Interview with former WICC news anchor/reporter David Jennings

[ml]

David worked at WICC in Bridgeport for 13 years when it was a music station. The station was incredibly successful with a huge market share, and the newscasts were long and staff numerous. Seems like the biz has really changed since then

http://podcast.radiogirl.us/2013/02/david-jennings-longtime-news-guy.html

[Bill DeFelice]

Interesting interview (I'm still listening as I type this). I believe he went by David Newton if I'm not mistaken. It's nice to hear him reminisce about WICC.

[Ed B]

You are correct Bill that is David Newton.

[WPHA]

I remember David Newton VERY well! Yes, that was when WICC had a REAL NEWS TEAM! I remember it very well... I visited the station often, and also was enrolled in Junior Achievement there in from fall 1977 thru spring 1979! (My soph & jr years in HS)

David and another WICC staffer actually interviewed the students who wanted to be a part of WICC's JA program. I truly felt honored to have been selected! It was, in every way, just like a job interview. Man, I loved it, too! I have been bitten by the "Radio Bug" ever since. It's been a career of over 20 years and counting!

I have a place of fondness in my heart for WICC... but now, it's BARELY a dim shadow of its former self... as are all too many once-great stations, sadly.

[Bill DeFelice]

I have a place of fondness in my heart for WICC... but now, it's BARELY a dim shadow of its former self... as are all too many once-great stations, sadly.

It's not just WICC. Most radio stations, thanks to corporate ownership and deregulation, have lost that "warm and fuzzy" feeling that made them part of the community fabric.

Except for Clark Howard, I rarely listen to WICC anymore - especially since they have no real semblance of a news department. I'm sorry, but a part time news "director" and having your AM and FM afternoon hosts pre-record news briefs with no actualities doesn't qualify as a news department. Seems like I hear more Connecticut news and more timely traffic on WCBS 880.

[ml]

Thanks, everybody, for your comments and feedback. David is a really cool guy who people know in Chicago as "Jennings".

About the radio biz: I don't think it's just deregulation; the biz has changed due to technological innovations. Content is now delivered in many different ways, the Internet and phones being the latest. Down the road something else will come along, and then the folks in those media will lament that decline. What's unfortunate is people like me who love radio, but find fewer opportunities as a listener and participant

[Bill DeFelice]

I don't think it's just deregulation; the biz has changed due to technological innovations. Content is now delivered in many different ways, the Internet and phones being the latest.

Technology may play a part in the change, but the consolidation and cutting costs and product quality in favor of profit is much more in focus for today's major radio property owner. Back when David was at WICC the station's owner, Tribune, made sure there was plenty of talent in their stable ... and not just on-air personalities! WICC's news department won numerous awards for their news reporting and, dare I say it, they WERE the station to tune to when you wanted to find out about news in Southern Connecticut.

If David is still doing news it's a wonder, aside for full news and perhaps to a lesser extent news/talk stations, that there are still jobs for news people. Big corporate owners cut news departments to the point where stations don't even have a news department as I cited earlier. Some groups have regional news centers where pre-recorded news briefs (again, with little to no news actuality audio) are sent to their stations. For people who want to know what's going on in their community this sub-standard excuse won't cut it.

When stations begin to see their potential listener base starts to shrink (or die off) they may actually wake up, but I'm not betting the farm on that one. When I have to listen to a station in New York to get Connecticut news and traffic the writing's already on the wall.

[WPHA]

It all narrows down to "follow the money". Big corporate owners who have ABSOLUTELY ZERO interest in serving the community. Their ONLY focus is the bottom line.

It's a scenario of squeezing the Golden Goose (firing all of the TALENT) to get as many eggs out of her at once (maximized stock returns for the quarter)... not realizing the severe "internal injuries" this causes, (listener attrition) and that the Goose will soon die. They don't care... like ol' Veruca Salt, "I don't care, I WANT IT NOWWWWwww...."

She was a bad egg.

[ml]

Big corporate owners cut news departments to the point where stations don't even have a news department as I cited earlier. Some groups have regional news centers where pre-recorded news briefs (again, with little to no news actuality audio) are sent to their stations. For people who want to know what's going on in their community this sub-standard excuse won't cut it.

When stations begin to see their potential listener base starts to shrink (or die off) they may actually wake up, but I'm not betting the farm on that one. When I have to listen to a station in New York to get Connecticut news and traffic the writing's already on the wall.

People can get news online or on their phones, so if they're not in their cars or another radio-oriented location, then they don't "need" to get news that way. What broadcast news needs are more investigative reports. I'm sure there are many stories of corruption, etc. in Connecticut that aren't covered because there aren't enough local news outlets to investigate them, and New York info is more dominant. But even on major news stations, there are more reports than investigations, usually about murders or the latest messages from city hall.

Realistically, the purpose of radio has changed but it seems like the guys in charge didn't get that memo.

[luperm]

Don't kid yourselves. It's always been about the bottom line.

It's the top line that's the problem these days.