Self-Promotion at Channel 2

Alas, Howard Rosenberg is all too correct in his blast at the self-promoting videos by Channel 2’s news personalities (“And Now, Let’s Hail the Messengers Who Bring Us News on Channel 2,” Jan. 6).

Such hype is especially evident to one who has recently returned to L.A. I was continually disgusted with the amateurish “news” broadcasts originating in Sacramento and (worse) Stockton.

While viewing the giggling, immature airheads who actually got paid for being newscasters on their “Eyewitless Happy News” shows, I would say, “But, of course, such garbage isn’t tolerated in Los Angeles. L.A. is major market; L.A. is class.” And then I moved back here.

Oh, my. What happened while I was away?

These are the people who passed the auditions? Ironically, I felt Channel 2 to be an oasis in the midst of all the show-biz junk found on the other stations, particularly their mature, gentlemanly professional weather forecaster, Maclovio Perez.

And then came the “personality” videos. I really like Tritia Toyota, John Schubeck and Steve Kmetko, and I can only hope that they were forced into doing those embarrassing promos by some “expert” in Channel 2’s management.

Their excellent TV reporting has stood on its own merits for some time, and I strongly suspect that they might cringe as much as I do when they see those cute vignettes about teddy bears and chocolate.

TOM BURNS

Acton