Q&A: Dec. 4
04/12/06 16:20
Question: Dale Hansen made a big deal about his tie last night (Sunday, Dec. 3). I've heard that Belo8's news director had instructed every male on camera to wear one. Even Brett Shipp donned one. Did Dale finally have to give in to the pressure?
Robert Johnston
Answer: Dale Hansen has always been a standup guy. No matter what you think of his sportscasts, he has the courage to speak his mind and to answer your questions forthrightly. Here's what he tells unclebarky.com via email: "It was our station manager, Mike Devlin, who made it mandatory for everyone to wear a tie -- except me. And I love that about this station. I just decided to change the look. I think if you never grow up, you never grow old. But I need to grow up a little bit anyway."
Question: With the production of DVRs happening at such a rapid rate, what are Nielsen and the networks doing to account for the recorded shows that people watch? Wouldn't you agree that ratings for shows are greatly skewed by people watching them later?
Jeff Attkisson
Answer: Nielsen already is figuring same-day and same-week viewing into its calculations, and hopes to be measuring bar and dormitory viewing sometime in the near future. The networks themselves can count how many people are watching their shows on new venues such as abc.com and nbc.com. It's getting to be a greatly complicated universe out there, with Nielsen trying to adapt on the fly. You're right, though. Conventional, appointed-hour TV watching increasingly is giving way to a variety of new technologies.
Question: You may have covered this, but why did Steve Dennis leave the 9 a.m. to noon ESPN radio slot with Jennifer Floyd-Engel?
Tracey Panzer
Answer: It was your basic case of "going in a different direction," meaning that Dennis abruptly was told to go thataway. He's still working the sports beat at CBS11, though.
Question: Who has been laid off by NBC5 as part of the latest corporation-wide, cost-cutting measures?
BEANJRR1@aol.com
Answer: Weekend anchor Loriana Hernandez recently fell victim to the mandated downsizing, and sports reporter Richard "Cash" Sirois is being dropped at the end of this year.
Robert Johnston
Answer: Dale Hansen has always been a standup guy. No matter what you think of his sportscasts, he has the courage to speak his mind and to answer your questions forthrightly. Here's what he tells unclebarky.com via email: "It was our station manager, Mike Devlin, who made it mandatory for everyone to wear a tie -- except me. And I love that about this station. I just decided to change the look. I think if you never grow up, you never grow old. But I need to grow up a little bit anyway."
Question: With the production of DVRs happening at such a rapid rate, what are Nielsen and the networks doing to account for the recorded shows that people watch? Wouldn't you agree that ratings for shows are greatly skewed by people watching them later?
Jeff Attkisson
Answer: Nielsen already is figuring same-day and same-week viewing into its calculations, and hopes to be measuring bar and dormitory viewing sometime in the near future. The networks themselves can count how many people are watching their shows on new venues such as abc.com and nbc.com. It's getting to be a greatly complicated universe out there, with Nielsen trying to adapt on the fly. You're right, though. Conventional, appointed-hour TV watching increasingly is giving way to a variety of new technologies.
Question: You may have covered this, but why did Steve Dennis leave the 9 a.m. to noon ESPN radio slot with Jennifer Floyd-Engel?
Tracey Panzer
Answer: It was your basic case of "going in a different direction," meaning that Dennis abruptly was told to go thataway. He's still working the sports beat at CBS11, though.
Question: Who has been laid off by NBC5 as part of the latest corporation-wide, cost-cutting measures?
BEANJRR1@aol.com
Answer: Weekend anchor Loriana Hernandez recently fell victim to the mandated downsizing, and sports reporter Richard "Cash" Sirois is being dropped at the end of this year.