Community Chat

[Lipstickdiva]

On 2/17/2015 lulu2 said:

I loved Amy Robach when she was the Saturday anchor on Weekend Today. I remember her wedding pictures when she married Andrew Shue.

Unlike that ditz, Lara Spencer, (who was a lifestyle reporter on our local ABC doing nothing but flu**ff pieces) Amy Robach's roots are in hard news. Her biography lists her as a news anchor on GMA since 3/31/14.

The chemistry between all the GMA personnel seems forced at best. Why they allow Lara Spencer to rule the roost over real professionals is beyond me.

Wasn't Lara once on Inside Edition or Entertainment Tonight or some other gossip news program?

Amy is listed as a News Anchor on GMA.

[Krimpette]

GMA has gone downhill rapidly since they hired Lara. There used to be way more news. Now, there's a smidgen of news, followed by countless drivel. What really galls me is when the have Lara read the little bit of hard news they do have, when Amy is sitting right there. In my mind, when Robin is absent, it should be Amy that fills in…not Lara. I used to thoroughly enjoy that program until Lara came along. I don't know how GeorgeS can stand what it's become.

[Johnnyeager]

Like it's chief crosstown rival "Today", GMA is being more and more entertainment and celebrity oriented, with only the minimal amount of current events and hard news.

Lara spent many years on The Insider, so her hiring by GMA was probably based on management's decision to take the show in that soft story direction. I also remember her on PBS' Antiques Roadshow for a while.

Amy has more of a new reporting, hardnews background. I just can't see Lara reporting from the Middle East.

[MESPal]

I liked Amy so much when she was on Weekend Today with Lester Holt and hated it when she left. I followed her to GMA, but Lara gets on my last nerve on GMA. She tends to hog the spotlight IMO. But, I do like Lara on her HGTV show Flippin something.

[Tinkrbl44]

On 2/17/2015 Krimpette said:

GMA has gone downhill rapidly since they hired Lara. There used to be way more news. Now, there's a smidgen of news, followed by countless drivel. What really galls me is when the have Lara read the little bit of hard news they do have, when Amy is sitting right there. In my mind, when Robin is absent, it should be Amy that fills in…not Lara. I used to thoroughly enjoy that program until Lara came along. I don't know how GeorgeS can stand what it's become.

I don't think you can blame Lara for the changes ... it's the producers that make these decisions.

It should be very obvious ..... it's all about RATINGS ......... and if CBS tweaked their program content and their ratings went up, you can be sure the other 2 networks will make changes as well.

If you want straight news, there ARE news channels ..... they are trying to appeal to the broadest audience possible .... can you blame them?

[lulu2]

On 2/17/2015 Tinkrbl44 said:

On 2/17/2015 lulu2 said:

I loved Amy Robach when she was the Saturday anchor on Weekend Today. I remember her wedding pictures when she married Andrew Shue.

Unlike that ditz, Lara Spencer, (who was a lifestyle reporter on our local ABC doing nothing but flu**ff pieces) Amy Robach's roots are in hard news. Her biography lists her as a news anchor on GMA since 3/31/14.

The chemistry between all the GMA personnel seems forced at best. Why they allow Lara Spencer to rule the roost over real professionals is beyond me.

I don't see Lara "ruling the roost" over anyone. Each person was hired for their strengths, and there are three co-anchors, plus others who talk during specific segments. While they all need to be competent, maybe Lara scored better in test focus groups.

I guess we see things differently.

[Melania]

Lara is just a Pop news reporter so why does she get top billing like Robin and George?? Could it be because she's sleeping with one of the big wigs? (her husband) Say it isn't so...

[RainCityGirl]

Lara and Amy have entirely different job descriptions. To me, most of the morning news shows have way too many extraneous items and very little hard news. It's apparently what the public wants. Lara does what she's supposed to do, but I certainly don't think she's a ditz. She's just not a hard news woman. I've watched her on HGTV, and I think she's very knowledgeable about antiques, collectibles, and their repurposing, which she herself does as a hobby. Today's "news" programs reflect the public's need for trivialities or they wouldn't format them that way. It's all about ratings, and apparently, straight hard news is NOT where the viewership's heads are.

[Tinkrbl44]

On 2/17/2015 Melania2 said:

Lara is just a Pop news reporter so why does she get top billing like Robin and George?? Could it be because she's sleeping with one of the big wigs? (her husband) Say it isn't so...

Oh please ............. Just because YOU don't like Lara you think she must be sleeping with someone to get the top billing ???

Seriously ??

I can't believe women are still so quick to blame promotions on ""she must have slept with someone"" ...... how disappointing!

[Tinkrbl44]

On 2/17/2015 RainCityGirl said:

Lara and Amy have entirely different job descriptions. To me, most of the morning news shows have way too many extraneous items and very little hard news. It's apparently what the public wants. Lara does what she's supposed to do, but I certainly don't think she's a ditz. She's just not a hard news woman. I've watched her on HGTV, and I think she's very knowledgeable about antiques, collectibles, and their repurposing, which she herself does as a hobby. Today's "news" programs reflect the public's need for trivialities or they wouldn't format them that way. It's all about ratings, and apparently, straight hard news is NOT where the viewership's heads are.

VERY well stated ..... people complaining about Lara don't even understand the job descriptions, which, undoubtedly, also include likability, which is calculated in focus groups.

People also don't seem to consider that these morning shows are SUPPOSED to be lighthearted ... people are getting ready for work and don't need any "downers". These are not news programs.

Personally, I'm not crazy about Robin Roberts, but I guess she scores well in "likability" and that's what the producers want.