Feb 2008
Two network newbies take Sunday stages
02/29/08 03:49 PM
Two strikingly disparate new series,
ABC's Oprah's Big Give and Fox's
Unhitched, are launching
Sunday night. And in case you haven't noticed yet,
the latest D-FW Nielsens are also in
the house. Have a fine weekend, everybody! And if
you're shopping on Amazon, please first click to
the site via one of the ads on unclebarky.com.
Pennies from heaven trickle in with any purchases.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
|
Inside stuff
02/28/08 09:03 PM
Summing up the just-completed February
sweeps, with evaluations of the four major
combatants. Also, the latest American Idol
eviction notices are in, and one of the show's
three Texans won't be saying howdy anymore.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
WFAA8 owns up to unfortunate mistake
02/28/08 03:42 PM
WFAA8 news director Mike Valentine
says the station unequivocally erred in notifying
relatives of a tragic death Wednesday before
police did. But it was inadvertent, he says, and
all concerned regret it.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Obama and Clinton: the racial divide
02/28/08 01:47 PM
CBS11's interview with a bluntly outspoken,
longtime Hispanic activist raises the pertinent
question of race-based voting in the Texas
Democratic presidential primary. But will this
touchy issue be considered too hot to handle any
further by D-FW's television news operations?
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
And baby makes four
02/28/08 12:16 PM
It's a ratings wrap
02/28/08 11:46 AM
Up-close and objective: Night 19 of the Feb. sweeps
02/27/08 03:21 PM
Is Hillary Clinton sinking fast or
still holding her own as the Texas primary nears? Two
local TV station polls provide
different impressions, even though both say her
race against time and Barack Obama is a
statistical dead heat. The latest D-FW Nielsen ratings also
are available for your dining pleasure.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Small world: ABC's World News to originate from Dallas next week
02/27/08 09:41 AM
ABC's World News and anchor Charles Gibson will be in Dallas on Monday and Tuesday to underscore the importance of the Texas presidential primary.
He'll be joined on both nights by This Week anchor George Stephanopoulos. The two also will contribute to a WFAA8 prime-time election special on Tuesday at 9 p.m.
World News dominates the 5:30 p.m. network news ratings in D-FW, and is in a close battle nationally with Brian Williams' NBC Nightly News.
Ed Bark
Diet kook? Dale Hansen hopes he's not one of those
02/27/08 12:04 AM
WFAA8 sports anchor Dale Hansen has
gotten notably svelte since making a New Year's
resolution. How much has he lost? And how?
Unclebarky.com sheds some light. Also, check out
the Saturday Night Live riff
that Hillary Clinton didn't talk about
during Tuesday night's debate.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Six thumbs down: Idol judges find little to like with both North Texas Jasons
02/27/08 12:04 AM
By ED BARK
Likable Jason Yeager of Grand Prairie perhaps can pin his hopes on a full-blown Simon Cowell backlash.
If not, he's probably toast after his performance of The Doobie Brothers' "Long Train Running" during Tuesday night's 10-way battle among American Idol's remaining males.
Frankly it wasn't that bad. And even Cowell saw it as a faint praise improvement over last week's cardigan sweater-y "Moon River."
"The simple truth is last week was boring. This week was just awkward and ordinary," Cowell told him. "You're just a quite good singer who can't perform very well. So I'm very disappointed."
Those were his kudos. Yeager ended the song with his head bowed and arms outstretched, a "ghastly" maneuver that "was like you were drunk at a party or something," Cowell said.
Judges Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul didn't care much for him either. Yeager took it like the 28-year-old man he is, earnestly trying to explain his style and song choice to host Ryan Seacrest in lieu of firing back. But Cowell got bored with that, too, pleading for some "Oscar music" to play him off.
Rockwall's Jason Castro, who pleased the judges last week, fell short in their view with his guitar-strumming version of The Bee Gees' "I Just Want To Be Your Everything."
It was nothing special, said Simon. "I thought the song was horrible because it was too schmaltzy . . . You didn't do yourself any favors at all tonight."
Jackson panned his vocals, but said "it's cute with the guitar."
