Huge Anchor Shake Up Coming to Chicago?

It looks the struggling Fox O&O WFLD in Chicago is about to have a big anchor shake up in an effort to boost the ratings. 

Word is the station is looking to swap anchors for the 9PM newscast.

Current anchors Bob Sirott and Robin Robinson — both longtime local TV news talents — currently occupy those crucial anchor seats on the station's late newscast.

Robinson has been in the anchor chair since the 9PM newscast signed on the air.  

But it has become apparent over the course of several years that — at least as an anchor team — they haven't been able to move Channel 32 out of its perennial last-place position in the weekday late local newscast ratings competition.

In the most recent June Nielsen ratings book, Channel 32's 9 p.m. newscast fronted by Sirott and Robinson pulled a 2.5 rating Monday through Friday, while Tribune Co.-owned WGN-Channel 9's late news — a direct competitor at 9 p.m. — scored a 4.0. Top-rated ABC-owned WLS-Channel 7's 10 p.m. newscast notched an 8.3 rating in June. One rating point equals 35,000 households in the Chicago market.

Channel 32 General Manager Dennis Welsh has been in place since January, and he brought on board a new station news director Tom Doerr in late February. Sources say Channel 32 has been looking at potential anchor candidates in recent weeks from outside the Chicago market — always a dicey proposition in a town that seems to prefer known commodities when it comes to anchor talent.

Both Robinson and Sirott are veterans of the local TV news scene, but when they were put together as anchor team by former general manager Michael Renda, there was no on-air chemistry between the two that might have helped the station achieve better news ratings. It didn't help that Renda made many other personnel changes in the newsroom during his tenure that helped create a very unsettled environment.

If Walsh and Doerr do move to make a change in 9 p.m. news anchors, Anna Davlantes could be another option up for consideration. Davlantes jumped from NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5 several years ago to take on a high-profile role on Channel 32's late newscast. But Renda made the decision to move her to an anchor slot on the station's morning show "Good Day, Chicago."

H/T Chicago Business Journal  

Media Executives Rake in the Big $$$$

While you toil away in the newsroom deciding what you will have on the value menu for lunch.  Your boss's boss boss is living the high life and making more money per year, than most of us will make in a lifetime.

After stock options, salary and bonuses, there are some media executives being paid obscene amounts of money.

Fox News Channel Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes received a $21-million pay package in 2012 and he's not even in the top 10.

His boss, Rupert Murdoch comes in at Number 5 on the list, pulling in $30 million. 

Topping the list is CBS's Les Moonves. 

Moonves pulled in $62.2 million bucks in 2012. Not bad for a guy that's network evening and morning newscasts are in last place.  

The full list at The LA Times 

Nancy Grace Banned from Good Morning America

Now that CNN has a morning show that they are trying to make successful, word is that Jeff Zucker is pulling the plug on his talent appearing on other morning shows.

Most notably, Nancy Grace's appearances on on ABC's Good Morning America.

Page Six says that Nancy Grace is banned from doing her highly rated segments on “GMA.”  

"We’re told CNN chief Jeff Zucker is “banning all CNN and HLN personalities from appearing on ‘GMA.’ A source adds, “The biggest issue is Grace, given her high-rated debates with Dan Abrams over legal issues.” " Says Page Six. 

A CNN rep said, “While it is true that Nancy no longer appears on ‘GMA,’ it has nothing to do with banning [particular] clients. Like every other cable network and broadcast outlet with a morning show, we ask that CNN/HLN talent not appear on other network’s morning shows, unless they are promoting a book or a personal project.”

Tampa Anchor's Jello Shot

Talk about a Jello shot.

Cameras caught WTSP Anchor Charles Billi going down a slide into and ice cold bowl of jello.

Billi took the Jello slide to raise money for children fighting cancer. Of course, ever the anchorman, Billi went into the chilly jello wearing a shirt and tie.  

Here's the video: 

Olbermann and Maddow Not Talking

Keith Olbermann and his former BFF don't talk anymore.

Olby is still bitter at MSNBC for getting rid of him and he's loving the fact that their ratings are falling.

Olbermann called out Rachel Maddow on Tuesday after he tweeted about MSNBC's falling ratings.

When Olbermann responded to a tweet about the network's ratings performance, another Twitter user asked if he was criticizing Maddow.

Last year, Maddow appeared on Bravo's "Watch What Happens Live" and was asked if she had spoken to Olbermann since he left MSNBC in 2011. "No," she said. "But it's not like we've been fighting. We just haven't been talking."

Rachel you need to call Keith....his feelings are hurt. 

H/T HuffPo

And the Hits Just Keep on Coming

Fox Sports report Amy Campbell proved she could take a hit for a story earlier this week.

Campbell was conducting an interview on the sidelines of The Opening recruiting combine at Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Ore., when she was run over during a play.

Here's the video: 

Rob Morrison Pleads Guilty, Avoids Jail

Former WCBS New York anchor Rob Morrison plead guilty yesterday on two of three charges regarding his arrest by police back in February.  

Cops busted Morrison after a domestic dispute with his wife CBS MoneyWatch anchor Ashley Morrison.

Morrison pleaded guilty on second-degree threatening and disorderly conduct and agreed to participate in a Family Violence Education Program.

The anchor did not enter a plea for the felony strangulation charge. Morrison has said he did not choke his wife.

After the court session, Morrison got into heated discussion with his wife's lawyer Nancy Aldrich in the courtroom hallway. 

 “You’re representing a completely untruthful position. How can you do that?” Morrison angrily demanded.

“She never told you the truth about that night.”

As Aldrich tried to answer, Morrison interrupted, saying, “She’s saying I never strangled her? The judge doesn’t care. She made a false statement that night.”

Aldrich then insisted, “There was no misrepresentation of the facts.”

Darien Police also claim he threatened to kill his wife while at police headquarters, which Morrison also refutes.

As he left the courthouse, Morrison declined to comment on the matter. 

He's do back in court on the other charges August 14th. 

Nexstar Starts Swinging the Ax in Fresno

Left Coast sources are telling FTVLive the ax is starting to swing in Fresno.

It's not like anyone didn't expect it.

When Nexstar purchased Fresno's KSEE and KGPE, it was inevitable that jobs would be lost. Just look at Nexstar's track record.  

Sources tell FTVLive that 30-year AM anchor has been canned…. as well as the Midday anchor.  

KGPE is slated to move into the same building with KSEE in the Fall, so many more cuts are expected.  

Message to staff:  You might want to update that resume. 
 

Hey Fox News, CNN and MSNBC .... WTF?!

While we maybe just moments away from world history with Egyptian military on the verge of  government takeover and the ousting President Mohamed Morsi... what are the cable nets doing?

They are covering the George Zimmerman trial.  

Maybe I'm looking forward to Al Jazeera America after all.  

Shame on Fox News, CNN and MSNBC.