Anthony Weiner is Looking for TV Gig

The New York Observer has a piece Today on fail NY Mayoral candidate Antony Weiner. It seems that Weiner can't find an honorable job, so he's looking to go into TV.

Weiner began reaching out to agents who represent talent for television and radio as early as February of 2013–months before he began to seriously test the waters on a return to public life with an April New York Times Magazine story, according to individuals familiar with the conversations.

One agent he was said to have met is known for high-end placements on cable TV networks and represents many household names. According to an industry insider, Mr. Weiner wanted to gauge how a failed mayoral bid would impact his prospects of landing a lucrative TV or radio gig.

“He was exploring his options and what they were at the time and what they may be should he run an unsuccessful campaign,” the insider explained. “It just seemed that exploring his media options became a factor in running for mayor.”

Not sure agents would really want to touch Weiner (ha ha...get it) but the guy might fit perfectly on NBC's Biggest Loser. 

Ha Ha I''l be here all week, don't forget to tip your waitresses. 

Back in the Saddle

Longtime News Director and News Manager Joe Coscia is making a return to the newsroom. Coscia has spent the past several years developing shows and inserts for TV stations. 

Now he is returning to the newsroom and more specifically WPIX in New York. Coscia is joining WPIX next week to EP the station's election coverage. 

Here is the internal memo that was sent out to the staff by News Director Mark Effron:

Great Greta! FNC Anchor is on The Wall!

As we told you, FTVLive knocked down the paywall months ago and now in it's place we put up a brick wall. 

OK...so the brick wall is virtual, but you can still get your name on it.

We offered you the chance to put your name on The FTVLive Wall and the very person to take us up on the offer was Fox News Anchor Greta Van Susteren! 

Greta not only threw a few bucks our way. She then posted about it on her blog GretaWire.com! 

Van Susteren "gets" the Internet. She was blogging long before almost any other anchor working in TV.

With all the things Greta has done in her career, both on TV and off, we're sure getting a brick on The FTVLive Wall has to be her biggest highlight.

You can visit The Wall (the most hollowed ground on the internet) by clicking here.  

Chicago GM is Bumped Upstairs

WGN in Chicago is going to be getting a new boss.  

Robert Feder says that after one year as acting general manager of WGN-Channel 9, Steve Farber (pictured) is moving back to a corporate job with Tribune Broadcasting. And the search for a new boss of “Chicago’s Very Own” goes on.

Larry Wert, president of Tribune Broadcast Media, announced Wednesday that he has appointed Farber senior vice president/operations, overseeing the company’s digital networks, Antenna TV and THIS-TV, and “The Bill Cunningham Show” in syndication. Before he was named acting general manager of WGN in September 2012, Farber had been vice president of programming operations for Tribune Broadcasting.

Few expected Farber to get the top job permanently when he was tapped by Wert’s predecessor to step in for Marty Wilke, who left to become president and general manager of CBS-owned WBBM-Channel 2.

Wert, who took over as president of Tribune’s expanding station group last February, has ties to numerous past and present broadcast executives who no doubt would jump at an offer to run the company’s flagship in Chicago. No word on a time frame for filling the vacancy.

FTVLive is betting Werst already knows who he is giving the job to, so no need to apply.  

Buy an FTVLive Brick

Here is a once in a lifetime chance that you do not want to miss. 

Do you love FTVLive?

Do you find yourself stopping by a number of times during the day? 

Well why not own a small piece of real estate here on FTVLive.com.

FTVLive has knocked down the paywall and put up a brick wall.  You have a chance to get your name or message on the wall.  

Click here to buy an FTVLive Brick before they are all gone.  

You can click here to visit The Wall which may just be the most hollowed space on the entire Internet. 

Just saying.  

Geraldo is Being Sued by his Agent

Geraldo Rivera has been sued by his agent.

Rivera's agent William Morris Endeavor is suing the Fox News Anchor for not paying the agency the commission he owes.

WME says they represented Rivera in negotiations for his Fox News contract that ended in 2011, and said Rivera stopped making payments two years before then.

It's hard to write a check when you are using one had to hold the camera and the other to keep the towel up.

“This is an example of the rapacious greed of Hollywood agents. I’m going to fight them to the death!” Rivera fumed to the Daily News.

“No way I’m going to pay them one penny — ever!” Rivera said.

He insisted that since 1994, his contract has been exclusively with James Griffin, an agent who worked at WMEE until 2010, when he moved to Paragon Agency, based in Los Angeles.

“Jim Griffin has been my agent since 1985, when I got fired by NBC. He found me work and stuck with me through thick and thin,” Rivera said.

Stay tuned.... 

