Twitter TV?

Lara Cohen who worked for Us Weekly is leaving the mag to become a TV talent manager at Twitter.

Looks like Twitter is looking to branch out to the TV world.

Today is Cohen's last at Us Weekly.  

Pink Slips Fly at CNN's DC Bureau

The pink slips have been flying around CNN's DC bureau, but sources tell FTVLive these are not budget cuts. 

It appears that Jeff Zucker just wants to get his own people in place and realign the bureau as he sees fit.  

That being said, a number of longtime staffer are getting the boot. Most of those sacked are Producers.

CNN is expected to be filing the jobs with new hires that will include new or different responsibilities.  

19 Seconds

Before I even start this story, I will totally admit that back in my days in the TV newsroom, I was totally guilty of this. 

Today when the DOMA ruling came down from the Supreme court, TV networks raced to be first on the air with the story.  

The New York Times Brian Stelter tweeted that NBC was first with news. But, Bloomberg says they claims they were first by at least 19 seconds.

19 seconds Really?!

What's the difference if you beat someone by 19 seconds, 5 minutes or even a half hour? Is it really going to impact the lives of your viewers?

I'm betting that there are people at work right now that still don't know what the Supreme Court ruling on DOMA was. They'll find out when they get home or maybe when they log onto the Internet or pick up the morning paper. 

Websites are posting video of TV interns running to give the SCOTUS decision to the correspondents. 

So, are we to assume that Bloomberg's intern was faster than the others? Will ABC hire Usain Bolt next time, so they assured to be first on the air with the ruling?

When you step away from the newsroom and look at this whole "we were first" crap, you will see just how childish it looks. 

I can guarantee viewers could give a crap if you beat the other guys by a minute 20 seconds.

But, it's not totally the networks fault. Their are TV critics and websites keeping track of who was first. The networks know this and they strive to be first. 

You can look no further than the Boston bombings and see that being first doesn't mean jack shit if it's not right.  I'm looking at you CNN.

I would urge TV stations and networks to slow down, get it right and don't really give a hoot if the other guy beats you by 19 seconds.  

I can promise you one other thing.

Someday you are going to leave the newsroom. Whether you retire, quit TV or get laid off or fired, you will leave TV news.  

When you do, you will slowly start looking at news more as a viewer than an insider. You will start to look at how stupid and childish so much of this stuff looks like from the outside looking in. 

As I said at the beginning, I was guilty of the same thing I'm speaking out against right now. But, I also see what the viewer sees and I can say....it's time to make a change. 

Just saying....  

CNN Admits they are out of Original Ideas

Today, CNN finally admitted to be out of original ideas, when they made it official that they are bringing back the show "Crossfire." 

On the right will be S.E. Cupp, who leaves MSNBC to join Crossfire. Also on the right will be Newt Gingrich.

The left will be handled by former White House advisor Van Jones and  Obama campaign consultant Stephanie Cutter.

CNN Boss Jeff Zucker throws his spin on the new/old show back on CNN. “Few programs in the history of CNN have had the kind of impact on political discourse that 
Crossfire did – it was a terrific program then, and we believe the time is right to bring it back and do it again.

The show will hit the air in the Fall. 

I can hardly contain myself. 

Cops Arrest Patriots Tight End

The media has been camped outside New England Patriots Aaron Hernandez's home waiting for something to happen.

This morning, they finally got the money shot that they have been waiting days to get.  

Police officers went to his home this morning knocked on the door.  Hernandez answered and was handcuffed and taken into custody.

Hernandez has been a person of interest in the killing of a semi-pro football player found dead a mile from his home.

Getting out while the Getting is Good

A couple of News Managers at KRIV (Houston) are getting out while the getting is good.

When Tom Doerr left Fox O&O KRIV for Chicago, the station promoted Assistant News Director Bob Morford.  

A couple of KRIV News Managers are getting away from the Morford regime before it gets rolling.

Executive Producer Geoff Roth is bolting the station to become the News Director at WJZY/WMYT the Fox duopoly in Charlotte.

And Assignment Manager Chris McDonald is staying in the state of Texas, heading to KAVU in Victoria, TX also as News Director. 

Blame the Photographer

Here's some advice. The next time you are covering a flood, you might not want to jump on the back of a flood victim to do a stand up. 

An Indian television journalist reporting on the deadly floods that have swept northern India has defended his decision to file a report while perched on a survivor's shoulders.

