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Revision as of 23:25, 17 November 2022 edit HangingCurve (talk \| contribs) Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers 99,885 edits →‎News operation: clarify ← Previous edit		Revision as of 18:00, 18 November 2022 edit undo HangingCurve (talk \| contribs) Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers 99,885 edits →‎News operation: Close was an 18-year veteran in the market at the time he became news director Next edit →
Line 106: ==News operation== [[File:Gallego on John Hook's Newsmaker Sunday.jpg\|thumb\|Congressman [[Ruben Gallego]] on ''John Hook's Newsmaker Saturday'' in 2019]] In 1964, Chauncey merged the KOOL radio and television ~~newsrooms~~news departments into a ~~were~~single ~~combined~~division under the management of aBill ~~new~~Close, ~~employee~~formerly ~~that~~of ~~moved~~KOY ~~over~~radio. ~~from~~Close ~~KOY~~was an 18-year veteran of Phoenix radio: ~~Bill~~and ~~Close,~~television ~~already~~at ~~being~~the ~~promoted~~time, byand ~~his~~KOOL ~~new~~billed ~~employer~~him as "the "Dean of Arizona ~~Newscasters"~~Broadcasters."<ref name="Ariz640808">{{Cite news \|date=August 8, 1964 \|title=KOOL News Staff Best In Southwest \|page=46 \|work=Arizona Republic \|location=Phoenix, Arizona \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90616342/kool-news-staff-best-in-southwest/ \|access-date=December 16, 2021 \|via=Newspapers.com \|archive-date=December 16, 2021 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211216081731/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90616342/kool-news-staff-best-in-southwest/ \|url-status=live }}</ref><!-- Sat --> The newsroom grew from six people when Close arrived to 23 by 1970, making it the largest among Phoenix's four news-producing stations;<ref name="Ariz700426">{{Cite news \|last=Wilmot \|first=Vic \|date=April 26, 1970 \|title=Video news content weighs heavily on shoulders of local newscasters \|page=N-5 \|work=Arizona Republic \|location=Phoenix, Arizona \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89550992/video-news-content-weighs-heavily-on/ \|access-date=December 16, 2021 \|via=Newspapers.com \|archive-date=November 26, 2021 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211126045353/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89550992/video-news-content-weighs-heavily-on/ \|url-status=live }}</ref><!-- Sun --> a helicopter, the first of several, was also added to the KOOL arsenal at that time.<ref name="Ariz790826">{{Cite news \|date=August 26, 1979 \|title=Big names, helicopters aid in TV news battle \|page=A-2 \|work=Arizona Republic \|location=Phoenix, Arizona \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85921903/big-names-helicopters-aid-in-tv-news/ \|access-date=December 16, 2021 \|via=Newspapers.com \|archive-date=December 16, 2021 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211216081728/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85921903/big-names-helicopters-aid-in-tv-news/ \|url-status=live }}</ref><!-- Sun --> Under Close's watch, ''KOOL News 10'' became the ~~traditional~~perennial news leader in Phoenix;. atAt one point, ~~the~~channel ~~station~~10's dominance was so absolute that its 6 p.m. ~~news broadcast~~newscast (anchored by Close) attracted 46 percent of all TV households in the market, the same share as the ''[[CBS Evening News]] with [[Walter Cronkite]]''.{{r\|Ariz820929}} The station's success produced people who went on to larger jobs, both in and out of Phoenix. In 1979, Kent Dana—who would become a fixture at KPNX and later KPHO—was hired from KOOL-TV, where he was anchoring the weekend news, by channel 12.<ref name="Ariz790810">{{Cite news \|last=Price \|first=Hardy \|date=August 10, 1979 \|title=KOOL newscaster Kent Dana to replace Hambrick at KPNX \|page=D-6 \|work=Arizona Republic \|location=Phoenix, Arizona \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85885625/kool-newscaster-kent-dana-to-replace/ \|access-date=December 16, 2021 \|via=Newspapers.com \|archive-date=December 16, 2021 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211216081724/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85885625/kool-newscaster-kent-dana-to-replace/ \|url-status=live }}</ref><!-- Fri --> KOOL was also the first Phoenix television station to win a [[Peabody Award]], doing so in 1980 for a documentary, ''The Long Eyes of [[Kitt Peak]]''.