Tuesday, December 30

My Number 2 Pick for Best Show of 2008

LOST (Number 2 on my list of BEST of 2008)
Wow...what cliffhanger into the next season! The producers are probably fans of BSG!


Season 4 of LOST redeemed itself for me after a frustrating Season 3. The producers pushed us into the future and created new paradoxes as old questions are answered. WOW...what a ride.
It's my number 2 pick for 2008.

Monday, December 29

Number 3 PICK for BEST SHOW OF 2008

The Big Bang Theory- My top 3 pick.

TBBT is absolute proof the sitcom on network television hasn't died yet.
It's a joy to watch-- appealing to the Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek geek in me on one level and so successful in crossing into the mainstream pop culture. When an episode is finished you're suddenly disappointed because you want more.

Sunday, December 28

NUMBER 4- A Tie Between Daisies & Killer Cyborgs from the Future

PUSHING DAISIES
& TERMINATOR:
THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES--
Two shows tie at number 4 on my list of BEST SHOWS OF 2008.

One show will end...the other survivors to hunt down an audience for another day.



ABC has abandoned the wonderfully written and imaginative PUSHING DAISIES where the old murder mystery formula meets romantic comedy under a Tim Burtonesque storyline.

Bringing dead people back to life could have been creepy, but this show is whimsical and colorful. A great cast clearly enjoys hitting the timing required for the fast-paced, sarcastic and snappy dialogue. Alas, the show is a victim of last year's writer's strike and the network has refused to order new episodes. That's code for it's cancelled.

If only Ned could touch the nearly dead series and bring it back to life on a cable network like FX, Sci Fi or USA. SIGH! I will miss Ned and the gang and learning more about the supporting characters who were so rich and complex you wanted them to become the stars of the show.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles--The Best Show on TV too few people are watching!

This show has grown into its own and it is great. It's grown up, polished and sophisticated, action oriented but so much more evolved than the last two Terminator movies. I'm surprised Fox is sticking by it, but in 2009 the network is sliding it to Friday nights. That could be put the show in danger of being canceled or "terminated." Perhaps the fact you can watch all the episodes on HULU will save it.

Saturday, December 27

Number 5 on my top five television shows of 2008

MAD MEN- My number 5 pick for best show of 2008

This show captures the look, feel and the tragedy of pretty, rich people spiriling out of control in a sexist, materialistic culture. Oh, what-- that's today. What a stylish, compelling show.

Friday, December 26

Flip Video keeps shoot little stories for WCN 24/7

Another little story shot on Flip Video...good enough sound for radio or TV.

Tuesday, December 23

WCN 24/7 online and ready the next step...

Covering your campus and your community...

The natural online convergence of WCN (The County Line newsmagzine, etc.) and Titan Radio News is now up and active. We'll post items over the break and begin setting up integration with the new season of TCL, Coaches' Corner as well as Titan Radio News. Some nice features include the interface with Facebook and other widgets. Check it out...

www.wcn247.com



Tuesday, December 16

One heck of a busy semester for Broadcast Comm


Fall semester is now over! WHEW!

It was one heck of a busy semester. From a flurry of Capstone projects to students videoblogging Wilmington's incredible high school football season to all the election coverage on radio and television. Our WCN crew even managed to squeeze in the New Castle Light Up Night parade. Happy Holidays!!!

Saturday, December 13

One-man banding coming to WUSA


The one-person band model re-invented for today's larger TV news operations continues to prove my graduate research predictions from 1995 at KU that the one-person man model would continue to grow into major markets. Now WUSA in Washington, D.C. is adopting the model. I remember working for WBOY as a one-man band in the 80s and while covering a local story playing out in D.C. and how the big city news crews treated me like some stray dog to be kicked to feared. The world is changing!

From the Washington Post:
by Paul Fahri
WUSA moves to one-person news crews
The march of technology and the shrinking economy are beginning to take a toll on the traditional means of television news-gathering: the TV news crew.

Under a new agreement reached this week with its labor unions, WUSA, Channel 9, will become the first station in Washington to replace its crews with one-person "multimedia journalists" who will shoot and edit news stories single-handedly.

The change will blur the distinctions between the station's reporters and its camera and production people. Reporters will soon be shooting and editing their own stories, and camera people will be doing the work of reporters, occasionally appearing on the air or on in video clips on Channel 9's Web site.

For decades, TV journalists have worked in teams, with the lines of responsibility regulated by union rules or simple tradition. Stories were covered by a crew consisting of a camera operator and a correspondent (and further back, by a sound or lighting technician); their work was overseen by a producer and their footage assembled into a finished story by an editor.
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But technology -- handheld or tripod-mounted cameras, laptop editing programs and the Internet -- have made it possible for one person to handle all those assignments, station managers say.

The change is driven by increasing financial pressure on TV stations, as advertisers disappear from nightly newscasts and audiences scatter to the growing number of channels and Web sites.

