Oregon Media Insiders

Anyone who is plugged in can't spell 'TV.' Nevermind 'IQ.'

... sake of a wha' ? ...

Wait a sec, I read about this guy in the paper:
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/28694

When I moved, I put off getting cable or a dish for a couple weeks, then I realized I was actually better informed now that I didn't have CNN on all the time. I was getting more substantive stuff online and on NPR, and I could watch some of my favorite shows online. I'm down to just a handful of shows that I watch, all online. The TV is rarely on now. Lately, I've caught a few shows that I remember enjoying and have wondered why I liked such crap. I think some of those annoying no-TV people may have a point.

It's not their 6 am KGW is worried about. It is their 11pm. Because CBS is doing so well KOIN has come up in their 11's, but if you don't do anything else, check out the tune out factor in the numbers between 10:30 and 11 pm. There are a hell of a lot of people watching CBS then flipping off KOIN's news at 11. It's amazing. If I were KOIN I would not be celebrating their 11 numbers. The tune out factor is incredible and should tell them they got big problems!!!! Still KGW is ahead of KOIN at 11. I'd like to see how KOIN would do if they were in KGW's place with low lead ins. KOIN would get sucky numbers just like their other shows.
KOIN's morning show is like watching a newscast from the 80's in slow motion. Do they even realize how much they suck? Does anybody at that place even look to see how other stations are doing newscasts? It's laughable. The last crew they had in there was better. I really liked that Aussie traffic reporter they had and that goofy weather lady, Sandra, (not sure), that no one else seemed to like. At least they were interesting then.
The morning ratings numbers listed above are about what I have seen, lots of ups and downs, but KGW and Fox have little to worry about. KATU has been looking better the past few months in the AM. Good for them! But for now, K-2 and KOIN arent' a threat.
Fox has their ups and downs at 10PM but they are still doing well and sometimes beating some of the others at 11PM.
At noon KGW seems to be doing a lot better since they went back to their hour newscast, usually getting 3 or more. KATU usually finishes second followed closely by KOIN. What's laughable is that Perry Mason on Fox occasionally beats KOIN and KATU at noon. How sad is that!

You're telling me Oprah doesn't help KGW's 5pm show?

Yes, she does. But even if Oprah wasn't on before KGW's 5 they would still do better than everybody else. their news Draws! Just look at some of their other numbers, like their noon! Regis and Kelly suck! But KGW usually wins at noon.

Regis and Kelly does not suck at all.

KGW is worried about their 6AM show just like KPTV is worried about their 6AM show. It's a dogfight. KGW won it last November. KPTV will win it this November. Next November? who knows. These 2 have really separated from the morning pack, IMO. KATU gets about one-half the ratings or less and KOIN is even worse than that. I'm wondering which one of the bottom feeders will step up, make some needed changes and make a run at the top 2. It's not going to happen with the current product. Changes must happen or KATU and KOIN will never challenge in the morning news race.

are actually higher then you listed. If you noticed they retitled on election night so the M-F average after Thursday nights big win is a 5.3, just one tenth of a point behind KGW. GO KOIN!

Yeah, KGW would get better numbers if wasn't just a complete copy of the 10pm. So, my choice for news at 11 is actually KOIN.

We have the same problem here in Spokane. Belo station KREM has a 10pm newscast on its sister station KSKN 22. The 10pm and the 11pm are pretty much exactly the same newscast. So its understandable that the Belo station in Portland has the same problem. I wonder if Seattle's KING 5 and its sister station KONG have the same problem?

They would get better numbers? Are you sure about that? Keep in mind most viewers who tune into the 11pm newscast on KGW don't watch their 10pm product so your assertion is a bit off the mark.

I'm going to have to agree. I remember working at KTVZ and getting callers complaining about repeating most of the same news for two hours over and over again in the morning. The fact of the matter, however, is that most people do not sit down and watch both hours (or both the 10pm and 11pm news). In the morning, most people watch for a few minutes as they are getting ready for work-- eating breakfast and heading out the door. In the evening, most probably watch one OR the other.

Whoever you are, you sound very bitter! Where do you work? Maybe a collective group of us will come to your workplace and tell you what a HORRIBLE job your doing! Get a grip...this entire TV market is doing ALOT with VERY LITTLE resources!

Yes, you are doing a good job with little resources. But did it occur to you to listen to us and try to improve the product so that you can do better. If you do better then you get more resources.

KPTV is #1 with crime and crap. I would suggest anybody who demands quality journalism from their local TV newscast is in the minority.

Did it ever occur to you that Fox is #1 with a crappy audience. And all the audience loss in recent years from local TV newscasts is not because of a satisfied audience!!! And when I am out on stories we get increasing complaints how the news has too much crime, crap and boring stuff. There is a reason why Fox does as well as it does. It's better at showing crime and crap and boring stuff than the other stations. And the potential TV audience that wants more turns off the TV cause they expect better and don't get it. Therefore Fox is king with morons but TV news cannot succeed on morons alone.
Look at CNN last week. They got the highest rating in their history with the Democratic debate. And then there is CBS 60 minutes which made the top ten again! People will watch if you give them something other than crime, which affects few other people, accidents, which affect few other people, and that damned deer that everybody tells me they are sick of hearing about. There's demand for quality. It's just not in some of the manager's best interest to pay for it and give the audience what they want.

