LA Station Evacuated after Bomb Threat

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With tensions high you can expect the idiots to come out of the woodwork.

Last evening, shortly after 6PM the LA Police got a call saying there were bombs planted at the KTLA studios in Hollywood.

Cops say  the caller told them he was “going to detonate” three devices, that had been planted in the building.

It didn't take no for the LAPD to determine that it was a hoax, but employees, including news staff from KTLA were evacuated as a precaution.

The LAPD bomb squad and dogs searched the area and nothing suspicious was found.

Staff was allowed back in the building around 8:30 PM. 

Did Time go Too Far with Cover Photo?

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One look at the photo and it tells you everything you need to know about the Boston Marathon bombings.​

It was a horrific attack against our way of life.

But, by choosing to put a bloodied child on the cover, did Time go too far?

Was the kid's picture used purely for shock value? Or was it the one picture that told the story?

It is likely that the use of this picture will be debated about.​ How would you have felt if it was your kid?

The one thing for certain, is people will be talking about it....and maybe that's what Time was going for. You can leave your thoughts in the comments below (no need to register) just type what you have to say and hit Post. ​

Stations Let Twitter Find Their Story and the People That Will Report it

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Stations Let Twitter Find Their Story and the People That Will Report it

It's amazing that in one breath the Mainstream ​Media will slam Twitter as a viable news source and in the other breath, turn to Twitter to get the story.

When two bombs went off at the Boston Marathon, 1,800 miles away in Houston stations quickly went to Twitter to help them find a local angle to the tragedy.

The days have changed from when stations used to send a crew thousands of miles away to the scene of the story. Now they just go to their keyboard, type a few lines on Twitter and try to find a local person that saw something.

The viewers become the reporters and the station save big money in sending crews to far a way places. ​

Within the hour of the first blast, KPRC in Houston sent out this tweet:​

See that plus others after the jump   ​

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Atlanta Station with Boston Exclusive

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Atlanta Station with Boston Exclusive

While Boston stations and networks have numerous crews assigned to the Boston Bombings, one big exclusive came from ​a station in Atlanta, over a 1,000 miles away from the crime scene. 

WAGA in Atlanta ​had photos and a first look at what is left of the first deadly device that exploded at the Boston Marathon.

The station obtained crime scene photos of the what has been reported as a "pressure cooker bomb"

More, plus video of the station's report after the jump  

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Boston Station Stoops Low in Interview

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Boston Station Stoops Low in Interview

As FTVLive has been reporting, most often TV stations and networks have been doing a solid job with their reports from Boston.​

But not all the time.​

Take WHDH in Boston and an interview they did.​

The station tracked down the roommate of a Saudi national who was in the hospital after getting hurt in the Boston Marathon bombings yesterday. The New York Post reported that he was being held in connection to the attacks, but that was later shown to be a false report.

It was clear that the roommate, Mohammed Bada,  was confused, doesn't speak perfect English and seemed to get increasingly agitated by the reporters' questions.

More plus the video after the leap  ​

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When the Story Changes Just Like That

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When the Story Changes Just Like That

Talk about a story changing 180 degrees. 

The Boston television crews had to make a quick switch from covering a festive event to reporting on tragic breaking news as bombs went off at the Boston Marathon on Monday. Station TV crews were already set up near the finish line of the 117th running of the marathon when they switched to breaking news, going live at around 3 p.m. WBZ, which aired the marathon, had around 40 staffers at the site, including a pair of anchors on the finish line. WFXT anchor Maria Stephanos was a spectator with her children, waiting to see her husband cross the line. She provided a witness' account to the station. Nicole Jacobs, a WFXT colleague and a marathon participant who was held up before she could finish due to the bombing, got on for a phoner as well. 

​More after the bounce  

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NBC sees High Ratings for Bombing Coverage

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NBC sees High Ratings for Bombing Coverage

Looks like NBC made a good call when it came to airing a prime time special about the Boston Bombings on Monday night.​

The shocking bombings in Boston drew viewers to their televisions to find out more about what had happened, and that was evident in the ratings.

A special on NBC about the bombings drew the second-highest rating of any show in primetime.

NBC News’ “Terror in Boston” averaged a 3.1 adults 18-49 rating, according to Nielsen overnights, and 8.9 million total viewers.

More on this after the hop ​

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What the Hell is Going on Over There?

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What the Hell is Going on Over There?

FTVLive has been telling you about both the on air and off air changes at WPLG in Miami.​

The station recently had a huge shake up to the weather anchors as they made room for new hire Julie Durda.​

While management at WPLG is acting like getting Durda was akin to the Yankees signing Babe Ruth. the viewers are not so sure.​

One longtime viewer wrote and email to WPLG News Director Bill Pohovey and GM Dave Boylan.​

While emails to station management are nothing new, this emailer seemed to be articulate and well thought out with his concerns.

