Austin360 blogs > TV Blog > Archives > 2006 > February > 28 > Entry
KEYE: What were you thinking?
Warning! This blog, like the cheesy “news story” it is about, might not be appropriate for everyone. Or anyone.
Sex-laced, seedy “investigations” are not new to TV news. They pop up from time to time, especially during “sweeps” months like February.
But last night’s centerpiece on KEYE Channel 42, our local CBS-owned station, was tasteless by just about anyone’s standards.
In case you missed it (and you’re better off if you did), reporter Gregg Watson went undercover — literally, in this instance — to see if massage parlors might be doing more than rubbing shoulders and backs.
Surprise, surprise! They’re selling sex. Who would have thought? The revelation that massage parlors are selling sex is not exactly news, is it? Anybody who wants a real massage wouldn’t go to a place called Midnight Cowboy. They’d go to a certified massage therapist.
But KEYE’s intrepid reporter went looking for massages on Sixth Street, private homes and apartment buildings that did not look like places specializing in licensed massage therapy.
In his boxers, with a hidden camera recording grainy images, Watson hopped in the sack and chatted with his massage ladies about specific sex acts that could be purchased.
You think I’m making this up? KEYE’s Web site relates the report in considerable (and considerably sordid) detail. Again, warning.
Network newsmagazines have been doing these undercover pieces for years, including trips to massage parlors and houses of prostitution. Usually a network underling does the undercover work. Or some guy who was planning to purchase services anyway. On-camera reporters don’t often hop into bed with a hooker and talk about $100 oral sex acts.
Watson’s report, supposedly the result of a three-month undercover “investigation,” continues tonight. He goes back to confront the women who offered him these “extras.”
Monday night’s report was not only tasteless, it was degrading to Watson and KEYE. You’d think KEYE, which is in the process of climbing out of low ratings and into new credibility with distinguished anchors such as Judy Maggio, Fred Cantu and Ron Oliveira, wouldn’t stoop this low.
Permalink | Comments (5) | Categories: Local news
Comments
By Damn Salty Ham
March 5, 2006 05:15 PM | Link to this
I agree with the new anchors, same old K-EYE argument. With them taking all the good anchors and ruining their careers, and KXAN going down the tubes now as well (thanks for ruining my long-time viewership with Ms. can't-read-the-teleprompter-and-don't-let-her-adlib Valles and Sonta Henderson's corny self-indulgent restaurant reports and your new fox-styled sensationalist vibe) KVUE would seem to have pretty clear sailing here. Have been surprised to see newcomers Sieswerda and Haas outclass all of our longtime Austin news folks so soundly. But it also ain't hard these days.
By Rowdydog
February 28, 2006 04:45 PM | Link to this
First off, this is not new, breaking news. This has been going on for years and not just here in Austin. KEYE must really be hurting for viewers.
As for the report on their website, was it wriiten by a third-grader? The spelling, punctuation and grammar was NOT what you would expect from people who write and report the news for a living.
By Glen
February 28, 2006 02:12 PM | Link to this
I read the story at KEYE, and you can really tell why these folks can't work in print. Maybe some of the direct quotations lacked little niceties of English, like articles, but there was so much grammar and punctuation stupidity in the text that you can't make that assumption.
For my money, if you write a stupid fluff piece, you're enough of an idiot without -- to coin a phrase -- "hand-jobbing" our language.
By gdub
February 28, 2006 01:14 PM | Link to this
It's like the were trying one-up KXAN after their Bull Creek park sex story from a few weeks ago. When do sweeps end again?
By where'smyremote
February 28, 2006 12:48 PM | Link to this
Different faces... same old KEYE. Those newsies over there on Metric just don't get it. Where's the VIEWER BENEFIT??? It looks like they got this massage story idea after reading the back section of the Chronicle.