KPRC Field Reporters' Antics

[Jeebus]

Last night Ryan Korsgard reported about the hispanic family that filmed their little sister "rolling" on the drug MDMA (Ecstasy). The homemade video showed the little girl with her eyes rolling into the back of her head while sitting on the floor of a van/suv travelling down the freeway back to Houston from Corpus Christi.

Well, Ryan decided to lead off the story with him sitting in the back of a mini-van with a video camera in one hand, and hanging out the open door by holding on with the other. As Dominque handed the story over to him the first shot we see is a tight face shot, only for the camera to zoom out and then walk sideways as Ryan had the driver of the van drive down the parking lot.

This might have been the cheesiest television news-reporter stunt to date. Ryan, I hope you're reading this. You looked like Jojo the monkey on your little red tri-cycle with a microphone in one hand and a banana in the other.

If your manager is making you do this, then grow a set already and stand-up to them, or keep what little dignity you might have left and quit. For Christ's sake you were an embarrassment to yourself last night.

I'm thinking this has to be a management call because only KPRC reporters are using props to tell stories. That reminds me also, tell your cohort from last night that counting out three one-hundred dollar bills to visually explain how much the Asian family was pimping their niece out for was almost as cheezy as your van stunt.

Ps. The wheel of justice is just stupid. Just put a picture of the criminal up. It's not a game show. It's not even entertaining.

[KimberlySayWhat]

Is channel 2 the only news that does these things? They are very silly. I remember a story about a kidnapping and one of the women reporters held a blindfold up to the camera lens.

[REALaw]

Lisa Baldwin uses props too....WAY too much!!

[MidtownCoog]

They are in a downward spiral. I saw one of their reporters using a bucket as a prop.

And how about those Sunday newcasts where Rachel McNeil does the entire broadcast?

I think they have better news in Tyler.

[Jeebus]

I'm glad I'm not the only one noticing it. Their morning newscasts aren't as bad. It seems the even ones are "sensation" driven - only no one is driving.

[Lectro]

I have to agree with you guys. Channel 2 is the worst.

I find myself wanting to watch, just to get a good laugh.

[Guest Marty]

What time does this nonsense air?

[Jeebus]

4,5,6 & 10pm Monday thru Friday.

[Guest Marty]

I just got finished watching the segment, ditch the wheel they just wasted 15 seconds of air time that can be used to go into more detail about the story.

also I find it ironic that I had corn dogs for dinner.

[Vertigo58]

Nothing can be more repulsive than the short, overweight (used to be) bald guy on Khou 11, good thing is he is now gone!

Couldn't take not one more of his "Top of the Morning to Ya". Very leprechan-like. Would waste time and $ on most ignorant interviews and trying to ham it up each time, most were very unfunny jokes unless you were a bit intoxicated. Then just maybe. He got daz boot.

[Triton]

I agree. The props are very annoying.

Jeebus, you are exactly right about the "wheel of justice". It feels like I'm watching Wheel of Fortune.

I watch KPRC only for the weather because Frank Billings (sp?) is a good meteorologists, in my opinion.

[TheShadow]

Lisa Baldwin's prop use backfired a few days ago when she was talking about that drunk driver who killed his twin sons. She held up 2 6-packs to show us how many beers the guy drank and over half the beer cans fell out of the plastic rings. I laughed.

I must also mention a gaffe by Wendy Corona, possessor of the most insincere smile I have ever seen. Some moron in the graphics department wrote "290 at the Northwest Freeway" and sure enough, Corona said, "We have breaking news of a traffic accident at 290 at the Northwest Freeway..." This happened a few weeks ago.

While I'm slamming KPRC, I must mention that I can't stand Rachel McNeill either. She is not ready for prime time and her voice distorts my TV's sound. I also fondly remember the time she was reporting at the rodeo or someplace. They cut to her before she was supposed to go on and we all saw her standing there with her hands on her hips and a really pissy look on her face. I know that lots of on-air personalities are prima donnas, but we rarely get to see it. It was a hoot.

[cottonmather0]

They are in a downward spiral. I saw one of their reporters using a bucket as a prop.

Are you referring to Marissa Reyes's journalistic odyssey during the <gasp> ICY WEATHER in January?

