TV Mideast War: The Hype Means More Than the Story

By sending reporter Mitch Duncan to Saudi Arabia, KFMB-TV (Channel 8) took the high ground in the battle of Middle East coverage. Now the station is defending its position.

A barrage of commercials has been touting Channel 8’s reports and features from the gulf, in addition to taking unusually direct shots at the competition. One promotional spot features Channel 8 top-gun sports guy Ted Leitner, in a rare solo appearance promoting something other than himself, pumping the Channel 8 reports and haranguing the other stations’ coverage.

This is part of the reality for all news organizations: Doing a good job is not enough. To the television stations, promoting the coverage is as important, if not more important, than the actual story.

In the process, the line between news and marketing blurs. CBS doesn’t send Dan Rather to the Persian Gulf because he is the best darn Middle East reporter in the world. He goes because CBS needs to have its anchorman seen on an aircraft carrier, even if it means conducting interviews via satellite with subjects back in the United States.

Channel 8 kicked a little butt with Duncan’s trip, and the subsequent prime time special, “Operation Homefront.” Now comes the scramble to take credit for it.

Channel 8, which isn’t exactly known for its aggressive news coverage, hasn’t been a home for happy campers lately, with ratings down and personality conflicts on the rise. The decision by management to open up the piggy bank and send Duncan to the Middle East was something of a morale builder within the station, and management doesn’t want to waste it.

In a recent memo to employees, news director Jim Holtzman expressed resentment at unconfirmed reports that other stations were telling callers that Channel 8 simply won a lottery to send a reporter, so Channel 8 was the only San Diego station allowed into the area. The other stations deny ever telling anybody that. To date, no other station has explored the possibility of sending someone. Channel 10 now has the necessary visas, it’s still unsure if it’s going to send somebody.

At the same time, Channel 8 seems upset, given the bitter tone of the Leitner ad, that other stations, particularly Channel 10, have been promoting their own coverage, even though they didn’t send a reporter to the area.

Channel 10 drew first blood in the Middle East news/promotional war by producing a special 6:30 p.m. newscast and sending taped messages to soldiers, which they called “Postcards from Home.”

“Channel 10 bombards the airwaves with so many promotions that you have to be more aggressive,” Channel 8 Promotions Director Tim Hnedak said. “The appearance to us is they prefer to sit around here and tell everybody how great they are.”

Channel 10 marketing director Judy Vance was equally diplomatic.

“I’m glad I’m not in a position of using a sports guy to talk about my news product,” she said.

This is fairly typical of the competition between different stations, radio and television, as well as newspapers. Sometimes it is hard to tell which came first, the coverage or the marketing campaign.

Long after people have forgotten Duncan’s Mideast reports, they’ll be able to say, “Boy, that sure was a promotional coup.”

Dave Hood says Channel 8 management has told him that he won’t be hosting the new afternoon talk show in development. But that’s not the end of the story.

Hood and “P.M. Magazine” co-host Pat Brown were named to host the new show several months ago, which surprised many people in the industry. Reaction was, to say the least, mixed.

On Oct. 10, Hood says, he was told he was being taken off the show, reportedly because of a feature that aired on “P.M.” while he was acting as executive producer. The feature, produced by a sister station in Seattle, portrayed car dealers in an unflattering way, and some San Diego dealers pulled their advertising from Channel 8 in response. But Hood is still on “P.M.,” at least for now.

Hood says the station made a verbal contract with him in August to host the new show.

“I expect the agreement to be fulfilled or appropriate amends to be made,” Hood said.

Because of such saber rattling, with clear legal ramifications, management at Channel 8 has told employees not to comment on the situation. Calls to top executives at Channel 8 were not returned last week.

But Hood is more than willing to talk.

“I’m perplexed,” he said. “I don’t know what is happening. Why did they come to an agreement in August and then change their minds now?”

Channel 39 is very proud of the fact that new Weather Guy Joe Lizura is a certified meteorologist, as if it takes some scientific ability to predict the weather in San Diego. Of course, it seems fair to wonder about a person who spent his formative years studying to be a television weatherman. . . .

At this point, KKLQ (Q106) program director Kevin Weatherly probably should retire. For the third year in a row, he has won the grand prize--a Porsche--in a nationwide competition of radio program and music directors. More than 300 of the so-called experts were asked to predict the year’s hits. In the past, he has taken cash instead of the car, but this year he’s going for the hot wheels. As if that wasn’t enough, Weatherly was named the major market Music Director of the Year by Billboard Magazine. . . .

An episode of “Kill Them With Comedy,” the unabashedly bizarre locally produced community access show, has been picked up by “Ha!” the national cable network. It will air in December on a show called “Access America.” . . .

A crew from ABC’s “20/20” was in town last week working up a story on the border. . . .

Debbie Lechner, who went on maternity leave a few weeks ago, has decided not to return as executive producer of Channel 10’s “Inside San Diego.” No replacement has been found. . . .

It was more than a little cheesy for Channel 8 to spotlight a bar co-owned by station employee Tim Flannery in its feature on sports bars last week. . . .

ABC’s Peter Jennings will roll into town later this week to host “Ask the Media,” a live 90-minute public forum, scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Sunday on Channel 10. It’s a good idea, allowing the public to grill members of the media, but Channel 10 has diluted the program with a notably weak panel, primarily featuring its own personalities, including rookie commentator Herb Cawthorne, anchorman Stephen Clark and general manager Ed Quinn. The panel also includes Tribune editor Neil Morgan, radio personality Roger Hedgecock and El Sol de San Diego editor Julie Rocha. . . .

Proceeds from a screening of the documentary “Listen Up: The Lives of Quincy Jones,” 7:30 p.m., Thursday, at the Park Theater, will benefit the United Negro College Fund.