Okay, so I live in Washington, DC. I can't watch "Chicago Tonight" and all those other shows. I like to watch WGN News at night sometimes so I can see Chicago in action.

But WGN News sucks. What's going on here? Every single day, they spend the first 30 minutes talking about murders, rapes, and fires--consistently. Given that WGN is Chicago's most nationally broadcasted channel, it gives a terrible view of Chicago to the country. Why do they do that?

Either way, all I want to see is some footage of Trump and the Sun Times demolition--but allI get is death,murder, and the fuckin weather guy. What kind of perverse, sick news network is this?

but allI get is death,murder, and the fuckin weather guy. What kind of perverse, sick news network is this?

They do report on the bad stuff a little too much, but it is a reality. Chicago does have a very dark side that WGN just seems to report on with relish. As far as the weather guy is concerned, how can you possibly dislike Tom Skilling? He is awsome!

Some people don't have a real sense of reality, what's on the news is real Chicago, 98% of the city population can give a shit about how urban we are or even know what Trump Tower is.

Some people don't have a real sense of reality, what's on the news is real Chicago, 98% of the city population can give a shit about how urban we are or even know what Trump Tower is.

^good point.

But c'mon, even for non-skyscraper enthusiasts, Trump Tower is pretty big news! Especially in Chicago, a city very prideful of its downtown architecture

WGN does not exist on an island. The news broadcast that is shown around the country is broadcast at 9pm here in Chicago and competes with another local 9pm news show. If you think WGN's news is bad, thank your lucky stars that Chicago's Fox-32 is not a superstation beaming its crapfest across the country. WGN has to go along with the crowd to remain competitive, as the following example shows.

One of the stations here (CBS-2) made a bold attempt a few years ago to ditch the murder & mayhem approach on their 10pm news. Their anchor was Carol Marin, a very respected newswoman who had just taken a big stand for the cause of serious broadcast journalism by leaving another anchor job in Chicago because the station hired Jerry Springer as a political commentator. The revamped news involved longer stories, and much fewer stories from the police blotter. The experiment lasted less than 6 months. The already low ratings at this station plunged even lower. So sadly, from the broadcasters' point of view, they now had proof that audiences don't respond to serious TV news. This is one reason we'll never see such a news program on commercial TV in Chicago again. The other big reason is competition from 200+ channels. TV stations can no longer count on a guaranteed audience for their news anymore, so, again, they go for the lowest common denominator.

And honestly, do you know of a local news broadcast anywhere in the US that presents the news differently? All local TV news, save for public television, is subject to the same factors I described above.

So sadly, from the broadcasters' point of view, they now had proof that audiences don't respond to serious TV news. This is one reason we'll never see such a news program on commercial TV in Chicago again. The other big reason is competition from 200+ channels. TV stations can no longer count on a guaranteed audience for their news anymore, so, again, they go for the lowest common denominator.

It may be the lowest common denominator but the murder and mayhem is real and unfortunatly is quite widespread in some areas of Chicago. In a way, they are reporting the "serious TV news" by reporting on the atrocities. Afterall, you can't walk through life with blinders on. I think it is good for people to see the dark side of society so they they will be less naiive.

I have no objection to reporting crimes. My beef is with how they are reported. Half hour local broadcasts probably devote only 8-10 minutes of actual airtime to "news" beyond sports, weather, entertainment, and promotion for other shows on the same channel/network. As a result, when you devote most of those 8-10 minutes to stories dominated not by the facts of crimes and disasters, but insensitive on-the-spot interviews with crime victims and survivors, sensational video of bloody sidewalks, and the inevitable "he was a really quiet guy, kind of a loner" interview with the neighbors, then I have a problem with it. Nothing about this formulaic approach provides any kind of public service.

I love Tom Skilling, I doubt there is a weather man in the world that love's the subject of weather more then good ol' Tom. He tells us things we would never even think of to ask about, and teaches us lots of things we don't really need to know, but are glad to learn.

and, as far as I'm concerned, WGN sports just got Stoned and Carrayed away!