News Radio 740

[jerrbud]

I have been biting my tongue in hopes there would be improvement with the station.  Now I wonder if anyone cares about the quality of the product.  The worst offender is Roger Hudson, who thinks we live in "Harrison County", thinks his sister station is either "709 The Sports Animal" or after catching that mistake, on his next newscast he spouts out "7090 The Sports Animal".  On more than one occasion, he will introduce his cast with "Good Afternoon, it's 11:30 this Friday morning".

Most of their reporters seem tired and rundown.  The quality of the product seems to have come crashing down in the past three or four months.  I fail to see how they can call themselves a credible news source.

[FilioScotia]

What you're hearing is the carcass of a once great radio station, stripped of all its quality reporters, anchors, and most of its integrity. There are still some good people in the newsroom there, but they're outnumbered by the hacks.

CC is working them all to death with double and triple duty newscasts for CC stations in other markets. One good friend there told me it's a sweat shop atmosphere. He would walk out in a minute, but the Houston job market is so tight he'd have to pack up his family and move to another city.  He says he just works at trying to get through each day.

So sad.  This is the station that pioneered news-talk radio and news blocks in this part of the country. 

[radioguy141]

What you're hearing is the carcass of a once great radio station, stripped of all its quality reporters, anchors, and most of its integrity. There are still some good people in the newsroom there, but they're outnumbered by the hacks.

CC is working them all to death with double and triple duty newscasts for CC stations in other markets. One good friend there told me it's a sweat shop atmosphere. He would walk out in a minute, but the Houston job market is so tight he'd have to pack up his family and move to another city.  He says he just works at trying to get through each day.

So sad.  This is the station that pioneered news-talk radio and news blocks in this part of the country. 

First off, Roger just moved to Houston.... and to Texas as a matter of fact. Everyone messes up our street names and city names becuase we pronounce them differently then anyone else would. For example, I was listening to a spot for a resturant in San Jacinto City but it was pronounced "Hacento" or San Felipe.... We all mess up on the air, and Roger is overworked as KTRH's assist. news director. I'll see him early one morning and he will still be there till late at night. So c'mon give him a break. Everyone on the KTRH newsteam is overworked and tired so eventually they're going to make mistakes... we're human!

[bayou_city_bob]

Roger was the KOA News Director before coming down to Houston.  He actually gets the short anchor shift of 12p-3p, Weekdays.

Question:  During today's immigrant shootout and the office building fire from a few weeks ago, was KTRH able to go wall-to-wall news coverage?  Or were they only doing Top & Bottom updates (like normal) during their talkshows?

[Bill Cherry]

KTRH for alost as long as I've been on earth has been the Walter Cronkite of ratio stations.    Then out of the clear blue, the ownership decides to strip it of what made its reputation, and to assume that the public wouldn't notice.  And worse, if they did notice, they would buy into the new concept.

I lived almost my entire life in Galveston.  We all knew that the only voice of reason and one that could be believed when hurricanes were on their way was Dr. Joe Stobol (sp) of Accuweather.  Forget Neil Frank and his scare tatics and sarcastic little grin, forget Billingsly and the rest.  They were rarely correct.  It was Dr. Joe who helped us keep our composure and told us when we needed to leave and when.  Or if you decided to ride it out, his voice was there to tell you what was going on outside of the storm blinds.

So KTRH gets rid of him.  Real smart.  That seemed to me to be the start of the downhill slide.

I wish they would re-evaluate the whole matter.  Next thing you know they'll find Don LeBlanc and put him back on via reel to reel tapes of his old Music 'til Midnight program.  And that won't cost them anything.  (Old Don hasn't been there for at least 40 years, but he sure had some great pipes.  Maybe that would be a good idea afterall.)

[truthsayer]

The last few months they almost always refer to the website for more in depth coverage.  They skin the news to a headline and not much more.  Roger sounds like he is worn out and very dry.  I heard him on 950 one night and the news sounder was fast and well done followed up by the voice that sounded like he could hardly get thru the newscast.  The content was strange and not really Houston news.  It was 8 oclock at night  or so,he kept saying today for the weather.  Either it was pre recorded or he is lost!  Maybe both.

Ktrh sounds lost!  They keep sending customers to the web.  They need people to listen to the radio and not send them away!  I find myself enjoying 950 they have content!

[thathoustonradiogeek]

When I still lived in my native Puerto Rico I used to listen all the time to all-news (in spanish) WKAQ in San Juan.

When I moved to Houston in '95 I'd listen to the local spanish stations, but I didn't find them too appealing as they were (and still are) geared towards a mostly Mexican listener public. Then I found KTRH with their all-news format and CBS TOH newscast and I was in news-junkie-heaven again.

I remember the schedule was somewhat like this:

5 AM - 7 PM: news , news and more news
7 PM - 10 PM: that sports show that is now at 790
10 PM - 1 AM: Jim Bohannon
1 AM - 5 AM: Art Bell, back when he was at the "American CBC Radio Network".

Then in 1998 they switched to ABC News and by 1999 or 2000 the TOH national newscast was gone.
They also added a local talk show on Thursday mornings and, thus, began the slippery slope.

Now, the only excuse they have for calling themselves "Newsradio" is the 5-9 AM newsblock and the TOH/BOH updates.
They might as well ditch the Newsradio name and just call it "KTRH Seven-Forty".

Sadly, WKAQ back in San Juan has also mutated to nearly all talk with 5 - 9 AM and 3 - 4 PM newsblocks.

[KTN Corp]

I don't listen to them anymore. I listen to NPR now. Even former KTRH anchor Rod Rice anchors the afternoon shift. During the pledge drive, he mentioned that working in public radio is so different from working in commercial. But KUHF has some defects. (see other topic)

[michaelshiloh]

RadioGuy141: Where is San Jacinto City?  You mean Jacinto City? 

About weathercasters (I worked with Dr. Joe Sobel at KTRH and all through Katrina and Rita and he has probably the quickest wit of any weather guy anywhere): I once worked at a station where the :10 TV commercial copy said read something like: "YOUR EXCLUSIVE CHANNEL 10 FORECAST FROM DR. RAY PETERSON... (then read National Weather Service forecast)."

[stan]

KTRH's weather coverage began its downhill slide when Cheap Channel signed the contract to go with The Weather "Global Warming" Channel nationwide for their major markets.  At least KFNC brought back Accuweather and Dr. Joe briefly during its "news" incarnation.