O'Neill to Co-anchor THV's News
Arkansas Business.com reports KTHV Sports Director Craig O'Neill will be co-anchoring channel 11's 10pm newscast. AB.com reports O'Neill will be taking a leave of absence from sports to spearhead the stations new "community journalism" feature.
posted by ATN @ 8:57 PM
240 comments
240 Comments:
I liked Craig as a radio personality....I tolerate him as a sports director (I've seen much worse) but this idea just stinks. I want to watch the news, if I want to participate in it I'll join a blog or something. Sorry THV but this smacks of desperation.
So what's going to happen w/ one of the ladies who had been co-hosting the 10 PM newscast. This move makes absolutely no sense whatsoever!
THV doesn't make no sense whatsoever
No, no, no, no, aaaaaannnnddd....no.
DITTO!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey Larry. Why dont you replace Dawn on the anchor desk with Ebony Monet?
How come Ebone does not have a bio picture at THV? I cann't find her.
Dawn will now anchor the 5 and 6pm.
I am not sure Craig can pull this off. I feel he's being set up to fail. I hope not!
Craig is a very good reporter and his news reporting will be 100 times better than Dawn, was a mistake for THV to bring her back. Liz is also a very good reporter and with the 2 of them will certainly bring more viewers back to the station. GOOD MOVE, and Good Luck Craig and Liz
While they are at it,THV needs to bring on Meredith Mitchell as weekday weather personality and get rid of Buckner.
Meredith does a much better job, and is one of the hottest tv personalities in the region
I think one of the finest young reporting personalities in LR. Is Ashley Blackstone. I think they ought to try to hang on to her.
Next thing you know Craig will be doing the weather while drawing Gusty!
Maybe Craig got the job to appeal to seniors. Do you think a woman in her 60's could get that job? HA!
Ebone does have a bio on the THV website. Check again. I think Craig is obnoxious as a sports anchor, but that's tolerable in sports. But as a news person? I guess they are not going to focus on actual news on the 10PM anymore. Instead, it's this community thing. And the 10 is where they do really well, ratings-wise. Why tamper with something that works?
I while back this blog said something about Liz leaving. Is Liz .leaving THV?
Whose idea was this Craig thing? Did it come from Larry or the ND?
If you want a real weather person, bring back Joclyn White !!!!
Meredith Mitchell is the only meteorologist worth her weight in gold. She is freaking beautiful, definitely the hottest tv personality in the region>
Somebody asked if Liz was leaving. Is it possible they are in the process of phasing Liz out and replacing her with the amazing Craig?
The move shows Gannett's commitment to citizen journalism, so I'd look for similar rollouts in other markets. Craig will succeed, although he will be missed during football season.
Citizen Journalism = poor quality and a waste of time. When I want to see crap, i'll watch youtube.
Northwest Arkansas is full of dirty hillbillies!
I know Craig personally, and I love the guy. I think he's done a great job with sports at THV, probably better than I thought he would. I'll watch and give it time before I pass judgement, but THIS just seems like a BAD idea. You have to be taken seriously doing news, and I have NEVER taken Craig seriously!
OK Andy (Pearson), quit dissin' Craig O'Neill, just because he is taking your old position.
I couldn't agree more with the previous poster. Craig is nice and funny but he has ZERO credibility as a news anchor. This guy recorded and distributed/sold? CDs of his prank phone calls!!! Sports anchor is one thing but NEWS???? Proves that Larry is no better as a GM than HE was behind the anchor desk.
I couldn't agree more with the 4:44PM poster. Craig is nice and funny but he has ZERO credibility as a news anchor. This guy recorded and distributed/sold? CDs of his prank phone calls!!! Sports anchor is one thing but NEWS???? Proves that Larry is no better as a GM than HE was behind the anchor desk.
Andy's too busy making money to spend any of his time in this wasteland of a blog.
BS....total BS. What happened to real news. If it Bleeds, it Leads! As for Merideth Mitchell....she is THE worst weather person in town. Check out her "horse" mouth.
Somebody get ready to ride gain on his mic. Starting out with about 30db pad would be good. Why does he have to yell so much. Is he not heard at home?
Oh well, I need to go to bed earlier, I'll watch Fox 16 and record Ed Buckner. I will continue to turn off Craig, the juvenile, just as I did when he attempted sports.
"Somebody get ready to ride gain on his mic. Starting out with about 30db pad would be good. "
NERD ALERT!!! NERD ALERT!!!
Did anyone watch last night? What are your thoughts?
I don't think it's well-thought-out. It reminds me of what they used to do on the 5PM news when they had viewers calling in and sending emails. I don't really care to hear what other people think about the news, and if I do, I can read it on the website. And I think Craig is all wrong for the news side...but then again, I don't think what they did last night was even "news."
"Somebody get ready to ride gain on his mic. Starting out with about 30db pad would be good. "
NERD ALERT!!! NERD ALERT!!!"
LOW I.Q. ALERT!!! LOW I.Q. ALERT!!! HELP, I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THAT PICTURE AND SOUND GETS TO MY HOUSE. I WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND IT. WOE IS ME. HECK, I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO BOLD A QUOTE.
