‘Is anyone watching this stuff?’
Cory Bergman September 10th, 2007
That’s what an ABC News staffer asks about ABC News Now, the network’s broadband news channel, which has been showing up YouTube a lot lately. And not in a good way. The most recent clip involves anchors Ryan Owens and Taina Hernandez, who handle the overnight broadcast, laughing through the story on Owen Wilson’s suicide attempt. Turns out this isn’t the first time, as a YouTube user has assesmbled a bunch of clips of the duo laughing through stories on terrorism, fires and floods. “It’s all the more puzzling that ABC News would countenance such sophomoric antics on the same channel where the division is looking to extend its hard-news brand,” writes Marisa Guthrie in B&C.
8 Comments Add your own
1. Rocker | September 10th, 2007 at 9:20 am
Happened to me once doing a radio newscast…near the top of a 15 minute broadcast, DJ on the other side of the glass held up a sign that said “Don’t Laugh”…that’s all it took.. Couldn’t help myself…broke up and couldn’t get control for like 30 seconds. Still had to get through the remaining 13 minutes…I was fuming. Some strange psychological thing happens, like the Mary Tyler Moore episode where she can’t stop laughing at the funeral for Chuckles the Clown.
That said, if it’s happening repeatedly there’s a problem here.
2. Brink | September 10th, 2007 at 10:03 am
The crew on WNN used to know where to draw the line when it came to humor. Now they just treat the entire show as a throwaway.
3. Casey | September 10th, 2007 at 11:20 am
I miss Thalia.
4. Z | September 10th, 2007 at 11:40 am
I loved the World News Polka
5. discreet_chaos | September 10th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
Casey - Thalia + Aaron were the bees knees. IMHO, if we couldn’t have the dream team of Ellerbee & Dobyns, Assuras & Brown were the next best thing.
6. Mike Escutia | September 10th, 2007 at 2:01 pm
Wait… are we talking about the World News Now broadband channel or the overnight show? The article is clearly talking about the latter.
7. Allen | September 10th, 2007 at 5:36 pm
Maybe the camera crew is nude?
8. Anonymous | September 10th, 2007 at 9:06 pm
ABC News Now is the broadband channel. World News Now is the early-morning television program that we’re actually talking about. And I’m not offended by their jokey style, even if the laughs spill into some serious stories now and then.
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