MEDIA MAVEN - Publishing media news and opinion (with some sarcasm and humor) in the Pacific Northwest, covering Seattle, Spokane, Portland, Tri-Cities/Yakima and even a litte beyond. Maybe even some sports. Retired longtime broadcast journalist and manager in multiple top markets, ex-writing prof at UW and PLU in WA state, author of Season of the 76ers, Kent State and American U Masters alum, Pittsburgh native. Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved
Well, we mentioned that the November ratings sweeps were underway and to watch for special reports to boost numbers. Instead we get KIRO 7 giving money away with a key word contest.
Nothing like having your morning and evening news anchors fronting a graphic with dollar signs behind them.
This is what happens when your station's ratings are in the toilet. I am sure everyone still on staff has taken a pay cut to cover their losses. They have no sports department, no investigative team, photog duties are being handled from out of state, reporters who are only "there" and anchors who are flat and wish to be elsewhere. There is no flow in their newscasts that even the students who run Cable 8 at WSU produce a better program that those at the Broadcast House.
ReplyDeleteKIRO’s been doing this junk for years. In fact, Rebecca Stevenson was the “Watch and Win” contest girl back around 2000 when she was an aspiring local actress.
ReplyDeleteI seem to recall KOMO doing this sort of thing a time or two. Does it actually work though? Does it draw more viewers to the station running the contest?
DeleteAlso, I didn't know Rebecca Stevenson aspired to be an actress. I reckon she'd be good at it!
DeleteNo idea....ratings are MIA these days
DeleteYes, there are a couple of commercials of Seafirst Bank and Citizens Bank you can find on YouTube that aired around the 90s that featured Rebecca. Like so many of those aspiring to become the next big thing in Hollywood, Rebecca also waited tables in and around the Seattle area. When that never materialized, she wound up taking up meteorology and broadcast, and while she may not be on TV anymore, she has become the only person I know of to do the superfecta of being on all four of the local stations and also some network work with Al Jazeera America. I am sure whatever she is doing now, she is doing well and continues to shine. To me, she had a Marilyn Monroe sparkle in her eye, but she always was professional.
DeleteHave they worked in the past, when ratings were available? If past is prolog, then perhaps a reasonable assumption can be made based on what happened during previous contests.
DeleteHas worked well for radio over the years, but for TV?! Be our 9th viewer and win a tour to see our newsroom!
DeleteI can't speak from a ratings standpoint, but from a historical stance, stations from around the country (and am sure TV stations in Seattle did this as well) way back when had a "Dialing for Dollars" segment interspersed with the afternoon movie. Much like today's radio stations that have a keyword mentioned at the top of the hour that listeners would enter on a station's website to win a grand or so, DFD had the host of the afternoon movie calling up a random phone number. The person who answered the phone had to correctly answer a mystery word or phrase that was mentioned earlier in the day or something, and if they did, they won a small cash prize. With the increase in newscasts over the years and the decline in TV viewership, I can see that this really was a ratings ploy to get people to watch the station. As for KIRO, you can't teach an old dog new tricks.
DeleteYes, I know, it is COX Media Group-wide. I wanted to add the photos to let everyone see who might not watch KIRO. Good update, though, thanks.
ReplyDeleteUaing the morning and evening anchors in the graphic is worse aspect of it to me. But so it goes.
ReplyDeleteKIRO hardly has the bucks (no pun intended) to do special reports, if any considering their news operation has less manpower than all the other local stations combined. They are "renting" photogs from out of state, reporters and anchors drawing lots, and producers who are as green and not well acquainted with the city or state. This leaves much to be desired I am sorry to say.
DeleteI will say it once more that it really is sad how the mighty ship of KIRO has fallen (or sinking) for that matter. I can't speak on behalf of those there, but pulling a stunt like that really shows how the station has, for lack of a better word, given up. Aside from maybe one or two hits (the Seafair parade and Apple Cup coverage), there have been more misses in my observations. The debacle of who's covering weekend weather can be put in the rear-view mirror with the hiring of Van Winkle, but it really seems like they are doing so much that it is a bubble just waiting to burst and is always being overshadowed by one of their competitor stations. For instance, their investigative stuff are barebones or rehashed. Their latest piece of doctors continuing to work despite patient complaints has already been covered by the other stations and even the networks. The disqualification at the local Emmys over a story that was submitted post-edit is still being talked about in broadcast circles (one told me with their jaw dropping: "this is coming from Market #13?"). As ND Laura Evans goes into her third year at the Broadcast House, I wouldn't be surprised if COX/Apollo cleaned house all across the board, save for a couple of folks I think do a better job than others. That's my hot take or two, Wayne, now back to you. Cheers!
DeleteIt feels like KIRO has been doing a bit better since Van Winkle was hired. The station still needs a lot of help, though.
DeleteI know from reading about Van Winkle and forgive me for repeating myself as I mentioned this in a post awhile back, he retired from TV news initially to care for his mother. I don't know the circumstances other than Chief Met Palmer being one of Van Winkle's colleagues back then in FL and his KIRO appointment being a combination of 1) paying it forward to the person who mentored you and 2) My current station is on life support and DESPERATE for help. Call me the odd man out, but as strong Van Winkle is as a meteorologist and in front of a camera, Van Winkle is going to do this maybe for a couple years or so. Laura has not really done anything worthy of note since her return to Seattle and that is sad for someone who has been a leader at KOMO and KING. As we head now the tail end of 2025 into 2026, we shall see what happens at 3rd and Broad, so stay tuned...
DeleteIf Van Winkle is only going to serve a couple years or so before stepping down, if I were KIRO, I would use that time to hire and train a pair of new meteorologists (so that KIRO has needed flexibility for vacation and illness fill-in, as well as severe weather tag teaming and digital/social content) that can take over when Van Winkle retires. Have them take Professor Cliff Mass' atmospheric science class at UW, work with Nick and Morgan to learn the ins and outs of our region's weather, and work with Robert to learn from his expierence covering hurricanes and severe weather in Florida (great knowledge to have when such events occur...can add valuable context and insight when these stories are covered). Even if nothing else about KIRO changes for the better in the coming years, they do have the opportunity to become the place to turn to when bad weather hits. If weather really is the most important subject in every newscast, the station's entire future could hinge on it. Nick, Morgan, and Robert do a solid job in this department. They are easily the best thing KIRO has going for it right now. Now is the time to prepare for the future, and take weather coverage to the next level!
ReplyDeleteObviously, KIRO also needs to rebuild its reporter roster, relaunch its sports department, and strengthen its investigative unit. Building up weather coverage to bring viewers in could be the key to convincing Cox or whoever ends up owning KIRO should Cox sell that such investments would be worthwhile.