"LOW I.Q. ALERT!!! LOW I.Q. ALERT!!! HELP, I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THAT PICTURE AND SOUND GETS TO MY HOUSE. I WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND IT. WOE IS ME. HECK, I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO BOLD A QUOTE."
Once again...
NERD ALERT!!! NERD ALERT!!!
God, you moron, you're too stupid to even get the fact that no one but a nerd like you CARES how the picture and sound get to our house! You think padding your posts with numbers like "30db" impresses us...when all it does is let us know that you are a NERD with zero social skills who can't function in a normal conversation.
This decision was motivated by money and nothing else. By moving Craig to the news anchor desk, they replace Anne Jansen's position with an existing salary. The sports department becomes a two-man operation. The savings amounts to about $100,000 annually. The bottom line is all that Audas and Gannett care about, and if they must layoff seven people and turn the newscast into a circus to do so, then so be it. If Audas can reduce expenses and return more money to the corporate office, his bonus will be generous.
I can't watch this....I'm going back to channel 4 until this craziness blows over.
If THV pulls this off, this will be proof that there is a God and that he watches THV. It's the only way I see it working.
The radio to TV slide worked because Craig slightly vary his jokes and have material for years.
the only way it will work is if Craig does the light stuff and Liz or the person they put to replace here, does the news.
Wes Moore would have been a good choice, but would have created too much risk if they decided to split to another gig.
I just can't see Craig reading a story about death and descruction without turning on his fake serious voice. He'll have no chance to make a goofy face.
It's like if CBS had put Drew Carey into the CBS Evening News instead of the Price Is Right.
Chance of success: 15%
It was horrible watching/listening to Craig try to read the lead story about the rape and shooting in LR. I kept waiting for him to deliver the punchline. He looks and sounds completely out of place...and Liz looks very subdued and more than a little pissed off throughout...I can't imagine she is enjoying this embarrassment. She could have handled it nicely alone...they don't need Craig. And how are they going to run a 2-man sports office when football season starts? Beyond that, though...Craig and news do not work together. At all.
I think it's a great idea. Craig is very well known and his delivery is smooth. He's a very trusted and competent broadcaster. THV should keep him as the main anchor as long as possible.
Sincerely, KARK & KATV
WOW what a mistake to put Craig O'Neil has an anchor. If i wanted to see a clown i'd got to the circus. Wasn't much of a sport caster either. What a joke for thv viewers...
Perhaps he would have left if he had not gotten the anchoring job. Maybe thv was meeting his demands.
i'm out...back to watching channel 7, this stuff is cringe-worthy.
Everyone is scrtaching their heads on this one. This rarely works out. It is an effort to save money down the road. They can take it back if it doesn't work out and also screws over the other sports guys as well because neither will get named as "Sports Director" which would warrant some type of raise. Gannett has made some serious cuts as of recent including employee pensions that came down this week.
I figure that's why they debuted this crap on a Tuesday night, well before the July book, which is not one of the more important books. That way, they can make it go away quietly without a lot of fanfare when they finally accept the fact that it's a miserable failure.
KARK, KATV, KLRT, and even KETS are all laughing at this move. There could not have been a worse thing that THV could have done. Wait, maybe Joey?
Who let Marcus Eubanks be a REPORTER?? Where is THV headed?? I guess at THV it's who you know what you know.Makes no sense.
someone please tell me when this is over so I can start watching again....if I wanted this type of newscast I'd just read the blogs on the internet on my own time.
Marcus Eubanks can barely talk. He has yet to get through fronting a package without stumbling badly.
Gee, I see that real reporting has left the Rock. Community journalism is nothing more than a bunch of bull---- stories to appease the masses with bubble gum brains. Yay THV!!
Craig and now Marcus. geeze THV
There is NO substance to this. It's like they put Craig out there with NOTHING significant to say or contribute. They are talking about community journalism, but there is nothing there!
is he co-anchoring the show or just anchoring a segment?
I think he is co-anchoring. I never made it past the first story. I can here the remotes clicking.
News Scoop - Thv is reluctant to report that these moves at the station have caused Laryy the Cat to turn over in his grave!!!!!
Whose idea was this and what the .... is Gannett doing!? I predict that Gannett will either sell or fold within 5 years!
You meaning Larry the Cat is spinning in his grave!!!!
Ashley Blackstone would make a great weekend anchor and be a lot more interesting than Mike DUH-can. Let him use his backpack being a weekday reporter. He reminds me of another boring KTKV anchor, Larry Audas. Give Ashley a chance !!!
THV's noon show isn't much better. C_BLOCK..sounds like a jail cell. to funny
I have seen Ashley anchor the webcast a few times. Wow! Isn't she pretty young? Isn't she younger and newer at this than Ebone or Katherina? Anyway dittos to the above comment. They need to use that girl more often.
I always thought it was stupid to use the term "C-Block," too, because viewers have no idea that term refers to the third block of the show. Ashley's been there longer than Katherina and Ebone, and she's ten times better than either of them. She should be the weekend anchor, I agree. Mike Duncan is beyond boring. His pacing is horrible and he's bland-looking. Ashley would be great and add a lot of enthusiasm to the weekends.
