THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, August 29, 1994 TAG: 9408270054
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Larry Bonko
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
IN THE competitive and profitable world of local TV news, there are more jobs than competent people to fill them. That goes for Hampton Roads too, which is the 39th largest market in the United States with 612,280 TV households.
``A lot of people in television news here and elsewhere are in over their heads. The demand for talent outstrips the supply.
``As a result, you have people working in Norfolk who should be working in Richmond, a smaller market. You have people working in Richmond who should be working in Tyler, Texas, and in Tyler, you have people working in that market who should be working in Monterey, Calif.''
That assessment of local TV news comes from a talent scout and consultant who has been employed by a station in this market for the last 10 years.
He agreed to do this interview - to address the state of TV news in Hampton Roads - only if I kept his name out of this column.
Fox bought a fistful of affiliates this year, and then announced plans to start a 10 p.m. newscast on some stations that didn't have a local newscast in the past. As a result, between 1,500 and 2,000 jobs were created in TV news.
Broadcasting and Cable Magazine reports that at least 24 stations expanded their news staffs, and in one city, Phoenix, a station created 100 new jobs.
I didn't have to remind our consultant about the talent shortage.
``We recently considered over a hundred people for a job anchoring the news in a fairly large market, and saw only two or three people we would recommend. That's the way it is out there. We look for talent here and everywhere else. We know who the good people are at WAVY, WVEC and WTKR.
``Because talent is in such a short supply, you often talk yourself into liking this reporter or that anchor just because you need to fill a job.''
He describes Hampton Roads as a fair-sized TV market that thinks of itself as small potatoes. We should start thinking big in terms of hiring talent, he said.
``You have a vibrant, thriving, growing community with a lot going on in and outside the military establishment,'' he said.
So, why is TV news here so dull and uninspiring?
``All three local stations do a good job covering the news in Hampton Roads,'' he said. ``One station is not largely superior to any other. The stations have competent, solid people on the air. The viewers appear to be comfortable with them.''
WVEC, which isn't much for flash and dash, consistently leads the ratings at 5 and 6 p.m. and is challenging at 11 p.m. What's Channel 13's appeal?
``Watching WVEC has become a habit. The station appeals to older viewers who are more loyal than younger ones. Older viewers watch you four and five times a week. Younger viewers watch less. Having a solid guy like Jim Kincaid on WVEC makes a difference. He's been around a long time. People know and trust him.
``But in the long run, personalities alone do not build a large viewership for local TV news. How you cover the news is what makes the difference. In our surveys, the viewers tell us they like WAVY best.''
Let's talk personalities for a moment. Who stands out in this market?
``Tom Randles on Channel 3 does. He has the potential for stardom here but isn't likely to be a star in Norfolk because he'll soon be gone - hired by a station in a bigger market.''
And our consultant doesn't believe that the Channel 10 news shop is in ruins just because Zahn and a handful of other on-camera talent have recently departed.
``Look closely at the departures, and you'll see that some left for better jobs or more money somewhere else. I will say that it is important to a station's success to have happy group working in the newsroom.
``You want high morale there.'' by CNB