In fact, separate from its new union agreement, WUSA -- owned by McLean-based media giant Gannett -- plans an across-the-board cut in reporters' salaries as it increases their responsibilities. Multimedia journalists will earn 30 to 50 percent less than what traditional reporters have been earning, with salaries topping out at around $90,000 annually, according to people at the station.

Channel 9 -- which is running last in the local news ratings -- will switch to the new system early next year, becoming the first station in a major market to revamp its entire newsroom. Its agreement is with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, which represents on-air reporters, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, which represents production employees. Union members said they expect the agreement to be ratified.

Competitors are paying close attention. Another Washington station, WRC, Channel 4, is expected to begin phasing multimedia journalists into its newsroom later next year as part of a sweeping cost-cutting effort by its parent, NBC Universal. WJLA, Channel 7, has already used some of the work of multimedia reporters employed by NewsChannel 8, the cable station that is owned by the parent of WJLA, Allbritton Communications. A fourth local news station, WTTG, Channel 5, said it has no immediate plans to do something similar.

"We believe strongly that [this change] will raise both the quality and quantity of the product we're putting out" on TV and on the internet, said Allan Horlick, the president and general manager of WUSA, in an interview yesterday. "The concept of a multimedia journalist, having his own beat, with an area of expertise, and a limitless virtual news desk is something we can get very excited about."

However, the concept gets mixed reviews in other quarters. Veteran TV journalists say their concern isn't the quantity of news that can be produced but the quality, because not all TV journalists are skilled enough to do a job formerly handled by specialists.

"There are some people who will be very good at this, and some not as much," said Bill Lord, WJLA's news director. "If you're forcing everyone to do things against their skill levels and desire, your product suffers."


The newspaper industry has experimented with something similar -- using "mobile journalists" or "mo-jos" to report and write articles and take video and photographs, which they upload to their newspapers' Web sites.

The upcoming changes at WUSA have soured veteran reporter Gary Reels, who began working at the station in 1980. Reels has decided to take a buyout offer from the station and will leave Dec. 23. He doesn't know yet what he'll be doing next.

"It takes a lot of time to shoot and edit and write and prepare a story, and if you have one person doing all that, something has to give," he said yesterday. "For those people who want to take the challenge of adding all that to their workload, my hat's off to them. But it's not something at my ripe old age that I care to venture into."

Thursday, December 11

Pittsburgh ND heads to Florida


Long time WTAE-TV News Director Bob Longo is leaving the "Burg" for a new gig heading up the news at a Hearst-owned station in Florida. Longo offered genuine advice to Westminster students a few years back during a visit to WTAE. Broadcast Comm students wanted to know more about what he as a news director wants to see on those resume and audition videos.

Tuesday, December 2

Online Texas newspaper sells IMMEDIACY

One newspaper site slams TV for being too slow



Lost Remote alerted me to the online promotion underway by Austin's newspaper web site.

The paper is even running a contest around the promotion mocking the "shallowness" and one time strength of broadcast news- immediacy. Looks like the old media model for TV news is NOW a great weakness for the online newspaper to exploit.

Check out all the vid clips online!

Well done, Statesman.com!

Wednesday, November 26

YouTube's new aspect ratio

YouTube Goes Widescreen

I was scanning YouTube for WKRP vid clips for the episode where the station tried to give away live turkeys from a helicopter. I found it, but realized YouTube videos were playing back in the 9:16 aspect ratio.

Of course WKRP and many other clips are resized. I am now thinking next year's mini-movies in BC 251 could be shot and edited in 9:16. Guess we'll need to get the HD Flip Video cameras as well.

Tuesday, November 11

Sweeps piece in L.A.- Is it the tease or the sleaze

KTLA doesn't want viewers to go "Ugly Betty" on them-- it's not a plug for the TV show!

I could go all over with a headline on this. Wax on- wax off? I'll stop now.

Can you file this under news you can use?
What's the viewer benefit?
Oh, that's right...it's Los Angeles. There is no shock factor.
You have to watch this...and they dog lick live shot seems to add insult to injury.
Do they teach this kind of coverage in j-school?
I'm wondering if this is the station's official salon and do the anchors at KTLA get this kind of styling as a perk?

Monday, November 10

Swimming with sharks


Amanda Conway, a Westminster College broadcast communications major, will give her capstone presentation "Swimming with Sharks" Thursday, Nov. 13, at 6 p.m. in Old Main room 211. The event is free and open to the public.

Conway, a news reporter on Westminster Cable Network's The County Line, said, "People count on news reporters to keep them informed. Earning that viewer trust is a top priority to any reporter, especially one who is just starting out. In my presentation, I'll share the best ways-what to do and what not to do-to help a new reporter stand out from the crowd."

Following the presentation, the audience is invited to the WCN studio for the live broadcast of The County Line, the weekly news magazine that features stories from Mercer and Lawrence counties.

Conway served an internship with WSEE, the CBS-TV affiliate in Erie.

Friday, November 7

From VJ to Titantown Sports Anchor/Producer

Melissa Maines, a Westminster College broadcast communications major, will give her capstone presentation "Student by Day, VJ and Anchor by Night" Monday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m. in the hospitality room of Memorial Field House. The event is free and open to the public.

