Is it just me, or does it seem like KOCO is a little TOO obsessed with covering the swine flu? It seems that, for the past two days, their newscasts are all about covering the swine flu and nothing else (for example, they've talked about the swine flu for the first, at least, 10 minutes and have a ticker running at the bottom about it). I realize the topic is important, but enough is enough.

What do you think? Discuss...

Isn't sweeps week soon?

Started April 23, in fact.

Started April 23, in fact.

Interesting...

Clever way to ignite a panic scare.

I wonder if the coverage is in part decided by Hearst/Argyle. The excessive coverage has been unnecessary in Okla., but if a national company is calling the shots, it makes sense.

It's typical tv thinking..."If a little bit of something is good, then a LOT of something must be great!"

KOCO does this kind of thing all the time, they take some story and just go freaking nuts over it, creating as much drama as they can. I call them the "Drama Queens" of local news. Notice last night how they sent Jessica Schambach into the Satellite Center to create more drama, as if being at the anchor desk just wouldn't have enough impact.

They do this same garbage with the weather too; they stick the anchors over with Rick to open the show just to generate a "startle response".

I've seen them do virtually entire shows on one topic, while the other stations have long since moved onto covering other stories.

Maybe it's a budget thing, not having enough people to go out and get a bigger variety of stories. I am beginning to clearly see why NEWS 9 stomps them at 10pm. They have a much more balanced show.

We only watch News9!!

They cover the news fairly and much more balanced. They seem genuinely interested in what's going on locally and are eager to let the public know about local events and businesses.

They want OKC to be noticed for the good we are and the good we do while other news stations seem to think that the only good news is BAD news.

No, I don't work for News9, I just know what I like and I LIKE News9.

Ray

Don't think it's just limited to KOCO, it's the tv media in general.

The media (local and greater) are not focusing enough on how swine flu differs from regular flu. People are freaking out because we're hit with this "illness" with a new name and a bunch of people are getting sick......but nobody's telling us the difference between this flu and any other! I think that's a major source of the worry.

The media (local and greater) are not focusing enough on how swine flu differs from regular flu. People are freaking out because we're hit with this "illness" with a new name and a bunch of people are getting sick......but nobody's telling us the difference between this flu and any other! I think that's a major source of the worry.

The regular flu kills 36,000 people on average each year. The swine flu (oops, sorry H1N1) has only killed approximately 25 people last I heard. I think we need to realize which is the bigger thing to be concerned about. I know I'm shakin' in my boots over this H1N1.

First case of Swine Flu found in Oklahoma today.

Everyone panic!!!!!!

First case of Swine Flu found in Oklahoma today.

This is the time to panic! Go buy the masks, gloves, and a supply of GermX!!!

:omg:

Everyone panic!!!!!!

lol.....I tried to get away from all the hype the other night, so I watched a movie. The Cassandra crossing was on WGN. I should have watched something else.

The first case was in Ponotoc county, I also heard their may be a possible case at one of the Edmond high schools.

oh my gosh, im taping the window shut and every little air crack, im will be in my house until this thing passes, im glad i have stock pile of supplies for this..

I'm going to start hydrating with nine parts bleach to one part water. When I return from the outside world, I'm going to burn all of my clothing. I'm debating about whether or not I should remove the clothing before incinerating.

play it safe, i already incinerated all my clothing, i made disposable clothing with the flex trash bags, and i also removed all my childrens 100 acre woods piglet toys from there room and burned them (better play it safe you never know).

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/consumerist/2009/05/walgreentamiflu__Small_.jpg

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/consumerist/2009/05/walgreentamiflu__Small_.jpg

Yeah, but it's prescription only.

Yeah, but it's prescription only.

We're all gonna die.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4ow2Juu7nMo/SfdTm3E-NeI/AAAAAAAAP9U/wEi5QMuB2os/s400/kid-kissing-pig.jpg

You killed us all!

Here's one for you. Sorry I had to edit a word out.

Here's one for you. Sorry I had to edit a word out.

Someone already posted the full version of it. :LolLolLol

This whole business with the swine flu is silly. I work in a doctor's office and ALL the media has over dramatized the situation. If you really think about it, they ALWAYS over dramatize things. It's all about ratings and who can come up with the most shocking thing they can.

As for you guys who like News 9.....they are ok, except for Gary England. You want to talk about an arrogant jerk in the middle of a bad storm. I've NEVER seen the weather people on the other channels interupt their co-workers by saying rude and condesending things while on air. Gary is a dinosaur and needs to retire.

This whole business with the swine flu is silly. I work in a doctor's office and ALL the media has over dramatized the situation. If you really think about it, they ALWAYS over dramatize things. It's all about ratings and who can come up with the most shocking thing they can.

As for you guys who like News 9.....they are ok, except for Gary England. You want to talk about an arrogant jerk in the middle of a bad storm. I've NEVER seen the weather people on the other channels interupt their co-workers by saying rude and condesending things while on air. Gary is a dinosaur and needs to retire.

I don't mind Gary, but the weathercast in times of trouble gets very hectic and noisy. Seems to me like Mike Morgan keeps things quieter on the set during tornadoes and such.

The one that kills me is Rick Mitchell. If there's a cloud, he'll interrupt anything and everything he can, and like the Terminator, he simply WILL NOT STOP until you are dead! (You know what I mean?) ;-)

The other guys are long-gone from the air and back to programming, and there's Rick, lecturing about clouds and all sorts of things ad nauseum.

I love it when he can't dare interrupt the programming, like when there's a really important show on, and you can tell it just kills him to have to do commercial breaks only! I'd like to see him try and preempt the NBA finals, that should be good for a riot at the station. :-)

Plus, I just realized we're all digital now, so they can broadcast all that crap on channel 5.2 and leave regular programming alone. That's what 5.2 is for!