Sunday TODAY is unwatchable if you're a guy

[OldNumber7]

Here's this morning's lineup on TODAY (Sun. Jan 22, 2012), at 8:30 a.m.:
Report on possible whereabouts of Casey Anthony (she wasn't found)
Report on British Royal couple vacation
Interview with unbeaten girl's high school basketball team
"Week in the Buzz" segment -- Heidi Klum's marital woes, Obama sings at fundraiser
Report on synchronized swimming (Jenna tries it out!)

...What I don't understand:
1) Does Today think the whole country is 22 year-old women? Are there that many 22 year-old women even watching TV at 8:30 on a Sunday morning?
2) How does Lester Holt go to work without killing himself?
I'm a guy, 50, and I have to find something else to watch.

 

[KeithE4]

Because 22-year-old women are part of the Sacred Sales DemoTM. 50-year-old guys will soon be leaving it. The Today Show is geared mostly to women and has been for 60 years.

Wait until this afternoon (late morning in the west) when we'll have hockey on NBC, followed by football on CBS and Fox. Plus, there'll be college hoops all day on the cable channels. Plenty of stuff for middle-aged guys like us. ;D

 

[kenglish]

Grab yourself a FTA Satellite dish, and look around. Soccer, hockey, REAL news, etc.

(A few years ago, I'd have recommended listening to shortwave radio, but the good stuff...the real BROADCAST stuff, has all gone away, replaced by preachers.)

 

[Mario500]

1) Does Today think the whole country is 22 year-old women? Are there that many 22 year-old women even watching TV at 8:30 on a Sunday morning?

You did not have to narrow your question to one group of persons of the same age (why 22 anyway?). If you want to see a news program on Sunday mornings that would appeal to folks of many ages, I would suggest "CBS News Sunday Morning" as an alternative to "Today", even though they are usually broadcast at different times.

 

[KeithE4]

Grab yourself a FTA Satellite dish, and look around. Soccer, hockey, REAL news, etc.

Some of us live in apartments. 10-foot dishes don't fit on balconies. ;D

(A few years ago, I'd have recommended listening to shortwave radio, but the good stuff...the real BROADCAST stuff, has all gone away, replaced by preachers.)

They're available online, and they haven't quit broadcasting to Africa and Asia yet. Some of those broadcasts are audible on this side of the pond. But as a general rule, shortwave broadcasting in the Western Hemisphere is pretty much dead, save for the religious broadcasters, Cuba, and a few others relayed via North American relays (CBC, R. Havana, WRMI).

 

[bpatrick]

I think there may have been a little sarcasm in the statement
about "22-year-old women"; it might be more accurate to say
"18-34-year-old women," which is a legitimate demo group.

I also think "Sunday Morning" would have more appeal to us
over-50 males. I know my dad, who turns 79 next month,
watches it while he's getting dressed to go to church.

 

[OldNumber7]

I think there may have been a little sarcasm in the statement
about "22-year-old women"; it might be more accurate to say
"18-34-year-old women," which is a legitimate demo group.

I also think "Sunday Morning" would have more appeal to us
over-50 males. I know my dad, who turns 79 next month,
watches it while he's getting dressed to go to church.

Yes, I was using a little hyperbole to make a point about the feminization of the Today show.
And yes, CBS "Sunday Morning" is more gender neutral and mature, and I enjoy it. But it doesn't come on until 9 Eastern.

 

[PTBoardOp94]

Lester Holt has a tough job, doing both Weekend Today and Nightly News. Whether they do it as a split shift or just one really long shift, that has to be dreadful.

 

[mgsports]

I bet they has Joe Pal Dead as a Top Story because ESPN/BTN so on they did.

 

[TheRob]

Women 25-54 are the demographic for all morning television.

We will sometimes select news stories based on the demographic of the prime time lead-in.

 

[rageradio]

That Hoda/Kathy Lee cackling hen show is pretty rough too. Did we really need that extra hour of Today?

 

[1069_KIFR]

There are more channels than NBC and CBS.

