Another ND Hire at Cedar Rapids Station

The job of TV News Director is not the most stable job in the industry, but KGAN in Cedar Rapids being unstable, might be a huge understatement.

The station seems to change ND's with the season. The latest hire is Becky Lutgen Gardner.

Gardner was the one time ND at KCRG. She was promoted the food chain at the Gazette company then let go in 2012.

She left TV News for a bit to work at a non-profit. Now Gardner is back in the game as she has accepted a position with KGAN as the news director.

She might not want to buy the green bananas when she does her grocery shopping, this is like the 5th News Director hire at KGAN in the last few years.  

Stay tuned... 

This is a News Alert?

FTVLive is more surprised each day at what some TV stations consider breaking news or worth an alert. 

KNXV in Phoenix posted an "alert"  on the station's website. It read "Alerts: ABC 15 finds 100+ missing wedding videos."

We're guessing it was a slow news day in Phoenix.

FTVLive is going to be cleaning out our garage later this month if we find anything good, like say our 8th grade yearbook, we'll call KNXV and see if they want to cover it?

Another one Out the Door at Tribune

The management shake up continues at Tribune Broadcasting. 

 Trib's senior vice president of local media Steve Charlier is out the door after just over a year at the company. 

Robert Feder reports that Charlier told colleagues he was leaving to launch a multi-platform media company. “That means I can finally experiment with some of my ‘less than traditional ideas’ as an entrepreneur,” he said in an email. “I’m a little scared, very excited and more than anything, thankful for the opportunity to have worked with you all for the past five and a half years.”

Larry Wert, who took over last February as president/broadcast media for Tribune Co., has been adjusting his management team as the company prepares to boost its operations from 23 local televisions to 42, spread across 16 markets.

Charlier spearheaded the company’s efforts to create one-size-fits-all news and entertainment hybrids for its stations, such as the morning show “Eye Opener” and the anchorless newscast “NewsFix.” He also oversaw the company’s digital strategy, including the redesign of its broadcast stations websites.

Before he joined Tribune Broadcasting as senior vice president/news and operations in 2008, Charlier was vice president and news director of KOVR-TV and KMAX-TV in Sacramento, Calif. He was named senior vice president of local media in 2012.

News Start Up Hits the Air in Mississippi

It's a big day for WXXV in South Mississippi. Tonight the station will launch a news product on the air.

Starting Tonight the station do a newscast  at 5:30 and 10 p.m. on NBC and at 9 p.m. on Fox.

"Everyone is very excited about the opportunity to bring another news product into the market so our consumers will have a choice," said Bobby Edwards, WXXV general manager. "We're not going to be perfect, but we're going to strive to be perfect every day."

Edwards said the news team is small, but ready to cover whatever pops up.

"We'll cover the local news wherever it takes us, but we aren't large enough to cover every story," he said. "We'll cover as much local news as physically possible."

For now, WXXV's news will broadcast only Monday through Friday, but Edwards has plans to build to weekend coverage.

Edwards said the station has top-of-the-line equipment, and viewers will see a virtual set behind the news desk, similar to that of ESPN, CNN and other major media outlets.

"We're going to be a little bit different from conventional local TV stations in that our technology is cutting edge," he said.

Edwards said the staff has been rehearsing for weeks and is ready to go. "There's some anxiety, but everyone is excited to do this," he said. "Everyone is bubbling with enthusiasm."

H/T Sun Herald  

Replacing Ashley

It looks like CBS Money Watch has found their replacement for Ashely Morrison.

Morrison, who's husband Rob was arrested for domestic violence against her, quit the Money Watch job after she said it was too long of a commute to work.

So CBS has turned to Bloomberg TV’s Gigi Stone to replace Ashley Morrison on “CBS MoneyWatch.”

Stone is also hosting new show “Hiring America,” dedicated to finding jobs and giving career direction for military veterans.

H/T Page Six

Man Shot While Trying to Rob News Crew

It was bound to happen sooner or later.

San Francisco police arrested two men Saturday in the Friday night robbery of a KRON television reporter that ended with an accompanying security guard firing shots at the assailants.

Police said that Armani McFarland, 19, of San Francisco was arrested on suspicion of robbery, conspiracy and possession of a firearm. John Woods, 19, of San Francisco was arrested on suspicion of robbery and conspiracy. Both are in custody. One of the subjects was treated Friday night at San Francisco General Hospital for a non-life-threatening gunshot injury. Police did not specify which suspect had been shot.