We're Going to Need a Bigger Anchor Desk

WFOR's morning newscast is expanding. But not in the way you think. 

Three on-air personalities for the morning newscast, anchor Rhiannon Ally, meteorologist Lissette Gonzalez and reporter Natalia Zea....are all pregnant.

Now, we finally might know why the station fired morning male anchor Josh Benson.

Just saying.... 

And you Think your Ratings are Low

No matter how low your newscast ratings are, they still beat the ratings for the Houston Astros. 

About a week ago, the Major League baseball team drew only 900 viewers for the game.  An out of market WNBA game had more people watching than the Astros. 

On Sunday, the team beat that all time low by pulling at 0.0 rating for the game.  

The Houston Chronicle says that it doesn’t necessarily mean that there wasn’t one person who tuned in, it just means that not a single, solitary Nielsen household tuned in to watch the Astros.

The Astros are getting more publicity for their bad ratings than they are for their play on the field, which has been absolutely awful this year. 

H/T CBS Houston  

Amarillo Sports Reporter Lands Job with the Celtics

KAMR Sports Reporter is leaving the station to join the NBA's Boston Celtics. 

Austen will be the Team’s web reporter.

Although all the duties have not been fully defined, Austen said, she will host a 30-minute live pregame show on Boston home game days, which will include interviewing Celtics players.

Austen’s first assignment with the Celtics will be helping host an event Saturday, with former Celtics in attendance. Pieces of the Celtics’ old parquet floor will be presented to longtime Boston Celtics season-ticket holders.

“I think my job will be interviewing the Celtics players and helping put up media coverage of the website,” Austen said. “That should be fun.

“I am an NBA fan,” Austen said, “even though growing up in Tampa I was an NHL fan since we had season tickets to the Tampa Bay Lightening.”

Austen arrived in Amarillo on Feb. 14, 2012. She had been a producer at the Golf Channel in Orlando, but “I was fighting for that on air spot,” she said.

Austen sent out more than 100 tapes and resumes, she said, and had become so frustrated with the lack of response that she was going to go into sales.

KAMR-TV sports director Michael Spencer called within a couple of days after Austen had given up hope of working on air.

“I learned so much from working with Michael and Ny Lynn Nichols,” Austen said. “I learned more here than I could have in a classroom or at the Golf Channel. Michael and Ny Lynn really took a chance on me, and I’m so thankful for that.”

H/T Amarillo Globe-News

Charlotte Reporter Leaves TV to Tell "Positive News" Stories

Sarah Batista is leaving TV news and the bad news stories behind.  

The Hispanic Reporter is starting her own business and dedicate herself to telling “positive stories.”

The Latin American Herald Tribune says that after seven years as a reporter and program host on WBTV, an affiliate of CBS in Charlotte, Sarah Batista dropped the crime beat to produce a series of documentaries called “Stories to Inspire.”

Batista, 33, told Efe that reporting bad news had become a routine, and she had little chance to work on stories that would inspire her audience.

“In 2012 I started researching what I had to do to start my own business, and I chose the not-for-profit field because that is where people can make a difference,” she said.

“The goal is to help non-profit organizations garner donations and clients, to motivate their staff and volunteers to show the power of the institution,” Batista said.

Batista worked for two TV stations in Charlottesville, Virginia, before joining WBTV in 2006.

“My start with WBTV wasn’t easy,” Batista said. “I had to work really hard, I was the only Hispanic reporter and they didn’t know what to do with me, but I tried hard and my work was appreciated. I’m leaving the channel at the top of my game.”

West Virginia Anchor Heads to Nashville

After nearly a decade behind the anchor desk, Jessica Ralston is leaving WSAZ, an NBC affiliate for the Huntington-Charleston market.

"I wanted to go to a place that was inviting and had friendly people just like Charleston. I kept going back to Nashville. The people there are hospitable, and the people at WTVF Nashville are really invested in their station. I knew it would be a perfect fit so I accepted the job," Ralston told the Charleston Daily Mail. 

She will be the 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. anchor for WTVF Nashville. She is moving into a much larger market and will have the opportunity to host programs on WTVF's sister network, News Channel 5 Plus.

After Ralston accepted the Nashville job, she contacted her general manager who sent out a mass email noting her departure.

WSAZ General Manager Matt Jaquint said he is going to miss her.

"She's been here nearly 10 years and she's been great for Charleston, great for the Kanawha Valley and great for WSAZ," Jaquint said. "We want all our employees to get out in the community and get to know some of our viewers. Jessica is a great example because of her involvement and her commitment to serve the community."

Jaquint said a search is currently ongoing and he hopes to find Ralston's replacement soon. 

Ralston was featured in FTVLive's Talent Spotlight and tells us that it really helped her in landing a new gig.