it did the previous Monday, Aug. 14, without news competition on 64. Ch 12 actually improved on last Monday's rating (10.2/20.5%) last night (to a 12.0/25%) with the teases in the 10 p.m. news to its 11 p.m. newscast. But it's just one night... I'll keep an eye on this, particularly after the WB goes away.
A Big Day
Big day for TV, locally and national. Channel 64 debuts its new 10 p.m. newscast, produced by Channel 12 from the Local 12 studio. The TV season starts unofficially today, with Fox airing the second season premiere of "Prison Break" and the new "Vanished." And the 4 CBS radio stations in town -- including country leader B105 and Q102 -- have new owners. Read on. Local 12 at 10 on My 64 TVChannel Expect to see the Local 12 branding and My 64 branding alternating on the screen. I’m sure most viewers eventually will be smart enough to figure out what’s going on, but execs from both stations are concerned that the folks with Nielsen diary won’t get it. As they tell me, for Ch 64 to get credit in a diary, viewers must put down Channel 64 – and they worry that people will write Channel 12 in their diary when watching the Ch 64 news at 10 p.m.Anyway, this should be an interesting experiment. Will it hurt Channel 12’s 11 p.m. ratings? Will it hurt Fox 19 at 10? (Probably not much?) And will anyone be watching Channel 64 in prime-time once it drops WB and switches to MyNetworkTV on Sept. 5? After that, can the power of Ch 12 prop up the 10 p.m. newscast, or will ratings be as low as they were for Ch 64’s ill-conceived NewsCentral? Great start to the TV season
Great news: Fox starts the TV season early tonight with two terrific shows. "Prison Break" (8 p.m., Ch 19) turns into "The Fugitives," with 8 inmates on the loose after their escape last season. William Fichtner (ABC’s "Invasion") is a nice addition to the cast as FBI Agent Mahone, who starts by tracking down Michael Scofield’s tattoo artist.
"Vanished" follows at 9 p.m. (Ch 19). It’s in my Top 10 of new fall shows. The pilot is very well done – about the wife (Joanne Kelly) of a U.S. senator (John Allen Nelson) who disappears during a big gala to honor her charity work. Everyone is a suspect; everyone has a secret or two. Nice twists and turns, particularly in the final minutes.
And if you have HBO, put Spike Lee’s Katrina anniversary documentary on the DVD: "When The Levees Broke: a Requiem in Four Acts" (9-11 p.m. today and Tuesday).
And one more bit of good news: Don’t bother looking on Ch. 9 at 10 p.m. for "One Ocean View." ABC yanked the reality drama last week after only 2 telecasts. Same thing happened in July to ABC’s “The One,” it’s "American Idol" rip-off. That’s good news for viewers getting fed up with reality TV… Q102, B105 Sold
This just in: Philadelphia-based Entercom announced this morning it has bought the 4 CBS stations here – Q102, B105, Oldies WGRR and alternative WAQZ-FM 97.3. Entercom paying $262 million for CBS stations in Memphis, Austin, Rochester and Cincinnati. Entercom will take over the stations in October through a local marketing agreement.
Announcement posted:
www.entercom.com/pages/pr_aug212006.htm Pete Rose? Really?The surprises keep coming.... First the Reds pull the plug on announcer Steve Stewart after this season, opening the door for a Joe Nuxhall comeback... and then Nux is runnung dead last in our Cincinnati.com poll for a new Reds radio analyst? As of this morning, Pete Rose leads the four-man survery with nearly 50%. Second is Thom Brennaman (25%), and then comes my choice, Dan Hoard (16%). Nux has only 8%. And where would Chris Welsh rank, if on the ballot? As I wrote in Sunday's blog, I wouldn't be surprised to see another former player in the booth next year, given ownership's penchant for Reds tradition. And I expect to hear more of Nux next year, regardless.
Steve Stewart: Going, Going, Gone...
