Media Obsesses on Election over 3 Years Away

It didn't use to be like this, but now it seems the race for the White House never stops.  Cable news has a lot of time to fill and instead of trying to do some real news, they rather just obsess on the Presidential Election.

Even if it is over 3 years away: 

Hey Sean Hannity! Is There Something You want to Tell us?

How Ironic

It looks like Paula Deen may have won the battle but lost the war.

Remember the racial discrimination suit that brought down  Deen?  

Well, the judge just made a ruling and Paula Deen won the case. 

The judge ruled in favor of Deen in lawsuit that destroyed the famous chef and lost her most her sponsors.

Lisa Jackson sued Deen for racial discrimination, but because she is white, the judge said the discrimination does not apply to her.  

Jackson made a tenuous argument that someone in her family was bi-racial -- something that may not be true at all.  But the judge said even if it were true, she was at best an "accidental victim."

Jackson also claims sexual discrimination, and that part of the case continues to move forward.

No Relation

Looks like a Denver Reporter has come clean and admitted that she is not related to her namesake. 

As FTVLive told you, KUSA Traffic Reporter Amelia Earhart plans to re-create the final flight of legendary pilot Amelia Earhart.

Reporter Earhart claimed to be a distant relative of her name sake in stories about her and her trip.

Many wondered if that was true? And now it seems that it isn't. 

Earhart used her Facebook to come clean and admit that she is not related in any way to the Pilot Amelia Earhart:

Years ago, I hired a genealogist to look into the link between myself and the first Amelia Earhart, and for the past 10 years, I had the understanding that we shared a distant common ancestry. As many of you may know, I am in the process of recreating her historic flight around the world. As a part of this process, it became clear it was time to determine the EXACT connection between the two of us. After hiring a team of researchers, I learned today that though we share a name and a love of flight, the first Amelia Earhart and I are not from the same family.

While the news was a jolt, it DOES NOT change my commitment to the the flight or to the mission of The Fly With Amelia Foundation, which is to enable young girls to pursue their dreams of flight. I am so thankful for all the encouragement and support I have received and I am really looking forward to sharing my recreation of Amelia’s flight around the world with all of you. -Amelia

So the story changes from Amelia Earhart's long lost relative to trace her flight around the world, to a Denver Reporter making a trip.

Talk about a buzz kill? 

HBO's Newsroom - Fiction or Fact?

Like most TV people, FTVLive gets a kick out of watching HBO's newsroom to see how close they can get to the real thing?

While the show is entertaining, they miss the mark when it comes to looking like a real newsroom.

Here are 5 things you see on the show and how it compares to a real newsroom. Let separate fact and fiction:

No. 1 - On the HBO show you often see the newsroom staff watching the show on a monitor in the newsroom. Also, many times after the show signs off, you see the staff cheering and clapping in the newsroom.

Fact - Neither of these things ever happen in a real newsroom  

No. 2 - On the show, often times the Producer leaves the control room during the show and they seem to have a lot of meetings on set during the commercial breaks.

Fact - This almost never happens in real life. 

No. 3 - There are two guys on the show that have the hots for another staffer in the newsroom. Both are doing their best to get the girl to like them. 

Fact - This is entirely true.

No. 4 - In HBO's Newsroom, the operation is run by an old white haired guy who seems perennially drunk. 

Fact - This is pretty much true as well. 

No. 5 - The anchor on HBO's show is a blustery, opinionated jerk who believes he’s smarter than everyone else.

Fact - Nailed it! 

Leno Will Sign off in Feb Book

NBC has come up with a date for Jay Leno's last Tonight Show. 

Leno will say his goodbye on February 6th. 

That means that Leno will host right up until the Winter Olympics begin on NBC, and Jimmy Fallon will take over after they end on February 24. 

Ever since NBC decided to dump Jay for Jimmy, Leno's ratings have been going up. 

Imagine that.  

In Defense of ABC, It was a Slow Week in News

ABC's 'This Week' is catching some flack for interviewing Donald Trump on Yesterday's show. 

'This Week' interviewed Trump about whether he wants to run for president in 2016.

Of course Trump isn't going to run and he just wanted some attention. It seems that Trump is pissed that Kim Karsahian's baby has getting more attention than him.

Trump talked to ABC's Jon Karl in Ames, Iowa on Saturday night.

Karl asked Trump whether he "could be taken seriously as a presidential candidate" which of course he can't.

Needless to say Twitter unloaded of ABC News for wasting time with Trump: 

Sports Anchor Acts his Own Highlights

Technical difficulties forced WSPA Sports anchor Todd Summers to call an audible on his sportscast.

The station was not able to run video, so Summers decided to act out the sports highlights for his viewers. 

Here's the video: 

Vickie Burns is Back in the Big Apple

It appears that former NY and LA News Director Vickie Burns is back in the Big Apple. 

As FTVLive earlier reported, Burns was spotted in a talent audition at WPIX. Now word is that Burns will be hooking on with a full time role at the struggling Tribune station. 

Tuned In reports are that all indications are she’ll be named a consultant alongside news director Mark Effron. There is also a possibility that Burns could assume a newly created station manager position.

Burns’ last TV job was as KNBC news director in 2012.

So far WPIX isn't talking.  

San Diego Station Hires New ND

Word is that Don Shafer is going to be the new News Director at XETV in San Diego.

Shafer is coming from WEEK in Peoria. IL.

Shaker has play in Peoria as the News Director since 2008. XETV goes through News Director like most people change shirts.

So, our advice to Shafer is, rent don't buy. 

No word yet on his start date.  

That's a Very Hot Forecast

In a Summer stunt, KXTV in Sacramento had viewers vote on who they wanted to deliver the weather.  

And like most often, the T&A was the winner. 

Viewers voted for the News10 Weather team to head to arena where the Sacramento Kings play and have the NBA team's dancers to help with 7-day forecast.

Let's roll the video: 

NBC Boss Makes Big Change in Her First Week

New NBC President Deborah Turness spent her first week on the job, listening and observing.

Anow now she has decided to make a major change at NBC, that should rocket the network to the top of all ratings. 

Turness sent a memo to the staff telling them that the morning meeting, which was called "Share Meeting" is moving it's time to 9AM.

The meeting will also no longer be called the "Share Meeting," it will now be reffered to as "The Exchange."

Wow! What a major change in just the first week for the new boss. 

Here is her Internal Memo to the staff: 

Thank you for the amazing welcome I have had this week. I’ve been able to spend time in newsrooms and control rooms and have attended meetings across NBC News. I am ending my first week even more excited at the work we will do together and the great things we can achieve.

I wanted to let you all know that starting Monday the daily editorial Share Meeting is moving. The conference is a useful one that enables the many parts of NBC News to find out what’s going on across the division, but I believe we can make it work much harder for us.

It will, in future, be called The Exchange, and will start at 9am. That’s because I am keen that the various NBC News operations can coordinate earlier in the day around the key editorial prizes and to identify opportunities for enterprise journalism. Working together we can deploy the collective might of NBC News more strategically to hit the biggest stories.

All those who previously attended should still come. And it will be held in the same place, 310E. The structure of the meeting will change to be more focused around key stories, and I am interested in feedback so we can adapt and improve it to maximize success.

Have a great weekend.

Deborah.

New ND in Tucson

KGUN finally has a new News Director.

The Tucson station has hired longtime ND Tom Burke.  

Burke will takeover the gig, replacing Forest Carr who left the station a few months ago.