joyfulchristian

I'd have never known

A little while ago I heard our local NBC affiliate running an ad for their news program.  They were bragging about how they'd exposed local retailers who weren't checking the signature lines on credit cards.  Now I happen to agree that this is a serious problem.  However, the idea that people are unaware that this is happening is just absurd.  All you have to do to find out about this problem is ... pay for stuff by credit card! 

What an exclusive!

It seems I'm not the only one who thinks so

Well, this example is exceptionally lame:

I've gotten the opportunity to watch some of southern New England's finest local news and it's merely reinforced my perception that just about all local news is garbage. Last night, for example, the local newsreader -- I'd be extremely hesitant to call her a "journalist" -- shared the fact that one of the London bombers had at one time been investigated by "Britain's intelligence service, M-Fifteeen." Yep, that's right, she'd never read a single Tom Clancy novel, otherwise she'd know it was MI5.

I've had to start relying on other people's experience for this category since I never watch local news if I can help it.

Now that's gall

John McCain is sponsoring legislation that would essentially force local television stations to have more local news coverage, especially local politics:

WASHINGTON (Hollywood Reporter) - Lawmakers' pique over the networks' incredible shrinking news hole is prompting legislation that will both shorten the time broadcasters have between license renewals and require full commission review of 5% of all licenses.

What's all the fuss about?

The legislation was introduced by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., on Tuesday after the release of a report by the Norman Lear Center at the University of Southern California found evening TV newscasts contained little coverage of local political campaigns last year.

                                                        It also would require broadcasters to post on their Internet sites information detailing their commitment to local public-affairs programming, and it calls for the Federal Communications Commission to complete its open proceeding on whether public-interest obligations should apply to broadcasters in the digital era.

According to the survey, 64% of 4,333 broadcasts examined by the center included at least one election story. A typical half-hour contained 3 minutes, 11 seconds of campaign coverage, the report claims.

While 55% of the broadcasts contained a presidential story, just 8% of broadcasts contained a story about a local candidate race for U.S. House, state house seats, city council seats and other local and regional offices. Eight times more coverage went to stories about accidental injuries, the Lear Center said.

What does all this mean?

"If a local candidate wants to be on TV and can't afford advertising, his only hope is to have a freak accident," McCain said.

So suddenly McCain is concerned about local candidates not being able to  get on TV?  One of the gripes listed hear is that Congressional candidates aren't getting enough air time.  Let me think; what's happened in the last few years that made it harder for Congressional candidates, especially challengers, to afford advertising? 

Oh yeah!  McCain-Feingold.

Arghh!

Now don't get me wrong.  I hate local news broadcasts.  I even made it a category on this blog!  However, no matter how much I despise the broadcasts, I know there's a reason why so little politics is covered on the local news.  That reason is, quite simply, that most people don't care about politics much and don't want to hear more than they absolutely have to.   I see no reason that people who don't care about politics should have it force-fed to them.

This is just another example of McCain's incessant desire to tell everyone else what's good for them.  If he doesn't stop jumping on his high horse, one of these days likely to fall right back off.

 

Apparently I'm not the only one

Susanna is ranting about local coverage of The Day After Tomorrow She's more reasoned in her criticism than I am.

In fairness, she is impressed by their response.

I'm starting a new category

I gripe about how worthless local news is so much, I might as well have a category for it.

For DAYS now one of the local stations has been running ads for their new expose that will run tonight: Retailers putting returned underwear back on the rack.

AHH! The horror! How will we ever survive?

Except for the weather during storm seasons, local news adds pretty much nothing to anything. Which is pretty much why I don't watch it. Total waste of time.