Was surprised -- very pleasantly so -- to see today's story that the Reds are dropping radio announcer Steve Stewart. It's not that I'm a Nuxhall fan... he just didn't add much to the broadcasts to me. With all the home runs we hit, you'd think he could bring some excitement and expectation to them, instead of uncertainty. I just wasn't a Steve Stewart fan. To me, the whole "Bad Boy" nickname was appropriate, because I thought he was really mediocre baseball announcer, particularly seated next to a Hall of Famer. Here's the link to the story. You may have to copy and paste in your browser: http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060820/SPT04/608200449/1071 I give the new owners credit for having guts to make the move.... To me, Stew was as weak as our bullpen. Who's Next?So who should replace Steve? My guess is that Nux will be back for limited duty (only home games??). My third man in the booth would be former Ch 19 sports anchor Dan Hoard, who was marvelous filling in for Marty last year. He was insightful and well prepared, and sometimes Scully-like in his storytelling. And I'd also groom a former player, so Hoard could take over play-by-play when Marty retires. But with the new owners promoting the power of tradition, my guess is that the new guy will be a former player. A great choice would be Chris Welsh (and put Pete Rose on TV?), if he wanted to work every game from March to October. Would Larkin be interested? Oester? Dave Parker? I'm not counting on Thom Brennaman coming back to work with Dad, given his position (and pay) with the Diamondbacks. Surprisingly, not many former Reds players have done much radio work here, except for brief stints by Dave Collins, Ted Power and, of course, Tracy Jones. Tracy wouldn't be my choice, because his WLW radio work is more about Tracy than the team. His weekday "Brennaman & Jones on Baseball" really should be called "Brennaman & Jones on Tracy." I'm just not a fan of the Tracer. I'd prefer someone like Marty, who works hard to develop sources with players and the front office, and really tells Reds fans what's going on. We'll see what happens. We'll see how fans vote on our poll, offering the choice of Nux, Hoard, Thom Brennaman and Pete. The link for our poll: http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060820/SPT04/399990107/1071 Are you a Stew fan? Will you miss him? Glad to see a change in the Reds Radio booth? Who would you like to hear on Reds games, and why?
Back on the blog
Sorry to be away from the blog this week, but it’s been crazy. My best friend, retired Memphis TV critic Tom Walter, died of cancer and I took a few days off to fly down to Memphis for his funeral. The best thing I can say about him is that he was a great friend – always there when you needed to talk, always could make me laugh. I hope all of you are lucky enough to have such a treasured friendship in life… I never understood what the phrase “hole in my heart” meant until I contemplated never hearing Tom's voice ever again. So my word to you: Take a minute tonight, or this weekend, and call a friend, just to hear his/her voice, and cherish every minute.
Sorry to get sappy today, but, hey, it's my blog. Now down to business... While I was gone, all hell broke loose…. The highlights: FCC probes Ch 9The FCC is probing allegations that WCPO-TV (Channel 9), and 76 other stations, broadcast video news releases in newscasts without crediting the sources. The accusations first surfaced in April in “Fake TV News: Widespread and Undisclosed,” a 10-month study by the Center for Media and Democracy, a Wisconsin non-profit which serves as a watchdog for the public relations industry. I’m scrambling to nail this all down now for a Sunday story, which will be posted on our website Sunday… but here is the website to see Ch. 9 video: http://www.prwatch.org/fakenews/vnr10 To the right of that page are links to the full "Fake News" report, executive summary, etc. Ch 5 drops Top 5 at 11
Yes,WLWT-TV (Ch 5) has bagged the viewer-voted "Top 5 (stories) at 11." Here’s the word from News Director Brennan Donnellan:
"Effective Friday, August 18th, we will no longer be presenting Your Top 5 at 11 p.m. Your Top 5 at 5 p.m. has been one of our most successful recent initiatives, and I’m proud of our ratings growth at 5 p.m. We will continue to present your Top 5 at 5, and we will increase our efforts to make this popular feature even stronger.
