I think it is very insulting that WHEC-TV would refer Robin DeWind as the sports director on air when they never did that for Mark Gruba or even Rich Funke! Why would they refer that to someone who doesn't have any credibility in sports period?! Three months ago, she was the medical reporter, now all of a sudden she's referred on air as the "Sports Director?" Pleeeease! I am not respecting her as a sports personality, and I hope she doesn't get over with the viewers so they can kick her off and go another direction. I hope Brett Stagnetti leaves that station, because they passed him over and has more sports knowledge than Mrs. DeWind. I am sure he is pissed off at the whole situation. I wonder how someone with no sports background get to be the "Sports Director." [EDIT-inflammatory content]
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"Sports Director" Robin DeWind?!
- Thread starter newscool
- Start date
newscool said:
I find your last comment to be insulting not only to a long-time friend of mine, but to women in general.
[EDIT-reference to edited content]
If you are that upset that Robin DeWind was made Sports Director at WHEC, then contact the General Manager of the station and complain to him. But don't besmirch someone's personal reputation by getting on this, or any other board and make
unsubstantiated statements.
Mark_Giardina said:
It has nothing to do with women getting ahead, in fact, I would like to see more women anchor sports. It is that Mrs. Dewind is not sports material.
Can you blame me for spectulating that?! Why would they fire a real sports guy like Mark Gruba and replace him with a medical reporter?!
And I did email the GM of the station on more than one occasion since the change took place. The coward never responded!
Mark_Giardina said:
Like I said, Robin DeWind has a reputation in Rochester an an anchor woman. Nobody in Rochester is going to take her seriously as a sports anchor, at least I am not. So it does look like she got in good with someone at channel 10 to land that position. It looks to me like they did away with medical reporting and handed her a job doing something else because they wanted her to stay on. They could have bumped her back in the field of reporting. Because I am going to tell you straight up.......that was the dumbest move channel 10 ever did in all my years as a viewer!
Anyway, we are drifting away from the point. Why refer her on air as the sports director when they never did that for Gruba or Rich Funke, the man that built sports on WHEC?! Why are they kissing her ass all of a sudden?! She is nobody special!
I'm glad to see that the moderators of this board deleted the reference implying that the only reason Ms. DeWind became sports director was because she had to sleep with someone at the TV station in order to get promoted. That statement had to be one of the most biased and sexist comment I've read on this board in a very long time. With an attitude like that it's no wonder Newscool never got a response from Channel 10's station manager.
NewsCOOL = NewsTOOL
They made her the sports director probably to create "buzz"...To get people to notice something different, to sample their newscasts, to bring viewers "in the door", since thier ratings have been slipping lately...Everyone (up to now) has had a male sports director. A female in that position is different, bold, all that.
And they refer to her as Sports Director on the air to reinforce the change, to brand her as "the one in charge".
Such a Magid move. Be glad they didn't cut down the sports 'cast to little (or nothing). Magid HATES local sports.
And they refer to her as Sports Director on the air to reinforce the change, to brand her as "the one in charge".
Such a Magid move. Be glad they didn't cut down the sports 'cast to little (or nothing). Magid HATES local sports.
oldschooler1 said:
So in other words you are saying that DeWind is just "window dressing" and that 10 could give a rats-a$$ about local sports? I thought they did a decent job with sports, especially when Funke ran the department.
"Rubbing it in" isn't the phrase to use; they're branding her, reinforcing her image as sports director to the viewers, not to themselves. It reminds viewers that she is not just filling in at the sports desk, but is the real deal.
It's reinforcement. Same thing as always saying "News 10 NBC" rather than just "channel 10 news".
And no, I wasn't saying that 10 doesn't give a rats-butt about local sports and just about window dressing. I mean, c'mon, she's a known figure in Rochester TV. It might actually mean they care a LOT about their sports, enough to try to boost it up with someone more "comely" than your typical male anchor.
However, that said, they're still down to just a 2-person sports department, right? How do you cover Bills and HS football and everything else with just 2 people (not counting the photogs who go out and shoot all the games)?
It's reinforcement. Same thing as always saying "News 10 NBC" rather than just "channel 10 news".
And no, I wasn't saying that 10 doesn't give a rats-butt about local sports and just about window dressing. I mean, c'mon, she's a known figure in Rochester TV. It might actually mean they care a LOT about their sports, enough to try to boost it up with someone more "comely" than your typical male anchor.
However, that said, they're still down to just a 2-person sports department, right? How do you cover Bills and HS football and everything else with just 2 people (not counting the photogs who go out and shoot all the games)?
oldschooler1 said:
Very easy. They take footage from NBC, or another network, of any Bills games that are carried edit them down and do a voice-over.
As for HS football; just give the scores. Either that or they can tap into their large news staff and have some of them do double-duty reporting on a few key local games. Let's be honest here. Unless your kid or grandkid is playing for a HS team, which means it's very likely you would be attending those games personally. What other viewer, say in Victor, is interested if West Irondequoit wins? Also remember there are a number of interns who would give their right arm to work at a local television station. Send the interns out to videotape local games.
The Voice of Reason said:
Guess we're not talking a union shop here, huh?
Where's NewsTool? Show yourself!
SirRoxalot said:
10 is a union shop, but how many talented people have been let go over the years. Where was the union then?
From what I understand there is a clause where management can get rid of one, perhaps two, on-air people a year without worrying about repercussions from the union.
Unions have no real power in broadcasting anymore.
Shop Rules
Unions may not be able to stop elimination of positions by technology, but they can certainly stop interns from shooting or editing video for air.
I wouldn't be the least surprised to see them send videographers out to shoot local games without a reporter, then had the reporter VO the footage during the sportscast. Hopefully, they'll grab a program so they can at least identify the players correctly.
Unions may not be able to stop elimination of positions by technology, but they can certainly stop interns from shooting or editing video for air.
I wouldn't be the least surprised to see them send videographers out to shoot local games without a reporter, then had the reporter VO the footage during the sportscast. Hopefully, they'll grab a program so they can at least identify the players correctly.
R
rocktv
Guest
The debate should not be about Robin. She is a talented broadcaster and she had no choice in the matter.
The debate should be about the future of local TV sports.
The debate should be about the future of local TV sports.
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