TV panel

The panel discussion with Jim Kobbe, Bruce Haertl and Chris Frye was entertaining, if not a little depressing. The three stated at the beginning how excited they were to have their jobs, but it seems that TV news is a less-than-pleasant place to be these days.

The three all talked about how great certain aspects of the job are, but it really struck me that Haertl and Kobbe seemed so uninterested in learning Internet, social media, videos, anything. It seems like these two are so comfortable, probably because of their years of experience in the business, that they are really not too worried about losing their jobs to younger people who really know the business.

Frye struck me as a really good example for future broadcasters: He knows his stuff, he can do the one-man-band thing, he knows how hard the job is and he understands where the industry is going. He knows that as things change he is going to see some serious changes in his job, but he’s not really worried about that.

Overall, the three talked about a dilution of a product that I think the news industry as a whole is beginning to see. Content is less important than filling the segment to most news stations, and they are beginning to shy away from trying new things to keep people interested.

One thing the three all seemed to agree on is that passion will be your driving force. Haertl said it best: There is no 40 hour work week in TV. He said the job and profession will consume you (boy, that sounds great).

Overall in the sports cast, I appreciate Channel 12’s coverage more than anyone else’s. It could be just because I have an affinity for Channel 12 all around. Kake seems too hokey, and KSN just tends to bore me. KWCH is professional with good writers and good storytelling.