WDAM to air hour long Special Monday 7 pm

[noway]

Katrina as it happened.. Monday Night December 26th 7 PM

http://www.wdam.com/Global/story.asp?S=4275558

[wilebill]

I'm sure that'll be Must See TV. :flush:

[Sir Mickey Mouse]

Yeap, exactly... considering they still had the storm on Sunday morning as a weak storm going away from us... when the weather channel, CBS 22, and WLOX showing it as a Cat 5 coming straight towards us. I wonder if they will address that.:confused:

[wilebill]

I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt and watch it. I really don't expect it to be anywhere near as good as the WLOX special, but I'll wait and see what they come up with.

[noway]

Just reminder about tonights special on WDAM

Do you have your VCR set?

Just found this on wdam.com

http://www.wdam.com/Global/Link.asp?L=176059

Buy your DVD NOW

[noway]

Okay tune in to WDAM Jim Cameron is speaking

[SoMissTV]

Well, that sucked.

[Buggy]

Did they show Randy Swan flipping out?

[fuzzis]

It seemed rather disjointed to me. I think I would have preferred a bit of narration in there, although certainly not from Cameron.

And all the footage of the anchors relaying requests? Could we have just seen that once and gotten the idea?

:smt102

fuzzis

[noway]

Come on peoples It was a good show.. Its something you wish you had 5, 10, 15 years from now.. I have one big problem with the whole thing can anyone guess? Wlox was alot better but they had alot more to work with. Jim Cameron cracks me up with the string hanging from his glasses.If they had more of the video during the storm it would have been an A+..

[noway]

Did they show Randy Swan flipping out?

No Randy swann flipping out... I liked the collins mayor talk (redneck)..Oh yeah the hitch hiker story was a good piece..

[fuzzis]

No, noway, it wasn't a good show, and it's not something that I'll wish I had 10-15 years from now. It's only valuable if it's high quality, which this was not. Were there some good points? Yes. Worth $24.95? Not at all.

fuzzis

[noway]

Well I will have copies and 15 years from now I will sell you one. WLOX by far was a better video but im looking more at the history and what it will mean to me later in life. Now if it would have had some footage of ??? It would have been worth millions.. :smt061

[fuzzis]

Well I will have copies and 15 years from now I will sell you one. WLOX by far was a better video but im looking more at the history and what it will mean to me later in life. Now if it would have had some footage of ??? It would have been worth millions.. :smt061

LOL! You're not doing so hot on vbookie. Wanna put some money on that? I can just about guarantee that I won't want the WDAM special 15 minutes from now, let alone 15 years.

:smt043

fuzzis

[noway]

HA HA.. Another thing the part they ran on George W Bush.. Telling mississippians they are in his heart and in two years he will be ready to come back to mississippi and walk the streets with us. Reminded me of him standing at ground zero with the fireman and saying "The people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon"

http://www.september11news.com/111Fireman164nydailynewssat.jpg

[wilebill]

Oh, wow, I missed the show because I was out of town.

But from what I'm seeing here, I guess I didn't miss much? :smt102

[lamarrebel]

I taped my copy for free tonight....it was decent but certainly nothing special

[fuzzis]

The WLOX program was excellent -- it made you "feel true emotions," it made you relive a horrible event, and it preserved history in a way that no matter when you watch it 20-30 years from now, it will still invoke those same feelings.


You're right about that QM. I found myself easily distracted (and even bored :smt015 ) during the WDAM program. Couldn't look away from the WLOX show.

fuzzis

[aaron]

I think if WDAM would have known about the severity of the impact before the storm, they would have prepared the coverage a little better, but I think much like the city they were caught off guard. There's just something about WDAM's production and quality that is a little off. I can't nail what it is, or what other cities have that is bigger and better, but something isn't there.

[SoMissTV]

Okay, let's see:

First, production values were really bad. From the first shot of Randy and Jim that was not centered, to the austere credit roll at the end, I was unimpressed. What bothered me the most is WDAM's lackadaisical attitude toward archival footage. You'll notice that many of the stories were recorded on old tapes or bad VTRs, resulting in video and audio dropouts (the video becomes "blocky" and the audio just goes silent.

Second, the disjointed manner in which the show was assembled. Editing was a joke on this one, merely putting together old news segments, leaving bad cuts and misspoken words (anyone else notice the WMC-TV weathercaster say "Ivan" instead of "Katrina"?), and not taking advantage of the opportunity to do interviews with public officials and relief workers and their thoughts looking back on the tragedy. Having no narration to piece together the "documentary" made the whole thing feel very stream of consiousness. That's certainly okay during the disaster, when you should air news when you get it, but they had 4 months to put the thing together in a coherent fashion. I felt as if there was no storyline, that the editor merely dropped in clips to fill time. There was so much potential here... go back and interview those whom you interviewed four months earlier; call a person who called in seeking help and find out how the recovery has been; even focus on the effort it took to broadcast in such trying times; just give me something here that makes it look like thought was put into the story threads!

Third, why do we have to watch multiple segments of anchors at the desk relaying pleas for help? I understand having one segment, but to then come back and show another segment that shows the anchors "patting their own backs" by providing this service was just hokey.

Fourth, if you're going to have a closing montage of video b-roll scenes, please try not to use the same footage you just showed in the "documentary"... you're wasting my time, and copping out on your responsibility to fill an hour of time. I can't believe they couldn't find anything else in which to fill the final 90 seconds. Oh, the credit roll was classic; we know who works at the station, you don't need to show us again.

That's all I can think of at the moment, but I'm sure more will follow.

[reality]

I didn't enjoy it at all, and like someone mentioned, I found myself bored during the show. It was certainly an hour of my life which was completely wasted.

[Sir Mickey Mouse]

SoMs, you know a lot of the TV jargon. Knowing what a B-roll or Vo-Sot is isn't common street knowledge! But, I also notice watching a WDAM newscast that their tapes for packages (news stories), B-roll (video) and Vo-Sots (anchor reading story with video, Sot is the audio quote from a real person or official) are always messing up. The video frequently has blocks from bad tapes and I can often hear nat sound from another story under rolling B-roll. That's just lazy editing or too cheap to buy a new box of tapes. I was so happy yesterday to flip channels and find WHLT airing Newschannel 12's noon report. It's not totally local news, but it's a real newscast and we get a real weather forcast. Now, I watch WLOX and WHLT (WJTV) news everyday. I watch top story on WDAM at 6 or 10 (both are same newscast with a different main anchor). I think it's prime time for a WHLT newscast, but I doubt they try that again. With so many people in town, it may be successful. The last time they tried it, too many people accepted WDAM because they were WDAM, a source here for a long time. They don't care if it's a bad newscast. There are a couple great reporters, but WE NEED SOME METEOROLOGIST! At least 1! Come on! Laurel-Hattiesburg isn't a major market, but at least treat us with some respect.

[MSQueen]

Yes, I too was very disappointed with Wdam's broadcast last night. I really didn't think it was gonna be as good as Wlox's, but I CERTAINLY thought they would have done a better job than they did! I believe they said Steven Williams edited it. Whoever edited it did about as well as I could have with no editing/tv experience! lol Very thrown together. I too think it would have been much better with narration and with MUCH less scenes of the reports from the anchor desk. And I did see the blooper of the weatherman calling it Hurricane "Ivan". I think Wdam's main flaw is that they hire mostly USM students to intern, and most of them don't stay long enough to be really good at what they do. (although there are some exceptions, ie, Robin Roberts, Beth Taylor, Chuck Scarborough{?}, and female weathergirl who went on to the Weather Channel -- can't remember her name :smt102 ) The video just didn't seem to have a whole lot of planning and thought put into putting the whole thing together. Pay $24.95?? No way... I'll be buying the one from Wlox instead. I was really looking forward to adding this one to my collection. :roll:

[wilebill]

Looking at the big 2 media sources (HA and WDAM), it seems that the HA has jumped on the opportunity that Katrina has given them and improved themselves. On the other hand, it seems that DAM is just wallowing in their mediocrity, and has possibly gotten worse.

