Station Break

Heard or seen something on the pop culture landscape that appalled/delighted/enlightened you? Of course you have. That's what Station Break with Paul Farhi is here for. Local stations, cable, radio shows, commercials, pop culture -- they're all fair game.

Farhi was online Tuesday, Nov. 28, at 1 p.m. ET.

Farhi is a reporter in the Post's Style section, writing about media and popular culture. He's been watching TV and listening to the radio since "The Monkees" were in first run and Adam West was a star. Born in Brooklyn and raised in Los Angeles, Farhi had brief stints in the movie business (as an usher at the Picwood Theater), and in the auto industry (rental-car lot guy) before devoting himself full time to word processing. His car has 15 radio pre-sets and his cable system has 75 channels. He vows to use all of them for good instead of evil.

A transcript follows.

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Paul Farhi: Greetings, all, and welcome back....Locals who've been paying attention to the Washington media scene (sorry all you outside-the-Washington-area folk) may have noticed a drumbeat of bad news. The Post itself is in slow shrinkage mode, what with buyouts and section trims here and there. But WRC, channel 4, seems to be in a full, GM-like chopping phase. Every day seems to bring another announcement of a familiar, experienced on-air personality who's going to buy-out and/or retirement land--Wally Bruckner, I.J. Hudson, Susan Kidd, George Michael, and more to come (check local listings). Question: Will it matter to you as a viewer? Does it matter who delivers the news as long as they get it right and get it fast? I think it does--people watch people on TV--but what think you (I'm channeling Bill O'Reilly here). Anyhow, let's go to the phones...

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Hyattsville, Md.: Do you have any inside information on the Don and Mike absence? The normal blog sites only have rumors. Is the absence due to punishment, related to a move to another time slot, or is it simply a ratings ploy? D&M were one of four pre-sets for my afternoon commute channel surfing, so I'm surviving without them, but the unexplained absence is interesting. Perhaps that's the point.

Paul Farhi: Don n' Mike are the big issue on this board, from the looks of the early postings. And here's my official statement on 'em: I talked to Michael Hughes, WJFK's general manager and the top suit for the CBS-owned stations in this area last week. He assured me that they would be back on the air "soon," but offered no details as to when "soon" is. Beyond that, he wouldn't comment. Obviously, this has gone beyond the stunt phase and is part of something else...

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Washington, D.C.: I just want to start things off with a round of (virtual) applause for the Station Break Dancers, who all too often get taken for granted in this forum.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled chat.

Paul Farhi: Thank you. Incidentally, they had a very busy Thanksgiving weekend. They played Branson, Mo. and the Taj in Atlantic City. We're very proud of them...

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Silver Spring, Md.: If I watch local news, it tends to be Fox, simply because it's on at 10. I think the quality of their operation and on-air talent is pretty poor, so I guess there's your answer.

Paul Farhi: Ah. Watching more and enjoying it less. I recommend you read the paper instead...

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Fairfax, Va: Paul,

What's up with the dustup at WRC with George Michael ?

Paul Farhi: No dustup, as far as I can tell. As my colleague John Maynard reported, Michael won't be doing his daily sports reports and his syndicated "Sports Machine" show. He will continue doing his coaches interview programs and his panel-discussion shows. George said he couldn't continue with the anticipated cuts in his sports staff. But he's also 67. I mean, the guy's full of energy, but would he really want to keep producing the same amount of stuff with half the staff?

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Anchors & Anchorettes: Just one opinion, but in our mid-sized market, we have tons of anchor turnover. The cast changes, but the show goes on, and the ratings stay about the same. Really, who needs the locals for more than weather, traffic, and "what was that siren I heard"?

Paul Farhi: Interesting point. Channel 9 here in town gutted their operation a couple of years ago, and their ratings held up pretty well until recently. But Channel 4 has been the leading news station in town for more than a decade. Perhaps there will be a lag time, but I imagine people will drift away from their favorite station over time, once they realize it's not the same old familiar newscast.

