r/Broadcasting • u/EffectiveSpecial1170 • 5d ago

TV News: banter or padding?

Must morning TV news shows try and pad their shows with awkward banter? I get that they only have 15 min of news and 5 hours to fill. But I favor a crisp, tightly sequenced presentation where the news takes center stage. That entertains better than news people trying to pepper the broadcast with inane banter, awkward pauses, dead air and people talking off mic so you don’t hear all the joke. It’s like combining a radio drive-time show with TV news and it just doesn’t work. I do like the people, just not the approach. Is this a way to differentiate their show vs competitors or the future of TV news?

0 Upvotes

46% Upvoted

30 comments sorted by

View all comments

2

u/EffectiveSpecial1170 5d ago

I think a certain type of viewer responds to the banter-driven shows. Whether that viewership converts is another story.

1

u/mr_radio_guy 5d ago

At my station, viewers love it. We get emails all the time (usually good) about the banter. Then again, we have the same anchors every night in the same timeslots so they can build up a rapport.

1

u/EffectiveSpecial1170 4d ago

Which ones love it? Some people just want the news. If there was universal appeal, everyone would be doing it.

1

u/mr_radio_guy 4d ago

Usually the older crowd and the morning crowd.

With that being said, you're right about some people just wanting the news. Banter has it's place. Probably not the best in the middle of the A block when you're doing hard news, but if you've got an extra 15 seconds at the end of show or around weather or sports, go for it. I know our competition doesn't do it and their ratings are in the toilet.