"Yeah.. FOX 12 has the best ratings, but all their audience is composed of morons." I'll tell you what.. we'll take our audience of people whom we respect.. and serve. And you continue to call them morons. By the way, how come the flash and trash and cheap station was the only one who cared enough to spend the money to send a crew to Mexico to finally get the other side of the story? Oh, maybe because we actually care? Nah. That can't be it. The real difference is FOX 12 does a given story a day and sometimes the week before everyone else.

Her Mexico trip was some of the worst reporting I've seen by a veteran reporter in a long time. She's better than that.

I thought Kerry did a really nice job of showing us the conditions Gabriel would face in Mexico and honestly, they don't look as bad as I thought. The story didn't change my mind, but it gave me some new perspective that at least softened my views.

And if you didn't like it...

Blame the band.

Lars had it right. I watched her story that night. It felt more like a travel piece than a tough investigative story. Good for KPTV for sending someone. They just should have sent someone else.

that not everyone is as brilliant as you are? Maybe these poor lost souls only have one small pleasure in their lives. That is watching the 10 O'Clock News on Fox 12. Leave them alone genius.

As stated above, every news outlet is broadcasting the same news. Be it a hard news story or a bunch of bored boobs carving pumpkins underwater on Halloween. But KPTV markets and sells it better than the other stations. Our Fox news affiliate here in Spokane doesn’t bow down to the same flashy and graphically enhanced production that KPTV does, and the numbers reflect it. You have to admit that people do love the breaking news and the loud, bright, swirling flashy graphics that KPTV injects into their broadcasts very well. It’s the same reason why I believe that Leno has beaten Letterman in the ratings for the past decade. Both shows have the same guests pimping their new movie, new CD, or newest fat-busting kitchen appliances. But, The Tonight Show uses brighter, more colorful lighting, tons ‘o zooms, crazy angles, and is more visually raucous than The Late Show. Just a personal theory of mine.

KPTV has the same exact stories as all the rest; they just sell the sizzle much better than the steak.

http://themcguffin.spaces.live.com

Is the "KPTV only attracts moronic viewers" crowd saying that THEY don't want those viewers included in their HH numbers? Are they saying that they're only competing for a specific socioeconomic audience, and they would reject any ratings numbers that went their way if those households didn't meet their specific standards? That's good old-fashioned bullshit, friends. We're all fighting for the same thing - eyeballs in certain demos - and those demos are not determined by IQ test results. If you can get people to watch while providing meaningful content, then more power to you - but it certainly appears that everyone is running mostly the same stories. Anyone who doesn't understand the game better start looking for different careers. Highbrow rationalizations don't pay the bills in today's TV news business model. Sad? Yes. True? You'd better believe it.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I believe KPTV wouldn't reject any viewer from any social rung on the PDX ladder. Their goal is to get every pair of eyes they can to watch their broadcasts. They have hit on a certain formula and the masses are tuning in. Their formula is obviously different than the formula used by other stations. KPTV's brand of journalism isn't for me, but as my great, great grand pappy used to say...

"If'n it works, don't **** with it."

http://themcguffin.spaces.live.com

Yea, maybe we can cause they tanked Tuesday night (11/20) with sucky numbers from CBS.

It sucks. How about quality reporting all of the time not just during sweeps.

That's the first I've heard about it. Supposedly once we go to People Meters there will be no more sweeps stunts.. or.. perhaps sweeps stunts every day of the year.

NO!
Ratings = titillation
The formula is simple...
Get the viewers all lathered up for something that really does not affect them, promote the living daylights out of it until it takes on a life of its own... like a tiger chasing its tail... fun to watch, but where does it get you? nowhere!

Quality reporting in television went the way of the Dinosaurs 10 years ago. TV newsrooms today don't know the meaning of the word "enterprise", crime rules and the fishwraps are daily assignment sheets.

Producers run the shops in terms of daily ideas, reading the paper prior to morning meetings, coming up with some pretty wacky stuff that has nothing to do with anything locally. Assignment desks today do little more than pair reporters and photogs, and reporters have to trudge out and make something important out of nothing.

How I long for the "old" days when reporters actually had to go out into the public, uncover stories and report on important issues. The "craft" part of this business also left a long time ago.

Oh well, at least the bean counters are happy. That's the true way we are measured.

I worked with a guy who used to say "The Masses are asses"... they must be if they're content to gobble up the crap they're being served.

Dude, who stole my Journalism...???

The snow coverage is pathetic. KGW bringing in the main morning team for no sticking snow?

KGW doubled KPTV on Saturday morning. It's a good way to show-off your team to people who might not normally watch. That's why KGW also brought in the main anchor team Sunday night. I think it's the smart thing to do. BTW, I'm sure when KGW called in their main morning team they thought the snow would stick. By the time they realized it wouldn't stick everybody was already in place.