How perfect is this? BBC America has a series called “ShakespeRe-Told” in which it takes stories by The Bard and updates them for our time. (No “thee-” and “thou-”speak, just plot tributes.) This week, it’s “Much Ado About Nothing,” set in an English local TV newsroom. Beatrice and Benedick are now bickering co-hosts, Hero does the weather, her father is the producer, and her suitor, Claudio (now “Claude”), gives us sports. “The Comedy of Errors” would have worked for some newscasts I’ve produced as well.
I remember back in the day when just three of us could pull off a live newscast. We preset the studio cameras (don’t move, we’d tell the anchors.) Robert would be on audio. Juanita would run tapes. And I would punch the switcher, advance the still store and handle the Chyron. But with today’s technology, that’s child’s play. Thomson Grass Valley has a control room automation system called Ignite that allows a single person to put a live newscast on the air. Small market stuff? Nope. KABC is using Ignite to power their morning and weekend newscasts, and the Los Angeles station is planning on transitioning to the evening and nightside newscasts, as well. All with one operator. Amazing. Reader Input: LR commenter Don points us to video of a case of an anchor not coping well as his station gets used to a new automated system. Unfortunately for him, it was an internal audio problem the audience didn’t even know was happening.
And they say news won’t take on the “Big Topics.” Here is the Daily Show wrapup of how the news channels are covering the apparent upcoming apocalypse. (Given the weather, we’re already dressed for it.) People don’t trust journalists, so we’re looking into Armageddon. Or as we in Boston like to call it, “The Yankees taking over first place.”
The Sunday New York Times characterizes this week’s announcements by AOL as “bold.” The company is offering its service free to broadband users and is laying off a quarter of its staff. In the article, “For Big Media Players, Bold Moves Are Back,” Richard Siklos writes that the AOL plan “reflects a new kind of audaciousness” and he likens it to recent aggressive moves by Rupert Murdoch. May I suggest the two companies’ moves are not even close? AOL is acting in desperation, not out of vision. It would not be giving away its service if it didn’t have to. News Corp. is building upon an existing brand with its acquisitions and rollouts. Rupert Murdoch - like him or not - takes big risks. AOL has no other choice. (Free reg. req.)
Now you can drop us a note just like before. Even anonymously if that’s your thing. The form is not integrated into the home page like the old Lost Remote, but it will foil all the spam bots. Thanks to Amanda for the lead on the WordPress plugin.
I encourage anyone who wants a vision of the upcoming elections this November and in 2008 (and from now on for that matter) to take a look at what’s happening in Connecticut politics. Incumbent Senator Joe Lieberman is trailing in the polls behind Ned Lamont in the Democrat primary. It’s pretty much a single-issue race but that issue is the war. Lamont’s against it, Lieberman supports remaining involved. The point here is how the Lamont upstarts successfully used the web to come out of nowhere. They have blogs and a YouTube group, while Lieberman supporters don’t have much and what they do have are mostly in reaction to what Lamont’s people did first. Things have become very nasty, proving that negative politics isn’t just for professionals. TV news then picks up on the blog battles, effectively changing the game in how candidates advertise and promote themselves. Here’s a YouTube video of my own station’s coverage. That’s right. I’m supporting getting Tubed. The election is Tuesday.
FCC Commissioner Tate’s special media policy advisor, John Grant, has a new job. He is joining the staff of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs. Expect to be fined $325,000 the next time you say “Shit, I’m late!” at the airport.
I’m mentioned in a piece on citizen journalism in the Boston Herald today (last two grafs). I told them I was no longer the “director of digital media” at NECN, and I’m now my own boss. They used the old title anyway. So much for promoting the new juggernaut that is the Safran Media Group. Still, I’m always happy to get good PR. It could be worse: I could be having Mel’s PR instead.
I encourage anyone who wants a vision of the upcoming elections this November and in 2008 (and from now on for that matter) to take a look at what’s happening in 
