05/24/06: “Sorry Charlie” You are the Wrong Guy?

Anchors away!

Whereas Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite made the news we trusted, network news anchors today come and go with the weather. How can we trust them, we do not know them.

The networks think they have figured this credibility gap out and have gone out of their way to change this. Bring in the celebrities.

Before leaving NBC, Tom Brokaw knighted Brian Williams. King Williams can be trusted we were told. Ratings have plummeted.

When Dan Rather fell from grace, what goes around comes around, Bob Schieffer was able to stem the free falling ratings at CBS. People seemingly trusted grandpa, though few were actually watching. To boost their demographic profile, CBS went out and allured Catie Couric into the fold. This perky Today Show host will bring her bag of tricks to CBS looking to transform the nightly news into a new product. Maybe we will want to watch someone in costume cooking live at five. Ratings will plummet.

Peter Jennings was one-of-us and his story at ABC made him our favorite, for awhile. But friendships too, wane. His ratings started to fall, fast. Forced to retire due to bad health and crippling cancer, ABC brought in the Mod Squad. Woodruff was literally ambushed in Iraq and Vargas was ambushed by her insensitive husband. Yesterday both were told “thanks but no thanks.” Bring in the old guy, it worked at CBS. Enter Charlie Gibson. Sixty-three year-old Charlie has most recently been our trusted alarm clock ringing “Good Morning America.” More frequently we hit the snooze button. Sorry Charlie. Ratings will plummet.

NBC, CBS, ABC . . . any hope for our news?

Check out the BBC. Last week the producers accidentally put Guy Goma on camera mistaking him for an expert on trademark disputes. Guy was sitting around the studio waiting for a low level job interview. From the French-speaking Congo, Guy only learned English four years ago. On camera, nobody noticed. The people enjoyed hearing from the regular guy. Three cheers for the BBC.

MMMM...Maybe that is the missing piece. We want regular news, from regular guys. No fancy talk, no fancy suits, plain talk about issues we need to know.

Save us we’re drowning. Send in the Regular Guys. Just in time.