Fox & Friends Holds Matt Lauer's Newspaper Hostage

It seems that Today Show Host Matt Lauer's copy on the New York Times was sent over to Fox News be mistake this morning. 

The crew at Fox & Friends have been Tweeting Lauer all morning asking if he wants it back and to send over Al Roker to get it.  

If I was Lauer, I would have the paper checked for ricin before I opened it.

Just saying....  

Radio Station Cools Off on Hottest Poll

Yesterday, FTVLive told you about a radio station in Maine that has posted pictures of local news anchors on their website and asked listeners "Who is the Hottest TV Newswoman in Maine?"

FTVLive also told you that one station did not like the idea of their anchors being featured in the poll. The station said: 

"WCSH6 and WLBZ2 do not condone the current WDEA poll involving our reporters’ names and images. We made it clear before the start of this poll that our newsrooms will not participate and that our individual reporters do NOT want to be involved. We find it demeaning to our reporters and the other journalists used in this contest."

After FTVLive posted the story the radio station changed the poll’s headline to ask readers their “favorite” instead of the “hottest” TV newswoman. The also included the following revision in the post:

“It seems we offended a few of you out there with our use of the word ‘Hottest’ to describe these lovely and talented journalists. It was not our intent to offend, so we’ve changed it to ‘Favorite.’ Sorry about that.”

But it seems that not all the newswomen felt the poll was "demeaning," Nicole Gerber, an anchor/reporter and producer for WVII, posted a link to the poll on Twitter and Facebook on Monday morning, asking her fans to “send some support.”

After the FTVLive story deleted the social media posts.

Maybe she changed her mind. 

Apple Looks to Ad Skipping TV

An Apple a day might keep the commercials away. 

After years of rumors of all sorts of newfangled products supposedly in development to take over the living rooms, there’s fresh scuttlebutt that Apple is in discussions to create a service that would allow viewers to engage in ad-skipping.

And here’s the grabber: Apple would supposedly pay the TV networks for the ad revenue they missed out on due to to the skipped commercials.

 Read the rest in FTV Tech 

Philly Reporter Bumped Up the Food Chain

Jericka Duncan has been named a Correspondent for News Services at CBS News, the Network’s 24-hour television newsgathering service for CBS stations and broadcasters around the world.  Her appointment is effective immediately.

Duncan joins CBS News from KYW-TV, the CBS owned and operated station in Philadelphia, where she had been a general assignment reporter since August 2010. While there, she earned a first-place award from the Associated Press and a local Emmy nomination for a series of reports about disabled adults held captive in a Social Security scam.  In addition, the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists named Duncan its “Journalist of the Year.”

Duncan reported for KYW-TV as part of the CBS News Development Program, which is designed to create a pool of highly qualified producers and correspondents for the news division. 

Before that, Duncan was a reporter for WIVB-TV, the CBS affiliate in Buffalo, N.Y., where she served as a reporter since August 2007. She began her broadcasting career in 2005 as an anchor and reporter for WETM-TV in Elmira, N.Y.

The last Line Gave it away

FTVLive was sent a link from PRLog.org (A press release website) that said that KTVU Anchor Tori Campbell was taking a leave of absence from the station after reading the fake names of the flight crew for Asiana Airlines.

We also saw the story linked on Social Media. 

The story said that the GM of the station advised Campbell to take the leave. 

It all looked legit and was on a PR website that we have seen countless stories used on the internet.

But then came the last line of the story. A part that many people might not have even read. 

It said that  "Ophelia Payne will temporarily replace Campbell." Read the replacement anchor's name slowly. 

It appears that it is a hoax.  

NTSB Fires Summer Intern

The Summer Intern that confirmed the fake flight crew names to KTVU has been let go from the NTSB. 

The NTSB confirms that the intern was "released from his position." 

Asiana Airlines is suing KTVU for the mistake.

Scott Pelley Tweets 2 Times in 3 Years

On July 11th Scott Pelley sent out this Tweet:  

It was a tease for an interesting story, but not really much more. But yet, the Tweet from the CBS Anchor was newsworthy for one reason. It was only the second Tweet he has sent out since he joined Twitter back in 2011. 