The viewer's email after the bounce ​

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Taking Over in Fresno

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Yesterday, FTVLive FIRST told you that KSEE News Director Chris Manson was being kicked to the curb.  

The station was recently taken over by Nexstar, which also is running KGPE in the market.​

It looks like ​KGPE ND Chad McCollum has been tapped to run both newsrooms.

McCollum was spotted over in the KSEE building yesterday meeting with the news people there.  

Conversely, KSEE GM Matt Rosenfeld is rumored to adding the KGPE GM title as well.

​Stay tuned....

Questionable Hire?

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Questionable Hire?

The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office recently hired the husband of WPTV-Channel 5 (West Palm Beach) morning anchor Roxanne Stein for a job in the sheriff’s homeland security bureau.

The 29-hour-a-week job pays Stephen Moss, 49, a former WPTV news cameraman, $4,038-a-month!

Until his date of hire, March 12, Moss was working at Whole Foods in Wellington for $22,000-a-year. He left Channel 5 in 2008 after 20 years.

More after the skip  ​

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Pat Summerall is Dead at 82

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Pat Summerall is Dead at 82

The sports world lost a familiar voice Today. ​

Sportscasting legend Pat Summerall ​Died Today at the age of 82. 

For many sports fans in the 1960s through the 1990s, Summerall was the voice of the NFL, starting with CBS' Sunday telecasts and later with Fox, famously paired for much of that time with John Madden.

"He was an extraordinary man and a wonderful father," Wiles told the Associated Press. "I know he will be greatly missed."

More after the skip  ​

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Like We Suggested Sports Anchor Will Sign off Now

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Yesterday, FTVLive suggested that longtime WGRZ Sports Anchor Ed Kilgore needed to sign off now and not at the end of May as he and the station planned.​

It all comes after Kilgore blurred the line and put the station's integrity in question.​

As we wrote, Kilgore is leaving to go work for Terry Pegula, who owns the NHL's Buffalo Sabres. 

There was some question about Kilgore staying on at the station while covering the team that his new boss owns. The Gannett station said at the time that "Kilgore’s new job wouldn’t involve the Sabres and added that meant he could continue to be objective covering the team."

On Saturday night there was a conflict with Kilgore and his new boss that more than blurred the line.

Kilgore was the host of a press conference for the HarborCenter project that featured Buffalo Sabres Owner Terry Pegula.

After our story, the Gannett owned station has ​come out and said that Kilgore will be leaving the station Tomorrow and not in May.

It was a wise move by the station that made a mistake and now corrected it.​

CNN's Zucker: Twitter is a Frenemy

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CNN's Zucker: Twitter is a Frenemy

Jeff Zucker spoke to The Atlanta Press Club yesterday about a number of topics.​

The Zuck compared CNN to something in the trunk of your car.​

He said that CNN is like the "spare tire in the trunk."

"You only take it out when you really need it," Zucker told a packed Atlanta Press Club luncheon. "It's not one of the four tires on the car all the time. The challenge for us is how to make CNN more essential, how to make it one of the four tires on the car."

He said he doesn't have a magic formula to solve this intractable problem for the TV network, which has suffered languid ratings during times when there is no breaking news.

"I don't have all the answers," he said. "I don't even have half the answers."​

What Zucker says about Twitter after the hop  ​

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The Very First Tweet of the Bombings

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The Very First Tweet of the Bombings

Social media once again to center stage in the bombings in Boston. ​

You were getting eyewitness accounts just seconds after the bombs went off. Pictures and information became a valuable source for the Main Stream Media as well.​

Twitter Pics were used on newscasts all over the country and Reporters used social media to reach out to people that may have witnessed the ​bombings.

It appears that Kristen ​Surman was the first person to tweet that there was an explosion at the Boston Marathon. Her tweet went out exactly at the same time police say the first bomb went off.

See her Tweet just seconds after the bomb went off, after the jump  ​

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Covering the Boston Bombings

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Covering the Boston Bombings

It is tragic events such as the Boston Bombings that TV News brings people together with a urge for information.​

“Of all places, of all days, this was Patriots’ Day in Boston,” said Brian Williams.

“Cities around this nation are on high alert,” said Diane Sawyer.

“At least two people are dead, although that number is expected to change,” said Scott Pelley.

For the most part TV news did a very good job of getting out information and not over hyping a story that needed no hype.​

The tone by almost all the networks was reserved and professional. 

But, in what is now the the norm, the news first broke on Social Media. Messages were going out on Twitter and Facebook about the explosions at the Boston Marathon a good 10 minutes before any of the cable nets broke the news.​

Which cable net made the biggest mistake? Find out after the jump ​

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