FLASHREPORT

Any of our readers who grew up in the Los Angeles basin were used to the superior television news reporting from KTLA Channel 5.  How many years did we all watch the team of Hal Fishman at the desk, and Stan Chambers in the field, bring us all of the details we wanted and craved whenever some sort of 'breaking news' would occur in the area?  Of course both of these star players were  supported by an outstanding group of co-anchors and fellow reporters.

I was blessed to be able to work a bit with Stan in my job as a media spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department for nearly six years.
 
Well, apparently with the retirement of Chambers, and the passing of Fishman, Tribune Broadcasting, who also owns the Los Angeles Times, decided to make a big change -- for the worse.  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!
 
It's good to know that I wasn't the only one lamenting the absence of quality breaking news coverage from KTLA -- Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich is in mourning for the loss of this coverage, going so far as to far as to adjourn today's Board Meeting in the memory of the Channel 5 news.  (See Supervisor Antonivich's news release attached below.)  Here's what Antonovich had to say:

Anyone who knows Stan Chambers knows how proud he is that that his grandson, Jaime, has followed in his footsteps and become a news reporter for KTLA.  There is no doubt that if Jaime really wants to be able to bring breaking news to Los Angelinos, like his grandpa did for generations, it will have to be with a different station...