BetterLife writes: I have noticed recently that several regular faces are absent on our local station – NBC 29 WVIR. By visiting their website at www.nbc29.com, you see the absence of the following names: Melinda Semadeni, Allison Zeiger, Lori Lichorobiac and Lisa Washington. Does anyone know what is going on over there or is it just a coincidence?
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Sideblog
Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
foursix and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
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Hey, as long I still get the 10 minute long rants telling me over and over that it’s really not snowing outside. Duh.
There’s somebody out there who actually watches 29 news to even notice these things? Incredible………
What’s going on over there is that they’re still a small starter station, and that they’re still signing one- and two-year contracts and then leaving when they expire if they can find somewhere to go — just like they always have.
Mass exodus? Sure, if by that you mean nearly constant turnover for, like, as long as anyone can remember.
I took the quiz in The Hook, and they told me that I must be from West Virginia.
I don’t know – while it wouldn’t surprise me if their contracts ran out, I wouldn’t go so far as to assume that these people all moved “up” to bigger stations. In some cases, there seems to have been a serious talent deficit – didn’t Allison Ziegler remind you of a 3rd-grader giving her first oral book report in front of the class? We had to turn away whenever she came on. Ditto with Lisa Washington. Neither one presented their stories very well, IMHO.
29 has always been an entry-level job, but Harold Wright (or is it Wrong?) has somehow managed to keep the ones he wanted to keep, for the most part.
I wouldn’t go so far as to assume that these people all moved “up” to bigger stations. … didn’t Allison Ziegler remind you of a 3rd-grader giving her first oral book report in front of the class? We had to turn away whenever she came on. Ditto with Lisa Washington.
No, I agree with you on that. Those two were always a train wreck. I guess I’m just saying 29 is *so* small that it’s hard *not* to move up. And TV news is a cesspool anyway. I mean, Tara Nurin sucked too, and Nordia Higgins was every bit as bad as the two you mentioned, and they both left 29 with better jobs, as I recall. Go figure.
Also, it’s important not to assume that they’ve left for *on-air* positions elsewhere. Both of those two have worked a good bit as producers — likely because they’re so bad at talking in front of a camera. The side effect, though, is that doing that work has likely netted them some other marketable skills.
They pay so little, its possible that they all starved to death. I know people who applied there, and turned them down because of the low pay. Its simply a "I wish I had something to do with my life, and my husband supports me" type job. They probably moved on to stocking grocery store shelves or something.
All true.
It seems to me that in the past (say, 10-15 years ago), the incoming talent at 29 was quite a bit better than what they draw now. I’m wondering if their pay scale is too low, or the station has a bad rep among the industry.
Then again, it could be a case of being associated with the laughingstock of Charlottesville media, realizing it, and getting the heck outta there. Not to worry though, there will be plenty of NBC 29 gals and guys to take their place, to once again purposefully strut into council chambers with their red storm team jackets on in the future, hoping that all eyes avert to them, and finally turning to the other media, and asking, "So what’s going on?"
I’m not in C-Ville anymore (I moved back to Miami in July), but I am not surprised that the "talent" has moved on. I know that Stacy Horst went to a Fox affiliate in Raleigh, NC and when I first got back to Miami I noticed the Lonnie Quiin had followed me down here to NBC6 in Miami (he does the morning weather during the Today show, and even got to hang out w/ Al Roker). Lori Lichorobiac is gone from Dateline now? Bummer. My wife and I used to tune in to the weekend news to see her hair. It went from various brown prom-type styles to a decent old Jennifer Aniston look with blonde highlights.
Then again, it could be a case of being associated with the laughingstock of Charlottesville media, realizing it, and getting the heck outta there.
Oh, I’d love to think that, but I doubt it. If there’s one thing I know about 29 people, it’s that most of them don’t give a fuuck about Charlottesville, Charlottesville media or their place within either.
I always got the impression that most of them thought it was uncool or a waste of energy to learn too much background on what they were covering. They’re mercenaries, in town to build up a clip reel and split — no more or less. And while career advancement is also the goal of some people at, say, the Progress, it’s a lot easier to pull off without effort at 29 because their 30-second stories don’t require all that much involvement in the local scene.
