page 12
daily nebraskan
friday, October 31, 1980
(Sii)GllDDilOinlljiG
Newscasts play up reporting skills; news suffers
The latest trend in television news pres
entation seems to be what I would call the
"we really are reporters" approach. Gloss is
out, or at least on the wane; news anchor
persons dressed in matching blazers and
hiding behind their desks in the studio
grow fewer in number all of the time.
The fad now is to remind the viewer
that these people who give us the televised
news are honest-to-goodness reporters, and
not just an announcer.
Scene: A newsroom. The camera is
focused on a woman about 30 years old,
sitting in a chair. This is the anchorwoman,
who we will call Alice (first names only is
the rule on these newscasts ). She has a
stack of papers in one hand, and a tele
phone receiver in the other. From our cam
era angle another camera is clearly visible,
as are a boom mike and several anonymous
employees.
"Good evening and welcome to The
Real News," says Alice. I have a lot of stor
ies hero in my hand, but I can't relay them
to you yet, because as you can sec I am on
the telephone. As you know, I am not just
an announcer, but a journalist first and
foremost, and since I have been trying all
day to reach this lead on the telephone,
you'll just have to wait until I'm clone here
dark
The most glaring example of this trend
is WOWT's Live at Five. Here we avoid the
traditional studio altogether; there is an
anchorwoman, but she sits at a small desk
or a table in the middle of what looks like
a newsroom, full of the sounds of clanking
typewriters and telephones. The key phrase
to remeber here is "'looks like."
There is something else about the set
of Live at Five that doesn't strike me as
real, and I think it's the clutter. Sure, there
is clutter; in the background we can sec
books aslant on their shelves, people walk
ing in and out of camera range, stuff like
that. But it looks like organized clutter,
planned clutter; there is only a semblance
of disarray. I think this works against the
purpose.
If I were directing a program that had
decided to go to the "we really are report
ers" route, I wouldn't settle for half-measure,
for only the semhlence of chaos and
disarray.
TO).
r r
mB IN THEf
m til ii j w
m
I .lrv
" L f& '
to net tonight's headlines. In the meantime.
roll the commercial."
A minute later we return, and Alice is
off the phone. "The lead story tonight is
supposed to be Gary's report on that big
three -alarm fire at the Amalgated Chemical
plant, but Gary is late with the story. That
happens a lot with Gary, just as it can with
any professional reporter. So. instead of
Gary, let's go to the live Actionfilm Update
on that daring escape from the minimum
security facility on 144th Street. And here
with that update is Linda "
The camera continues to focus on Alice.
Panic strikes the other employees, who Hip
buttons and shout rapid-fire instructions in
attempt to switch us to the live update
with Linda. Hut all is in vain. Alice says,
"Well, I guess we won't have that update
right now, but that happens sometimes
when your on-thc-announccrs are real pro
fessional journalists like Linda. We'll try
her again after these commercials."
Get the picture? Too often current tele
vision news shows seem so interested in
showing us the fact of reporting, the action
of reporting, that we never do get the act
ual news. I have never had any doubt that
the people who present television news are
professional journalists, perfectly capable
of conducting interviews and doing leg
work for news stories. But is it so import
ant that I see them do it?
It doesn't matter to me whether the
anchorpersons went out and got a story, as
long as I eventually hear the story on tele
vision. If I want the pretense of journalism
and "life in the newsroom" I'll watch
Lou Grant.
Sykes album could be hit relief to winter doldrums
By Casey McCabe
Uh-oh, the albums are starting to pile up again. As it
gets colder and hibernation starts sounding like the only
viable alternative to work, school and responsibility, I
welcome the opportunity to curl up with my space heater,
and a stack of albums, to start sifting through the music.
Next to video games and thermal underwear, it is one of
life's greatest simple pleasures.
n
Ray Benson continues to compose fine, detailed
music in a field that is largely uncultivated. He shows
great adeptness at inserting elements of funk, jazz, ballads,
and rock without lifting the band out of its boundries.
By the way, the band, along with some twelve guest
artists (including Bonnie Raitt), put out some of the
tightest, most fun music within anyone's boundaries.
Suggested cuts on Framed include "Slow Dancing."
"Cool As A Breeze" and "Fiddle Funk-Corn Fusion."
The Tremblers'Avcc Nightly CBS Records
Whether they want it or not, the Tremblers main claim
to fame is that their front man is none other than Peter
Noone, the cherubic boy wonder of Herman's Hermits.
The fact that Noone has chosen to stage a legitimate
comeback while most of his 60s pop contemporaries are
resolved to fading into the woodwork is admirable. The
fact that he is rocking with a harder edge than his compla
cent Hermits ever dreamed of, shows he is not unduly
nostalgic.