<ref name="Ariz800420">{{Cite news \|date=April 20, 1980 \|title=KOOL-TV wins Peabody Award \|page=G5 \|work=Arizona Republic \|agency=UPI \|location=Phoenix, Arizona \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90705205/kool-tv-wins-peabody-award/ \|access-date=December 17, 2021 \|via=Newspapers.com \|archive-date=December 17, 2021 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211217083216/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90705205/kool-tv-wins-peabody-award/ \|url-status=live }}</ref><!-- Sun --> On May 28, 1982, at about 5 p.m., Joseph Billie Gwin, wanting to "prevent [[World War III]]", forced his way into the KOOL-TV studios and fired a shot from his gun. The butt of the gun struck Luis Villa in the back of the head; Gwin then held Villa in a chokehold, at gunpoint, for nearly five hours. Gwin took four people hostage and demanded nationwide airtime. Two of the hostages, Jack Webb and Bob Cimino, were released three hours later. At 9:30 p.m., anchor Bill Close read a 25-minute statement as Gwin sat next to him holding a gun under the table; Close took Gwin's gun after the statement and set it on the table.<ref name="Ariz820529">{{Cite news \|date=May 29, 1982 \|title=Gunman gives up at TV studio: Apocalyptic vision aired under gaze of 'prophet' \|page=A1, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90653969/ A25] \|work=Arizona Republic \|location=Phoenix, Arizona \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90653932/gunman-gives-up-at-tv-studio-apocalypti/ \|access-date=December 16, 2021 \|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><!-- Sat --> Gwin surrendered to the police following the broadcast of the statement; he was charged with kidnapping, assault, and burglary and was later declared insane.<ref>{{Cite news \|date=May 30, 1982 \|title=Man Who Took 4 Hostages Faces Charges in Incident at TV Station \|page=24 \|work=The New York Times \|agency=Associated Press \|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/05/30/us/man-who-took-4-hostages-faces-charges-in-incident-at-tv-station.html \|access-date=September 23, 2021 \|archive-date=August 29, 2021 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210829223001/https://www.nytimes.com/1982/05/30/us/man-who-took-4-hostages-faces-charges-in-incident-at-tv-station.html \|url-status=live }}</ref> Gwin was put on parole and placed in a halfway house but violated that parole after assaulting two convenience store clerks in 1984;<ref>{{Cite news \|date=September 22, 1984 \|title=A man declared insane after taking over a Phoenix... \|publisher=United Press International \|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1984/09/22/A-man-declared-insane-after-taking-over-a-Phoenix/4149464673600/ \|access-date=September 23, 2021 \|archive-date=August 29, 2021 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210829215555/https://www.upi.com/Archives/1984/09/22/A-man-declared-insane-after-taking-over-a-Phoenix/4149464673600/ \|url-status=live }}</ref> he was released from prison in 2006.<ref name="Ariz100911">{{Cite news \|last=Ruelas \|first=Richard \|date=September 11, 2010 \|title=1982 hostage-taking at Phoenix TV station \|page=E1, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90654018/ E2] \|work=Arizona Republic \|location=Phoenix, Arizona \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90654013/1982-hostage-taking-at-phoenix-tv-statio/ \|access-date=December 16, 2021 \|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><!-- Sat --> InChannel 10 remained at the top of the ratings for a time after becoming KTSP-TV. However, in the late 1980s, after KTVK poached Miller and Alvidrez, ~~KTSP-TV~~channel 10's news ratings began to decline, not helped by a series of unforced errors. In 1989, KTSP newscaster [[Shelly Jamison]] left the station after appearing as both a cover model and posing nude in a ''[[Playboy]]'' pictorial.<ref name="PhoenixNewTimes">{{Cite news \|last=Webb \|first=Dewey \|date=August 30, 1989 \|title=On the Rink of A Vervous Breakdown \|work=[[Phoenix New Times]] \|url=http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/1989-08-30/news/on-the-rink-of-a-vervous-breakdown/full \|access-date=March 9, 2007 \|archive-date=September 30, 2007 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930152251/http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/1989-08-30/news/on-the-rink-of-a-vervous-breakdown/full \|url-status=live }}</ref> The most publicized move, however, was the 1991 dismissal of anchor Karen Carns, who found out she had been fired 15 minutes before the evening newscast when a newspaper reporter called to get her reaction.