But Saturday and Sunday's are very boring in the morning
anyway.

 

[formeraa]

Lester Holt has a tough job, doing both Weekend Today and Nightly News. Whether they do it as a split shift or just one really long shift, that has to be dreadful.

Particularly when one of the mornings is with that dreadful Jenna Wolfe, who does her best to be as irritating as possible! But, Lester has been in the news business for many years. He earned his way up the ladder and understands what he can control and what he can't.

Sunday Today is really not watchable. I generally watch Meet The Press and our local show here in Phoenix, Good Morning Arizona.

 

[BlueWanderer]

Lester Holt has a tough job, doing both Weekend Today and Nightly News. Whether they do it as a split shift or just one really long shift, that has to be dreadful.

Personally, I like Lester Holt's style a lot more than Brian Williams. He doesn't come off as being smug like Williams does.

I would pay attention to NBC News programs more often if it weren't for the MSNBC crossovers. I don't want to be reminded of a cable news channel that features hipster wannabes and race-baiters on its line-up.

 

[kenglish]

Grab yourself a FTA Satellite dish, and look around. Soccer, hockey, REAL news, etc.

Some of us live in apartments. 10-foot dishes don't fit on balconies. ;D

(A few years ago, I'd have recommended listening to shortwave radio, but the good stuff...the real BROADCAST stuff, has all gone away, replaced by preachers.)

They're available online, and they haven't quit broadcasting to Africa and Asia yet. Some of those broadcasts are audible on this side of the pond. But as a general rule, shortwave broadcasting in the Western Hemisphere is pretty much dead, save for the religious broadcasters, Cuba, and a few others relayed via North American relays (CBC, R. Havana, WRMI).

I live in an apartment, too. A 34-inch (0.85 meter) dish fits OK. Of course, the landlord didn't like the 55-foot long-wire antenna for radio....and, the FCC OTARD Laws don't feel radio is worth saving anyway (unless it's satellite radio or internet).
Go figure!

 

[landtuna]

Yes, I was using a little hyperbole to make a point about the feminization of the Today show.
And yes, CBS "Sunday Morning" is more gender neutral and mature, and I enjoy it. But it doesn't come on until 9 Eastern.

"CBS Sunday Morning" is also not a news show. It is more special features and highly Noo Yawk centric.

Our local C(BS) station switched it's starting time to 7AM so as not to interfere with whatever sports were coming up later. I suspect many former viewers like myself do not get up early to watch it any longer. Personally, with the occasional exception of interviewing someone interesting, most of it is fluff and estrogen-based.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

Our local C(BS) station switched it's starting time to 7AM so as not to interfere with whatever
sports were coming up later.

Well, 7 AM MT is the live network feed (9 AM ET), at least until mid-March.

 

[Darth_vader]

"I live in an apartment, too. A 34-inch (0.85 meter) dish fits OK."

Yeah, who says your dish has to be a tenner? I, too, have used a threefer on my apartment balcony for years and it works just fine! (Even on C-band, which historically has been dodgy. Moving to a different flat a couple weeks ago seems to have helped.)

F.Y.I., TODAY is unwatchable if you're a guy, period. That's why I usually read the newspaper.

 

[landtuna]

Our local C(BS) station switched it's starting time to 7AM so as not to interfere with whatever
sports were coming up later.

Well, 7 AM MT is the live network feed (9 AM ET), at least until mid-March.

The station GM told me it was going to be 7AM from now on. It used to switch times depending upon the start of the Sunday sports schedule. The Sunday politico tawk show that used to follow was also jerked around and sometimes would move from 9:30AM to 5ish PM or thereabouts.

I don't know if viewers complained about the constantly changing times or whether the station got tired of altering their schedule. Whatever, I used to like watching it live while eating Sunday breakfast but their subject matter isn't compelling enough to get me to DVR it. Too bad, as it is a well-produced show.

 

[FreddyE1977]

Obama sings at fundraiser
.

I did catch that bit. He did quite a nice job with the Rev. Al Green tune.
Perhaps he missed his calling...