Network morning shows relevant?

[searadiofreak]

This has probably been covered in other threads, but is it just me, or do the Good Morning America, Today, and whatever CBS is calling its morning show these days, seem like a major waste of airtime?

Especially when on the west coast you are watching a program taped three hours earlier. The weather segments are gawd-awful, and the "let's make a deal" audience members in the background make me want to spit up my morning coffee.

There must be some audience for these shows, but I just don't get it. And it seems the cable networks are trying to do similar style shows, albiet (thankfully) without the obnoxious outdoor studio audience.

Meredith Viera is refreshing, but the chemistry with Matt is awkward and strained.

OK, so why do I watch? Hopefully to get some info on what may have happened overnight, but rarely do I get that. Instead, tips on how to do low-fat stir-fry and the latest musical act trying to hawk their latest release.

In my time zone, I end up switching to re-runs of Frasier and Will & Grace. Sad that these are more compelling than the big 3.

 

[marko83]

I've always wondered what it would be like to have a network morning show from 5-7 and a local show from 7-9. Makes more sense to me.

 

[Tim-In-Houston]

I agree with some of what you are saying. The morning shows 10 years, or heck, 5 years ago were much more news-oriented than they seem today. And there used to be a certain relative order to the shows: 7:00am was devoted to news, 7:30am was devoted more magazine type reports such as money, health, maybe breaking news. 8:00am went even softer, depending on the news of the day, toward entertainment reports, etc. and the 8:30am was the softest with musical guests, cooking segments and the like.

But somewhere along the way it changed to where you're just as likely to see a cooking segment in the second half-hour as the last half-hour and an entertainment report in the first half as the 8am half.

What bothers me most, though, is the sheer number of commercials (this is especially bad on GMA, though I don't watch CBS or NBC enough to know if they are similar). Almost every day, GMA has a three or four minute commercial block at the bottom of the hour before the local station cut-in. Is ABC still over-promising eyeballs to their advertisers and having to "make-good" by running extra commercials for a reduced price?

But I think the morning shows are still relavant - at least for those of us on the east coast (west coast is a different story and I understand why they are increasingly less relevant because of the time difference).

 

[formeraa]

Today goes commercial free until 7:21am, goes to commercials, comes back with a 15 second tease, and then goes to more commercials. The local news break starts at 7:26am.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

The local morning shows in my city look and sound like they were designed by the same consultant. You have a male/female anchor, the happy-go-lucky weather person, and the sports guy giving you scores from the previous evening. Then they have the “happy talk” reporter out in the field covering some fluff story. With the continuing demise of local radio and now this so-called Entertainment Tonight news on TV, it’s no wonder that I use the internet to get my news, weather and sports scores. The electronic media is slowly killing itself.

 

[easttxtv]

From what I've read about the DFW market in the last several months (and probably longer than that), the local Fox station's morning show (Good Day, on KDFW/4) beats the big 3's shows more often than not, so Nielsen at least gives the popularity/relevance nod to Ch.4 .... whether those of us without diaries/boxes are really doing the same thing or not is probably another story in itself.

Another aspect to all this is the larger markets are seeing longer and LONGER morning/afternoon commutes, and some may have to leave for work long before any of the perky patrol get to the studio to do their thing on the air. I'm a reverse commuter in both timing and direction (11p-7a) so I end up missing all the festivities (news, sports, weather, primetime, and morning shows included).

 

[imhomerjay]

I, for one, still find the first half hour of the morning shows relevant. I typically watch 30-60 minutes of the local news in the morning while I walk on the treadmill--a good chance to get the local headlines and weather/traffic that might impact my commute. As I get ready to leave the house at 7:30, the first segment of GMA is on, and I enjoy the fact that the first half hour is mostly devoted to a handful of the major news stories of the day--there's no cooking, no concerts, etc. Yes, sometimes I disagree with the story selection (a la Anna Nicole), but those are the exceptions, not the rule.

It's true that there's an unusually long commercial break before the local 7:25 cut-in, but that's because it's the only commercial break in the half hour, which works fine for me. I'd rather have them bunched up than disrupt the flow of the show.

On the mornings I'm off and watch more of the show, it still follows the flow from harder to softer over the show; and haven't seen a major change in that structure over the years.

I'm just one viewer though--as peoples' schedules change, and with an ever-increasing number of places people can turn for news, the morning shows will need to continue evolving to capture the interests of those who are home to watch them.

 

[toby]

I find myself watching Good Day New York or the CW 11 Morning News.
Why?
I don't have to wait until the bottom of the half hours for local news/weather and see if the subway is running.

 

[Al Timiter]

Base on what I see, network morning shows are drifting dangersously toward obsolesence. In trying to be all things to all people, they please no one. I don't know if they still do it, but the Columbus Oh CBS affiliate used to do their own 7-8 hour, then use only small portions of the early show from 8-9. I really liked that. Don't know if they're still doing it, though. CBS probably uses heavy-handed tactics to get the affiliates to clear all their shows. I agree with one of the previous posts that the outdoor studio audiences are obnoxious. The hosts screaming to be heard over the screaming crowds...and they break for a local weather quickie and the screams end abruptly and then begin abruptly at the re-join. It's awful television. P-U..Puke!!

 

[bpatrick]

If WBNS is still carrying just the second hour of
The Early Show, it's not alone. WLKY Louisville
and WTVF Nashville do the same thing, using 7-8
for local news.

WFMY Greensboro, NC and WTOC Savannah, GA
carry both hours of The Early Show--from 8-10 AM.
WFMY has its local Good Morning Show from 5-8 AM.