"It's cute I can get used to," said Abdul, who nonetheless told Castro, 20, to shuck the guitar if he survives Thursday's vote-off of two more males.
Teen sensation David Archuleta ended Tuesday's show and remained a show-stopper with a strong, distinctive version of John Lennon's "Imagine."
Imagine this, though: "I want to just squish you, squeeze your head off, dangle you from my rear view mirror," said Abdul.
Cowell then heaped more pressure on the kid by telling him, "Right now you're the one to beat. And there are 19 very miserable contestants here right now."
Four of them will be going home Thursday. Archuleta may well be going the distance.
Made for a dime, here comes quarterlife
02/26/08 05:08 PM
Birthed as a series of short-burst
Internet "webisodes," quarterlife plays the big
stage Tuesday as a one-hour series on NBC. It's
from the creators of My So-Called Life and
thirtysomething, who've lost their youthful
looks but otherwise are still coming of age.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Up-close and objective: Night 18 of the Feb. sweeps
02/26/08 02:31 PM
What's this? Has NBC5 changed its
spots? Also under our microscope: CBS11's
unseemly sleight of hand during those nightly
health and medical segments. And how sweet it is
to see big ratings for ABC's exemplary production
of A Raisin In the Sun.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
No country for the 80th annual Oscars
02/25/08 04:58 PM
Sunday night's 80th annual Academy
Awards ceremony drew a record low audience, based on
modern-day total viewer numbers computed by
Nielsen Media Research since 1974. But host Jon
Stewart was still good, right?
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Aiming high, soaring higher
02/25/08 03:01 PM
ABC's new adaptation of A Raisin In the Sun,
premiering Monday night, is an instant classic.
And even that seems like faint praise.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
International House of pancake makeup: All of Oscar's acting winners hail from abroad, but host Jon Stewart keeps the U.S. in play
02/25/08 02:09 AM
The big winners and most of their
movies may have been less "commercial" than ever on a
night when Oscar banked on Jon Stewart to make
the best of it.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Up-close and objective: Night 17 of the Feb. sweeps
02/24/08 04:45 PM
The tragic death of police officer
Victor Lozada during a Friday morning Hillary Clinton
campaign stop remained a big story on late night D-FW
newscasts. All four major TV news providers covered it sensitively, but some
still stood out.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Up-close and objective: Night 16 of the Feb. sweeps
02/22/08 04:31 PM
Two popular targets, the Dallas
Cowboys' new stadium and UT Southwestern Medical
Center, again were in the sights of their principal
antagonists -- WFAA8's Brett Shipp and CBS11's Robert
Riggs. And oh yeah, there also was that debate in
Austin. See how it all played out on late night D-FW
newscasts.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Fox4's Tim Ryan and Megan Henderson hope to see you at the third Uncle Barky Show
02/22/08 10:30 AM
Dynamite yourselves out of the house Saturday afternoon (Feb. 23rd) and get on over to the third episode of The Uncle Barky Show.
Sorry for the Slap Maxwell hardsell, but a worthy charity and more terrific guests will ensure a great time. It all starts at 4 p.m., with Stratos Greek Taverna, 2907 West Northwest Hwy., again playing host. Tim Ryan and Megan Henderson, co-anchors of Fox4's No. 1-rated Good Day, will be on hand to parry with Uncle Barky and then take your questions. And a representative from our guests' designated charity, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, is scheduled to be present to accept a $500 donation in their names.
This is a rare chance to see Ryan and Henderson up-close and off-camera. So please support their charity and unclebarky.com's continued adventures in independent journalism by attending in force. Admission is free, and food and drink specials are plentiful. Hope to see you!
Ed Bark
On the lam: Prison Break's still possible fourth season is planned for elsewhere
02/22/08 08:01 AM
A fourth season for Prison
Break remains iffy. If it happens, though, the
show is plotting to vacate North Texas and head to
L.A. after two seasons of filming in these parts. But
the City of Dallas and the Dallas Film Commission
still hope to stop what they view as a not-so-great
escape. Get the full Prison Break story only
on unclebarky.com.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Inside stuff
02/21/08 11:57 PM
Thursday night's Barack Obama-Hillary Clinton debate
from Austin put her closer to the end. Right?
