Previously heard on radio...

This time we go back to 1993 when KIRO TV was the "newsroom out of the box", along with KIRO Newsradio as seen on KTZZ 22 as the "KIRO News Network".

 

 

  Some past hosts including those who have passed away: Wayne Cody, Bill Gallant along with Bill Yend now at KOMO and Gregg Hersholt, now afternoons at News Talk 750 KXL in Portland.

The idea was innovative, groundbreaking, exciting – and a complete disaster.

The $3 million overhaul of anchors walking around in an wide open broadcast arena including radio, only lasted a few months as ratings began to plummet.

 

 

Comments

[Mike Barer]

Cool, I believe they had temporarily lost their affiliation with CBS.

[Puget Sound Blathers]

Was it true the story about ballet teachers giving instructions to news folks on how to move?

The open newsroom concept is fairly common today.

[sparky]

I just remember Susan Hutcheson, who literally could not walk and talk at the same time. Standing still or sitting, she was fine. But when they asked her to read the teleprompter while walking to another part of the set, she stuttered, paused, and you could see her thinking to herself, "walk....pause...smile..read..walk"
and so on. It was painful. They do just fine with it on KOMO on the 4 pm news, however.

[KS]

I vaguely remembered it on KIRO-TV and it seemed awkward, but it has eventually evolved to what it is today.

Too bad when they started doing news out of the box that their minds stayed in the box and they seemed unable to show that they were thinking out of the box.

[drool]

It's Yeend.

[Bill Wippel]

Bill Yeend retired from news anchor at KOMO Neswsradio this month. He is a great talent and great to work with.

It was huge blunder to fire Gregg Hersholt, the morning anchor at KIRO. Bill Nye, the Science Guy just doesn't make the muster as a replacement.

The Open Desk routine for KOMO TV at 4pm works well. None of the TV stations has completely abandoned the news desk.

[KSO]

Um, that's Bill Radke at KIRO, not Bill Nye.

[RadioWonkLance]

And KXL is on FM in Portland now, it's not 750 AM anymore.

[Chucks]

I really enjoyed working with both Bill Yeend and Wayne Cody when they would do remotes from Hinshaw's Honda in Auburn. They could draw customers to the dealership. The listeners really loved those guys.
That was when talk radio was interesting and pleasurable at the same time. It certainly was live and local. Now it is just hyperbole and distant.

[PatternChange]

I suspect the comment about Bill Nye was facetious. KIRO's firing of Gregg was misguided and unnecessary. I hope he lands the KOMO morning job so he can come back to haunt them.

[OSK]

With Jane Shannon appearing pretty solid at KOMO in the afternoons would they want this co-worker drama again between her and Hersholdt?

http://blatherwatch.blogs.com/talk_radio/2009/11/jane-shannon-19942009-rip.html?

[Mike Barer]

What's done is done.

[Mary]

I'm glad Jane landed okay. Not sure about her skills but she's got the voice. She's an easy listen.

Interesting how the subject morphed back to radio. All I remember about "out-of-the-box" KIRO was changing the channel.

[Puget Sound Blathers]

Jane Shannon is a good talent. I miss her with Hersholdt.

[Erictheeditor]

Switch Jane and Herb from afternoons at KOMO Radio to mornings.
The baseball announcer has a great voice but no chemistry with the listeners or the boss's wife in the morning.

[KS]

Hersholdt is Portland's (KXL's) find after he was axed from KIRO. A good station to work for.

[Don]

Getting rid of Hersholdt was one of the best moves KIRO has ever made. Seattles triumph is Portlands loss.