KING delivers after speech, but KIRO bungles it a bit

Tuesday, March 18, 2003

By MELANIE McFARLAND
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER TELEVISION CRITIC

Of all the days that could prove most fertile for local news to glean public reaction to world-changing events, yesterday surely provided a bumper crop. It's puzzling, then, that following Bush's firm ultimatum to Saddam Hussein, KIRO/7's Anna Velasquez took the pulse of U.S. resolve by sticking her mike in the sweating, panting faces of people working out in an Everett Gold's Gym.

Were they puffing mad at Saddam? No, it was just the exercycles. Be that as it may, as Velasquez earnestly tromped around the equipment wearing a suit and Serious Reporter Face, she looked like she was auditioning for "The Daily Show." Fortunately fellow reporter Alison Grande topped her by wandering off-camera during an attempt at a live promotion from a site of West Seattle's hazardous material scare, leaving viewers to gawk at an empty sidewalk for a few long seconds.

Perhaps she wanted us to contemplate the dangers of farina, which is what the white powder turned out to be.

Instead, we were left thinking that no local news team should bungle things as badly as KIRO did yesterday. Especially with a tough-talking president as its lead-in.

As far as gauging local opinion, Velasquez's gym-side reporting was, at least, a creative choice. KOMO/4 interviewed a Puget Sound family with a son stationed in the Middle East -- a predictable option that, nonetheless, tugged the heart strings. KING/5 got the most varied responses, culling opinions from everyone from Korean War veterans to a Holocaust survivor's son.

When all was read and done, KING delivered the best post-speech balance of local news with national, which had Tom Brokaw fielding analysis from Tim Russert and retired army general Barry McCaffrey.

KIRO was the last to go local after the president's speech, staying with Dan Rather and CBS reporter John Roberts's live, dry report from the Iraqi border.

KOMO immediately made the segue from the speech to local news coverage, using their headstart on area news to interview and promote their team of journalists embedded with troops in the Middle East. An ambitious and not altogether effective move, since KOMO filled the time promoting their team of affiliated reporters embedded with the military. Meanwhile, rival networks let their star analysts shine. On the other hand, the decision gave them a headstart on the day's other stories, enabling them to undertake an in-depth feature on peace protests downtown and really dig into West Seattle's cereal woes.

It all goes to show that Seattle's local news still needs to figure out how to cover these world affairs home with equal parts credibility, creativity and comprehensiveness.

KIRO, especially, can consider yesterday's follies a trial (and error) run, one from which it has 48 hours to recover.

P-I TV critic Melanie McFarland can be reached at 206-448-8015 or tvgal@seattlepi.com

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