Also, who's still standing after the first American Idol vote-off?
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Campos will keep host engagement at Planned Parenthood's celebration of "Pro-Choice Dallas"
02/21/08 06:12 PM
By ED BARK
WFAA8 news anchor Gloria Campos plans to honor a commitment Friday to be "Mistress of Ceremonies" at a Planned Parenthood of North Texas awards luncheon even though the organization is characterizing it as something of a partisan political rally.
Press materials are headlined, "Pro-Choice Dallas comes out to celebrate at Annual Awards Luncheon." Planned Parenthood says that "2,000 pro-choice guests" are expected for the noon luncheon at the Hilton Anatole.
The keynote speaker is former U.S. Senator Bill Bradley, who recently endorsed Barack Obama for president. "It's an election year, and reproductive freedom is a hot ballot topic," Planned Parenthood says.
WFAA8 president and general manager Mike Devlin, in an email response Thursday, said he discussed the event with Campos after being told of the wording in the organization's "Media Advisory."
"She has no control over the press release and was unaware of its existence," Devlin said. "She has served as emcee for the past several years and agreed to participate because of Planned Parenthood's involvement in medial care for indigent women that involves prenatal care and breast cancer. This group runs 22 clinics in North Texas. That is her primary interest, not abortion services that Planned Parenthood also provides."
Devlin said it would be "unfair" for Campos to cancel her appearance "at the midnight hour." But he said that station management and Campos would "review her participation in the future if the group asks her to participate."
Campos co-anchors WFAA8's No.1-rated 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts with John McCaa.
Up-close and objective: Night 15 of the Feb. sweeps
02/21/08 05:30 PM
Presidential candidates and a
prominent surrogate descended on North Tex Wednesday,
drawing ample TV coverage. Who got what and where,
though? Our latest sweeps digest sorts it all out.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Early morning ratings race is hotter than hot
02/21/08 11:46 AM
It couldn't be much closer between
Fox4's Good Day and WFAA8's Daybreak in
the fight for first place at 6 a.m. In fact, they're
tied in one of the key ratings measurements with just
five weekdays to go in the 20-day February sweeps.
Read all about it here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Up-close and objective: Night 14 of the Feb. sweeps
02/20/08 04:38 PM
Police-authorized "Dash Cam" video is
always a popular tack on TV newscasts. And who's on
board with the Jason Kidd trade? Our latest long look
at D-FW's late night newscasts is ready for your inspection. Also,
ABC has announced its post-strike spring plans for
a group of popular series, including
Lost.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Testing, testing . . .
02/20/08 01:09 PM
By ED BARK
All four of D-FW's major TV news providers touted their live Webcasts of Barack Obama's campaign rally at Reunion Arena Wednesday afternoon.
Only one delivered -- but not without a few problems -- on my still state-of-the-art iMac desk top.
MyFoxdfw.com's live feed kicked in after a minute or so of clicking and tinkering. Its web cam initially had the backs of rally-goers -- and sometimes the backs of their heads, too -- before finally capturing the candidate in closeup at 1:06 p.m. That was my first sighting of him after multiple tries on all four Web sites. But at least it eventually worked on myfoxdfw.
Meanwhile, cbs11tv.com didn't deliver anything, other than "Video Loading." So I finally gave up after several attempts.
NBC5i.com had no video, but did have Obama's audio on what turned out to be a continuous loop. In other words, it wasn't live. But you could keep starting from ground zero if you left the site and came back.
WFAA.com repeatedly was a non-starter, too. Warmup music and the same old video from the rally played on and on, but Obama himself was a no-show during the several minutes I spent waiting for him.
The technology isn't perfect yet, but shouldn't we expect a bit better than this? Are others having similar experiences? Or is it just me?
Captain Kurtz: Still steering blindly ahead
02/20/08 09:59 AM
He goes more than a bit over the top down the stretch, but Charles Kaiser of radaronline.com otherwise makes some strong and salient points about the longest-running conflict of interest in American journalism.
