Mister Rogers Remixed

I'm still not quite sure what to make of this.  I loved watching Mister Rogers' Neighborhood while growing up, and it's great that his legacy is being kept alive.  But I have to admit, I find this new video a little creepy.  I can't quite put my finger on it, it just seems weird - not to mention a little trippy.

TELEVISION: Remembering Andy Rooney, 1919 - 2011

2008 photo by Stephenson Brown

Known for his grumpy end-of-show commentary, Andy Rooney has been a beloved mainstay of "60 Minutes" for more than 30 years, and a fixture at CBS for more than 60 years.

Rooney died Friday night from complications from a minor surgery. His death came only weeks after announcing he would no longer appear regularly at the end of 60 minutes. In all, he wrote and delivered 1,097 essays for the news program.

The Legacy of Peter Jennings

It's hard to believe that six years have passed since the world lost Peter Jennings.  The Canadian-born, American broadcaster - who later obtained earned U.S. Citizenship - is the reason I have always wanted to be in television journalism.  As early as I can remember, before even the start of elementary school, Peter was part of my daily routine.  Each night, after dinner, we would watch the end of the local news - and then sit tight for ABC's "World News Tonight with Peter Jennings".

His career was impressive: after several years of reporting for Canadian television - Jennings would come stateside to spend the next 40 years at ABC News.  First as a reporter, then as chief foreign correspondent, and finally - for 22 years - as anchor and senior editor of "World News Tonight".  During his tenure in that final role, he shaped the news coverage of the entire network - and became the face of the news division.  He was adamant about covering events around the world - issues that mattered, whether they were popular or not.

He drew on his extensive reporting background to make editorial decisions when anchoring from New York ("from ABC News world headquarters in New York, this is World News Tonight with Peter Jennings").  When the story couldn't be told from behind a desk, he was on a plane to report and anchor from the field.  It was that genuine drive to not only cover the story, but get to the bottom of it, that earned the respect of viewers, colleagues, and competitors alike.  Peter's delivery conveyed a measured sense of importance and experience, yet wasn't sensational...and he could do it with or without a teleprompter.  It was that skill that made him indispensable during breaking news special reports - in particular the week of 9/11.

That special relationship he formed with his viewers made the news of his death on August 7th, 2005, that much harder to take.  He had announced in early April he had been diagnosed with lung cancer - admitting he had been a smoker for many years, had quit, and started back up during 9/11.  The response was immediate.  Messages of sadness and offers of condolences came pouring in to the comment section on the ABC News website - and not just from the United States, but all over the world.  Viewers in Canada who have access to American television...and people in the UK who watched "World News Tonight" rebroadcast by the BBC.

The wide range of people Peter connected with during his long career speaks to the quality of his work.  Everyone in television news can still learn from his story telling.  By doing so, we can continue his legacy of telling stories that matter and that resonate - perhaps even changing people's lives.  He set the bar high - and we should be inspired to follow his lead and not take the easy way out.  To find ways to make important stories visual, and find characters who will make complex issues hit home.  Yes, at the end of the day, the news is still a business that needs to remain viable - but it's also a public service, a duty to the viewers we serve.  A true journalist won't lose sight of that.

The day after Peter died, ABC News began honoring his life and career.  Below, in three parts, is the special edition of "World News Tonight with Peter Jennings" that aired Monday, August 8th, 2005.  Anchored by longtime friend and colleague Charles Gibson, the broadcast was just one of many well-done tributes to the legendary reporter and anchor.








LINKS TO ADDITIONAL PETER JENNINGS TRIBUTES:

ABC News obituary for Peter Jennings

Peter Jennings page at the Museum of Broadcast Communications

The Peter Jennings Project for Journalists and the Constitution

The Documentary Group (succeeded "PJ Productions" - Jennings' production company)

Resources to quit smoking

TELEVISION: Jeanne Moos celebrates 30 years at CNN

She's known for her quirky reporting, unique voice, and creative story ideas on CNN.  But when she started at the "Cable News Network" 30 years ago this weekend, Jeanne Moos was a serious hard-news reporter.  Her coverage of the '91 Gulf War earned an international journalism award.  Moos also covered the Beijing Student Uprising, interviewed Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev, and reported on political corruption cases.

That all changed in the mid 90's, when a new segment debuted called "Making the MOOSt of it".  From then on, her niche became odd, quirky, off-beat stories.  Luckily, these reports, that usually range from 2 to 2 and half minutes, are available to CNN affiliate stations (which means I can put them in my local newscast in Rochester, NY).  Since I began producing I have become a huge Jeanne Moos fan, and was excited to come across the behind the scenes video posted above.  I was even more excited that she is a fellow Syracuse University grad! 

To see the report marking her three decades at CNN, click HERE.  Before CNN, Moos got her start at WPTZ-TV, the NBC affiliate in Plattsburgh, NY.

HOLLYWOOD: Behind the Scenes

Stargate Studios 2010 Virtual Backlot Demo from Stargate Studios on Vimeo.

Ever wonder what everything looks like behind the scenes of your favorite TV show or movie?  This video from Stargate Studios offers a glimpse of the smoke and mirrors that bring the sound-stage to life.  Truly fascinating.

We use the same green-screen technology every night on the news, but obviously on a much more simple level.  Smaller green-screens in television news studios allow us to put the meteorologist in front of full-screen weather maps, and give us the option of putting reporters in front of still or video images.  You have to be careful though - no green clothing at all, or viewers at home will see right through you!

The whole thing works with computers that are calibrated to recognize a particular shade of green.  The computers then replace the green with whatever image is desired, say a weather map for example.  A person standing in front of the screen blocks the green, and therefore appears in front of the image.

I came across this by accident.  About two years ago, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer newspaper stopped the presses, cut staff, and went to an all digital format.  I wanted to see what the website, seattlepi.com, and came across this video.

TECH: Motorola's Super Bowl jab at Apple

In a play on Apple's legendary "1984" commercial in which the computer company unveiled the Macintosh, Motorola is now accusing it's tablet rival of having become "Big Brother." It's no secret that Apple's Ipad dominates the tablet PC market. With Motorola gearing up for the launch of it's Google Android-based "Xoom" tablet, the Super Bowl proved the perfect venue for a 1984 rematch. The ad shows the open-source Android tablet as non-conformist, and portrays Apple users as mindless consumers accepting the latest Apple products. To see Apple's classic 1984 commercial, play the video below.

TELEVISION: Syracuse station now in HD

News Channel 9 (WSYR-TV ABC) in Syracuse debuted it's new HD studio, graphics package, and website this weekend. Above is a clip of the station's morning news "on the go". Channel 9 is the dominate local station in Central New York, and is the first to switch to HD. It's owned by Newport Television, the same owner of 13 WHAM in Rochester - which started broadcasting in HD this past September.

Above is a promo the station has has been running for the past month. Aside from the new studio and graphics, going HD means many other changes. New cameras in the field and in the studio, new broadcasting equipment behind the scenes, new makeup for the on-air talent, and even more limited wardrobes. The amount of white and certain other bright colors needs to be limited on set so the viewer is distracted or blinded by how they come across on the TV.

Included with the other upgrades, Channel 9 got a refreshed logo and new slogan (The Local Station). The logo, the style of the "9" in particular - harkens back to the loco used in the late eighties and early nineties.  Channel 9 had advertised that HD newscasts would begin in February.  As typical when stations debut new sets and graphics, management has elected to roll out a "soft launch" over the weekend to work out the bugs before the more formal debut on Monday.  Click HERE to visit the station's refreshed website.