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Endless BULL
"These fake news stories are almost never disclosed as marketing
materials, the groups found. Worse yet, video freebies are—in 85 percent
of the cases—the sole source for the news segment."
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Trapped in an Endless Commerical
26 November 2007 - By Frank Beacham - tvtechnology.com
In the spring of 1987, I was privileged to attend a
10-week series of lectures at UCLA by Sylvester “Pat” Weaver, a
remarkable broadcast pioneer who served as president of NBC between
1953 and 1956. Talk about seeing the big picture—this man did just
that!
Despite being a former advertising executive at Young and Rubicam,
Weaver knew the difference between selling products and using the
broadcast medium to entertain and educate audiences. Though the notion
is mocked today, Weaver passionately believed that broadcasting had a
higher mission than just printing money.
On his watch, the “Today” show was created in 1952, followed in 1954
by “The Tonight Show” with Steve Allen and “Home” with Arlene Francis,
and then in 1955, “Wide Wide World,” hosted by Dave Garroway.
When I attended his lectures, Weaver was disappointed in the direction
taken by the two survivors of his shows. “Today,” when conceived, was
intended to introduce American viewers to the best and brightest in
our nation—the kind of people we’d all like to meet some day.
“The Tonight Show” would showcase the arts, giving Americans a glimpse
of the best of the nation’s theatre, music, dance, and other cultural
endeavors. Even if the program fare was slapstick comedy, Weaver
insisted there be a cultural element within the fun that would
stimulate the viewer.
PROGRAM VISIONARY
At NBC, Weaver championed a cultural policy he called “Operation
Frontal Lobes,” a concept whose goal was “the enlargement of the
horizon of the viewer.” He carried out the concept in a series of
documentaries, public affairs programs, and one-shot specials called
“Spectaculars.”
His “Wisdom” series featured interviews with major artists and
intellectuals of the day, and had such guests—believe it or not—as
Edward Steichen and Margaret Mead. Outside of bold ideas, these giants
of American culture weren’t trying to sell anything to the viewers at
home.
Of course, Weaver’s dream for the possibilities of over-the-air
network television had crashed long before 1987. By then, hardly a
guest appeared on either the Today or Tonight shows who was not
plugging some product—whether it be a new book, movie or recording.
Unfortunately, since Pat Weaver’s death in 2002, things have gotten
steadily worse. Even the television medium’s fiercest supporters
acknowledge that commercial television has had a major role in dumbing
down American cultural life.
Perhaps the saddest aspect of the tight bubble of commercialism that
grips today’s television is the loss of at least an attempted
objectivity in news. Edward R. Murrow is dead and the great tradition
of early broadcast journalism is long gone.
DOWNWARD SPIRAL
In a previous column, I examined the sordid issue surrounding the
undisclosed use of video news releases by television stations as part
of their newscasts. These videos—now known as VNRs—are essentially
commercials disguised as “news” supplied by marketing firms to promote
the goods and services of the advertiser.
Of course, this fake news is illegal and the FCC has begun a series of
modest fines for violators. Sadly, however, even after VNR use was
well publicized and the FCC warned stations to stop, the practice goes
on. It’s so bad that some anchors even read the marketing copy word
for word on their so-called newscasts.
In a recent letter to FCC members, two viewer watchdog groups—the
Center for Media and Democracy and Free Press—reported more fake news
violations (from this summer) to the 143 already documented. Most
alarming, however, is that some news executives no longer seem to even
know the difference between commercial content and legitimate,
unbiased news reporting.
In their latest findings, the volunteer investigators found that the
use of video news releases is widespread, even in major markets such
as New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago and Miami. Documented
violators broadcast to more than half of the U.S. population.
These fake news stories are almost never disclosed as marketing
materials, the groups found. Worse yet, video freebies are—in 85
percent of the cases—the sole source for the news segment. Many
stations have obviously discovered the use of this free marketing
video saves them the time and expense of shooting their own.
Also missing is any pretense of subtlety. Most of the video press
releases are highly promotional, in-your-face advertisements, and the
vast majority is funded by companies to promote specific products.
Needless to say, these fake news stories omit facts and viewpoints
critical of the sponsoring company or its products.
Now, think of what this means when the topic is a prescription drug or
health-related issue. Such drug-related promos nearly always overstate
or misrepresent the benefits of the product, the documentation says.
This, of course, is outrageous and could lead to people dying from
being misinformed about medications.
“Unfortunately, the widespread and undisclosed use of VNRs has become
entrenched in television newsrooms,” the groups told FCC members. “Our
research indicates that, despite the commission’s laudable actions to
date and broadcasters’ insistence that they can and will remedy the
situation themselves, more must be done to ensure news viewers’ right
to know.”
What should be done, in my opinion, is to yank a few station licenses.
It is hard to imagine a greater violation of the public trust than to
air fake news stories, especially about products that could injure or
even kill viewers. But that’s where we are today—trapped in an endless
commercial.
In those Weaver lectures (yes, he was Sigourney’s father and she
occasionally visited the classroom), I was struck with the man’s sense
of balance in accommodating the requirements of commerce with that of
the public interest. He clearly grasped his dual mission.
SOMETHING FOR SOMETHING
Weaver was an ad man, no doubt, and an innovative one at that. He
pioneered the practice of networks producing their own programming and
then selling ads within the show. That way, unlike the older
single-sponsor shows, when an advertiser pulled out it could be
replaced without threatening the program.
Yet, Weaver knew very well that in order to profit from those
commercials he needed the free use of spectrum owned by the public. He
recognized the quid pro quo—the broadcaster owed the public something
of genuine value in return for using that resource at no cost.
Sadly, that attitude rubbed broadcasting’s money people the wrong way.
The powers that be felt Weaver’s vision was too highbrow and pricey.
He was forced out of his job at NBC—though many of his great
innovations remain to this day.
What’s missing, of course, is his vision.
Frank Beacham is a New York City-based writer and producer. Visit
his Web site at
www.frankbeacham.com.
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