Indeed, in the Triad, WGHP's FOX8 Morning News has
been cutting into everyone else's ratings for several
years (in its heyday, when now-retired Lee Kinard was
hosting the Good Morning Show, Today and Good Morning
America didn't stand a chance); since he retired, a lot of
the momentum has switched from Channel 2 to Channel 8
(which used to carry Good Morning America and started
its own newscast when it became a Fox o&o). At least in
these parts, viewers like their local news shows over the
networks' in the morning.

 

[clichemoth]

Do Fox O&O local morning newscasts generally outperform the national stuff on the other networks? That is the case in Birmingham as well. I'm guessing that's why they haven't attempted a morning show since that mess with Tom Bergeron and the puppet.

And why are they wasting good potential infomercial or M*A*S*H rerun airtime on Mike and Juliet? I actually like them on FNC, but damn, their network show is awful. At least they'll never be promoted to 7aE/6aC.

 

[Markxxx]

Morning shows go back to the "coffee clutches" of the 50s. They succeed because this is what the women (their main audience) wants.

Let's look at "The View," if ever there was a pointless show this is it. This is just four women saying what is on their minds. WHO CARES????

What makes anything these ladies say have any value? But they are entertaining so they stay on.

I live in Chicago with crime all over yet we almost never hear more than one crime in each newscast. While we have segment after segment of light news. Cause this is what pulls people in. Sure as a resident I'd rather know if a robber is in my section of Chicago, but that isn't going to bring anyone in.

The popularity of YouTube attests to the fact people will watch anything if there is enough product. It goes back to the days of Vaudeville. The secret of Vaudeville was their were eight acts. Most of these shows didn't appeal to everyone but there was enough in those eight acts to satisfy everyone who came to the show.

 

[searadiofreak]

When I started this thread, I failed to mention that due to my schedule I tend to catch the 2nd hour of the network morning shows. If they are indeed "fluffier" in the 2nd hour, perhaps that is what is driving my dissatisfaction. But if I hear one more "here's what's happening in your neck of the woods...", followed by the local anchor starting with, "well, here in our neck of the woods..." I'm going to throw my egg mcmuffin at my tv. And why, oh why, do people feel compelled to bring 10-foot banners saying hi to grandma in Tulsa that may or may not be seen by grandma in Tulsa who may or may not be watching? Has network tv simply gone insane? (rhetorical)

 

[MarcB]

Here in Hartford, WFSB the Merideth owned CBS station runs local news 5AM-8AM. There's a cut to The Early Show (including network Commercials) 7:15-7:25. The Local News Continues 7:25-7:45. Then back to the Early Show 7:45-7:55. Meanwhile, our LIN TV owned ABC station WTNH has local news 5AM-7AM. And then it runs a local newscast 7AM-8AM on co-owned MY TV 59.

 

[Morgan Wick]

When I started this thread, I failed to mention that due to my schedule I tend to catch the 2nd hour of the network morning shows. If they are indeed "fluffier" in the 2nd hour, perhaps that is what is driving my dissatisfaction. But if I hear one more "here's what's happening in your neck of the woods...", followed by the local anchor starting with, "well, here in our neck of the woods..." I'm going to throw my egg mcmuffin at my tv. And why, oh why, do people feel compelled to bring 10-foot banners saying hi to grandma in Tulsa that may or may not be seen by grandma in Tulsa who may or may not be watching? Has network tv simply gone insane? (rhetorical)

Where do you live? I've watched "Today" from time to time, such as on Katie's last day, and our weather guys (on KING Seattle) don't seem to be that cheezy. For some reason, that sounds like something an O&O would do.

 

[searadiofreak]

That's funny you say "that sounds like something an O&O would do". Indeed! The morning weather guy on NBC-5 Chicago uses it almost every morning! It just ain't funny, nor slightly amusing. But what really irritates me is when they cut back to network, it's as if the home team had just scored the last second bucket to win the game. Again, my question is simply, WHY? Or perhaps I'm just out of touch with the reality of what TV has become.

 

[Al Timiter]

Your descriptions are priceless! and I totally agree with your assessment of what morning television has become...a bunch of cheesy "game show" type hosts trying to be clever...doing two minute interviews on subjects that clearly need more depth, pandering to the audience. I join you in throwing my egg mcmuffin as well...where's elvis when you need him? He shot his set.....

 

[toby]

There have been some mornings when Chris Cimino fills in on Today when he throws the weather to himself doing a v/o on tape over weather maps and graphics which is pretty seamless, but that is the only time that it tends to be.

 

[JeeperOne]

Hi everyone:

I find myself watching Good Day New York or the CW 11 Morning News.
Why?
I don't have to wait until the bottom of the half hours for local news/weather and see if the subway is running.

If I'm up early enough and want to watch the morning news, I'd MUCH prefer to watch Good Day Colorado on KDVR 31 (Via The TV of course ).

Why?

To avoid the canned newscasts that the network morning shows produce.

When I'm not watching GDC (Which is rare), I'm watching 9NEWS 7:00 AM on KTVD 20 (KUSA 9's produced newscast for sister station KTVD 20).

I don't watch KWGN 2 for news (Too bland).

Cheers

 

[JeeperOne]

Hi everyone:

shows. I agree with one of the previous posts that the outdoor studio audiences are obnoxious. The hosts screaming to be heard over the screaming crowds...and they break for a local weather quickie and the screams end abruptly and then begin abruptly at the re-join. It's awful television. P-U..Puke!!

FOX & Friends on FNC does so well when they have the hosts INSIDE, but yet still have a view of the crowd gathering outside.

But when you get the hosts OUTSIDE and you've got a production nightmare.

JMO...

Cheers