 |
Getting Nowhere
By JOHN F. KUCZAJ
I was all set to have a tirade about the Tribune's "Getting Around" column when I remembered that I'd done this already. Check out the year-end 2000 issue and note that nothing's changed with "Getting Around." It's still weak and that baffles me.
Last week, Jon Hilkevich wrote about how the CTA is making efforts to improve its service, but riders don't seem to be pleased because the CTA doesn't go far enough. It was a sickeningly sarcastic column in which he detailed CTA improvements, yet lamented that CTA riders / Tribune readers wouldn't be satisfied.
Duh.
Hilkevich might understand why the CTA doesn't go far enough for their rider if he read the Sun-Times, which scooped him out of his jock about CTA management that don't use the system despite having free passes. Funny how the only newspaper column in town devoted solely to transportation got scooped by Hollandaise, Inc. Of course, the problem is that Hilkevich can't be TOO negative about the CTA, or else they'll cut off his information. God forbid you piss off a government agency so much that you have to do some digging for your stories. The funny thing about the Sun-Times coverage of the CTA is that their stories are all based on numbers and statistics that everyone has access to. Amazing.
It's too bad the Weekly Breakdown is no longer active-that was a great place to read about unpublicized CTA transit problems from the riders themselves. Some time ago, I sent Getting Around an e-mail about a delayed train run and how the absence of announcements or apologies didn't help put the CTA in a good light with the passengers. I never heard back about it, but a column appeared not too long after that posted all the phone numbers to call for transit complaints. Okay. Fine. I got the hint.
There's a specific bus driver on my route that is letting the details get away from him. Specifically, he smokes a pipe on the bus before his run starts so the bus reeks when you get on, he rarely curbs the bus at stops, he lurches to stops, he lurches when accelerating, he frequently misses stops requested, he never clears the fare box after a senior citizen uses their fare card but not their Onepass (this leaves the box incapable of accepting other fares) so he waves everyone on the bus free. Taking the Getting Around suggestion, I called the CTA and talked to a nice woman who took down all my points as well as the badge number of the guy. That was in August. He's still as unprofessional as ever.
What neither the CTA nor Getting Around seem to understand is that it's the little things that are easily corrected that make the riders crazy. Getting Around can mock us for complaining so much and being pessimistic about announced improvements, but we're just basing everything on history because our faith in the CTA was lost long ago.
Sweeps Results
By JOHN F. KUCZAJ
The big story of the November sweep period was Channel 5's unseating of Channel 7 at 10pm. Channel 7 is publicly acting like it's no big deal, but when I took a look at the audience figures, I saw that Channel 7 is in big-time trouble unless ABC's 9-10pm line-up suddenly improves.
Last November, Channel 5 had nearly the same number of adult viewers, as Channel 7. Splitting the adult audience into 18-54 and 55+, I saw that Channel 7's 10pm audience was split about 50% - 50% while Channel 5's was 60% in the desirable 18-54 age group. Indeed, Channel 5 last year attracted more viewers in that age group than Channel 7. Inexplicably, the over-55 audience dropped off this year. Maybe a lot of them died, but all of the late newscasts saw declines in the "death demo" as it is affectionately called. Combine that with a slight drop in the 18-54 age group for Channel 7 and a substantial increase in that age group for Channel 5 and you have happy days at the NBC Tower.
There is a chance that Channel 7's numbers will rebound. After the November sweep last year, Channel 7's audience actually got larger in the subsequent February and May sweeps while Channel 5's audience figures went up and down. The issue that Channel 7 has to address is that its news viewers are older than Channel 5's. Channel 5's audience will only get older while Channel 7's will eventually die off. It's not a lead-in issue-Channel 5 even has a much larger 55+ audience at 9:00 than Channel 7.
Numbers aren't everything. Channel 5 has slowly and quietly built a solid and respectable newscast since jettisoning Carol Marin and letting Ron Magers go to Channel 7. Funny how when Marin left, most people assumed it was a bad thing for Channel 5, huh? Seems like it was addition by subtraction to me.
Oh, and a much bigger story that no one has mentioned yet is the systematic dismantling of Channel 50, whose numbers are down since being taken over by Fox (though the slide began beforehand). Surprise, the 6th-ranked TV station in Chicago since May has been Channel 26 and with Channel 32 dumping it's crappy shows onto 50 (Rob Nelson, anyone?) don't expect Channel 50 to get any better. The M.O. of Fox duopolies is to put all the good stuff on the Fox station and throw crap on the other station. Net result: combined market share goes down. In TV, like baseball, throwing a ton of money around doesn't mean you'll get any better.
Musings
By JOHN F. KUCZAJ
I've given up on Chicago Tonight, which is not a good thing considering I used to be a habitual viewer. CME reader Ruth Robbins, wrote to me "I will not wait for this show to 'retune' itself. It is an insult to my intelligence, which will be reflected by my wallet." I totally agree, though considering all the commercials on WTTW these days, why bother pledging anymore. All I care about on "CT" is Ponce's news segment and that doesn't necessarily appear at the top of the show anymore. You know what, if I don't see Phil in the first 5 minutes, I change the channel. None of the new stuff is worth sticking with the show. None of it. Okay, maybe watching Landecker's movie reviews. He's hilarious, especially since he usually says things that surprise Sirott. I even wrote a little piece about Chicago Tonight in issue #7 of the Chicago Red Face that sums up my feelings. The fact is, they should restore Chicago Tonight to its original 30 minute forum format and then do the Bob Sirott Show for 30 minutes. I would definitely watch Chicago Tonight and I would consider watching the Bob Sirott show (unless it resembled the Friday Night show he & the missus do-that one gives me seizures).
