Media Probes TV News

From around 1983, WQED documentary clip about news consultants' roles in changing local newscasts.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Frank Magid
• Thomas Sattizahn
• Susan Kidd
• WFMY-TV News
• Bill Kopald
• Gerry Wallace
• Dave Wright

[mikma]

MIKMA WAS HERE

[WRALdirector80s]

Jay Wilkinson did a great job lighting the set and working out the logistics for other pieces of the new set. In 1981 I left WFMY for WRAL. Within 6 months, WRAL totally revamped their newscast to reflect newsroom activity.

[WRALdirector80s]

I was one of the directors at WFMY during this transition period. Jack Hilliard directed the 6PM and I directed the 11PM newscast. For me, this was the best time at WFMY. Tom Sattizahn (Magid) did a great job. Station was now under control of Harte Hanks Communication. The GM was Mark Conrad. Larry Perret served as EP, fresh from Colorado. Bruce MacCallum from Colorado as well. They did base the look on Gannett's successful format at KBTV (now KUSA). The newscast finally had life!

[sanctusmedia]

I was a news photographer at WFMY-TV for 20 yrs. Magid messed us up but good. They came in with a new management and screwed us over totally. In short magid was about Happy Talk news. not real news. Real News coverage went out the window. People were fired helter skelter, if you didn't swallow their pill out you went. The staff hated them and their management. In short the public was viewed as dummies who couldn't handle the real news. Now look at what we have in it's place. .horse poop. Jim

[Aspergian]

Would you happen to have this whole program? I've been in search of all eight programs of Media Probes, especially recorded to DVD. Have seen three of them on the website of Kit Laybourne. The composer of the music for the programs has them all on VHS, but won't post them because of the copyright issues and everything else. Only other place that has VHS cassettes of the programs is San Francisco State University which I don't live anywhere near.

[ZoneCountry]

RIP, Frank Magid.

[JimmySand9]

I said it before, but it bears repeating. WFMY had a really Gannettish look at the time, though they wouldn't be owned by them for another 5 or so years. Lower 3rds with the anchors signature, lots of live reports, and red, white, and blue out the wazoo. All hallmarks of Gannett stations in the early to mid 80's.

[mgriffin132006]

The tapes they're watching is from WFMY-TV in Greensboro, North Carolina! First clip is from the 'Channel 2 News' days from July 1979 and the second is from March of 1980 when 4 feet of heavy snow hit the state! Some of the personalities seen in these clips include Bill Kopald, Susan Kidd, and the late, great Charlie Harville.