Is ABC Going to Pull the Plug on 'Katie'?

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Is ABC Going to Pull the Plug on 'Katie'?

It looks like ABC is about to throw in the towel on Katie Couric's daytime talker. 

Fox News writes that from the co-host of NBC’s once unbeatable “Today Show” to an esteemed CBS Evening News anchor, Katie Couric was once America’s most trusted sweetheart for delivering the news. But could her freshman daytime ABC talk show, simply titled “Katie,” be her demise?

“While all television is going through a difficult time and programming is having a hard time finding its niche, Katie’s new talk show does not live up its expectations,” a source closely connected to the ABC show told FOX411’s Pop Tarts column. “Whatever constraints Katie experienced anchoring ‘Evening News’ [it is] certainly taking its toll, and her return to daytime has backfired.”

Others in the industry are even less kind.

“It’s an unmitigated disaster,” one seasoned studio executive said. “

More after the jump.   

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Woman Arrested for Assault on News Crew

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Woman Arrested for Assault on News Crew

A Providence woman's daughter was shot at a graduation party over the weekend and when a WLNE news crew showed about to ask her about, she wasn't real happy.

Reporter Abbey Niezgoda and Photographer Marc Jackson showed up at the home of Melissa Lawrence. Lawrence did not want to speak on camera and when the crew continued to ask questions, Lawrence got nasty.

On the video you can see her throwing a rock at the camera. That might have been a good time to give up on the interview and pack it in. But the crew was still there when Lawrence grabbed a baseball bat. Then Lawrence turned her 2 dogs on the news crew. 

Reporter Niezgoda is seen throwing her mic to the ground and running down the street. Photographer Jackson keeps rolling as the dogs chased the reporter.  

More plus the video after the hop.    

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We're Not Saying Chris Matthews is boring.....but

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We're Not Saying Chris Matthews is boring.....but

Judging by the ratings lately, it appears that MSNBC has been putting viewers to sleep, but this might be the first time they did so to a guest.  

MSNBC's Chris Matthews was droning on about something with his guest, one of which was former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell.

As Matthew was speaking you could Rendell fighting off sleep as his eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

Finally they closed.

The video after the jump.   

 
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Heeeeeee's Baaaaaaaack!

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Keith Olbermann is making a return to cable TV.

This time, Olbermann is headed to TBS (one of the few cable Channels he hasn't pissed off....yet) to help host Turner’s coverage of the Major League Baseball postseason. 

Olby will be working out of TBS' Atlanta-based studio show with Dennis Eckersley and possibly a second analyst.

TBS has both Wild Card Playoff games, 18 of the 20 League Division Series games and exclusive rights to the National League Championship Series. 

Sources say the deal has an option for the 2014 postseason as well.

But come on! This is Keith Olbermann we're talking about.

No way he makes it to next year.  

Al Roker may have summed up the news best with a Facebook post:

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St. Louis Station Wiping Egg of Their Face

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KMOV in St. Louis has another embarrassment on their hands.  

First, the station fired their longtime Anchor after he went rouge on Facebook. And now the station is catching heat for reporting a story that wasn't even close to true.

The station reported that a "mass casualty" event at a local Holiday Inn after severe weather moved through the market.

KMOV's report spread through the social media world and had news outlets trying to find out more on the story. 

The problem, there was no "mass casualties" and KMOV had to retract the report.

And somewhere, Larry Connors is having a good laugh.  

Here's more on the story that wasn't. 

This is what you Call "Hard" News

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This is what you Call "Hard" News

An Oregon woman who had $500 worth of sex toys stolen from the trunk of her sedan says she felt extremely embarrassed having to list the missing items to a police officer. So, naturally, her next stop was the local news.

"It was horrible," Chelsey Coutts told Portland's Fox affiliate KPTV. "[The officer] kind of started laughing, but he felt bad so he asked me to describe everything in detail, and it was just horrible."

"I've been storing it in my trunk because I have two little ones and didn't want them to see all the dirty things in there," she said. "Lots of toys, blow-up items, all kinds of goodies."

Among the lifted toys: A 4-foot inflatable penis and some "penis straws." 

The video after the Jump.   

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Philly Station Denies Cat Fight

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Yesterday, FTVLive posted the video of the KYW Cat Fight and after our posting the story went viral.  

The video is edited together clips featuring KYW morning anchor Nicole Brewer and meteorologist Carol Erickson.

