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A Few Suggestions

M

Mark_Giardina

Guest
If CBS was smart they would try to hire Aaron Brown as their main anchor. Brown fits the CBS mold like a glove. Although there will never be another Walter Cronkite, Brown comes the closest to any current news anchor on television today.

Over at ABC, executives need to get off the dime and name a full-time replacement for the late Peter Jennings. Looking at the latest ratings, NBC’s Nightly News with Brian Williams is way ahead of ABC. ABC should either choose Elizabeth Vargas or Charlie Gibson. Personally I like Gibson because he has creditability. I’m not taking anything away from Ms.Vargas because she is also well suited for the anchor position.

NBC Nightly News, there is no need for a change there. Brian Williams has proven he can deliver the ratings.
<P ID="signature">______________
"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted and I won't be laid a hand on.
I don't do these things to other people and I expect the same from them".</P>
 
> If CBS was smart they would try to hire Aaron Brown as their
> main anchor. Brown fits the CBS mold like a glove. Although
> there will never be another Walter Cronkite, Brown comes the
> closest to any current news anchor on television today.

For some time CBS will have a crediblity gap with viewers. What also doesn't help them is most of their big market O&Os have garbage "news"casts, just look at WCBS.

> Over at ABC, executives need to get off the dime and name a
> full-time replacement for the late Peter Jennings. Looking
> at the latest ratings, NBC’s Nightly News with Brian
> Williams is way ahead of ABC. ABC should either choose
> Elizabeth Vargas or Charlie Gibson. Personally I like Gibson
> because he has creditability. I’m not taking anything away
> from Ms.Vargas because she is also well suited for the
> anchor position.

ABC seems to have lost focus with the death of Peter Jennings. With Ted Koppel stepping down from Nightline later this month and the jokes that will be trying to fill his shoes, ABC takes a hit in the news department.

> NBC Nightly News, there is no need for a change there. Brian
> Williams has proven he can deliver the ratings.

NBC seems to be doing the best job with national news. Although Today needs to ditch Matt Lauer and Katie Couric. Al Roker holds that show together!

<P ID="signature">______________
WCBS = We're Crazy Buffoons and Schmucks
<a href=http://chuck.spotteddogs.org/tv/>Spotted Dog TV Talk - for all your non-news TV Talk</a></P>
 
> For some time CBS will have a crediblity gap with viewers.
> What also doesn't help them is most of their big market O&Os
> have garbage "news"casts, just look at WCBS.

NBC had the "Dateline" problem but overcame it. Admittedly it was during a "Primetime" show and not the news which helped.

Aaron Brown is OK but he often comes across as too smug and all knowing. A trait that most cable newscasters have in common.

As Mary Richards once said (refering to a comment made by Ted) "'The news'" is the star of the show." That is how it should be.<P ID="signature">______________
Once I figured out the meaning of life....Then I forgot to write it down.</P>
 
> If CBS was smart they would try to hire Aaron Brown as their
> main anchor. Brown fits the CBS mold like a glove. Although
> there will never be another Walter Cronkite, Brown comes the
> closest to any current news anchor on television today.

Aaron Brown might be a good host for Face the Nation, but as a news anchor, he's sleep-inducing. As far as I'm concerned, he was unwatchable at CNN.

CBS is in the most trouble of the Big 3. They don't seem to have a clue about even their near-term future. Schieffer isn't a young guy and I don't see him anchoring more than the next couple of years. But they have nobody to take his place right now.

> Over at ABC, executives need to get off the dime and name a
> full-time replacement for the late Peter Jennings. Looking
> at the latest ratings, NBC’s Nightly News with Brian
> Williams is way ahead of ABC. ABC should either choose
> Elizabeth Vargas or Charlie Gibson. Personally I like Gibson
> because he has creditability. I’m not taking anything away
> from Ms.Vargas because she is also well suited for the
> anchor position.

ABC News is at its lowest point since the Harry Reasoner/Barbara Walters anchor-debacle of the '70s. But either Gibson or Vargas would do well. ABC News will bounce back in the near future.

> NBC Nightly News, there is no need for a change there. Brian
> Williams has proven he can deliver the ratings.

NBC has the longest record of evening news credibility, ever since they paired up Huntley and Brinkley in 1956. Williams is young enough so he'll be there another 15-20 years. NBC has nothing to worry about even if OTA network TV finally goes away. Then he'll just return to whatever MSNBC will be called by then.

NBC has bigger problems in the morning. Both Katie Couric and Matt Lauer are expendable.
 
> NBC has bigger problems in the morning. Both Katie Couric
> and Matt Lauer are expendable.
>
I would disagree with this. Katie and Matt are highly likeable and that is a major factor in morning news. Look at the fiasco with Deborah Norville(though she was a truly awful anchor. In Chicago she was constantly made fun of, so I don't know HOW she got that job to begin with)

Morning news is not as "hard hitting," and people want to see people the LIKE when they wake up. It's much more personality driven than other times.

I watch ABC news simply cause channel 7 in Chicago (ABC WLS-TV) comes in whereas Channel 5 (WMAQ NBC) and Channel 2 (WBBM CBS) do not come in clear with an antenna.

But outside the order of the news stories there is very little difference in the content, when I flip around.<P ID="signature">______________
Once I figured out the meaning of life....Then I forgot to write it down.</P>
 
I think whether or not Katie Couric stays at "Today" may determine who gets ABC's "World News Tonight" on a long-term basis.

If Couric leaves "Today", ABC may decide to keep Charles Gibson at "Good Morning America" so the team of Gibson and Diane Sawyer will remain intact at "GMA" and have a better-than-even chance of becoming the dominant early-morning network news show.

I think CBS may woo Katie Couric away to become the "long term" anchor of the "Evening News". A longshot might be Aaron Brown.

Although Brown could also end up returning to ABC, I think that barring that, the Alphabet Network will name Elizabeth Vargas anchor of "WNT", but she will not be the network's prime anchor for live special events and breaking news. Charles Gibson, although staying at "GMA" under this scenario, will continue to anchor of special events and breaking news for ABC, including the 2008 political conventions and election night. The reason I think Gibson will handle special events and breaking news is due to the fact that I was impressed with his work as anchor for ABC's coverage of the death of Pope John Paul II, the inauguration of Pope Benedict XVI, and this past Summer's space shuttle flight.
 
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