Baby it's cold outside

There are all sorts of reasons to not to like local television news broadcasts, and not just because you might work for the competition. Here's another:

Live shots.

Here's yet another example. My part of the world has been hit by a cold spell lately -- we're not exactly alone in that. One of the local stations wanted to do a report on the 11 p.m. news about the weather's effects on the community. That's fine.

The anchors threw it to the reporter, who introduced a taped package. Guess where she was? In one of the hard-hit areas, so that she could tell us first-hand what conditions are like? No, she was in front of the studio. She might have been literally 50 feet from where the anchors are. So the reporter was told to go out the front door and do an introduction in the cold.

Does this make any sense? Wouldn't it be easy to have the reporter sit next to the anchors and introduce the report? Is anyone supposed to be impressed that the station can beam a signal all the way from the front door to the control room, without anyone tripping on a cord?

Next time, oh news director, keep the talent warm. Otherwise, hope her medical insurance payments are up to date so she can be treated for frostbite.