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Old 05-15-2018, 12:15 PM
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Jeffhs Jeffhs is offline
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The decline of TV newscasting in Cleveland

I am wondering what on earth has happened to the quality of TV newscasts in Cleveland. The newscasters on all three local stations sound and look as if they do not belong on TV--I am not kidding. I am almost 62 years of age, and remember when Cleveland TV news was delivered by newscasters with decent voices and who looked half decent as well. Nowadays, the newscasts on all three network affiliates, including Fox (!), look and sound like poorly-done high-school video productions; again, I am not joking. Who do these people think they are? After all, these people are professional newscasters on professional TV stations, not high-school kids on a closed-circuit video production.

Is this kind of low-quality TV newscasting unique to Cleveland, or do other cities have this problem as well? As I said, I am old enough to remember when Cleveland television newscasters had decent voices, looked like they belonged on TV, and knew something about the proper manner in which to report the day's news. What on earth is the problem? Has Cleveland become such a low-class city that it has stooped to this level of TV newscasting? I am convinced that Cleveland is one of many smaller cities where most people starting out in the business begin their broadcasting careers; very few Cleveland newscasters these days ever make it to the network level or to network affiliates in larger, more important cities the likes of Detroit, Chicago, New York or Los Angeles, though I am sure there was a time when they used to. My cable TV service was messed up a while ago; for awhile (longer than I care to remember), I was getting local TV from Cincinnati, Ohio instead of from Cleveland. I noticed that Cincinnati's TV newscasters, at least the ones on WLWT, the city's NBC affiliate, seemed much more "polished" than those in Cleveland, 150-200 miles catty-corner upstate. Why do the TV newscasters in Cincinnati look and sound so much more professional than the newscasters in Cleveland? Again I wonder--has Cleveland become such a low-class city, concerned with little else other than rock and roll, the noise broadcast over the radio that passes for music these days, that they just do not care about quality anything anymore?

Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesh!
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Last edited by Jeffhs; 05-15-2018 at 12:24 PM.
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Old 05-15-2018, 05:52 PM
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init4fun init4fun is offline
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Jeff , in Boston Ma. the TV news on the "big three" networks still looks polished and professional , but the further one strays from the city the less and less money spent on the broadcasts becomes (sometimes comically) evident . Sign O the times I'm afraid , on line news is doing to the networks what on line shopping is doing to the "brick & mortars" perhaps ?
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Old 05-15-2018, 07:41 PM
WISCOJIM WISCOJIM is offline
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You get what you pay for.
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Old 05-15-2018, 09:52 PM
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I follow a blogger who covers the DC/Baltimore markets, with a lot of background information as to what goes on behind the scenes. The DC stations once had an incredible lineup of experienced newscasters (as you expect) with many having been in place since the 70's. Budget cuts in recent years (and some retirements) have wiped that out. In our local, small market, there is one "senior" newscaster who has been anchoring the news since the 80's but for everybody else this is just a stepping stone. WMDT, in particular, tends to be "amateur hour" with lots of fresh-faced college kids. I will say, though, that they've gotten a lot better than they were a few years ago.
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Old 05-16-2018, 01:58 AM
Titan1a Titan1a is offline
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Newscasting? Didn't that die back in the '70s? Ron Burgundy???
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Old 05-16-2018, 09:35 AM
Chip Chester Chip Chester is offline
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In Columbus, anchors and reporters tend to 'age out' when the realities of HD get to be too much for them, the makeup artists, and the market to bear. Sad but true.

There are a few knuckleheads, but also a few good ones. Happily, those who left Sinclair due to their nonsense and shenanigans found a home at competing locals once the non-compete time lapsed.

But like all medium markets, it's a stepping stone to stardom or squalor.
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Old 05-16-2018, 09:51 AM
broadcaster broadcaster is offline
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It is all about economics These college broadcast schools turn out more and more green grads, and they work for less than experienced journalists.
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Old 05-16-2018, 11:22 AM
dieseljeep dieseljeep is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WISCOJIM View Post
You get what you pay for.
I talk to a few Engineers that work at Fox6 in Milwaukee. They mentioned that Fox isn't one of the high payers for their broadcast personalities. Many of their employees start there fresh out of college and stay until retirement.
The weekend usually has the newcomers and shorter broadcasts. That's the station I usually watch for news.
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