THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 8, 1994 TAG: 9409080027
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E2 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Larry Bonko
LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
THANK YOU, FLORA Goldman of Virginia Beach, for calling to say you agree with me about the outbreak of happy talk on local TV newscasts.
I hate it. Flora hates it. Her comments:
``If I want comedy, I'll watch the stupid talk shows. News should be news. I can't get used to people on TV being funny when they are doing the news. If they find fun in the news, let it come at the end of the newscast. But must there be all that chitchat throughout the newscast? Keep pounding on them.''
Flora and I have an ally in Horace C. of Suffolk.
``You are absolutely right when you say the local TV news people talk to each other too much on camera. I despise this happy-news approach. There is too much of it on TV here. Tell them to cut it out.''
I will. Cut it out, guys.
A caller named Downing wants to know why I keep hammering on Ed Hughes and Tom Randles of WTKR for turning the 6 p.m. newscast into happy hour.
``Why do you keep downing Ed and Tom on WTKR and building up the people on WVEC? Do you own stock in the company that operates WVEC? And if you don't like the way Ed and Tom do the news, complain about the news director. It's his decision how a newscast is done, isn't it?''
Well, Mr. Downing, let me say that if I had stock in the A.H. Belo Corp., the Dallas company that owns Channel 13, I'd be at a stockholders' meeting, screaming for the bosses to end the blackout of ``NYPD Blue'' in this market.
And for your information, the news director at WTKR is a she, not a he.
I will complain to Barbara L. Hamm about the happy talk.
Tell your guys to turn it down a notch or two, Barbara.
Shirley Bostic of Virginia Beach disagrees with Flora Goldman, Horace C. and your humble columnist.
``Lay off Tom and Ed at WTKR. They're fun to watch. Not stuffy or boring like other people on TV here. Lightening up the news adds a lot to it.''
Name names, Shirley.
Who's boring and stuffy on TV here?
The next subject is Jon Cash, WAVY meteorologist who works the morning shift.
From John A. Albree of Colington Harbour, N.C.: ``In talking about the departure of Ed Tillett from Channel 10, you said he'll be missed because he's the best weather guy in this market. Why don't you get up early and watch Jon Cash on WAVY? He covers our area well, and is on the mark most of the time, which is rare for anyone in the weather forecasting business. He also has excellent on-air chemistry with Don Roberts and Carol Hoffman.''
Now, here is Joyce in Chesapeake on Jon Cash:
``Why doesn't Carol Hoffman ask WAVY to get rid of that guy Cash? He acts like a little kid when he's on there talking about the weather. Carol is smart, mature, good looking and appealing. I'd like to see her working with somebody else.''
I'm reluctant to take sides here, but Jon Cash does have an annoying voice and delivery.
Tony C. of Portsmouth called to say he's not crazy about the happy talk that goes on around here on the newscasts - did you notice that even the usually serious Terry Zahn on WVEC is laughing it up these days? - but that's not his big gripe.
``I don't mind the excessive banter as much as I mind looking at the wardrobes of these guys. They all look like they were dressed in a funeral parlor.''
We had a snappy dresser in this market when Chris Castleman of the Armani suits was doing the weather for WVEC. He left TV because of a health problem.
Randles looks sharp at times, but I honestly believe that Zahn's wife does his shirts. MEMO: Got a question or comment about local TV? Call me on Infoline by dialing
640-5555, then press 2486. by CNB