Los Angeles television stations defend their coverage of the fire

[question everything]

latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-mtwilson-tv1-2009sep01,0,5978924.story

Los Angeles television stations defend their coverage of the fire
County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich says the stations did not provide comprehensive coverage.

By Greg Braxton

September 1, 2009


Executives at several local television stations defended their coverage of the Station fire over the weekend after Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich and some viewers complained that the fire, despite evacuations and threats to homes, did not receive the continuous coverage given previous large blazes. Antonovich on Monday accused television news stations of being negligent in failing to provide comprehensive fire coverage.

"There were a large number of evacuations taking place, people and animals were in danger, and people had no information of where to go," Antonovich said in an interview. "I'm upset. The media let people down during a horrendous fire, one of the worst in the county's history." But local news officials countered Monday that they gave appropriate coverage to what was then principally a brush fire. They noted that the fire had already been burning for a couple of days before the weekend and had not at that time posed a serious threat to a large number of residences.

Keith Esparros, assistant news director for KNBC-TV Channel 4, said that his station did cover the fire extensively in newscasts, updates and on the station's website with several reporters and crews over the weekend. He called it an "odd fire" that started small and generally burned away from populated areas when it started midweek. Esparros said the station usually provides wall-to-wall coverage in a disaster when there is "an imminent threat to life and property." He rejected assertions by some viewers that a diminished bottom line imposed by the recent economic downturn, which has hit local television stations particularly hard, influenced coverage.

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Added Antonovich: "Now people know more about the coroner report on Michael Jackson or the problems with Britney Spears' children than they knew about this fire."

Meanwhile, local television and radio stations with broadcast towers atop Mt. Wilson scrambled to make contingency plans Monday to continue their broadcast signals in case their transmitters were damaged by the fire. Executives at most stations, including KNBC-TV Channel 4, KTLA-TV Channel 5, KCBS-TV Channel 2, KCAL-TV Channel 9 and KTTV-TV Channel 11, said viewers who subscribe to cable or satellite would not lose their signals. However, about 14% of Los Angeles-area households that receive their TV signals through antenna or other non-cable and non-satellite methods might lose their television picture.

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[kestrel91316]

1. It's not actually the media's job to keep the community safe. It is their

job to provide their shareholders with ever-increasing quarterly profits. It's the way things are these days.

If people in CA want good information about fires in the state, the best comprehensive source in one place is the Cal Fire website. Complete with detailed maps and all public announcements/press releases.

Yeah, I know some people don't have computers/internet. Some don't have working TV's, either. Until and unless we the people get off our collective asses and FORCE a change in the responsibilities of the media, this is the way it's gonna be.

[Peace Patriot]

2. Pull their license to use the public airwaves, and give it to a small business or

non-profit that will act in the public interest, as the licensees of the public airwaves should be required to do (and once were required to do).

And bust up the NBC corporation itself--with its fingers in the Defense industry--as well as all media monopolies. Enough is enough of these fuckwads!

Put the public airwaves back into the service of the people, for true fair and balanced news coverage, coverage of a wide spectrum of public opinion, public access to the TV/radio airwaves, and full coverage of important public events.

[Jkid]

3. Better idea: Implement British style Public Service Broadcasting

Before Thatcher abolished it with light-touch regulation.

Also produce more children's programing, especially for teens, because not everyone has cable.