I doubt they will take advantage of Ashley's talents. I mean they gave the anchor job to Craig instead of Wes. Go figure!
Ashley would add a lot to the weekend anchor spot. Energy is the word I believe, that comes to mind. She may be young, but she is up and coming and has a drive to succeed. The only problem I see with Ashley is that her hairstylist must be drunk when cutting it. It is so uneven looking and she does need a more professional style.
Wes Moore is the one they are under utilizing. He is so talented and likable, I don't understand why they don't give him more time on the air. He could be the anchor OR sports director, but I would rather watch Wes than some of the other anchors they have at night.
Energy and talent- that gal has it all right. Where did they find her? Mark Raines? Whoever hired her could not be the same person who hired Ebone and Katherina. Now that is bad hair!
I hear THV is starting a new show called "vosot city."
Can you get a sot using a cellphone camera?
I'm sure we'll be finding out soon...just watch the 10pm.
Ditto on the comments about Ashley, she would be great as the weekend anchor. I sure wouldn't fall asleep watching her like I do watching Mr Excitement(Duncan). Give her a Anne Jansen do and off the career goes to the fast lane.
Katherina does need a better hairstyle to make her look more credible and mature looking.
Katherina's hair is the least of her problems. Her delivery is awful. She almost has a speech impediment. She also smiles on camera during inappropriate moments...like when she was fronting the package the other night about the rape and shooting in LR.
Ashley will not be staying in Little Rock. Unfortunately, Katherina will. Ebonee has informed many of her co-workers that her s*** doesn't smell and shell be leaving at the end of her three-year tenure. She's better than Little Rock. Ashley has a bright future in Televison. Her boyfriend Neil has a bright future as Mr. Ashley Blackstone
THV will either be sold or will be stripped down to nothing within 5 years. Thanks for your leadership Larry.
why does management not promote Ashley Blackstone? Is she too inexperienced and young? I think this is her first job, but despite that, she is good.
If inexperienced and young were factors, Katherina would never have been hired. In fact, it's a plus because they don't have to pay you anything. Ashley is a good reporter and deserves to be promoted to weekend anchor.
is the weekend anchor position open?
Is Mike Duncan leaving or being moved? I think his age gives him credibility over a younger reporter. He is more experienced.
I think Duncan does a good job.
Oh, go to bed, Mike. You have to work tomorrow.
WTH? What's next? KARK making Melissa Simas the morning show co-anchor? oh wait. frick! what is wrong with our market?
Thought at first this could be an April Fool's joke, but April has come and gone.
Duncan is NOT a good anchor. He is a decent reporter. Charlie Crowson would be be a good anchor if they gave him a chance. The moves THV has made is all about the bottom line and getting young reporters that will leave after their 3-year contract is up. Larry looks good to Gannett whenever he can cheap out and save the company money and not lose ratngs. He's paying these reporters low to mid 20s. Can anyone working in this television market survive on that much money? After rent, car and groceries, is there money left over to buy clothes?
For things to change, ratings have to tank. They're not - yet. May numbers are due back and we'll see.
The best reporters at THV are Ashley and Charlie... then it drops off from there. Dunbar-Gates does a good job then it's Duncan. The BPJ's in the very least are not very good. They are improving. Katherina has to shut her mouth and listen to Dawn and Liz and Ebonee needs to realize that she's not top market potential. THV has the weakest reporting team in the market by design, proving ANYONE can be a community journalist. Ashley, they'll promise you the moon and the stars and deliver NOTHING! You and Neil are wise to move on when you can.
I have heard Ashley argue time and again for quality. I have heard her say before that the story is not about her but the subject. Her work ethic and commitment to excellence are impressive and it shows It will be interesting to see if Larry tries to hang on to her.
Why should Dawn & Liz have to help Katherina get a story on the air? Can the girl not write? Why would anyone hire someone that helpless? There are people who graduate from school and hit the ground running as reporters, with no help needed. Why is this girl special? What would happen if there were no one to help her? Improving? I don't think so. All Katherina has figured out is how to get herself on camera as often as possible in her packages.
Evidently somebody sees raw talent in Katherina. Maybe she has qualities hte other KTHV reportes lack. Perhaps Dan and Liz see her potential.
Is it April yet? Yeah right. Fake is Fake.
Right. Katherina has qualities the other THV reporters lack: inexperience, lack of talent, and the desire to make herself the center of every story.
Let's face it, people on this blog are a lot harder on the thv minority women then on Marcus the minority man. For every one or two negative comments about him, there are mannnnny about Katerina and Ebone. It is a man's world for the taking!
We calls 'em like we sees 'em.
Marcus is worst then Katherina and Ebone rolled together on a good day!
Pitiful. It was so hard to watch the other night. I just turned it off. Craig was fine in sports - actually entertaining - but he is so NOT suited for hard news.