"At 11 p.m., it has been less popular. The primary reason involves Internet news site usage, which drops off sharply after 4 p.m. That’s true of every news site; most people access Internet news at work. While up to 150 people have been voting in our Top 5 at 5 poll, the number has been considerably lower at 11 p.m. Also, viewers have told us they are more interested a digest of night time and daytime news at night. They have less curiosity about how others voted, and more of a need for straight news and weather updates before going to bed.” So you folks can help me out here with math: The 150 people determining the top story at 5 p.m. represents less than 2% of 1 ratings point (8,802 TV homes) here? Is that right? Ch 64 newsAlso trying to finish my story for Monday's paper about Channel 12's newscast on Channel 64. I hear that some folks already are confused about all the numbers -- "Local 12 at 10 on My 64." It will be intersting to see what kind of ratings it does, particularly after Ch 64 dumps WB shows on Sept. 5 for 5-nights-a-week soap operas. (We'll have a link Monday with story on website to the MyNetworkTV show previews.) That's a great lead-in, huh? And how much will Ch 12's 11 p.m. ratings drop because people can catch the branded "Local 12 news" an hour earlier? I'm sure you all have opinions about that too. So post your comments, and I'll read them from home this weekend. Sorry, gotta go. Way behind in my work this week. Remember to call a friend this weekend. --Kiese
Ch 12 preps for Ch 64
Channel 12 has hired two new reporters, in preparation for the launch of its 10 p.m. newscast Monday on WSTR-TV (Channel 64). Richard Jordan, a bilingual reporter from El Paso's KVIA-TV , and Lauren Bercarich from WSIL-TV in Carterville, Ill., will primarily report for the 10 p.m. during the week. Both will work weekends, and alternate between the 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. news. Reporter Larry Davis will move to Monday-Friday, says News Director Elbert Tucker. Those watching the 10 p.m. news on Channel 64 may see plenty of Channel 12 faces -- except for maybe main anchors Rob Braun, Kit Andrews and Tim Hedrick. Sometimes viewers may see the same reporter covering a breaking story at 10 p.m. and 11 p.m., he says.
The Biggest Loser returnsSomeone asked me on WLW-AM's " Gary Burbank Show" Monday when "The Biggest Loser" returns with new episodes. Here’s the scoop: The new season begins 8-10 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 20, on NBC (Ch 5), with 50 contestants, one from each of state. (Nobody from this area.) All 50 will go through a “fitness and nutrition boot camp,” but only 14 will stay at the ranch while 36 others head home. The man and woman who lose the most weight at home will rejoin the show at a later date.
Dusty on Elvis
Dusty Rhodes marks the 29th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death Wednesday with a five-hour special (6-11 p.m.) on oldies WDJO-AM (1160). The program includes audio from Presley's TV shows and interviews, and every one of his hits in the order he had them.
Miami University goes 3D
Miami’s WMUB-FM (88.5) now has 3 high-definition radio signals, for those of you with HD radio receivers. WMUB-FM fired up a 24-hour digital broadcast of the BBC World Service last week. Station managers believe they're the first Ohio station to "triplecast" in HD. Program Director John Hingsbergen says the third HD channel could be used to broadcast day-long congressional hearings and other long-form programs. Outta hereI'm going to be out of town for a couple of days. I'll resume the blog on Friday, after I read all your comments..... --Kiese
Ch 5 kicks off Bengals
Before NBC’s national telecast of the Bengals-Redskins preseason game Sunday ( 8 p.m., Ch 5, 2), Channel 5 will blow off "Dateline NBC" for a one-hour pregame special. Ken Broo, George Vogel, Dave Lapham and Andy Furman will preview the game, Carson Palmer's health and the team on "Ready to Roar." After the game, and the 11 p.m. news, most of "Sports Rock" will be devoted to the Bengals preseason opener.... John Madden and Al Michaels will do the game for NBC. And I suspect that Cris Collinsworth, who will be part of NBC’s pregame show premiereing Sept. 10, will drive over from Fort Thomas to appear on NBC or Ch 5 sometime Sunday night. By the way, Emmy-winning studio analyst Collinsworth and Middletown native Cris Carter will be back on HBO’s “Inside the NFL” with Bob Costas and Dan Marino starting Sept. 13. From the front line
Jay Hanselman interviews Marine Lt. Kevin Kimener, a Cincinnati native doing intelligence work in Iraq, on “Cincinnati Edition” 7-8 a.m. Saturday on WVXU-FM (91.7). Kimener, on his second tour in Iraq, will talk about how the Iraqi soldiers are progressing in their training; how they are controlling the insurgents within his area of responsibility; the extreme heat they face on a daily basis; and his appreciation for the support his family has given him during his tours in Iraq. He’s the son of Peter and Claudia Kimener of Madeira.
