Condolences

Art said Frank Magid's influence was hard to avoid. I'm evidence of that. The 78-year old TV news consultant founded Magid and Associates in Iowa. The Magid group was responsible for creating the "Good Morning America" format and the "Action News" format commercial stations across the country adopted. Magid was a professor, but turned his skills toward audience research and news production format. When I worked in commercial news for a Magid station in Milwaukee, my boss sent me to what we called "Magid School." I spent a week in Cedar Rapids, Iowa under the tutelage of the consultants. My Milwaukee news director said I should attend so they could "shake the capital J out of me because I was too 'Public TV'." This was nearly 20 years ago. I guess it didn't work. The Cedar Rapids consulting firm was impressive and its consultants knew how to shape news formats. I did learn how to project (it's kind of like yelling at the viewer) and how to use props in stand-ups and otherwise try to make any on camera appearance in a story more memorable. Most the photographers I ever worked with hated shooting those kinds of stand-ups, but had to admit they were memorable in their way. I remember the Magid mantra of writing for newscast producers: 'tell them what you're going to tell them, tell them and tell them again.' In the end, I'm glad I had the opportunity to spend a week at Magid and Associates. I did learn from the consultants. My condolences to his family over his passing.