<ref name="Ariz940524a">{{Cite news \|last=Muller \|first=Bill \|date=May 24, 1994 \|title=Irony at 10: Anchorwoman may be getting the last laugh \|page=A11 \|work=Arizona Republic \|location=Phoenix, Arizona \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90695212/irony-at-10-anchorwoman-may-be-getting/ \|access-date=December 17, 2021 \|via=Newspapers.com \|archive-date=December 17, 2021 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211217030920/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90695212/irony-at-10-anchorwoman-may-be-getting/ \|url-status=live }}</ref><!-- Tue --> ByIn the February 1992 sweeps, KTSP-TV ~~had~~lost ~~failed~~the tolead ~~win the~~at 6 p.m. ~~local~~in ~~newscast~~both ~~ratings~~the inArbitron atand ~~least~~Nielsen ~~one of~~ratings, the ~~two~~first ~~television~~time ~~ratings~~in ~~services~~memory ofthat ~~the~~it ~~day~~had ~~(Arbitron~~failed ~~and~~to ~~Nielsen),~~win athat ~~historic first~~timeslot.<ref name="Ariz920307">{{Cite news \|date=March 7, 1992 \|title=February ratings reveal new trends in local market \|page=D8 \|work=Arizona Republic \|location=Phoenix, Arizona \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/34063954/february-ratings-reveal-new-trends-in/ \|access-date=December 17, 2021 \|via=Newspapers.com \|archive-date=December 17, 2021 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211217030842/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/34063954/february-ratings-reveal-new-trends-in/ \|url-status=live }}</ref><!-- Sat --> That year, Close retired from channel 10 after a 28-year career.{{r\|betrayed}} With the Fox switch, KSAZ-TV added 30 news staffers and increased its news output from three hours a day to seven, with the addition of the two-hour morning newscast ''Arizona Morning'', an additional early evening newscast at 5:30 p.m., and a 9 p.m. news hour, ''Arizona Prime''.<ref name="Ariz941211a">{{Cite news \|last=Walker \|first=Dave \|date=December 11, 1994 \|title=Stations expand news staff to lure viewers in transition \|page=A32 \|work=Arizona Republic \|location=Phoenix, Arizona \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90695624/stations-expand-news-staff-to-lure-viewe/ \|access-date=December 17, 2021 \|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><!-- Sun --> A simulcast of [[KTAR (AM)\|KTAR]] talk show ''McMahon Live'' with Pat McMahon was also added in late mornings. However, the switch proved to be very messy for the newsroom. Close, who said he felt "betrayed" by the affiliation switch, predicted that the station would lose its standing in local news.<ref name="betrayed">{{Cite news\|first=Barbara\|last=Holsopple\|work=The Phoenix Gazette\|page=D1\|date=May 24, 1994\|title=Pending sale creates turmoil at Valley TV stations\|id={{ProQuest\|245946642}} }}</ref> Ratings for KSAZ-TV's other newscasts declined after the switch, prompting morale to fall. ''Arizona Morning'' was retooled just months after its debut, and Heidi Foglesong—the former KTVK anchor who was the show's centerpiece—left after just over a year.<ref name="Ariz951210">{{Cite news \|last=Walker \|first=Dave \|date=December 10, 1995 \|title=First year of marriage 'tough' for Channel 10, Fox \|page=F1, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90696152/channel-10-manager-senses-ratings-reboun/ F6] \|work=Arizona Republic \|location=Phoenix, Arizona \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90696089/first-year-of-marriage-tough-for-chann/ \|access-date=December 17, 2021 \|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><!-- Sun --> The McMahon program was dropped in January 1996.<ref name="Ariz960130">{{Cite news \|last=Walker \|first=Dave \|date=January 30, 1996 \|title='Unflappable' newsman Patterson travels into retirement from Ch. 10 \|page=C5 \|work=Arizona Republic \|location=Phoenix, Arizona \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90696290/unflappable-newsman-patterson-travels/ \|access-date=December 17, 2021 \|via=Newspapers.com \|archive-date=December 17, 2021 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211217030839/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90696290/unflappable-newsman-patterson-travels/ \|url-status=live }}</ref><!-- Tue -->