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September 13, 2022 2:04 pm  #1


Is The TV Coverage Of The Queen's Death Becoming Over-The-Top?

Alright, I admit it – a lot of people won’t like what they’re about to read. But it has to be asked: does anyone else find that the coverage of the Queen’s death is starting to get a little over the top?
 
I say this after watching what passed for CTV’s local News at Noon. They dealt with the death of the police officer off the top as they should and then went into the Queen’s casket about to leave Scotland on board a royal airplane.
 
Certainly a worthwhile story. Except this particular newscast did a debrief with reporter Joy Malbon on the ground at the airport that went on for at least 7 minutes. She and anchor Nathan Downer talked and talked and talked and talked and then talked some more, presumably hoping the plane would taxi off the tarmac and lift into the air on its way home to London.
 
But it didn’t happen. So they chatted some more, so much that they started to venture into arcane territory.
 
When it finally became almost unbearable, they thanked Malbon and Downer then went to a royal historian. They proceeded to do a Q&A for even longer, what seemed like an interminable 10 minutes or more, still waiting for that damn plane to leave the runway. But it sat stubbornly on the ground, as the two talked about everything and nothing for what felt like an eternity.
 
Finally, when they’d just about exhausted everything, they were forced to go to a weather promo, a few commercials, Lyndsay Morrison’s forecast and then another spot – which they went into with viz of the plane in the air.
 
So not only did they waste all that time waiting for the thing to lift off, when it finally did, they missed it.  
 
This is what I mean by over the top. I admit this is a significant story and while I’m no fan of the monarchy, I did respect the Queen and her incredible 70 years of service. And while I expect the funeral coverage to be wall-to-wall, how much is too much? When does the breathless non-stop coverage over the most minute events surrounding this sad tragedy become almost a parody of itself?
 
While the interest is most assuredly high, I think we’ve reached that point in 20-minute debriefs, in which the main news is dealt with in about 5 minutes and the rest is just filler.
 
And by the way CTV, I know what a plane taking off looks like. I don’t need for you to wait to show me how it happens for half an hour. (In fairness, CBC did the exact same thing at noon, but I expect that of them.) But surely there must be other news that’s being ignored so we can waste time on this. Monday's funeral is going to be a very long day on TV...

 

September 13, 2022 5:03 pm  #2


Re: Is The TV Coverage Of The Queen's Death Becoming Over-The-Top?

https://twitter.com/Platinum2022/status/1569648390920716289?t=an9eLUO5oQhf_OudV2tlzw&s=19

way OTT and the same on social media too, tho some of the quirky details are fascinating but I've tuned out

 

September 13, 2022 5:26 pm  #3


Re: Is The TV Coverage Of The Queen's Death Becoming Over-The-Top?

BBC explains to its viewers that the sketch of the Queen and Paddington Bear used CGI and Paddington Bear isn't actually real.

https://twitter.com/benjamincohen/status/1568952472592424962?s=20&t=vLaxy4F-aNRAVPCM0Oh6ig

 

September 13, 2022 5:54 pm  #4


Re: Is The TV Coverage Of The Queen's Death Becoming Over-The-Top?

Radio Active 


  •  Is The TV Coverage Of The Queen's Death Becoming Over-The-Top?

Depends on your nationality and what news you are watching. There is quality TV coverage out there ( Not North American ) Suggest watching BBC world news they did 10 mins on it and moved on . I'm a Brit, and it's my heritage, so we come from at it from different angles. What other stories should be dominating the news ?

 

September 13, 2022 7:17 pm  #5


Re: Is The TV Coverage Of The Queen's Death Becoming Over-The-Top?

Stinand wrote:

Radio Active 


  •  Is The TV Coverage Of The Queen's Death Becoming Over-The-Top?

Depends on your nationality and what news you are watching. There is quality TV coverage out there ( Not North American ) Suggest watching BBC world news they did 10 mins on it and moved on . I'm a Brit, and it's my heritage, so we come from at it from different angles. What other stories should be dominating the news ?

Don't get me wrong - this is one of the biggest stories in the past few decades. The death of the Queen who served for 70 years is a huge deal around the world and well worthy of coverage.

My beef with what I've seen over the past few days is that, in their zeal to cover every teeny, weeny aspect of the event, they sometimes go overboard. Watching a plane sit on a runway for 20 minutes in an hour-long news show is a complete waste of time that contributes nothing to advancing the story. Vamping with "experts" to the point that neither they nor the hosts have anything left to say is a waste of the viewers and air time. 

If they wanted to get the jet taking off, then go to other aspects of the story or even another yarn, then come back when there's something to see. You're an old showman - you know about pacing and keeping an audience waiting. There's only so much you can do before that audience gets restless. There's a lot of sidebars to cover on this sad story. Maybe they could go to one of them while they're waiting. 

That was my point, not that the story wasn't worthwhile.  

     Thread Starter
 

September 13, 2022 7:18 pm  #6


Re: Is The TV Coverage Of The Queen's Death Becoming Over-The-Top?

I have been a little surprised at the amount of coverage on the CTV OTA network. They have had more on during the daytime than any of the other main networks.  CBC main network in the afternoon has more or less had regular programming yesterday and today.  The news networks you would expect more, but all are mixing in other news more and more. CNN initially was a surprise at how much coverage this was getting but is now backing off slightly.  

All of the networks to me so far have done a decent job.  BBC's is at a higher level but it should be.  Is the coverage over the top?  You ain't seen nothing yet...

