Goddamn Internet
I doubt if anyone has noticed or cared, but I haven't posted in quite a few days. Part of this is laziness, but a lot of it has to do with my idiot internet provider. They changed their suffix, and it was supposed to just take a couple of steps to reconfigure, but I think they hadn't really thought everything through...and going through these changes on a weekend wasn't the brightest thing in the world. After a week of bounced emails and intermittent (sp?) I'm finally back on.
This Week's Get Out of Town
Well, it wasn’t a good week for the KELO news team. I know what you’re thinking – it’s too easy. Leave them alone. You’re right; it is easy. But with the exception of an occasional dig, we’ve actually been pretty quiet with respect to our second favorite television station (the rest all being tied for number one). After last week, though, I need to vent.
Strike one. As many of you are probably aware, Pax TV outbid all of the state’s other stations for the rights to broadcast the state high school sports tournaments. And according to past protocol, competing stations have been allowed to show their own brief taped highlights. Pax, feeling these privileges were being abused, asked the SDHSA to clarify and enforce the rules. The SDHSA correctly sided with Pax.
KELO then had a hissy fit to the point where they went to the SDHSA and whined about how this is not right. As if that isn’t bad enough, they went so far as to make it their lead story on their evening’s broadcasts, and general manager made the local talk show circuit crying about how Pax was “desparate”. Even worse, KELO’s lead stories were a team report with sports anchor Travis Fossing and number two sports anchor John Radcliffe (T-Foss and J-Rad as they are known on the playgrounds and in the studio). I was actually embarrassed for them. Their whole premise was that it was “all about the kids”. Yeah, right! This from a network who up until a year or so ago demonized kids on an almost nightly basis. Talk about disingenuous. In fact, those of you who were wondering where the Iraqi Information Minister ended up, I think he landed at KELO as an assignment editor. I can just hear him, “it’s all about the kids”.
If it truly is about the kids, why didn’t KELO broadcast all tournament games or at least championship games, when they owned rights? Why is this the only year that matters? I guess that “tradition of caring” motto should be changed to “just started caring”.
The bottom line is this case is just that – the bottom line. Pax bid $80,000 and KELO bid $35,000. Now I may be the only CPA that has to drop his pants to count to 21, but 80 beats 35 unless you’re playing golf. Maybe when bids are open next time KELO can find another or bigger pimp/sponsor so they can win back the rights. I wonder what they’ll think about the kids then?
The second strike in KELO’s extended at-bat involved Perry Groton’s story stretching the SARS virus from Asia to Sioux Falls, via the fact that Toronto has baseball and SARS, and Winnipeg is in Canada, and the Canaries plays Winpeg in baseball. To borrow a cliché from Mr. Groten, talk about a seventh inning stretch! Is he kidding? Where is their assignment editor? Oh yeah, he still thinks there are no Americans in Baghdad. Does he really believe in this story? I better check my pockets for Canadian coins…or burn my Neil Young collection. We also might want to put a surgical mask on Celine Dion’s face…or at least over my ears.
Finally, strike three came when KELO unveiled it’s new Sioux Valley Hospital Skycam. Great, a shot of the Arena on one day and the VA on the next. At least we know where the SARS virus is coming and going. I suppose that it’s better than having their storm chasers calling in from the road during storms and shamelessly chirping, “I can see Sioux Valley from here”. Another product placement for KELO during their newscast. Have they not even one ounce of shame?
Have Mr. Antonitis and Mr. Millage become such shills for Young Broadcasting that they see can’t see this as embarrassing? All kidding aside, anyone remotely affiliated with KELO and it’s newscast should be embarrassed. So my advice to those most responsible for last week’s comedy of errors is to get on a bus and take a trip. I hear Toronto has plenty of vacancies.
I doubt if anyone has noticed or cared, but I haven't posted in quite a few days. Part of this is laziness, but a lot of it has to do with my idiot internet provider. They changed their suffix, and it was supposed to just take a couple of steps to reconfigure, but I think they hadn't really thought everything through...and going through these changes on a weekend wasn't the brightest thing in the world. After a week of bounced emails and intermittent (sp?) I'm finally back on.
This Week's Get Out of Town
Well, it wasn’t a good week for the KELO news team. I know what you’re thinking – it’s too easy. Leave them alone. You’re right; it is easy. But with the exception of an occasional dig, we’ve actually been pretty quiet with respect to our second favorite television station (the rest all being tied for number one). After last week, though, I need to vent.
Strike one. As many of you are probably aware, Pax TV outbid all of the state’s other stations for the rights to broadcast the state high school sports tournaments. And according to past protocol, competing stations have been allowed to show their own brief taped highlights. Pax, feeling these privileges were being abused, asked the SDHSA to clarify and enforce the rules. The SDHSA correctly sided with Pax.
KELO then had a hissy fit to the point where they went to the SDHSA and whined about how this is not right. As if that isn’t bad enough, they went so far as to make it their lead story on their evening’s broadcasts, and general manager made the local talk show circuit crying about how Pax was “desparate”. Even worse, KELO’s lead stories were a team report with sports anchor Travis Fossing and number two sports anchor John Radcliffe (T-Foss and J-Rad as they are known on the playgrounds and in the studio). I was actually embarrassed for them. Their whole premise was that it was “all about the kids”. Yeah, right! This from a network who up until a year or so ago demonized kids on an almost nightly basis. Talk about disingenuous. In fact, those of you who were wondering where the Iraqi Information Minister ended up, I think he landed at KELO as an assignment editor. I can just hear him, “it’s all about the kids”.
If it truly is about the kids, why didn’t KELO broadcast all tournament games or at least championship games, when they owned rights? Why is this the only year that matters? I guess that “tradition of caring” motto should be changed to “just started caring”.
The bottom line is this case is just that – the bottom line. Pax bid $80,000 and KELO bid $35,000. Now I may be the only CPA that has to drop his pants to count to 21, but 80 beats 35 unless you’re playing golf. Maybe when bids are open next time KELO can find another or bigger pimp/sponsor so they can win back the rights. I wonder what they’ll think about the kids then?
The second strike in KELO’s extended at-bat involved Perry Groton’s story stretching the SARS virus from Asia to Sioux Falls, via the fact that Toronto has baseball and SARS, and Winnipeg is in Canada, and the Canaries plays Winpeg in baseball. To borrow a cliché from Mr. Groten, talk about a seventh inning stretch! Is he kidding? Where is their assignment editor? Oh yeah, he still thinks there are no Americans in Baghdad. Does he really believe in this story? I better check my pockets for Canadian coins…or burn my Neil Young collection. We also might want to put a surgical mask on Celine Dion’s face…or at least over my ears.
Finally, strike three came when KELO unveiled it’s new Sioux Valley Hospital Skycam. Great, a shot of the Arena on one day and the VA on the next. At least we know where the SARS virus is coming and going. I suppose that it’s better than having their storm chasers calling in from the road during storms and shamelessly chirping, “I can see Sioux Valley from here”. Another product placement for KELO during their newscast. Have they not even one ounce of shame?
Have Mr. Antonitis and Mr. Millage become such shills for Young Broadcasting that they see can’t see this as embarrassing? All kidding aside, anyone remotely affiliated with KELO and it’s newscast should be embarrassed. So my advice to those most responsible for last week’s comedy of errors is to get on a bus and take a trip. I hear Toronto has plenty of vacancies.
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