The Current editorial staff monitored several newscasts during the first week of January. (Sports and weather have been omitted.) As the analysis illustrates, San Antonio viewers are seeing a lot of the same news on each channel. With all the news and issues happening in a city of 1.1 million people, San Antonians see only a sliver of it.
Wednesday, December 31, 2003
KSAT (ABC) 6pm
• Unsolved murder
• SA soldier killed in Iraq
• Car crash downtown
• Mad Cow makes Texas beef prices plummet
• Death Penalty sought in Texarkana murder
• Willie Nelson’s anti-war song
• Flu
• New Year’s resolutions: dieting
• SA New Year’s celebration
• New Year’s security in NYC
• Traffic
KABB (Fox) 9pm (no 6pm)
• Man arrested in robbery
• SA New Year’s celebration
• Fireworks safe zones
• Selling booze to minors
• Four-car pileup
• SA soldier killed in Iraq
• Elderly man murdered
• Lovers’ Lane murder
• Murder suspect arrested
• Two men arrested in beating death
• Funeral for sheriff’s deputy
• CPS paid bills late
• Watermark Hotel opens
• Lottery winner
• NYC New Year’s Eve
• Police officer run over in S.C.
• Michael Jackson allegedly manhandled
• Willie Nelson’s anti-war song
Friday January 2, 2004
WOAI (NBC), 6pm
• Becky Whetstone files for Congress
• Texas lottery
• News teaser
• SA on fattest cities list
• Willie Nelson’s anti-war song
• Troubleshooters mailbag: vandalized VIA bus sign; who polices taco stands?
• Christmas tree recycling
• 10pm news teaser – death of local baby
KLRN (PBS) Jim Lehrer News Hour, 7pm
• Cancelled airline flights to U.S.; analysis of 2003 shopping trends
• On patrol with the 4th Infantry Division in Iraq
• Conversation with retired Army & Marine colonels about Iraq report
• Brooks and Page: Analysis of Bush administration “house-cleaning” and
Democratic primaries
Monday, January 5, 10pm
KWEX (Univision)
• Walgreen’s robbery
• Cold weather
• New rules for truckers
• SA soldier killed in Iraq
• Homemade memorial to veterans on South Side
• Ft. Hood soldiers going to Iraq
• Car wreck kills Ft. Sam Houston High School football players
• Local fundraiser for Iran earthquake victims
• New airport security program
• SAPD recruiting new officers
• Mexican news: Jail break
• Value of peso to dollar
• Christmas tree recycling
• River Walk drained for cleaning
• Health fair
• Día de los Reyes
KENS 5 (CBS)
• Walgreens robbery
• Diamond Shamrock robbery
• SA smoking ordinance
• 4-year-old child died on Christmas Eve
• Peter Holt’s relapse
• Fingerprinting at airports
• Long lines at Laredo border
• SA soldier returns from Iraq
• Texas soldier in Iraq
• SA soldier killed in Iraq
• Local fundraiser for Iran earthquake victims
• Father stabs daughter in Houston
• Human remains found near Dallas/Fort Worth
• Health benefits of coffee
• Ray Davies recovering
• Britney Spears’ wedding
• Trial of mother who killed child
• California avalanche
• Detroit auto show
• Mars mission
• Computer kids in Canada
News 9
• Army medic returns from Iraq
• Soldiers having to stay in uniform 90 days after return from Iraq
• Funeral for SA soldier killed in Iraq
• Visitation for another SA soldier killed in Iraq
• Fingerprinting at airports
• Jourdanton father who kidnapped his children
• Alamo Heights ISD fights “Robin Hood” system
• Car wreck kills two Ft. Sam Houston High School football players
• River Walk drained for cleaning
• Mars mission
• Christmas tree recycling
• SAPD accepting job applications
• Houston man stabs daughter
• Upcoming TX execution
• Baylor player’s murder trial
• Mad Cow impact
• Entertainment spotlight
• Bush at St. Louis elementary school
Tuesday, January 6, 10pm
KENS-5
• Fort Sam Houston troops
• Funeral for SA soldier
• Boy returns to school
• Custody hearing for child
• Kidnapping trial jury selection
• Details of probation
• Audit of Catholic Archdiocese
• Redistricting in TX
• Ynobe Matthews’ execution
• Judge’s child wanders off
• Elderly driver in accident
• Schwarzenegger speech
• Mega millions lottery winner
• Skeleton found in FL attic
• Plant explosion in AR
• Photos from Mars
• Weather
• Sports
• Joke snippets
Channel 9
• Infant’s death
• 18 SA reservists go to Iraq
• Use of Fort Sam’s cemetery
• Need for blood donors
• Audit of SA archdiocese
• Immigrant work program
• Sheriff’s deputy steals goods from Wal-Mart
• Weather
• TX redistricting
• TX scientists have luncheon
• UTSA study into Texas twang
• Northside ISD immunization program
• Hollywood Park deer ordinance
• Weather
• Entertainment spotlight
• Inquest into Princess Di’s death
• Sports
• Weather
Wednesday, January 7, 10pm
KENS-5
• Guest worker immigration program
• Justice of the Peace McKnight’s indecent exposure
• Trial: Jones’ reckless shooting of 14-year old
• Missing girl at Canyon Lake
• Restaurant robbery
• Meeting about Hemisfair Park
• Low-carb diet
• Emergency plane landing in Indy
• Roof collapses in Oregon
• Seattle car goes over cliff
• Chicken-suit robber in Ohio
• Eyewitness: Plumbing work not done properly
• Weather
• Sports
• Eyewitness Newsreel (joke snippets)
Channel 9
• Legacy admissions policy at Texas A&M
• Changing SA’s city charter
• JOP McKnight’s indecent exposure
• Immigrant worker program
• SA car accident on SW side
• NS ISD bond election
• Weather
• Construction of bike trail along SA river
• Enron ex-employee’s attempt at plea agreement
• Contractors scared away from Austin abortion clinic
• SA rodeo stuff
• Battle of Flowers parade
• Mud Festival
• Mulch from Christmas tree recycling
• Father and son die in MI fire
• Michael Jackson returns passport
• Wisconsin boy trapped in toy machine
• Weather
• Entertainment spotlight
• Sports
This article appears in Jan 14-20, 2004.