• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Fox News Radio: Amateur Hour Continues...

D

dampier

I am not even getting into the politics of FNR's newscasts - they are getting worse in technical and professional quality, not better as time passes. Someone reflected on this a week or two ago, but I've now heard more examples and it is truly embarrassing.

In the last week, I've heard newscast after newscast start off with fast-paced announcers who then run out of news and then have to end their newscasts with the slowest rendition of "this... is..... Fox...... News...... fair.............................. and.. balan c e d." in order to kill time, or worse when they are trying to cram in everything in the time allowed. The latter especially seems to happen during the bottom of the hour "updates" which are so uninformative as to be utterly useless.

It reminds me of the old TM skit with the paraphrased equivalent of, "two cats, a dog, a cow, hamsters, and the nuclear cloud is moving towards Little Rock... more later."

Mispronounciations are also a serious problem. "Badgedad" and "Falluca" were among the more stunning, along with stumbling over even the simplest sentences. I suspect these are the Fox TV anchors playing radio bungling this.

How can any serious news/talker rely on such an amateur operation? USA Radio and even SRN News sound better on the air.

If you're going to pay cash for newscasts, pay the AP. They are in the news delivery business.
 
i have heard exactly two newscasts but cannot say my experience has been much different. most damnable was a live interview during their B block--actually i think it comprised the entirety of the B block--that someone allowed to run too long. the person on the other end was simply potted down in the middle of the sentence and the befuddled anchor gave the standard out.

i thought they would come on the air sounding more polished, and trust that they will improve.



> I am not even getting into the politics of FNR's newscasts -
> they are getting worse in technical and professional
> quality, not better as time passes. Someone reflected on
> this a week or two ago, but I've now heard more examples and
> it is truly embarrassing.
>
> In the last week, I've heard newscast after newscast start
> off with fast-paced announcers who then run out of news and
> then have to end their newscasts with the slowest rendition
> of "this... is..... Fox...... News......
> fair.............................. and.. balan c e d." in
> order to kill time, or worse when they are trying to cram in
> everything in the time allowed. The latter especially seems
> to happen during the bottom of the hour "updates" which are
> so uninformative as to be utterly useless.
>
> It reminds me of the old TM skit with the paraphrased
> equivalent of, "two cats, a dog, a cow, hamsters, and the
> nuclear cloud is moving towards Little Rock... more later."
>
> Mispronounciations are also a serious problem. "Badgedad"
> and "Falluca" were among the more stunning, along with
> stumbling over even the simplest sentences. I suspect these
> are the Fox TV anchors playing radio bungling this.
>
> How can any serious news/talker rely on such an amateur
> operation? USA Radio and even SRN News sound better on the
> air.
>
> If you're going to pay cash for newscasts, pay the AP. They
> are in the news delivery business.
>
 
> i thought they would come on the air sounding more polished,
> and trust that they will improve.

Considering these are delivered on a cash basis and now are rolling out on top five stations in Clear Channel markets all over the country, is it okay for them to have the training wheels still on in the first place? That Clear Channel would apparently just accept this seems to be further evidence that the value of quality news and programming just isn't important in many markets where two huge players basically own and control the majority of stations.

A station that cares about the news they deliver would be looking for a way out of FNR as quickly as possible.
 
> A station that cares about the news they deliver would be
> looking for a way out of FNR as quickly as possible.

Well, with the Clear Channel deal mentioned, they aren't going anywhere for that group anytime soon, and that's now a pretty sizeable chunk of their affiliate base.

FNR has about three decent anchors (if I remember right, the only name I remembered was Lisa Brady in middays ET). Lisa Carton has done some reporting for them and some anchoring, and she's a veteran San Francisco Bay Area news anchor. But most of the rest of the network just falls off a cliff. I'm quite frankly afraid to even listen to the network in nights or weekends. It's pretty bad when it's a relief to hear the LOCAL anchor at 5 after, because he or she is actually better.

