It's live -- but not on Channel 3
'SNL' skit pokes fun at Sioux City news broadcasts
By Bret Hayworthbhayworth@siouxcityjournal.com | Posted: Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Sioux City television news may have gotten a good skewering in a "Saturday Night Live" comedy sketch over the weekend, but local station manager Dave Madsen took the unflattering portrayal in stride.
"I thought it was pretty funny," Madsen, who works at KTIV-4 in Sioux City, said Monday. "Why they chose Sioux City, I don't know. I'm glad they didn't say, 'News 4,' " Madsen said.
The "SNL" piece Saturday showed fictional station Channel 3 as "America's Most You Tubed News Team," given the numerous gaffes by the fivesome. Some of the bits in the 2 1/2 minute sketch were bawdy, but among the tamer on-air errors was a weathercaster getting hit by flying debris while out reporting in 80 mph winds and the female anchor, thinking she was off camera, inquiring about a marijuana purchase.
Sioux City has four stations originating news, and none is Channel 3, of course.
"Saturday Night Live" is an NBC program, and at KTIV, the local affiliate, Madsen saw most of the 90-minute show. But he didn't see the sketch, which involved show regular Amy Poehler and host Anne Hathaway, until he viewed it Monday on the Internet.
Gaffes certainly happen in broadcasting, but not to the extent portrayed in the sketch, he said.
"Usually somebody says a profanity or something because they mess up and they get confused. But none of the things quite like those (in the sketch). Most often, the stuff that you saw there, it would never make it on the air. We have enough safeguards in place," Madsen said.
Saturday was an important night in the lives of some KCAU-9 employees, as news anchor Jenna Rehnstrom and sports reporter Chris Liberto got married. But friends of several KCAU employees at the wedding began getting text messages regarding the sketch, news director Carla Kreegar said.
"We were getting texts left and right from different people saying, 'Did you see this?'" Kreegar said.
"I thought it was pretty funny," Madsen, who works at KTIV-4 in Sioux City, said Monday. "Why they chose Sioux City, I don't know. I'm glad they didn't say, 'News 4,' " Madsen said.
The "SNL" piece Saturday showed fictional station Channel 3 as "America's Most You Tubed News Team," given the numerous gaffes by the fivesome. Some of the bits in the 2 1/2 minute sketch were bawdy, but among the tamer on-air errors was a weathercaster getting hit by flying debris while out reporting in 80 mph winds and the female anchor, thinking she was off camera, inquiring about a marijuana purchase.
Sioux City has four stations originating news, and none is Channel 3, of course.
"Saturday Night Live" is an NBC program, and at KTIV, the local affiliate, Madsen saw most of the 90-minute show. But he didn't see the sketch, which involved show regular Amy Poehler and host Anne Hathaway, until he viewed it Monday on the Internet.
Gaffes certainly happen in broadcasting, but not to the extent portrayed in the sketch, he said.
"Usually somebody says a profanity or something because they mess up and they get confused. But none of the things quite like those (in the sketch). Most often, the stuff that you saw there, it would never make it on the air. We have enough safeguards in place," Madsen said.
Saturday was an important night in the lives of some KCAU-9 employees, as news anchor Jenna Rehnstrom and sports reporter Chris Liberto got married. But friends of several KCAU employees at the wedding began getting text messages regarding the sketch, news director Carla Kreegar said.
"We were getting texts left and right from different people saying, 'Did you see this?'" Kreegar said.
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MW wrote on Oct 9, 2008 11:57 PM:
ER wrote on Oct 8, 2008 10:16 AM:
Sioux City fan club wrote on Oct 8, 2008 9:20 AM:
Steve wrote on Oct 7, 2008 11:12 PM:
cladzad wrote on Oct 7, 2008 5:21 PM:
www.freewebs.com/siouxcity/siouxcitynewsnlskit.htm "