Pervert Newscast Director Gets a Decade Behind Bars

Former WPEC Newscast Director Christopher Siegert will not be punching anymore shows where he's headed.

Siegert is getting used to his new surroundings at a prison in central Florida. 

He was arrested and plead guilty of trying to hook up with a 15 year old boy. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison.  

Gossip Extra reports that Siegert pleaded guilty to having an Internet relationship with a boy he believed was 15 then driving to a sex rendezvous.

The boy, however, was a Boynton Beach Police detective.

Siegert was nabbed by Homeland Security December 20 after six weeks of sexually-charged text messages and emails with the undercover cop. 

Among them, Siegert promised the “youth” he met on a gay hookup website to help him make a sex tape.

“I’ll be gentle with you,” one of Siegert’s texts read.

Judge Kenneth Ryskamp is the one who was gentle: Siegert received the most lenient sentence allowed by federal guidelines.

Siegert’s lawyer, Tama Beth Kudman, described him at his sentencing as “lonely” and socially-awkward, and living at his parents’ home in Jupiter. “He still sleeps in his childhood bed,” she said. 

BTW- don't look for the story on WPEC, they have yet to report on their Director's arrest, conviction or sentencing. 

Glenn Beck: Diane Sawyer is Biggest Bigot I've Ever Seen

Diane Sawyer is riding high after she passed Brian Williams in the demos last week.

But don't look for Glenn Beck to be sending any congratulations her way.

In fact, Beck used his radio show to call out DiSy and trash her image a bit. 

The NY Daily News writes that on his radio show Wednesday, Beck slammed his former ABC News co-worker. Apparently, during Beck's stint at ABC, his working relationship with Sawyer quickly grew sour.

"When ABC hired me, I was Diane Sawyer's little bitch," Beck, 49, said.

He claimed that Sawyer would call and email so frequently that his wife became suspicious about their relationship. "She would call me up. My wife was like, 'What's going on with Diane Sawyer?'" he said.

According to Beck, Sawyer cut ties with him after the Council on American-Islamic Relations threatened the network and its parent company Disney with a boycott if they didn't take Beck off the air. This turned Sawyer, in Beck's eyes, into a pro-Muslim "bigot."

"All of a sudden, I can't get Diane on the phone," he said. "Finally, about eight months later I have lunch with her, and she becomes the biggest bigot I've ever seen in my life."

So Glenn Beck's claims that Diane Sawyer is the biggest bigot he's ever seen, which tells me that Beck does not have a single mirror in his house. 

Anchor Leaving Buffalo Station

Morning Anchor Ginger Geoffery's is signing off from WKBW in Buffalo Today and she is teasing viewers as to where she is headed.

Geoffery told viewers that  she would announce her next destination on "Eyewitness News This Morning" and on social networks.

Using the hash tag  #GingersBigAnnouncement, Geoffery has been engaging with viewers on Twitter and teasing them with her next location. 

The Buffalo News says her next gig will not be in local TV.

In an email to the staff wishing Geoffery luck, News Director Polly Van Doren wrote that Geoffery "has accepted an offer outside of television and will now know what it’s like to have normal hours by working 9-5!"

Geoffery was getting pushed out as the morning anchor as the station tries to pull themselves out of the deep ratings basement.  

WKBW has hired a new morning anchor team with co-anchors Cole Heath and Tiffany Lundberg premiering Aug. 12.

As of 7:15 this morning, Geoffery still hadn't posted what her new job will be and to be honest, we really don't care enough to keep checking her Twitter account. 

If you care more than we do, you can check it at this link. 

If she's leaving to become a stripper or anything good like that, please let us know.  

BriWi To Leave Nightly for Knee Surgery

NBC's Brian Williams is going on the D L. 

Williams announced on Thursday's Nightly News that he will be taking time off to have knee surgery.

Williams says took a helmet to knee hit while playing high school football and has been in pain ever since.

“It reversed my knee – they don’t recommend that,” he said. “I’ve been in pain for 35 years. I loved playing a team sport. I loved every minute of football. I’ve paid a very high price for what’s been confirmed to be the single worst New Jersey High School Catholic League football career in history.”

In William’s case, the pain has gotten so bad that it is interfering with his sleep, he said, so he decided it was time for the surgery.

“I reached a point recently in the last 12 months where I decided this has to happen and to be mathematical about it, I've lived now most of my days so worst case scenario, if this doesn't go perfectly well, which it will, it can't hurt more than it hurts now,” Williams says.

NBC says BriWi will miss anywhere from 3 weeks to 3 months, but most feel it should be around a month to 6 weeks. 

Lester Holt will be filling in. 

H/T NBC

Bomb Squad Called to Fresno Station (Update)

A tense situation is going on fight now (5:36PM EDT) at a TV station in Fresno .

Sources tell FTVLive that someone came up to the door at KGPE, dropped off a package and then ran.

Police were called - bomb squad is on the scene. 

Stay tuned...  

Update: Police have given the "All Clear" staff is headed back into the station.  

Word is "the package" contained sweaters meant for AM anchor Jenny Toste.  Apparently she has an admirer who left a note in the box hoping that she'll wear them on-air for him.

Tampa TV Critic Leaves Paper while there is Still a Paper to Leave

Because, in case you didn't know newspapers are dying, Tampa Bay Times TV Critic Eric Deggans is leaving the paper late next month. 

