Celebrity or Reporter? That Is the Big Question

When TV anchorwomen demand to be recognized as serious journalists, they are often thrown back to pre-Leslie Stahl days by their compatriots, who can act more like fashion models than journalists.

It is part of the constant battle for credibility waged by television journalists. In general, the industry can’t seem to decide if they are reporters or celebrities.

To a degree, male television journalists face the same struggle for respect as women. Their credibility isn’t aided by male reporters who reinforce a flimsy image by participating in such events as bachelor “auctions.”

But women have far more obstacles to overcome than men, a sad reality of an industry that is still viewed as overtly sexist by many of the women who work within it. The much-publicized tale of Deborah Norville replacing Jane Pauley on the “Today” show, largely perceived as beauty replacing brains, was a typical example of the industry mind-set.

Diane Sawyer didn’t disrupt this prehistoric mind-set when she posed for cheesy magazine photos, nor did KFMB-TV’s (Channel 8) Susan Roesgen and KNSD-TV’s (Channel 39) Kim Devore when they posed for a fashion spread that ran last week in the San Diego Tribune.

The photos were tastefully done, and were in no way demeaning to Roesgen or Devore. In fact, both appeared to be better than adequate fashion models--Devore looking reflective in her gold necklaces, Roesgen mysterious behind dark shades.

“I don’t think it portrayed her in a terrible light,” said Channel 8 News Director Jim Holtzman of Roesgen, who asked him for permission to do the photo spread. “To me she is a journalist when she’s working and a person when she’s not.”

But next time Roesgen laments that she is not being taken seriously as a professional journalist, she might do well to recall posing for the fashion spread.

Undoubtedly, the reality of the industry is that Roesgen and her compatriots are perceived as celebrities first, reporters second. Their ability to attract ratings is as important, if not more important, than their ability to report news.

Although constantly screaming about this perception, television news departments do a tremendous amount to propagate it. Appearing in fashion layouts, promoting themselves as celebrities, is part of the game.

At the much-hyped “Gala at the Center,” the upcoming Jan. 19 extravaganza at the Convention Center, several local television reporters are scheduled to don costumes to recreate movie scenes with patrons.

While guests paying $1,500 to $5,000 a couple chomp the evening meal, several members of Channel 8’s news team will play make believe. Stan Miller will dress up like Rhett Butler for a scene from “Gone With the Wind,” Lorraine Kimel will help recreate “Dracula,” and Liz Pursell and Carol Hasson will be “carried into the desert tent of the suave and debonair Mark Weidenhoff” in a scene from “The Sheik,” according to a press release. Channel 39’s Denise Yamada and Rory Devine also are scheduled to participate.

The gala organizers also asked members of KGTV’s (Channel 10) news team to take part, but news director Paul Sands refused to allow it.

“Our news people are news people. I don’t want them in costumes playing parts. They’re not actors,” said Sands, also noting that the Convention Center is a continuing news story.

Of course, a few months ago Channel 10 anchor Kimberly Hunt posed for photos for a local magazine in a low cut dress, looking very little like a serious journalist. It was borderline cheesecake. But Sands said that was different, because it dealt with an individual and she wasn’t playing a role.

Hunt and others like her benefit tremendously from their celebrity. It makes them hot commodities in television news. But it makes it all that much tougher for those in the industry who want to be respected as journalists.

The arrival of the advanced Arbitron ratings last Thursday brought good news for the Channel 10 and Channel 39 news teams.

Channel 10 firmly established itself as the ratings monster of local news, posting a 15 rating and 33 share at 5 p.m. Channel 8, in the first major post-Allison Ross book, had an 11 rating and 24 share at 5 p.m., followed by Channel 39 with a 6 and a 13.

But at 11 p.m., Channel 39, desperate for any good news these days, reestablished itself as a player, moving past Channel 8 into second place with a 5 rating and 21 share, a rating point ahead of Channel 8. Channel 10 was well out in front with a 9 rating and 32 share.

Although viewers certainly did a tremendous amount of “sampling,” checking out new shows because of the changes at both 8 and 39, Channel 39 is buoyed by the decent 5 rating and 10 share posted by its new 6 p.m. newscast.

The Nielsen rating book is due out this week, and it often, somewhat inexplicably, tells a slightly different story.

Perhaps most representative of the state of Channel 39 general manager Neil Derrough’s lofty goals for the station is the once thriving broadcast services department, which produces the station’s non-news shows. When he took over the station in January, 1988, Derrough implemented a plan for a wide variety of locally produced programs, from Larry Himmel’s show to “San Diego Chronicles,” which lasted one episode.

Now broadcast services is relatively deserted, and it has been moved under the umbrella of the news department. The latest casualty is associate producer Jan Hudson who resigned recently, after her part-time job was eliminated. Other than the monthly “Third Thursday” and “San Diego Headliners,” Derrough’s vision of a long roster of Channel 39-produced programs has at least temporarily faded into the swirl of the station’s other problems.

“There is no reason to have two departments” since the departure of main producer Doug Dougherty, Derrough said, adding that broadcast services will now concentrate on event and documentary shows.

“Talk to me six months from now,” Derrough said. “The event and documentaries are consistent with what we want to be as a station.”

All signs indicate that Kimberly Hunt is preparing to sign a new contract with KGTV (Channel 10). Meanwhile Lisa Kim has signed a new deal with the station. . . .

Katy Manor is leaving the XTRA-FM (91X) morning show. Burnout is a major factor, after four years of doing early mornings. She plans to do fill-in work for KROQ in Los Angeles, where former 91X program director Trip Reeb is the program director. . . .

As expected, Michael Reagan, the former president’s son who was described as “effervescent” in a press release, has been named the new afternoon talk-show host at KSDO-AM (1130). To a certain degree, the decision had as much to do with money as talent. Reagan was not the overwhelming choice at the station, but he was under contract and had very little to do.