Maines, Westminster Cable Network's Titantown Sports anchor, said, "I will show examples of how I not only shot my own videos, but put them together and anchored them, as well. If you aren't a football fan, there are packages on Special Olympics; Wilmington High School coach and Westminster alumnus Christian Davoli; and a profile of New Castle Thunder coach Anthony Razzano, who suffered severe burns in an accident."

Maines served an internship in the sports department at WYTV 33, the ABC-TV affiliate in Youngstown, Ohio. D

Wednesday, November 5

The Medium is the Message- Hologram-style

CNN goes Star Wars/Star Trek...and the point of using a hologram in the coverage is what?

Tuesday, November 4

Documenting Election Day on Flip Video

I voted. I waited in a line for about 20 minutes. No big deal, right. We wait in longer lines to ride something at Disney World.

Wednesday, October 15

The JOY of living and working in L.A.














Jon Joy (class of 2003) visited campus on Wednesday talking about working on MTV's "The Hills" and living in L.A. The Future Media Professionals student organization staged a lunch time question and answer session with Joy in the Berlin Lounge.

Tuesday, October 14

WC squared





This week is an appropriate time to blog about my recent experience and honor of speaking before the Westminster College Women's Club during the group's monthly luncheon in Wexford. I was joined by senior Nicky Piszczor as we enjoyed a delicious lunch at Atria's and spoke to the members of this 103 year old organization. These ladies are clearly well connected as alumni and love Westminster. They also personify the notion of networking with each other on any number of levels from professional to personal. While we talked about the mission and work of the Westminster Cable Network we also discussed the upcoming partnership with Armstrong Cable and the yet to be built TV station. It was one of those occassions where had the pleasure of meeting people who's history with where you work makes you appreciate their passion as well as your own. I want to thank the ladies of the WC-WC.


Nicky would make an excellent future member of this organization.

Friday, October 10

Horndog blogger chronicles, comments on TV people behaving badly


Are blogger's journalists?
Will libel lawsuits against bloggers require the testing for absence of malice as traditional media?

Style magazine
examines the case of a bartender's blog and observations and comments about local TV personalities after the station threatened to see the blogger.




Blogger Raises Ire of Channel 6

A 25-year-old Richmond blogger known for riffing on nightlife, his sexcapades, literary pursuits and local media personalities has been threatened with a defamation suit.

In an e-mail to blogger Jack Lauterback last week, CBS 6 general manager Peter Maroney demands that he “immediately remove the false, damaging and salacious statements” on his blog related to the station’s newscasters, or face legal action.

Maroney declines to comment on the matter to Style and indicates that he considers the e-mail to be a private communication.

Lauterback, a bartender, writes bluntly about his behind-the-bar observations and salacious encounters at www.jackgoesforth.blogspot.com.

Maroney’s threat stems from a Sept. 12 post, wherein Lauterback calls CBS 6 anchor and reporter Lee Mahaffey “smoking-hot” and confesses he hopes to one day coerce her “into making some bad decisions.”

In a June 19 post, Lauterback alleges seeing CBS 6 weekend anchor Ric Young at a restaurant with his brother. Lauterback describes for readers a night in which his friends mistook Young for Channel 8 anchor Juan Conde. He also writes of the waitress’ complaints about the size of the tip Young leaves.

Lauterback declines to remove the posts and bets that nothing will come of the legal threats. After all, he writes, “the other local media outlets will undoubtedly be all over Channel 6’s decision to pick on a poor blogging bartender.”

John Paul Jones, a law professor who specializes in the First Amendment at the University of Richmond, says that if the lawsuit were to go to trial, the court would likely view Lauterback as a journalist.

Then it would be up to the station to prove that he not only intentionally meant to hurt the anchors’ reputations, but also that what he published was false, and that he knew it was false.

Reached by phone Monday, Lauterback says he stands by what he wrote. He says he’s excited to get a rise out of the television station, but didn’t start blogging to get attention. He has literary aspirations and even a literary hero: “Henry Miller, the writer.” The Miller quotation tattooed on his right forearm reads: “The ordinary man is involved in action, the hero acts. An immense difference.”

Saturday, October 4

New Wilmington Raised


This guy grew up in New Wilmington...
He's the son of retired Westminster College music professor Paul Chenevey.

Steve Chenevey has officially been named co-anchor of Channel 5/WTTG's (DC) morning newscast. He joins joins Allison Seymour for the 5 AM to 9 AM slot. Replacing Bob Sellers, who got the Fox5 axe in July.

Chenevey joined WTTG in 2003. Before that he worked at WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh and WYTV in Youngstown.

Thursday, September 18

WCN & TCL covers spot news

The County Line & Titan Radio cover plant fire with VJ gear...looks good.
BC Capstone student Alex Hines covered the New Castle hazardous waste plant fire on Thursday with our VJ gear (Panasonic camcorder unit) and here's what we had on the air and online.
Looks just as good as the DVC Pro gear.