His only other Tweet was the day he started anchoring the news on CBS.:

And while Pelley has only sent out 2 Tweets in his life, it's two more than NBC's Brian Williams has sent out. BriWi has over 175,000 followers on Twitter and has never sent out a single Tweet.  

As for Scott Pelley....we're predicting that Pelley will be sending out another Tweet around November 15, 2014. 

We can hardly wait.  

Asiana says it is Suing KTVU

Things are going from bad to worse for the Bay Area's KTVU.

As FTVLive reported yesterday, Asiana Airlines had said that they were looking to sue the station over their reporting the fake names of the flight crew.

Now the airline says they are GOING to sue the station, claiming that the fake names broadcast have damaged the airline's reputation.

We have to say, when their pilot bounced the tail of flight 214 off the seawall at San Francisco Airport, that may have also damaged the airline's reputation.

Just saying...  

Station Says Leave Us Out Of "Hot" Anchor Contest

When websites and radio stations run out of ideas, they always turn to the "Who's the best? or Who's the Hottest? polls to try and drum up traffic.

Since the news is slow this time of year in Maine (and the rest of the year for that matter) local radio station WDEA AM 1230 is holding a contest on their website. 

Who is the Hottest TV Newswoman in Maine?

It's the station's online poll that let's listeners vote as often as they want (more hits to the station's website that way) and pick who that think is the state's hottest news babe.

Not every station is happy to see the online poll. WCSH has released this statement about the contest: 

"WCSH6 and WLBZ2 do not condone the current WDEA poll involving our reporters’ names and images. We made it clear before the start of this poll that our newsrooms will not participate and that our individual reporters do NOT want to be involved. We find it demeaning to our reporters and the other journalists used in this contest."

Of course you just know some of those same anchors will still be busy clicking their mouse to rack up votes from themselves.

Jenny McCarthy to "The View"

I know you were losing sleep at night, so let me put your mind to rest. 

The rumors that Jenny McCarthy was going to be named the a new co-host at "The View" are true. 

It was made official Today by Barbara Walters (then again you can't always believe her). 

Kate Plus 8 Thousand Members of the Media

Forget the Zimmerman Trial, the unrest in Egypt or the NSA Leaker, the media is poised for the biggest story of the Summer. 

The coverage of the Royal Baby. 

Media across the world are camped out waiting for Kate Middleton to arrive at the hospital and give birth to the most famous baby since Kim Kardashian spit out North Pole (or whatever his name is).

Of course the news will not be official until Buckingham Palace says it is.

The Palace will be where the world will learn about the Royal Baby.

The birth notice will be taken by car to the Palace and posted on an easel by the gates for all to see. It will be the most watched easel since Tim Russsert tried to explain to viewers the election in 2000. 

All the media will go overboard with coverage and the Royal Baby will become a royal pain in the ass for people trying to escape the coverage. 

The big news is the Royal Baby will one day be the King or Queen of England. 

Kim Kardashian's kid will one day make a sex tape (most like using the name "North Pole" ....get it? North Pole? Never mind)

Is this a great country or what. 

Did Social Media Help Stop Violence After Zimmerna Verdict?

I have a theory and I totally admit that it is just my theory...but I think Social Media may have helped stop the violence after the George Zimmerman verdict.

So how can Twitter stop riots from happening? 

Read my theory in ScottLand. 

Nancy Grace Says "Fucking Coons" on The Air

We're not sure Nancy Grace needed to use the words...but she did. 

Chicago Anchor Re-ups

FTVLive reported that WBBM in Chicago had been quietly looking for a possible replacement for main Anchor Rob Johnson. 

Sources told FTVLive that the station had reached out to agents and others in the industry looking for a possible replacement for the CBS O&O anchorman. 

But as Robert Feder reports Johnson and WBBM have struck a new deal. 

Feder writes that Johnson has agreed to a multiyear renewal with CBS 2 to continue as 5, 6 and 10 p.m. weekday news anchor. His co-anchor on all three newscasts is Kate Sullivan.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed and some speculate that Johnson may have taken a cut in pay or no raise.

Johnson confirmed the extension negotiated between his agent and bosses of the CBS-owned station. 

"My philosophy is to not make my personal business public," Johnson told Feder. "But given the multiple inaccuracies that have been reported, I am happy to report that I'm going to sign a multiyear contract with CBS to continue the great work we're doing. And I couldn't be happier."