|
|
WTTW wise to hold on to Ponce
| January 29, 2004 |
| Posted by Mitchell | Entry 141 |
Laura Washington
Chicago Sun Times Aug 19, 2002
WTTW wise to hold on to Ponce ; Phil Ponce is poised to sign a new contract
to stay on with Channel 11, but the Latino community is steamed about his
"demotion." Details at 10.
That's the latest headline on the ongoing debate over plans to overhaul
"Chicago Tonight," WTTW-Channel 11's venerable nightly public affairs show.
Last month, I told you that Network Chicago, the parent company of WTTW,
plans to expand the show to an hour in the fall and has hired veteran
broadcaster
Bob Sirott to replace Ponce, the current host. The station is negotiating
a new contract with Ponce to provide news and analysis. For some viewers,
the debate comes down to news vs. entertainment. Sirott, 52, is a former
disc jockey and morning news anchor known for his irreverent humor.
Ponce, 52, has hosted "Chicago Tonight" for three years and was a national
news correspondent before that. Some wondered whether the push to broaden
the feature-oriented content would "dumb down" the show. Station management
has pledged to honor the show's high standards and boost its ratings. They
urged viewers to stay tuned. But on Aug. 7, Mary Gonzalez-Koenig, president
of the Chicago-based Latino Council on the Media, a 24-year-old advocacy
group that promotes Latinos in the media, said in a letter to the 45-member
board of directors of Network Chicago that community leaders fear that
Ponce will be "placed in a subservient and potentially vulnerable position"
to Sirott. "The only Latino on-camera news professional WTTW has is Phil
Ponce.
We seriously object to what appears to be his demotion and slotting
in a program that is not up to the high standards of broadcasting for which
WTTW has been known." Dozens of similar letters and e-mails have been sent
to Network Chicago President and CEO Dan Schmidt and the board, she says.
Ponce, a Mexican American, is "a top-notch journalist who happens to be
Latino. His visibility should not be diminished," she added. Not to worry,
Schmidt says. He wrote Gonzalez-Koenig that "We have never been more
committed
to preserving the respected reputation of our signature news analysis
program.
It was never our plan to replace Phil with Bob Sirott. They are both
talented
broadcasters and they will work together to serve different roles." In fact, Schmidt says, he is on the verge of signing a new contract with Ponce
that will name him "anchor of the news analysis portion of 'Chicago
Tonight.'"
And Ponce will have total control of that segment.
Ponce declined to comment on the proposed changes or his negotiations
with the station. I predict Ponce will remain at the station and continue
to produce award-winning journalism. But the Latino Council's protest
raises
a bigger question: Can WTTW overcome its shortcomings on diversity? For
example, Ponce is not only the station's "only on-camera Latino
professional."
He's the only person of color in that role, period. And the team of top
professionals that produces "Chicago Tonight," which once included three
African Americans, now has one. Chicago's commercial stations have a far
better track record. Every one of the city's five major stations boasts
a black, Latino or Asian anchor, and some have more than one. Dozens more
toil as reporters and producers. Those stations have figured out that if
they want to get the respect and attention from communities of color, they
had better hire their talent. WTTW is a nonprofit station with an estimated
$46 million budget. Its airwaves are owned by and should reflect the
community.
Schmidt argues that hiring minorities is tough for a public station
that must grapple with a smaller budget and lower staff turnover. "It's
not good enough," he admits, "but I can tell you that it's better than
it was." As of 2001, according to the most recent numbers available, 22
percent of the station's staff of 375 were black, Latino or Asian, up from
18 percent of 343 employees in 2000. And 17 percent of the station's
management
and professional staff were people of color. He is especially proud of
his board, which is 22 percent minority. But Schmidt adds he is determined
to boost those numbers. No one is happier to hear that than me. For more
than a decade, I have been a guest analyst on "Chicago Tonight" (although
if I keep this up, that may change). Change brings opportunity. Sandra
Guthman, the respected Chicago philanthropist who was just elected
chairwoman
of the Network Chicago board, argues that "as with any institution, we
could always do better." And she promised that they will.
Keeping Phil Ponce in the fold is a smart start. E-mail:
lauraswashington@aol.com
Public TV's staff should reflect its diverse audience
Phil Ponce (left photo, at right) interviews the Republican candidates
for governor on "Chicago Tonight" in February. WTTW plans to expand its
public affairs show from half an hour to an hour in the fall and add
veteran
broadcaster Bob Sirott (above). Not everyone is happy with the change.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner.
Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission. DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed on this
website are those of the individual members of Chicago Media
Action who authored them, and not necessarily those of the entire
membership of Chicago Media Action, nor of Chicago Media Action
as an organization.
FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. |
