NBC 5’s ‘The Talk’ is nothing to be proud of
When the longest-running program in Chicago television history gets canceled, that’s a shame. But when the show that replaces it is a worthless piece of crap, that’s a crime.
Earlier this year, WMAQ-Channel 5 pulled the plug on “City Desk,” the Sunday morning newsmaker interview show. Modeled after NBC’s “Meet the Press,” it had been airing in one form or another since 1952, featuring such esteemed panelists as John Chancellor, Len O’Connor, John Drieske, Jim Ruddle and Dick Kay. Most recently it was hosted by Carol Marin and Mary Ann Ahern as an extended segment on the Sunday morning news.
Never mind that “City Desk” was the last place on Channel 5 where serious issues and tough questions could be discussed in depth with public officials, political candidates and other newsmakers. And never mind that it was the last vestige of original programming from the NBC-owned station’s glorious past as a crucible of the so-called Chicago School of Television.
“In this tough business climate, we must redirect our energies and resources to areas of highest impact and growth,” Frank Whittaker, vice president of news and station manager at Channel 5, explained at the time both “City Desk” and the newscast in which it aired were eliminated.
So what did we get in its place? A fluffy, frothy concoction called “The Talk.” Airing at 7:30 a.m. Sundays, it’s a 30-minute hodgepodge of whatever the newsroom can throw together — a roundup of world, national and local headlines seemingly chosen at random, taped pieces lifted from the previous week’s newscasts, truncated interviews, in-studio chitchat with Channel 5 reporters, celebrity gossip, and shameless plugs for NBC programming and syndicated shows that run on the station.
I’ve seen almost every episode of “The Talk” since it debuted, and I still don’t get the point.
The only good thing about the show is the host.
Marion Brooks, who anchors Channel 5’s 4:30 p.m. weekday newscast, is a natural when it comes to fronting a talk show. A winning personality, she’s bright, energetic and thoroughly engaging. Whether she’s talking about mortgage lending practices or the romantic entanglements of Jon & Kate, Brooks comes off as confident, sincere and genuinely interested.
In fact, I would argue that she’s better in a talk show environment than on a traditional newscast, where her tendency to editorialize after every story can be grating. But on “The Talk,” even when she goes all Oprah on us, it’s OK: “We’re glad that you’re healthy and out,” Brooks told a Chicago teen who’d been wrongly arrested for the fatal beating of Fenger High School student Derrion Albert. “And good luck with the recovery, because it’s gonna take some time for an emotional recovery. So I’m glad that you all have each other.” At least she didn’t give the boy and his mother a hug.
As charming as she is, though, Brooks is hampered by a horrible format and a ridiculous taping regimen. Because the show is recorded two days before it airs, what passes for news on “The Talk” often is outdated. On one show last month, Brooks was seen telling viewers “thank goodness” the Colorado Balloon Boy had been found safe at home, and adding that “investigators say they don’t believe it was a hoax” — more than 12 hours after police announced they were filing charges against the family.
It’s no real surprise that Channel 5 would turn its back on its heritage as an enterprise responsible for creating entire genres of programming on shoestring budgets — from “Garroway at Large” and “Studs’ Place” to “Kukla, Fran and Ollie” and “Ding Dong School.” As far as I recall, current management never even issued a press release or ran a single promo to acknowledge the station’s 50th anniversary in 1998 or its 60th last year.
Nevertheless, it’s sad to think that an institution once renowned throughout the world for innovation and creativity in local programming would so easily abandon the nearly 60-year legacy of “City Desk” for the mediocrity of “The Talk.”
With the impending takeover of NBC Universal by cable giant Comcast Corp., the Peacock Network is destined to stray even farther from its roots. “Without NBC, there wouldn’t be broadcasting as we know it,” Chicago media sage and scholar Wally Podrazik said the other day. By the same token, without the pioneering contributions of WMAQ-TV, there wouldn’t be an NBC as we know it.
But in both cases, all that’s left are faded memories.
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11 2009
blogs.vocalo.org
Mr. Feder, I am glad to see that since your return,That you have ditched the kid gloves and put on the foil! There are too many Idiots run amok in the Radio, Television, and Print Industries, And you are lining them and knocking them down. It’s about time that somebody asked, What in the Hell are you doing? Keep up the Great Work Sir.
“Hell, I knew that ten years ago.”
Also… sounds like someone might be angling for a date.
I totally agree and would go further to say that what Channel 5 did to the entire early Sunday morning schedule is horrible! Bring back a 6 a.m. newscast and 7 a.m. Weekend Today Show. That way I am not conflicting at 8 a.m., so I can watch CBS Sunday Morning.
