Fired from the Fox Den

Fox News has fired Brian Lewis, executive vp corporate communications after an investigation found breach of contract and "issues relating to financial irregularities," the network says in a statement.

The kicker is Lewis was sacked almost a month ago and the news is just getting out now.  

Lewis was at the top of the depth chart at Fox News and was often considered the right-hand man to Roger Ailes.

Word is Lewis was fired and escorted from his office last month over what the company says were financial issues and other performance problems.

Insiders tell FTVLive that the two sides have been negotiating a separation agreement for the past several weeks. 

Word is that FNC is doing their best to make sure that Lewis signs something that will keep him quiet. If Lewis decided to write a book about the inter workings  at Fox News, one Fox insider told FTVLive "he could blow the lid off the place." 

Lewis knows as much about how Fox News works than anyone. He had been at the network since 1996.  

Fox News released this statement about his firing: 

"After an extensive internal investigation of Brian Lewis' conduct by Fox News, it was determined that he should be terminated for cause, specifically for issues relating to financial irregularities, as well as for multiple, material and significant breaches of his employment contract," a company spokesperson said Tuesday. "He was terminated for cause on July 25."

Stay tuned...  

Oh Brother!

WDRB in Louisville is running promos for their sports teams upcoming football coverage. The promos are a knock off of CBS's Big Brother and suggest that the sports guys are all living under one roof as they prepare for football season. 

After watching the promos we say "Oh Brother" more than Big Brother: 

45 Years Behind the Anchor Desk

She helped break down the barrier for female anchors.

Jean Enersen one of the first and longest-standing female news anchors has celebrated her 45th year on the job. 

Jean Enersen landed a role at KING5 (Seattle) in 1968 at a time when men ruled the airwaves.

Times have changed and now at 69, Enersen says that when she first went to work for the she frequently encountered sexism.

'I was told if I drank a shot of whiskey before going on air I might be able to lower my voice. Others suggested I take up smoking,' she recalled.

At the time women advancing in the field believed that speaking in a lower register would made a better impression on viewers, who were more used to male reporters.

On another occasion she said that a cameraman was so insulted to be paired with a woman, he refused to shoot the story they were set to work on.

But determined, she 'fought her own battles' and eventually made a name for herself on the broadcasting circuit, winning several Emmy awards for her work.

Asked what's been the most important thing that's happened for her since starting at KING5 at the age of 24, Ms Enersen touched on technological advancements.

'In terms of broadcasting, I think there's so many other devices that people get their news on,' adding that 'things have changed a lot.'

Heck, when she started 45 years ago, the only way you could get FTVLive, was on an Etch-a-sketch.

H/T Daily Mail  

Rolling out of Rockford

WIFR Anchor Tina Stein is bolting the Rockford station and headed to Evansville, Ind.

After 7 years at the station, Stein is signing off from the station this week. She spent the last 3 years as the station's main anchor. 

She is headed to an Anchor gig WEHT-WTVw in Evansville. 

O-Town Station Hires New Consumer Reporter

Eryka Washington is joining WKMG as a consumer reporter. The station says that Washington also will work as a fill-in anchor.

This is Washington's second go round in O-Town, she worked reporter and anchor at WESH for seven years before departing in 2010. 

Washington also has worked extensively in public relations. Since leaving Orlando, she co-created Image Pro Media, a company that provides media training and consultation. She also recently worked as a freelance reporter at WCAU in Philadelphia.

H/T Orlando Sentinel  

Fox Minneapolis Names New News Boss

KMSP the Fox O&O in the Twin Cities has gotten around to naming a new News Director. 

The new ND at KMSP is Marian Davey.

The station says that Davey will be responsible for overseeing all editorial, business and administrative functions for the newsroom. 

She takes over for Bill Dallman who left to join Fox Sports 1.

Davey has been at the station for over a decade and most recently was the Deuce.  

New ND Named at Providence Station

WLNE has tapped Nicole Moye to be the station's new news director.

Moye comes from WPMT Harrisburg, Pa., where she was assistant news director, and previously was news director at KOHD Bend, Ore. Moye also held a producer post at KRON San Francisco, Calif. She succeeds Robert Rockstroh, who resigned in July.

"Nicole has over 20 years of experience in local broadcast news as a producer and news director," said Chris Tzianabos, VP and general manager. "I am confident that she is the ideal person to continue to build on WLNE's recent success and bring us to the next level in making this station a competitor in the TV market."

She starts the new job Today. 

H/T B&C

Alert The Media...We're Taking A Day Off

After 196 straight days of work (more than 6 months) FTVLive is going to take a day off. 

Yep, we have updated this site everyday since February 4th. But Today there likely will not be any updates. 

As anyone that has worked in TV News longer than 10 minutes knows, August is the slowest news month of the year. Why do you think Brian Williams picked this time to have his knee replaced?

FTVLive has been macking it hard for almost 200 straight days and we have a busy day planned with some personal stuff we need to get done. 

We plan on taking off maybe one or two days more this month and then we'll try and go another 6 months without a day off.  

If you really miss us and want to show your appreciation you can always Click here and Support FTVLive.

Thanks for making our first 196 days as a free site a bigger success than we ever even imagined.  

You guys truly are the best.

By the way, since we are taking a day off, we want you to know it's OK if you want to take the day off as well. Go ahead and tell your boss that we have approved your time off.  

See you back here on Wednesday. Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel. 

