News Casting

I quote KCOP news director Jeff Wald from the article “The Art of News Casting,” Dec. 30, 1994:

“Getting Ann Martin was smart, just like Channel 4 going after Paul Moyer was smart. It puts them on the map, shows finally that Channel 2 is serious. It’s arguable whether they over-paid her, but she is a top talent, and now they have to figure out a way to fit their cast of characters and the kind of news they do around her.”

And that’s why I watch “The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour.”

DEE CROXTON

Santa Monica

The deck-head of Steve Weinstein’s article “Finding Right Mix of Anchors, Style Not That Easy,” tells it all: Local network news managers are, indeed, inept. They haven’t a clue about what mix of intelligence, personality and substance makes an anchor that long-term viewers can live with.

Somehow, Bill Applegate, general manager of KCBS, caught on that Ann Martin was special. When he gets her, he pairs her with Michael Tuck. As I said, not a clue. Watching the news becomes an exercise in toleration.

Yet, in Atlanta and New York, the news and general managers--whoever is responsible for “casting” anchors and field journalists--prove their unerring eye. Examples abound: Ann Curry, Brian Williams, Elizabeth Vargas, Chris Beury (and Ted Koppel’s and Peter Jenning’s entire teams), Mary Tillotson, Christiane Amanpour and so many more.

No one’s going to convince me that people of such caliber aren’t to be found in the great City of Los Angeles. With all that acting training? Take a lesson here: Fire those duds on your payroll and hire one casting manager with judgment.

BILLY JERRIL

Los Angeles