Saturday, September 13

Rock You Like a Hurricane

What's the lesson here? If you're planning to hype hurricane coverage with the words "certain death," do you really want to put your reporter smack dab in the middle of it? Live for the sake of LIVE. At least we have a great YouTube clip.



But Geraldo's didn't make the Splash our friend Lenslinger and pals had covering a hurricane years ago on the North Carolina coast. Still, it seems a bit dangerous to be out there in that situation.

Saturday, September 6

The County Line begins a new season

The crew and staff of The County Line kick off a new season on Thursday night on Sept. 11.

Friday, August 29

WC grad lost while doing what he loved

Westminster Community Remembers Isaac

Thursday, August 28, 2008/titanradio.net

NEW WILMINGTON, Lawrence County-- Faculty, staff and Westminster College alumni are remembering 2004 graduate Isaac Ludwig after he died this week in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee. Ludwig went missing on a river trip on Tuesday. The 27-year old experienced whitewater guide disappeared while on a kayak trek on the Little Pigeon River. Another group of kayakers discovered his body the next morning. Park officials say Ludwig, who worked in the area with a rafting company, was kayaking with friends when they couldn't find him. His companions pulled out of the river when the water became too rough. Ludwig had a degree in public relations while also studying broadcasting and political science and loved the outdoors and kayaking.

His friends continue to leave comforting messages and remembrances on his Facebook page.

"I will miss seeing pictures of your adventures and your travels," Westminster College PR instructor Dee Natale wrote. "It doesn't seem fair that someone with so much life leaves us all behind."

Ludwig worked for a paddle sports company called Rafting in the Smokies. His posts on his Facebook pages on Tuesday indicated he had returned to Tennessee after a river trip in Western Pennsylvania. The experienced kayaker's final Facebook entry has a timestamp of 11:43 Tuesday morning. It was a simple update status statement.

"Isaac Ludwig is back in the Smokies...with rain."

That rain may have contributed to the river conditions that day. On Wednesday morning some friends left what appear to be concerned messages. One came from friend Adam Bixby.

"Man, Isaac, send me a note when you get this please."

Then the bad news spread as people began posting their reaction as they learned that Ludwig's body had been found in the river. Steady streams of remembrances from friends continue to post on his Facebook wall.

Westminster alumnus Craig Carlin graduated with Ludwig. He has kept in touch with Ludwig via Facebook and reached out online to react to the tragic news.

"I remember watching from shore as Isaac kayaked down the creek at college and I thought to myself, "This guy is crazy" and later became good friends with him inside and outside of class," Carlin posted. "Isaac, if you had to go early, at least it was doing what you truly loved to do. We'll all miss ya, buddy."

Ludwig's whitewater adventures experiences took him to rivers across North and South America.

Juggling those DMAs-- but who's watching?



Pittsburgh dropped to Designated Market Area (DMA) 23 as Nielsen Media Research updates it's television market rankings. It becomes official in January.


Portland, Oregon, moved up the ladder moving into the 22nd DMA spot. Portland's population is growing. The Steel City's population declined. PG television critic Rob Owen has reaction from local TV station general managers spinning as there's no big deal. Owens points out that at one time was a top 10 market.


Nielsen also reported a slowdown in the growth of television audiences. While the Asian, hispanic and older audiences continue to twice as face as the entire audience using television. Nielseen estimates the 2008-2009 TV season will have an audience of 114.5 million television homes.

Sunday, August 17

Weaver's Webblog Guide

Weaver's Guide to Blogging
Keeping your blog focused, professional and simple while also keeping it up to date makes a blog worth visiting and credible. Images, graphics and video dress it up, but it will always come back to good, solid writing and communication. That's exactly why you should never post a first draft entry. Edit what you write. Spelling errors and typos tarnish you and your blog. I suggest writing & editing entries with a word processor, then copy and paste into the blog.

Here are more tips I offer my BC Capstone students when it comes to blogging:


Showcase Good Communication Skills

1. Invest time and research into your content.

  • Write enough to communicate meaning with the reader, but avoid overkill. Have a point and get to it.
    When students blog, potential employers could be watching.
    KEEP YOUR WEBLOG PROFESSIONAL & POLISHED.

    You must always think about your audience, no matter how niche it may be. You should also keep ethical and leg
  • Write what you know about-- concentrate on what you're passionate about and make that the focus of your blog.
  • Showcase your work. Promote your talent, skills and experience.
  • Demonstrate your knowledge and experience by correctly using the terminology of your profession.
  • Connect your entries to topical events and issues in your field.
  • Offer your own style and voice and be consistent with it.

2. Always attribute!

  • Plagiarizing, fabricating or other BS is not tolerated. Such misdeeds will often be challenged publicly and will haunt you in your professional efforts.

3. Offer Links!

  • The more links you offer the better the chances your blog could turn up in a web search.
  • Link back to your sources (this offers transparency, attribution and validity to the points you want to make).

ALWAYS REMEMBER YOU'RE PUTTING IT OUT THERE FOR THE WORLD TO SEE!

What you post is public so be ready to stand by it.

