There are problems sometimes that come at the end of the newscast or sometimes it happens by the bottom of the show block. Wherever it appears, it’s often a challenge. It’s the end piece …the kicker.
It’s that thing we strive for, for no other reason that we feel bad about all the misery we’ve presented to our audience over the previous several minutes.
With TV news, its often a smashing bit involving a delightful animal stunt or a precocious child wowing us with some hair-raising talent or astonishing utterance. In radio, it comes from the depths of The Weird, Wild Stuff Vault containing the strange but true tales of funny slices of life. Usually, they’re cute, they are often forced and for the most part, I cannot abide them.
I say that with restraint as I focus on the forced in my explanation. It appears to be that it has little to do with the balance of news stories but more likely to offer a reset or a palate cleanser for the audience as much of what we present on any given day is of a serious and deflating nature.
Beyond serious in many cases as the crimes of violence, tragedy is then trickled down to issues of misfeasance or malfeasance, partisan politics and the bills and referendums that many times cause an audience to tune or zone …out (Just ask them, it happens more than you think.)
So, we reach for the kicker as a method of refreshment, a little jolt of what’s good and pure in the world to zap our gallery back into the moment and often to regain their attention.
I had a co-worker who swore by the kicker stories, often planning an entire show block around them. That’s fine, I guess, when they naturally materialize but those magic moments of merriment don’t just show up on your doorstep every day. That’s not real.
Let’s see, what have I presented this week that perhaps qualifies?
1: A survey finding people from Philadelphia are the rudest in the country.
2: University of Hong Kong count the number of ants on the planet.
3: A warning not to cook your chicken in Nyquil.
Too much of a good thing?
I’m told there are some schools of thought, even some college journalism programs almost dictating the inclusion of the kicker stories to “balance out the newscast”.
I consider that to be a rather tall order, even an unrealistic expectation.
I expect there to be the simple elements of occurrence both local and national that we can reach for to entertain our respective audience groups but when you look as though only dangling a set of keys in front of them to regain or divert their attention, the practice will lose its allure pretty fast.
There are plenty of avenues to showcase segments of great video, audio or stories all by themselves. A repetition of consistently displaced media will often wear on an outlet’s credibility given enough time.
The Moment of Zen works well for The Daily Show, largely because we’ve come to expect it as part of the program’s regular and established charm. It generally cannot work the same in local or even network news shows as a regularly positioned segment because it could more likely than not make the newscasts appear choreographed.
A television A-Block always containing local news because the show format or philosophy is Lead Local will appear predictable and overly structured. What happens from one day to the next cannot and should not be tamed to fit a template. We know often no matter how hard we try, national stories become the defacto lead and fighting that concept can make the difference between a good show and a bad one.
We cannot guarantee the local story will trump the national happening so how we can expect a cute kid or a fluffy bunny to come along everyday to warm the hearts of watchers, listeners and readers?
So why not wait?
Look at this way, the fun story about a dog will certainly trend better than anything involving a cat so why not hold out for the dog?
(Yup, I said it. Cat people, you know where to direct your comments, I’m listening.)
In other words, why cram something in a slot because it might work or qualify as an end piece? Low hanging fruit is generally as advertised; diluted, watery and without flavor.
ICYDK…Kangaroos always make for good kickers.
Bill Zito has devoted most of his work efforts to broadcast news since 1999. He made the career switch after serving a dozen years as a police officer on both coasts. Splitting the time between Radio and TV, he’s worked for ABC News and Fox News, News 12 New York , The Weather Channel and KIRO and KOMO in Seattle. He writes, edits and anchors for Audacy’s WTIC-AM in Hartford and lives in New England. You can find him on Twitter @BillZitoNEWS.