Thanks
Scott

Chicago Station Names New Anchor

FTVLive has learned that Jeff Herndon is the new late news anchor at WFLD in Chicago.

He is replacing Bob Sirott who is leaving to do a radio show with his wife. Herndon is coming from KAKE in Wichita. 

He has been at KAKE since 2004 and was the sports anchor at one time before moving over to news.  

The staff was told of the announcement today, Herndon starts at the Fox owned station on  Oct 1st.
 

Ed Schultz Back To Weekdays on MSNBC

When MSNBC demoted Ed Schultz to weekends, Schultz swore up and down it wasn't a demotion and that he wanted a lighter workload. 

Well, now MSNBC is moving Schultz back to a Weekday slot, so we're guessing that Schultz no longer wants a "lighter workload." 

In other words, he was full of crap. back then.

MSNBC is in full panic mode and they have come to realize that Chris Matthews is losing his luster.

So cable news network that doesn't like to cover news is pulling the plug on one of Matthews' weeknight shows and replacing him with the guy they had demoted to weekends (are you following me here?). 

MSNBC is trying to spin it their way, but the bottom line is it does not bode well for Matthews. 

Sources: NBC Backing Away from Clinton Miniseries

You know that Hillary Clinton miniseries that has the RNC all up and arms and people at NBC News all worried? 

Well it is more than likely not going to hit the air at NBC. 

NBC sources tell FTVLive that the NBC suits have figured the Clinton miniseries " just isn't worth it."

Word is that NBC is going to let it quietly go away without saying a word. 

NBC does not want to make it look like the RNC or their own news people "got their way," so the project will likely die in the "in development" stage.

One NBC source told FTVLive that the miniseries has gone from a 90% "go" to more like a a 60% "No go." 

"They just want it to quietly die before it ever goes into production," said our NBC source. 

If people keep asking about, NBC might be compelled to make the miniseries so they don't look like they caved to demands of the RNC.  

Stay tuned... 

Hasselbeck is Pissed at Babs

Word is that Elisabeth Hasselbeck was not very happy when she watched the girls from "The View" say goodbye to Joy Behar.

Behar got a star studded send off and it was a far cry from the "few minutes" that Hasselbeck got to say goodbye to the show.  

Word is that the now Fox News employee is not happy with Barbara Walters or the rest of "the View cast after they fawned all over Behar on her last day.

The other thing that has Hasselbeck seeing red is that Walters did not even invite her back to say her goodbye to Behar on her last show. 

Ouch! 

Just When you Thought it was Safe....

Just when you thought your TV might be Olbermann free....he's back.

Al Jazerra America Launches Tuesday and then next Monday, Keith Olbermann launches his new show on his old network ESPN.  

Here's a sneak peak of Olbermann doing some rehearsals and he gets into old groove of doing sports highlights once again.

FTVLive is still hoping that somehow Olby will name us his "worst person in the world"

We can dream can't we?  

TV Anchor and Crime Fighter

One Jacksonville Anchor might start wearing a cape as he also fights crime.

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office says that WTLV Anchor Phil Amato helped nab a armed burglary suspect.

Amato explained that he was driving home from breakfast in his pick-up truck earlier this week when he spotted the suspect fleeing from the officer on foot.

"The suspect ran out from between two houses and I just happened to be right there," Amato said.

The suspect jumped in the back of Amato's pick-up truck, giving Officer Blanton enough time to catch up and make the arrest.

"He might have thought I was a getaway vehicle or something," Amato said.

The JSO posted photos of the arrest and Amato and Blanton shaking hands and giving a thumbs-up with Amato's truck visible in the background. 

"Thank you both for a job well done," was the message posted to the JSO's Facebook page. 

H/T WJCT

Watch Out Pam!

It's only preseason, but Fox Sports Sideline Reporter Pam Olver is in mid season form:

Longtime News Director Pens Crime Drama (Sponsored)

Our old buddy and longtime News Director Forrest Carr has a new book out and it is a great read. Forrest writes a "buddy cop" crime drama using TV news as the hook. It is well worth the read and you can download the book off Amazon at a great price. 

Forrest contacted FTVLive about placing an ad on our site. We are currently sold out of ad space, but because we liked his book and thought TV news people would as well, we decided to give Forrest some space here with our first ever sponsored content. Here's more about the book:

"In the crazy, cutthroat world of TV news, sometimes the only thing worse than missing the big story, is getting it."

Messages, the new novel by TV news veteran and textbook author Forrest Carr, is now available for the Kindle and Kindle reading apps.   Messages follows three friends as they embark on television news careers at the height of the golden age of local TV journalism.  In their search for Truth, Justice, and Ratings, they'll risk it all.  And before it's all over, one of them will be fighting for his job, another will be fighting for his sanity, and the third will be fighting for his very life.

"Messages is sort of a 'buddy cop' crime drama," Carr said, "featuring reporters instead of police officers.  It tells a captivating story, but also sheds a rare light on a bygone era of TV news, a time that put the industry on the path to become what it is today – for better or worse.  Most popular works of fiction dealing with TV news have focused exclusively on big-city and network operations, which are very different from the medium-to-small stations where most Americans get their local news.  Messages gives readers unique, sometimes hilarious, and often surprising insights into a process that's central to the American way of life."

Messages is available for download on Amazon.com.  Search "Messages by Forrest Carr" or follow this link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ECK0DBK