April 20, 2006
"Annd we are ready in three, two, -- "
The Possum Broadcasting Company is experiencing technical difficulties. Instead of our regular programming, the Axis of Weevil Thursday Three Newsreader Popularity Contest will be aired. We will return to our regular programming as soon as possible.
We wish to thank our East Carolina affiliate WJIM for providing the content for this program, and we encourage our viewers to comment with your thoughts on this opinion survey. Those who wish to complain about the question choice should take that up with WJIM.
1. Who is your favorite local television anchor?
2. Who is your least favorite local television anchor?
3. Have you ever known of anyone in your local market who made it to The Big Show with a national network gig?
Audience members are encouraged to leave your answers in the handy comment area, or to leave a link to your own station.
As a programming reminder, "Luther's Garage" will air from 1:23 a.m. to 1:29 a.m. on April 21. "Mincemeat Party with Miss Rozelle" will follow at 1:35 a.m., and will be rebroadcast on Sunday, April 30, immediately after the "Dr. Wayne G. Spraddle Gospel Miracles with Signs and Wonders Outdoorsman's Show."
Now then, the station manager takes this opportunity to offer his own commentary on the survey questionnaire--
1. Favorite local anchor? I sure wish the question was reporters, and then I would pick Mai Martinez. RRrroowwwlllll. And how. AAARRGHHHHHHH!! I just tried to go find her bio page from the WBRC website, but she's been ERASED! Surely to GOODNESS they haven't let her get away! Thank goodness, I had the foresight to copy her photo while it was still available.
COME BACK, MAI!
But, since we're dealing with anchors, I think I my favorite is probably a toss-up between NBC 13's Fran Curry or FOX 6's Scott Richards.
2. Least favorite? Can there be any doubt? I really like him as a person--he does incredible work in the community and is universally loved and respected and is one of the pioneers in Birmingham television. I just cannot tolerate listening to him "read" the news. Running a close second would be my Ron Burgundy Award winner, who would probably rank higher (lower) if I ever actually took the time to watch the ABC 33/40 newscast.
3. Gone on to greater glories? No one I can think of as an anchor, although I can recall a few who've gone on to being network reporters.
So there you go.
Posted by Terry Oglesby at April 20, 2006 07:24 AMWhatever happened to Wendy? Do I recall correctly that she left TV for radio or something?
Posted by: Jordana at April 20, 2006 07:55 AMShe did indeed--she and Ken Lass now host the "Wendy and Ken" morning drive-time show on WDJC. And yes, she is still quite good about keeping in touch.
Although, I haven't gotten a new autographed picture yet...
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at April 20, 2006 08:02 AMNo answers for 1 and 2 since I won't sit and watch the TV. For #3, Meredith Vieira was on local TV when we lived in Providence, long ago, and Oprah was on local TV here in Baltimore when we arrived.
Posted by: Steevil (Dr Weevil's bro Steve) at April 20, 2006 08:04 AM1 & 2: Don't watch TV news.
3. Sean Hannity was on radio here. Does that count?
Posted by: Larry Anderson at April 20, 2006 08:16 AMLarry was he any different locally then now? I’ve heard him mention Alabama but never where. Sean isn’t my favorite on radio as he gets carried away and everything is a crisis.
I tend to watch local TV news since we are a smaller population it can really cover truly local stuff. It’s not all crime.
Don't watch TV news!? SHOCKING! UNPRECEDENTED!!
We'll have to do a special three-part report on that: "People Who Don't Watch the News: Insane? Terrorists? Conservatives?"
And then we'll follow up with a story on kittens.
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at April 20, 2006 08:34 AMYes, a nice story about kittens and the ponies that love them and a special feature about ice cream.
Oh and WLFV is on the air.
Posted by: Sarah G. at April 20, 2006 08:44 AMI don't generally watch TV news either, but I discovered that one of the anchors I always thought was Australian was from England. So much for my accent recognition skills. We also have an anchor in town named Demetria, which isn't a name you run across very often. Other than different names or strange accents, I think all the anchors are pretty much the same and don't stand out. Except that we have, across all the stations, universally dorky weather people.
I don't remember any news people who made the big time, but one summer I spent out in Arizona at my grandparents' house I remember there being a woman news anchor, who the next fall showed up in Philadelphia working for the station that I sometimes caught a few minutes of when I was in grad school in Delaware.
Posted by: Jordana at April 20, 2006 08:48 AMYowz--Jordana, the guy on down the page, Dan Phillips, looks like Eddie Munster! Thankfully, they have Amy Fadool and Miranda Cohen playing the Marilyn role. Kinda interesting that Demetria has her own webpage, although since I have an older version of Flash, I can't actually see it.
Now then, as for the expose about Big Ice Cream, I think Sarah G's the perfect person to cover that.
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at April 20, 2006 09:06 AMWe don't have local news anchors. We can tune into Baton Rouge or Monroe, and we rarely do that.
Baton Rouge shared their studio with WWLTV (New Orleans) for Katrina coverage. We did watch some of that, but I don't remember any of the anchors.
Posted by: Janis at April 20, 2006 09:37 AMLinky thing to cousin Suzanne is all better now.
Posted by: Sarah G. at April 20, 2006 10:07 AMJim,
I wasn't in Huntsville when Hannity was on the local station. I also do not listen to him. He is too excitable for me.
And Terry,
I do not believe that not watching TV news makes Jim a bad person.
Posted by: Larry Anderson at April 20, 2006 10:10 AMI'm not so sure, Larry--he IS from Bessemer, you know.
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at April 20, 2006 10:24 AMBeing from Bessemer I’m still trying to figure out how those people get into that little box.
Posted by: jim at April 20, 2006 10:30 AMI think it's through all them little holes and slots on the back of the box.
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at April 20, 2006 10:45 AMThe local t.v. stations seem to be the same, but as far as lookers go, we do have some pretty female reporters and anchors. The best of the bunch has to be: Channel 4's Demetria. She's not young, but still cute! Channel 5's Kristin Priesol. She's in the mornings. Channel 2's Victoria Hansen and Sarah Walsh are both hotties. Channel 17's Fox, pun intended, is Amy Fadool. A breath of fresh air!
Posted by: Thomas at May 24, 2006 03:30 PM