DFW Storms Part......5??

[wade87]

Seemed like all the stations had decent coverage this go around. CBS11 went off the air for awhile in the afternoon and taking a lightning hit, according to their website.

Fox4 was excellent at 9pm..
NBC5 did pretty good all day with Aydelott and Finfrock
Channel 8 gave us the usual overdose of Delkus
CBS11 had a pretty solid Jeff Jamison deliver the news about the Parker county tornado...Kristine joined up later with Gary Seith.

Thoughts?

 

[KPLEXCOMPLEX]

Channel 4 was a flood of over dramtizations,exhausted adjectives, and just embellishment
Ch. 5 Harold Taft is looking down and muttering "what have they done?"
David by himself would be great but his "team of experts" sounded like they were reading liners . They had one reporter in Denton who could easily pass for Newey Scruggs brother,picking up some glass, saying "This looks like it blew off the building over there". Very compelling
Ch.8 Pete Dorkus was doing "Shakespeare in the Park""Taming of the Shrew" How many Times did he say "John",Gloria"? Thank God Troy was there to rescue some of it and make it appear a little more credible.
Ch.11 after the lightening strike came on,and regretably There's Khristine appearing lost,her voice raising in the high octave,and now knowing if a camera was on a map. Deer in the headlights once again. CBS needs to hire a "coach" for her as well. Better Yet Let the other weather team members be on camera(Mike Burger) and have her run the radar.

 

[wade87]

I agree, the reporting at Fox4 was over-the-top...but thought Henry and Jackson did a solid job. Channel 5's reporting is embarrassing. Delkus is just like Fox4's reporting (see above). Kristine doesn't have what it takes...confidence. Seith was ok, Jamison was much better in helping her out.

 

[VERITAS DE VOCE]

Pretty much can't disagree with anything here...

FOX -- Come on. I know Maria is taking ESL classes, but did they all break into to her library to catch in our marked up thesaurus?! That was a bit much.

NBC -- Taft was genius, and look at what his torchbearer has become... babysitting the dinner thieves. WHEW.

ABC -- Speaking of torchbearer, Dorkus needs to cool out with OVER ANIMATED hands. What is going to happen to that place when Troy takes his bow tie and leaves that farm?

CBS -- Yes, KK. You have pretty nails. Show them off more. Talk with your manicurist more. And leave the TV stuff to Berger and the other boys.

UM... CW33. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

 

[Ms_Radio]

I am thinking that perhaps someone else needs to check their thesaurus, or at least a grammar book, before they start throwing out attempts at humor.

"I know Maria is taking ESL classes, but did they all break into to her library to catch in our marked up thesaurus?! That was a bit much. "

Huh?

Oh, and IMO Harold Taft is overrated by the old folks on this board.

Big fan of Troy but Delkus is a pro and coming along nicely.

Didn't catch 11 but Jamison? seems awfully young. :-*

 

[formeraa]

Harold was the BEST!!! How could you ever suggest otherwise???

Actually, Harold was a character. He reminded of my grandfather, who was retired military and extremely strict. I would not have ever wanted to be on Harold's bad side.

 

[Horns]

I am thinking that perhaps someone else needs to check their thesaurus, or at least a grammar book, before they start throwing out attempts at humor.

"I know Maria is taking ESL classes, but did they all break into to her library to catch in our marked up thesaurus?! That was a bit much. "

Huh?

Oh, and IMO Harold Taft is overrated by the old folks on this board.

Big fan of Troy but Delkus is a pro and coming along nicely.

Didn't catch 11 but Jamison? seems awfully young. :-*

My opinion...
Kristine Kahanek is overrated. Seems lost in ad-libbing. Jamison is good. Could be a star in the making.

Delkus is solid and will do fine replacing Troy. Hate to see Troy go, he was the best for so many years.

I agree, Harold Taft was overrated. I saw one of his old weathercast from the early 80s on YouTube. He really didn't talk about the forecast, he just talked about what was happening on the maps. I can't believe he wouldn't do an extended forecast for so many years. But, I'll probably get blasted, he was loved by many in N. TX.