1. Never reveal personal, private information.

  • Never blog about your personal life. Limit contact information to comment areas or postings that your blog can forward to you. Also turn on the blog features that will let you screen out e-mail scrapers, SPAMMERS, etc.

2. Never blog proprietary or privileged information. Never disclose company secrets or information shared with you in confidence. Off the record means off the record. Don't even hint about something proprietary or priviledged as it will flag the attention of corporate lawyers who are now in the business of patrolling blogs for such violations.

  • If you're blogging about internship or job-related experiences, inform your employer about your weblog.
  • Promote transparency. Invite the employer to read your blog and offer feedback.

3. Ask about restrictions or limits on what you can and cannot blog.

  • Many companies now have strict rules about employee blogs.
  • Some media savvy companies encourage blogging but have specific guidelines.
  • If the employer prohibits blogging about work experiences, then comply.

4. Be Positive- Showcase your ability to think critically and creatively.

  • Offer solutions instead of only pointing out problems.

5. Be clear when expressing opinion or comments.

  • When engaged in criticism, remain constructive.
  • Recognize opposing positions.
  • Support your points with evidence and attribution (include links).
  • Never engage in personal attacks.

6. Update entries on a regular basis.

  • Develop a routine so regular visitors can expect timely updates and will want to interact with your blog.

7. Entertain and inform your readers

  • INCLUDE PICTURES: Offer interesting and appropriate images and context.
  • Write engaging headlines.

Be Prepared- Avoid Legal Entanglements

1. Be truthful & ethical.

  • Read and understand the Blogger User Agreement.
  • Understand the impact of what you write.

2. Remember libel applies to weblogs.

  • Remember false light applies to weblogs.
  • Remember invasion of privacy applies to weblogs.

Other Tips- Read & Comment

1. Read other weblogs.

  • Routinely search for weblogs discussing topics of interest to you.
  • Bookmark weblogs you think are written well or speak to you.

2. Offer constructive feedback and comments on blogs you visit.

Some places to get started with weblogging:

Blogger

WordPress

Sunday, August 3

KDKA Radio's Future?

This summer I visited my friend Marshall Adams-- KDKA Rado Program/News Director and checked out the newsroom during the station's live coverage of the Bonus Gate indictments involving current and former state lawmakers. The station's newsroom is getting upgrades, new Dell computers (why Dell? I can't stand Dell), etc.

The PG published an interesting article on Saturday suggesting KDKA radio may be for sale. I find this interesting the article focused on radio. The old traditional media companies are all trying to unload old media-- radio and TV. Just look at NBC/Universal unloading it's owned and operated stations in Miami, Columbus, Hartford, etc. I suspect CBS/Viacom may be looking to do the same with radio and TV-- but radio is cheaper to maintain and program in the scheme of things in the digital future. TV is expensive to maintain and program. Plus KDKA radio and KDKA TV share space and resources in Gateway Center. Perhaps KDKA-TV is also on the auction block or will be soon? Maybe Viacom is looking to dump both? Just a theory.

Is KDKA radio for sale?
Saturday, August 02, 2008

Could the nation's oldest radio station -- and a Pittsburgh institution -- be on the selling block?

That's the speculation after CBS Radio, which owns KDKA-AM and three FM stations here, announced plans to sell 50 stations in midsize markets.

The plans to sell off 50 of the 140 stations it currently owns coincided with Thursday's announcement of CBS's lackluster second-quarter earnings. During a conference call with analysts, CBS said it would divest itself of stations in around 12 midsize markets in order to concentrate on its larger markets. "By selling selected stations in these markets, we can focus on the larger market stations, many of which are showing growth," said Les Moonves. CBS Radio president and chief executive officer.

Like most media companies, CBS is dealing with a downturn in advertising revenues. In the three months ended June 30, net income rose a scant 1 percent, boosted by the sale of its shares in The Sundance cable channel. Revenue in the radio division fell 10 percent, while operating income was off an even larger 16 percent.

Karen Mateo, CBS Radio's communications vice president, yesterday said the company "is not commenting at this time" on what stations or what cities are candidates for sale. But the company's emphasis on concentrating on larger markets -- the top 15 -- would put Pittsburgh's CBS stations on the potential for-sale list. Pittsburgh ranks 24th in Arbitron's national ratings.

In addition to news/talk KDKA, CBS Radio locally owns contemporary hits WBZW-FM (93.7), country WDSY-FM (107.9) and hot adult contemporary WZPT-FM (100.7) here.

Michael Young, senior vice president and Pittsburgh market manager for CBS Radio, told gathered KDKA staffers Thursday after the earnings announcement that because Pittsburgh isn't part of top 15 markets, "we could potentially be in play as a cluster or station for sale.

"But we don't know that. We don't have a specific list."

Radio industry observer Tom Taylor, news editor of the broadcasting trade journal Radio-Info, believes Pittsburgh's stations could be sales candidates, but he said whether that holds will depend in part on whether buyers would be interested in this market. Until specific stations and potential buyers are named, the speculation and uncertainty will continue for CBS employees here and in similar-sized markets, such as Baltimore, Cleveland and Charlotte, N.C.

