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Trial Number Two For Phil Spector May Have Only Limited TV Coverage

Los Angeles, CA.—This time it will all be a lot different. The second murder trial of Phil Spector may not be continually broadcast. Court TV is no longer covering high profile trials under their new direction and name, Tru-TV. Other TV news outlets are very unlikely to provide full-time trial broadcast crews.

One reason is local and national news directors feel the public does not really care about these high profile trials. Another reason is the budgets for such coverage no longer exist since TV viewers have fled the medium in droves.

Court TV provided a cheap Internet Feed of the first trial to KTLA-TV and KNBC-TV. With the help of a streaming video broadcast both KTLA -TV and KNBC-TV were able cover the entire trial on their websites. The KTLA-TV effort was anchored by veteran reporter Marta Waller and various lawyers used co-anchors. KTLA-TV also ran a Court TV style Internet forum that became more of a gossip outlet for those who hated Phil Spector.

Over all KTLA-TV and Marta Waller did a much better job of covering the trial than KNBC-TV or Court TV.

It’s almost certain that there will be only limited trial coverage of the second trial for regular news broadcasts. There will be sporadic coverage throughout the trial and of course closing arguments and the verdict.

I think the best we can hope for is that the news outlets may send bloggers to give a running blow by blow description of the trial for their Internet sites. The result will be few pictures and video.

There seems to be some TV interest in having bloggers favoring both the defense and prosecution side to give their impressions of the trial to a TV audience.
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Comments

Sirius108 said…
You have GOT to be kidding! How can the news departments say there is no public interest in the Phil Spector trial? We live court coverage watchers are dying for some live coverage! Perhaps a new venture soon to be up and running for people like me (The Legal Edge) will stream the trial over the internet. News directors don't have their "feelers" out in the right direction! I watched the entire first trial and I will be danged if I can't watch the retrial!!!
July 31, 2008 1:24 PM
Paul Huebl Crimefile News said…
Court trials are popular you say? The soap opera fans nearly burned down three L.A. TV stations over small interruptions during the O.J. Simpson double murder trial!
July 31, 2008 1:34 PM
Anonymous said…
Ah,less witnesses for the railroading.
August 03, 2008 10:04 AM
Anonymous said…
IMO Tru TV needs to go back to being Court TV! Why would Tru TV think there's no interest in the high profile cases such as Phil Spector, how about the upcoming trial of Casey Anthony? Seems like you should have polled your audience for their opinions! After 3 p.m. it's been just more junk programing... now your down grading the time slots from 9 a.m. till 3 p.m... what a shame!!!
October 30, 2008 8:15 AM
Anonymous said…
I don't think that news directors know anything anymore,my family & friends all watched the entire first Spector trial ,and we really want to watch the retrial, we're very disappointed that ktla & cnn trutv won't be covering a live feed. Instead trutv has been showing repeats of old trials lately, it really sucks too!Who cares about repeats of 2 ladies fighting at disneyland. Journalism is dead, not enough livetrial coverage, & the news was so biased during the election too.
November 19, 2008 4:30 AM
Anonymous said…
yeah this is a bitch. tru tv sux and why did they have to change their name anyway? the high profile cases are the ONLY ones I am interested in. well hopefully they will still tell us whats going on and have pictures if nothing else. Like they didnt show the michael jackson trial because there were no cameras allowed inside, but they constantly talked about what was happening inside the courtroom and there were pictures and cameras of him arriving and going thru the metal detector and shit. I had to watch all that cause I am still going to be a fan of MJ until he is proven guilty!
January 27, 2009 8:51 AM
Carolyn said…
I agree with all the people who want high profile cases. I watched all of o.j. and I watched Phil Spector. Was excited about seeing Phil again. Just think about all the people who are law students and can learn from real trials. Especially the do's and don'ts. I am not a law student but I have sure learned alot about what goes on. Thank you Carolyn
February 06, 2009 11:56 AM
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