Friday, September 02, 2005

I Miss Newsworld International

I haven't watched a lot of Al Gore's new Current TV, but what I've seen so far is like a second-rate version of MTV News. Perhaps it'll get better with time, but right now, Current's desperately-trying-to-be-hip take on the news just gets on my nerves.

I liked having the CBC's Newsworld International a lot more. NWI showed newscasts and around the world, which often put the bias of America's take on things into sharp focus. It would be interesting to see how other countries are covering the hurricane and its aftermath.

On the upside, Belo's Texas Cable News (TXCN) is showing WWL-TV's Katrina coverage right now. Their broadcasts are also being streamed on the net. Forced out of New Orleans to Louisiana Public Broadcasting's studios in Baton Rouge, WWL has somehow managed to stay on the air throughout the disaster. The New Orleans-based reporters are refugees themselves who have an understanding of the complex local dynamics that airlifted out-of-towners may not grasp.

1 comment:

BB said...

Yes, I've been watching the WWL stream at work for a couple days straight. It's got that 9/11 "can't turn away" quality.

Even as they wing it, my hat's off to the news folks for their efforts. Certainly better than the KVIL radio reporter in Dallas who laughed this morning when a storm survivor she interviewed described hot-wiring a truck to escape. KVIL's program director can be reached at srivers@cbs.com, btw...