In what it pompously labels 'a response to shifting viewer habits,' WNBC in New York City will become the largest TV station to end its 5pm newscast. From September 10th it will be replaced by an Entertainment news show.
Dan Forman, WNBC's manager, says the change had been 'in the works for years,' as audience research and ratings showed a collapsing audience for the 5pm slot. The plan is to replace it with a newscast at 7pm instead. “That’s when people get home from work," Mr. Forman explained. "We think it’s a bold and dramatic move.” The NY Daily News says other news executives actually reacted with “shock and surprise.” at the idea.
“There has been a 40% decline in viewers for the 5pm news over the past decade, said Mr. Forman. “The audience is not home at 5. Even my own neighbors tell me that. We’ll be able to get news to a larger audience than ever.”
This illustrates two simple truths:
1/ Television news is hemorrhaging viewers - Losing them to the 24/7, VOD nirvana of online sources, where people can catch the day's events when it suits them, and without enduring the mind-rotting onslaught of promos, teasers and endless commercials...
...and 2/ Television is still the single largest repository of egocentric stupidity on the planet. Like all other TV fare, news is driven by ratings, and with a 40% drop in viewers it's almost inevitable WNBC's news section has been oozing red ink. Yet despite taking more than a decade to wake up, inhale the Cappuccino and do something to avert impending financial collapse, not only do they believe this risible response is 'bold and dramatic,' but their peers are 'shocked and surprised' they did anything at all??
The majority of those in charge of American network television would be incapable of finding their own buttocks with both hands and Google Earth, and this story only adds further weight to that long-proven view. They are collectively engaged in what is likely to prove an un-winnable fight against the most dynamic communications medium in the history of the species, and it takes them a decade to initiate a staringly obvious and hopelessly inadequate response. The merest contemplation of the timespan required for these intellectual midgets to complete a simple chess move comes perilously close to inducing brain freeze.
But the saddest part is, this widespread myopic inability to either define or care about the needs of their viewers isn't even news any more.
Dan Forman, WNBC's manager, says the change had been 'in the works for years,' as audience research and ratings showed a collapsing audience for the 5pm slot. The plan is to replace it with a newscast at 7pm instead. “That’s when people get home from work," Mr. Forman explained. "We think it’s a bold and dramatic move.” The NY Daily News says other news executives actually reacted with “shock and surprise.” at the idea.
“There has been a 40% decline in viewers for the 5pm news over the past decade, said Mr. Forman. “The audience is not home at 5. Even my own neighbors tell me that. We’ll be able to get news to a larger audience than ever.”
This illustrates two simple truths:
1/ Television news is hemorrhaging viewers - Losing them to the 24/7, VOD nirvana of online sources, where people can catch the day's events when it suits them, and without enduring the mind-rotting onslaught of promos, teasers and endless commercials...
...and 2/ Television is still the single largest repository of egocentric stupidity on the planet. Like all other TV fare, news is driven by ratings, and with a 40% drop in viewers it's almost inevitable WNBC's news section has been oozing red ink. Yet despite taking more than a decade to wake up, inhale the Cappuccino and do something to avert impending financial collapse, not only do they believe this risible response is 'bold and dramatic,' but their peers are 'shocked and surprised' they did anything at all??
The majority of those in charge of American network television would be incapable of finding their own buttocks with both hands and Google Earth, and this story only adds further weight to that long-proven view. They are collectively engaged in what is likely to prove an un-winnable fight against the most dynamic communications medium in the history of the species, and it takes them a decade to initiate a staringly obvious and hopelessly inadequate response. The merest contemplation of the timespan required for these intellectual midgets to complete a simple chess move comes perilously close to inducing brain freeze.
But the saddest part is, this widespread myopic inability to either define or care about the needs of their viewers isn't even news any more.
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