No, I Will Not Do The Good Day
You can’t be serious. It’s a TV ad! It’s a radio ad! It’s even a subway ad! You even have the gall to claim on the subway ads that “everyone is doing it!” Really? The only people I’ve seen do it are the anchors and their zombie-like backup dancers in the promos on TV. The only dance I think anyone watching Good Day New York would actually do has two steps: 1. pick up the remote, 2. change the channel to something that doesn’t suck.
Seriously, how did you pitch this idea?
Fox 5 Promo Director: So, we’ve done something thinking, and you know what Good Day New York needs?
Fox 5 News Director: Better graphics? A new set? More actual news content and fewer interview segments with washed-up musicians from the 1970s?
Fox 5 Promo Director: No! A DANCE!
A dance! Of course! Because if there’s one thing that a news program inspires me to do, it’s getting up and dancing! Today on Good Day New York, a house fire kills a family of seven… stocks plunged 350 points yesterday… a father is accused of killing his own child… but FIRST, LET’S DANCE!
I have so many questions: did you hire a choreographer to put this thing together? Did you audition backup dancers? How many studio singers did you have to hire? And how much coaxing did it take to get your anchors to actually participate in this thing? Can you imagine Ron Corning ever trying to seek another job?
“Sorry, sir. We wanted to hire you as a CNN reporter, but we have high standards here. Nobody can take you seriously because of that dance you did in New York back in 2007.”
“Sorry, sir. We wanted to hire you as a Entertainment Tonight reporter, but our viewers can’t believe your report of Paris Hilton’s overdose when they picture you doing that dance you did in New York back in 2007.”
“Sorry, sir. We wanted to hire you as the new host of So You Think You Can Dance, but those dance moves you pulled in New York back in 2007 were absolutely awful.”
So, no, Fox 5, I will not do “The Good Day.” Not now. Not ever. And if I ever see a group of New Yorkers whip out “The Good Day” on the dance floor, I may have to throw a television at them.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 6th, 2007 at 12:31 pm and is filed under Life in NYC, The Media. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
November 6th, 2007 at 2:37 pm
Ha Ha Sound says:It would be cool to see Rupert Murdoch do a striptease, though.
November 6th, 2007 at 3:28 pm
Val says:i like good day…
November 6th, 2007 at 4:51 pm
Paul says:I can’t listen to the sound at work, and I’m too lazy to pull out my headphones…but just the video alone had me in hysterics. I’m going home to practice.
November 8th, 2007 at 2:33 pm
Gwin says:yes! I saw this ad on the subway the other day and was wondering when you’d call them out on their total idiocy. “everybody’s doing it,” indeed.
November 8th, 2007 at 6:25 pm
Brian says:spot on dude….. Ron Corning lol!
November 14th, 2007 at 2:23 pm
John says:Lighten up! Good Day New York is like most morning shows - a MIX of news, pop culture, anchor involvement, and camp. Look at the Today Show. They dress up for Halloween, go ice skating on the rink, interview Kermit the Frog, AND cover the war in Iraq and Katrina. Hell even Brian Williams just hosted SNL and played other ‘characters’ in the skits. Morning TV isn’t just about the content, it’s about liking the personalities that are delivering the news, and feeling like you can relate. I work at the competition and frankly I watch GOOD DAY because I think our show is missing some of the flavor those guys provide. As for the promo campaign, when you take it out of context it’s easy to bash it. But in the context of the show it really is a fun way to promote the show. The anchors have made fun of themselves for the promo, which is endearing. And one final note - it’s memorable. Viewers and people in the biz are talking about it. When was the last time ‘Weather and traffic never more than 7 minutes away’ got your attention.
November 14th, 2007 at 3:02 pm
Chris says:John: When was the last time ‘Weather and traffic never more than 7 minutes away’ got your attention.
The last time? This morning, like every morning, when I wanted to know what the weather was, not how to do a three-step dance.
Also, if you’re saying that legitimate journalists can be taken seriously after stints on morning shows, how do you explain Katie Couric’s plummeting ratings at CBS?
November 14th, 2007 at 5:43 pm
John says:Katie stepped into a third rated newscast with a completely different demographic that had no appreciation or tolerance for the kind of newscast she tried to produce. And the morning audience didn’t follow her to evenings because she looked uncomfortable as a solo anchor behind a desk. She always worked best with a partner, and with a mix of fluff and serious news. On the flipside, how do you explain Charlie Gibson’s rise to number 1? He also had snowball fights with Diane Sawyer, rode around on a mini-cycle with clowns from Barnum and Bailey, and did endless segments of back to school must haves. If you don’t like Good Day or the anchors don’t watch. But to try and single it out for it’s promotion campaign and everyday content is ridiculous. The show, by the way, is beating out Today and GMA some mornings, and is always number 1 among women 25-49 (the key demos for advertisers).