CBS already has sold some 40 stations in smaller markets. But the economic environment has changed, Mr. Taylor points out. "Credit is hard for everybody. And there are a lot of radio stations out there for sale."

While radio stations have changed hands frequently since the ownership consolidation wave began, KDKA's ownership has been steady -- now with CBS and formerly of Westinghouse Electric, which acquired CBS in 1996 and ultimately shed its industrial divisions and took on the CBS name.

KDKA had been a Westinghouse broadcasting property since its first broadcast on Nov. 2, 1920, providing listeners with a rundown of the Harding-Cox presidential election returns.

For many, the potential sale of KDKA radio is as unthinkable as the someone other than the Rooney family owning the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"It's hard to imagine CBS not owning KDKA," Mr. Taylor said.

Wednesday, July 30

Titan Radio is one of the "Best College Radio Station"


Titan Radio is one of the "BEST COLLEGE RADIO STATIONS" in the U.S., according to the 2009 Princeton Review BEST 369 College Rankings . A survey of 120,000 students generates the annual report ranking everything from biggest party school to how nice the dorms are...



Titan Radio/WWNW in little ol' New Wilmington, PA, is listed in the top 20 "BEST" college radio stations. While Emerson College in Boston took number one, small but polished Titan Radio came in 18th in the country. WOW!



This is a mega-honor for the students, faculty and staff. We didn't go looking for this recognition. We didn't apply to some contest and pay an application fee. This title came to us as a wonderful surprise. Dr. B and all the student's who dedicated their time and efforts to Titan Radio and www.titanradio.net since I've been at Titan Radio (and before) share in this honor. This is fantastic validation for what we do in the classroom, in the station, in the newsroom and at all those live sports broadcasts. How cool is this?

Monday, July 28

WTAE-TV News Director Bob Longo on resume DVDs

ADVICE from a large market News Director


Bob Longo says you want to showcase snippets from your best stand-ups or live shots in a short montage on your videotape. He agrees videotape is outdated, but so many news directors still ask for a non-returnable VHS tape when they post a job opening. He suggests you also create a resume DVD and even post your demo reel online via YouTube. You can click watch the video clip here of Longo offering more advice for college students trying to break into the TV news business.



Friday, July 25

A CAPSTONE BLOG FIRST

For the first time ever a capstone-related blog features blogger video of a former capstone student's marriage proposal. Chris Norris (Class of '08) pulled a fast one on his beloved Beth and it's all on his blog. He even went down on one knee. What a summer he's having!

Congratulations to Chris & Beth!

CHECK IT OUT.

Friday, July 18

Who knew? HULU


As NBC sheds off its o & o stations (like the Miami station this week), it's another signal the company is moving away from old media and embracing new media. NBC's has some mixed signals in the news that shows users of HULU are happy and the demos are good-- but the numbers are not as BIG as hoped.

TV WEEK
runs donw the numbers...

Despite a high-profile in the media business, only 15% of online Americans have even heard of Hulu.com, the NBC-Fox online video venture. But those who have used the site like it a lot. That’s the conclusion of a recent study from Solutions Research Group. Hulu users say they like the ability to search and find both old episodes of TV shows and recent ones they missed. Hulu visitors also like that the shows are free and that the service operates as something of an online digital video recorder.Their only complaint is that the site offers only the most recent episodes of certain shows.The average age of a Hulu user is 32, 10 years younger than the average online American. Also, two-thirds of Hulu users are male. Solutions Research Group said 51% of users are between 12 and 29, and their average income is 22% higher than the U.S. average.Hulu users are more likely to own laptops, smart phones and video-capable MP3 players than the average online American.About 39% of Hulu users said they “frequently paid attention to ads seen online.”


Meanwhile, the online video thing appears to be catching on for ABC. The network reports
ABC.com users clicked on and watched a record 815 million minutes of full-length episodes during the month of May.

Why do you need an affiliate? Maybe that's why NBC is turning the tables now and making the affiliates pay the network. The day is coming when the networks will abandon the local stations.

And the Primetime Emmy nominations are,,,

With all the reality crap on network television, there's little wonder why the big drama series prize now includes shows from basic cable networks like FX and AMC. Where are the quality shows, NBC, CBS? But hey, the Emmy's cultivates more reality/game show programming by creating a new category this year for best reality competition show host. Like Howie Mandel needs an Emmy for keeping people waiting through the next commercial break?

Here's the complete Primetime Emmy nomination list.
This is the 60th anniversary for the event.


I predicted in a pervious post that I think Mad Men
will walk away with the outstanding drama series Emmy since television is all about the business of advertising. Mad Men is a great show worth finding and watching (just like BSG). It's tragic characters bring the days before seat belt laws to life as children jump merrily on big bench seats of the cars of the early 1960s as mommy struggles to light up a smoke and navigate the road. The show has a bitter-sweet irony yanking on the nostalgia and romanticism of the era. Mad Men has great moments peppered with twisted little background elements showing the naivete' of the times-- like mothers scolding children playing with dry cleaning plastic because they're worried about the clothes and oblivious to the suffocation risk it poses. That same simple nostalgia and romanticism is carefully manipulated by the ad men and women the show is about as they ply their trade on Madison Avenue.

