The greatest newscaster currently on TV.
Posted on 07/08/2004 8:59:07 AM PDT by MississippiMalcontent
Now in his final months as the No. 1 news anchor in the nation, NBC's Tom Brokaw should be taking a victory lap. Instead, his ratings are flagging.
To date in this television season, which began in September, "NBC Nightly News With Tom Brokaw" has lost 15% of its viewers in the key news demographic of adults 25 to 54 years old, compared with this point a year ago. ABC's "World News Tonight With Peter Jennings" is down just 7% in that group -- allowing the broadcast to win the May "sweeps" ratings period in the demographic for the first time in more than a decade, ABC says. The "CBS Evening News" is flat for the season, remaining in third place.
While the overall audience for all of the networks' evening-news shows has been shrinking for years, the ratings decline at General Electric Co.'s NBC after nearly a decade of dominance is striking. "There is a sense that this is a historic moment as one of the big three anchors is about to depart," says Robert Thompson, director of the Center for the Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University. "You would expect that to help NBC's ratings, not hinder them."
Just last week, when all three network anchors were in Iraq, reporting from Baghdad on the government hand-over, ABC's "World News Tonight" beat "NBC Nightly News" in total viewers, although NBC has averaged the largest number of viewers in the season to date.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
I don't care to watch Brian Williams, period, after watching him on his own news show when he had one on MSNBC. When he would interview a guest, it would take him 5 minutes to find the period at the end of a sentence. I'd holler back at the TV "Hey!? Is there a question in here somewhere Brian?!"
The greatest newscaster currently on TV.
Tom at his favorite movie
With an honest media, there would be no need for "personalities" to read the news. These aging guys all have PR frims to pump them up like the were rock/rap stars. What has that to do with the news? Of course, the obvious conclusion to the "maximize celebrity/noteriety to read the news" is that, eventually, Brok/Jen/Rat will be replaced by naked ladies reading from the same propmter.
I find it interesting that in all the articles currently on FR about this, not one bothers to mention a "key fact".
The Key Fact to Brokaw's ratings collapse of the last year is his contract, and what it guarantees.
All three, Brokaw, Jennings and Rather...have personal contracts giving them complete and total editorial and content control. Not just while they are on the air, either. Its 24/7.
Brokaw's loss of market share, therefore, can only be blamed on.....Brokaw.
BWAHAHAHAHA! Somebody WINS by LOSING the least amount of viewers!...BWAHAHAHAHA!
FMCDH(BITS)
"There is a sense that this is a historic moment as one of the big three anchors is about to depart,"
Yes,hundreds of years from now,generations of Americans yet unborn will look back on this "historic" occasion.
Perhaps they'll make it a holiday.
The few times I've bothered to look I have noticed the same thing. I recall some science show which went into detail as to how symmetry, in addition to obvious good looks, was important in judging attractiveness.
Not the most important factoid out there, but important enough if one's looks are an inescapable part of one's livelihood.
p.s. I consider myself reasonably good-looking but frankenstinian in the symmetry dept.
"WSJ is doing a stretch to say Jennings' rating are pulling ahead when he's down only 7 percent, compared to Brokejaw's 15 percent.
Talk about overlooking the obvious."
Good point. They also don't like to talk about the simple fact that big three network news ratings have declined for three straight Decades, while other news outlets have seen a massive increase in ratings.
You'd think that would be a big clue....but nope, they just keep marching towards the cliff.
Fact is, in my opinion Brokaw's leaving is just the beginning of the end for ABC/CBS/NBC having a "evening news" program. There simply isn't any need, and its very expensive to produce, with no viable profit margin realized to offset the costs.
I suspect within the next decade, the "big three" will be running game shows at 6:30 PM EST, giving over all newscasts to cable outlets.
I forget where I read it but I came across an hilarious article stating that its a generational thing, the boomers were accustomed to fatherly figures reading the news: Brinkley, Sevareid, Cronkite, and so on. The article suggested Brokaw, Jennings and Rather were the last of this breed, henceforth, there will be no more brand name newsreaders able to command huge salaries or devoted viewerships. You have doubtless noted such is more or less the case with the distaff side of the equation, newsbabes are a brutally disposable commodity by comparison.
I trust you have no doubt heard of the news/stripshow innovation the russkies have come up with.
You note in your post #13 that there is no need for these newscasts, and that is correct in the absolute sense. But we must remember that it seems there are increasing numbers of Americans who simply cannot or will not get their news from reading...too much effort (or skill) required, I guess.
I suspect Charles Osgood will do a funny "end piece" at the conclusion of the last CBS news show.
Id rather watch David Greggory do his impersonation of blowhard Brokaw, saw it on Imus a few months ago and it had me laughing so hard tears came to my eyes.
And that was the moment I knew Brokaw was leaving, btw. When one of NBC's own began mocking him for self aggrandizement, I knew the end was near. Then I learned his ratings had plummeted, and it made sense.
There is a sense that this is a historic moment as one of the big three anchors is about to depart,"
Yes,hundreds of years from now,generations of Americans yet unborn will look back on this "historic" occasion.
My reaction also. This guy obviously needs to get out more.
I thought I could do Brokjaw pretty well but was humbled when I saw a repeat of David Greggory's empression. It was a 'beaut.
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