[sackett22]

In two words "It Sucked" Jim Cameron is the most boring speaker in the world, I would have rather listened to someone talk about the stock market. No good footage of Hburg during the storm at all. Plus like everyone else has said, too much footage of the reporters. If anyone pays $24.95 for this they should definately be sent out of this state for good.

[lamarrebel]

I, on the whole, like Jim Cameron. His views generally square with mine, and although he's not quite a fiery as Frank Melton's "Bottom Lines" were, you know that Cameron has real strong sense of convictions to him. You don't leave his commentaries wondering where he stands.

That being said, he probably did go over the top being a part of the Katrina special, which as stated, was mediocre. I taped it and will show it to my wife when she gets back in town, but it's certainly not a big keepsake.

[Sir Mickey Mouse]

You just like Jim Cameron cause he is a republican!




:-D :smt006

[lamarrebel]

Just like liberals like Alan Combs because he's one of them -- it's what makes the world go 'round.

[talkizcheap]

In two words "It Sucked" Jim Cameron is the most boring speaker in the world, I would have rather listened to someone talk about the stock market. No good footage of Hburg during the storm at all. Plus like everyone else has said, too much footage of the reporters. If anyone pays $24.95 for this they should definately be sent out of this state for good.
I echo all the critique offered here and agree wholeheartedly that the special was terrible simply because the coverage post Katrina was an embarrassment to the wonderful people who call this area home. Which is what I would love to communicate to WHLT's upper management as well as to Raycom bigwigs who obviously don't care about quality.
Also agree with Aaron that the special itself was disjointed and seemed like such an amateur production

[happydamyankee]

While I agree that WDAM could have done better with the special, sometimes I can't help but wonder why you guys watch WDAM at all. You all do seem to hate the station so much and I never see anyone say nothing good about them so instead of condeming the station, it's reporters, and management why don't you all just turn it off?
The simple fact is as long as you are turning it on the ratings are good and raycom sees no reason to make any changes. They look at the bottom line for them and that is the ratings, you watch them you boost ratings and nothing changes for the better.
I just want to respond to a few of the comments that have been made. I don't want to offend anyone but you people really don't know anything about the workings of that tv station and maybe just maybe if you did you wouldn't be so nasty. Let me tell you a couple of things because it's only fair to the people that spend their lives trying to keep you informed.
Someone said the credit roll was a joke you know the people that work there my question is do you? Do you know there are 4 Jims that work at the station? Do you know there are four Williams? Do you have the first clue who is behind the camera's, running the tapes, putting the programs on the air or making sure an antique transmitter stays functional?
You talk about how bad things have gotten since Katrina! Do any of you that are condeming them know how many people have quit since Katrina? Do any of you realize that WDAM is more then the few people that get on the set and smile at the camera? Do any of you realize that the days after Katrina there were about 20 people working around the clock to keep the station on the air? People you never saw? People that couldn't even get away from the station to find out if they had a home to go too?
Do any of you realize that the footage they used for the special is footage that was shown in the days after the storm? The video and audio drop outs were there because that's the way the stuff transmitted during the storm. Cameras that went uncleaned because everyone was to busy to clean them, live trucks that weren't functioning well, transportation that was impeded by trees, distruction, and lack of gasoline, all limited the abilities of the reporters that were in the field. They did show the weather man making the mistake but that really just goes to show that (hey here's a concept for you all) the people that work at WDAM are human, and make mistakes.
You don't like the talent on the set tell Raycom, You don't like the way the news is produced tell raycom, you don't like the quality of the news tell raycom. Don't you see it is raycom that holds the purse strings not WDAM. Do you think that the people that are responsible for putting stuff on the air for WDAM don't want to see better? The biggest majority of the people that work for WDAM are underpaid and get little or no recognition from anyone above their immidiate supervisors.
How many of you realize that everyone that was at the tv station before during and after the storm were risking their lives to bring you, the ungrateful public, the news? Think I'm exadurating? Go out to the station and look at the tower, look at the stuff attached to the tower, look at the postion of the tower compared to the positoning of the station. Now use your imagination and consider what would have happened if anything would have come off that tower and landed on that building durning the storm. Don't even consider what would have happened to the 150 people held up inside the building if the tower itself had come down.
I'm sorry if this isn't the stuff you all would like to hear but someone needs to tell you. Do any of you ever stopped to think about the people you are cutting down? Of all the posts I've read on this site there is none more negative and nasty then the posts about WDAM. I wonder how you would feel if you went to an internet blog and read the negative nasty things you all write about the folks at WDAM? How would any of you stand up to the scrutiny you place on the anchors? If you did your job on camera how would you do?
Sorry this got so long and if I offended anyone I just felt you should know how mean you people sound sometimes.

[noway]

I was nice in my post.... I somewhat agree with you but WDAM has a responsibilty to the pine belt and they failed in some areas.. Now we all failed during before and after the storm in some ways. But if you watch WLOX & WDAM special on Katrina there isn't any comparison..

[fuzzis]

I wonder how you would feel if you went to an internet blog and read the negative nasty things you all write about the folks at WDAM? How would any of you stand up to the scrutiny you place on the anchors? If you did your job on camera how would you do?


I would think that perhaps I wasn't doing that great of a job and perhaps I shouldn't settle for mediocrity just because that's what the folks above me settle are willing to accept.

Yes the folks at WDAM did put themselves at risk in some very dicey situations with regard to Hurricane Katrina, but that doesn't explain what is routinely a substandard product.

And for the record...I *don't* watch WDAM on a regular basis. I watched it during the time period after the hurricane because that's all I could receive, and I tuned in and out during the special. It was more than enough.

fuzzis

[SoMissTV]

I guess I'll go point by point:

While I agree that WDAM could have done better with the special,
agreed.

You all do seem to hate the station so much and I never see anyone say nothing good about them so instead of condeming the station, it's reporters, and management why don't you all just turn it off?
A federal ruling makes it illegal for DirecTV to provide NY and LA feeds to those in markets that are currently served by a local affiliate unless a waiver is granted to the individual. My waiver was denied; otherwise, you can bet I'd be watching WNBC and KNBC.

Someone said the credit roll was a joke you know the people that work there my question is do you? Do you know there are 4 Jims that work at the station? Do you know there are four Williams? Do you have the first clue who is behind the camera's, running the tapes, putting the programs on the air or making sure an antique transmitter stays functional?
Um, yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes. For those who are counting, Jim Ethridge, Jim Wilkinson, Jim Cameron, and Jim Gibbon. When is Robert Smith going to retire? I heard it is going to be after the digital transition is complete. It's amazing that he has been there so long. A true testament to longetivity.


You talk about how bad things have gotten since Katrina! Do any of you that are condeming them know how many people have quit since Katrina? Do any of you realize that WDAM is more then the few people that get on the set and smile at the camera? Do any of you realize that the days after Katrina there were about 20 people working around the clock to keep the station on the air? People you never saw? People that couldn't even get away from the station to find out if they had a home to go too?
Do any of you realize that the footage they used for the special is footage that was shown in the days after the storm? The video and audio drop outs were there because that's the way the stuff transmitted during the storm. Cameras that went uncleaned because everyone was to busy to clean them, live trucks that weren't functioning well, transportation that was impeded by trees, distruction, and lack of gasoline, all limited the abilities of the reporters that were in the field. They did show the weather man making the mistake but that really just goes to show that (hey here's a concept for you all) the people that work at WDAM are human, and make mistakes.
Yes, but WLOX was in even worse shape at the same point (no newsroom roof, no homes, etc), and their special turned out pretty freakin nice. I don't buy the dropouts story, either. Fresh tape should be used to record program feeds, and the program feed should preferably be recorded clean (no graphics). I know not everyone can speak accurately 100% of the time, but why include a weather segment that contained an error? This special wasn't live, it was pre-produced. Find a weather clip that is accurate and use it instead.