Dayna Eubanks moves to noon
Dayna Eubanks, little seen on WKRC-TV these days, has moved permanently into the noon anchor chair at Channel 12. She’s doing noon and 4 p.m., because Cammy Dierking and Dave Burchell now work a late shift to prepare for anchoring the new 10 p.m. news the station is producing for Channel 64. Eubanks has been less visible this year, since Dierking moved from "Good Morning Cincinnati" to the early evening news. Dierking, Burchell and meteorologist Michelle Boutillette began rehearsals this week for the Monday Aug. 21 debut. Dierking will continue to do the 5 p.m. news with Rob Braun and the 5:30 with Burchell on Channel 12. ABC pulls two Fall TV shows
A month away from the official start of the TV season, and ABC has benched two new sitcoms. "Big Day" and "Notes from the Underbelly" won’t air until after "Dancing with the Stars" completes its run in November sweeps. "Betty the Ugly," the one-hour comedy about a plump plain Jane (America Ferrera) working for a NY fashion magazine, has been moved to 8 p.m. Thursday from 8 p.m. Friday. "America’s Funniest Videos" will go into the Friday slot, with another "AFV" episode on Sundays.
"Big Day" stars Marla Sokoloff and Josh Cooke as a young couple planning their wedding. "Notes from the Underbelly," about a young married couple preparing for their first child, stars Peter Cambor and Jennifer Westfeldt. 10 Days to "Prison Break"
Fox again rolls out part of its new TV season about a month ahead of the other networks (because baseball playoffs interrupt October programming). So "Prison Break" opens its second season at 8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 21 (Ch 19) followed by the new "Vanished" serial drama (9 p.m.) about a Georgia senator’s wife who disappears. The next week, "Bones" returns at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30, followed by "Justice" (9 p.m.), a Jerry Bruckheimer drama about a high-profile LA law firm that defends celebrities. Victor Garber plays the PR savvy partner who’s all over cable TV defending his clients. Both new shows are well done, and could catch on with viewers. Smooth jazz changeWARM98 midday host Chris Lynn has taken over the "Smooth Jazz Saturday Night" show from Michael Grayson. PD TJ Holland says the station remains committed to the Saturday smooth jazz show, which was No. 1 in adults 25-54 and women 25-54 in spring. Grayson, also a morning music host on WNKU-FM (89.7), had done the show for seven years. He says the station talked to him about cutting his fee, and didn’t hear any more until he was told his last show had aired July 29. Says Grayson: "I"m proud of the work.... and I am extremely thankful for the talented local and national artists who have contributed their musical passion.... and to the gracious, loyal listeners of "Smooth Jazz Saturday Night."It felt like we were all doing the show together every week. I think there will be a lot of disappointed listeners."
