I wasn’t the only one wondering why Derwyn Smith, of all people, was hired on to “help us in formulating a local news plan with particular attention to our local television news offering.” Our guest blogger today writes from the newsroom, barely legible, slightly profane, unapologetic and apoplectic.
~O
It was Smith who made CFTO what it was: accidents on the 401, if it bleeds it leads, cute animal stories and depending on what generation you were up in Scarberia — in the early days it was called MCs or Must Covers. In later days, after the strike in ’87 or so, just like the lockout here people were less polite and called them Bassett Blow Jobs. You get the idea.
So if Derwyn runs our local news we will have “I’m Gloria. Hi, our big news today is a fender bender on Robson Street and later the cutest squirrel ever seen in North Vancouver.”
Or imagine the Montreal assignment desk. “We don’t have any cameras. Why? They’re all cruising the Decarie” (just like CFTO patrols the 401 looking for accidents).
Or “It was a bloody weekend on the Halifax waterfront! And later in weather, another hurricane hits the city.”
Yccccccccccchhh!
2 Comments
Interesting that a new person had to be brought in to affect changes, as opposed to the staff already there attempting to break down and analyze the competition. These “fixes” rarely solve the problem, as per the face-lift given the doomed version of Global’s Mike Bullard Show.
Why would the CBC alter their news coverage instead of simply making it the best it can be?
With the lead that CFTO has, and the reasons for that popularity, only a full transplant would move the ratings down the dial.
This comes off as an attempt to give the appearance of trying, and is just as futile as my comments now that Derwyn is a done deal.
CTV Toronto covers the news of the day, unlike that pathetic excuse for a local newscast at CBC Toronto which no one watches.
It’s time CBC news folk took their eyes away from their navels and started studying the current competition.
They’d quickly discover why that poster is living in the past.