You don't like the talent on the set tell Raycom, You don't like the way the news is produced tell raycom, you don't like the quality of the news tell raycom. Don't you see it is raycom that holds the purse strings not WDAM. Do you think that the people that are responsible for putting stuff on the air for WDAM don't want to see better? The biggest majority of the people that work for WDAM are underpaid and get little or no recognition from anyone above their immidiate supervisors.

You got an address of someone in Montgomery who will actually listen? Let me know; I'll call them.

Do you think that the people that are responsible for putting stuff on the air for WDAM don't want to see better? The biggest majority of the people that work for WDAM are underpaid and get little or no recognition from anyone above their immidiate supervisors.
I can sympathize with this. I think it's important to note that the issues I take are not necessarily with an individual, but rather the manner in which the station is run and operated. Who made the decision not to write a script? Why does the general manager feel the need to be involved in on-screen roles? Why can't the station afford to have an AMS-certified meteorologist? These are a few of the questions I have. But the fact is, many of the workers at WDAM come straight from college where they had unpaid internships with WDAM. The station then hires them on a two-year contract with very little pay, and very little hope of seeing a sizeable pay increase. The result is that you have a number of bright, talented people who are trying to do a nice job for their resume tape so they can move out of the 168th largest TV market in the nation. The good ones go to WLBT in Jackson (Carlos Spann), WVTM in Birmingham (Scott Cody), WALA in Mobile (Hrdlica), or WJTV in Jackson (Tony Mastro). The effect is that this station is in a constant state of flux; as soon as someone becomes a very good reporter (or photog or any other position), they're gone. WDAM then hies some more college grads at cheap rate to start the process over. This is a perpetually young station.


How many of you realize that everyone that was at the tv station before during and after the storm were risking their lives to bring you, the ungrateful public, the news? Think I'm exadurating? Go out to the station and look at the tower, look at the stuff attached to the tower, look at the postion of the tower compared to the positoning of the station. Now use your imagination and consider what would have happened if anything would have come off that tower and landed on that building durning the storm. Don't even consider what would have happened to the 150 people held up inside the building if the tower itself had come down.
If this is a serious safety issue, then I'm surprised OSHA hasn't become involved. WDAM has a 500 foot tower, which I'm hoping has at least a 200mph wind rating. Tower falls are deadly serious business. WLBT lost their tower about ten years ago; no one inside the station was killed, but three tower workers lost their lives. Huntsvill lost a tower about four years ago, as well. The message here is that if you truly feel that your building is unsafe, go to the authorities. If you decide to gamble and stay there even though you feel it is unwise, please don't brag about it to me.


I'm sorry if this isn't the stuff you all would like to hear but someone needs to tell you. Do any of you ever stopped to think about the people you are cutting down? Of all the posts I've read on this site there is none more negative and nasty then the posts about WDAM.
I guess you've never read any of the posts about the Hattiesburg American, Mayor Johnny Dupree, Lee Jarrell Davis, Betsy Rowell, or Chief Wynn. :)

I wonder how you would feel if you went to an internet blog and read the negative nasty things you all write about the folks at WDAM? How would any of you stand up to the scrutiny you place on the anchors? If you did your job on camera how would you do?
Sorry this got so long and if I offended anyone I just felt you should know how mean you people sound sometimes.
As you pointed out in your first paragraph; if you don't like it, you don't have to read it. Just turn it off. That being said, I think many people don't hate anyone in particular at the station, we're just disappointed in the way the station presents its news. Having only one source for local news, we get frustrated when we feel as if the broadcast is subpar. I, for one, enjoyed the competition when WHLT had a local operation. It certainly provided motivation for both stations to do a better job. That's also what forced Raycomm to devote more resources to WDAM. Otherwise, I doubt WDAM would have updated their tape format when they did. Please feel free to go back and read my posts on this subject. I didn't just say, "the Katrina special sucked." I broke down me critism point by point, giving everyone a rationale for my feelings. Instead of yelling at us on this forum, why don't you take my comments and use them constructively. I hope to hear from you again soon!


SoMissTV

[happydamyankee]

Noway I apologize I didn't mean everyone and I should have stated that. I didn't see WLOX's special so I can not compare the two, but if you compare WLOX's and WDAM's operating budget you will also see a big difference there as well.
Fuzzis you are guilty of making the same mistake I made by including everyone. I guarentee you I know for a fact that not everyone that works at WDAM does a mediocre job. I guess if what you see isn't top notch then no one does their job nor cares about it. I just hope that what ever you do in your daily life is always perfect and you are never left open to public scrutiny.

Somisstv I'll do like you did to me:
Yes, but WLOX was in even worse shape at the same point (no newsroom roof, no homes, etc), and their special turned out pretty freakin nice. I don't buy the dropouts story, either. Fresh tape should be used to record program feeds, and the program feed should preferably be recorded clean (no graphics). I know not everyone can speak accurately 100% of the time, but why include a weather segment that contained an error? This special wasn't live, it was pre-produced. Find a weather clip that is accurate and use it instead.

Again I will state I did not see their special. Again I will state WDAM could have done better but if you watched the original feeds and the special you would have known that the drop outs were in the same places if the original tape has mistakes then any subsuquent dubs of that tape will have the same thing. Did you ever think the weather clip was included on purpose? I don't know but I suspect.
You got an address of someone in Montgomery who will actually listen? Let me know; I'll call them.

Unfortunately no I don't, maybe you could look it up.
Who made the decision not to write a script?
I'm not sure what script you are referring to. If you are referring to the special all you had to do is watch cameron to know that he was reading from a teleprompter.

Why does the general manager feel the need to be involved in on-screen roles?
You know I gotta ask you if Cameron was your boss would you tell him to stay off the set? Who is it in the station that you believe could tell him to get off the set and not face losing their job? If you worked at WDAM would you go tell him to stay off the camera?

Why can't the station afford to have an AMS-certified meteorologist?
Again a question for Raycom. The same goes for the reporters that go through the revolving door that is WDAM News room.

If this is a serious safety issue, then I'm surprised OSHA hasn't become involved. WDAM has a 500 foot tower, which I'm hoping has at least a 200mph wind rating.

On this one you have to be joking right? The wind rating on a tower or any structure is one thing if it actually maintains is another. How many times do you think there is the opportunity to find out if something is actually going to hold up under the specified conditions. The tower coming down and things coming off of it are not concerns under normal weather coditions, not even under storm conditions but just how often do the winds get up to 115 mile an hour and maintain. Do you think that all the businesses that were lost do to the hurricane thought they were going to fall on August 29? Don't be a fool things were different on August 29th and you know it. It's not a matter for osha it's a matter for GOD. I did not come in here and brag or boast or nothing about me or my job or the place where I work. I have never said "I" work for WDAM, I do know someone that does and I do know that contrary to what you BELIEVE you know about WDAM and the inner workings of it You really have little or no clue.

And I think I'll take your advice and not read it anymore that's why I stopped coming here to begin with I guess now I'll stay away I ain't into your politics.

[Sir Mickey Mouse]

Not being mean... just asking a question. If the drop-outs in the tapes during the special were caused by the original tapes from the storm, are they still using those same tapes for their daily newscast? I don't watch WDAM much anymore... especially since WHLT now airs WJTV's newscast... but the few times I have seen it recently for Southern Miss sports, I can still see poor tape quality in the Vo-Sots and packages and still hear sound drop-offs.

But, you are right about giving praise where praise is due. WDAM has an awesome sports department. Mitch Williams could have been in a Top 10 market if he wanted to, but his dedication and love for this area is our gain. Khara has become much better since she began. I don't like Scott, however. He seems very arrogant and his reports seem to come directly from the AP. He also takes too many cheap shots at the anchor during the weekend newscast. The weekend newscast may be pitiful, but don't take cheap shots at the guy on the air, please.

Guess this is becoming off topic, but sorry about that. SoMsTV asked if you knew someone at Raycom we could call. You told her to look it up. She has tried several times before for us already. Raycom buying Liberty scares the heck out of me. I love WLOX and its newscasts. I hope they don't go down like WDAM.