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Fairfax, Va.: Paul.

I quit watching WRC sports on the weekend just to avoid Lindzeeeeeeeeeee Zarnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnaaackackack.

Paul Farhi: I think she's pretty good. And she's very likely the future over there.

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Greenbelt, Md.: What's up with Mr. Angelos's Sports Network? Apparently, it's all Balamer all the time, hon. Except for the Nationals and Georgetown basketball, you would never know Washington existed if you only get your sports news from the formerly Missing-in-Action Sports Network. What a rip off. I hope someone files an anti-trust suit against Peter the Grate and MLB, allowing Comcast to get the Nats' rights.

Paul Farhi: It's Baltimore-centric, yes. But what did you expect? It's headquartered over there, run over there, and owned by the owner of the BALTIMORE Orioles. You beginning to sense a pattern here?

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Alexandria, Va.: Hi Paul, I really hope you can take this because I can't find an answer anywhere else and it is driving me nuts!

A few months ago, I won a nice HD radio from WGMS (radio contest). It is great, and now I can listen to all my fav stations in High Def while at work ... all except WGMS. Their Web site says HD, and in fact that's why they were/are giving out HD radios. But I can't get 104.1 in HD on the thing here in Alexandria. Is it that they're not really broadcasting in HD? Or that my radio doesn't pick up their HD signal (it does pick up all the others in the market)?

I've e-mailed the station, their engineers, the DJs, and have gotten no answer. Thanks!

Paul Farhi: I have an HD radio on my desk, and I can barely pick up ANY stations inside the building. I think--and I'm no engineer--that it's a simple reception problem. A better antenna would probably help, as would sticking the radio out an open window. In your case, 104.1 has always been kind of a spotty signal. Try 103.9, which carries a simulcast of 104.1. In the meantime, I invite the more technically savvy to post up on this one...

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Georgetown, Washington, D.C.: You say The Post proper is cutting staff; how is washingtonpost.com doing? That's where the readers are going, I'd bet.

Meanwhile, can you use you powers to put an end to Mike Buchanan Buck Stops Here spots on WTOP. I heard one over the weekend on turkeys that made absolutely no sense.

A revered newsman yes; as a Andy Rooney/Paul Harvey clone, an embarrassment.

Paul Farhi: Washingtonpost.com is a big growth engine for the company. It's a great site, I think. But it's ultimately dependent on the Post's newsroom for much of its copy. And it's not a zero-sum game: The print Post is declining faster, and from a much higher base, than the web site is growing (and from a much smaller base).

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Falls Church, Va.: Paul,

Does this mean Vance will get 'mo money to stay? You know their evening news would be nothing without him.

Paul Farhi: I'm sure Vance is considered essential, persona absolutely grata (please pardon my French). He just re-upped over there, reportedly for north of $1 million a year, so he's not going anywhere for awhile. And that alone may be enough for WRC to hang on to much of its audience.

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I think she's pretty good. And she's very likely the future over there.: Then my sports viewing future is on Fox5.

Paul Farhi: I like Dave Feldman, too.

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Happy Valley, Hong Kong: It's clear that anyone who knows anything about what's up with Don and Mike isn't talking. I can understand Don and Mike not being able to say anything if CBS has gagged them, but why hasn't WJFK or CBS made an announcement? What should we conclude from Michael Hughes' continued silence?

Paul Farhi: Right--Don and Mike are contractually prohibited from talking to the press (so much for First Amendment protections). As for Hughes' public silence, that's hard to read. But what could he say without prejudicing something delicate, if something delicate IS in the works? If he's negotiating something with them (a new time slot? a new station?) or even if he's arguing with them, badmouthing them publicly would not help his cause. I always want people to talk, of course, but I understand when they don't.

