Friday, August 13, 2010

Media Notes

I'm currently reading "Morning Miracle."  It's a fascinating look at how the Washington post is struggling to stay afloat in the internet age.  Print circulation is down, and no one has really found a way to make serious money off the internet.  If you're looking for a good read, this is it.

"At the Movies" airs for the last time this weekend.  This is the movie review program that Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert started on a Chicago Public TV station in 1975.  It moved to commercial television and it had a few different syndicators over the years.  Siskel died from a bran tumor in 1998.  Ebert had to step aside due to health problems.  Even though this is a show about movies, it's really built upon the charisma of the hosts.  The replacements didn't get it done, and efforts to tinker with the format made it worse.  I think there are a couple movie review programs on a cable channel called Reelz, but other than that, there's not a serious movie review program on television, and that's unfortunate.  The final "At the Movies" airs Sunday morning at 3 on WNEP.

In a boneheaded move, FOX Sports Radio dumped morning host Steve Czaban back in December.  Outside of the hours of 10 pm to 6 am, the network has become unlistenable.  Czaban has signed on to do mornings on Sporting News Radio beginning late this month, or early next month.  Sporting News Radio was a train wreck for years.  It has a new owner who seems interested in making it work.  SNR doesn't have a local affiliate, but the network does stream on the internet.

I encountered some grumbling viewers over Tuesday's coverage of Bill Clinton's campaign appearance on behalf of Joe Sestak.  It's as simple as this.  If Pat Toomey brings in a former president, we won't ignore it.  There is no bias.

Newspaper paragraph of the week:  County planning staff called for more information from Stroud Mall L.L.C. about lighting changes on the building's exterior. Cinemark theaters across the country generally use wall pack lighting.  Does someone care to explain what "wall pack" lighting is, and why I should care?

As you know, I have zero interest in "American Idol" and even less interest in who comes on board to be a judge.  Discussion of the topic on the radio immediately prompts a station switch.

Enjoy your weekend.