Oh, I’d love to think that, but I doubt it. If there’s one thing I know about 29 people, it’s that most of them don’t give a fuuck about Charlottesville, Charlottesville media or their place within either.
It’s amazing, but most (certainly not all) of them just really don’t care. At all.
I always got the impression that most of them thought it was uncool or a waste of energy to learn too much background on what they were covering. They’re mercenaries, in town to build up a clip reel and split — no more or less.
I’ve done a lot of interviews in my life with a lot of media outlets. Small, big, local, national, print, Internet, radio, TV, and so on. Never have I been interviewed so consistently poorly as by WVIR. (When Kay Young was at WVIR, I actually got interviewed really well that one time.) When I announced that I was running for Council, I headed up to their office to get interviewed, and I was asked “Why are you running?” I gave some B.S. 10-second answer, and that was that. No follow-up of “What makes you think that you have any shot at winning?”, or “Why should anybody vote for you?”, or “I’ve looked at your track record of positions, and I’ve got to say that…” That was a wrap.
Contrast that with…oh, say, that Jake Mooney character (remember him?) that used to write for the Progress before he went off to some high-falutin’ college. When I announced, we did an interview that lasted something like an hour and a half. Private, one-on-one, totally honest, no feeding of bullshit. Some of that ended up in the story, but all of it was put to use as he followed the election story in the coming months.
Too bad that WVIR can’t encourage that sort of reporting.
Yeah, I’d say that woman (Lichorobiac) has got quite a career ahead of her in the TV news biz. Any woman (or man for that matter) who obviously spends more time on their makeovers than on their stories is gonna go far.
I also saw (I think her name was?) Brandy Sauers (or something to that effect – early morning news anchor a few years back) on a local station when I was traveling. Maybe Columbus, OH? It was nice to see she had finally learned to pronounce a few words…
Contrast that with…oh, say, that Jake Mooney character (remember him?)
Sorry, doesn’t ring a bell. Oh, wait — I think I remember a certain failed politician whining about him once. Her name eludes me — but then, I never voted in Charlottesville anyway.
I will say, Mr. Shadow Government Mayor, that you’re right to note that not all 29 reporters are bad. Kay Young was indeed very sharp, as was Meredith Grabois. Kerry McQuone was also good. And aside from that mongoloid Scott Gibson, they’ve got some really talented photographers (*real* photographers — not “photographer/teachers”). Any list would be incomplete without The Deuce, for sheer gravitas.
And of course most of the rest of them have good days from time to time. What’s that expression about the sun shining on a sleeping dog’s ass twice a day? Maybe I’ve got that wrong. My bias must be clouding my judgment.
OK, brah, got to go — Extreme Dating is on!
I find it interesting that the comments are revolving around journalistic talent and knowledge of the area, they READ A TELEPROMPTER, you could train a parrot to do that.
Kerry McQuone was likely a failed beauty queen who needed the attention of a camera for her life to be fulfilled, so she turned to t.v. journalism. You could tell she was full of herself. As for "The Deuce" as in "Luke Duecy," I have seen him laugh inexblicably and inappropriately right into the camera for no reason on more than one occasion in the middle of a report. I guess he too still can’t believe someone gave him a job with a measure of profile. What I like least of all about Channel 29 is the air they have about them that what they are saying is of actual substance and that when they deliver information, they pretend like the people who granted them the interview really confided in "only them." Get stale news here first on Dateline 29!
That’s only the case with anchors. Reporters in the field don’t lug around teleprompters with them – they use notes and do it off the cuff.
For those who do use a teleprompter, you’re right in that anybody can be taught to do that, but doing it well is another thing entirely.
Yeah — I’m not trying to defend them here, but the reporters in the field do their own reporting. We can argue about how well or how badly, but they’re assembling the information themselves.