On another note - Anyone catch Denise Whitaker & hubby on the HGTV show "What Is It Worth?" They renovated (mostly on their own) their Seattle home. They wanted to know what it was worth now. Very contemporary, bright colors, real artsy. Their hardwork paid off. They had added about $100,000 to its worth.
Charlie Crowson as the weekend anchor!!! It's the right last name. but the right Crowson is the female Crowson. Aryana is professional, knows her stuff, and is easier on the eyes than Mike Duncan. I would rather watch Pam Smith than him. Channel 11 needs to go forward toward making a news station to be proud of instead of lettiing corporate money belittle the newd product. Robert Brown is rolling over in his grave!!
Channel 11 ought to bring back the Yazwinski's from NW Arkansas to straighten out the KTHV problems
Katherina needs to go back to college Journalism 101 and learn how to write a pkg. I swear it is so painful.
Nobody is saying that Marcus is in ANY way better than Katherina or Ebone. They all three put out equal opportunity crap, but to me Marcus and Katherina are the most painful to watch. Ebone may have an attitude, but she is not unbearable to watch the way the other two are. And this is what you get when you put people on the air just because of their skin color and ethnicity. And everyone who dares to say it out loud is called a bigot.
Aryana??? What are you smoking? She is one of the least attractive people on camera I've ever seen. And saying someone is easier on the eyes than Mike Duncan is not exactly a raving endorsement.
Few are saying anything about Marcus because it's freaking obvious he has no business on the air. With Yancey, it wouldn't surprise me to learn she got her job on her back.
What is painful: is the watering down of a news station what had been on an upward turn, and was set to challenge KATV and then AP leaving, AJ leaving, hiring talent that can't do the job (Yancey, Monet, and Eubanks) just to preserve profit for people that just care about themselves. At least, they have Dawn, Liz, and Ashley, Wess and Alyson.
I heard that KARK and KATV are making Larry Audas their employee of the year!!!!
Please. I doubt Katherina got her job on her back. I think the only two people who think she's that hot are Katherina herself and her photog boyfriend.
"On her back" is the only real option. You can't say she got it through merit because that's not true, and you can't say she got it through her skin color... because that would be... gasp... racist! Not PC.
If not on her back, then on her knees, I'm guessing. You don't have to be hot for that.
You are overlooking the obvious: her mom and the Hola Arkansas connection.
As a former anchor at THV, people have been calling me, and literally stopping me on the street asking me what Channel 11 is doing? I try to speak as highly as I can of the station because everyone there wants to succeed.
First, Gannett is in financial straits. For the first time in their history, they had to write off a mountain of money a couple of weeks back. Newspaper circulations is down, the economy is hitting the TV stations in the gut and the executives are banking on the internet as the future. Good luck...
Second, THV is like an expansion franchise baseball team that won the world series and then traded away their best players to take the profits and build the younger players. It's a classic business move that works in the long run more often than not.
In the last ten years, 11 knocked off Channel Seven as the dominant station, and established themselves as the future station of the market. Even their last ratings show they may not be a dominant ratings leader, but in demographics, they have most of the small pool of younger people who watch local news.
I read all these criticisms and try to keep in mind what I've learned since leaving TV; people don't care as much as you think or are very forgiving about content and especially reporters. This is true except when you blantantly cross the line. A perfect example is when Channel Four began it's campaign of slash-and-burn news. Steve Barnes was the most credible anchor in the market and it made no difference when people perceived they didn't take news seriously anymore. They still suffer from that almost 20 years later.
Moving Craig over could be crossing that line. The only way to make it work is not to try to put him there for the summer and see how it works. They have to sell him as a newsman which they aren't doing. It smacks more of a gimmick than logical and viewers don't like to be toyed with.
I put most of this on corporate Gannett. In the case of Little Rock, they would have to spend a ton of money bringing in some outside talent that they knew could work. You don't have to look very far to see that no one is spending money, and is unloading high-priced talent right and left.
Where I think they're making their biggest mistake with Craig is trying to ease him into serious news by doing fluff and silly news. Interviewing guys at the Travs game on whether Father's Day plays second fiddle to Mother's Day? C'mon. If you want me to pay attention to him as a news anchor, keep him away from anything that has to do with sports.
Craig has to have some meat instead of his past menu of candy and truthfully I don't seen that happening because it's not something Craig has any experience with.
wow. it sounds like kthv is a horrible place to work. everyone seems unhappy with something there.
Thanks Andy!!!!
They need to let Katherina go. Let her go. Let her go! How in the world do her stories get approved? How can she get by with her an air presentation? Isn't there like a 90 day probation over at KTHV? I could pull someone off the street better than her.
Kathrinia is a joke. So is Ebone and a few others that are there. Probation doesn't mean crap at THV. AS you can see by the reports they have there.
I wonder what Anne Jansen's take on all of this is, lol?
BTW, have any of you heard her new radio ad for some Arkansas football magazine? Just curious.
As a viewer who knows little about the TV business, I enjoy reading this blog. At first I just thought it was mean-spirited. However, the more I watch the more I understand that some of what is being said here is not mean gossip. I too think Ashley is the best young talent THV has. I am curious does she have to be better because she does not have a minoity status to pull her a long.
