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L.A. County Supervisor Mike D. Antonovich adjourned the Supes meeting with a motion to mourn the reduction of live news coverage at Channel 5. It apparently got his goat that KTLA, once the go-to station for breaking news for many viewers, broke away from the fires too often. MDA followed up with a press release:
When we lost Hal Fishman, Channel 5 lost its leadership and its owner, the L.A. Times has failed to fill the void. Channel 5 used to be an institution that we really relied on and Stan Chambers was the number one news gatherer along with his colleagues from the other stations. People are watching the other channels to find out what’s happening --because KTLA is showing sitcom repeats and third-rate soap operas.
Jon Fleischman, publisher of the FlashReport politics blog, unofficially seconded the motion: "For the past few days, who amongst us hasn't been drawn to the television to watch, with rapt attention, the battle against the wildfires that are plaguing the Southland? Well, I can tell you, as someone who used to watch Channel 5's breaking news coverage, that I hate that I keep flipping over to KTLA only to find -- trash television. This morning is a perfect example -- while other channels were showing what was taking place in Lake Arrowhead, San Diego and Orange Counties, and up in Canyon Country -- Tribune Broadcasting was treating us to today's episode of... Jerry Springer!" One thing, guys: Unless I missed something Stan Chambers is still alive and has a book coming out in December.