Radar The Weather Dog

[UrbanLandscape]

I know this is random and quite out of the blue, but I'm sorry, Radar has to be the most tacky and unprofessional gimmick a television station could have. Anyone else see this as a problem, or am I just being an oversensitive radio-television major?

[dbigtex56]

If you're oversensitive, perhaps you should reconsider your major. When Channel 2 promotes how one of their employees found her ideal mate due to their tips on 'how to find a man'...

must I continue?

[ricco67]

Well, when something is tacky or light hearted, they usually give the assignment to some poor young putz that is new to the industry and let HIM get humiliated (how to escape a dog attack and how to get out of a submerged car, come to mind) while the rest of the staff laugh at his expense (behind closed doors, of course).

But to have an entire STATION put in a situation like that is...interesting...to say the least. I happen to be watching the news when I heard Radar barking in the background (there were visitors in the station behind the cameras) and I was amazed how the reporters kept their composure (for the most part).

Ricco

[dbigtex56]

hehe!

As Linda Ellerbee (who got her start in TV news in Houston) wrote in "And So It Goes" - it's called "riding the elephant".

Whoever is the newest on the job has to cover the circus when they come to town, and there's always the point where they unload the elephant, and the corresponant is expected to give a live report while, you know, riding it.

One of the dues people pay.

[Subdude]

Isn't local television news in general tacky and unprofessional? I mean, it isn't like adding a dog is going to suddenly destroy their hard-hitting professional journalism. You can't fall off the floor.

[pineda]

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It's a dog-eat-dog world on the TV weather front

By KEN HOFFMAN, 11/08/04, Houston Chronicle

It really is raining cats and dogs.

Dogs, anyway.

Channel 13 has become the second Houston TV station to adopt a "weather dog"

[MidtownCoog]

Frank Billingsly is molesting that dog.

I just know it.

[ssullivan]

Aonther example was when one of the news 2 houston reporters ran into the metro rail because she couldn't read a street sign that said no left turns on main st. Rather than admit her mistake, she instead played it up how we the citizens of Houston are victims of poor signage....Shut the _____ up lady! please....I see the local news as "you get what you pay for..."

She was actually the first dumb driver to hit the train, and did it in November, six weeks before MetroRail passenger service started. And yes it was ridiculous how she and the rest of Channel 2 played it up as not her fault, especially when you consider that left turns on Main St. in Midtown had been illegal for several DECADES.

[Talbot]

Or maybe she just needed a story that she could gripe about, she saw the train, and turned into it.

[SpaceCity]

What's next? "Roadkill" the traffic Armadillo?

[UrbaNerd]

Yep. Thats what i said when I saw the dumb cur at first- ANOTHER condemned Channel 2 ploy!

Im expecting guinea pig for the Health report!

[deepsouthtexas]

I never liked news 2's old slogan "when news breaks, we break in." Stupidest thing I ever heard, plus it does nothing for Houston's image.

[new major on the block]

No offense to any one, but is the new 2 houston weather man gay? Because he kind of acts like it. Not saying that there is anything wrong with it. And that other weather man on abc 13, the old man, his name escapes me, but I have listened to his forecasts for years and wonder if he is ever going to go to the doctor for that never ending stuffed nose of his. I am just waiting for one of the anchors to had him a tissue.

[UrbaNerd]

Yeah, I think there are two gay weathermen on CH2.

[westguy]

I like Radar. I think he should judge the "Gimme the Mike!" competition alone. Dominique's overteased hair is really freaking me out.

[Subdude]

No offense to any one, but is the new 2 houston weather man gay?

Now that's an peculiar question. Are you thinking that somehere here has some personal knowledge that they want to share with you online?

[ssullivan]

No offense to any one, but is the new 2 houston weather man gay?

Yes there are gay people on the news in Houston. There are gay people on the news is every major city. There are gay people in almost every business in the city. What's your point? If you were a public figure on television or in some other role where you were visible to the public on a regular basis, I doubt you'd want strangers discussing your sexual orientation on a public Internet bulletin board. And so what if Frank Billingsley is or isn't gay? Why do you care?

[deepsouthtexas]

And why's it called "Gimme the Mike?" Shouldn't it be "Gimme the Mic?"

[Talbot]

I never liked news 2's old slogan "when news breaks, we break in." Stupidest thing I ever heard, plus it does nothing for Houston's image.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Speaking of news breaks, some of those things are damn annoying. Last night I was watching my usual shows and then they broke in for an oil company fire and they kept exxagerating how huge and dangerous it was. Then they kept repeating where it was located and telling everyone how the fire fighters will have to fight it. Finally to stall time they took some stupid phone calls from people that sounded like they didn't have a clue what was going on and just wanted to hear their voice on T.V. and showing the same clips over and over to stall for time. They kept saying they would update people when they got more news but they never went back to the prgram so they could update! But the exxageration of the whole thing just made me laugh. Sorry i was mad I didn't get to watch my shows, it lasted for an hour or so.

[Talbot]

That's what I meant.

[MidtownCoog]

OK. Saturday night they show Frank holding Radar like a baby.

this is freakydeaky

I read Ch 13 has a Chia Pet dog to make fun of Ch 2.

[ricco67]

Yep.

it's a chia puppy. It's growing like a weed.

I was watching when they first brought it out, I almost spewed coffee on the screen!