In the minute long BOH updates, it's one thing, but if you're taking over my airwaves for 5 minutes, you'd better not stink that badly.

At some point, CC WILL bring some pressure to bear on FNR. The product is embarrassing most of the time I've heard it, and I can't believe Gabe Hobbs and company will sit for it for very long.

-OA<P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>
 
> > A station that cares about the news they deliver would be
> > looking for a way out of FNR as quickly as possible.
>
> Well, with the Clear Channel deal mentioned, they aren't
> going anywhere for that group anytime soon, and that's now a
> pretty sizeable chunk of their affiliate base.
>
> FNR has about three decent anchors (if I remember right, the
> only name I remembered was Lisa Brady in middays ET).

Does anyone have an anchor schedule for these guys.

Lisa Brady (afternoons PT) and Dave Anthony (overnights) are radio only and pretty good.

I know that at about 9AM PT, at one point the shifts were rotating between Fox News TV weekend Anchors Gregg Jarett MW, Rick Folbaum W, and Bob Sellers RF, depending whether or not any of the above were filling in on TV.

I don't know who does AM drive on the east coast.

Weekends are pretty low quality radio only anchors, for the most part.

Though - I've heard some pretty awful talent on weekends on both AP and CNN.
 
> Lisa Brady (afternoons PT) and Dave Anthony (overnights) are
> radio only and pretty good.

This may be our problem here.

At some point, at least 6 AM-midnight ET, FNR is going to have to use radio anchors only. Well, except for Shepard Smith's promotional appearance for FNC at 5 PM ET.

I understand what they're trying to do, with getting their TV names on radio. But they'll have to get those names in the body of the newscast or promotionally, as those TV names should not be anchoring radio on a regular basis.

(By in the body, I mean stuff like using sound from FNC TV interviews, crediting the TV show and the host, etc.)

I have a feeling that they had to kind of rush things, and put more non-radio experienced people on than they would have liked. Ms. Brady, Ms. Carton et al. are examples that they CAN find and get experienced radio news folks.

-OA<P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>
 
> > A station that cares about the news they deliver would be
> > looking for a way out of FNR as quickly as possible.

Top CC stations, several in OA's area, have continued their local commitment to local news. At stations like WTAM, WTVN, WLW, and KFI in LA, et al, local anchors still deliver news 24/7. Different sounder and different correspondents for actualities... that's it. For CC, all that should matter is the imaging; otherwise, staying with ABC would have made more sense (aside from the spot inventory).

For example, KFI has been a FNR affiliate for a long time, before the longer casts, and still doesn't even use the sounder. I would presume they benefit from the image they receive of being "LA's only station with Fox News". The new approach for Fox News is not to produce decent, right-leaning TV content, but to pull a Trump and outsource their brand to eager parties in radio and other media.
 
> > Lisa Brady (afternoons PT) and Dave Anthony (overnights)
> are
> > radio only and pretty good.
>
> This may be our problem here.
>
> At some point, at least 6 AM-midnight ET, FNR is going to
> have to use radio anchors only. Well, except for Shepard
> Smith's promotional appearance for FNC at 5 PM ET.
>
> I understand what they're trying to do, with getting their
> TV names on radio. But they'll have to get those names in
> the body of the newscast or promotionally, as those TV names
> should not be anchoring radio on a regular basis.
>
> (By in the body, I mean stuff like using sound from FNC TV
> interviews, crediting the TV show and the host, etc.)
>
> I have a feeling that they had to kind of rush things, and
> put more non-radio experienced people on than they would
> have liked. Ms. Brady, Ms. Carton et al. are examples that
> they CAN find and get experienced radio news folks

And Rich Johnson, Washington Correspondant and occasional anchor.

I'll try and do some FNR listening this week to put together a schedule.

I'm not sure how well I can get KVI where I am now, any one have links to a station that streams the casts?
 
> Though - I've heard some pretty awful talent on weekends on
> both AP and CNN.