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Who's news today?: I feel we should vote on who anchors the news. Let's say for 6 months at a time. Open casting call. After 5 days we vote. Or something like that. Kinda like AI meets the news ...

Paul Farhi: We DO vote. Every hour of every day and every week. They're called the Nielsen ratings.

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WRC Watcher: I miss Wally and I.J. I will not miss George and Susan Kidd.

For me it will be a delight to watch sports and not put up with George's bombastic pontificating.

As for Ms. Kidd, well, several years ago I was touring WRC with my graphic arts teacher who did graphics at WRC. As we were walking through, he introduced us to I.J. and a couple of other on air people. Ms. Kidd approached our group and the teacher said "And here comes Susan Kidd ..." She ignored him and strode through the group without an acknowledgement that any of us were even there.

Paul Farhi: I never trust anecdotes like that. How do you know she wasn't distracted by something, or even heard your teacher's "intro"? I have talked with Susan Kidd from time to time, and found her to be straightforward, honest and non-egotistical.

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Arlington, Va.: On the cuts at Channel 4, I really don't care who is delivering any local news. It is the same thing all the time -- remotes from the Mall on Black Friday, how not to get sunburned or dehydrated in summer, and "StormCenter 4" faux snow coverage in winter. I am almost ashamed to say that when Eun Yang and Lindsay Czarniak are on screen, I literally can't look away, but if there is any serious reason to watch Channel 4's or any local news coverage, I haven't seen it.

Paul Farhi: To be honest, I find local TV news of less and less value, maybe because I've been sucking down news all day at my desk. But it's still a pretty useful utility for a lot of people--just the day's highlights and lowlights. Plus, the occasional clip of the water skiing squirrel.

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Changes at Channel Four: Paul:

I think the departure of all of these people at WRC is a sign of the future of local TV and TV news in general. In the past, people tuned in at specific points in the day to watch specific people report the news (even Channel 7's recent surge can be tied to adding well-known local talent) and the right team would become the ratings winners. Now, more and more people don't make an appointment to watch the news, hence star power won't draw them in, either at the local or network level. I think it will lead to more generic news presentation at the local level, with few "stars," just as it means that Katie Couric will have little if any impact on CBS' ratings.

Paul Farhi: Interesting. I'm tempting to argue the other way--because news ratings (and newspaper circulation) are gradually slipping amid all the many sources of info-tainment, star presenters will be more valuable than ever. Reason: It's getting harder than ever to stand out, so "stars" give you an edge.

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WRC ya later: I think that personalities are a big part of local newscast loyalty, but viewer habits, lead-ins and -outs, and program formats also play key roles. WPVI in Philadelphia has been the top dog in local news for 30 years and they have seen significant change in people -- but they do it gradually. Losing so many people so quickly and in such a high-profile against-their-will manner could very likely work against WRC, especially if some other local station snaps 'em up.

Paul Farhi: Well, here's how strong WRC has been in the local ratings: they rose to prominence as NBC's primetime and daytime shows soared (from "Cosby" to "Seinfeld/Friends" to "Today Show"), but they've stayed on top even as NBC's primetime schedule has gone south. Perhaps it's inertia and force of habit that keeps them there. But people really, really choose to watch Channel 4; they'll obviously switch stations to watch it.

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Fairfax, Va.: A question from student in the Radio Workshop (Comm 348) class at George Mason University! We are an Internet-only radio station. How difficult would it be to obtain space on an area station's HD signal?

Paul Farhi: Difficult, I would think. Reason: Stations tend to want that extra channel capacity for their own programming. There are several HD stations on the air now, and they are largely extensions of the "main" station. For example, WGMS, the classical music station, has all-opera and all-chorale music HD stations--kind of extending the WGMS classical "brand."

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Greenbelt, Md.: Do you think Tracey Neale and company will be able to lift the ratings of Channel 9?

It's been a couple of years and the only progress has been downward.

Paul Farhi: I think viewers are still getting comfortable with Channel 9's new newscast, even a year or more into it. There's a lesson there for Channel 4--it takes years to build up viewer loyalty, and just a few months to fumble it all away.

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washingtonpost.com: Chatological Humor ( washingtonpost.com, Nov. 2)

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Silver Spring, Md.: Paul, I think you should expect at least a temporary bump in chat questions as the Weingarteners look for a new home for the next 5 months.

Perhaps you should brush up on your doggerel.

Paul Farhi: Bring it, and them, on! I wish Gene well. And maybe, like the football announcers say, I should welcome his audience that has been watching another chat and is just joining ours in progress...

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Manassas, Va.: Paul,

Susan Kidd: How long has she been there to get a buyout? Or is she just tired of it?

Paul Farhi: Kidd has been on the station since 1984. She, like the others, has been around long enough to be at the top of the payroll, or near it. It's not a coincidence that WRC is getting rid of its oldest and most expensive "talent."

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College Park, Md.: What's going on with Michael Baisden's syndicated show?

Paul Farhi: I think he's pulled a Don & Mike. Again, management types are saying he's coming back "soon." ("Soon" is like "several"--a wonderfully vague word. You have to like that..)

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Bethesda, Md.: With King George leaving, who will be the top sports guy/gal?

Paul Farhi: There's a horse race on right now over at WRC. It's Lindsay Czarniak vs. Dan Hellie, and maybe a player to be named later. My money's on Lindsay; she got there before Dan...

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Arlington, Va.: I know George Michael is supposed to cut down on his WRC 4 responsibilities, but I haven't seen it so far. I was elated, overjoyed when I heard this but I still see him on the channel -- and that scares me. When will he be gone -- early in 2007?

Paul Farhi: His last day as sports anchor is March 1.

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Washington, D.C.: Do you think WUSA 9's anchor team has what it takes to be number one? Now, that George Michael is leaving NBC 4, I would think this would be a great time for 9 to really pump up Haber and the rest of the crew.

Paul Farhi: You'd think. But 9 has really been unable to get any kind of traction, even while CBS leads in primetime. Not sure why. Maybe people aren't comfortable with Tracey Neale and Todd McDermott. Or they don't like the set. Or something.

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Bethesda, Md.: Paul --

What about the guys from the other stations?

Brett/Feldy/Timmy?

Do they have a shot at being top dog in D.C. or even moving to 4?

Will the 'Skins stay at 4?

Paul Farhi: That's interesting conjecture; WRC might want to take an established name/face as its news sports person, considering that Lindsay might be too inexperienced and Dan Hellie might be too unfamiliar. But poaching one of the other stations' guys would cost WRC some dough, and they don't appear to be in a spending mode. Quite the opposite.

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His last day as sports anchor is March 1: Paul,

I hope he takes Sonny with him.

Paul Farhi: Sonny is beloved in these parts. I have my own opinions, but it's not really safe to argue with Redskins nostalgia....

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On Demand News: I know I've brought up this suggestion before, but why don't they convert all news to on-demand. I had completely stopped watching any news until I got TiVo. Now I can very quickly jump past the stories I don't want to hear and just get the news I want. To me I would definitely watch an on-demand local and national broadcast that is broken down into story clusters. Perhaps even a five minute overview of all the days news in quick sound bites. Also, I think it is ridiculous that there are so many hours of local news per day. There is no need for Channel 4 to have local news from 4-7 every evening. On-demand would free up some of their programming time. But that's just my opinion.

Paul Farhi: Well, I think you answered your own question. Local news is THE biggest profit center for a local station, by far. That's why the number of hours of news has grown and grown over the years. The stations want you to keep watching hour after hour so they can keep selling more advertising. On-demand news might make some financial sense, but it messes too much with the basic and far more profitable current model.

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20003: Love your chats, but poring through today's comments about Washington's local TV personalities has been like getting my teeth cleaned, without the minty mouthwash. Please don't do this to us again!