NBC 5 likes growth. Looking at the “crap” they have grown with “The Talk”, I see the “piece of crap” growing to an hour. Who didn’t like the 65 degree weather on Monday. Let’s see that forecast again.
I am SO surprised to hear you rave about Marion Brooks! She seems like one of THE most smug and arrogant TV personalities on the air, after Kathy Brock and Micah Materre. I’ve never enjoyed her news delivery, nor any of the others I mentioned above. They lack any sense of warmth.
Thank you for letting me know what NOT to watch on Sunday mornings!
I am glad you mentioned Micah Materre…she is the worst! She come off as flip to me….as in flipped out!
NBC Chicago has really gone around the bend. Their website is a loose collection of new bits on celebrity morons with little or no actual news. NBC morning news is now Rob and Zoriada talking about crummy videos they just pulled from Youtube that everyone else saw (and ignored) weeks ago. While the city faces one financial crisis after another, NBC gives us updates about Jon and Kate. The upcoming elections, city budget, TIFs, the CTA problems, and everything else is ignored. How about some actual, relevant news NBC?
Rob: We Must Ask Questions seems to have been thrown under the bus.
I recall that City Desk was also taped on Thursday or Friday, so it too was out of date. They were always running an excerpt on the Thursday or Friday 10 PM news to plug the show.
To Unindicted Co-Conspirator:
The difference is that interview shows are much less likely to go out of date in two to three days than an attempt to cover “current” news.
The Talk is nothing but CRAP! When NBC decided to remove one of their best shows on Sundays it was heart breaking! I was hoping Chicago wouldn’t drink the Kool Aid from 30 Rock-NYC, but they did and they’ve ruined Sunday mornings for me forever. Now I watch ABC 7’s station on Sundays so I can at least see what’s going on in my own city.
I wish Chicago had the balls to stand up to NYC’s stupidity and continue asking questions as to why the Peter Principle has replaced intelligence and common sense. As for my replacement of City Desk, I watch Chicago Tonight with Joel Weisman & his gang. It’s current and up to date. And now, it’s on the internet in case I miss it.
I think if they gave City Desk another go, they’d have to put it on the internet with current events. I still wish Chicago had its own power to just say no to New York . . . period!
“In this tough business climate, we must redirect our energies and resources to areas of highest impact and growth,” Frank Whittaker………
What a steaming pile of dung, what happened to broadcasting in the public interest,
As most of us who follows this knows, almost all management at TV and radio stations are folks who made their bones in sales. nobody running news shops has a journalists background, and hardly anybody running radio stations has a music background.
Did I just miss Feder’s outstanding post, reflecting on Oprah going off the air? Or was there none? And if there was none, why is that? Rob, give us your perspective on the biggest (broadcasting) story of the day — Oprah leaving town. Any thoughts? Any?
I’ve loved her since wearing her “Rudy” hat from Fat Albert while reporting from the high rise fire years ago! I don’t care what she did with the mayor of Atlanta!!
I agree with Nicholas # in this post. He’s correct about the NBC website. The NBC website should be like Chicago Tonight with Joel Weisman. It should bring us serious issues and keep us reading about the problems that plague Chicago. Not that fluff stuff. We are the 5th largest city out of 50 states. We should take our problems seriously and the media, NBC should keep us informed as to what goes on in the crevices of this city.
Well said goodoldnumbernine!!
Oh, leave Frank Whittaker alone. He’s busy looking for another job before some operation out of Mobile, Alabama blows into town, buys WMAQ and cuts his salary in half.
Glad you’re back on the beat. But the Sun Times is not the same without you. On the plus side of being online, you can write “worthless piece of crap,” and really get your point across.
where’s your take on oprah?
too bad, isn’t it?
or not?
Maybe you should just sleep in on Sunday morning.
Cogent news programing always had the “courage of its convictions.” Unfortunately, current television marketing has negated both courage and conviction. It has underestimated the intelligence of the public, and has pandered, instead, to the tabloid oriented. It is a shift in news broadcasting that will be regretted in times to come.
I miss “Kukla, Fran and Ollie”.
City Desk was the longest running public service show in Chicago television. I was sorry to see it go but not surprised. It was always a fight to keep it on the air when I was there and when we had a guest of any import a fight to get time to thoroughly explore the issues. It began with the great Len O”Connor and the very first guest was Richard J. Daley. He filibustered the entire time and never came back. But this is about sales not public service. I loved doing the show. By the way… we taped on Fridays so the show would be as current as possible on Sunday morning. Remember we did the only Blagojevich/Topinka debate on City Desk. One hour long. One of my last.