Ricco

[new major on the block]

Yes there are gay people on the news in Houston. There are gay people on the news is every major city. There are gay people in almost every business in the city. What's your point? If you were a public figure on television or in some other role where you were visible to the public on a regular basis, I doubt you'd want strangers discussing your sexual orientation on a public Internet bulletin board. And so what if Frank Billingsley is or isn't gay? Why do you care?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You don't have to get upset about it, thats why I said "no offense to anyone" and that "not that there is anything wrong with that". And if I was a politician I would not care if people talk about me or scrutinize me and make things up about me because I am the only one who would know the truth about me and and could set the record strait, no pun intended, so cool of, sit back, and drink a soda or something. I did not intend for someone to get displeased about it. And as what a good and decent politician might say to any of his critics: If I had offended anyone than I appologize for what I typed earlier, but a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. And if we cannot come together as a society and put our differences aside then we are not as great of a society as we think, and perceive we are. So let us not bicker over small differences between us and move towards unification for all americans.

[ricco67]

What peeves me the most about KPRC is the fact that they claim "Local news first" and it is rarely, if ever, that local news DOES make it first, unless they claim some 6th degree of seperation in relation to Houston.

Ricco

[pineda]

IMHO, I think KHOU does a superior job when it comes to reporting "local news".

[BayouCityGirl]

PLEASE no more of Radar the wonder dog. BIG NEWS BREAKS IN!! The dog is wizzing...at the anchor desk. BAD RADAR BAD! But let's cuddle it and more news at nine! Radar is a father to a litter of puppies. Send your well wishes to KPRC!

As if we can't get enough of Radar they sell the toys at Foleys!

I don't find the dog ALL that adorable! I don't want to win a contest to meet him!

I have my own pet to love!

[ricco67]

So we noticed.

My cat isn't very impressed with radar either.

Ricco

[MidtownCoog]

What about the Radar DNA test?

Did y'all see that?

[LarryDallas]

I refuse to sugar coat this and add qualifiers like "Not so sound racist or they have gays no offense" but Channel 2 is very offensive to me because it seeks to hammer home that it is all inclusive but it really sort of mocks women and minorities while being anti-white male.

Just look at their lineup folks.

The women on there always act like total bimbos while wearing what would be considered street walker makeup. There was this late night ad Dominique Sachse did where she does a whole thing on Houston and how it is good where at the end 5 seconds or so she looks directly into the camera and does some eye blinking and borderline sexual eye contact. It could have been a phone sex ad if they flashed some 900 number at the bottom. No need to go into reporters casue you can figure that one out on your own.

With the Latino people they have some sort of mixed message. They want to have bragging rights in saying that Bill Baleza and Gasia are Latin but their bantering and manerism is a copycat of what would be considered being "white". They will give opinions about things from a high class historically white perspective but then pronounce Latin names including their own in a very proper ethnic way. This kind of is insulting to my intelligence. I am not a Latin person yet it is still offensive.

On gays, yes the old weather man (I forgot his name) seemed gay from what was his manerism as what is sterotypically considered being gay. The new one is the same in the AM. I don't care what the sexuality of the weather man is as long as he gives a good report. The producers have deliberatly made is policy to play on those stereotypes and make the weatherman seem all feminine and cheery and one step short of prancing and wearing a rainbow stciker on his forehead. That in your face playing on stereotypes is just low.

With Blacks they have again missed the mark in getting people on board that represent and better connect with their own community. WB 39 did a stellar job with Sherrie Williams at the anchor desk. She reads the news like someone you would know in your life. Linda Lorrel seems sort of stuck up and Khambrel Marshall is just way out there. Nuff said on Marshall.

Is it true that they lack even a single white male at the anchor desk at all times?

Rob Johnson was a great anchor guy back in the late 90's when the 4 pm news started. He's now in Chicago. A real old anchorwoman was Jan Carson in the 90s. She was classy. Also Bret Leigh was a good co-anchor back in the 90s.

I guess I would say this deliberate messing with stereotypes and what seems as purposely casting news programs based on race is what is bad.

The station also has this slime ball way of trying so say everything and everyone is trying to rob, rape, kill, beat, molest your kids, etc....and you need channel 2 to help you and be on your side. Nevermind that they do not hvae a problem with stikcing a mic in the face of crime victims after the ordeal.

I just want to know the news and I could care less on what the opinion of it is by channel 2 employees. They always paint a picture of trgaedy or danger on everything. It's just sick.

Some of the best now defunct Houston Anchors:

Bob Nicholas (channel 2 Am show)

Claire Casademont (KHOU 5 and 6 pm)

and Steve Smith (also of KHOU)

Sylvan Rodriguez was not a great journalist. It was a bad thing that he died from cancer but how people make him out to be the greatest journalist that every lived is dumb.

IMHO the best news person of all time in Houston was Janet Shamlian. She worked for KHOU in the early 90s and took a break from it all to start a family I guess. She came back to KPRC for a few years in the late 90s but you coud tell on air she despised the trashy environment. She subsequently quit and went into something else. I admire and respect her for placeing her standards above "being on TV".

I would have said Dave Ward #1 for longevity and credibility but now he is just used as a tool to add some "this is really news" to the garbage on KTRK. When I heard Dave so stuff like the before we go segments I knew he was past his prime.

[MidtownCoog]

Gaydar