KXAS Botched Demonstration

[SmokeRing]

Was anyone watching KXAS's 10 p.m. newscast last night?

They were trying to demonstrate how much water could be wasted in 15-seconds. So they went live (live, I tell you) to the, err, KXAS kitchen sink, where the viewer was shown a close-up of a plastic milk jug under a faucet. A clock appeared on the screen, and it began counting down from 15-seconds. But no one turned on the water. When the clock reached like twelve or eleven seconds, a guy's hand shot into view and turned on the faucet. Then, when the clock reached zero, Mike Snyder started to ask for the the contents of the jug to be shown to the camera (most of the jug was out of view within the sink). But the owner of the previously mentioned hand spazzed out and jerked the jug out of the sink and started dumping the water right back out of the jug!

Snyder was stuck trying to narrate a scene that made absolutely no sense. Very funny.

 

[nuzguy]

Many things that involve Snyder make no sense, anyway. No loss, except for wasted airtime. That's live TV for you.

 

[jd]

Many things that involve Snyder make no sense, anyway. No loss, except for wasted airtime. That's live TV for you.

He's D/FW's classic "Ted Baxter" type! Snyder is the same as when he started many years ago; he's always been a bore and takes himself much too seriously. Fact is, I'd rather watch Channel 8 on its worst day than turn on KXAS for news.

 

[nuzguy]

Good observation. Reminds one of John Chancellor's comment in the opening chapter of "The News Business." It's OK to take your work seriously but give yourself some personal room (don't allow it to be all about you and you alone). Good reading for Snyder. He's always had this facial expression of gloom and doom. Edwin Newman of NBC had the same demeanor but he could afford it. Snyder can't and he should loosen up. (But he won't.)

 

[bhayes1016]

Yes, but Snyder is the only DFW news anchor whose voice is heard on a Queensryche album. ;D

 

[Slambang]

Really, which album?

 

[formeraa]

Mike and Jane may not be the best anchor team in town (personally I liked Brad and Alyce), but I loved the JAM 5 night a week promo from the mid-90's.

 

[bhayes1016]

Really, which album?

Operation Mindcrime...he's the voice of a news anchor on one of the tracks. He (and KXAS) are mentioned in the liner notes.

 

[JayDavis]

He is an a**hole !!

I have a friend who used to teach at a school where is kid's attend.
He is a total jerk according to her and many of the other staff at the school.

KXAS just sucks !!

 

[Slambang]

Mike Snyder, from the way I understand, is alot like Ron Burgandy from Anchorman: Brash, pompous and self righteous. Too bad we dont have a Robert Hadlock(KXAN 36 - Austin) filling in the shoes at 6 and 10 in this market(why we still have 4 and 5p newscast when noone watches). Why he hasnt moved into a top 10 market is beyond me. That guy is a total class act both inside and outside the newsroom.

 

[klifhanger]

Mikes days at KLIF in 1977 were interesting. He wore sunglasses at night,(before the song of the same in 1983). When they were "lifting" the dome of the soon to be completed reunion Tower in Dallas, he begged the station manager for live coverage..ON THE AIR BUT ON RADIO!1 He was there on the scene,with officer Charlie Deaton in the KLIF copter,a reporter named Rick closeby,plus an anchor at the studio describing the lifting of the dome ball. The funny thing is Mike was coaching everyone what to say over the 2 way so (quote) ' WE CAN WIN
AN AWARD". Gues what? They didn't. Mike also owned a skateboard park,and had all the KLIF personalities do a remote from there. The park closed after a year.

 

[Slambang]

Now, those are the kind of great broadcasting stories I like to hear Plus, imagining snyder riding on a skateboard ala "Dogtown" brings a chuckle as well.