Oh, like anyone cares what Anne Jansen thinks about this...her work ethic at THV was hardly something to be admired. She never pulled in the ratings herself.
Well, if Anne didn't pull in the ratings and almost everybody else is horrible then who the heck does pull in the ratings? Somebody must be pulling in the ratings for KTHV. I say Larry or somebody knows what he is doing. THV employees must think the on air talent at he other atations is CRAP!
Sorry, but Craig is a disc jockey, who because he is a "homer," got in as a sports anchor. However, he is NOT a journalist, just a personality. I think this is a stupid idea. But this is Gannett, after all. They care only about the bottom line, and not about quality news products. Sure, they make money, but their new outlets (newspapers, radio and TV station) are crappy. That's why the Democrat ran them out of town. Craig as a new anchor. NO!
The sportscaster said this morning on KTHV that Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate would be playing another 18 "rounds" of golf today for the championship.
That's a lot of golf in one day.
Credibility?
THV made it clear to everyone there Wes was interested in the anchor job.
and all the sudden Craig is anchor.
That sounds like a stab in the back. He looked great, sounded great and was meant for the position after he tried out.
I bet he and Alison are cursing someone they are at home.
This isn't Ashleys first gig.
You (some) say all the bpjs are not as good as the reporters or anchors, but I credit them for being willing to do the jobs of 3 people for the price of one.
I think they are capable and do just fine.
I watch because I still think the newscast as a whole is better then the others.
Although I hope ratings don't drop during the 10 because folks don't want to give Craig a chance.
Duncan isn't going anywhere. I think to him he has the perfect job. Anchor and bpj.
Ashley isn't getting weekend anchor.
Dunbar-Gates is his back-up. She has done it several times and did good.
Ashley has a young look that isn't credible for the entire 30 minutes.
I agree her mushroom hair cut has to go. At least that's what my daughter calls it.
Isn't all this talk about Ashley becoming weekend anchor just talk. I doubt management is considering replacing Duncan, so stop the conjecture. On the other hand, Blackstone is not too young to be credible. Jane Pauley was 25 when she took the Today Show chair next to Brokaw, and she was replaced by Norville because she was deemed too old. Look at the national Fox and friends women. They certainly start young. As to her hair, I don't think it is that bad. Besides, hair is easily corrected. That woman is going places. As to Dunbar-Gates, it is hard to get her to show up to work or to do stories that might mess her hair up.
Re: Ashley....hair can change. Re: Mike Duncan: boring is forever. Ashley is not too young. Look at Kelly Minton, one of the most popular anchors Channel 7 had. She was about Ashley's age when she started anchoring, and she was very cute and perky. Since when is looking good a hazard for an anchor? They'd never put a woman as unattractive and homely as Mike Duncan in the anchor chair. It's still a man's world.
And, nobody knows where Kelly Minton is today or cares.
That's showbiz, you get in, you get out.
What is Ashley's age? If this is not her first gig, where was her first gig? Her bio doesn't say. Great anchor material and a woman of mystery!
All you have to do is google Ashley, genius, and you can figure out that she graduated from college in the not-to-distant past.
As for Kelly Minton...she married a doctor and lives in Illinois now...and is probably living a happy, fulfilled, and financially secure life...which usually does not occur in TV news.
Ashley is 25 and came from a station in Myrtle Beach, SC like two years ago.
HAIR CAN CHANGE!!!! That is not always a true fact, We love our bleached out, extra long cheerleader-type hairstyles Signed, the KATV women reporters!!!
Maybe Kristin Fisher will move over to THV!
Hee hee...not unless she wants to be a BPJ! Seems like THV is getting out of the reporter business and the high-paid anchor business.
This is like the Heat moving Shaq to point guard.
Also, note: 127 comments so far and Mickey Goodwin's promotional team/stalker club has not posted yet.
Dear God...let's not push our luck! I'm afraid the mere mention of Mickey or Meredith Mitchell might provoke the nutballs to start posting again!
Yeah, and another "Low I.Q" alert for you. Ha.
I did hear Jessica Morkert file a story for THV last night. I wondered where she'd end up. The audio and video quality of the footage was horrible. It looked like it was shot with an old VHS camcorder. I wouldn't have run the story with video if that's all I had. Attention Jessica, I don't think THV was a move up the ladder.
Don't forget all the Photog's that make those Anchors look decent. And there stories. No Credit for them??? C'mon..THV sure isn't giving them any credit.
Instead of moving Craig from sports to news, they should move Meredith Mitchell from weekend weather to week day news.
She is the hottest tv personality in the region!
dude, you're seriously making me sick with the Meredith Mitchell talk, surely you're joking....right? I'm sure she's nice but c'mon.
I think that person was just making fun of the MM stalker dude (or chick... hey you never know).
Meridith Mitchell, or some other babe for that matter, hot or not, does not = jounalism. Critical thinking + analytical writing + people skills + conversational style delivery + ethics = JOURNALISM.
