I couldn't believe it when I heard Kelly Heidbreder saying goodbye to Michael Schlesinger on Ch. 24 last week -- he was the only reason I watched the a.m. newscast. Then I read in The Blade that he was fired?!
The guy who took his place is terrible.
Plus, they fired Lou Hebert, who had been around forever. Unbelievable.
Instead of getting rid of good people, they need to work on putting out a better newscast: light the set, fer chrissakes. Work on the audio, which is all over the place. Stop all the chit-chat and actually deliver more than the same 4 news stories over and over and over again, all morning long.
Hey, folks at Ch. 24: watch 11's morning show, and do likewise.
And to Michael Schlesinger, good luck, dude. Loved the way you explained the weather.
They should have fired Kelly Heidbreder, she's terrible. Plus how they sit on that couch and talk is just awkward and uncomfortable to watch. It's bush league. Schlesinger was the only good part of that newscast.
I saw they also fired Lou Hebert. Nowadays it seems they're only interested in pretty talking heads.
Mrs Hoops retired from there about 5 years ago during the last ownership change. The timing was perfect, that place is a revolving door and has long been the doormat of the Toledo market. Used to participate in all of their PR functions and made a lot of good friends. The real talented ones have moved on to bigger and better markets.
I liked Jim Blue and Jennifer Stacy. Didn't WNWO essentially dump them in the same manner?
I kept watching for awhile after that, because Shenikwa Stratford was my neighbor. But after she left, I pretty much stopped watching.
FYI...Jennifer is living in Florida and is doing well
The nightly news is short of good reporting and long on reading the police blotter. I suppose it's cheaper than paying someone to gather the news the old fashioned way. Heidbreder's gardening columns for the Blade usually contain at least one error, and some of them have been major. They make me cringe. I think Heidbreder is a Master Gardener. She must not have paid close attention in class. Nobody does any correcting because she's the only way the local horticultural community can get any publicity, other than Tahree Lane. Tahree Lane is very accomplished and knowledgeable in horticulture. Her stuff you can trust. Heidbreder needs a fact checker.
Back to 24 TV, they need to stop reading the police blotter and start doing some real reporting.
...that place is a revolving door and has long been the doormat of the Toledo market.
Exactly right. There are a number of talented people who jumped ship from that place over the last 30+ and made great careers in Toledo for themselves. Diane Larson is one. Dave Carlson was another. I'm sure you can list even more that not only stayed in market, but did great things elsewhere.
The reason why it's a doormat is because they change owners/news directors/philosophies (we're the crime station--no wait we're the in-depth station--no wait we're the "feel good" news station) so often, you never know what you're going to get when you tune in. No business can operate successfully like that.
Oh, and employee morale is the worst I've seen in the radio and television business in my almost 20 years of being around these mediums. Hands down winner. Black humor and cynacism reigns at most media outlets--it's a coping thing after being on the scene of so many fires, robberies, murders, assaults, etc, plus having to deal with whether you'll have a job from week to week--but inside that building, it's an art form at a height I've never experienced before.
^^^first sentence: 30+ years.
About a year or so ago, they led with their "Big Story" or whatever they call it at 5PM. It was a story of kids who had died in a fire and the way it was presented was really distasteful, so I called and asked for the news director. The young guy I talked to was both dismissive and pompous - not the best combination when dealing with a viewer, of which they as we all know have a limited number.
I have to humbly admit I choose 13abc in the mornings because the women are more attractive. Sashem Brey, Sanna Orra (friend's spouse), Christina Williams.........
I agree with TAHL, gotta have my morning Sashem. Not to mention that Andi McKay makes me more interested in traffic than ever before.
The downturn in the economy has hit the TV personalities as well. It used to be that a talent like Sashem Brey would move to a bigger market once her contract was up, usually two or three years. But now, with all of the downsizing in the business, she is stuck in Toledo. I feel bad for her, as she is on the early morning broadcast, and then they bring her back for the 5 or 5:30 show also. Her day must suck.
I hate to be a pig, but the gals at 13 are pretty damn cute.
And I miss Shenikwa!
I jump all over for news, so rarely watch an entire episode of any one channel.
