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The Mess at CBS How to fix CBS Hugh Hewitt, last night, took suggestions from callers for who should replace Dan Rather on The CBS Evening News. Captain Ed suggested Chris Wallace. Someone else suggested Tony Snow. I've suggested Juliet Huddy. But I really believe CBS should make major changes in both its product and its thought process. The CBS Evening News has been their shining jewel for may years. It can't be any longer. No one wants to watch a half-hour lecture from a pompous jerk. Folks have commented on CBS having no cable outlet, as NBC and ABC have. It's time for CBS to turn that into an advantage. Use the Internet. Set up channels online that will deliver news 24/7. Experiment with web sites that allow viewers to click on the stories that interest them. As for the CBS Evening News, it should become a news-of-the-day service, packaging the important stories of the day in a just-the-facts manner. Doing that will require strict newsroom management and editing as it seems most reporters no longer distinguish fact from opinion. It's not intentional, but they live such a cloistered existence, they accept their bias as fact. The show should be hosted rather than anchored. Something like David Hartman on Good Morning America years ago. I'd avoid an anchor team, as teams tend to talk to one another rather than to the audience - just listen to Morning Zoo radio. But I would add regular guest commentators to give opinion and to round out the stories. Use the newscast to drive people to the web site. Move CBS News out of New York. One of the great things about CNN in the early days was that it was in Atlanta - forcing the staff to live in the real world. The NBC Newschannel, which feeds stories to affiliates across the country, is in Charlotte. And most of all, hire producers who understand that all news is not bad news. |
