HA! Chicago news producer goes on own show, complains about news coverage

[east coast producer]

http://cgi.fark.com/cgi/fark/vidplayer.pl?IDLink=4068085

See! Who said the j-forum can't be just as fun as Openline?

[ISTHISTHINGON?]

Gotta agree with him on that one. I'm not a big fan of showing weather video or talking about it from earlier in the day, unless it has some unusual or unique element. If it caused massive damage, flooded a school, etc...then yes....but if it's just to say 'hey, it rained/snowed today' for 30 seconds...then that's a waste.

[southwesternguy]

It's fun to see one of those all-to-common behind-the-scenes b!tch sessions carried out on live TV.

[i'm in touch, so you be in touch]

Wow. Does he have something on the news director or GM? If I was the boss, I'd can his @ss. Don't like what we're doing? Find another shop! Maybe WBBM is hiring. Oh - right, they're in massive layoffs just like NBC.

I'm really over the smarmy crap. He clearly thinks he's a regular Keith "Special Comment" Olbermann. Unfortunately, he doesn't have the wit, or a point for that matter.

[Camera 47]

I'll see your on-air b!tch session and raise you an on-air b!tch-slap.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1A4dWi7twV0

My favorite exchange:

"...While you do that, I'll show you how to be a better editor. I used to be your boss."
"Yes you were and are no longer. How'd that happen?"
"Well, I don't know."

How many times did I dream of having THAT conversation!

[Head Janitor]

Wow. Does he have something on the news director or GM? If I was the boss, I'd can his @ss. Don't like what we're doing? Find another shop! Maybe WBBM is hiring. Oh - right, they're in massive layoffs just like NBC.

I'm really over the smarmy crap. He clearly thinks he's a regular Keith "Special Comment" Olbermann. Unfortunately, he doesn't have the wit, or a point for that matter.

He's doing the 4:30am show...which is meaner? Firing the guy or keeping him on that shift?

[newz2me]

I'll see your on-air b!tch session and raise you an on-air b!tch-slap.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1A4dWi7twV0

My favorite exchange:

"...While you do that, I'll show you how to be a better editor. I used to be your boss."
"Yes you were and are no longer. How'd that happen?"
"Well, I don't know."

How many times did I dream of having THAT conversation!
The anchor is Jim Ryan. The show is Good Day NY. My understanding was they both worked at the Daily News together and had a history. I heard Jim Ryan got to spend a couple days home for that. Never the less, that was great and probably worth the suspension. The clip is I'm guesing about 5 or 6 years old. Jim Ryan retired several years ago.

[SamG]

Back to the original clip...

Isn't he the PRODUCER? Isn't he responsible for what content is in the show? So he's railing against... himself?

If I was the ND/GM he'd at least get a suspension for pulling this stunt. I don't care if that's what you really think, but you don't show your viewers that.

Granted that one script he read was really cheesy... but isn't it possible that some folks in the viewing area DIDN'T get snow? Assuming this is the first snow of the year, I don't see a problem with mentioning it... and maybe a comment of whether it's early/late/normal. Beats wasting :30 seconds on a car accident that blocked a lane of traffic for an hour.

[i'm in touch, so you be in touch]

It sounds like this producer was not criticizing his own news cast - but OTHER producers' newscasts and THEIR work. Even going so far to mock a script - or a reporter's words, it isn't clear which.

And seriously - what do we ALL know about weather coverage???? VIEWERS WATCH IT. Everyone complains about weather coverage - but it puts butts in front of TV sets.

This producer obviously thinks himself to be better than everyone else there. Dude, you're doing the morning show. Prove yourself and get promoted, and don't tell the viewers "I think what we do here sucks, and there is no reason for you to watch it."

What an embarrassment. Why not just call all the advertisers and tell them they are wasting their dollars supporting your programming?

[adam & doctor drew]

And seriously - what do we ALL know about weather coverage???? VIEWERS WATCH IT. Everyone complains about weather coverage - but it puts butts in front of TV sets.


gee, might that be because the bad weather IS KEEPING PEOPLE INSIDE?

[i'm in touch, so you be in touch]

gee, might that be because the bad weather IS KEEPING PEOPLE INSIDE?

Hmmmm.. I think people also have access to books, the internet, the phone, their families, their TiVo's, the 100+ cable channels.

And yet - they seem to gravitate towards local TV coverage of the weather.

[adam & doctor drew]

point is, the HUT levels are huge in a snowstorm because people are stuck.

try that team weather coverage in a 100-degree summer heatwave.
see how the ratings are.

[phxareaphotog]

Weather is not news...the effects of weather are news.

[Brain Cramp]

This "LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME" producer effectively insulted that station's viewers by saying, "Don't insult us." Those viewers are watching the snow coverage so they must be idiots or stupid or lazy or ignorant fools for doing so according to him. He is obviously a wannabe stand-up comic without material or a delivery and why he was "allowed" to go on set and demean himself, his fellow producers and the anchors is beyond me. If I were an advertiser, I'd pull my spots ASAP and move them to radio or newspaper because that guy just told me that TV news everywhere is nonsense.

[Kace]

Looked like planned skits to me.

[Stack Away]

So I was reading this guy's blog after watching the video... until I found him complaining that he now has to check the commercial log HIMSELF every day because the laid-off floor directors used to do it FOR him.

I'm thinking he likes finding anything to complain about... and is probably miserable to work with. Oh well.

[i'm in touch, so you be in touch]

What a piece of work. It takes, what, 90 seconds at most to check your break load? Maybe less on a morning show when the break times are more consistent.