Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 (Tek) 9/28/84 based on 9/17/84; site tekecs.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!bellcore!decvax!tektronix!orca!tekecs!waltt From: waltt@tekecs.UUCP (Walt Tucker) Newsgroups: net.space,net.columbia Subject: Re: Television coverage Message-ID: <5937@tekecs.UUCP> Date: Fri, 7-Feb-86 15:05:33 EST Article-I.D.: tekecs.5937 Posted: Fri Feb 7 15:05:33 1986 Date-Received: Tue, 11-Feb-86 04:05:16 EST References: <11627@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <15019@rochester.UUCP> Organization: Tektronix, Wilsonville OR Lines: 53 Xref: watmath net.space:5717 net.columbia:2213 > You are forgetting one thing. It was the callous news networks that were > responsible for showing the crowd's bemoaning the loss of the shuttle over and > over and over and over ......, not NASA. At first it was news and then it was > a money maker for the networks. This is just another case of irresponsible > journalism exercised so ofter by the American news media. I am ashamed of them. I first heard of the disaster at work about 40 minutes after it happened. A friend of mine had heard a few news reports and informed me of what he gleaned from the radio on the way to work. Like many others, it immediately felt like a kick in the stomach. I, too, have been a follower of the space program for many years (as a matter of fact I have models of the Columbia and the Apollo at my desk) and deeply mourn their loss. After hearing the news, I, of course, wanted more information. Unfortunately, there are no radios in my area, and I was scheduled for two hours of meetings. All my information at this point was one sketchy word of mouth report. The meetings took place and my thoughts were not really on what was being discussed. After finally getting some free time (about 2 1/2 hours after the tragedy), I rushed home to catch some TV coverage and gain more information. I realize that many people had been viewing the same videotape clips for over two hours at that point. For me, though as I'm sure as it was throughout the day for many others in similar situations, it was the first detailed account of the explosion I saw. Although I agree, in part, that continuing to probe the scenes in Concord, N.H. and to capitalize on people's grief 10, 20, or 30 hours after the tragedy was unnecessary, the footage taken during and immediately after the launch were valuable in understanding the scope and immensity of went on. I'll also have to complement Peter Jennings on his handling of the matter and showing more concern than some of the other national network newscasters. I was only able to watch coverage for twenty or thirty minutes before returning to work, and I heard Jennings apologize two or three times about running clips people had already seen (remember, I had not), etc. BTW, the networks did not make any money that day. As a matter of fact, I believe each network forfeited about $9 million in revenue due to programming cancellations. Remember, advertisers pay to sponsor specific programs. If ads don't air, people don't get paid. Some sponsors that have very segmented consumer products lost the whole soap opera market segment for that particular day. I'm sure some Madison Avenue ad exec would translate this into lost dollars for you. A follow-up news report on the local Portland station covered the network coverage a couple of days later, and included a couple of interviews with network switchboard operators who were flooded with calls from housewives wondering why the networks thought the shuttle news was so important that they had to cancel their soap operas. Think about it. -- Walt Tucker Tektronix, Inc.