If only these "TV personalities" would have realized they could have skipped journalism training and gone straight to Sephora for their careers.
(Come on, guys. Stop oinking and give a little professional credit where it's due. Otherwise, let's assess, for starters, self-described asshole lawyers by the outline of their packages in their polyester go-to-court trousers, OK? Note to all: The calendar says 2011. Yeah, really!)
Come on luvtoledo, you don't think it matters what you look like in network news? A monkey can read the news off of a teleprompter, it helps if that monkey is somewhat attractive. The only reason people watch Fox News are the short skirts. Sex sells advertising.
Its not like I got a special satelite dish so I could get the "naked news" from Canada. That dish on my roof is for........research.
Sashem, Sanna, Dianne and the crew are good at what they do. My comment was more indicative that the news we get from each channell, both local and national, is largely the same.
As for the national level, I change my viewing habits based on which network insults me the least, often from their anti-military reporting/slant.
TAHL
Fact: ugly women don't make it to the anchor desk. Sorry ladies. If you're porky, quirky looking, have an unfortunate mix of genes in the facial area, look a little "man-ish", you're stuck on reporter or moved to behind the scenes.
BTW--whomever is Diane Larson's plastic surgeon should be given an award. For a woman around 50 (at least), she looks great on camera. If she's doing it all with healthy living, well, she should publish a book.
Double standard--fat, ugly dudes can make it (jeezus--just look at Bill Spencer or remember Charlie Umpenhour)...but that is becoming more rare in an era where everyone apparently needs to look like he/she stepped out of an Armani catalog and remain at age 27 forever...never mind the vacuum between the ears.
Hoops: Do you happen to live in J. Township?
In all seriousness, news anchors aren't worth a crap to me and here's why.
They are in the business of ratings. It's not reporting a story unbiased, etc. It's about getting ratings. While I can state the fact that some news anchors are attractive, that does not mean my libido forces me to turn any certain channel on and slober while I'm catching my morning updates and weather. I watch all 3 in the morning. Depends on when I grap the controller and who has the weather on at that particular moment.
The fake banter, stupid eyebrow raises, and sensationalizing of stories, and the pathetic "on scene" reporting when no one and nothing is going on but the news crew, is just too much for me.
I'd like to see a station go back to just reporting the news. No "trick" stories or teasers, no "spin" angle to capture viewers, just the news.
I quit watching the news a long time ago. I spent 35 years in a job where contact with the media (print, radio, TV) was a way of life. Many of them were assholes, especially the local TV people when they wanted a story they weren't going to get (for legitimate reasons) exactly when they wanted it. If you're unfortunate enough to get caught up in the center of a big local story you have to deal with these people who call constantly and show up even when they've been told that no statements will be issued at that particular time. They can be (and have been) overly aggressive, rude, and downright ugly. There were many days when I was forced to work with confidential information, under intense pressure, with these creeps hanging all over me. I finally blew a fuse one day when some of them breached the partition between them and my desk and walked behind my desk in an attempt to get a look at my work. I kicked their asses out and locked the doors. There was always a select few for whom I harbored a particular hatred, including one reporter who went on to become a network correspondent - one of the rudest, rotten-to-the-core people I've ever dealt with. Don't think that those smiling faces on the screen are the people you deal with when they need a story. I might also add that some of them (and the stations they work for) have agendas that are reflected in their reporting. Over time, you learn who gets first access to the boss.
thank you for knocking them down a notch or two. I agree.
golddustwoman....No j township for me, but close by in Oregon
I just saw on The Blade.. Lauren Lowrey is leaving WTOL for Indianapolis
:o(
Many years ago Melissa Voetch nearly cost me my job! I was sitting in a local salon getting my hair done and without me knowing it she was eavesdropping on the conversation that I was having with the stylist (also my best friend). The next day she called the VP of the hospital where I worked and identifyed me by name as a "news source" and wanted all the details on the little bit she overheard. The VP was smoking mad and I had to do some fast talking to say the least! I don't trust any of these "quasi celebrities". Whom ever is doing Melissa's lighting these days deserves an Oscar because in person she looks like an anorexic Basset Hound! LOL
Anorexic Basset Hound, now that's funny