Case in point: Candy Crowley CNN
Tim Russert NBC
Good point
An "Anchor" is only a news reader. Any D.J. can do it. Problem is, will anyone believe him/her.
Are most of the female news reporters/anchors former disc jockies?
Or, are most just graduates of some broadcast journalism school?
Courious minds want to know.
reading this thing kinda bummed me out.
i don't live in central ar anymore, i'm in NWA now, but i still remember the day when Craig's name was money and he was number one on AM Radio. ( that's morning radio and not actual AM radio) He was a big part of my ride to school every morning as a kid.
Maybe KTHV should cash in on the nostalgia of old farts like me and put him on mornings.
Despite the goofy, laid-back persona, Craig is well-respected in the media industry, not only in Arkansas, but around the nation. He didn't have a nationally syndicated radio program, but people in the radio business still knew who he was, and they thought highly of him. These types knew that whomever followed in Craig's footsteps had big footsteps to fill. He was that good in radio.
Now he's in t.v. He's been successful as a sports anchor, and now he's doing news. Not a complete surprise when you realize that Craig is part of the Arkansas elite, the establishment, which includes a brother that publishes "Arkansas Business." Going against Craig is like going against Wal-Mart or the Razorbacks. You just don't do that around here. And Wes Moore is great, but does Wes Moore have Craig's longtime following built up over two decades plus? No, he doesn't.
The move to news makes good sense to me. People like Craig, and he is a seasoned broadcaster who has reached great success in two different mediums. We'll see how he does, and a lot of us are willing to forgive any mistakes he makes in his new career phase. Hooray, Craig O'Neill.
He is already a broadcasting legend here and he deserves more respect than the naysayers on this blog are allowing.
Legend?
How long did he last at U of A as stadium announcer?
Keep in mind there is a vast difference betwwen a journalist and TV. this is true in popular culture as well. Meryl Streep is an accopmplished credible actress and the HOT Paris Hilton is a personality. THV has to decide if it wants excellent jouralism or hot and goofy personalities. If the market wants the later, that says more about the culture of Little Rock then KTHV.
Paris Hilton is not as hot as Meredith Mitchell!
KTHV isn't all about Craig O'Neil give me a break. If he was so good in Radio why isn't he still in Radio?
Calling Craig a legend is a bit of a stretch, to put it mildly. I don't care how successful he was in radio all those years...it's a bad move to make him a news anchor. He has built his career on goofy personalities...the same routines he's been doing for 30 years. And then you're going to sit him in the anchor chair and expect us to take him seriously??? Previous poster was right. Either THV wants to be a credible news source (and that appears doubtful), or it just wants to showcase Craig's goofiness. If I were Liz, I'd be pissed.
Anybody see Ebone Monet's live shot from the Benton warehouse fire last night at 10? I was almost out of breath just listening to her...she needs to slow way down...she is hard to understand, and kept repeating the same info over and over again. Has she never done live shots before? She needs to take a deep breath and calm down before opening her mouth.
Ebone is fast and Marcus has diction problems. A. Blackstone on the other hand has incredible diction and enunciation. It is hard to believe she is from Charleston, SC. It is even harder to believe that is her real name. That name has a TV ring! I'd be surprised if it is her real name.
Legend? Known around the nation?
I think not.
He is NOT known "around" the nation...I will give credit where due, however. It is legendary good luck and grace that he made the transition so well from radio to tv. He is a super nice guy, but come on.
He is no legend.
He is not known more than 175 miles from Little Rock.
He does not have the talent to make it in a larger market, in either Radio or Television, but he is blessed to have a loyal following in the place he calls home. That's all it takes to call a career successful. I hope he has not risen to the level of his own incompetence, commonly know as the Peter Principle, which would leave a black mark and mark what could be the end of his career. If this does not work out, it would be a blow to both ego and reputation to "step back" to the level at which he was successful.
Sad.
Marcus either can't read or can't see the teleprompter...I don't know which..but he should not be fronting packages in the studio. Well, actually he shouldn't be doing reporting at all...but at least confine him to the field and not on set.
No, I'm right. He is known outside 175 miles of here. Apparently, ESPN knows who he is because he did a syndicated show for them that they aired. He might still be doing if for all I know. And as for losing the Razorbacks announcing job, that was all due to politics. Frank Broyles ousted him because of a conflict of interest with ARSN/KATV. KATV didn't want a KTHV guy like Craig working at the football games. They thought it undermined them. And by the way, the U of A hired him didn't they? What kind of hack could he be if they were willing to hire him in the first place? That's kind of a hard job to get. His success speaks for itself. I think he's an Arkansas broadcast legend. Y'all don't. So be it.
He may be a sports legend, but that doesn't mean he can do news well.
BLAH BLAH enough about Craig..Give it a rest...
Maybe Ebone can't take a deep breath and slow down because you all are constantly picking on her. KTHV is not getting rid of her, so give the girl a break and lay off her for a while. She is what she is. If she is in over her head, it is managements fault for throwing her out there to be savaged by the folks. Maybe the folks don't savage her. Maybe just bloggers do it!