Regional Emmys on cable
The 42nd annual Midwestern Regional Emmy Awards presented to Cincinnati, Dayton, Louisville, Columbus and other stations are being telecast on Time Warner Cable public access channels. The awards were presented July 15 at Belterra Casino. To see a list of all winners, go to the Ohio Valley Chapter of the National Television Academy website. Here are TV dates for the suburban Time Warner systems with ICRC public access:
Today at 1:30pm Channels 8/15
Friday Aug. 11 at 2:30pm Channels 15/22
Saturday Aug. 12 at 5:30pm Channels 8/15
Wednesday Aug. 16 at 1:30pm Channel 8/15
Sunday Aug. 20 at 2:30pm Channel 4
Saturday Aug. 26 at 3pm Channel 8/15 Hello from Gene Cox...
Gene Cox emailed to say he’s now at the Indianapolis Fox station, WXIN-TV (Channel 59). Here’s what he says:
"I know it’s not the same as Jack Atherton leaving… but I wanted to let you know if anyone’s interested I’m the weekend anchor at the FOX affiliate in Indianapolis. It’s a nice upgrade in market size and I get to contribute on the desk both Saturday and Sunday nights, also an upgrade. So far so good up here. The whole thing came about because my wife was transferred and promoted to a sales position in Northern Indiana. It was just good fortune we could get both careers going in a positive direction at the same time…. Steve A. (news director Steve Ackermann) told me 19 isn’t going to really even replace my old weekend anchor position. The plan he told me a couple of months ago was to have Regina (Russo) come back from baby leave and solo the Friday and Saturday night news. If you ask me, it’s all about saving the cash! Keep up the tube news. See ya." MAX on the moveThe MAX-FM rock stations on 97.7 and 99.5, simulcast from Georgetown, Oxford and Ripley, plans to move its studios to Sharonville. When Oxford’s old WOXY-FM (97.7) city of license changes to Mason, and the transmitter moves to a tower in Monroe, the studio will be relocated from Georgetown in Brown County to the station’s business office. It's in an office park off Chester Road, at the southwest corner of I-275 & I-75. After the tower move, WOXY-FM will double its power, providing a better signal for Greater Cincinnati. (Tied with that will be moving Georgetown’s WAXZ-FM, 97.7, south into Kentucky. WAOL-FM 99.5 stays in Ripley.) All this is part of the strategy for First Broadcasting of Dallas, which buys fringe signals – like the Oxford station from the Baloghs – and moves them into major cities. The MAX-FM stations will be the Ohio State Buckeyes football and men’s basketball affiliate this year, after recent years on WCIN-AM and WBOB-AM (now WDJO-AM). I’m not sure it’s much of an improvement in reach for OSU for now – until the Monroe move and power boost -- but radio folks who read this will fill us in.
Bengals scrimmage on the 'net
With little publicity, WKRC.com drew about 13,500 hits Friday night for live videostreamed coverage of the Bengals scrimmage at Georgetown. Video from two cameras accompanied the Bengals commentary from Brad Johansen and Dave Lapham. It was kinda spartan, but Bengals fans were able to see the action. Says GM Chris Sehring: “It was an interesting experiement. We are very pleased with it.” New radio station finally on the air
WMWX-FM (88.9), licensed to Miamitown, signed on Sunday, a week later than expected. Owner Bill Spry says the format is a mix of AAA and classic rock. The signal covers northwestern and western Hamilton County, and most of Butler County.