"I want you to see this, can we get the camera over here? Look here, it is so cold out here that there is a layer of ice forming on top of this bucket of water.... Well, actually, now there's not much ice, the water is just really cold, but that ice could easily come back if temperatures drop any further than they already have and if that happens, we all need to watch out. Back to you Lauren."

[Jeebus]

Are you referring to Marissa Reyes's journalistic odyssey during the <gasp> ICY WEATHER in January?

"I want you to see this, can we get the camera over here? Look here, it is so cold out here that there is a layer of ice forming on top of this bucket of water.... Well, actually, now there's not much ice, the water is just really cold, but that ice could easily come back if temperatures drop any further than they already have and if that happens, we all need to watch out. Back to you Lauren."

YES! This is another perfect example of what I'm talking about. Its kind of like how we have traffic reporters in this town as well. They get to sit in the studio all day and then when their turn comes, they show a hokie map with unrealistic traffic time information, and a few txdot cameras, that they've each given silly names to (jam cams, hot spot cameras etc).

What a rip-off to the real field reporters that have to find the story, record the story, edit the story, produce the story, and then report the story, all from a cramped news-van.

[Firebird65]

"I want you to see this, can we get the camera over here? Look here, it is so cold out here that there is a layer of ice forming on top of this bucket of water.... Well, actually, now there's not much ice, the water is just really cold, but that ice could easily come back if temperatures drop any further than they already have and if that happens, we all need to watch out. Back to you Lauren."

Yes, that was a classic. So too was the reporter during last year's cold weather who intrepidly went into a grocery store and did confirm for all those who doubted it was cold outside that freezing tempertures were indeed here because... there was no more tomato paste on the shelves! Presumably this was because, this daring reporter breathlessly told us, everyone was making chili to stay warm.

[MidtownCoog]

I also remember one using a flag and flag pole to demonstrate the hazzards of freezing rain.

[Vertigo58]

Guilty/pleasure to see a reporter airing a live on location story when suddenly a car swerves into them and they get bumped off the air.

All caught live! >

[editor]

If you're really interested in placing the blame for these sorts of antics, don't point at the reporters. It's the consulting firms (Magid, B.I.G., etc...) who tell the stations that if their people don't act this way no one will watch and they'll all be out of a job in the next year.

[jennykind]

I don't know whether I find this kind of stuff more insulting to the reporters, or to us, "the audience!" I know no one is holding a gun to anyone's head when the decide to pull some slapstick embarrassing stunt, but does anyone at these stations, maybe the veterans, or old-timers find this stuff despicable? I wondered how the KHOU morning team felt for instance being associated the, until recent, comedy attempts.

Question for the insiders or the editor: does anyone at the stations protest these kinds of things???? thanks

[Jeebus]

If you're really interested in placing the blame for these sorts of antics, don't point at the reporters. It's the consulting firms (Magid, B.I.G., etc...) who tell the stations that if their people don't act this way no one will watch and they'll all be out of a job in the next year.

But only one station seems to be the worst habitual offender: KPRC. Are they the only one with management stupid enough to believe these firms? Thank god KHOU plays to the beat of their own drum.

[tenoeight]

As long as the "sheeple" are tuning in the antics will get worse. Pretty soon they will find someone to act like George Newman from UHF! I just hope they get some of the shows in the deal. The radio stations do the same thing, all media is controlled by the same couple of companies... Get used to it.

[Mister X]

KPRC might get more respect if they just held the camera up to the New York Times and let people just read the news for themselves. Channel 2 should just go into the entertainment business like the Fox Opinion Channel.

a banana and a tricycle, hilarious.

[Guest Marty]

This reminds me of one reporter that was paddling around in a canoe several years ago then a person walked in the camera shot and the water was only 1-1/2 -2' feet deep.

[editor]

Question for the insiders or the editor: does anyone at the stations protest these kinds of things???? thanks

It depends a lot on the station, its newsroom culture, the age of the people there, how long they've worked at a particular station and a ton of other factors.

To over-simplify: Yes, people protest. But not as much as they used to. The new generation of reporters (anyone under 30) came up in small market stations that bought the whole TV-as-hype thing hook, line, and sinker. They trained in shops where it was the right thing to do, so they "learned" that it's OK because they don't know any better. Older reporters protest and generally refuse to participate in the stunts. But as they get older they retire or (more commonly) move into other careers, and the kids are left running the shops thinking that they're doing the right thing. The only constant is the consulting companies which continue to pressure the stations to act this way.