And, as I've said before, WDAM has some fine talent on staff. Many work behind the scene and others are reporters. Heck, Randy Swan is a good anchor... but not a good news director, in my humble opinion. Miranda Beard is a great anchor, and I wish she would report some. Pamela has become a much better anchor since she began. Keegan is a great reporter. It was a wise decision to move Coleen to the 5 o'clock time slot. She is a sweet person, but not a strong enough anchor to be prime time. Give her some time. Hopefully Khara will be around some time since she is doing so much better, especially since her husband has such strong ties with USM. But, she is getting to the point, especially as an attractive, good female sports-caster, that she can make a move higher up.

The weather forecasting is a joke. We've got to get someone with some formal training... if not a meteorologist. There are some good photogs, but we never see anything creative. It's the same framed shot for interviews... same B-roll one would see on any other small market station... same 2 shots... same stand-ups... It's not hard to be creative, or at least some variety. I'm not asking for fades and swipes using digital equipment, just put some thought into B-roll and stand-ups. Every package doesnt' have to have 2-shots. We know what you look like, now please show us your talent. Use your gifts.

[Monkey]

Well, Yankee. . . it seems to me that people in the news media understand when they take that job that they are there to serve the public. Yes, it's hard work and long hours round the clock, but that's their job.
As far as mistakes. . . yes people make mistakes, but when you have the duty of delivering the news to the public there is little or no room for error.
The folks at WDAM have a responsibility to the community. . . and. . . in my opinion. . . during the storm did a terrible job.

It's been said on this forum that WLOX anchors did such a great job even after what they went through. . . and I agree.

What news station goes off the air in the most intense portion of a storm to fire up the generator. Is that fulfilling its duty to the public? Shouldn't they have had the generator ready to go before leaving us hanging not knowing what was going on? They knew this storm was coming and had plenty of time to prepare their equipment.

Damyankee. . . it's the media's responsibility to report to the public. . . and it's the public's responsibility to scrutinize everything they are told. These news anchors should feel the pressure. They should have all eyes watching them. . . you open yourself up to that when you take on a job like this.

So. . . no, I don't watch WDAM. . . and yes, I do believe WLOX did an awesome job. . . and as a resident of Hattiesburg, no I won't let WDAM off the hook. . . and yes I will continue to scrutinize what WDAM or any other news source does as long as they continue to bring the news to Hattiesburg.

[noway]

Happydamyankee, dont run off this is what the forums are about.. A difference of opinion and views. Just because most everybody on here is disappointed with WDAM I will fess up I watch it everyday for the news. I want the local news. Im sure WDAM and its employees knows the problems and things like this might make it better YOU never know who might be reading.

If WDAM would do something with its website that would be a start. Put the stories on the site.

Thanks

[Sir Mickey Mouse]

Happydamyankee, dont run off this is what the forums are about.. A difference of opinion and views. Just because most everybody on here is disappointed with WDAM I will fess up I watch it everyday for the news. I want the local news. Im sure WDAM and its employees knows the problems and things like this might make it better YOU never know who might be reading.

If WDAM would do something with its website that would be a start. Put the stories on the site.

Thanks


HAHAH How often would you watch if Pamela wasn't on?!

:smt006 :smt118

[noway]

HAHAH How often would you watch if Pamela wasn't on?!

:smt006 :smt118

HA HA!!! Funny Funny..I told you I moved to WLOX in that catergory..
Seriously I have to catch the news and newspaper everyday or I get real ill. So when I miss the news I would like to be able to go to Wdam.com and read the stories...

[SoMissTV]

SoMsTV asked if you knew someone at Raycom we could call. You told her to look it up. She has tried several times before for us already.

Thanks for the reference, SirMickeyMouse, but it's SoMissTV, as in "Southern Mississippi Television."

I am a dude.

:)

[RoethlisbergerRocks]

Well, it's good to have that cleared up! haha!!! I agree that WDAM could have done better in general. I prefer to watch WLOX! I just think that they are a better television station.

[wilebill]

Since this thread is about the "Katrina special", I'll start with that. I finally saw it from a friend's videotape, and it was simply awful, especially when compared to what WLOX is offering for the same price. And what better way to gauge how good a product is than by a direct comparison. To be honest, DAM should be ashamed to attempt to sell this video for $25 - the same price as the WLOX production. What's really sad, and probably very telling about the station's standards, is that someone at the station thought this "special" was actually good enough to air and to peddle for $25.

Any good video tells a story. Even a 30 second spot says "Here's what I have, please buy it". This had no storyline. It's basically a conglomeration of news clips with no continuity or cohesion between them. There are no segues from one segment to another and no depth to the characters or events. It's just a bunch of news clips thrown together with some graphics and creepy music added! It has no production value because the producer had no idea what he wanted and where he wanted to go with it. The only theme from this video that almost developed into a story is "look how great we are at WDAM". That's it. The whole video is about them and this is obvious from the very beginning when Cameron and Swan did their little stand-up routine.

But even the "look at me" theme failed. It would have been great to include the times that all the clips took place to show the chronology of events. Another big omission was a radar clip of when the storm passed closest to us - I've never seen this.

That's the production side of it. The technical issues have been hashed and rehashed, so I guess there's no point in going into that. But I can guarantee that the excuse about "that's how it was beamed to the station" is simply not an excuse. There was tape rolling in those cameras, and that could have been used, should have been used, in the final production.

Getting to the other topics that have arisen in this thread recently, TV people chose a job where their work is shown to the public every day, so if they don't want to have their jobs scrutinized, then they should seek another profession. The station is granted a license by the FCC to serve the public's interest, so I think it's very appropriate for the public to say exactly what we think of it, whether it hurts someone's feelings or not. And I'm speaking mainly of management/ownership here. I'm actually hoping that they will see these messages, learn from them, then make a concerted effort to make some much-needed improvements.

To me, the bottom line is that DAM has an arrogant attitude because they think they're the only game in town and they'll give us whatever they want and we're supposed to like it. It's all about them and this was extremely apparent in the crappy "special" and even in their own promotions that they put on the air every day and night. The Pine Belt deserves better than this.

[Lylabean]

To me, the bottom line is that DAM has an arrogant attitude because they think they're the only game in town and they'll give us whatever they want and we're supposed to like it. It's all about them and this was extremely apparent in the crappy "special" and even in their own promotions that they put on the air every day and night. The Pine Belt deserves better than this.

That's gospel right there...They are the only game in town and even if WHLT brought back their news they couldn't make a dent in the ratings. There are something like 52 Neilsen families in Forrest County(if I'm remembering correctly..it's been a while) those families keep diaries of what they watch...if they went to a metered market it would be definitely more telling of what people are watching.

There has been some tremendous talent at WDAM through the years and not just the folks in front of the cameras or the photogs. SoMissTV, why I'm not surprised Bobby Smith is still out there. I remember when he had his semi-retirement party..think he cut down to just 40 hours a week. He does everything from transmitter work(sorry not too technical here) to mowing the lawn(or he use to...and that's a BIG lawn).

WDAM was my first TV station I worked at after graduating from college and I would love to see it excel but someone other than the low-paid people on the totem pole are going to have to care.

Lynn

[happydamyankee]

The folks at WDAM have a responsibility to the community. . . and. . . in my opinion. . . during the storm did a terrible job.

Well In my opinion your opinion isn't worth a whole lot. They stayed on the air and did the best they could do with what they had to work with.

What news station goes off the air in the most intense portion of a storm to fire up the generator. Is that fulfilling its duty to the public? Shouldn't they have had the generator ready to go before leaving us hanging not knowing what was going on? They knew this storm was coming and had plenty of time to prepare their equipment.

I don't know what channel you was watching but WDAM did not go off the air in the middle of Katrina. I know this for a fact! They switched to their generator early on Sunday evening and did not go off the air again until 2AM after the storm passed.


