John Farley to leave NBC Bay Area

[Newschannel4SF]

It was announced that John Farley would be leaving KNTV here in the Bay Area. John has done the weather for the past 13 years and also was weather producer for KRON-TV in San Francisco. This is a tragic loss for KNTV we just wonder if this is one of several moves that NBC plans to make to outsource their weather, sports and who knows what else?????

 

[LKellerIII]

It was announced that John Farley would be leaving KNTV here in the Bay Area. John has done the weather for the past 13 years and also was weather producer for KRON-TV in San Francisco. This is a tragic loss for KNTV we just wonder if this is one of several moves that NBC plans to make to outsource their weather, sports and who knows what else?????

I'm curious what you mean by "outsourcing." I'm not doubting you, just trying to figure out how they would outsource this kind of reporting: have meteorologists and sports anchors in some central place (KNBC?) providing taped reports for multiple O&Os and affiliates?) They would have to be locally oriented for each market, or there would be a backlash from viewers. You wouldn't have these reporters on the news set, and it would lose something by being on tape.

In this current TV news world, everything has to be "LIVE" to a ridiculous degree - like sending a reporter out on the street at 11:00 at night just to introduce tape he shot at 3:00 in the afternoon. It's hard to imagine that viewers would like outsourced - and presumably taped - sports and weather reports.

 

[Newschannel4SF]

It was mentioned that the NBC Weather Channel may be taking over the weather duties of the O&O stations since the Weather Channel is part of the NBC Universal family. Outsourcing may not be an appropriate term to use although Comcast Sports maybe doing the O&O Sports. There was a meeting in New York recently discussing this as a possibility.

 

[1069_KIFR]

If that is the case, then wouldn't the entire weather team exit not just John Farley?

 

[LKellerIII]

It was mentioned that the NBC Weather Channel may be taking over the weather duties of the O&O stations since the Weather Channel is part of the NBC Universal family. Outsourcing may not be an appropriate term to use although Comcast Sports maybe doing the O&O Sports. There was a meeting in New York recently discussing this as a possibility.

OK - that makes sense - If a Weather Channel meteorologist was doing the report live with a local Bay Area perspective, the only difference is that s/he wouldn't be in the KNTV studios. - I don't see a big difference, though it's certainly too bad that local talent have to lose their jobs.

 

[djj]

I'm curious what you mean by "outsourcing." I'm not doubting you, just trying to figure out how they would outsource this kind of reporting: have meteorologists and sports anchors in some central place (KNBC?) providing taped reports for multiple O&Os and affiliates?) They would have to be locally oriented for each market, or there would be a backlash from viewers. You wouldn't have these reporters on the news set, and it would lose something by being on tape.

In this current TV news world, everything has to be "LIVE" to a ridiculous degree - like sending a reporter out on the street at 11:00 at night just to introduce tape he shot at 3:00 in the afternoon. It's hard to imagine that viewers would like outsourced - and presumably taped - sports and weather reports.

I agree - being "live" adds to a gnuscast...but, once again, the bottom line rears its ugly head...

As I recall, when weather vet Pete Giddings left KOLO-TV, Reno, to work in Monterey a few years back, it seems
like he also did "drop-in" weather forecasts for KFTY 50 in Santa Rosa, then a Cheap Channel-owned station.
I remember seeing Pete at least once when my TV dial landed on KFTY...it was weird!

I heard Giddings left to go back to Reno, but since 2007 has opened his own website, and may be living in the
Bay Area...

Perhaps John Farley, a true bright spot for KNTV's gnuscasts, should consider starting a website, also
(and, no, the John E. Farley weather website is NOT maintained by the KNTV Farley, but an older fella
with the same last first and name)...
--jay

 

[1069_KIFR]

Or do like other do...get a position in another market.

 

[JackBauer112]

I'm curious what you mean by "outsourcing." I'm not doubting you, just trying to figure out how they would outsource this kind of reporting: have meteorologists and sports anchors in some central place (KNBC?) providing taped reports for multiple O&Os and affiliates?) They would have to be locally oriented for each market, or there would be a backlash from viewers. You wouldn't have these reporters on the news set, and it would lose something by being on tape.

In this current TV news world, everything has to be "LIVE" to a ridiculous degree - like sending a reporter out on the street at 11:00 at night just to introduce tape he shot at 3:00 in the afternoon. It's hard to imagine that viewers would like outsourced - and presumably taped - sports and weather reports.

I agree - being "live" adds to a gnuscast...but, once again, the bottom line rears its ugly head...

As I recall, when weather vet Pete Giddings left KOLO-TV, Reno, to work in Monterey a few years back, it seems
like he also did "drop-in" weather forecasts for KFTY 50 in Santa Rosa, then a Cheap Channel-owned station.
I remember seeing Pete at least once when my TV dial landed on KFTY...it was weird!

I heard Giddings left to go back to Reno, but since 2007 has opened his own website, and may be living in the
Bay Area...

Perhaps John Farley, a true bright spot for KNTV's gnuscasts, should consider starting a website, also
(and, no, the John E. Farley weather website is NOT maintained by the KNTV Farley, but an older fella
with the same last first and name)...
--jay

John Farley was one of the best weather anchors they had. I will truly miss him. To answer you question, Pete Giddings was at KION-TV starting in the fall of 2003 and lasted until 2007. He never reported for KFTY-TV in Santa Rosa. That was Brent Alan. John Farley started out anchoring mornings at KNTV in March of 1996 and then took over the Chief Meteorologist position after Chris Donohoe left in 1998 for freelancing at KTVU. John has been with the station during the transition period from ABC/WB in 2000 and WB/NBC in 2001/2002. So it's really sad to see such a good weather anchor whom I met at the living well expo in San Jose in 2007. I even took some photos of him during that time. I was shocked when Shannon O'Donnell lef tin November 2007 (She's been at KING/KONG-TV and NWCN from 2007-2009 but she's now freelancing weather anchor at KOMO 4 ABC in Seattle) He also gave back to the community and I'm so happy that he will get a new direction. Good luck John.

 

[Newschannel4SF]

Weather from LA on Sunday night

NBC Bay Area Weather was done from LA this past Sunday evening. I happen to watch the 11PM newscast and noticed this weather person I've never seen before. There was an article about it this morning in a San Francisco newspaper. I think the long range plans are to hub all the O&O weather reports from the new Weather Channel. This I would imagine present a problem when certain weather emergencies happen.

 

[1069_KIFR]

No problem if there is a weather emergency. Simply put it on a script, slap it on the teleprompter and the on-air anchor simply reads it as they roll b-roll.