Good point. CNN anchors almost always leave 3-12 seconds of music trailing out at the end of their first 2-min TOH cast.
 
I totally agree... Their timing is awful.... "Fox News Radio...... Fair.........and......wait for it..:58. wait for it..... :59 "Balanced"...

During one or two casts last night they didnt even use any sounders... They just turned on their mic and went at it... I would much rather have them record their newscasts, unless its a continuing coverage event.... ABC News was ALWAYS their when you potted them up, and ALWAYS ON TIME... DEPENDABLE!!!! Very few times did they mess up, but it happens to the best of us....

From what I've heard, speaking with News Anchors in other markets, they are disgusted with FOX News...

When the listeners here a reporter cut off in midsentence it sits in the back of their head.... And when they here it two or three more times they realize it...
 
They have been providing news updates to radio for some time now, albeit they now have a much increased schedule.

They announced their start up right about the time AP All News Radio announced they were shutting down. You'd think they would have had a substantial group of experienced radio people from which to draw.

Possibly, the people making the decisions are TV people. And some of the TV Ken and Barbie types look cute but can't talk (terrible voices, can't read news copy, mispronounce words all over the place). But the TV types think only cute matters (even though they do put TV audio on radio). Radio is an after-thought. Radio doesn't matter. And the TV suits are arrogant enought to think because they know TV, they know radio (even if they don't care about radio).

Add in the people who want to hire their friends. And the suits who make hiring decisions with their johnsons.

This sounds a lot like Air America, except even Fox Radio probably would not hire Wayne Gelman.

>
> At some point, at least 6 AM-midnight ET, FNR is going to
> have to use radio anchors only. Well, except for Shepard
> Smith's promotional appearance for FNC at 5 PM ET.
>
> I understand what they're trying to do, with getting their
> TV names on radio. But they'll have to get those names in
> the body of the newscast or promotionally, as those TV names
> should not be anchoring radio on a regular basis.
>
> (By in the body, I mean stuff like using sound from FNC TV
> interviews, crediting the TV show and the host, etc.)
>
> I have a feeling that they had to kind of rush things, and
> put more non-radio experienced people on than they would
> have liked. Ms. Brady, Ms. Carton et al. are examples that
> they CAN find and get experienced radio news folks.
>
> -OA
>
 
> This sounds a lot like Air America, except even Fox Radio
> probably would not hire Wayne Gelman.

AAR news sucks too. Heavily slanted story choice, little/no actualities, bizarre style by some of their announcers. I always flip at the top of the hour to something else.
 
> They announced their start up right about the time AP All
> News Radio announced they were shutting down. You'd think
> they would have had a substantial group of experienced radio
> people from which to draw.

AP did not lay off anyone when APANR died; they were reassigned. Although you'd think local talent could be pulled.
 
Local vs. National TOH/FNR

> Top CC stations, several in OA's area, have continued their
> local commitment to local news. At stations like WTAM, WTVN,
> WLW, and KFI in LA, et al, local anchors still deliver news
> 24/7. Different sounder and different correspondents for
> actualities... that's it. For CC, all that should matter is
> the imaging; otherwise, staying with ABC would have made
> more sense (aside from the spot inventory).

Very good point, but consider there are still many CC stations which carry the TOH product straight off the bird. Around my home area, that would include WTAM sister talk WHLO/Akron, which has never locally originated the main TOH cast. The local component, either from Akron/Canton-based Tom Duresky or off the WAN from 'TAM, starts after the FNR cast.

And then there's KFBK/Sacramento, a top-30 market CC news/talker which - according to reports - actually started doing local TOH casts for the first time ever because many there privately believed the FNR product to be shoddy. On the station's afternoon talk show podcast, it sounds like they went back to FNR live...but my guess is because they have been short staffed, and recently lost their long-time OM/PD.

You're right about the locally-originated stations...but there are still enough decent-sized CC stations that don't produce TOH locally for this to be a problem.

