While watching the local and national news recently, I hearkened back to the 1950s when TV news was void of all the theatrics and proud puffing. Today we hear that station WBUZZ got the “exclusive report” on the upcoming storm, or WGRIM indicates that the station has the “exclusive report” on faulty skateboard wheels. My question is, do we really care? I think not. We just want the news reported fairly and professionally without all the pomp and circumstance.

During the 1950s there were no cute interactions between the various anchor people on the news. Weather was presented without all the hoopla and the Doppler 5,000 predictions. We became accustomed to quality in reporting. When the news program was over, the anchors signed off without all the laughing and chortling. A simple, “Good night, Chet. Good night, David,” or, “And that’s the way it is,” was all we ever needed back then. Nothing wrong with reincarnating it today.

 …