Since this thread is about the "Katrina special", I'll start with that. I finally saw it from a friend's videotape, and it was simply awful, especially when compared to what WLOX is offering for the same price. And what better way to gauge how good a product is than by a direct comparison.

As I said before I can not compare Katrina as it happened to WLOX I didn't see theirs. The fact of the matter is Katrina as it happened was about the efforts "locally" not on the coast. How much would anyone have known about the effects of Katrina locally had it not been for WDAM? Lets face it the entire country knows what happened in New Orleans and even in Gulfport, but did anyone see even a mention of our area? Did the WLOX special show anything from here? And that is an honest question I did not see it. 30 years from now when they are talking about Katrina I don't care what happened on the coast I wasn't there I was on the other hand here in Jones county and that's the area I want to know what happened in. When WDAM advertised this show they said thousands were without power and never knew what was going on and that was what the show was about.

Yes they could have done much better. They could have shown more actual storm footage, I for one would have loved to see more damage video, something that would show the tremendous damage we suffered 100 miles inland. I kind of liked the fact that there wasn't a bunch of talking and introductions of scenes. It was to show the news as it happened. I agree some dating would have been good put more of a time on the progression but I don't think they needed someone introducing the stuff. I would have liked to have seen Randy's Nascar blow up myself it was great at the time it happened and would have shown how raw emotions were by that point in the coverage. But. . . I don't agree with the opinion that the show sucked there were many good portions and the fact is the show was about us the people of Hattiesburg, Laurel, and the surrounding communities and what we went through not what the coast or New Orleans went through. That in and of itself makes it worth buying even at 24.95 and yes it's a hard pill to swallow but my children are young and I want them to have something to look back on about what they went through not what the coast 100 miles down the road went through.

Anyone that would watch WDAM for a weather forcast other then anything other then a general idea of the temperature or an idea of what the weather might be is a fool. Gibbon can barely remember his name let alone figure out a weather forcast. Jessica while she's easier to look at and listen too isn't even a reporter she's a producer. The only thing that have that's even half way decent is Steve and I don't think he much cares anymore. Have you ever noticed when bad weather comes in Steve takes over the weather no matter what time it is?
The borrowed guy that did the weather during katrina was a certified I'm sure Steve wouldn't have called her Ivan. WLOX has had a lot of money poured into it over the years, when Raycom starts writing the checks well we'll see what they produce in 10 years. The lower the market share the less the station will get which will lower it even more. WDAM used to put out a good product something they could brag about at least a little. When the money dries up so do a lot of peoples ambition.

[Monkey]

Well In my opinion your opinion isn't worth a whole lot. They stayed on the air and did the best they could do with what they had to work with.



So we should applaud WDAM because they did "The best they could do with what they had to work with"? :smt102 I don't think so. Sorry. . . but as my grandfather says. . . "if you are telling someone you did the best you could then you must have failed."

30 years from now when they are talking about Katrina I don't care what happened on the coast I wasn't there I was on the other hand here in Jones county and that's the area I want to know what happened in. When WDAM advertised this show they said thousands were without power and never knew what was going on and that was what the show was about.

Well. . . I for one do care what happened on the coast since it was nearly wiped out. I'm sorry thousands were without power. . . but thousands on the coast are without homes! Which is more important? :smt102

Yes they could have done much better. They could have shown more actual storm footage, I for one would have loved to see more damage video, something that would show the tremendous damage we suffered 100 miles inland.

So you would agree that they did a poor job? :smt102


the fact is the show was about us the people of Hattiesburg, Laurel, and the surrounding communities and what we went through not what the coast or New Orleans went through. That in and of itself makes it worth buying even at 24.95 and yes it's a hard pill to swallow but my children are young and I want them to have something to look back on about what they went through not what the coast 100 miles down the road went through.

So are you saying that because it affected you in Laurel. . . the devastation elsewhere is not important? :smt102

WLOX has had a lot of money poured into it over the years, when Raycom starts writing the checks well we'll see what they produce in 10 years. The lower the market share the less the station will get which will lower it even more. WDAM used to put out a good product something they could brag about at least a little. When the money dries up so do a lot of peoples ambition.

So you are saying that the people at WDAM are not ambitious because they don't have the same budget as WLOX? :smt102

Well, I'm glad I don't work at WDAM if they are a bunch of nonambitious underachievers who don't take pride in their work if money isn't involved.

[wilebill]

As I said before I can not compare Katrina as it happened to WLOX I didn't see theirs. The fact of the matter is Katrina as it happened was about the efforts "locally" not on the coast.

I think you're missing the whole point, and since you said you didn't see the WLOX special, it's probably hard to see where I'm coming from on this. But I'm talking about the production quality of the video, not about the area covered. DAM is always touting themselves as leaders, quality, caring, winning awards, ad nauseum, but when it came down to producing a quality video which accurately depicted a historic event in all our lives, they failed miserably. You'd be better off looking at a bunch of snapshots than wasting your time at what they call a "special". If this had been just any old storm in any old year it might be excusable, but the end result of their work did no justification whatsoever to the suffering and hardships that we all endured during a (hopefully) once in a lifetime occurance.

Think of comparing "Plan 9 From Outer Space" to "Star Wars", and deciding which one better depicts space travel and dealing with alien life forms. The WLOX special showed all the humanity of the event and what was really lost - it brought out deep emotions in me that I hadn't felt since the hurricane hit, it rekindled those feelings. The DAM special, was emotionless, disattached from the true event and only showed what happened at the DAM station and DAM employees. In short, it missed the goal (if there ever was a goal) of bringing to the viewer what the storm was really like. I dare say that there are a lot of home videos (mine included) that will do a much better job of documenting the storm.

When WDAM advertised this show they said thousands were without power and never knew what was going on and that was what the show was about.

I never heard this advertisement. If so, they should have qualified it by saying "what went on at WDAM during the storm".

I don't agree with the opinion that the show sucked there were many good portions and the fact is the show was about us the people of Hattiesburg, Laurel, and the surrounding communities and what we went through not what the coast or New Orleans went through. That in and of itself makes it worth buying even at 24.95 and yes it's a hard pill to swallow but my children are young and I want them to have something to look back on about what they went through not what the coast 100 miles down the road went through.

All I ask is that you watch the WLOX special before deciding what you want to show your kids, but more especially, what you want to show people from out of state. We have a bad enough time with our image, trying to defend it all the time, without DAM producing such tripe as this and giving us more reason to defend our image. WLOX did all of south MS proud with their production, and mark my word, will earn some awards for their video. DAM's video will earn a place in some box in the attic never to be seen again. :(

BTW, I'm not affilliated with LOX in any form whatsoever. I do know a little about video production, but more importantly I can differentiate good productions from bad, and care about my home town greatly and how it's depicted to the rest of the world.

[happydamyankee]

Monkey at no point in time did I say I don't care about the coast or about what they went through but when my kids are older I want to show them what it was like HERE WERE THEY WERE AND WERE THEY GREW UP, not what it was like ont the coast. This is the history they lived!

Do you truely believe that 30 years from now people are going to be looking at production quality and how a clip was edited together? Look at anything they have from Camille at the time it was top quality and by todays standards it's awful, grainy ugly video or pictures. I am talking about the history of the hattiesburg/ larel not who can make a better video production and if wanting to show my children what they lived through from the local standpoint is wrong in your book then I guess I'm wrong.

Why do you feel the need to twist every thing I said? I know things were bad other places and because I don't want a video of what happened on the coast for my kids doesn't mean that I don't care about what they went through I just want the WDAM video for them. I did not say they did a poor job I said they could have done better. Do I need to give you a lesson on the difference between the two phrases?

Here is a fact that you can put in your cocky attitude. Take WDAM and it's coverage of Katrina and the aftermath out of the picture. Take away everything they covered and now tell me where are you going to find any coverage of where we live ? Who else covered us? I'm not saying we are all that is important but we are too. I'm talking about my kids and the history they lived not the history 100 miles from them and if you don't like that tough toenails, your opinion of what I want for my children doesn't matter.