Ebone is not as bad as you guys think she is. Now, Katherina on the other hand needs to get out of there. Ebone may need to improve on live shots (everyone can) but at least she can put a decent pkg together. Katherina's are just awful. Hard to follow, no real angle, hard to understand.. etc.
Anybody see Ebone Monet's live shot from the Benton warehouse fire last night at 10? I was almost out of breath just listening to her...she needs to slow way down...she is hard to understand, and kept repeating the same info over and over again. Has she never done live shots before? She needs to take a deep breath and calm down before opening her mouth.
I think this was one of the worst, if not THE worst report I have ever seen on television by anyone.
In addition to talking so fast it was hard to keep up with her, she kept saying it was Bryant.
Someone needs some coaching.
Regarding Craig's brother publishing Arkansas Business, they are not related and it's a bit of an insult to compare them as supposed journalists.
As far as credibility, before about three years ago, Craig O'Neil was never seen doing a serious picture. It was the cover of Soiree or something, and it was shocking to everyone.
He had done thousands of pictures with either that stupid grin or some other pose that would make a Broadway dancer roll his eyes. Same for his wife Jane. Imagine if, starting today, you saw every picture of Walter Cronkite and he had some goofy-a** look on his face? Or Brian Williams? News anchors are usually serious people and all business on the sent since their reputation and credibility is all they have.
What does Craig have?
Bottom line, the place has a mountain to climb to ever make that guy credible for news. It's not a risk for them. They can fire him in a year if it doesn't work out. But, where does Craig go from here?
By the way Craig, no more commercials, no more political signs in the front yard, no more hippie ultra left-wing comments and views that can be made public, or even in private for that matter.
I feel bad for every anchor at that station because now all of them have lost credibility with the audience and have no respect inside the station because, with the exception of Liz, they all work part time hours and watch as everyone else works.
There is no question that Ebone is much better than Katherina. Ebone is better on camera and her packages are better put together, and although she talks fast, she doesn't have the diction problems and sing-song delivery that Katherina has. Ebone may have her problems, and she may not win any popularity contests at THV, but mark my words: she is the only one of the recent hires who could get a job in a larger market right now. She is attractive and with some vocal coaching would be fine.
I don't think there's any way THV would hang with this Craig experiment for a year. I doubt it will be in place in November, and I think that's why it debuted now: so they can make it go away quietly when it fails. But another poster raises a good question: what happens to Craig then? They wouldn't fire him, probably...but move him back to sports? Is that why Wess has not been officially named his replacement, or sports director?
No new titles...no new money. Milk the utter till it's dry. Or raw.
Uh...I think you mean "udder." I am utterly amazed.
Utterly amazed at Arkansas, and THV that is.
Yep, old Bob is spinning.
Old Bob never gave a rat's ass about the news department. He never cared about ratings as long as he and the other two owners made money, which they did. He never spent any money on equipment, and he never paid people a liveable salary unless you were an anchor or upper management. He didn't even trouble himself to learn most news people's names, unless you were on-air. I hate to speak ill of the dead...but that old tightwad was responsible for a lot of human misery during his lifetime. The people who think differently never worked for him, or were his special favorites.
Only decent news for KTHV is the morning show. there more upbeat. And great anchor's.
"but that old tightwad was responsible for a lot of human misery during his lifetime. The people who think differently never worked for him, or were his special favorites."
No truer words were ever spoken about him. But, you have to give him (Old Bob) credit. He knew broadcasting and was light years ahead of any manager in this market today as far as knowing how to run a profitable business, and it, like when he was at KARK for so many years, was profitable under his management.
Who gave Ed Buckner the name Arkansas Weather Man? THV is getting in a pinch adding Marcus as a reporter.
Arkansas' Weatherman? O-Please! How embarrasing for Ed. Ed is no more Arkansas' Weatherman than Ned.
What's next for Craig. Weather?
Did anyone see that Marcus Eubanks disaster at 10p earlier this week concerning the new HP facility in Conway? What the hell? The guy couldn't even talk.
Larry Audus has to be the worst GM ever. Why would you let these people on the air????????????
Eubanks should not be on the air. He can't talk..and it happens each and every time he's on set. But is it Larry? Does the ND actually think people like Marcus and Katherina should be on the air? That's what I don't get. Do people at THV actually realize how awful these people are?
Quite honestly, I feel sorry for Katherina and Marcus. Someone needs to be frank with them instead of allowing them to throw themselves daily to the criticisms and laughs of those who realize this is not what they should be doing. Grant it , it would be hard to have a frank conversation with them now after they have been allowed to think they can be groomed into a credible on air talent, but management needs to step up to the plate and admit a mistake was made. Marcus needs to return solely to being a photog. If management cares about these two as people with feelings, then no matter how difficult, they need to be told that this is not where they belong. To not tell them and to not release them to other duties is cruel! To use them because of their minority status so THV look ethinically diversified to the public and ,worse yet Gannett, is a politically correct form of discrimination. When management uses people this way it is justified by saying we are giving these two a chance , a break, but they are being ruthlessly used for their minority status and this unjustifiably WRONG!