Continued on Page 13
Here are four interesting discoveries.
Keith Sykes' not strange ' just like nwBackstrect
Records
Sykes, like many others these days, is interested in
reviving the lost roots of rock 'n' roll. What George Thoro
good does for renumbering the spirit of Chuck Berry.
Sykes does in recapturing the early rock-blues of Fric
Clapton.
With his Clapton-like voice. Sykes moves well through
his nine original compositions, which touch base on some
suprisingly well-crafted rock variations. "B.I.G.T.I.M.F."
modernizes the Jerry Lee Lewis ethic with a bit of
Clapton's "Blues Power" thrown in, while "Love To
Ride." with a guitar lick straight from Creedence Clear
water Revival, is one of the best bluesrock synthesis to
emerge in some time.
On side two, Sykes wanders into a slightly more main
stream fold, adding female backing vocalists to punctuate
the choruses with pleasant pop deliberateness on "I'm
On A Roll" and "Makin' It Before They Got Married."
Despite the numerous comparisons that can be made
in such an offering. Sy kes shoAvs a nice degree of authen
ticity, creativity and conviction. ' not strange I'm fust
like ou could really be a sleeper hit as the winter
doldrums roll around .
Asleep At The WheelwnMCA
A truly innovative band. Asleep At The Wheel putsue's
their vision of Ixrr band music with flare and piecision.
Labeled a country -swing outfit, the band continues
along those lines though they certainly aren't confined
to Ulem. The production and tightness of the band is
excellent on Framed as pedal steel blends into slap bass,
horns and the clean Andrews Sister-style vocals of
Chris OXTonncll and Maryann Price.
KQKQ adopts Top 40 format
By Bob Crisler
It vou've been scanning across your I 1 dial lately .
expecting to come across the famihai old sound of kQ(S.
think again.
The KQKQ .l old was replaced a month ago bv a Top
40 format reminiscent of early-seventies AM ladio.
Bill Cunningham, a radio programming expert who
has won eight Programmer of the Yeai awards lioin
Billboard magazine, was asked by KOKQ's owner to come
to Omaha a lew months ago to be executive vice president
at the station.
According to Cunningham, he was given tree lein of
the station.
"Most ol the changes are my doing. I he owner came to
me like a patient comes to a doctor and said I ix it.
doc'", he said.
Cunnigham attributes his overwhelming success in
other markets like Miami, Pittsbuigh. and St. Louis,
to name a lew to his practice ot biingmg hack, m his
words, "showbiz radio."
According to Cunningham, the selection ot songs is
"pretty well spelled out" to KQKO's disc ockes.
"When I came here, there was an ovcrw hclmnm vul
nerability in the market." lie said. "The mood ot ihe
AM stations was lost in the last eight to IU yeats. In this
market, no one else is having fun."
Describing the personality ot his station as "predict
able unpredictability." Cunningham explained Ins
strategy.
"I try to create a new form of hip. and that form of
hip is called fun." he said.
AH I in aside, the appeal of any radio station lies in
the music plays.
According to Cunningham. "We don't play obscure
music. We research everything that we play to the point
where we know oui target audience is no inn to like
what we play ."
Aecoiding to sales secretary Jan Dvorak, who oversees
station piomotional campaigns. "We don't feel that beinn
trendy woiks. What we'ie going with is what's proven."
KQ personnel peppeied the interview with references to
Omaha lock station -': (kl0). hinting that they
consider that station the one to beat in the Omaha market".
To move their station up in (he ratings. kQkQdiow
christened "Sweet ws") is going all-out on promotions.
According to Dvoiak. the station is now in the piocess
ot giving away Sto.000 to people who answe. the phone
with the phrase "I listen to the new sound ol Sweet JN "
Ot the total to be given out. SI 5.000 has aheady been
awarded, and kO stall is woiking on the remaindei.
To bring in a yoi.nger audience, the station. a!on- with
the makeis ol Bubble l p soda, has a promotion
centered around a disc ,ockey ,h called "Supei.noiith "
I lit u imi.-r i ill K ..... . i. II . i
.v, ..mih.- j imi-iinie isc ocke
m.wuu pay pei month tor a y eai . phis a SI .000 waidn
irom me lin,hm fost CV Wooden Nickel, and the
a CUstoin 'Si!n.Miinntli' !.,., i. .. i ,
' ' ""'i'li- I IKI'MU lol
with
be
use ol
a veai
Aecoiding to Dvoiak. contestants must be between the
ages o! 14 and l. and will be H.dned on then abilnv to
communicate one to one with a radio audience " She
said I she plans to have a wmnci In Christmas Auditions
will be live on the air via telephone.
"This radio station plans on beinn Number One "
said Dvorak. "Although if you listened to us for eHit
hours, it would tend to net repetitive." "