-OA<P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>
 
> I totally agree... Their timing is awful.... "Fox News
> Radio...... Fair.........and......wait for it..:58. wait for
> it..... :59 "Balanced"...

This reminds me of one ABC Information anchor, Joan Bennett.

I don't know if she's still with the Info net or not, but I used to have her on my shifts. It was always fun to see what she'd do at 04:57, when the anchor used to come on and say "For the ABC Information Network, I'm...".

There were times her pre-04:27 material was so short, she'd come on and do this:

"For the A..B...C.....Information....Network...(pause)...I'm....Joan...Bennett..."

But then, they switched to "(name), ABC News"...and when her timing was too CLOSE, in the other direction, you'd hear...

"(end of commercial)...Joanbennettabcnews". That quick. :D

The latter times, I'd almost injure a finger diving for the start button for our local news cart/computer mouse.

(She hasn't move to FNR, has she? ;)

-OA<P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>
 
> > I totally agree... Their timing is awful.... "Fox News
> > Radio...... Fair.........and......wait for it..:58. wait
> for
> > it..... :59 "Balanced"...
>
> This reminds me of one ABC Information anchor, Joan Bennett.
>
>
> I don't know if she's still with the Info net or not, but I
> used to have her on my shifts. It was always fun to see
> what she'd do at 04:57, when the anchor used to come on and
> say "For the ABC Information Network, I'm...".

Joan still is heard occasionally on the infonet. Most of her shifts are with the E-Net and on the third anchor position (60-second TOH). However, she can be heard alternating the weekend morning I-Net anchor position with Michael Barr and Liz White. Also, she fills in occasionally for Gil Gross on weekdays and Chuck Severtsen weekend evenings.

>
> There were times her pre-04:27 material was so short, she'd
> come on and do this:
>
> "For the
A..B...C.....> Information....Network...(pause)...I'm....Joan...Bennett..."
>

I've heard Marcia Salter do the same thing...

"I'm... Marcia... Salter......... ABC.... News."


> But then, they switched to "(name), ABC News"...and when her
> timing was too CLOSE, in the other direction, you'd hear...
>
> "(end of commercial)...Joanbennettabcnews". That quick. :D

Whenver I hear the full five minute cast of the I-net with Karen Chase (who is I think the best female anchor on the nets right now, period), she always has her final "I'm Karen Chase, ABC News" hacked up, cut off, or sent out in some other unintelligable form.
 
> > > Lisa Brady (afternoons PT) and Dave Anthony (overnights)
>
> > are
> > > radio only and pretty good.
> >
> > This may be our problem here.
> >
> > At some point, at least 6 AM-midnight ET, FNR is going to
> > have to use radio anchors only. Well, except for Shepard
> > Smith's promotional appearance for FNC at 5 PM ET.
> >
> > I understand what they're trying to do, with getting their
>
> > TV names on radio. But they'll have to get those names in
>
> > the body of the newscast or promotionally, as those TV
> names
> > should not be anchoring radio on a regular basis.
> >
> > (By in the body, I mean stuff like using sound from FNC TV
>
> > interviews, crediting the TV show and the host, etc.)
> >
> > I have a feeling that they had to kind of rush things, and
>
> > put more non-radio experienced people on than they would
> > have liked. Ms. Brady, Ms. Carton et al. are examples
> that
> > they CAN find and get experienced radio news folks
>
> And Rich Johnson, Washington Correspondant and occasional
> anchor.
>
> I'll try and do some FNR listening this week to put together
> a schedule.
>
> I'm not sure how well I can get KVI where I am now, any one
> have links to a station that streams the casts?
>


www.wjbo.com

Though the best chance to hear the full 5 minute newscast is nights starting at 8p central, then overnights and weekends. Most of the time, they carry only the first two minutes.
 
Re: Local vs. National TOH/FNR

WHO, Des Moines would be one..at least weekend evenings. Their local headlines start after the Fox cast.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom