Grumpy Editor

Geraldo Rivera, new to N.Y. radio, adds L.A. next Monday

Geraldo Rivera, who helms “Geraldo at Large” Sundays on the Fox News Channel, next Monday will expand his daily activities to include a two-hour live radio talk show beamed out of Los Angeles, added to a similar but separate program that recently debuted in New York, notes Grumpy Editor.

That means four hours of live programming daily. 

That’s a lot of chatter behind the microphone.  But Rivera is up to it. 

He started Monday-to-Friday radio on Jan. 3, 10 a.m. to noon on WABC, New York.  Next Monday he goes airborne over KABC in Los Angeles, also 10 a.m. to noon.  (Both are local times.) 

But the programs are not syndicated and Geraldo originates both from New York. 

NASDAQ-listed Cumulus Media, Inc., in broadcasting partnership with Rivera, says Rivera’s shows, simply called "Geraldo" and welcoming listener calls, “focus on the day's biggest and most talked-about topics, ranging from national politics to shocking crimes to social issues.” 

Rivera adds, "I've said it before and I'll say it again: my slogan is, 'I’m Geraldo and I’m not always right.'" 

With his WABC debut, New York-born Rivera beams, “This is a lifetime dream come true, hosting a talk radio show in (New York) where everyone has an opinion on everything.” 

On the other coast on KABC, Rivera is familiar with the City of Angels (and the thinking of its sun-drenched inhabitants) where he maintained a residence for 25 years.

 

Republican candidates’ 2 TV debates miss opportunities

Television viewers saw a total of three and a half hours of Republican candidates’ debates from New Hampshire over the weekend and only once was there a mention of rogue North Korea --- with zero discussion of the Communist nation pushing ahead with a nuclear weapons program under a new leader --- and no talk about global warming (rebranded climate change), the illegal immigrants situation in the U.S. and China’s military buildup while the U.S. chops its defense budget, observes Grumpy Editor. 

But everyone --- questioners and other candidates --- targeted Mitt Romney. 

An inordinate portion of Saturday night’s two-hour debate on ABC was consumed with commentator George Stephanopoulos asking Romney, “Do you believe states have the right to ban contraception, or is that trumped by a constitutional right to privacy?” 

That discussion spread to other candidates. 

Ten hours later, NBC expanded its normal one hour “Meet the Press” to 90 minutes to bounce questions off the same six GOP candidates.  David Gregory helmed that debate --- seen “live” in the east but on tape in the West. 

A tape delay for the West also came with the Dec. 10 debate on ABC. 

The problem with delayed viewing in the West is that alert debate followers already have heard sound bites on radio and TV news before viewing the replay.  In addition, Web sites already had covered details and sparring among quizzers and candidates. 

Fifteen minutes before the end of yesterday’s NBC debate, a quickie mention was made about North Korea --- but no questions or discussion followed. 

One plus for the NBC taped-for-the-West version vs. ABC’s delayed release on Dec. 10:  Unlike ABC’s misleading white-on-red LIVE “bug” above its logo in the bottom corner of the screen, NBC did not have that.

 

U.S. population grows, wolf enters California, radio talk show replays, Kodak stock sinks, among year-end events

Catching up on some year-end events that Grumpy Editor feels some folks (and editors) may have missed --- 

+ The Census Bureau’s projected U.S. population going into 2012:  312,780,968.  The agency also calculated one birth is expected every eight seconds and one death every 12 seconds in the U.S. 

One would think that with more people contributing to the federal pot, taxes would be lowered much like a going-away office party in which the more participants involved mean less contributions per person toward an outlay for a gift. 

+ A dopey year-end Verizon Wireless move to yank $2 a month for online or telephone payments from each customer lasted a day before the pickpocket idea was shelved.  The “convenience fee” plan immediately triggered a lot of grumbling and complaints from users of Verizon Wireless, a joint venture of Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodaphone Group Plc. 

It followed the bad PR Bank of America received two months earlier when it attempted to impose a $5 monthly fee for debit card use. 

+ Associated Press got excited when a lone gray wolf crossed into California from Oregon.  That warranted an eleven-paragraph report, noting the animal --- wearing a global positioning system collar since February --- had wandered more than 300 miles from its original location.  Last gray wolf spotted in California was killed in 1924. 

+ Radio listeners during the holidays heard much of “best of” (the upscale name for repeats) talk shows.  What talk show hosts and their syndicators seem to forget is that radio is hailed for immediacy.  Year-end airing of such things as preparing for Thanksgiving dinners and other “upcoming” events that have long passed is just plain stupid. 

Guest hosts should be used to keep the focus on current events in a fast-moving world.  It’s an opportunity, too, to develop fresh fill-in talent at microphones. 

+ The stock of once-booming Eastman Kodak Co. closed 2011 at 65 cents a share, compared to the year’s high of $5.85.  The struggling image and printing company’s stock sold for about $30 a share on the New York Stock Exchange as recently as mid-2007.  Its last dividend was in December, 2008. 

Three Kodak directors resigned in December as the company works on shoring up an eroding cash position.

Year-end observations conclude tomorrow.

 

Many mentions of DoubleMySpeed in radio spot irks some

Hammering away with multiple mentions of a service during a 60-second radio commercial can get out of hand sometimes and trigger grumbling by listeners, notes Grumpy Editor. 

While most radio advertisers cite the company name or service about three times during a commercial, DoubleMySpeed.com spits out a whopping 20 times (actually more with overlapping chatter of the name) during 60 seconds. 

Pity the employees at radio stations running the commercial. 

They probably grit their teeth with repeated airings of the piped-in message flowing through studio premises.

Meanwhile, listeners to the repetitious message are likely to turn down the volume of their favorite radio station for a minute --- after hearing the spot a few times. 

Those who are tempted to go to the pitched Web site will find the lure of a free diagnosis to “find out in minutes what’s making your computer slow.” 

After the diagnosis, the computer-user is “presented with various options which will allow you to clean up your PC.” 

CyberDefender Corp., a publicly traded company, headquartered in Los Angeles, owns the operation. 

 

Emergency Alert System test goes national on Nov. 9

Look for some grumbling from radio listeners and television viewers at 2 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday when the Emergency Alert System interrupts programming for the first simultaneous nationwide test, anticipates Grumpy Editor.

Originally planned for three minutes, the test is scaled back to 30 seconds after objections from the cable TV industry. 

The test is designed to ensure national leaders can communicate quickly with people in an emergency. 

Suspicious minds are thinking: 

Why now?  Could some large-scale event be brewing?  What if power is out, complicating radio and TV transmissions, thus negating broadcast warnings? 

Others may ask why not revert to World War II alerts with sirens?  That would cover people who are unable to tune in to radio or TV or simply do not have radio or TV sets on. 

The national Emergency Alert System is designed to be activated by the president. 

Although the EAS is tested on a weekly or a monthly basis at the state or local level, the Federal Communications Commission says “there has never been an end-to-end nationwide test of the system.” 

The FCC adds it needs “to know that the system will work as intended should public safety officials ever need to send an alert or warning to a large region of the United States.  Only a complete, top-down test of the EAS can provide an appropriate diagnosis of the system’s performance.”

 

Poll finds most people turn on TV for breaking news

When a sudden development occurs, most curious people turn on their television sets and check out the news networks, according to a new poll, notes Grumpy Editor. 

A Poll Position-TV Newser survey finds 58 percent of Americans cite TV news networks as the source for breaking news details, while 17 percent go to Web sites, 14 percent tune in news radio stations and eight percent head for social media. 

It marks the initial survey (via telephone to 1,110 registered voters nationwide, conducted Oct. 23) in a Poll Position-TV Newser polling partnership. 

The two plan a periodic ongoing series of surveys on news media coverage and consumption. 

Poll Position describes itself as a “non-partisan news, polling and social media company.” 

TV Newser, an industry "ticker" blog hosted by mediabistro.com, covers daily developments in the TV news field.

 

Larry King plans return to radio with national show

Look for Larry King, who turns 78 next month, to return to radio where he started his broadcasting career 54 years ago, notes Grumpy Editor.

Further details on a Los Angeles-based national radio show are forthcoming “within several days or weeks,” King mentioned in a Talkers interview. 

King, who wrapped up 25 years as host on CNN’s Larry King Live last December, said he doesn’t feel his age and has no intention of retiring any time in the near future. 

He still will be seen on CNN, doing four television specials a year for three years on the cable network.

King started his broadcasting career on radio in 1957, moving up to the microphone after performing various tasks at WAHR, now WMBM, Miami Beach. 