The NFL, ESPNU and Time Warner
Time Warner Cable folks are bracing for a NFL Network publicity campaign, now that Time Warner has taken over the 55,000 Adelphia customers in Butler, Brown, Hamilton and Clermont counties. The NFL Network wants carriage on TWC, says TWC spokeswoman Karen Baxter. Some Adelphia systems – but none in Greater Cincinnati – carried the NFL Network channel, which does 8 games a year and other NFL programming. Baxter says the company anticipates a big publicity push from the NFL. According to TWC, the NFL Network wants to be a basic channel, while the cable company prefers it in a sports tier for an additional fee. Baxter also says the NFL Network costs “more than the highest-rated cable networks,” so I'm guessing she means ESPN and other channels. She doesn’t expect TWC to carry it any time soon. It appears to be a different situation for ESPNU, the college sports channel. When the Adelphia systems were absorbed Tuesday, TWC dropped ESPNU in those areas because TWC didn't have a contract for the service. Baxter says TWC hopes “to reach an agreement soon” to restore ESPNU, likely on a sports tier. But she wasn’t certain if ESPNU would be added systemwide here, or just returned to the old Adelphia communities. (It would seen odd that TWC would pick up ESPNU, and not make it available systemwidce here, right?) I’ll post more as I learn it. But I'm guessing that ESPNU will be widely available here soon. "Queer Eye" not canceledSpent most of my morning chasing down a web report saying that Bravo had canceled "Queer Eye." The International Movie Data Base said the show was done after three seasons, quoting Fab Five guy Jai Rodriguez as saying, "We haven't been asked back for 2007." Here's the link: http://www.imdb.com/news/wenn/2006-08-02/#3 But I knew from talking in June to creator/executive producer David Collins -- a West Chester native and '85 Lakota grad -- that "Queer Eye" was shooting its '07 season this summer, including the 100th episode. Anyway, long story short: Bravo contract runs out after fifth season airs in '07... Bravo publicists says Bravo wants to renew... and Collins is not worried, saying Bravo usually orders next season in September or early October. So all signs point to more years of the Fab Five on Bravo.... DJ Dick Wagner dies
Dick Wagner, one of the original 1960s WSAI-AM "Good Guys," died in Louisville on July 28. He was 77. After WSAI, he worked at WKLO-AM (1080) in Lousiville, under his real name, Dick Braun.
Says Joe London of oldies WDJO-AM (1160): "It is at WKLO where I had the privilege of working with "Dickie" Braun. A very talented announcer, he excelled in the radio production techniques of the day. He required crutches to get around, yet he never let it interfere with his ability to be witty and clever and full of energy. Dick eventually joined WAMZ, the top rated county station in Louisville, creatively handling those duties for many years. Some of Dick’s WSAI radio commercials can currently be heard on the weekends on WDJO -- when we air vintage commercials from the 60’s."
More info is available on the tribute to WKLO website: http://www.1080wklo.com/
Here is the obit from the Lousiville Courier-Journal last week: http://php.courier-journal.com/obits/obitdetail_drill.php?id=29913
Andy Treinen, the temp
Finally tracked down Andy Treinen, the former Channel 19 weekend anchor who popped up on Channel 19 Saturday night anchoring the news. Treinen says he’s just doing fill-in work for a few days this month while looking for a full-time anchor gig. He left Milwaukee’s NBC station when his three-year contract was up earlier this year, and decided to move back to the house he still owns in Cheviot. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement with WXIX-TV, which needs a weekend anchor to replace Gene Cox (now at the Indianapolis Fox station) while Regina Russo is on maternity leave. Treinen says he’s looking for an anchor job somewhere in the Midwest. He's not really interested in returning to Ch. 19 as weekend anchor/reporter, the job he left 3 years ago.
Hurray for Capt. Spaulding!For all you other Groucho Marx fans out there, set the DVR for Turner Classic Movies Wednesday. TCM will devote the day -- from 6 a.m. Wednesday through 6 a.m. Thursday -- to Groucho and the Marx Brothers movies. If you’re not a fan, the classics to catch among the dozen movies are "A Night at the Opera," with Groucho managing an opera ( 6:15); "Animal Crackers," with Groucho the famous African explorer helping find a stolen painting ( 8 p.m.), "Horse Feathers," with Groucho as a college president and a hilarious football game ( 11:15 p.m.) and "Duck Soup," with Groucho running a small nation into the ground ( 12:30 a.m.). Hail, Hail, Freedonia! TV reminder
Norwood native Amanda Tepe appears as Colleen the evil nanny on “General Hospital” today through Thursday (3 p.m., Chs 9, 22). She’s a a 1996 St. Ursula Academy graduate.
Read more about her in my Sunday column: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060730/ENT/607300306/-1/back01
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