News Readers Are So Stupid

Published on November 12, 2008 By MasonM In Blogging

I'm watching the morning news and they just told about a meeting that is scheduled to try and explain the change over to digital braodcasts. The news reader (I won't call these idiots reporters), made a statement with regard to the change to DTV "...that means no more antennas".

It's exactly this sort of moronic statement that upsets people and makes them think the only way they'll be able to pick up the broadcast is by getting cable they can't afford. There are a lot of elderly on fixed incomes that just can't afford cable.

Of course antennas will still work, and people will be able to pick up the signal, they'll just need a DTV ready tv or a converter box. I shot a message off to the station correcting the stupid statement.

LMAO as I am sitting here typing this they responded and made a correction. They acknowledged my message on air, corrected the statement with the guy saying he mis-spoke and he followed up with "don't listen to me". I'd say that last bit might be good advice.

They really shouldn't let these idiots ad-lib as they rarely know what the hell they're talking about. They should just stitck to reading the stories and otherwise just shut up.

Comments

CharlesCS

on Nov 12, 2008

Now that's what I call fast service. It seems some people don't care about quality anymore, just quantity.

MasonM

on Nov 12, 2008

CharlesCS

reply 1

Now that's what I call fast service. It seems some people don't care about quality anymore, just quantity.

Yeah I do have to give them credit for the quick correction. I got an email from the station News VP who said he would have them correct it right away, but of course they already had by the time I read the email. I shot back and told him they should do what they could to reassure the elderly that will still be able to get the broadcast, with the proper equipemt. About 5 minutes later they ran a PSA explaining the whole thing. Not saying it had anything to do with my response, but who knows?

Artysim

on Nov 12, 2008

One time I was talking to a fellow who deemed himself expert in all things communications. He was incensed at the delay for his internet connection going over satellite, telling me that a ping taking 500 or more milliseconds was unacceptable and a thing of the stone age.

He told me, it was his informed opinion that the problem was due to the fact that we didn't have enough bandwidth on the satellite and needed to launch another one, providing more bandwidth.

His face got pretty red when I explained that even with all the fancy accelerators you can put on either end of the connection, the transmission still needs to travel approximately 140,000 km (round trip) meaning the delay will always be approx 500 milliseconds unless you can go faster than light.

He didn't enjoy being proved wrong in public!

At least the news station you were dealing with had the honesty to admit their error and make an on-air correction!

MasonM

on Nov 12, 2008

Yeah a lot of "experts" aren't Propapation delay has been a fact of life for as long as radio has existed. Some dimwits don't seem to realize that it takes time for a radio signal to travel across a distance.

Moderateman

on Nov 12, 2008

Listening to news readers is like going to a Blind person for directions.

Dr Guy

on Nov 12, 2008

idiots reporters

I'll call them idiot reporters. But more of the former and less of the latter. More exactly, Entertainments hosts who read teleprompters (notice that some dont even shuffle papers any longer? Kind of look stupid with just folded hands).

MasonM

on Nov 12, 2008

Moderateman

reply 5

Listening to news readers is like going to a Blind person for directions.

Kind of look stupid with just folded hands).

Yeppers to both

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