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KOMO’s fixation on crime

G

Go_Zags

Seattle’s dying….Operation Crime and Justice…it seems like 3/4 of their newscasts are clogged with is. I totally get the reality of what’s going on—but I’ve grown a bit tired with the seeming preoccupation with the subject. Anybody with me on this?
 
Go_Zags said:
Seattle’s dying….Operation Crime and Justice…it seems like 3/4 of their newscasts are clogged with is. I totally get the reality of what’s going on—but I’ve grown a bit tired with the seeming preoccupation with the subject. Anybody with me on this?
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Nope. Crime is news. And between crime and the homeless population, that's news in Seattle. Where I am in D.C. right now, local stations all cover shootings, no matter whether certain viewers are tired of hearing about shootings, or not.
 
If KOMO didn’t cover actual news they would not be serving the public pure and simple. News coverage is not pick and choose.
 
people bitch when theres crime and all kinds bad stuff on the news, then when stations cover something lighthearted and happy.. people complain its not real news, and suggest the station is trying to cover up or hide the facts and that they need to cover real news.. i see it all the time on facebook
 
LITTLEBOYBLUE said:
KGO (ABC O&O) in San Francisco started the trend in the 1970's -- leading people to refer to the station as "Killings, Guts & Orgasms".
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Huh? You mean stations in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Baltimore, Dallas, NYC, and Seattle weren't covering crime before then?
 
Kelly A said:
Huh? You mean stations in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Baltimore, Dallas, NYC, and Seattle weren't covering crime before then?
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KGO pioneered the whole "sensational" approach of crime coverage. Sure, everyone covered crime and shootings and what-not, but pretty much as "hard news". Pretty sure I heard about Kennedy shooting on TV so, yeah, that pre-dates the KGO packaging of early 1970's.
 
Local tv stations survive by breaking news. This is why most stations use this slogan whether or not their news is breaking or not. It has become a standard opening regardless of how important the story is. It is smoke and mirrors 75 percent of the time, but if you understand how these locals operate you will get the picture.
 
LITTLEBOYBLUE said:
KGO (ABC O&O) in San Francisco started the trend in the 1970's -- leading people to refer to the station as "Killings, Guts & Orgasms".
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I remember reading something about that many years ago (I'd vaguely remembered it as "kickers, guts, and orgies", but considering that I read it over 40 years ago, that could be wrong). Apparently an actual teaser for the late news on that station in the late seventies was "Cow genitals found on railroad tracks...details at 11".
 
I think it was “orgies” IIRC. I think KGO has calmed down quite a bit since, but yes they were quite salacious in the late 70’s and 80’s. I remember watching Bay Area news in the 80’s and was surprised how different it was from the sedate Seattle market. (Though KIRO seemed to step it up in the 80’s with more of that style).
 
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Wasn't the origin of the "action news" and "eyewitness news" slogans based in an editorial choice to go heavy on the if it bleeds it leads type news?

For many years in this market - "KIRO 7 Eyewitness News" was heaviest on crime coverage.
 
KMan said:
Wasn't the origin of the "action news" and "eyewitness news" slogans based in an editorial choice to go heavy on the if it bleeds it leads type news?

For many years in this market - "KIRO 7 Eyewitness News" was heaviest on crime coverage.
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The Miami market used to have their one-man-band street reporters drive around with a scanner in an effort to get to the story before the police or EMS arrived. It wasn't unusual to go live at a shooting where the victim is shown bleeding out in the entry of a 7-11 before the cops even arrived. That's pretty edgy stuff. Seattle and the Bay area were/are milk toast by comparison.
 
In many markets the use of “Action News” is followed by the phrase “Taking action for you”. I think in some sense the term has changed over several decades.
 
Kelly A said:
The Miami market used to have their one-man-band street reporters drive around with a scanner in an effort to get to the story before the police or EMS arrived. It wasn't unusual to go live at a shooting where the victim is shown bleeding out in the entry of a 7-11 before the cops even arrived. That's pretty edgy stuff. Seattle and the Bay area were/are milk toast by comparison.
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Yes, absolutely. KIRO was the closest we had to that but Kevin McCarthy live from a murder scene a day later wasn't nearly as edgy as what was seen in other markets.

Here in LA, ABC7 is branded "Eyewitness News" and is, by far, the most crime and courts oriented station in tone and editorial judgement. It's a shame, as they have a great anchor team but the news content isn't what I'm looking for.
 
KIRO did indeed drop the Eyewitness imaging many years ago. And I think they should have kept it. It is a brand and you need to hold on to a known brand.
 
It's not too hard to fill 3/4's of the broadcast with this kind of content when you see some of the crime that takes place around Seattle.
 
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