1. Good morning, everybody! A little bit about the genre of television morning news programs

2. What is it? If you have ever turned on the T.V. before 9am anywhere in America, you have probably seen a morning news show. Not sure? Do these sound familiar? Good Morning, America (ABC) Today Show (NBC) The Early Show (CBS) American Morning (CNN)

3. Common Features Most of the national morning news shows have several common features.

4. The funny weatherman Shown outside with a crowd Talks with audience members Often has a slogan –“Here’s what’s happening in your neck of the woods…” ~Al Roker, The Today Show, NBC

5. The trustworthy male host Handsome Older than the females Funny, but serious Wears a suit & tie everyday Common, “American” names: –Harry Smith –John Roberts –Charles Gibson –Tom Butler –Matt Lauer John Roberts, American Morning, CNN Harry Smith, The Early Show, CBS

6. The likeable female host Katie Couric—need I say more? Younger than male host Attractive but not sexy Clothing is bright, fashionable, yet professional Always happy Katie Couric, former host of The Today Show, NBC THE EXCEPTION: Diane Sawyer, Good Morning America, ABC Kiran Chetry, American Morning, CNN

7. The news update person Usually female Gives snippits of current news events Appears in other segments but is not a main anchor Chronicles feature stories Often a minority (race or ethnicity) Serious Robin Roberts, Good Morning America, ABC Ann Curry, The Today Show, NBC

8. Celebrity guests On-set interviews with celebrities in current headlines Tries to make the celebs look credible but this can backfire –Britney Spears looked like “white trash” –Tom Cruise seemed whacky & cult-ish Celebs promote current film, album, TV show Celebs defend themselves against tabloids

9. Morning concerts Why anyone would want to go to (or watch) a concert at 7am is beyond me…

10. Health & wellness features There are often full features or interviews devoted to specific health issues, such as: Colonoscopies (thanks, Katie) Breast cancer Overweight children Food allergies Autism Healthy cooking

11. Family values There are often stories that offer advice or support for family values, such as: Parenting tips for toddlers Coping with divorce Hosting a holiday party Planning a wedding

12. Audience People with the T.V. on in the morning Getting ready for work Making lunches for the kids Middle-class America

13. Local T.V. morning news Most network channels have some morning news shows but often they are snippits within the national shows or spots before they begin. There are a few stand-alone local news shows. In Minneapolis, we have exactly one.

14. (My Shameless Plug) FOX 9 MORNING NEWS Weekdays 5-9am

15. Top Ten reasons you should watch Fox 9 Morning News 10. Convenient, local channel 9. Catchy theme music 8. More local news 7. No annoying celebrity interviews 6. Julie Jay’s frequent, colorful traffic reports 5. M.A. Roscoe’s unexpected feature stories (like the Summit Brewery & a workout class for brides-to-be) 4. Weather on the 9s 3. Tom Butler’s lame jokes 2. Alix Kendall’s perky personality ….and the number one reason is…. Alix Tom

16. Keith Marler = greatest meterologist alive Funny beyond belief Always accurate Makes his cohosts look good (and funny) Did I mention funny? Brief Bio Lives in Maple Grove Married to Susan (a teacher) Has a bulldog named Mel 2 kids: Gracie & Jack

17. T.V. Morning News Genre Recap Network shows (some local) Funny weatherman Trustworthy male host Likeable female host Celebrity interviews Concerts Health features Family values Middle-class audience Twin Cities’ FOX 9 MORNING NEWS ROCKS!