Narayan Pargaien, who works for the local News Express channel, told Indian media website newslaundry.com that the criticism he has faced since the video was posted online was unfair.

"The report was supposed to be telecast only with footage of me chest-up. This was entirely the cameraman's fault, who... tried to sabotage my career by shooting from that distance and angle and releasing the video."

Another word of advice...when you screw up, always blame the Photographer. 

FTVLive Beta Tests IOS 7 for the iPhone

FTVLive has been using the beta version of Apple's IOS 7 for the iPhone for a few weeks now. 

In case you don't know, Apple is releasing a new operating system for your iPhone later this Fall. 

The new OS is basically a complete visual overhaul, which changes absolutely everything the way your phone looks.

The typography and color schemes to the typical icon and button shape all look different than what you currently have on your phone. 

After we got used to the new look, we have to say we like it.  

The number one thing we like is a small thing, but make a huge difference. 

What is it? Read the rest in FTV Tech

Leaving the TV News Biz

In a staff meeting Tuesday, WSET (Lynchburg) General Manager Randy Smith announced to staff that News Director Bill Foy will be leaving the station for a new job at Virginia Tech. 

Foy is leaving TV news and will become the Director of Communications at Virginia Tech.

"Bill is the consummate professional. He and I have worked together since 1992 and he is one of the most experienced and highly regarded news professionals in the Commonwealth, if not the industry. Bill is one of a very small group of people in whom I have blind trust. I will miss him tremendously," Smith said of Foy.

Main Anchor Len Stevens will be the station's interim news director until further notice.

Foy leaves the station at the end of next month.  

Moving on from Milwaukee

A couple of on air staffers are leaving WISN in Milwaukee.  

Weekend meteorologist Luke Sampe and weekend anchor and reporter Shelby Croft are both packing up and moving on. 

Sampe is headed up the road to Green Bay. He will replace WFRV's chief meteorologist Tom Mahoney who retired. He is leaving Milwaukee in July. 

Croft leaves the station in August and is headed for WBNS in Columbus, Ohio. That move also will put her closer to family.

Paula and Matt on Today

This morning on Today.

Paula Deen, who is trying to save what is left of her career wil sit down and talk with Matt Lauer, who is trying to save what is left of his career. 

Stay tuned...  

Ann Curry to Get First Prime Time Special

Friday will mark one year mark that Ann Curry made her tearful farewell to the Today Show.

Curry say on the Today Show couch in her red dress and cried as she told viewers that she was being kicked to the curb. From that day forward, her co-host Matt Lauer became the bad guy.

At the time Curry was fired from the Today Show, NBC said she would become a world traveling reporter for NBC news and it would also include prime time specials (notice the "s" at the end of specials).

So how many Ann Curry specials have we seen so far? 

Zero. Zip. Nada. 

But, that will change on Friday night, when Ann Curry will have her first prime time special, exactly one year to the day she sat weeping on the Today Show couch. 

NBC writes in a press release: In an Ann Curry Report: A Face in the Crowd airing Friday, June 28 at 10p/9c, Ann Curry tells the remarkable story of courage, faith, improbable decisions, and an extraordinary transformation.

When he was 22 years old, Richard Norris suffered an accidental shotgun blast into his face that left him extremely disfigured. After living for 15 years as a recluse, Norris chose to risk a groundbreaking face transplant surgery with the hope that he and others like him, including America's wounded warriors, would benefit. For the first time, viewers will hear from Norris in his own words, the donor's parents, and the physician who made medical history.

So basically, NBC News is giving Ann Curry one prime time special on a Friday in June. 

God...how they must hate this poor woman. 

Anchor Shake Up At KCBS?

Sources tell FTVLive that an anchor shake up is on the horizon at KCBS/KCAL in LA. 

Word is that AM anchor Sibila Vargas and weekend anchor Rob Schmitt are said to be leaving the station.

There are also rumors that both are leaving to go to the same place.

Vargas (pictured) came to KCBS in 2010, coming from KRIV the Fox owned-and-operated station in Houston.

Prior to that she worked at CNN. 

So what's next? 

Stay tuned....  

Seriously... That's a lot of F-Bombs

The next time NBC shows a shot of Chicago Blackhawks player Andrew Shaw, they might want to turn the sound off. Shaw dropped F-bomb after F-Bomb all over the air. 

Next year the NHL will be changing the name to the Stanley "Fucking A" Cup Finals.