Local Television News Overrun By Commercials- Teasers

Each new ratings book for local television stations reveals that less people are even watching TV news.


One reason might be the endless commercial breaks and 'teasers' for upcoming stories that may still be 2 more commercial breaks away from actually being shown to you.

Time once was when the 5:30 pm national newscast began right after the local news sign-off- now- there's another 2 minutes of commercials before that happens.

Over the next month or so- we at CSW are going to tape and time the local newscasts from each of the 4 KC "news" stations.

We'll count and time the purely local news stories- as well as the number and length of those insidious commercial breaks.

We won't even bother timing the 5 pm local newscasts and their reporting of national stories when their network's national news is coming on next.

News/weather 'teases' in commercial breaks will be counted as commercials- since they contain no actual useful information for the viewer.

Senseless news people chatter during newscasts will NOT be counted as news time (it's already a waste of the viewers time).

Also- pieces that are veiled station self-promotion (those events that station "personalities" appear) will also NOT be counted as news- local or otherwise.

After all of that- don't be surprised when our numbers come out that there is actually very little time when news and/or weather is presented to Kansas City viewers.

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CSW BREAKING: Water Boil-Order In Cameron MO

This is reportedly due to a water main break near a Cameron elementary school Monday morning.

The CAMERON (MO) CITIZEN-OBSERVER says citizens of Cameron should boil all drinking water until around 4 pm today.

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Overland Park Rollover Crash Is Non-Injury

This crash occurred on northbound Quivira just south of College Boulevard just after 10:15 am Tuesday morning.

No one was hurt- but this crash was slowing traffic in and around the Johnson County Community College the campus of which is out of camera view to the right.

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CSW BREAKING: "Drive-By" Shooting In Midtown KC-MO

At 10:07 am- a shooting was reported in the 1700 block of East 31st Street in Midtown KC-MO..

Center Zone police officers arrived several minutes later and reported it was a "drive-by" shooting- with the "suspect vehicle a gray (colored) Dodge Durango" that went "eastbound on 31st Street."

The victim is reported by MAST-EMS as "a 29-year-old male" who received a non life-threatening wound to his ankle.

Police were investigating the incident.

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CSW BREAKING: Crash On I-435 Near Raytown Road in KC-MO

At 9:23 am- KC-MO emergency crews responded to a reported crash involving a semi truck on I-435 south of Raytown Road and ititial reports was that another "car is underneath" the semi.



Arriving units at 9:28 am report this is "a camping trailer with a car being towed behind it"- but there is "one person trapped" in the wreckage- condition yet unknown.

The extrication on the one trapped person was completed by 9:33 am..

Two inside lanes of southbound I-435 south of I-70 are blocked- as you can see by these KC SCOUT images- traffic both directions is being slowed considerably.

MAST-EMS reports one person died in the crash.

MAST also transported one person- "a 70-year-old male with head pain" to a local medical trauma center.

Reports from the scene indicate the overturned vehicle was "a fifth-wheel" recreational trailer.

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CSW BREAKING: Adult and 3 Children Chased From KC-MO Home By Fire

A house fire in eastern KC-MO has just been brought under control without injury- but heavily-damaging a home of four.

The alarm sounded at 10:22 pm for a fire in a house in the 4800 block of Farley.

Three pumper companies- a ladder truck and rescue company responded with Battalion chief 105 and upon arrival at 10:25 pm- Pumper 39 reports "fire showing" from the "1-1/2-story" house with 2 floors

Ten minutes and 2 "small streams" later the fire's under control here.

Utility shutoff is requested and the Red Cross was ordered for the "1 adult and 3 children" displaced by the fire.

No injuries reported as of this post..

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CSW BREAKING: House Fire In Freeman MO

Firefighters from at least 3 departments have brought a house fire in Freeman under control.

Freeman is about 10 miles west of Harrisonville in west-central Cass county MO..

The fire was first reported to the Dolan-West Dolan fire department around 9:15 pm in the 300 block of East 2nd Street in Freeman.

Western and Central Cass Fire departments also were dispatched.

At 9:24 pm- an arriving fire unit reported "fire through the roof of a large 2-story house."

At 9:34 pm- all interior crews were ordered out of the structure and a "defensive" attack was mounted.

By 9:49 pm- the fire was reportedly "knocked down."

There's been no reports of injury and it's too early to offically determine a cause.

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CSW WEATHER: Dense Fog To Continue Through Tuesday

Dense fog advisories continue for Metro and much of MetroRegion Kansas City through at least noon on Tuesday.

In addition- some freezing fog is possible early Tuesday morning as area temperatures fall to or below the freezing mark.

Please- USE CAUTION ON FOG-SHROUDED ROADWAYS!

Use your headlights and even 4-way flashers in dense fog- and reduce your speed.

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CSW BREAKING: Two Shot In South-central KC-MO

KC-MO Police are currently investigating a shooting that has left victim near death and a second victim in serious condition.

The incident was first reported to emergency services around 8:15 pm Sunday evening at 54th Street and Bellfountaine.

Police arrived and found 2 victims- a male and a female..

MAST-EMS transported "an unknown age male" victim with gunshots to his "head- leg and arm" in very critical condition to a Metro medical trauma center.

The 2nd victim was "an 18-year-old female" with a possible gunshot wound to her chest.

Police haven't released any suspect information yet.

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CSW BREAKING: Fatality- 3 Critical Injuries In KC-KS Crash

A child is reported dead at the scene and 3 adults are critically-injured in a 2-vehicle crash at 9th Street and Quindaro Boulevard in northeastern KC-KS..

The wreck occurred just after 7:20 pm Sunday night and emergency crews are currently working this scene with no other information yet.

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Overland Park Resident Correctly Gauges KC-MO's "City Services"

The ONLY part of The KANSAS CITY STAR that I read anymore are the letters to the paper that are printed in the editorial section.


Today's winner is Thomas Stroud of Overland Park and his letter titled "KC's Creative Snow Plan:"

"Kansas City has an imaginative snow "control" program. Public money supports Cordish bars rather than snow removal. Side street residents go to saloons to get plowed."
"Don't worry about drunken drivers fighting snow drifts to finally get home. Further funding diversions will make streets totally impassable."
"In return, 1,000 new hotels rooms will be provided so the stranded can hole up until the storm passes."

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