Management/Gannett at THV doesn't care about there people.And yes it's all about minorty. To make people look stupid is wrong. Can't they see either one of them aren't what viewer's want to hear and see?ND and Larry should open there eyes.
You are almost got the point - they are cheap talent. The days of THV hiring credible talent who ask to make a living are over. If they cannot get a BPJ for around 22k a year, they will not hire them. If an anchor leaves, they will not replace them. Case in point they knew Dawn had a deal that whenever Anne retired, she'd get Anne's hours. They waited, and waited, and waited and waited until... Craig? Wess? Mike? Charlie? Anyone? If they use any of the above they save a lot of money and at the very least, hire a BPJ. One thing is for sure... the viewers want a male anchor next to Dawn and Liz
Even at 22K a year for a BPJ, they could find people that are trained and talented and ready to hit the ground running, someone who could put together a decent package and look halfway credible on the air, and would view the job as a stepping stone to bigger and better things. But instead, they take Marcus, a photog already on staff, and Katherina, who was there for Hola Arkansas, and throw them on the air, despite the fact that both are painful to watch and listen to, and can't put a story together.
Ditto! These individuals are being exploited in much the same way that illegal aliens are justified. We are told Ameicans won't labor, so let's use cheap labor which we can exploit. Those who argue for illegal immigrant labor exploit willing indivivuals. Just because they are willing, doesn't mean it is okay. THV similarly exploits minoity talent. They think racial diversity makes them appear racially accepting, but that is only true if the minority is qualified and can produce quality. These folks are being taken advantage of. It is painful to watch them insult themselves on a daily basis.
I think that's taking it to the extreme. Marcus and Katherina are not illegal aliens! They are not being forced to labor in the vineyards of television news...they both obviously want to be on air, and want it badly, as is evidenced by the number of times each of them manages to get themselves on camera in a package. There's usually at least one standup, one cutaway...and then they front the piece on set. These two aren't being exploited...they're loving every minute of it! It's the viewers who are not being served well.
Grant it they aren't illegal, and the viewers are not being served well. However, their minority status is being traded on, not their talent, to make life better for Ganett. Illegals are also willing and being exploited. Illeagls rob Americans of jobs, while unqualified minority reporters rob qualified reporters of jobs. While THV appears to be the morally noble station because of its diversity and political correctness they rob more qualified individuals and the public.
It's "granted" not "grant it", after using it a second time I had to say something.
Thanks! You are correct. I stand ashamed and corrected. Granted, you are right. I am wrong.
"It's "granted" not "grant it", after using it a second time I had to say something."
Oh, no! It's the grammar police.
Well, it was kind of a weird mistake to make..."grant it?" I mean, if you're going to use an expression, at least know what the actual words are! This industry (and the entire country) would be in better shape right now if more people DID know how to speak, spell, and write correctly...if that's being the grammar police, more power to you.
You are correct. Spelling and Grammar have taken a back seat to laziness and ignorance.
It's where our education is this day and time. Pitiful.
Watch KTHV and you will hear granted. Marcus and Kartherina talk in riddles.
Did anyone see Katherina's tap water story last night? She says the word "water" funny. WOW! It was horrible. I've always heard that her diction is bad, but I didn't realize it was that awful.
Probably make a better print journalist. They don't have to speak.
Katherina has terrible diction, but she also has a speech impediment. It's not that people pick on her. She honestly cannot talk correctly. But apparently that doesn't matter. Last week, she did a story on Mesa Airlines cutting service to Hot Springs. In her package (including the standup), she repeatedly referred to it as "MESSA" Airlines.
KTHV needs to do some major house cleaning starting with BPJ.Then go from there. But it's all about Minorty.
KTHV should just keep Meredith Mitchell, she is the only one who can bring in ratings-She would keep 100% the male audience, and most of the female audience so they can learn from her how to be a super hottie.
Isn't she the one with big teeth?
Hey, she's on tv and you're not.
HeeHeeHee.
She still has big teeth.
With all this being said... this has to be a temporary move. Key words "leave of absence" from sports to "spearhead" this thing. I think they'll move him back in time for the football season opener and then he'll be reporting live from Austin. Wess Moore in exchange is named news anchor?
The May ratings are back. Something tells me THV will be rethinking some of this stuff...
They already have! The new no news producer is taking over the number 1 show.
"Paper jam is to blame" according to over worked EP. sob sob
~This has been a free lesson to some reporters at THV. It's called attributing!
Hand off your #1 show to a no news producer, huh?
I thought they had their best producer on that show.
Wally Hall endorsed O'Neill as a news anchor. That alone should be a kiss of death.
What do you mean, "no news producer?" This person is new? Is he/she taking over the 10? What does the paper jam comment mean?
You need to ask those questions to Meredith Mitchell, she is the only one smart enough to know whats going on at KTHV, and she has the answers to all the worlds problems.Plus she is an incredible hottie!!!!
Meredith Mitchell takes up all the slack on KTHV.
Perhaps there is someone who actually has something intelligent to say regarding the "no news" producer at THV?
Executive Producer used to produce the 10. Now a newer producer is taking over.
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