Today was former Rocketboom host Amanda Congdon’s first video blog post on ABCNews.com. As Chris writes in comments, “It looks like Rocketboom with an ABC logo to me.” Yes, you’ll recognize the Rocketboom influence, from the set to the camera turns to the story selection. Now, I have mixed feelings about her new gig. Kudos to ABCNews.com for having the guts to go beyond traditional repurposed TV on the web. Yet I wonder if the “garage cool factor” is gone now that she’s part of a professional ABC News production. Sometimes slapping a big media brand (or a 30-second pre-roll ad) on something can ruin it. But Amanda doesn’t seem to be too influenced by it all. Right out of the gate she dissed ABCNews.com’s pop up video player (she likes embedded players) even declaring, “Javascript sucks.” A young, hip person poking fun at a traditional network on the network’s own site? Now this could get really good.
Did you watch? Tell us what you think in comments…
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Looks like Rocketboom with an ABC logo to me.
Nice set, nice lighting, but I never saw the appeal of her reports. A little too over the top for me. And for someone so on the cutting edge, why does she use the term “film” when talking about Tori Spelling’s video shoot of her “yard sale”?
“nice set”.
yep, looks like a d-cup!
:30 pre-roll commercial? Come on…….you guys can do better than that.
Pure trash.
Are the ABC suits so out of touch that they let her wear a Steely Dan T-shirt on her first effort? I don’t really care either way, just surprised to see a sex toy plug so soon. And don’t try to tell me it’s the music she’s supporting.
John: ’70s rock band T-Shirts are in, or at least were in earlier this year or late last year. (Help me out, Rex.) I’m looking for a Foghat, Sweet or ELO.
The player is so horrible. I kept struggling with the ad for Vonage, which kept expanding. Really ruined the viewing experience for me.
Maybe I just don’t get it. Cute girl, hip newscast, whatever.
If ABC is willing to put the work in to really push Amanda Congdon, more power to them. Personally, I’m not sure if I really want to fool with another Rocketboom clone, even if it is cloned from Amanda herself.
this is so horrible its not even funny.
It’s nice with the sound off!
Even more difficult to watch.
This is not videoblogging, it is a videocast when produced by an established broadcast company.
The ads that precede the videocast, the ads that surround the page, the camera distance from Amanda, all shout “this is not Rocketboom.com, not even close.”
When on Rocketboom.com Amanda was often criticized for having a pretty woman TV appearance, but it worked. Well you can bring TV aspects to videoblogging but apparently you cannot successfully bring the soul of videoblogging to TV–too much corporate overlay for that to happen.
…and in addition to the gripe fest above, there is this.
when a major newspaper draws a straight line connecting amanda congdon and walter cronkite, the world as we knew it came to an end.
congdon and cronkite? the heffernan person at the Times needs a serious head examination.
Amanda jumps the snark.
Holy f*ck. That was horrible.
I watched till 3:11 and couldn’t take anymore.
…..could they have concentrated any more on demonstrating that ms. congdon has breasts? the t shirt…she lighting..the camera angles…
….not quite to the soft core-come on level, but this was, for sure, sex for sale.
Man, did that ever suck.
To bad they couldn’t do something other than a bad clone of RB.
Did creativity leave this planet?
Amanda, Amanda, Amanda, it’s the look and feel of the whole site, not just the Wal-Mart ads that tell me this is not going to work. You said to follow the links to follow the story about the jailed journalist, but there were no links to follow. I wanted to use the slider to view parts again but there is no slider.
Unlike what Time Magazine proclaimed, we, your viewers and you, are definitely NOT in control at ABC.com
Why not go it alone and regain your control?
Wow, thanks for the excellent information!