An update on the Reds' distribution. Since last we spoke, there are now boxes at the Jefferson park terminal for both Red Eye and Red Streak. With the exception of the days before & after Christmas & New Years, those boxes have been empty when I arrive at the terminal at 7:30am. I'm thinking that's not a good thing.
In case you haven't noticed, Michael Miner is incorporating some satire into the Reader's Hot Type column. Last week it was in the form of a memo from the RNC to party stalwarts and the week before it was in the form of a memo from Poetry Magazine to the Tribune. Great stuff.
Oh, and a belated "atta-boy" to Steve Rhodes for his excellent piece on hizzoner Richie Daley ("The Case Against Daley") in December's issue of Chicago Magazine. Though it was comprehensive, it still might have just scratched the surface of our fearless city leader and the shades of gray that permeate his rule. Chicago Mag doesn't have it archived on its website, but I'd suggest finding a hard copy if you can.
Last week when there was some more news about all of Governor Ryan's friends and employees getting indicted, he released a written statement in response. Channel 7's Andy Shaw repeatedly tried to get Ryan to say something on camera, but the crotchety old man wouldn't say anything except "Did you get my statement? Read my statement". I just wanted to thank Andy Shaw for pushing and pushing the Governor to say something. It was great TV watching our cowardly Governor dodge questions and act like a total dick. Ryan, who has never been accused of being terribly intelligent, probably never realized that television is a visual medium where sound bites and video are the rule and reading from someone's prepared statements are the exception. I kept wishing Shaw would lash out at the governor and tell him this. Oh, well.
The Sun-Times are really pushing their funeral notice service hard. It's getting to be pretty ghoulish. I parodied their efforts in issue 4 of the Red Face (look at me with the plugs!) but it's only gotten worse. Every day they run more ads showing what icons you can include and how to format the notice. Sick. It wouldn't be so bad if they were doing it for altruism, but as I mentioned way back in September 2000, the newspapers charge a hefty sum for the tiny personal-ad sized death notice. Back then it was $120 per day...I wonder if the Sun-Times has raised their rates with all the icons and graphics you can now adorn your personal ad-sized death notice that runs for only one day. Considering a classified ad the same size, running for more days costs less than the death notices; the Sun-Times' promotion becomes even more disgusting. I call on the Sun-Times and Tribune to do something for the community and cap the pricing of death notices to $20 per day for 3 days maximum. It's only reasonable and it's the right thing to do.
Tonight I'll be switching around to see the local coverage of Chicago's New Years celebrations. I don't care about the entertainment. I don't care about the countdown. I'm more interested in seeing attractive local news ladies dressed in sexy, shapely evening gowns and formal dresses. Oh, don't give me that look. You like to watch for that as well. Even you female readers are probably going to enjoy seeing some of the local news hunks in their tuxedos. I'm right, aren't I? Channel 5's adorable Nesita Kwan caught my eye in a big way last year (or was that 2000?), and shortly after that I found myself watching Channel 5 more than I used to. Hey--at least I have the courage to admit it!
From the Publisher
This is the 4th year I've been doing the CME and this issue being #26 means that on average I got it out every 2 weeks. I resolve to keep the CME on that bi-weekly schedule in 2003, yet I hope to be weekly sometimes. I'd like to remind everyone that although this web site is my sandbox, I welcome everyone to play in it. If you submit a short article or letter (note how short some of the above thoughts are) you are pretty much guaranteed to see print. Really. I'm dying for people to send me stuff. Heck, even when I write insane offensive stuff I can't seem to get anyone to berate me via e-mail (except one guy who claimed to be Jay Mariotti and told me I was a fat ass).
On the flipside, The Chicago Red Face is on a definite weekly schedule, coming out every Thursday evening. I'm very thrilled to be one of a few writers for that site, though I maintain editorial control. If you'd like to write for the Red Face, let me know and I'll send you the writing guidelines.
Anyway, thanks for reading, your opinions are always welcome and here's to a fabulous 2003!
IN THE CURRENT CHICAGO RED FACE:
- George Ryan Baffled at Christmas Gifts
- Jesus Birthday Surprise
- WLIT Unleashes Annual Evil Plot to Destroy Chicago
- Richard Doeper: I sent out clever Christmas cards!
- IU Coach Hears Voices
- Jay Merryman: Basketball phenom not so good
- Cool Again: Willie Aames
Check it out at: www.chicagoredface.com.
Chicago Media Examiner e-mail delivery
If you'd like to receive the CME via e-mail, click here to subscribe. Whenever a new issue of the Chicago Media Examiner comes out, it will be e-mailed to you automatically.
Take a look at the new, hip: Chicago Red Face
Take a look at the previous issue: Monday, December 10
Take a look at the issue before that: Friday, November 22
* Pseudonym
Published weekly...or so.
Contributions welcome--e-mail an article to the editor
|
|
|
|