At that time he worked three hours as a morning disc jockey, then handled two newscasts and a sportscast in the afternoon --- all at $55 a week.

King went national with a late-night radio show in 1978.

Often he would become impatient with rambling callers (remember, it was late night) to his show.  He got them back on track by growling, "What's your question?"

 

Who’s on first? AP emphasizes proper baseball terms

With postseason baseball games getting under way today, Associated Press produces a style guide of key terms and definitions relating to the sport so writers and editors can be on the same page, notes Grumpy Editor. 

First off, AP reminds that ballclub, ballgame, ballpark and ballplayer all are one word.  But with “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” the traditional song during the seventh-inning stretch, ballgame is split into two words. 

Among other terms so that baseball writers don’t strike out: 

No more fancy words when a player hits the baseball out of the park, cautions AP.  Words such as walloped, blasted, cracked, bombs, four baggers are frowned on.  It’s strictly hitting a home run. 

As for pitchers, sports writers are refrained from using words such as twirling, chucking or fireballing. 

Also with pitchers, AP points out that it takes two pitchers doing well for a duel.  So that means pitchers’ duel rather than pitcher’s duel. 

Forget the hyphens, says AP, when it comes to describing third base umpire, first base coach and left field line. 

Finally, a team that goes through division series, league championship series and wins the World Series (starting Oct. 19) is called World Series champions, not world champions.

 

Vin Scully gears for 63rd year in Dodgers broadcast booth

One of the underplayed sports stories of the week relates to Vin Scully returning to the broadcast booth for his 63^rd season with the Dodgers next year, notes Grumpy Editor.

The Hall of Famer, who started broadcasting Dodger games when the baseball team was in Brooklyn prior to moving to Los Angeles, decided to continue the play-by-play into 2012 after “a lot of soul searching and a few prayers.”

Scully, 83, added, “Besides, what else would I do?”

The veteran sportscaster works solo, an amazing task, and calls all nine (or more) innings of the Dodgers’ televised games and the first three innings of each game simulcast on radio. 

What makes Scully different from other baseball broadcasters is that he combines precise play-by-play action with a steady flow of interesting player and team facts, figures, assorted tid bits and story telling. 

There’s no dead air with Scully at the microphone.

In short, he puts sparkle into dull games. 

Some other baseball broadcasters, often working with a partner, would do well to emulate Scully. 

Sometimes their trivial chatter, coupled with boring action on the field, puts viewers into a deep dozing mode. 

 

Using ‘heat index’ as true temperature misleads readers

Some confusion exists by print and broadcast media in reporting on weather conditions involving the true high temperature, finds Grumpy Editor. 

During the past few days, as the usual muggy July weather grips parts of the nation, heat index readings are being used in some weather stories rather than thermometer only. 

Combining temperature and high humidity results in readings above the real high. 

An example from a lead in a Washington Post weather story on July 23 notes the “mercury rose above 100 degrees in Washington for the second consecutive day Saturday, setting a record for the date…” 

The next paragraph makes it unclear if that was the true temperature or the heat index.

The second paragraph mentions, “Reports of a decline in the heat index, a joint measure of heat and humidity, seemed to offer little comfort.”

Nevertheless, according to the National Weather Service, Saturday’s official high temperature in Washington reached 97 degrees (not "above 100").  The relative humidity ranged from 40 percent at 5 p.m. to 70 percent at 11 p.m. 

Temperature with humidity --- the so-called heat index --- usually gives a different reading than thermometer-only. 

As the National Weather Service describes it: “The heat index or the ‘apparent temperature’ is an accurate measure of how hot it really feels when the relative humidity is added to the actual air temperature.” 

In drier parts of the country, using the heat index gives a lower combined reading.  For example, in Las Vegas, when the humidity is 20 percent (considered high because for much of the summer it is below 10 percent in the desert area), and the thermometer registers 102 degrees, the heat index is an even 100 degrees --- or two degrees cooler. 

Of course, going to a Celsius (or Centigrade) reading, used in many foreign countries, sends the numbers down even more.  One hundred degrees Fahrenheit becomes 38 degrees C. 

But U.S. media won’t be going for that “cooling” effect --- not yet. 

Grumpy Editor illustrates all this because he gets “hot under the collar” when the heart index wrongly is used as the high temperature in news stories.