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CBC SUPPER TIME NEWS WITH JIM NUNN IS A WINNER, SO FAR |
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Written by Alex J. Walling
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Sunday, 09 March 2008 |
By Alex J.Walling
 It’s time to cue up the old Gerry and the Pacemakers 45 called 'I like it'. That's my sentiment on the nearly six-months-old new suppertime news hour with Jim Nunn and Peter Coade. The show is working because of two simple reasons; the second is the content and first is Nunn, Jim Nunn, sounds a bit like, Bond, James Bond.
There was nothing wrong with Norma Lee McLeod who did the program in the past, she is good, competent and professional and I’m delighted that as the show’s producer she is often on the program but Nunn, like the late Tom Snyder, was born for Television. There's a mix of confidence, part vanity, knowledge, earned at many levels of the business, and part showman.
It seems you either like him or not and I’m betting, over time, most will like him.
Nunn may be old fashioned but he can deliver. In fact, I would have hated to see anyone else have to deal with the myriad of messy technical mistakes that came with the launch of this show in the first few months. Man, it was horrible and I actually felt bad for Nunn. Gaff upon gaff, goof after goof, tech screw-up after tech screw up occurred (and they still do but not as frequent) as the show was launched last fall. Obviously these guys didn’t believe in a rehearsal. Or if they did they should have done more, and more.
I've never been a big fan of weathermen or weatherwoman and liked the way CBC did their quick and brief weather with a picture showing us what the weather is going to be like for the next few days. I mean, sunny pictures indicate it will be sunny outside and rain drops have their own simplistic meaning.
Having some dude, who gets the same Environment Canada or Weather network report as everyone else and spending 4-8 minutes per night to tell us that the next three days are going to be fine is a good waste of time, I thought it was.
Sure, in the extreme situations such as Juan and White Juan then have the weather as the lead item, but day in and out, especially in the very cold months of January and Feb or hot months of July and August, where the weather is the same for days if not a week, I never did understand why such a presenter is needed.
“Sunshine and warmth for today, tomorrow and the day after that” is fine. Why do we need someone to add any more? And why do we take so much time and repeat it during the hour?
If a radio dee jays could give you the weather over a music intro of 1-15 seconds, and do a good job with it, why the bother and expense of a weather man.
But, there is no doubt weather TV people are liked and appreciated.
Having said my piece on the weather I find that the Nunn/Coade chemistry works surprisingly well. I think Coade, and his sort of high school principal, sort of stiff demeanor is a good foil to Nunn’s at times bombastic disposition. But there is chemistry. Even more than the Coade/Steve Murphy match-up of many years. Perhaps it's because Coade is literally next to Nunn when their banter starts while over at ATV, (it will always be ATV to thousands of us---branding or not) Coade generally came to us from the 'weather centre' and not next to Murphy.
I usually watch both the ATV and CBC package. They are taped and then viewed. In this fashion I don't have to watch the ads. I watch the CBC package first so if there is a duplication of story I can pass by on New Brunswick laden news on ATV. Once in a while I will watch both stories to see how the reporters handled it.
I've always liked the "Suppertime News for Nova Scotia" but over the years (10 or so) I watched the show lose so many people and resources. And this Canada Now presentation was a disaster be it with Linda Kelly or Bruce Rainnie. Regardless of the host, you must have some weapons. Kelly and Rainnie had very little.
It wasn't that long ago (late 80’s – early 90’s) that Jim Nunn was hosting the same program, and instead of a weather person he had a sports guy and had a great political panel with the late Harry and Parker Barss. A political panel is what is needed on that show and it can’t be with Parker B. He lost his credibility when he accepted a government job.
So, what's the difference this time?
There are several factors.
They say timing is everything and I really believe people in this province, especially in HRM. want their own newscast. One that may centre in general on this province but with all the news from the provincial capital, centers on Metro.
HRM viewers are the big fish and they represent nearly 50% of the province. News 95.7 and their Maritime Morning show have accepted that focus on HRM first and then Moncton and New Brunswick become an after thought.
I don’t say forget Cape Breton but don’t have Cape Breton stories leading and being a high part of the cast, as they were last week when two of the top three stories dealt with the Cape. If I want to find out what is happening in Cape Breton I can watch ATV who’ve had Randy McDonald there for years.
Stick to Halifax, throw in Cape Breton and the numbers will increase.
This one does. Most of the time, the stories and interviews are with HRM people and why not as this area makes up for nearly 50% of the province’s population.
And I for one, and probably hundreds if not thousands, am fed up seeing the ATV News from New Brunswick or PEI.
I have nothing against those two provinces except I don't live there and that is a big factor. Yes, Sean Graham and the guy in PEI may be outstanding politicians but their decisions have no or little factor on our day to day lives.
I'm a voracious reader and listen to about everything in sight but at 6pm I want to be informed about my province, my city and reports from NB and PEI (and to some extent Cape Breton) don't cut it.
Nunn offers one aspect that none of the other CBC anchors simply can't to as well, although I want to give Norma Lee credit for her work. Nunn can interview people better than most and when it comes to political interviews in this province I don't think he has an equal. Having said that, I think Steve Murphy is in the same league. One is Joe Montana the other John Elway. Not a bad choice to pick from.
So far, who ever has been picking the topics for the interviews from glad to sad news and even humorous (chicken lady) has done a great job and doing the interviews on locations many times is a great touch.
Satellite delivery was not available to Nunn in his first go round as suppertime anchor. I remember him telling me back in the early 90’s: “We had a major storm last night and we had radio reports with mug shots of our reporters and a map of the province, while ATV went “live” from location to location and you could see their reporters in the snow.”
Mind you in many cases that snow with the reporter is simply in the back of the TV studio but the effect or perception is still there. ATV killed CBC in ratings and still does. So this first major rating with Nunn back in the big chair, coming up should be interesting.
Today in history, the visual record that airs on the CBC News is good and so is the post card at the end of the show (I loved the owl…and that bird did look like Craig Oliver) but what is turning out to be a great segment, and I wish it were on a regular basis (like every Friday) are the comments from viewers on the show.
From horrible to exciting, from abysmal to appalling, from good to great, Nunn reads them and one of his best lines has been "they (the bosses) make me read these."
Keep them coming.
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