Nanny News

"Heh, back in my day we didn't need all this mamby-pamby stuff. We talked about killin' Russians and stoppin' communists". (You have to say that sounding like an old geezer.)

In my formative years and as I moved into adulthood, something happened to the news I used to watch. It has not only afflicted local but also the national broadcasts. It used to be news was news about what was happening in the world at large. Now, it's much different.

The local news hits the airwaves at 5pm and continues for one and a half hours. Then it is the national news. Local broadcasts essentially repeat themselves three times for 90 minutes. They simply do not have enough material, or don't wish to show more, tease what is coming on the late news and now need to fill time. We are then subjected to 'Nanny News'. Nanny news is all the useless life style features we are subjected to to fill time. When did the viewing public become so stupid we need to be told things we should have learned in grade school? We are instructed how to stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Insulate and close the windows or open the windows and turn on the fan. Scintillating journalism. Oh, and clip coupons when you go to the grocery store to save money. Very thought provoking. I feel sorry for you if this is information you can really use.

In my neck of the woods we are also subjected to weather information four times within thirty minutes. Shows lead off with weather even if nothing significant happened, then tease the weather ten minutes later which will happen in another ten minutes. Then we have the full weather details and before the newscast is over they wrap up with, you guessed it, weather for the morning.

News programs would be much more useful if they just gave us the news and left the life style slots to Oprah. At least she can keep it to an hour-long show.