Bill Cathcart retires from WTOC (Lyons: school, live in, fence)

[Newsboy]

Bill Cathcart's replacement is a guy named Scott Dempsey, and he's already making changes at the station.

"It's the responsibility of a news organization to provoke thought and discussion in the community ... "

[perryrip]

Ellie,

I think it's far from a "split down the middle". You'd be surprised. You and I definitely don't share much common ground.

perryrip

[WanderingImport]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

Bill Cathcart's replacement is a guy named Scott Dempsey, and he's already making changes at the station.

"It's the responsibility of a news organization to provoke thought and discussion in the community ... "

I've been saying this a lot lately, but time will tell.

[counterclockwise]

Newsboy; I watched WSAV news Monday at 10PM and I was impressed. I am going to tune them in more often.

[WheresTheBeef]

I laugh at some of these comments here. Stop judging people by their political views. People have the right to be liberals and they have the right to be conservatives and it's nobody else's business which one you choose to be. That's what is known as "tolerance", kids.

From what I gather from others who have worked with him, Cathcart was a bit of a character. He also has a PhD from Ohio State. Now, here's Bill Cathcart in drag in the 1960's with Jerry Rasor on Dance Party on WLWC (now WCMH) in Columbus.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=1&theater



One of the comments to the picture I found funny:

I checked with Bill before posting. Here is the classic Cathcart response. "No problem, Bruce. My career has eroded like a leper’s foot anyway, so no harm can come from it!! Although those photos may lead me back to wearing dresses again. I look better in that get-up than I ever have in a business suit. Might as well go the dress and accessories route. I’m already a confirmed lesbian…..I love women!"

[WanderingImport]

Originally Posted by WheresTheBeef

I laugh at some of these comments here. Stop judging people by their political views. People have the right to be liberals and they have the right to be conservatives and it's nobody else's business which one you choose to be. That's what is known as "tolerance", kids.

From what I gather from others who have worked with him, Cathcart was a bit of a character. He also has a PhD from Ohio State. Now, here's Bill Cathcart in drag in the 1960's with Jerry Rasor on Dance Party on WLWC (now WCMH) in Columbus.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=1&theater



One of the comments to the picture I found funny:

I checked with Bill before posting. Here is the classic Cathcart response. "No problem, Bruce. My career has eroded like a leper’s foot anyway, so no harm can come from it!! Although those photos may lead me back to wearing dresses again. I look better in that get-up than I ever have in a business suit. Might as well go the dress and accessories route. I’m already a confirmed lesbian…..I love women!"

Well said, Bruce!

Bonus points for the photo of Bill.

[WheresTheBeef]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

There is simply no way an educated, professional, urban person from another city could move to Savannah and watch the nonsense that Sonny Dixon puts on the air. The guy is a hayseed and he's embarrassing as hell to watch.

I'm an educated, professional, urban person as is Bill Cathcart. I don't mind Sonny Dixon. In fact, I prefer someone who shows some kind of personality flair over the blow-dried boring stiffs you find at most news anchor desks.

TV was far more interesting through the 1970's because it wasn't as corporate. You had a lot of mom and pops in the business back in those days. TV News was also considered theatrical back then, lots of actors and people who went on to acting were news anchors back in the 1950's and 1960's.

TV nowadays is as boring as walking into a Sears store because there is so much sameness these days.

[Newsboy]

Originally Posted by WheresTheBeef

I'm an educated, professional, urban person as is Bill Cathcart. I don't mind Sonny Dixon. In fact, I prefer someone who shows some kind of personality flair over the blow-dried boring stiffs you find at most news anchor desks.

TV was far more interesting through the 1970's because it wasn't as corporate. You had a lot of mom and pops in the business back in those days. TV News was also considered theatrical back then, lots of actors and people who went on to acting were news anchors back in the 1950's and 1960's.

TV nowadays is as boring as walking into a Sears store because there is so much sameness these days.

You realize what you are admitting? "TV News was considered theatrical ... Lots of actors and people who went on to acting were anchors ..." Those people weren't journalists, they were ENTERTAINERS. That's how you preferred getting your news?

But thanks for proving my point: Sonny Dixon is NOT a journalist. He's politician turned "personality" putting on a show for all the good folks out there in TV land, while the REAL journalist reporters at WTOC stand out in the field pretending not to hate him as much as they do (and they do).

[WheresTheBeef]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

WSAV recently won the Murrow Award for best news operation in the city for the 5th or 6th year in a row.

I only have one thing to say about WSAV and the rest of the Media General stations: boring.

[CoastalGAGuy]

The mission of a news department isn't supposed to be excitement. It's supposed to be about journalism. I know that's not what you want, but it's true. If your mission in life is purely about ratings, you're willing to sacrifice professional values for entertainment.

Perhaps that's why news stations have taken different tacks - their missions are different. Newsboy favors journalism, and you favor entertainment. I don't think there's much room for a meeting of the minds here.