NewsMcNabb

Broadcast news, what news?: An Austin newscast analysis

You’re watching the 6 o’clock news. The weather is over. It’s still going to be hot. Shocking. Now, you’re waiting to watch the sports story teased earlier in the newscast.

Sports should start right after the next commercial. Nope. Another commercial. Then, another, and another. Only the strong, motivated or stubborn survive to see a smattering of sports.

Let’s get things straight. First of all, you’re not watching the 6 o'clock news. You are watching the 5:59 p.m. news. All Austin stations with news at that hour cut away from network promotional spots somewhere around 5:59 p.m. when the network anchor says, “Goodbye.”

Next, you’re not really watching the news, weather and sports. You’re watching lots of commercials or promotional spots, most of them after the weather report. All this is according to a content analysis of KEYE TV (CBS), KVUE (ABC), and KXAN TV (NBC) I conducted earlier this month.

KXAN had the most commercials during the newscast averaging around 22. KEYE came in second with 19 or more. KVUE had the fewest with around 18. The majority of the commercials run after the weather.

Speaking of weather, weather is the driver. All three of the stations, know that weather is what is driving the audience forward in the newscast. Even singer/songwriter Paul Simon knew that when he penned the lyric, “I can get the news I need from the weather report” in the song “Only Living Boy in New York” in 1969 or so (“Bridge Over Troubled Water” album).

Why are there at least two weather teases (or promotions) before the weathercast even starts about 16 minutes past the hour? It's because the stations want to keep you watching past the quarter-hour mark. If they can hold on to viewers after the next quarter hour at 6:15 p.m., Nielsen gives the station credit for the second quarter hour in the ratings.

So, before 6:15 p.m. or so, you’re only going to see something like four to seven commercials. After the weather, commercials explode: KXAN with 14 or more, KEYE with a dozen, and KVUE with around ten. Another question: Why do they cram these commercials in this 31-minute period? Easy. Commercials running inside the newscasts cost more.

The news ends at 6:30 p.m. right? Wrong. KXAN and KVUE end their news at 6:27, KEYE at 6:28. What fills up the time between 6:27 and 6:30? One guess — you got it, commercials!

Other than the weather, weather teases, and the commercials what are you watching?

You do get news for 10 - 12 minutes. Most of the content is reactive. Certainly, the effects of the scorching weather were the dominate stories on this day. Otherwise, there was little originality — precious little. Quita Culpepper, David Scott, and Rhonda Lee caught my eye during the period. KXAN does have a different take from the Hill Country. Every station covered the drowning, plane crash, news conference, police stories, grass fires, and the latest on Rick Perry. You’re only seeing eight to 14 stories. That’s it. Count them. It’s true.

KEYE had the most stories with 14 one night, but that was an anomaly. It was more like ten on KEYE other nights. Story count can depend on the producer who put the newscast together and of course the length of the stories. Weather is the driver, but due to our predictable summer weather, all are giving the weathercasters only about three and a half minutes. KVUE’s Mark Murray seems to get 30 seconds more.

That sports story you were waiting for could be the only story in the sportscast since sports happens last in the newscast. Poor Roger Wallace only got 40-seconds one night due to the amount of time devoted to a good cause, the Eldercare Fan Drive. Most of the time, sportscasters get only two to two-and-a-half minutes.

KEYE’s Texas Sports Nation is tricky. Texas Sports Nation starts around 20 minutes past the hour. Is it a full 10 minutes of sports? Not hardly. KEYE scatters commercials throughout the sports. The final score? About three minutes. Two and a half minutes most of the time. It’s still more than the other stations.

So, which station is doing the best job? Here are the facts. You be the judge.

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SKIN IN THE GAME

Renowned Hill Country tattoo artist inks new sacred geometry app

Photo courtesy of Dillon Forte

Dillion Forte at his "tattoo ranch" in the Texas Hill Country.

In the world of tattooing, there may seem to be few better rat traps left to build, but Dillon Forte aims to change that. In October, the renowned Wimberley-based tattoo artist and entrepreneur introduced a new iPadOS app to bring ancient symbology into the digital age.

Forte has made a worldwide name for his black dot work (a contemporary take on stick-and-poke techniques) and ambitious undertakings like tattooing underwater and opening a “tattoo ranch.” His ink appears on Usher, Chris Hemsworth, and Kehlani.

Still, he is most recognized for his sacred geometry designs, using patterns to convey various meanings. His interest led him to create the Sacred Geometry Drawing App, a convenient way for novices and experts to develop and export their creations.

The app grew out of his own practice. Over the past decade, he has used tablets and freehand techniques to achieve his highly symmetrical artwork but grew to realize existing tools were not always easy to use.

“The app is an attempt and fulfillment of my desire to make sacred geometry accessible and bring the ability to create into the fingertips of as many people as possible,” Forte tells CultureMap via email, adding a tagline: “symmetry made simply.”

He says he wished the app was available when developing his signature style as a tattoo artist, but it was designed with a broad range of users in mind. He hopes that designers, educators, and artists will find a use for it.

A short intro to the app's capabilities is available on YouTube. It looks like a standard drawing app, starting with a blank canvas and some tools like pens, pencils, colors, and of course, straight line and dot makers.

A "symmetry index" anchors the functionality and expands it to something between 2D art and 3D modeling. In addition to generating shapes like repeating patterns and spirals, the app also creates 3D shapes with grids, so that the artist can map their design in real space or even create sculptures. There is also an index for explaining the spiritual meaning of some standard designs.

“Geometry often prompts an intimidating feeling when it comes to making art,” Forte continues. “The fundamentally complex and often academic nature of math-based art can induce a sense of fear in the potential user instead of creating a sense of awe. The purpose of the sacred geometry app is to cultivate the latter."

Creatives interested in constructing their own geometric masterpieces can download the app at the App Store for free, and in-app purchases are available.

technology apps tattoos arts