 

September 14, 2022 4:04 pm  #7


Re: Is The TV Coverage Of The Queen's Death Becoming Over-The-Top?

 

September 14, 2022 4:17 pm  #8


Re: Is The TV Coverage Of The Queen's Death Becoming Over-The-Top?

CTV's excessive coverage would make sense if John Bassett were still alive - under his ownership CFTO would play God Save the Queen along with O Canada at sign off and sign on long into the 1980s - accompanied by old film of Elzabeth Windsor on horseback.

 

September 14, 2022 4:36 pm  #9


Re: Is The TV Coverage Of The Queen's Death Becoming Over-The-Top?

Majority of Canadians unaffected by Queen Elizabeth’s death: poll
https://globalnews.ca/news/9125023/queen-elizabeth-death-canada-poll/

 

September 14, 2022 7:41 pm  #10


Re: Is The TV Coverage Of The Queen's Death Becoming Over-The-Top?

rje1 wrote:

cash wrote:

Majority of Canadians unaffected by Queen Elizabeth’s death: poll
https://globalnews.ca/news/9125023/queen-elizabeth-death-canada-poll/

I just wanted a holiday but Doug said no.
Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec and Nova Scotia have also said no stat holiday at least for private sector workers.

 

 

 

September 14, 2022 8:43 pm  #11


Re: Is The TV Coverage Of The Queen's Death Becoming Over-The-Top?

Bill Dulmage wrote:

I am a fan of The Queen (not so sold on the new King - we'll see). Always have been. I get the admiration for The Queen from my late mother. Never really sure what dad felt toward the Monarchy, but he did serve in the ROYAL Canadian Army for 12 or so years. My brother is not a fan of anything Royal. On the day QE II passed, I watched CBC News Network. Since then I've been watching CBC World News. I don't know what the Canadian channels are doing. I do know in listening to some U.S. radio that a lot of Americans are ticked off about all of the Queen stuff on US cable, especially on Sunday when it was felt that they should have been covering 9-11 events. If I were American, I think I would be upset. I just moved from Cobourg to nearby Port Hope on September 1 and have cable for the first time in about 20 years. I am glad I have access to all the news channels, especially BBC World News - at least on this occasion. It's something like 12 days of mourning. That's a long time, so it can be wearing thin for many. For me, as long as it's not just a repeat of older material over and over, I am okay with the coverage. BBC WN takes breaks to cover a few other stories - Ukraine in particular. NO, I do not have the TV on 24/7!

Actually the Canadian Army is the only branch of the Canadian Forces that does not use the prefix "Royal".  This is due to Commonwealth militaries taking their lead from the British.  In the U.K, New Zealand, Australia and here, only the Naval and Air Forces carry the prefix.

Many Army regiments in all the nations however, do carry the prefix and I served in one for 6 years.  Mine was one of only four to have then Prince Charles made our Honorary Colonel in Chief in 1978.  While the ceremonies over 4 days were a once in a lifetime experience;  I can tell you that the couple of months of rehearsals was no joy...especially when wearing Scarlett tunics and a Bearskin! 

The following link explain the history of the British Army in relation to the absence of the "Royal" prefix.

My gratitude to your father for his service.

Why Is It British Army And Not Royal Army? (forces.net)



 

Last edited by Media Observer (September 14, 2022 9:44 pm)

 

September 14, 2022 9:42 pm  #12


Re: Is The TV Coverage Of The Queen's Death Becoming Over-The-Top?

Bill Dulmage wrote:

True. Thank you. Memories fade with age. Regardless, he still joined the Canadian Army and swore that he would be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Her heirs and successors.... that was the point.

... and a well made and deserved point it was!  I remember well taking the oath and I was damn proud of it. I fully get the memory thing Bill.  It took me awhile to recall the year we did the command ceremony.  I tell you honestly,  thank God for Internet resources!
 

 

September 18, 2022 12:55 pm  #13


Re: Is The TV Coverage Of The Queen's Death Becoming Over-The-Top?

Interestingly, in 1935 when George V died "The King’s death and funeral were also treated with great reverence and care. Indeed, the Commission went off the air on both days as a mark of respect." https://cjc.utpjournals.press/doi/full/10.22230/cjc.1994v19n2a806 

The Commission being the CBC's predecessor, the CRBC. According to another source I read the other day, the CRBC delivered a solemn 15 minute news bulletin announcing the King's death and then promptly went off the air - leaving listeners to tune to American radio to try to find out details about the King's funeral etc, prompting complaints in the House of Commons. 

 

September 18, 2022 1:36 pm  #14


Re: Is The TV Coverage Of The Queen's Death Becoming Over-The-Top?

Hansa wrote:

Interestingly, in 1935 when George V died "The King’s death and funeral were also treated with great reverence and care. Indeed, the Commission went off the air on both days as a mark of respect." https://cjc.utpjournals.press/doi/full/10.22230/cjc.1994v19n2a806 

The Commission being the CBC's predecessor, the CRBC. According to another source I read the other day, the CRBC delivered a solemn 15 minute news bulletin announcing the King's death and then promptly went off the air - leaving listeners to tune to American radio to try to find out details about the King's funeral etc, prompting complaints in the House of Commons. 

Sounds like something that the public broadcaster of the day would do.  People could still tune into local private stations across the country.  The CRBC was not the only game in town.  

CTV News mentioned yesterday that up to 4 billion people could be tuning in to at least part of the funeral tomorrow.