One final question monkey how do you know what kind of ambition anyone that works at WDAM has? Ambition has nothing to do with money but money does have something to do with the quality of the equipment people have to produce with. Give this a try take a tour of both stations and compare what they have then go to WDAM and produce the same quality product as you can at WLOX then tell me money doesn't matter.

I'm glad you have enough ambition to turn cow dung into gold, you'll need it.
I'm also glad you are so perfect that you can condem the efforts of others and you was out doing so much to help everyone during the storm I enjoyed your newscast.

[talkizcheap]

Anyone that would watch WDAM for a weather forcast other then anything other then a general idea of the temperature or an idea of what the weather might be is a fool. Gibbon can barely remember his name let alone figure out a weather forcast. Jessica while she's easier to look at and listen too isn't even a reporter she's a producer. The only thing that have that's even half way decent is Steve and I don't think he much cares anymore. Have you ever noticed when bad weather comes in Steve takes over the weather no matter what time it is?
The borrowed guy that did the weather during katrina was a certified I'm sure Steve wouldn't have called her Ivan. .
Yankee, I think if you'll take a step back and listen to what most of the folks of this community are saying, you'll find that we are most concerned with the upper level decision making, ok? While you certainly have a right to be indignant that people don't seem to appreciate the efforts of the average WDAM employee (I do-- I know many of them VERY well, and know a great deal about tv, by the way) the consistent message is the infuriating decisions that managers make, over and over, to do half*&% jobs when there's enough talent in this community to have a GREAT station. I agree that many of the reporters and behind the scenes production personnel did a stellar job of bringing the news to the public and I applaud their efforts. Iagree with almost all of the criticism that's being levied on this forum... because WDAM, small market or not, COULD do and BE better. That's NOT the fault of the average employee of Channel 7-- it's time to make management changes there... hate to break it to you. :raisedeye Just ask a host of people who are FORMER WDAM employees who still love and call Hattiesburg home.

[happydamyankee]

Monkey at no point in time did I say I don't care about the coast or about what they went through but when my kids are older I want to show them what it was like HERE WERE THEY WERE AND WERE THEY GREW UP, not what it was like ont he coast. This is the history they lived!

Do you truely believe that 30 years from now people are going to be looking at production quality and how a clip was edited together? Look at anything they have from Camille at the time it was top quality and by todays standards it's awful, grainy ugly video or pictures. I am talking about the history of the hattiesburg/ larel not who can make a better video production and if wanting to show my children what they lived through from the local standpoint is wrong in your book then I guess I'm wrong.

Why do you feel the need to twist every thing I said? I know things were bad other places and because I don't want a video of what happened on the coast for my kids doesn't mean that I don't care about what they went through I just want the WDAM video for them. I did not say they did a poor job I said they could have done better. Do I need to give you a lesson on the difference between the two phrases?

Here is a fact that you can put in your cocky attitude. Take WDAM and it's coverage of Katrina and the aftermath out of the picture. Take away everything they covered and now tell me where are you going to find any coverage of where we live ? Who else covered us? I'm not saying we are all that is important but we are too. I'm talking about my kids and the history they lived not the history 100 miles from them and if you don't like that tough toenails, your opinion of what I want for my children doesn't matter.


One final question monkey how do you know what kind of ambition anyone that works at WDAM has? Ambition has nothing to do with money but money does have something to do with the quality of the equipment people have to produce with. Give this a try take a tour of both stations and compare what they have then go to WDAM and produce the same quality product as you can at WLOX then tell me money doesn't matter.

I'm glad you have enough ambition to turn cow dung into gold, you'll need it.
I'm also glad you are so perfect that you can condem the efforts of others and you was out doing so much to help everyone during the storm I enjoyed your newscast.


By the way wilebil the katrina as it happened is already being bought by people in other parts of the country because friends and family that live in other parts of the country have already bought it. They too want to know what WE lived through! Not what the coast lived through. So like it or not the WDAM video is spreading across the country even if you don't like it. Some people care what their family members were going through and couldn't find nothing about us on the national news. I guess people like you just don't see it like some of us do. WDAM is the local station and they are the one's providing the local coverage.

[fuzzis]

Here is a fact that you can put in your cocky attitude. Take WDAM and it's coverage of Katrina and the aftermath out of the picture. Take away everything they covered and now tell me where are you going to find any coverage of where we live ? Who else covered us? I'm not saying we are all that is important but we are too. I'm talking about my kids and the history they lived not the history 100 miles from them and if you don't like that tough toenails, your opinion of what I want for my children doesn't matter.



I do believe that the Independent put out a lovely book that was mostly focused on this area. I undertsand that it was a book and not television, but ultimately, based on the quality of WDAM's video, the book is a much better bet than the video.

fuzzis

[wilebill]

I guess people like you just don't see it like some of us do. WDAM is the local station and they are the one's providing the local coverage.

That's exactly the attitude I spoke of earlier about at DAM! It's obvious you're connected closely to the station or some of the people there, so you're looking at it from a biased standpoint.

I'm a businessman, and actually know more about video production than I care to admit, and I'd never let a piece of tripe like this video out of my office with my name on it, when a much better product could have been made. But if the prevailing attitude of the public that WDAM serves is "it doesn't matter how well it's done, I'll buy it anyway because they're the only game in town", then we're perpetuating mediocity at it's worst.

We should all strive to be our best, and expect those who work for us to do the same (WDAM is supposed to be serving their viewing public). All you have to do is look to the south at WLOX to see that we're not getting that from our local affilliate.

'Nuff said, I'm done.

[RoethlisbergerRocks]

Well, I have not said much about this issue - I have just read everyone else's comments. I agree with wilebill -- it seems like yankee would not be so frustrated and feel the need to defend the station if he were not closely connected to the station somehow. Everyone but yankee seems to agree that WDAM is not living up to its full potential or to the expectations of the community.
It seems to me that there is no need to discuss the issue anymore, because instead having a civilized conversation, attacks are being aimed at those who are dissatisfied with WDAM. I happen to agree that WDAM is not up to par with WLOX. I don't know what the financial situation is, but it seems to me that they should start trying to meet the expectations of the viewers. It's almost as if they don't even take pride in what they do.
I would like to see WDAM actually care what the viewers think, and actually care about what they put out to the community.

[Monkey]

Here is a fact that you can put in your cocky attitude. Take WDAM and it's coverage of Katrina and the aftermath out of the picture. Take away everything they covered and now tell me where are you going to find any coverage of where we live ? Who else covered us?

The Independent covered us. If you want something of quality to show your kids. . . go get a Katrina book. Have you seen it? Have you seen ALL THE TONS of coverage of Laurel in that book? We do have options to WDAM. . . you just don't want to admit it.


One final question monkey how do you know what kind of ambition anyone that works at WDAM has? Ambition has nothing to do with money but money does have something to do with the quality of the equipment people have to produce with. Give this a try take a tour of both stations and compare what they have then go to WDAM and produce the same quality product as you can at WLOX then tell me money doesn't matter.

Well actually I have seen both sites. . . but are you saying that a fancy news station is what makes WLOX a quality station? Money makes it fancier?. . . quality is quality whether you're working on a $1,000 budget or a $100,000 budget. Just because you don't have as much money to spend doesn't mean you can't take pride in your product and produce something of quality.

When the money dries up so do a lot of peoples ambition.

You told us what kind of ambition the people have.

I'm also glad you are so perfect that you can condem the efforts of others and you was out doing so much to help everyone during the storm I enjoyed your newscast.

I'm not comdemning their efforts. . . I'm just saying it could have been better.

[Sir Mickey Mouse]

Actually, since we are comparing the two stations now, who here has seen WDAM's new ADDITION and NEWS ROOM? It's gorgeous! Great furniture, lots of toys, lots of space... room for everybody!! WDAM also has fancy Jeep Liberty's and other SUVs... granted that's probably from an advertising trade. I see big Kim's logos on lots of them... but WDAM has the new facilities to produce happy workers.

