Two Views of TV News, That ‘Crazy Profession’ : A Few Weighty Anchors Among the Personalities

Howard Rosenberg is right in saying that many local anchors are “personalities and nothing more, extravagantly paid emcees, news readers and chitchatters” (Calendar, Jan. 27).

But many are not. The last thing responsible news managers and station executives want in this new era of television news are expensive anchors who can’t find a way to their Rolls-Royces or Porsches in the parking lot, much less report a story, although sometimes the actions of some managers betray this fact.

Anchors, such as my colleagues Chris Harris at KTTV, David Jackson of KCAL, Hosea Sanders and Penny Griego at KCBS, are a few local examples of anchors who have worked their way into the job instead of wishing their way into it. The thing I am the most proud of, after nearly 20 years of reporting news on both radio and television, is that I worked my way up from the bottom. I consider myself a reporter who happens to do his job on TV.

Rosenberg gives the impression that television news anchors are hatched, not grown. He said anchors have “virtually no influence on the caliber of that program’s news gathering and reporting.” I disagree.

As anchor of the news at KCOP-TV, my active input is reflected in about 90% of the news I “present” every night. I have too much pride in this crazy profession to let Rosenberg get away with painting his critical picture with a wide brush.

Those rare exceptions Rosenberg refers to--anchors who do more than just show up and read--are getting less rare and, I hope, will soon be the rule instead of the exception.