That would be Washington Post media critic Howard Kurtz's dual pay-for-play relationship with CNN, where he's hosted the Sunday morning Reliable Sources program for more than a decade.
I've written about this previously -- at my previous employer. But it bears repeating. How can Kurtz take a weekly check from CNN while also purportedly covering the all-news network as part of his beat? And wouldn't Kurtz work up a good deal of outrage if, say, NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams moonlighted as a paid Democratic party consultant on weekends but said it didn't affect the content of the Peacock's flagship newscast?
The money apparently is just too good, though. So Kurtz continues to take it with the blessings of his employer. You could structure an entire journalism course around the ethics of that.
Ed Bark
Idol's first male delivery -- no postage necessary
02/19/08 10:25 PM
Which of North Texas' two Jasons
wasn't a horror during Tuesday's opening performances
of American Idol's 12 male finalists? Get
their doses of Simon here.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Up-close and objective: Night 13 of the Feb. sweeps
02/19/08 05:03 PM
Here we go again with another look at
late night newscast ups and downs.
The latest D-FW ratings could be a
conversation-starter, too.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Business as usual or buying the news?
02/18/08 10:08 PM
Does NBC5 news have a healthy relationship with
Children's Medical Center? Or is too much money
involved for that? Also, the new field for Dancing With the Stars
includes Graceland's Queen B, two goofballs and a
pair of very accomplished former sports
princesses.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Up-close and objective: Night 12 of the Feb. sweeps
02/17/08 09:45 PM
D-FW's TV news reporters can be pretty territorial when it
comes to who reported what -- and when. But Fox4
doesn't have much in the way of bragging rights
lately. Also, Prison Break has its third
season finale Monday. The made-in-North Texas
series at best is a longshot to go beyond that.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Just a week away now: Uncle Barky Show No. 3 with Tim Ryan, Megan Henderson
02/15/08 04:46 PM
Lest you forget, Fox4 Good Day anchors Tim Ryan and Megan Henderson are coming to the third episode of The Uncle Barky Show on Saturday, Feb. 23rd at 4 p.m.
Our venue, as always, is Stratos Global Greek Taverna, 2907 West Northwest Highway, conveniently located within a few blocks of the new St. Vincent de Paul superstore.
Admission is free and pegasusnews.com again plans to videotape the show in its entirety for its Web site and cable access TV. Best of all, $500 will be donated by Stratos to our guests' designated charity, the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
We promise a lively time, affordable food and drink specials, and the opportunity to ask questions from the audience after our interview. Previous guests have been "The Ticket's" Gordon Keith and CBS11 anchor/reporter Tracy Rowlett, both of whom had a fabulous time, of course.
So support D-FW's only home for independent news and views on local and national TV. And also feel good about helping out a great charity with your attendance. You won't be sorry. And unclebarky.com will be thrilled to have you.
Ed Bark
Will you do a heckuva job, Brownie?
02/15/08 04:14 PM
Campbell Brown has been tabbed to moderate CNN's high-stakes, 90-minute debate in Austin Thursday (Feb. 21) between Democratic presidential finalists Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
Brown will be joined by the all-news network's John King and Univision anchor Jorge Ramos, who will ask questions as panelists. Start time is 7 p.m. (central) on CNN, with a Spanish language rebroadcast then offered at 10:30 p.m. on Univision. CNN.com also will stream the debate live.
The Texas primary is on March 4th.
Ed Bark
Up-close and objective: Night 11 of the Feb. sweeps
02/15/08 02:42 PM
Another one's in the books, with
unclebarky.com getting unaccountably wistful about
the days when news of actual importance topped
the late night newscasts. The latest D-FW ratings are in the house, too.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Picky picky
02/14/08 09:45 PM
By ED BARK
OK, we're going to try a new periodic feature here on unclebarky.com. And your input is key.
ABC's Lost so far has revealed four of the series' so-called "Oceanic 6" island expatriates, with Sayid Jarrah (Naveen Andrews) getting his flash-forward on Valentine's night.
