KOMO's performance today was one for the ages. Here you have a remarkable tragedy, the kind breaking news teams live for ... a helicopter crash right in the middle of a major city.
But, it was their helicopter. And many of them watched it fall to the ground out their big windows. As witnesses first, and reporters second, the shock was just too much to overcome. Dan Lewis, who was at SeaTac ready to board a plane to Washington to interview President Obama, rushed back to get on the air. Even though he didn't witness it, it is clear he is the conscious of the newsroom, carrying his colleagues grief and shock over the air. I've always preferred KiNG and their team to KOMO TV, but in both this, and Goertzen's illness and death a year ago, Dan Lewis has proven to the community that he is truly a class act. For a guy that is such an old school male news anchor, with the great voice and the perfect hair, it is important to see his human side, too. And he really came through over the air this morning. His voice was still shaking and wavering through the 11PM newscast tonight.
I didn't hear much of KOMO radio's coverage live, but did hear Hersholt, Calvert, Rick Van Cise, and Factor discussing the crash a little before 1000. They were all shaken up. Tonight during PM drive, Factor came back on the air to describe what happened in the newsroom (on the evening news with Shannon and Hutlyer). She said she had gone home, but had to come back to work for the support of her newsteam. She just couldn't keep it together while talking with Tom and Jane - again, she didn't see the helicopter fall from to the ground but saw the aftermath and that was enough. Just unreal. I did hear a Charlie Harger piece on what it was like for the KOMO radio team to cover the crash (during Art's evening show). He did a great job, from Factor saying "It's 7:40 time to go to the KOMO sports desk and Tom Glasgow" and then Hersholt cutting in, to Corwin Haeck, trying to report breathlessly from the scene after he had to run to the newsvan to get his broadcasting gear. The news instincts kicked in first for these guys, even while covering the death of their colleagues.
Also, it was great to hear Clark Stahl's commentary on KOMO. I sure miss him at KIRO.