While I'm a big
LOST fan, my money is on Mad Men. My wife's now squarely behind Dexter after watching it on TiVo downloads. I was disappointed to see Pushing Daisies was passed over in the outstanding comedy series category. A couple of the actors from that show received some Emmy noms. I guess I must be missing something for not being plugged into Two and a Half Men all these years.

Outstanding Drama Series

  • Boston Legal
  • Damages
  • Dexter
  • House
  • Lost
  • Mad Men

Saturday, July 5

The Police Beat Leads to Romance


TV reporter Melissa Batulis (Westminster '03) dropped some alumni news via email over the break as she revealed she's engaged to her police officer beau. She's engaged to Exeter Twp. Patrolman Sean Fullerton, has now upgraded his status to fiancee' (see the two in the picture here taken back in November when Melissa visited campus). Melissa met Sean when she was looking to get cover vids of a local police department for a story she was working on at WFMZ. Congratulations to the happy couple.

Wednesday, July 2

Emmy choices could get LOST again


The Emmy's released a list this week of the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards’ top ten vote-getters for outstanding drama series and outstanding comedy series, as voted on by the Television Academy. LOST made it into the top 10. BSG is ignored once again. Lost won for it's first season. Then everyone drifted away because the storyline became too strange and chaotic, etc.

M
y favorites on the drama list are Mad Men and Lost. I suspect Mad Men will definitely make it into the final nomination as it's about the advertising gig in the 1960s. Since advertising drives the industry, voting members are really drawn to the show. In the comedy category I'm split between my fondness for Pushing Daisies and 30 Rock. The Emmy's has an interesting process in place now to draft a final list of nominees to be announced on July 17.

Here's the top 10 list for drama votes:
  1. Boston Legal (ABC)
  2. Damages (FX)
  3. Dexter (Showtime)
  4. Grey's Anatomy (ABC)
  5. House (Fox)
  6. LOST (ABC)
  7. Mad Men (AMC)
  8. The Tudors (Showtime)
  9. The Wire (HBO)

The top ten comedies are:
  1. Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
  2. Entourage (HBO)
  3. Family Guy (Fox)
  4. The Office (NBC)
  5. Pushing Daisies (ABC)
  6. 30 Rock (NBC)
  7. Flight of the Conchords (HBO
  8. Two and a Half Men (CBS)
  9. Ugly Betty (ABC)
  10. Weeds (Showtime)


Thursday, June 19

Improving my YouTube VIEW


WATCH IN HIGH QUALITY
YouTube has a nice new feature offering me a chance to improve the quality of my view. However, garbage uploaded will be garbage watched. I was reviewing some old BC 251 mini-movie projects and really think the new feature allows me to see such projects as "Day in Reverse" closer to what I recall seeing in our class. The video quality upgrade allows me to appreciate that work so much more than the lackluster FLASH playback quality that was the norm on YouTube until now. Thanks you Google/YouTube geeks. I appreciate it.

Monday, June 16

Googling it up on YouTube

Google (owner of YouTube) wants the world to know it now has a 411 directory service. Instead of advertising on TV, it's using YouTube. Make sense, right. I think it's an interesting example of how companies can use YouTube for advertising and how the medium (YouTube) shapes the message. The spot's more than an announcement--it's almost a 90 second informercial. It's a demonstration approach using Google geeks to show how Google 411 works. When's the last time a 90 spot on TV actually worked? However, here on YouTube because it's simple and resembles a user-generated video it seems to work. This is a telling example of how to keep a spot real, appealing and focused. It's a low-cost spot demonstrating how effective YouTube can be as an advertising medium.

Thursday, June 12

Don't date robots


As a follow up on my rant on the i-Phone and the other new tech product lines competing for my dollar, I thought it appropriate to consider the issue of technological determinism. The theory states that "we make the tools and then the tools re-make us." From H.G. Wells to today's Battlestar Galactica and to my personal favorite-- the intergalactic hit The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, popular entertainment has explored issues and raised warnings rooted in this theory. Marry our consumerism culture with technological determinism and perhaps we all should heed the warming posed in a Futurama anti-robot propaganda film.

Tuesday, June 10

i-Phone schmy-Phone

i-candy I don't want

The unveiling of product lines (new revenue streams) like the new generation of i-phone bores me. Until the PRICE really comes down I'll keep all my separate gadgets. I don't even like my LG phone with Verizon. Crappy service, outrageous rates and lame features are all designed to separate me and my money.

Can someone explain to me why texting is so darn expensive? I guess because it's popular and the demand is driving corporate greed? I'd rather embrace the gadgets, gizmos and online services I use and enjoy. My TiVo (mine dates back to the Series 2), my Flip Video cam, my portable hard drive, g-mail, Hulu, Amazon Unbox, Pandora, my cable modem and cable telephone, Flickr, Blogger, etc.