About Luke Duecy… I remember one broadcast back over last summer when it seemed like everyone was sick or out of town or something and Luke Duecy was the only anchor there (kinda like Lori L. during the weekend broadcasts back then). He was trying his hardest to report the news, but the production crew kept screwing things up. I remember the accompanying video for a story was wrong, two different times. His mic went out, and during one story it sounded as if something large had been broken off-camera. I can still remember him glaring off-camera at someone. I think that Duecy’s off-camera laugh these days is is stress relief from the off-camera people that always seem to screw something up.
I think Adam Longo does an excellent job given the poor production talents of his coworkers. He seldom stumbles on his words. Unfortunately, the other people screw up by leaving his mic off, using the wrong camera or wrong video clip. That poor thing, Stephanie Cornwell is another story. She was sharp as a tack when she first came here, but recently I have noticed her skills have declined terribly. She constantly gets tongue-tied and messes things up. Maybe it’s the teleprompter programmer’s error. I know nothing about TV production so your guess is as good as mine.
Maybe people are being too hard on them. Robert van Twinkle, who has been on Channel 29 since before he had jowls, really does hit the streets to find and promote charities and civic projects. Though it is ironic that the weatherman gets out in the weather more often than the reporters. I would speculate the lethargy problem at Channel 29 has three causes: the jaded lassitude that inevitably builds up when you have to fill holes in time every evening, day after day, week after week, forever, with no applause and no thanks and no salary; the fact that salaries will stay in the low-to-absurd range since businesses have realized TV commercials shovel good money down into those holes in time where it simply disappears; and above all, an elderly and not especially vigorous owner who has long since lost interest. Fire the boss, and maybe a new owner would kick some life into the staff.
So, does anyone know what happened to Melinda, Lori, Allison or Lisa?
I’ve heard rumors about Melinda and a lawsuit. Something involving a guy accused — improperly? — of selling crack in Greene County. If she’s going to cost the station millions of dollars, I can understand why they wouldn’t be anxious to keep her around.
Or maybe she just got a job somewhere. Does anyone know the rest of this story?
You know what? Rather than complain about the people trying to deliver our local news every night (think what our community would be like without them) how about coming up with suggestions for improvements?
Here’s an idea: WVIR should sell one of its unused newsvans a.k.a. parking lot decorations. Use the money to donate digital cameras to Clemons Library for student stringers. Clemons has some fine editing facilities. A graduate student in journalism could act as the news editor. If a student comes up with a worthwhile story, the graduate student editor can send it over to the WVIR News Director, maybe by Internet.
Another idea: offer some incentive for local people to call in interesting items–like saying on air "Waldo Jacquith brought to our attention, that . . ."
Here’s a third: send a feature reporter out with a camera to show us the inside scoop on local businesses and organizations. I would like to see what goes on in the back room at Hill & Wood Funeral Home. Or the kitchen at Tastings after hours (hopefully these are separate inquiries). How do the cops conduct an interrogation? How about taking us for a ride in Pegasus, the U. Va hospital emergency helicopter?
I am sure y’all have other, and better ideas. Let’s offer some.
I got so tired of the poor way they handle local news that I protested by turning my back on some free publicity when I ran for council. 29 called and wanted to film me going door to door campaigning. I said sure, as long as you include something about my positions on some of the issues. I didn’t care what issue I just wanted to stimulate more public debate on the issues. They said no, they were only interested in video of me going door to door. I told Duecy to forget it. They could do a much better job if they tried but all they care about is getting snappy pics.
Kevin Cox
Oddly enough I am glad to hear it. Journalism is silly subject for an academic program. It’s a trade best picked up through an apprenticeship, or internship, or experience volunteering at the school paper. I suppose U. Va. eliminated the journalism graduate program together with the Department of Rhetoric some years back.
Anyway we’ll say a graduate student in English then. Or for that matter even a junior professor. Somebody with an objective eye and little experience, to prevent the WVIR news director from getting inundated with news videos about whether Tiffany and Jason are breaking up, or the keg party at Phi Beta Kappa.
Yes I know Phi Beta kappa does not have keg parties.
Robert is a true gem – I’ve worked with him on several different community endeavors, and he’s always been very generous with his time and talent. Most of the "old timers" there are like that. They do, after all, live here, and they’re here to stay. I think that makes a huge difference in their attitude and approach to their jobs.
