8 June 2010
296
R. Linda:
Someone asked me recently what my impression was of New Hampshire news when I first moved up here from Boston. Well, first I had to get over me fear of the logging trucks before I could settle me nerves to even switch on the telly. You should see these things, they had TREES strapped on them in pyramid stacking. I keep thinking I don't want to be pulling passed one when they start sliding off.
Alright on to the news, but hey let me start with the weather first. YES, I was looking at the weather the first winter I was up here because as you know the snow can be high, the wind fierce and the ice treacherous. This combination makes it hard for me to get to work when I have to travel to Boston by motor. So here be a sample of the way the weather conditions were handled: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMxV9uWfV0U&feature=related
Yeeess. That's Al Kaprielian me first introduction to New Hampshire television weather. I thought it was a joke, that I had the wrong station, but no, no, THIS was the weather forecast. Yup. I am sorry to say Weatherman Al has moved on and if you care to see his farewell here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViOghSbu-xQ&feature=related
Actually I miss Al, he made me think I was back in Ireland. We had little stations back home with people like Al giving out the news, local news that is. If you wanted the big stuff you had to tune in to the BBC. We did and in some or most places still do. Not everyone had a telly and to be honest if you have one, you are taxed for it and given a license tag, I be serious, and there be even an inspector who comes to the door to see if you have proper licensing. And if you don't then no telly for you! Yup. We had UTV, then TV3 and RTE. Most local news was public service announcements (I know, I know, exciting hey?). Hell, phone service is another wonder in Ireland. If you move there, expect to be without a land line for six months. No kidding. So back to New Hampshire and me introduction to the news.
I turned on another local NH station and there shouting at me was a man with a suntan. It was February. Turns out year round he had that suntan. If that was his natural colouring I doubt it. But he shouted the sports! I could be in me backyard with the telly on soft in the front of the house WITH THE WINDOWS AND DOORS CLOSED, and I could still hear him. He's no longer there and I think I know why, it seems his ego got a tad too big. That be the scuttlebutt but what do I know? He did seem full of himself now that I think on it. Well, as if yelling the sports wasn't bad enough there is another one, an anchor who shouts too! He must think he be in a place without microphones? Why are they shouting I asked Tonya. She shrugged and clicked the station to the Boston one. Talk about reality check, it was slick, fast paced and the anchors were not shouting the news or sports. I took the remote and clicked back and forth. Yes, yes indeed there was a problem with New Hampshire news. What I have noticed is through the years it has slicked up a wee bit. Well, the station was bought up by a major broadcasting company, so it's improved a bit. Not enough to lose it's small town flavour, which is a good thing, but enough to keep the viewer interested. There is one pretty woman, I'll tell you her name is Jennifer and she's very good at her craft, me fav though is Jean, I like Jean, she's down to earth, believable and SMILES. That wins me over. I'd love to sit down and have a cup of tea while Jean tells me the news. She's like me sister in a way, like family. She makes me feel safe. The sports department -- all an improvement over the suntanned shouter, but I wish Jason would warm up and smile when he's in the studio. That's his only problem, he's much too serious, but if he's in a stadium he has a more pleasant countenance, maybe the anchor desk makes him nervous. The weather, OMG. Well the chief meteorologist as he calls himself seems to lie about the weather forecast. I often wonder if he's reporting the weather from another state, like maybe Nevada. Josh, is me fav, personable, usually spot on and reliable. Weatherman Chris who has changed his last name was always more accurate than the rest and I always wondered why he wasn't made chief meteorologist over the other guy. He seemed to disappear for a number of years and then he came back. Where do weather guys go?
The one thing about New Hampshire televised news that drives me up a pole is that no matter what huge event happens in the world, little New Hampshire has a connection. I am astounded that if something big happens in say New York City or Boston, someone from New Hampshire was either there, or knows someone who knows someone else who was! Or had something similar happen (on a very small scale). I feel like give it a break guys. Let that city or state have the sensationalism, we don't need the focus taken off them and put on us when we have so little to offer. Salmonella breakout down south, well by golly New Hampshire watch out you might be next! Arson of an entire block of abandoned mills in Boston, gees a house fire in Berlin! Are we to suppose the same arsonist went all the way to Berlin too? It is stuff like that where I find meself clicking to the Boston station again. It has got so bad with the weather and that one meteorologist, that I do click to the Boston station for me own weather forecast because Massachusetts weather usually have my weather right. New Hampshire news needs either be a local news station with all the quirky fun stuff that we love or go NYC SLICK, but do it right. This in between stuff drives me crazy.
Okay one more, I was a fan of Charlie Gibson bringing me the national news each evening. Katie Couric making that mad face each night be too much for me. As soon as that face came on I found me white knuckling me chair arms because I knew the news whatever it was, couldn't be good. AND I be in the news business so that's how much the expression of severe seriousness put the frights to me. Personally it felt like she knew I be watching and she be mad at me. Brian Williams that's me man now. You know he has a sense of humour under the surface and he delivers the news almost as good as old Charlie, but it just isn't the same. The one in between Couric and Williams is Diane Sawyer. Talk about pulling faces, she be an expert. I used to think she was an attractive woman, but not so much now with the stank face act. And poor David Muir and Dan Harris that give a report and then old Diane leans their way and says something like, "Do you really think that's true?" And I be thinking then why did they report the news story if they didn't believe in what they were telling us. For instance, Jonathan Karl telling Diane that during the health care vote, the snow in DC was so bad that Senator Byrd was driven in an SUV and wheeled on the floor of the senate in a wheel chair. Diane's reaction, "He was in a wheel chair being wheeled into the chamber?" Well, DUH DIANE, he just said that. Why the incredible open mouth horror the senator be no spring chicken and we all knew his health was failing. And Brian Ross tells Diane that he got tips from whistle blowers on the FAA throwing a $5 million dollars conference which was really a Christmas party, and Diane's reaction, "$5 Million?" Well duh again Diane, he just said that. Do we need the emphasis? I guess that she questions her own reporters drives me up a pole. Who does that? And then pulls faces like she doesn't believe it. And the last thing I noticed is she has the soft camera on her and the regular camera on whoever is sitting in the chair across from her so we can't see all the lines in her face, and the other person looks older than dirt. COME ON! I thought that went out when Cybill Shepherd left TV.
Okay slipping off me soapbox now.
Gabe
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