Among the many promises made in its just-approved takeover of NBC Universal, Comcast Corp. pledged to sustain and even add hundreds of hours to the news and public affairs programming at the 10 TV stations NBC owns around the country.
As a baby step in the right direction, NBC should start by putting in the garbage-disposal all those no-calorie "news" segments about, for example, "The Biggest Loser," "Law & Order," "America's Got Talent" and movies from Universal Pictures. Convert those time slots, instead, to some meat and potatoes coverage about what's happening in our neighborhoods, our schools, our city halls.
What makes you want to laugh (or is it cry?) are some of the stories listed under the report titled "Quarterly List of Programming Providing the Most Significant Treatment of Community Issues." In the last three months of 2010, there was a segment from Sept. 16 called "A giant inflatable gorilla has been stolen from a Simi Valley Kia dealership." Or this from Dec. 15: "KISS vocalist Paul Stanley has a second career as a painter."
Then come the multiple line items listing KNBC stories that shill for NBC's prime-time lineup, at least a handful for "The Biggest Loser," the same for "America's Got Talent," a couple of pieces on "Law & Order Los Angeles" and a story on the finale of the a cappella singing competition "The Sing Off."
