Monday, May 18, 2009

Tough Times

by Paul Giacobbe

One of the great strengths of television news is the familiarity that develops between the viewer and the reporters, anchors and weathermen. The on-air folks become, to some extent, part of the viewer’s extended family, in the room at breakfast and in the early evening. A disruption in this relationship, for whatever reason, can be disconcerting.

The difficult economic conditions are blamed for cutbacks in news operations throughout the country.  Big city newspapers are in bankruptcy as the trickle down effect of business closings puts pressure on advertising revenues.

NBC10 has not escaped the pain of staff reductions, and the effect of the recent cutbacks has not been more evident than with the lack of a weekend reporter to cover the shooting Sunday of a North Kingstown police officer.  A photographer was able to capture video sufficient to give viewers a sense of that day’s drama, but the breaking news of (what we now know was) a hit and run death and a policeman being shot with his own weapon required the on site talents of both a reporter and photographer.

Viewers have noticed and commented on the changes.  Those that have called and emailed through the Viewers’ Voice program (and that likely represents only a small portion of those who have contacted NBC10 in other ways) say they’re not pleased.  Most simply miss the weather guy they’ve come to regard as part of their routine (see the first paragraph, above) while others have noted changes with the news product itself.

The sentencing of a woman who ran a real estate title company, and who embezzled $1.3 million dollars was not reported, complained viewer Rod Carri, and Judi Scott of Wakefield said the coverage of the vote to replace the URI president was “skimpy.”

Whether out of habit or preference, it’s hard to change the TV news viewing routines of most people, but that loyalty is not without limits.

This space is provided by NBC10, but the opinions are mine alone. – Paul Giacobbe