Most often the clips featured Brewer snarking at Erickson.  

KYW says the video does not paint an accurate picture.  “Ridiculous.” “It’s edited out of context,” the KYW rep told the Philly Daily News. “Carol has been a mentor to Nicole and they’re friendly both in the newsroom and out. It gives a totally false impression of what they’re relationship is like. Their viewers who’ve watched them over the years know they’re more than friendly.”

If that's friendly...we'd hate to see how they treat their enemies.

Just sayin'

If you haven't seen the video you can watch it here.  

 

Houston Station Gets its News From Competition

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When KPRC wanted to break the news of an overturned truck that was making traffic a mess, they turned to the competition for the pictures. 

KPRC tweeted out some pictures of the accident. The problem was that the pictures were taken straight off the air from competitor KTRK.

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KPRC cropped out KTRK, but as most people in Houston know, Mike Guerrero is KTRK's morning chopper reporter/photographer.

It didn't take KTRK long to slap together a promo of the theft: 

Roger Ailes: People Hate Me Because I'm Fat

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Roger Ailes: People Hate Me Because I'm Fat

Roger Ailes tried to Bombproof his office and thinks people hate him because he's fat.  

That's according to a new book out by Bloomberg View columnist and NBC News contributor Jonathan Alter. 

The book, titled The Center Holds: Obama And His Enemies.

There is a lot of focus on one of Obama's biggest domestic enemies, Fox News chief Roger Ailes.

In the book you learn some things you might not have know about Ailes.

13 things you didn't know about Roger Ailes and were afraid to ask...after the hop.  

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Salt Lake GM's Long Answer

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Salt Lake GM's Long Answer

It must be nice to be Richard Doutre Jones the GM of KTVX in Salt Lake City. This guy seems to have a lot of time on his hands.

A viewer named "Char" asked a simple question using a form on the station's website.  

Char asked "Wat happened to kylee conway..she is the only reason we watched your show...duh!!!"

She got a reply email from KTVX GM  Doutre Jones that was almost 800 words long!

Jones not only told her that Conway is no longer with the station, but he updates her on where Conway is in the world and about her replacement. 

He then continues his long response by talking about a new hire that will be joining the station, a newspaper guy that they have added, how great the weatherman is, a 5 year old phenomenon that will help with weather and another 4 or 5 other changes the station made.

All because a viewer wanted to know where her favorite anchor went?

Talk about overkill. 

The GM's long email he sent to the viewer after the jump.   

 
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Anchor Shift in Sin City

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Anchor Shift in Sin City

Some Anchor changes are going down at one Sin City station.  

In the Fall, KSNV has decided to tack on a one-hour 7 p.m. newscast. The new newscast will be anchored by Jim Snyder and Jessica Moore. It is expected to hit the air Sept. 16th. 

The station is also shuffling the anchor deck.

The 11 o'clock newscast will now be anchored by relative newcomers Reed Cowan and McKenzie Warren.

Cowan had been anchoring the 4PM newscast. He   worked in Miami and Salt Lake City markets before joining KSNV more than a year ago. He also has been a weeknight reporter at the station.

More on the anchor switch after the bounce.   

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Young People Ain't Watching TV

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Here is a chart that has to scare the hell out of cable executives and do a fairly good job of shaking up anyone that works in TV.

The chart shows that the people "cutting the cord" is growing quickly and it is going at hyper speed for the young people.   

In 2007, the number of "Zero-TV" households was around 2 million. It has since grown to more than 5 million, according to a recent Nielsen report.  

Nielsen defines "Zero-TV" households as those that don't fit into its definition of a TV household. It doesn't mean that those households don't have traditional TV sets, but it's just that the majority of them get their content from computers, tablets, and smartphones. In short, it means they're not paying for cable.  

But here's the real kicker: nearly half of these "Zero-TV" households are under the age of 35, marking a clear trend in our viewing habits.  

H/T Business Insider

Back on the Air in Roanoke

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Back on the Air in Roanoke

WSLS is going back to the future on July 8th.  

The station announced that John Carlin will be returning as the lead male news anchor for the station. He will join Karen McNew on the anchor desk for the 5, 5:30 & 6 p.m. newscasts weekdays. He will co-anchor the 11 p.m. newscast with Lindsey Ward during certain months of the year. Carlin will officially re-join the station on Monday, July 8.

The station video which included a very awkward high 5 after the jump.    

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