Who do you turn to?

[CAwasinNJ]

The question above about who uses KSL-TV for EAS got me thinking. Who do you turn to when there's big local breaking news? I will usually turn to KSL-TV unless I wasn't near a TV, then it would be KSL Radio. I think they generally do the best job of news coverage. What about the rest of you? This topic is open to any type of media (TV, radio, net, something I didn't think of.....) though I suspect TV is going to get the most attention. Am I wrong?

[henry]

Generally FIVE. Often they can't break their NBC programming commitment, so then I end up at KSL Newsradio. And if they are stuck playing Jim Bohannan, or something stupid, then KSL.com.

Either way, DMC gets my business.

I used to head to 2 ... but their current owner has destroyed their product. I'd say FOX 13 is my second choice, after the three KSL brands.

[seattlefollower]

Aug 10, 2010 22:53:08 GMT -6 henry said:

I used to head to 2 ... but their current owner has destroyed their product. I'd say FOX 13 is my second choice, after the three KSL brands.

Yeah, 2 used to break into CBS programming ALL THE TIME when I lived there. I suppose the new owners do not have that flexibility.

I would probably turn to twitter, honestly... But no, in Utah it was always KSL in my head because no one else (radio wise) has a 24-hour newsroom... and now no one has a local newsroom at all as far as I know (besides KUER/KCPW). I think CC may have Abby Bonell still in SLC, right?

[henry]

Classical 89 still has a newsroom, too. Comparable, at least, to KUER. Yes, CC still has maybe 3 people.

[CAwasinNJ]

Aug 11, 2010 0:35:47 GMT -6 seattlefollower said:

Aug 10, 2010 22:53:08 GMT -6 henry said:

Yeah, 2 used to break into CBS programming ALL THE TIME when I lived there. I suppose the new owners do not have that flexibility.

The irony of course is that the previous owners *were* CBS. Logic would say that it would be the other way around, no?

[seattlefollower]

Aug 11, 2010 0:55:09 GMT -6 henry said:

Classical 89 still has a newsroom, too. Comparable, at least, to KUER. Yes, CC still has maybe 3 people.

That's more than CC here in Portland. My understanding is that KEX's entire "newsroom" is outsourced - yes, the host in the morning and hosts in the afternoon are local, but the newscasters are out of another location.

Surprisingly, KXL has newscasts at the top and bottom of every hour (like KIRO used to in Seattle) and does a decent job. They have a content-sharing agreement with KPTV/KPDX TV though.

[dxstuboy]

I'm pretty much the same as you guys (if I was still in SLC). KSL Radio would be first, followed by KSL-TV and then Fox 13. I've never really gotten into 2 and 4, although if I had to pick one, it would be 2. Other radio.... um... since KNRS isn't as it used to be, I'd probably go to KUER.

Here, there are two stations to chose from for this kind of thing, and the #1 is KUGR (AM). KRKK (Rock Springs, WY 1360 15 miles from me) is pretty useless for local reports/news. KQSW/KSIT are better, but not perfect.

[Terry]

KSL has always, and I mean always, been the best news in Salt Lake, though they often sound like a one man operation. "The church" has very deep pockets and can afford to control the local narrative. KNRS features "yesterday's news today". Channel 2 is not nearly as good as they used to be. Channel 4 has always been close to useless, but they are better now than they've ever been. Channel 13 has improved markedly over the years, but they are still mostly silliness in the morning.

Parenthetically, KSL-TV has absolutely ruined their brand with me with their constant drumbeat of pro illegal immigration features - at least one a day for the last 2 weeks, plus pro illegal editorials repeated in the DesNews and "El Observador". Utah liberals think that KSL/DesNews is the conservative news outlet -- far from it. KSL has become the voice of illegal immigration. I don't know whether "the church" has dictated this directly, or more likely, the sycophants at Broadcast House are competing with one another to promote what they perceive as the company line. If you can't tell, I am fuming mad at KSL. My immediate neighbors were from Italy, here on a work visa for 8 years while waiting their turn for a green card which was never available. They got sick last winter, lost their jobs, thereby losing their visas. They had to sell their house quickly and move back to Italy. They did everything legally. They stood in line for 8 YEARS! They could have stayed on illegally. They could have stolen someone's social security number and gotten a job. They were excellent people, honest, hard workers. And KSL tells me to have compassion for the dishonest law breakers. What crap!!!!

[CAwasinNJ]

I agree that KSL is not perfect, though as Terry said they are the best of what's out there. I still haven't quite gotten over the explanation that they gave when KSL Radio dumped CBS News for ABC a few years back. They basically said that people don't have the attention span for CBS so they had to dumb the news down by taking ABC. That's insulting.

[dxstuboy]

Our local N/T and the station I work for...KUGR.... has 5 minutes of CBS at the top of each hour. I rather appreciate it. USA Network news on the FM, not too bad either.

[CAwasinNJ]

News on FM? I assume that's outside morning drive. That's something you hardly ever hear anymore, though I would insist on some kind of news if I ran an FM.

[dxstuboy]

Yep, every hour 24/7. Its only 3 minutes long but it is news nonetheless. The other two FMs in the building (KYCS/KZWB) have nothing of the sort besides local news minutes three times a day at various times.