Two other males, Jack Shephard (Matthew Fox) and Hugo "Hurley" Reyes (Jorge Garcia), also are part of this select group. The only woman to date is Kate Austen (Evangeline Lilly).
So here's our first question(s). Of the three males, who is Lost's most complex and compelling character? Who'd you like to see come out the other end in one piece? And why? Pick from among:
A. Sayid
B. Hurley
C. Jack
Please use the "Comments" selection below to get a dialogue going. We'll also be doing some D-FW-themed "Picky Pickys," always limiting you to three hopefully intriguing choices. So let's see what comes of this.
Up-close and objective: Night 10 of the Feb. sweeps
02/14/08 02:40 PM
Here we go again, with compliments for
some solid enterprise reporting, a
lament by Fox4 sports anchor Mike Doocy and riffs
on WFAA8's Cynthia Izaguirre's promotional spots
and Fox4 anchor Steve Eagar's snappy comebacks.
Also, check out where your favorite newscast stands in the
ratings at mid-point of the February sweeps.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Ooh, scary? Two Jasons from North Tex in Idol's final 24
02/13/08 09:52 PM
Last summer's Dallas auditions yielded
just two from the D-FW area in American Idol's
chosen two dozen. Get the picture here, and also catch our thoughts
on three notable omissions.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Up-close and objective: Night 9 of the Feb. sweeps
02/13/08 03:51 PM
The candidates are coming, but some of
their commercials got here first. Check out our
latest deep-delve into D-FW's late night
newscasts. Tuesday's D-FW Nielsen ratings made some
news, too.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
CBS springs back into action
02/13/08 09:39 AM
A slew of CBS series will be returning with new material this spring. For the re-start dates and planned number of episodes, see the always informative TV Bulletin Board.
Ed Bark
The Glo. Camp. cackle was still sedated
02/12/08 05:20 PM
Up-close and objective: Night 8 of the Feb. sweeps
02/12/08 03:52 PM
Fox4's "The Cop and the Call Girl"
story lasted longer than most men Monday night. Get
the particulars, and then check out
some interesting D-FW Nielsen ratings.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Still standing: Jericho's big reprieve
02/12/08 09:35 AM
Jericho zealots bombarded CBS
with bags of nuts, and the network knuckled under.
Brimming with renewed promise, the show returns
Tuesday with seven more chances to earn its
keep.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Strike takes a walk
02/11/08 08:30 AM
Ding-dong, the writers' strike is
pretty much history. But it will take a while, for
prime-time dramas especially, to return to the
living. For now, here's a detailed account of what happened
over the weekend.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Up-close and objective: Night 7 of the Feb. sweeps
02/10/08 08:51 PM
WFAA8's ever-opinionated Dale Hansen did it again, and this
time he shouldn't be pleased with himself.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Up-close and objective: Night 6 of the Feb. sweeps
02/08/08 05:00 PM
Two veteran D-FW gumshoes had some
favorite targets in their sights again Thursday
night. And there's lots more to report in our latest
roundup of D-FW's late night newscasts. Thursday's
local Nielsen ratings are in, too. Also,
tonight lamentably could be the last night for NBC's Friday
Night Lights.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
New Big Brother field includes eyecatching Joshuah Welch of Dallas
02/07/08 05:41 PM
By ED BARK
Openly gay Joshuah Welch, 25, of Dallas, will be among the new batch of 16 Houseguests conniving their way through CBS' Big Brother 9
Welch is an advertising media buyer who graduated from the University of Texas at Austin. His starkly candid CBS mini-bio says he "came out when he was 18 years old. He says he was a gay man who played straight growing up, playing football and having long term relationships with women.
"Things changed when he slept with his sister's cheerleading coach -- ruining her cheering career -- and (he) claims that his family has never forgiven him. He's a bit of an exhibitionist, currently considers himself to be a bisexual and doesn't care what people think of him."
Obviously not. Welch also supposedly has a "huge fear of snakes and thinks they are the spawn of Satan."