It's easy to say "don't watch." That's not really a solution. It only encourages them to try harder, more stupid stunts to get your attention. What you have to do is write letters of complaint (actual letters, not phone calls or e-mails), and choose to watch the best (least gimmicky) news you can.

[FilioScotia]

It's easy to say "don't watch." That's not really a solution. It only encourages them to try harder, more stupid stunts to get your attention. What you have to do is write letters of complaint (actual letters, not phone calls or e-mails), and choose to watch the best (least gimmicky) news you can.

Actually the most effective way to protest the TV stations' stupidity is to complain constantly but intelligently to their local advertisers -- the people who pay the station's bills. They're the only ones the TV station managers pay any attention to.

Viewers need to bury the local sponsors with complaints about the stupid local people and programming their money is keeping on the air. TV managers will ignore thousands of complaints from viewers, but four or five unhappy deep pocket sponsors will have their undivided attention.

As for KPRC, this one is a tragic mystery. Once upon a time it was the crown jewel of Houston television news. It had one of the most respected news directors in the country, who put together an equally fine and respected staff of award winning reporters and photographers. It was the standard by which TV news departments were measured all over this part of the country.

I don't know what Larry Blackerby thinks he has over there now, but it's an embarrassing travesty. As someone who used to work there in the 70s, and who remembers those glory days under Ray Miller et al, I can't bear to watch it now.

Where do they get people like Blackerby? And does he really think people care what he thinks about anything?

[TVCoog97]

If you're really interested in placing the blame for these sorts of antics, don't point at the reporters. It's the consulting firms (Magid, B.I.G., etc...) who tell the stations that if their people don't act this way no one will watch and they'll all be out of a job in the next year.

As it is, no one watches 2.

[editor]

Actually the most effective way to protest the TV stations' stupidity is to complain constantly but intelligently to their local advertisers -- the people who pay the station's bills. They're the only ones the TV station managers pay any attention to.

I thought about suggesting this, too, but decided against it. The local managers (general, sales, etc...) don't really have the sway they once did. In a city as large as Houston, many of the TV ad buying decisions are made on the national level (through group buys) or by sales managers in other cities (Dallas for KHOU, New York for KTRK, etc...). I'm not really sure how much influence local advertisers have anymore. They seem to mostly pick up the leftover inventory. How many local ads do you see? I mean REALLY local ads. Most local ads these days are for cars and in many cases they're paid for (in part or in whole) by the car companies, and not the local dealer. I think complaining to the local advertisers works more for smaller stations like 55 and 39, and less for ones that are pretty much run from corporate HQs in other cities.

[Trae]

I read once that KHOU use to be what KRPC is today not too long ago. Is that true?

[Mister X]

Back in the 80's, I remember Dan Patrick (I think he's a politian now) did the sports on Channel 11 and he made an embarring specticle of himself at every opportunity. I remember an original rap song he wrote and performed acapella while sitting at the news desk about Phi Slamma Jamma. (some basketball thing) He was tring to be funny, but it was just the most unprofessional moment you could ever imagine being on the news. I remember after he was done the camera cut to the disgusted and embarrassed face of Amanda Arnold (the respected serious news anchor woman) I was rolling on the floor. Not because Patrick was funny, but because of the awkwardness and aftermath of that highly unprofessional moment. This was like a 5 pm newscast, and I think he repeated it on the 10 pm newcast too. It's kind of hazy now, but it was a moment to remember in the long boring history of local newscast.

The weatherman at channel 11 was kind of a riot too, I can't remember his name but I remember he always used to play with that poor anchor woman on the air and their exchanges always came out sounding silly and awkward. This was right before Belo came in and fired the lot of them.

[RedScare]

The weatherman at channel 11 was kind of a riot too, I can't remember his name but I remember he always used to play with that poor anchor woman on the air and their exchanges always came out sounding silly and awkward. This was right before Belo came in and fired the lot of them.

Marty Stebbins. I used to bartend for him and Dan Patrick. Last time I saw Marty, he was doing the news in Reno with the hottest news anchor I ever met, back in 1987. I called him and he met my brother and I at a casino, and brought the hottie along to meet me. He'll always be one of my heroes for that.

Oh, and he was much funnier off the air than on it.