To keep a record of what went on, I don't need the WDAM special. I have purchased WLOX's DVD, The Independent's book, The Sun Herald's book, and Time magazine's special edition. I also received the DVD produced by the storm chasers who stayed on the beach during Katrina for Christmas. Each serves its purpose. WLOX and The Sun Herald cover the coast, The Independent covers the Pine Belt and the coast, and Time focuses mostly on New Orleans.

My decision not to purchase the WDAM DVD goes back to points I have made on other threads. When I awoke Sunday morning, WDAM had their weather graphic as showing Katrina as a much weaker storm and moving away from us. At the same time, The Weather Channel, WLOX, and CNN were all running constant coverage about the dangerous storm coming directly at us! WDAM didn't even bother to go live until later Sunday!!! WDAM DID go off the air Sunday night during prime time for a while FOR A FACT when we were just getting rain bands. Once Katrina hit the area, on Monday, FOR A FACT I was watching court room dramas on WDAM WHEN THE EYE WAS OVER THIS AREA. I had a battery powered TV and WDAM was all I picked up. It was funny... we were actually talking about how WDAM at least brought in a real meteorologist to cover the storm. We were watching his coverage... but as the eye moved closer, BAM! Judge Joe Brown! I imagine employee safety may have been an excuse, but it's not one.

Get a sister station to air their coverage if WDAM folks have to take cover. WAPT, Jackson's ABC affiliate, housed WDSU, New Orlean's NBC affiliate, during the storm. (Both stations are owned by Hearst Argyle, a REAL television ownership group). WDSU's anchors left New Orleans for WAPT Sunday. WDSU aired WAPT's feed... and they did weather updates and news updates for New Orleans and Jackson, taking turns. A Jackson anchor would be paired with a New Orleans anchor. THEY SHOULD GET AWARDS for that!

The underlying debate here is this: WDAM CAN do better, HAS done better, and SHOULD do better. It's the hometown news, and people here would embrace News 7 if they would embrace us and treat us like we have a choice and some say in the matter.

[SoMissTV]

Actually, since we are comparing the two stations now, who here has seen WDAM's new ADDITION and NEWS ROOM? It's gorgeous! Great furniture, lots of toys, lots of space... room for everybody!! WDAM also has fancy Jeep Liberty's and other SUVs... granted that's probably from an advertising trade. I see big Kim's logos on lots of them... but WDAM has the new facilities to produce happy workers.

I've been there; it's pretty nice. Now they just need to tear down everything behind the new addition. :)


Happydamyankee, I think this sums it up: we all have our opinions, and I have an opinion of your opinion of my opinion, but what does it matter? The consensus of the posters at myhattiesburg.com is that the WDAM "documentary" is not a documentary, but a collection of news articles that we feel do not accurately or fully represent what happened in the Pine Belt. We appreciate the effort, but all of us truly wish that we had a local station that gave a more serious effort to news. As for your suggestion that we should accept it because it is the only station in the Pine Belt, I emphatically disagree. We should expect and demand better, and so should those at the station.

A couple of other points from your response to me: I know what Jim Cameron is reading from the prompter at the start and end of the "documentary", but that's not what I mean by scripting. I'm referring to storylining, making sure each segment has a clear and concise segue.
Also, I'm not expecting anyone at the station to tell Cameron not to be on the air. The execs in Montgomery should do that. This is a prime example of the problems in this ownership group. Finally, the dropouts didn't come from feeding the news reports back to the station; they came off the final product feed. This is evidenced by the audio dropouts on the VO track, which could only happen in an edit bay. USE FRESH TAPE.

And if you do get a contact at Raycomm for me (as you suggested), I'll be happy to place a call.

[hubcap]

I do produce videos for a living, and the only thing I'll say about this topic is that I would have been out of business a long time ago if all my videos looked like this video from WDAM. But then again, I have competition, and an incentive to do the best I can.

[Sir Mickey Mouse]

SoMissTV, forgot to apologize for calling you a "her." :-)

Also, back to the drop-outs in B-roll and SOTS... I watched WDAM at 6 last night... did anyone else notice the MESSY MESSY pixels in the Super Tease (jargon for the video at the beginning when the anchor teases the first story.) The B-roll was of the fire at Petal... could barely see the video because of all the pixels.

I, too, would be happy to contact someone at RayCom.
The only e-mail I could find on www.raycommedia.com was a generic info address. Chances are a secretary would get that and no one would ever see complaints. There is a listing of each of the officers. I wonder if we could get a campaign of letter writing and send them to each of those officers via the corporate address. I'd almost like to write a letter and then print out this entire conversation about them. They need to see this. Would that work? Lyla, Wile, QM, Monkey, SoMissTV... are you guys willing to do that? I don't want to be out on that limb by myself!! I'll post the information if you guys want it...

[wilebill]

I'd almost like to write a letter and then print out this entire conversation about them. They need to see this. Would that work? Lyla, Wile, QM, Monkey, SoMissTV... are you guys willing to do that? I don't want to be out on that limb by myself!! I'll post the information if you guys want it...

I'd say just point them to this thread. It speaks for itself.

[Monkey]

Sir Mick. . . I say anything to help try to improve the quality! :smt038

[Sir Mickey Mouse]

I am not suggesting everyone print and send entire thread to Raycom. I am suggesting that each of us who really are sick of current conditions to actually write a letter that would take about 10 minutes. Do it as a community favor!

Raycom Media
RSA Tower, 20th Floor
201 Monroe Street
Montgomery, AL 36104

voice: (334) 206-1400
fax: (334) 206-1555

Officers:
Paul McTear - President, CEO
Wayne Daugherty - VP, Television
Marty Edelman - VP, Television
Jeff Rosser - VP, Television
Anne Adkins - VP, Marketing

[wilebill]

Sir Mick, you want to draft a proposed letter to Raycom? I think if it were the same letter, but sent in and signed by different people, they make take more notice of a concerted effort.

[Sir Mickey Mouse]

I'd be happy to do that... but give me until Friday. I'll work on that tonight at home!

[hubcap]

This topic really got to me, and quite frankly has gotten me a little riled.

I just got around to reading my latest issue of "Broadcast Engineering" and lo and behold there is an article about how some of the TV stations in the affected area dealt with Katrina. There is a piece in there about WLOX, and it talked about some things that happened to them that wasn't even in their Katrina Special that was aired. The article can be found here (http://broadcastengineering.com/mag/broadcasting_hurricane_snapshots/).

Check it out.

[fuzzis]

I thought that I'd heard that form letters were kind of ignored. A template for individualizing might be a better idea? Or a list of issues that people could choose from in order to highlight the one or two that matter most to them. Too much and you risk not being heard at all. Perhaps use the Katrina special as an example of x,y,z?

:smt102

fuzzis

[happydamyankee]

I'm going to post one last time on this subject then I'm going to leave it alone. When I read this thread I was spurred to respond not because of any affiliation with WDAM, (yes I have a neighbor that works for them) but because of what it represents in my mind. In the days following Katrina, I watched WDAM on a hand held tv so I would know what was going on in world outside my neighborhood. What I saw on my little tv was a community that pulled together to help each other out. We didn't sit around waiting on the government to do it. I saw people standing in lines peacefully, and neighbors helping neighbors, people getting to know each other that would never gotten to know each other had it not been for the storm. Day after day the anchors on WDAM took calls and put out pleas for help and the pleas were answered.
Yes WDAM was the only game in town as far as I was concerned they were the only game in the world at that time and it was WDAM that linked me to the world outside in the days when there was no elctricity, no gas, little food, ice or water to go around. People cared about their neighbors. As I watched the anchors at WDAM send out pleas for help and then come back and say they were answered I felt a giant sense of pride in my community. There were times when I just cried as I heard the stories, (like the hitch hiker), the losses and the loved ones reunited. I watched it all on WDAM, that is who brought me the world at my doorstep. In those early days after Katrina it was the survival of my friends, my family, and my neighbors I wanted to know about, not what was going on in New Orleans, Not what was going on in Gulf Port. I know things were bad there but as selfish and it is I have to deal with my bad before I can consern myself with someone elses, and we had enough bad right here in the pinebelt to deal with ourselves, at least for me at that time. But we worked through it together.
Then as power came back and lives began returning to normal and the stories of people helping each slowed and the complaining began. Soon enough all you saw were stories of people complaining about the lines, someone not doing this that or the other, or people that were getting something for nothing complaining they didn't get enough, that's when the pride turned to dispair then anger. Suddenly everyone was complaining and everyone forgot about working together.
When I watched "Katrina as it happened" I remembered those early days and the pride in our community. I didn't watch the show to see how many pixels were dropping or how well or how bad the editing was, I watched it and remembered the way it was. Unlike you I remember the live interviews where the audio and video was lost, the rough footage as they rushed around trying to get stuff out to the viewers. My neighbor told me of how discouraging it was to have a story in hand and not being able to get it to the station, or to wonder when it did hit the air if anyone even saw it. Their fancy new news room had no power (only the back of the station did) so everything going out on the air was raw footage, but from my side the rawness made it real there was no fake in those early days they couldn't cut out their mistakes.

