YOU GUYS HATE CHANGE!






It is fun to see how viewers react to change in our local TV world. The thing that always amazes me is how S L O W they are to realize and accept it. Brothers and sisters life in the local TV passing lane is always moving and there is nothing we can do about it.
When WBIR lost the Fountain City flash (Ted Hall) to the big leagues the unwashed had no problem at all with veteran anchor Bill Williams hitting the on deck circle. As Bill told me it just took a few minutes to acclimate himself to the chair and he was off and running. Not ONE e mail saying how much Teddy was missed, not one complaint at Bill returning, and not even a wrinkled eyebrow rocked the seamless replacement. The overnight ratings also reflected the viewer’s feelings as Bill first maintained and then grew the 6 p.m. numbers to continue the stations domination over WATE and the rest of the local news market.
Things were wonderful, the sun was shinning, sales were growing, and then as promised the power brokers at WBIR brought in a new dude. At first not a word from the peanut gallery, people were still seeing Bill doing the adoption deal and his Mission of Hope pitches, he was still there right? At last we crawled into 2007, January finally started to get cold and the viewers realized they had a new face on WBIR news. Because I am your Media Maven and my cyber door is never closed the e mailed thoughts on this new addition have been growing. Most come from folks who just now have figured out JOHN BECKER is the new guy and all of them are not sure what they think of this bird. Replacing Teddy Bob with Bill was easy, Williams was a known and respected news face. Ted was a good Live At Five guy and when he left he was missed about as long as the Uncle with the bad jokes and fake hair who shows up Christmas afternoon, makes fun of the kids and dog and is gone before the rest of the family comes over for dinner. But NOW here comes a guy we don’t know replacing Bill Williams on Knoxville’s number one local news station, time to light the pine knots and head out to Broadway!


First the notes took shots at his hair. Personally I admire a guy WITH hair, but for some reason people found his a little too something or other. Then they went after his posture, I kid you not more than a few e mails were upset over the way he sat at the dang desk, saying he was LEANING a bit too close to Robin? Excuse me? I never saw that one at all. It looked like he just sat there and did his thing but then I am still living in the dark ages with my tired old 40 something inch TV. I guess when I buy a house with a bigger wall and move up to that 50 inch plasma I will be able to see what you are seeing? My favorite e mails about the guy are the ones that just say, “I can’t put my finger on it, but there is just SOMETHING about this guy I don’t like.” Anyway after shifting through all of them I think the biggest problem he has is he is new. Next year he won’t be and he will be fine.


In his defense I will say the last few Sundays he as been doing a great job filling in on the political chat show on 10. Most of the time the show is duller than an old steak knife in a tackle box but the times I have seen him he jacked some life into the tired group. He does his homework, asks good questions, and even challenges the democrats when they try to color the discussion. If you are one of those who still are not sure about the guy, check the listings and the next time he is on the Sunday show check him out.


Oh here is a thought, do any of you think the guy who does the Halls Salvage ads and the garden guy who comes on Style and Live at Five is the same fellow? Listen to the voice! And here is another thing; are you as sick as I am of the Rock Um Sock Um Robots beating on that truck commercial? Try to watch any sporting event and NOT see that spot just won’t happen. One other thing that is getting old is the excitement over NON-WEATHER. It did not snow Monday but I had to stand in line Saturday at the bank because you guys were whipped into a weather frenzy by our local meteorologists and needed more money to get to Kroger and clean out the milk and egg aisles! Look, just remember you can go to weather.com or weather bug or a thousand other sites and see the same junk the dude or dudetta is talking about on the TV. Just like the old days of hearing John Ward screaming he is on the 40 the 30 the 20 the 10 the 5 TOUCHDOWN, while you had not only already seen the play on TV but were headed to the carport for a Schlitz and a Winston, you will have the facts way before they do! Unlax, this is East Tennessee, the weather guys and gals are never right and Kroger will take PLASTIC!





PS

SCOT SAMS CAME OUT GREAT IN TEXAS! GO TO http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/business/16506652.htm
for all the details! CONGRATS to a good kid who started hanging with CP and Walker back in 76!


This just in! Media is a loose net catching print..tv...radio and bloggers. That said some of them slithering around in this world are not ethical or even journalist..but rather agenda driven dweebs who have both a smell about their bods and an attitude when they write. That said, read what you will about TH ( the high sheriff and who might replace him) but never forget those who put the ink to the page are are often suspect! No joke children, just hang back...disregard what they are saying and see what happens in February. Bless their hearts some are just a sad lot of tired liberals who we should all give a Christmas basket and a smile but that's about it.