No Subject

Subject: TV Breaking News Coverage

Today (April 27th), there were two major press conferences in New England--
 one with the two daughters of a man accused of kidnapping them from their
 mom and taking them to Florida, the other with city officials in New
 Bedford following Sunday night's hostage situation at a local McDonald's.

Here's how Boston and Providence TV covered the story:

Two TV stations (both in Boston) broadcast both press conferences live,
 even though they were just an hour apart--WBZ-4 and WHDH-7. Three
 other Boston TV stations aired the press conference of the two young
 women whose dad is accused of kidnapping themm from their mom-WCVB-5,
 WFXT-25, and WLVI-56.

Besides channels 4 and 7, channel 10 in Providence also aired the New
 Bedford press conference live. I was surprised channels 6 and 12 didn't
 air it live. Either someone was asleep at the switch at both stations,
 or perhaps channels 6 and 12 think that most New Bedford people watch
 Boston TV news and as a result, covering events in New Bedford---which
 is much closer to Providence than to Boston--should be the responsi-
 bility of Boston TV stations.

Isn't WLNE-channel 6 LICENSED to New Bedford???

And wasn't this the biggest news story to have hit New Bedford since the
 case of five men accused of gang-raping a young woman in a bar back in
 the early 1980's?

Joseph Gallant

<notquite@hotmail.com>

------------------------------