So you see as you sit and pick WDAM, it's management, and employees apart over what you consider to be a poor special, I watched the special and saw it for what it was to me. A depiction of the days following Katrina, the community spirit, the people helping people and the way our lives were.
I hold no ill will toward WLOX or the people there, or the poor folks on the coast that are still suffering, or the losses they suffered, nor do I have anything for or against the special they produced. I'm sorry but I want to watch the show that again stir those emotions I felt, the moments I lived. If you don't like the quality of the video well I suppose that is your choice but not everyone watches a program for it's quality, I happen to be one of them, I want to remember Katrina as it was when it was going on in my life and that is the what WDAM's Katrina as it happened does for me.

I really am sorry if I angered anyone it was not my intention. When I saw this thread about a show that touched me and so many awful comments made about it I just had to say something. Maybe I didn't say it right I'm just an average joe living an average life. I really don't know nothing about editing or video taping (I can barely get watchable video on my camcorder) or any of the technical stuff you guys talk about, I don't feel that because I liked the program I settled for nothing. I know that a lot of the people that work at WDAM were happy to know that someone was finally going to see what they worked so hard to bring to the community, and what they got was this thread telling them how horribly they did.

And sir mickey mouse your comment is the last thing I will say on this thread. I happen to have been watching when the incident that you was referring to happened. First of all WDAM doesn't air a show called judge joe brown. I do not remember what show came on when they dumped out of the coverage, but I do remember it. Make a big deal out of something that wasn't they were not on local programing for 5 minutes. They were on the weather guy at the weather wall. Through the mic you could hear something hit the roof of the studio, on the faces of the everyone in the studio you could see the sudden panic, and you could hear the anchors sitting at the desk take off their mics. They cut to Randy who threw it to local programing, if you watched anything you should have seen the terror in their faces. I later found out from my neighbor that there was great concern about the way some antenna on top of the tower was swaying. They had been watching it all day and when they heard the noise in the studio they imagined the worst. I guess you think that you having that extra 5 minutes of coverage was more important then the lives of the people in that studio but I do not. Nothing happened in that five minutes that affected you but it could have meant life and death for the people in that station. What if it had been the antenna coming down would you have liked to see it skewer someone? Then maybe you would have felt that someone at WDAM did their job. I've seen the damage an icicle coming off a tower did to a station in Michigan before, I wouldn't want to imagine what an antenna would do. They were afraid but since they're on tv I guess that isn't allowed in your book.

[talkizcheap]

I think you should pick up an app. at WDAM, Yankee. They need to hire you. Seriously.

On the efforts to petition Raycom, I'm in. If this does not fire people up to speak out, nothing will.

[shawn o hairy]

MYHBURG RULES 1.YOU CANT SAY ANYTHING NICE ABOUT WDAM 2YOUCANT HAVE A GOOD OPINION OF H.A. 3.YOU HAVE TO LIST THINGS IN ORDER SUCH AS1.2.3.OR A.B.C.4.YOU CANT HAVE A GOOD OPINION OF THE CITY5.YOU CANT HAVE A GOOD OPINION OF THE MAYOR 6.ALL OPINIONS MUST MATCH THE MAJORITY,OR YOU ARE WRONG AND MUST HAVE REP POINTS TAKEN AWAY 7.ALL PEOPLE WHO DO NOT POST ON MY HBURG ARE CRIMINALS AND MUST BE SPOKEN OF THAT WAY. 8.IT MUST BE YOUR OPINON THAT DONANELLES IS THE WORLDS GREATEST PLACE TO EAT.9 IF YOU HAVE EVER ACCOMPLISHED ANYTHING IN YOUR LIFE SUCH AS GETTING A GOLD STAR FOR YOUR DRAWING OF A DUCK IN 1ST. GRADE,OR GOING TO MED SCHOOL OR LAW SCHOOL,YOU MUST TRY TO WORK THAT IN TO EVERY POST YOU PUT ON HERE.10.HAVE FUN!:smt038

[MSQueen]

11. Piss up a rope.


:rollonflo:smt043:smt036 :smt042

:lolsign:

[reality]

I 2nd that MSQueen! :smt038

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:smt043 :smt043 :smt043

[shawn o hairy]

that was great,piss up a rope,the wit is mindboggling,remind me never to get in a debate with hawkeye,see,you all are following rule #10:)

[543LISTguy]

Is there going to be a test on these rules? :smt102

[shawn o hairy]

i think everybody knows em by heart.

[wilebill]

Dang, hawk, that was pretty good. o hairy gave you, what, 25 rep points today for saying that? :smt118 How the hell can he give one person so many rep points, if I try to do 2 in a row to the same person it says I have to spread some around first. :smt102

[s.o.h.]

I asked admin the same question and got no response. I think o Hairy is trying to kill me with kindness. Also, I'm wondering what good are rep points these days?i know shawn and shawn thinks you deserve 100 rep points

[MSQueen]

i know shawn and shawn thinks you deserve 100 rep points

hmmmmmm....... s.o.h. = shawn o hairy????????? :smt102:smt045

[noway]

How or why did shawn o hairy get banned.. We have ruinned "Happydamyankee" Thread... Sorry

[happydamyankee]

LOL it wasn't my thread. That's ok it was too intense anyway and I got a laugh out of the pissing up a rope too.

[s.o.h.]

i got kicked off because of the reps i was giving.but all i did was click on names to read there posts,i didnt mean to do it.i didnt even know it could be done.

[noway]

I heard today that WLOX sold over 20,000 copies of Hurricane Katrina the South Ms Story.. I tried to call today and check on my copy but really couldn't get much answered. All the lady would say they are backed up way backed up on getting the video out. Has anybody received a copy yet or know of anyone with a copy.. I wonder if WDAM has started shipping their video out? I ordered 5 from them and haven't got them yet..:smt102 :smt102 :smt102

[wilkiesan]

I know that WDAM's DVD are not made locally. They have contracted with an outside company to make copies, take the orders and ship the videos. I would assume LOX did the same.

[SoMissTV]

Yup, WLOX contracted with an outside company to duplicate and distribute. I spoke to the assignment editor at LOX last week; he tells me that 20000 were, in fact, ordered, and the third-party distributor is working very hard to make this many copies. In the meantime, the distributor is holding out on charging everyone's credit cards until they are ready to ship. Once you see that your credit card has been charged, expect the DVD shortly. Hope this helps!

[wilebill]

Also, if you noticed WDAM's page on their DVD, it states that the DVD will be a -R disc, and then has a link to click about "DVD compatibilty issues". Basically this means that DAM's discs are being burned with computer drives, while LOX's are being "replicated" in a duplication house, just like Hollywood DVDs are, i.e., no compatibility issues.

I'm not really faulting DAM for this, just showing that LOX is going the more professional route for disc duplication while DAM is taking the cheaper route.