Deggans has accepted a job at NPR as the TV Critic.  

The obligatory sound bites: 

“For many years, I have been a fan of NPR’s super smart journalism and I often fantasized of what it might be like to join their ranks as a contributor,” says Deggans. “A position like this one is beyond my wildest dreams; I’m honored and excited by the opportunity to help shape NPR’s coverage of television and pop culture.”

“We are thrilled that Eric is joining NPR, and going to be part of a team that will enhance our coverage of one of the most important social forces in our time, the impact of TV,” says Madhulika Sikka, Executive Editor of NPR News.

MSNBC Boss: We Don't Do Well with Breaking News

MSNBC boss Phill Griffin once again admitted that when it comes to news, his cable news channels sucks at it. 

In an interview with Variety, Griffin talks about the last two ratings book in which MSNBC sucked. “There has been an inordinate amount of big, breaking news, and that is, honestly, when CNN does well. It’s pure muscle memory."

He also noted that MSNBC's ratings thrived during the 2012 election year when viewers could tune in for 24/7 political analysis. Ratings are bound to drop in a non-election year.

So basically, you should watch MSNBC every 4 years. 

Sounds like kind of a shitty business plan to us. 

H/T HuffPo

The Top 5 Stories for July

The month of July is a wrap.

Let's look back at what stories you guys seem to find most interesting for the month.

Here are the Top 5 most read stories for the month of July on FTVLive.com. 

No. 5 -  AL ROKER LIKES TO TWITTER FIGHT

No. 4 -  BRA-LESS REPORTER: "I AM NOT ANOTHER AJ CLEMENTE."

No. 3 -  PLEASE BEAR WITH US

No. 2 -  OMG! YOU CAN NOT BE THIS STUPID

And the most read story on FTVLive for the month of July was:  

REPORTER POSTS, PULLS AND REPOST CONFESSIONS 

One for the Record Books

Why I want to come to your house and give you a big hug. 

Does that sound creepy? It wasn't meant to... 

Details in ScottLand

M-I-A Anchor Breaks Her Silence

It took an arrest for KEYT Anchor Paula Lopez to break her silence. 

Lopez made news back in February when she went missing and a police search was launched to try and find her. She showed up a few hours later in her home. 

At the time Lopez and the station would not say what caused her to go missing. The only thing said in public was that she had a "medical condition." 

It appears that her "medical condition" is she's an alcoholic.  

Earlier this week, Lopez was arrested for public intoxication. And she is finally talking.

After months of silence Lopez has issued a statement: 

"I have been in professional medical treatment for the disease of alcoholism for a number of months. I have dealt with anxiety and depression for many years. Excessive self-medication is a fairly recent phenomenon for me. It has increased over time.

"I have had substantial periods of abstinence and sobriety. As can occur in the recovery process, I have also had failures and relapses.

"I know that most people have a family member, a friend, a co-worker, or know of someone who has been impacted by substance abuse. They understand the scourge and pain that befalls those close to the diseased individual.

"Much was written about my prior medical circumstances. All that was released to the media regarding my medical circumstances was true. But it was not complete. That is no longer the case.

"From your expressions, I know that vast multitudes of you understand my plight and sympathize with my circumstances.

"Others of you cannot, and never will. I am extremely humbled and grateful for those who do.

"I ask the forgiveness of those who cannot."

OH! Did the Old One Leave?

WPBF in West Palm Beach has a job opening for Assistant News Director. The posting is interesting since the station has never confirmed or told the staff that the last Deuce was fired.

As FTVLive told you back on July 26th,  Assistant News Director Steve Boyer was escorted out of the station’s newsroom after being given 10 minutes to clean out his desk.

But yet no one from the station has said anything. 

Now think for a second, if the Mayor of West Palm Beach was escorted from the building. Do you think WPBF would be covering the story? What do you think the station's reaction would be if no one would confirm that the Mayor was gone or not?

Yet, station's continue clam up when it deals with one of their own.  

Word is that Boyer was sacked after having drinks with a job applicant. It's not the first time the guy has been accused of crossing the line with a job applicant.

The interesting part of the new job posting for an Assistant News Director, the station is looking for someone with "a strong ethical compass."

Maybe they should have put that in the listing the last time they posted it.  

Here's a link to the job listing.  

Rob Morrison Moves Back in With His Wife

Police came to Rob Morrison's home when he was having a fight with his Moneywatch Anchor Wife Ashley. 

The police call ended with Morrison with a bloody face, handcuffed and on his way to jail. It also cost him his anchor job at WCBS. 

Police claim that Morrison choked his wife and threaten to kill her.  

So what's Rob doing now?  

He's moved back in with the very same wife. 

"I'm focused on my family and have been from the very beginning," Morrison said. "That continues to be the case," Morrison tells the NY Daily News

 "I've always maintained that I never touched her and she never made that accusation," Morrison said. "I don't want to get into a p---ing contest with the cops, but I think my behavior that evening was inappropriate with the cops, and I think that led to a lot of the circumstances I found myself in. They're leaving me alone now and I leave them alone. Everything is quiet and copacetic."

Does he plan on anchoring again? 

"I want to go back to work, but not now. Right now, it's more important to focus on Jack, especially, and my marriage. Morrison continued. "There's finally some light at the end of this tunnel."