Big Brother 9, which premieres on Tuesday, Feb. 12th, also includes a contestant named Jacob from Dallas, GA.
Here's some video on Welch, who clearly doesn't have an inferiority complex. In his view, "I'm a walking soap opera."
Up-close and objective: Night 5 of the Feb. sweeps
02/07/08 11:39 AM
Fox4 consumer gumshoe Steve Noviello
took on Mighty Putty in a featured bout with no undercard.
Also see what else happened on Wednesday's late
night D-FW newscasts. And the latest Nielsen ratings brought more
unusual orders of finish in the 10 p.m. news
derby.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
Up-close and objective: Night 4 of the Feb. sweeps
02/06/08 04:06 PM
Up-close and objective: Night 3 of the Feb. sweeps
02/05/08 12:03 PM
Another one is in the books, with
coverage of Bob Knight's sudden resignation at center stage in our latest
telescoping of late night D-FW newscasts. See how
they handled him, and how NBC5's Newy Scruggs then
left anchor Jane McGarry as a woman scorned.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
"Heard you spent some time in the foxhole with Charlene last night"
02/04/08 02:48 PM
![95948_D0365b[1]](page0_blog_entry736_2.jpg)
Welcome to the Captain, joining CBS' comedy lineup Monday, features Raquel Welch as a woman who still pretty much gets what she wants. This time her character is former prime-time soap star Charlene Van Ark. In One Million Years B.C., she was the less emotive Loana.
Ed Bark
Up-close and objective: Night 2 of the Feb. sweeps
02/04/08 01:21 PM
Belo8 and CBS11 both are taking credit
for prompting the FDA's official warning that the
anti-smoking drug Chantix could have extremely
dangerous side effects. Which station has the
better case?
Also, the latest D-FW Nielsens are in,
including some
super duper numbers
for a certain Sunday sports
attraction. Check out the record-breaking
national numbers,
too. And Hillary Clinton will
be
David Letterman's guest
Monday on the eve of the "Super
Tuesday" primaries. How smart is that?
Ed Bark
Ed Bark
The. Best. Damn. Super Bowl. Ever. Period.
02/03/08 10:11 PM
By ED BARK
Fox can't wait to total up the ratings after the New York Giants' sensational 17-14 win over the no longer unbeaten New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.
They're bound to be gargantuan for a game brimming with drama, guts and finally the sight of defeated coach Bill Belichick in classic class-less form during a terse post-game interview in which he couldn't bring himself to congratulate the victor.
America's new aw shucks sports hero, Giants QB Eli Manning, may not have the Hollywood hustle of the Cowboys' Tony Romo. Good for him. Here's a quiet, self-effacing Super Bowl MVP who likes to go antiquing as an adult after getting the bug from his mom while tagging along with her as a kid on her treasure hunts.
Romo of course prefers getting manure-faced and then singing with substandard heavy metal cover bands while in the company of dumb Tinseltown blondes. The closest he got to Sunday's big game was a slam-bang Justin Timberlake Pepsi commercial in which Romo quizzically asked "Justin?" after almost running him down.
"Hey, Tony," Timberlake mustered before being sucked along to further misadventures in one of the long day's better spots.
My personal favorite commercial, with Shaquille O'Neal as a jockey, can be seen here along with another funny celebrity-driven spot starring Will Ferrell of the Flint Tropics as a pitchman for both Bud Light and his new basketball movie. A local Super Bowl ad for Crest Auto Group of Plano, featuring a fake, sobbing Terrell Owens, can be revisited at this address.
Here's the elongated Timberlake sight gag, filmed in happier pre-playoff times for Romo. Now Eli's the one who's got game while Tony's slipped to the level of even the NFC East's second banana.
Up-close and objective: Night 1 of the Feb. sweeps
02/01/08 01:44 PM
It's that time again. So check out our
first of a 20-night tour of late
night D-FW newscasts. Also, ratings for Night 1 of the February sweeps are
in. And if you'd like to get in touch with your
girlyman gene -- and win brownie points with your
loved one -- then sit through the Hallmark
Channel's Bridal Fever.
Ed Bark
Ed Bark