I've always been interested in broadcasting. I was a game show aficionado at the age of five, and have followed radio and television ever since. Having worked at 95 Triple X during my high school years, I take a great interest in the radio and television stations that "serve" my town.
With that said, I took advantage of my chance to watch Fox 44's newscast last night. Without ever having worked in television, I can't put my finger on the reason why this was the case, but the presentation felt dull.
I read a blog entry from somebody regarding the newscast as well, and they pointed out that they use a production style that is similar to other Fox affiliates. Of course, when you duplicate mediocrity, you get more mediocrity. I have no problem with the anchors standing up instead of sitting at a desk, but at least bring them together. Fox 25 in Boston, as unwatchable as their news is, does this by panning to the reporters and other anchors, which brings people standing in different places together.
The news and weather segments were servicable, but the sportscast was grating. I don't know how much research Whitney Brown (the sports anchor) did, but she stated that "many people won't be able to watch the game" in reference to the Patriots-Giants tilt on Saturday night, completely ignoring the fact that Comcast offers the NFL Network, and any subscriber in Burlington can simply order the channel.
After presenting highlights of the day's NBA games (it was Christmas...the only game in town), she filled the rest of the time with a baseball blooper reel, in which she dryly attempted to make funny remarks instead of letting people watch the reel. It's a shame what SportsCenter has done to a generation of aspiring sportscasters.
I'll temper my criticism by saying that Fox 44 just launched the newscast, and many of the people might be working their first jobs in television. That said, it'll take a lot more than what I saw last night to make me forget 3 and 5. It'll take years alone to develop a personality as beloved as Tom Messner.
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