Local News & Culture May Fade Away
Okay, I can sort of see the point about providing venues for local music… it’s the reason I can’t stand Blockbuster Music. But preserving local news programs? Has this guy ever lived in a small town? Out of the handful of times I tuned in for our crack Urbana news team, I remember…
… the time that the blonde anchor said “Oh, shit!” on the air because she lost her place.
… the time that the local sports reporter stood in front of the UI track and started his report with a sheepish grin, “We wanted to broadcast in front of the track because the Olympic track events started today, except that it’s actually happening tomorrow.”
… the 15-20 minute report on the barn fire that had happened much earlier in the day. No people. No animals. Just a barn. This riveting segment ended with the classic line, “Apparently, the barn was full of hay, which fed the fire.”

Local TV news in larger venues like San Jose or Houston (“Marvin Zindler, Eye Witness News”, anyone?) manages to be just as useless with even less comedy. I don’t know anybody who actually watches it. And I’m not quite convinced that it rates as a “cultural” element that needs to be preserved.