LocalNewser standupkid's dispatches from the frontlines of local news

Dispatch from the Frontlines: Local TV Now Host Michael Bieke

My wife and I have three dogs, and as a result, I spend a lot of time on dog-walking duty.  It's hardly a chore for me, as I enjoy taking tours around the neighborhood with the fur team, and listening to a good podcast.

My favorites are the daily news podcasts from UK news sites like The Guardian and the BBC, and NPR shows like Fresh Air. I get my political fix at the end of every week with a collection of roundtable podcasts, and for the next three weeks I'll be downloading at least two Tour de France podcasts daily.  (Like I said, I spend a lot of time walking the dogs)

Podcasts are also great for staying on top of this fast evolving (or fast collapsing, if that's your worldview) business of ours.  WNYC does a great job with its weekly On the Media, and Jeff Jarvis hosts a very entertaining talker for the Guardian, Media Talk USA. Add to this list the local news focused Local TV Now, co-hosted by Michael Bieke, who's found absolutely no shortage of topics to dig into, though perhaps his choice of guests is questionable, with my appearance on this week's podcast.

DISPATCH FROM THE FRONTLINES:  Michael Bieke, Host, Local TV Now
Three months ago, I came to the realization that, while there are lots of stories about local television in the trade publications, there aren't a lot of places where conversations about the issues in the industry are taking place.  There are message boards that are often filled with hate (not that there's not a place for some of that), but very few frank discussions about the local TV business.

That's why my co-host Doug and I decided to start Local TV Now, a weekly podcast covering the business of television.  We talk about the issues facing broadcasters, but what we've always believed is our strength is interviewing and talking to others involved in various aspects of the industry.  In just three months, some of our best interviews have been with a very diverse group of people.  From medical journalism expert Gary Schwitzer who talked with us about the sorry state of health news reporting in television to Todd Jeunger from TiVo who discussed some new ratings options that aren't from Nielsen, we've had some great interviews.  And this week, we add Mark Joyella to the list as we have a very honest conversation about the realities of the business today and how journalists can better prepare themselves for tomorrow.

That all sounded kind of heavy, but we don't take ourselves too seriously.  We have fun doing the show because it's a topic we're passionate about, and we hope our listeners are too.

Local TV Now, Episode 13