Paul Farhi: Which part felt most like when the hygienist takes that sharp metal pick and starts using it around your gums?

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University Park, Md.: I watch WRC because it has the only local newscast at 4 p.m. Unless another station begins or resurrects a 4 p.m. newscast, I will continue to watch WRC no matter who is anchoring. (Well, I might give up if they put Barbara Harrison or Joe Krebs on.)

Paul Farhi: For some reason(s), Barbara Harrison will not win Favorite Newscaster on this board.

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I watch NBC no matter where I am: Don't know when I picked up this habit, but I just seem to gravitate towards NBC News regardless of what city I am in.

That said, any chance Barbara Harrision is going to leave? She makes me antsy in the morning with all her "um-ing".

Paul Farhi: Like I said...

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Maybe people aren't comfortable with Tracey Neale: Paul,

You said it there. She looks plastic. Looks like it takes forever for makeup.

Just hard to look at.

Paul Farhi: And not just Barbara apparently...

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Channel 9: This is just my opinion -- I like Tracey Neale, but I find Todd comes across as very arrogant. I want pleasant personalities, especially if the news is unpleasant.

Paul Farhi: Or Tracey...

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Arlington, Va.: We watch local news for the news of our localities such as why were all the fire engines two blocks away or why was there the sound of gun fire, or what happened to block that intersection, stuff we can't always track down in the snippets in the morning paper. They tend to do local crisis stories very well and seem to steal their features from whatever The Post published that morning.

Paul Farhi: I think that has been the playbook for local news for a very long time. Murder and crime stories are very cheap to cover for local news; they often are dramatic and have great pictures. Fires have great visuals, as do car wrecks. And weather is what we all have in common. I think local news would cover a fire in progress sooner than it would any important government story, or political story, or corruption or poverty or white-collar crime story any day of the week. Local TV news is not about making you a better informed citizen; it's about keeping you as a viewer.

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Columbia, Md.: As someone who moved here from another part of the country, I have never understood why George Michael is so revered here. He doesn't even make a pretense at objectivity towards the Redskins and Dan Snyder. And let's face it, the guy has been hopelessly lost without Andrew Ridgely.

Paul Farhi: I have had a problem with this over the years, too. But forget about the perception problem. There's an actual journalistic conflict issue: George (or at least WRC) has financial ties to the Redskins through fees paid to the team for interview shows and preseason games (which George announces). George claims this does not affect his objectivity, that he will criticize the team and its owner when necessary. Well, that's what he says.

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Alexandria and HD: Try tuning in their "normal" signal, and compare the quality of reception to other stations. HD radio is not like HD TV: in radio, they are sharing the usual frequency and stuffing digital data into the normal spectrum. TV uses a completely different frequency band.

Paul Farhi: Thanks!

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20009: Paul, I watched a Lifetime movie last night. It was a detective thriller, and -- get this -- THE STRAIGHT MAN WAS THE KILLER! Can you believe it?

Paul Farhi: This time of the year, I look forward to Christmas-themed made-for-TV movies, which Lifetime and others repeatedly inflict on us. Two things are guaranteed to happen in these movies: The happy ending will occur on Christmas Eve, when it will snow.

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What's Going On?: NBC's cutting way back, Washington Post encourages early retirements, Clear Channel is in slash-and-burn mode; so is National Geographic. Seems like many or most media companies are cutting jobs ... at the same time they are expanding into new markets. What gives? Is this just a cyclical thing ... or is the notion of a "full-time media professional" becoming obsolete?

Paul Farhi: Gosh, I hope not. As do my credit-card company, my mortgage holder, my car-loan company, etc...

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Paul Farhi: Folks, I've got to go back to searching for Don and Mike. But this was fun, as always. If you're not too busy with all your holiday plans, stop in again in two weeks and we'll chat it up again. In the meantime, best to all. Regards...Paul.

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