I don’t know why everyone is being hard on channel 29. Alot of them want to move on to bigger markets. I think they have done a little better over the years. If you want to see a disaster look at WINA radio. That place has three people left in the news room and went from being the number one radio station two years ago to losing almost half its listeners. They gotta be praying for a bombing in Iraq just to boost there numbers.
I just wanted to say that so many people in here are giving Dateline such a hard time. I would like to say they are doing a good job for what they got. They got a small market with nothing going on. Everytime I am on vacation somewhere and turn on the local news, the first 20 mins is a recap of murders, crime, and everything newsworthy. In Cville, there is SO much you can talk about Foxfield or the traffic or UVa’s parties. Once in a while you get the murder or serial rap.
I am really surpise that 29 doesn’t have a local sport program for UVa sports. I mean I recall there was a show with Welsh a long time ago. W ho know?
People give Channel 29 a problem because they don’t care about the local area, all they want is pretty pictures for the newscast regardless of the pressing issues of the day (and for their demo reels). They are arrogant people–"cavalier" if you will–about presenting good information. What they need is some competetion from another local t.v. station, which would force them to actually do some work everyone can be proud of.
Ok, who is this George Lettis guy? Is the talent getting worse or what????
NBC 29 hasn’t learned from past mistakes. The last time they hired a bunch of newbies, they signed them all to the same length contract. So, once again, there will be a mass exodus.
And who can blame them? That has got to be the most miserable place in town to work at. They operate on the "trickle down" theory. GM Harold Wright treats all the department heads like crap. News Director Dave Cupp in turn treats Asst. News Director Andrea Gaines and Chief Photog Scott Gibson like crap. They treat everyone in the news room like crap. Crap goes downhill. Andrea Gaines is the most ineffectual Asst. ND they’ve had in awhile. I’ve never seen the place so disorganized. Scott Gibson? LAZY SLUG doesn’t begin to cover it. His nickname is V-ger, named for the probe in Star Trek- The Motion Picture. They sent V-ger out to do a job and it disappeared and didn’t do the job. That’s Scott Gibson. As one of the sales people pointed out, he walks around with his head down looking guilty because he’s not doing anything. But, he doesn’t feel guilty enough to actually do anything. How does he get away with this? He’s so far up Wright’s butt, you can only see his feet. They are creating their own little club out at Lake Monticello. Anyone who lives out there, can do whatever the hell they want at the station. Which is probably why Andrea Gaines just moved out there. Gibson and John DeMorro already live out there. That’s why they come and go as they please and park wherever they want.
But a new exodus is coming- Linda Thomas, Luke Duecey, Steve Trout, and Ranji Sinha are all leaving 29. Linda doesn’t have a job lined up, she just can’t stand working there anymore. That place breaks everyone’s spirit.
there was a lawsuit filed in a court here in the area. (in this weeks cville) the truth is going to come out. period. that’s all i have to say
NBC 29 has little competiton here in the charlottesville area. they got WADA. that’s a weak station. becuase of the fact that people aren’t watching becuase A) they’re a PAX TV station. B) they only air network programing from 5 or 6 pm to 11 or 11:30 at night. most of the day is paid programming like the shop america network. i think wada will go under becuase of the fact that people A) dont like the station and B) there shows are crap. another reason is that nbc 29 is the game in town or unless wada is bought out by some major company and changed to an cbs or fox i don’t see anything changing anytime soon.
Hello Leo AKA MARLA MCLAUGHLIN, former NBC 29 wish-I-was an editor. Yeah, of course I know it’s you – who else but you would comment on things you know nothing about? The truth about Leo is, she didnt get her way, cried like a baby, bluffed a resignation that was accepted and now she is unemployed, giving her more time to sit and trash those that are still employed. Get a life! Just because you are unhappy with your miserable loser life, does not give you the right to type lies about people and things that you know nothing about. Any fool can read between the lines and see that you are just bitter – and you have way too much time on your hands. Get a job. Quit hitting on men 30 years younger than you. Learn how to drive. and please learn how to get on with your life. We all know Leo is you, so you might want to watch what you say on this site…