4’s new bosses are in and laying down the law. Miami Herald’s Joan Fleischman got her hands on the new dress code rules for everyone who’s face we see on the air at WFOR.
The gals are to have as little accessories as possible and no busy stripes, prints, lace, short sleeves, sleeveless (wah, No skin? Awww…), puffy shirts. Because viewers are to pay attention to the reporter and the story not the clothes! Oh yeah like covering their arms up would help. Good luck!
Men don’t need much of a wardrobe, of course. Instructions for them are to cover up with a dress shirt – pale blue or white, tie and sports jacket. How boring. Losing the jacket can happen but only with manager’s permission. And no jeans. Unless the story calls for them to walk in water in which case jeans are ok. Short shorts would’ve done it much better in my opinion.
And if you happen to see Jim Defede looking all tanned and sexy, fret not. He didn’t soak those harmful UV rays in the name of all that is news, his sexy bronze glow is from a bottle as per WFOR’s image consultant advice.
The new boss, Tom Doerr says the newsroom was too “laissez-faire”, hence the changes.
Miami Herald – Joan Fleschman/Talk of Our Town – No polka-dot coats on this TV station
Boston Herald: WHDH-TV’s ‘kid’s cast’
There’s a lot of talk lately how younger the news reporters and anchors are getting lately. Now the Boston Herald takes a shot at WSVN’s sister station in Boston, WHDH, for hiring Adam Williams, 26 and Brandon Rudat, 27 to anchor the weekend newscasts. The newspaper calling the move, via the anonymous industry insider, ‘ kid’s casts’.
Boston Herald – 7New: Fresh, young faces grace WHDH-TV’s ‘kid’s cast’
Of course by the end of the article the writer comes to the same conclusion all the rest of his colleagues did – young talent is cheap and the station is doing to get a younger demo.
Except that … we the young are not watching. At least not as much, and not as many of us, as the station suits want. I read somewhere recently that even though the cable nets are doing everything to attract demo viewers those viewers comprise barely 10% of the total audience. At most.
I don’t know how much it is for broadcast local news, but if I had to guess it’s not too different. There just isn’t much to see, and I find myself yelling out “Who the fuck cares about this” more and more often.