My daughter wants a Wii so bad she's started saving up for one herself. I don't see the big deal. It looks like a video game without the wires. Remember, I was one of those in the original Pac-Man generation who jumped on every innovation that came along with rolls of quarters-- I just can see dumping money into a new generation of the same, lame and money draining product lines. Perhaps because I'm no longer the target demo I've become jaded. Perhaps I'm just developing savvyness to the ways of consumerism and electronics. Or perhaps I only embrace the things I find useful and beneficial or moderately entertaining in my life. While I listened XM Radio when I had the free subscription in the mini-van, I could never see any value in paying for it.

Even the big screen TVs haven't impressed me yet. How can I justify that huge cost of the cable package upgrade to receive those HD channels? It makes the cost of the HD screen insignificant. Add on to that the HD channels require a cable box or receiver and you lose me. I don't need another device wired up and collecting dust around the television set. Merge the PC and HDTV into one device with my TiVo service (I'm bored with DVD's as they just take up space). Give me data files I can easily store -- or better yet let me stream it. Like Pandora with music. I'm tired of collecting audio files for songs and keeping them stored and managed on my device. Let someone else pay for the music, store it and manage so I can listen when ever the mood strikes. Give me more services like movie from Amazon Unbox (but I need a much better selection). Let me access it, watch it and move on to the next one when I want it. If I care to see the same movie again, I'm sure it will show up somewhere on cable or there's Hulu. Right?

For the love of salsa, what the frak gives with the all the negative vibes?
Sorry to be so sour about the i-phone update. I guess the price of gasoline, the loser economy, a choppy Indiana Jones sequel that failed to be greater than the sum of its parts, more lame reality television, potentially deadly tomatoes (from the same government that brought us "Death by Peanut Butter" and "Lead Toyland") and the lack of any genuine leadership in our country in both the public and private sectors has me a bit grumpy today.

Monday, June 9

Coming Soon- A New Season of The County Line

Take the The County Line show open, add new music and some graphics and you have an instant promo for the fall season of TCL. I couldn't find a pinch of fairy dust or any eye of newt to add to the recipe as we're working on a no-frills budget.

Wednesday, June 4

Broken News

The Onion News Network pokes some fun at the hype stations place on breaking news...don't let the facts get in the way of the coverage. The breaking news culture feeds the frenzy in this spoof as the producers have an obit graphic ready for the reporter on scene in this mock live report. If only the real news tried as hard as ONN.

Breaking News: Something Happening In Haiti

Wednesday, May 21

Video for the sake of video

Blogging some video off YouTube just because it's fun to watch...






One of the "news pegs" used in broadcast newsrooms that J-schools really don't teach to is the compelling "video or audio" element. I'm sure they use the "compelling" photograph news peg at newspapers, even if they don't want to take responsibility for how it drives content. In
television, this explains the endless number of useless, low impact stories. Think about all those fires at abandoned buildings. The assignment desk always makes
any fire more important by justifying it through the video.

"We have flames," someone will shout across the newsroom.

The next thing you know those flames are in the A-block and there's a video tease. Consider all those worthless traffic accidents you see in small and large market newscasts? Do we have video? If you do, it's in the rundown and the less sexy, but high impact story from an important government meeting is cut.

Monday, May 19

Flip Video to the Titan News Rescue!

FLIP VIDEO ON THE SCENE COLLECTING AUDIO AND VIDEO FOR TITAN RADIO NEWS










This story on TitanRadio.net and Titan Radio is courtesy of Alex Hines and my Flip Video camera. Shot on the scene and the audio ripped from the AVI file for the noon radio newscast...and raw video and the interview posted online via TitanRadio.net and YouTube. Quick, easy and the gear fits in your pocket. It's raw and dirty...but when you're working for free...






Stolen truck really runs away
Monday, May 19, 2008
NEW WILMINGTON, Lawrence County-- Borough police solved a case of a reported stolen pickup on Monday as they determined it was never stolen-- it ran away. On Sunday evening, Westminster history major Matt Steffy reported his truck stolen. He and his roommates live in a rented home along New Castle Street. It appears someone may have failed to put the truck in park. Roommate Alex Stubenbort tells Titan Radio News it rolled away from the house and down a hill into McClure's Run next to the New Wilmington park. You can see raw video of the scene where the pickup rolled and hear Stubenbort's account of what happened.

You can also see the video here on titanradio.net or via ou YouTube links below:
Raw video #1 of the runaway truck
Raw video #2 of the runaway truck
More Video- Roommate explains what happened

Sunday, May 18

Shooting commencement highlights with Flip Video










I used Pure Digital's FLIP VIDEO to shoot the video for this year's highlights now on titanradio.net. There's very little to complain about this tiny, tough little camera that saves AVI files you can edit in most video editing software, upload online, embed, etc. Flip Video's files are more user friendly that those expensive consumer hard drive cameras with specialized video extensions that make it impossible to do anything with them outside the limited software that comes with the camera.

Flip Video is affordable and pretty cool. Just keep extra AA batteries handy.


The raw video clips are on YouTube. Links to all of them are on titanradio.net.