The guys on Fox4 weren't especially good, IMO. They just kept talking about what the National WEather Service was saying. They never added any new information on their own and they just used NWS radar which is slightly delayed. I can't believe they don't have a good radar to show.

 

[texas_prwriter]

I won't blast anybody for not liking Harold Taft. Others may disagree, that's why Wayne Shattuck (and KDFW's long list of never-quite-right weather readers) and Troy Dungan were around as options. I liked Taft, his forecasts were accurate, and everyone I know who knew him personally really respected him.

But, the love affair some people in this market for Troy Dungan just escapes me. Nice person, absolutely. But lousy weather reader. How a Top 10 market, in tornado alley no less, can have its lead forecaster (hello Delkus) not be a degreed meteorologist is beyond me. WFAA definitely has better local news compared to NBC-5, but even at Finfrock's worse, I'll take him over Delkus/Dungan at their best.

Just one guy's opinion.

 

[GRAYWOLF]

I kept watching Ch4 waiting for Crilley's rug to go flying.

 

[KPLEXCOMPLEX]

It's interesting to see the graduates from the broadcasting schools dismiss Harold. After all he was a just an old fart who took his job seriously,and had a meterology degree, and was one of the US Army's Meteorologists for the D-Day invasion of Normady. His forecasts had a 98% accuracy rating,according to the National Weather Service.Thank God these young ones are only a minority ,a pimple, in their opinion of Harold. Delkus is more suitable in a market like Sherman -Denison than DFW. Troy doesn't have a AMS degree BUT was close to Finfrock and Taft in regards to accuracy. Channel 4's coverage was a bad high school play. The weather guys tried,but if you are only reiterating what the National Weather service was saying,then tell the viewers to go to Channels 8's sap channel. NWS plays there a majority of the time. If Channel 5 had better reporters like theyonce had, Finfrock would have been light years ahead of all the stations. Khristine was showing signs of improvement,but she freaks out on camera rather than staying calm and authoritative when severe storms take place. Nothing like frightening your viewers that armagedon was approaching.

 

[formeraa]

And let's set the record straight here... Harold NEVER did an extended forecast! PERIOD! His forecasts only went out 48 hours. He NEVER deviated from this.

There was a period of time when Finfrock (in the am's and later at 10pm) and Chesner (on the weekends) did a 5-day extended forecast, while Harold at 5/6 did not. However, that was at the very end of Harold's long career when it was unlikely that he would survive the cancer.

Harold was a legend, deservedly so. He did his job with excellence. Youngsters, don't base your opinions on a single tape on youtube. What you don't get is a good comparison with other forecasts of that era. Compared to today, the weather people had much less information to work with in the early 80's.

I wish we had tapes of forecasts in the late 60's. You would be SHOCKED at the 12 hour-old satellite picture that these guys had to work with.

 

[jd]

Excellent post, formeraa. You are correct about Harold never doing extended forecasts. In fact he explained on the air why he didn't do them on more than one occasion. That was soon after Troy Dungan arrived at Channel 8 in the late '70's and starting doing five-day forecasts. Before that some other forecasters had been doing three day forecasts, but the idea of extending them beyond that mark was unheard of back then.

No, Harold Taft was certainly not "polished" in comparison to today's crop of weather people; he was folksy and down to earth, someone who fit the Channel 5's Cowtown image over the span of several decades. Harold was often downright hokey, but who cared? If it was going to be windy overnight, he would say something like, "run out and stomp down the trash and bring the warsh ('wash') in off the line." (Yes, metal trashcans and clotheslines were the norm, before plastic, before dryers.) He was cautious in his approach, for instance when it came to the subject of tornadoes or hailstorms until he had confirmation. Likewise Harold was reluctant to include the possibility of snow in a forecast too soon; he said at one time, "if you're thinking about forecasting snow (in North Texas), think again." He was usually right.

You're right on the mark about weather forecasting forty years ago. Compared to what's available now, Harold had primitive resources available during much of his career. He did an admirable and amazingly accurate job and was well respected by the viewers. It was all about trust, something that few forecasters today can fully appreciate.