November 14th, 2007 at 8:28 pm
Chris says:John: That’s why I watch something other than that crap in the morning… I’m not in their target. I work in advertising, and I used to work in TV news. I know that you have to give them what they want, and it’s all about the bottom line. But you can’t disagree with me that when it’s called “news,” Good Day - and nearly every morning show with the exception of CNN and NY1 - cheapens what passes as journalism these days.
By the way, “Weather and traffic never more than 7 minutes away” works for WABC in the morning from 5-7am. They’re #1 across nearly every demo.
November 14th, 2007 at 9:17 pm
John says:They also have the benefit of #1 primetime shows the night before, and sold lead-ins into all news dayparts. Channel 7 is not #1 because they keep telling people over and over and over that traffic and weather are 7 minutes away. There are conditions that make 7 #1 by no fault of their own.
November 14th, 2007 at 11:17 pm
Chris says:John: Channel 7 was #1 in the morning long before ABC creeped back into the primetime race. And who’s #2? WNBC, who has a similar straightforward hard-news formula in the morning.
I don’t buy into the myth that you wake up to the same station you fall asleep to. With cable causing so much parity in prime time, fewer and fewer people are falling asleep to network affiliates. But even if you want to make the case that primetime programming creates audience continuity between late news and early morning, WABC’s promos in prime for their local morning news simply promote hard news, traffic, and weather, and they’re still #1.
Also, I don’t think Fox 5 is beating Today and GMA on some mornings because it’s good - it’s because beating them because it’s local programming. Guess what local programming delivers in New York? Traffic and weather! They may pepper it with singing and dancing, but it’s still got local content that viewers want in the early morning daypart.
November 15th, 2007 at 9:32 am
Ryan says:Chris - you kind of make John’s point. People do choose to change the channel and channel surf even in the morning and they stop at stuff of interest. Good Day is counter programming which explains some of the viewership. BUT being a viewer myself I can say firsthand they do a lot more than traffic and weather. They have great Regis and Kelly banter/chemistry and highlight some cool local people and places. Remember, if you watch the Today show you can still get local traffic and weather during the local cut-ins. Good Day is actually an entertaining show. You’re not giving it the credit it deserves. I admit some of the local news content is redundant but I find myself stopping and watching for chunks of time when Jodi and Ron are doing other stuff.
November 15th, 2007 at 12:24 pm
Chris says:Ryan: I realize I’m kind of making his point, but I’m arguing that the only reason for GDNY’s success is because they counterprogram - not because of the quality of their banter/chemistry. That’s why GDNY’s ratings rise dramatically between the 6:00 hour and the 7:00 hour. It’s not that they’re good - it’s that there’s really no other option (aside from CW11. And don’t get me started on them).
November 15th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
John says:Last time I checked every single station in town, except 9, offered local news at 6am. 2,4,5,7, and 11. Then every station offers weather and traffic in the way of cut-ins during the national shows. As for the counterprogramming I agree to a certain extent, but because GDNY is the FOX flagship station in the #1 market they actually get some pretty good celebrities allowing them to compete to some degree with Today and GMA. I used to work at one of the labels and we booked people on GDNY all the time, granted not to the same extent as Good Day LA but as an exampe Leann Rimes was on today. Everyone in the booking business knows Jodi from her days at Weekend Today on NBC, and Ron Corning used to be at ABC as a contributor to GMA. The point is, there are choices. Not everyone like Diane Sawyer, so they watch Today. Not everyone likes GDNY, but those of us who do watch it and like it appreciate the dance bit and think it reflects the spirit of the show. Don’t get it, or like it? Just don’t watch.
November 15th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
Chris says:John: Now I think you’re missing my point. Yes, every station offers news at 6am. And WABC is #1 at 6am. The concept of counterprogramming is not rooted in GDNY’s offering of celebrity interviews - it’s rooted in its offering of local news, traffic, and weather more consistently than a cut-in at :25 and :55. That’s why GDNY does so well after 7am.
If WABC - or even WNBC - were able to offer a local morning show in place of national programming - I think they would kill from 7-9am. The same thing happens in radio - in most markets, yes, syndicated morning shows do well, but the local show almost always ranks higher - even though it’s not any better.
November 15th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
John says:OY
November 19th, 2007 at 3:35 pm
ryan says:So now the CW 11 has decided to essentially take a lead from Good Day but in the form of a song with the anchors lip-syncing. Kind of catchy and cute, but not well done, and a just a little too close to GDNY’s campaign.
November 26th, 2007 at 2:47 am
BD says:I couldn’t agree with you more. The unbelievable stupidity of this campaign has further solidified my belief that all local news is worthless. Even in NYC.