6ABC Traffic Reports - Bright Future Not Assured

[bierkenstock]

Michael Klein:
<blockquote>WPVI-TV (Channel 6) did a detour recently and switched traffic providers - leaving John Valerio, who worked for Metro Traffic, out of work. The station, now using Traffic.com, has assigned Karen Rogers to call the roads in the mornings; a permanent 5 p.m. traffic reporter has not been named.</blockquote>

Apparently the on-camera traffic announcer discussed in an earlier thread is a temp and maybe not even in the running.

If 6ABC/Disney runs true to form, they are probably looking for a Barbie, ex-Mouseketeer type. Maybe they are reviewing old Chief Halftown and Al Alberts tapes looking for some little girl from a local dance school who came on 10 years ago and should be about the right age for Action News now. I understand for her audition, Karen Rogers sang "Send your pictures to dear old Captain Noah." It's a shame 6ABC has deteriorated to plastic bubble-head bimbos when Sally Starr was so earthy and sexy. Maybe they should bring her back. She couldn't be any worse than the cookie-cutter ex-cheerleader kewpie doll goody-two-shoes types they seem addicted to.

Rignt now, Traffic.com is probably out rounding up every 20-something out-of-work female DJ, morning show 'girl Friday,' and passion phone hostess to stand in front of a green screen and point.
Q: Do you have any traffic experience?
A: I drive to the mall sometimes.
Q: Good enough.

 

[HomerJay]

Isn't Mike a little late on the Karen Rogers story? She's been doing morning traffic for, what, six months or so?



> Michael Klein:
> WPVI-TV (Channel 6) did a detour recently and switched
> traffic providers - leaving John Valerio, who worked for
> Metro Traffic, out of work. The station, now using
> Traffic.com, has assigned Karen Rogers to call the roads in
> the mornings; a permanent 5 p.m. traffic reporter has not
> been named.
>
> Apparently the on-camera traffic announcer discussed in an
> earlier thread is a temp and maybe not even in the running.
>
>
> If 6ABC/Disney runs true to form, they are probably looking
> for a Barbie, ex-Mouseketeer type. Maybe they are reviewing
> old Chief Halftown and Al Alberts tapes looking for some
> little girl from a local dance school who came on 10 years
> ago and should be about the right age for Action News now.
> I understand for her audition, Karen Rogers sang "Send your
> pictures to dear old Captain Noah." It's a shame 6ABC has
> deteriorated to plastic bubble-head bimbos when Sally Starr
> was so earthy and sexy. Maybe they should bring her back.
> She couldn't be any worse than the cookie-cutter
> ex-cheerleader kewpie doll goody-two-shoes types they seem
> addicted to.
>
> Rignt now, Traffic.com is probably out rounding up every
> 20-something out-of-work female DJ, morning show 'girl
> Friday,' and passion phone hostess to stand in front of a
> green screen and point.
> Q: Do you have any traffic experience?
> A: I drive to the mall sometimes.
> Q: Good enough.
>

 

[Wil]

> Isn't Mike a little late on the Karen Rogers story? She's
> been doing morning traffic for, what, six months or so?
>

I think he is alittle late on this story altogether. The traffic newbie on the earlier posts is the new traffic guy, Karen has been doing am traffic for months, and Valerio has been gone for some time now. The Klein article makes it sound as if this all happened the end of last week.

 

[exciter]

You mean they dumped Valerio, and the guy they replaced him with isn't even permanent? I know that traffic is a relatively small part of a newscast, but it IS important. Do you think that 3 and/or 10 will benefit from this, since people will want to get traffic info that is actually accurate?

> Michael Klein:
> WPVI-TV (Channel 6) did a detour recently and switched
> traffic providers - leaving John Valerio, who worked for
> Metro Traffic, out of work. The station, now using
> Traffic.com, has assigned Karen Rogers to call the roads in
> the mornings; a permanent 5 p.m. traffic reporter has not
> been named.
>
> Apparently the on-camera traffic announcer discussed in an
> earlier thread is a temp and maybe not even in the running.
>
>
> If 6ABC/Disney runs true to form, they are probably looking
> for a Barbie, ex-Mouseketeer type. Maybe they are reviewing
> old Chief Halftown and Al Alberts tapes looking for some
> little girl from a local dance school who came on 10 years
> ago and should be about the right age for Action News now.
> I understand for her audition, Karen Rogers sang "Send your
> pictures to dear old Captain Noah." It's a shame 6ABC has
> deteriorated to plastic bubble-head bimbos when Sally Starr
> was so earthy and sexy. Maybe they should bring her back.
> She couldn't be any worse than the cookie-cutter
> ex-cheerleader kewpie doll goody-two-shoes types they seem
> addicted to.
>
> Rignt now, Traffic.com is probably out rounding up every
> 20-something out-of-work female DJ, morning show 'girl
> Friday,' and passion phone hostess to stand in front of a
> green screen and point.
> Q: Do you have any traffic experience?
> A: I drive to the mall sometimes.
> Q: Good enough.
>

 

[bierkenstock]

Accuracy depends on where the info comes from

The traffic announcer has little to do with how accurate the reports are, just how well the present the information provided to them. NBC10 and UPN 57 use traffic reports produced by Traffic.com. CBS3 produces their own reports and subscribes to both Metro Networks' Shadow Traffic and to Traffic.com. They have access to Traffic.com's maps and graphics but are able to use fill in any gaps in Traffic.com's coverage with info and traffic cam video from Metro Networks. This can work to Traffic.com's advantage because whenever they miss an incident, CBS3 has to give them the information from Metro to enter in their date base manually (so the incident shows up on the maps).

Fox29 continues to get their traffic reports from Metro. SmarTraveler, which used to provide traffic to 6ABC, is also part of Metro Networks (owned by Viacom, the same company which owns or controls CBS3, UPN57 and KYW Newsradio).

Stations generally don't pay for traffic reports (or information). The traffic companies provide the reports/information in return for being able to sell spots (sometimes but not always in the traffic reports). Traffic companies may also pay stations an additional fee for clearing their reports, so often the choice of traffic provider is not about accuracy but who offers the best deal.

As has happened elsewhere in TV news broadcasts, traffic presenters are often chosen for pretty faces rather than for ability, knowledge and experience. So, somebody like John Valerio pays his dues and ends up back on the radio. People like Karen Rogers will continue to smile until they are not perky and cute anymore. Then they get fired and hire a lawyer. That's show biz.

Traffic.com's main business is setting up road sensors for government departments of transportation and traffic monitoring and reporting software (including traffic maps for TV stations and on-demand "new technology" traffic services). They have reported operating at a loss and are attempting to raise capital through an IPO stock offering. Reuters reported yesterday they have lowered their original IPO asking price.