 

[wade87]

A couple of questions:

1. Who takes over for Finfrock when he finally hangs it up? I know that's 5 or so years away. Anybody at the station now? Rebecca Miller? Seems like she's relagated to mornings only! Aydelott, MacLauglin?

2. Does Kristine survive as chief meteorologist? Not one person can say a positive thing about her severe weather abilities..surely management is thinking they can't have her do this much longer. Who's next in line there? Burger, Jamison, Sieth?

 

[KPLEXCOMPLEX]

Former AA and I rarely agree, but on this one ,we stand shoulder to shoulder. The new kids entering the field of broadcasting are plain "spoiled"because technology has improved and its practically doing the work for them. .Harold didn't have much in the way like Doppler radar,color radar,wind shear devices,satelitte imagery,computers. He used what information he had,from other regional reporting stations,and came up with a forecast which would beat the forecasts of today on a near perfect consistency. He used weather "history". He would SAVE his forecasts,and conditions for each day,going back to 1949. He used them like an encyclopedia for references and that sharpened his forecast to accuracy. Harold was plain spoken,not like your "eye candy Tummy Tuck Tommys"of today. Only Steve at Channel 8 comes close as well as Finfrock at Ch.5 Harold didn't believe in extended forecasts because Texas weather in the fall,and Spring changes quickly on the average. For example,anyone remember in early December how it was 82 one saturday and the next saturday it was 29? Today forecasting is much easier because of new technology,Harold relied on experience,knowledge and history. The "you tube" generations won't appreciate that,becasue its sounds like "too much work" or "Its simply not cool without the neatest gadget" That sums up knowing your craft or having it just to collect a check.

 

[newsmark]

If I recall correctly, channel 5 did eventually get Harold to give in a bit on the idea of the 5 day forecast.

After his forecast, he would continue to talk while the screen displayed the "NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE 5 DAY FORECAST."

 

[GRAYWOLF]

2. Does Kristine survive as chief meteorologist? Not one person can say a positive thing about her severe weather abilities..surely management is thinking they can't have her do this much longer. Who's next in line there? Burger, Jamison, Sieth?

Bring back Bob!

Anyone know why he left? I know there was some issue between him and the producer or something like that.

 

[formeraa]

Former AA and I rarely agree, but on this one ,we stand shoulder to shoulder.

We probably agree more than it appears. KPLEX, you are exactly right here!!

I actually enjoyed seeing the youtube video clip because I primarily got to see Harold AFTER he was diagnosed with cancer. He seemed much more relaxed in the video which made me feel better. Probably due to the effects of the cancer, I thought that he was excessively cranky at times.

I have been fascinated in weather forecasting all my life. And I grew up in Seattle, where there is always a chance of rain. We used to joke that they could tape the forecasts in Seattle and we would never know the difference.

Although I love Texas, I am living in Arizona (also known as Far West Texas ) now. Most markets have lost the real weather people (whether they were real, degreed mets or science teachers with an interest in weather forecasts). At least, you still have a few good ones in the DFW market!

 

[formeraa]

If I may make one more comment about Harold, let there be no question that this man was DEDICATED. When most of us would have been on our final "medical leave", Harold came into the KXAS studios and continued to forecast the weather. At that point, he was only forecasting for the 5pm and 6pm newscasts. They said that he had to rest and lay down between the two newscasts, but the fact is that he was there doing what he loved to do. (I'm sure that Finfrock was there right by his side, assisting him in preparing the forecast.)

It's a lot more than most of us would do these days. It's called dedication and truly caring about your viewers and, more generally, your fellow man.

 

[KPLEXCOMPLEX]

Absolutely former AA. Dedication, something missing in these new breoadcast majors today. All they are concerned about is $ and benefits plus camera time,not culitvating their craft. Only Finfrock and Steve at Channel 8 come even close to that dedication spirit.

 

[GRAYWOLF]

Absolutely former AA. Dedication, something missing in these new breoadcast majors today. All they are concerned about is $ and benefits plus camera time,not culitvating their craft. Only Finfrock and Steve at Channel 8 come even close to that dedication spirit.

Bob Goosman had it when he was on 11. I don't know if he still does.