The incident happened about 8 p.m. on the 1500 block of La Salle Avenue in the Bayview.

In a story on its website, KRON said reporter Jeff Bush and a security guard were accosted by two armed men who demanded Bush's equipment. Bush surrendered the equipment and "took cover" as the security guard opened fire, the station said.

A black Audi showed up later at San Francisco General Hospital with two men, one of whom was suffering from a gunshot wound, authorities said. The occupants told police that they had been fired upon near Third Street and La Salle Avenue, not far from where Bush was accosted, police said.

Bush, a 12-year KRON veteran, and the guard weren't hurt, the station said.

The episode is the latest in a spate of holdups or confrontations targeting the media. The bulk of the previous incidents, however, have happened in Oakland, where journalists have been robbed and accosted, some in the middle of the day. In one incident, a robber grabbed a camera during a live noon broadcast.

In response, several TV stations have hired security guards to shadow reporters and camera operators in Oakland. Many of the guards are retired police officers.

 San Francisco Chronicle 

25 Going on 60

Steve Kroft has spent the last 25 years on 60 minutes. 

He will kick off the 46th year of 60 Minutes this week with a report on the state of mental health in America and how it relates to mass shootings.

“It seems these shootings are all done by variations of the same person who suffer from variations of the same [mental] disease,” Kroft told the Daily News.

In terms of his anniversary on the show, Kroft laughs.

“For the last 25 years I’ve been the youngster on ‘60 Minutes.’ Finally I’m an old codger.”

Kroft, 68, who has been with CBS a whopping 30 years, didn’t set out to be a TV reporter.

At Syracuse University in the mid-1960s, he put himself on course to be in advertising.

“I wanted to be Don Draper,” he said.

“At that time the most creative things being done in media were done in Hollywood and in commercials,” Kroft said.

After he graduated, Kroft was drafted and sent to Vietnam, where he eventually went to work for Stars and Stripes, the U.S. armed forces newspaper.

He recalls crossing paths back then with “60 Minutes” legend Morley Safer, who was on assignment for CBS.

“We’ve talked about it,” Kroft says of the encounter. “He doesn’t remember me. I told him I was there and let him know that on the day he came in [to the newspaper] everybody was totally panicked.”

Since then, he’s filed around 500 reports for “60 Minutes” — among them a visit to Chernobyl, blockbuster investigative stories on financial shenanigans and far too many profiles of notable people to count.

“I’ve interviewed Presidents and porn stars, spent time on the beach with movie stars at Cannes,” he said. “I’ve been lucky enough to play golf with Clint Eastwood and shoot hoops with LeBron James — all in the course of my employment,” he said.

“Not a bad gig.”

Leaving LIN

LIN Executive Vice President Scott Blumenthal at LIN Television is leaving the company after 30 years. 

Jay Howell is being bumped up the food chain.

Howell LIN's VP regional television is taking over for Blumenthal.

“I look forward to working with Jay and the rest of the Executive Team in a consultancy role and spending some much needed time with my family and golf game," Blumenthal said.

“Scott’s deep understanding of television news, programming, sales and community engagement, coupled with his decisive leadership, has contributed enormously to the growth and success of our Company,” Vincent Sadusky, president and CEO of LIN Media, said in a statement. “His retirement culminates a long and successful career in broadcasting and is certainly well-deserved. Scott has done a great job preparing Jay for a smooth transition and giving him the tools he needs to continue evolving our television stations for the future.”

Blumenthal leaves at the end of the year.  

You can't Have it Both Ways Mr. Zucker

CNN's Jeff Zucker must not believe the statement "you can't have your cake and eat it too."

Yesterday FTVLive broke the story that CNN was scrubbing their Diversity Council. We pointed out that CNN boss Jeff Zucker wanted to disband the council because he wanted to make some personnel changes and some of the people he wants to get rid of, sit on the diversity council.  

A network spokesperson said that the FTVLive report was not true. But, then they also confirmed that the Council's Chairmen and Vice Chairman were out. We said that Zucker was looking a bouncing CNN's main booker Maria Ebrahimji. Ebrahimji was also the Vice Chair on the Council. The network confirmed after our report that Ebrahimji was now gone from CNN. 

It appears that the FTVLive report was dead on.

We hear that Zucker may also looking to replace CNN Executive Producer Geraldine Moriba (right). 

CNN has caught a lot of flack for their lack of diversity within the network. When Zucker first took over, he quickly announced that he was yanking Soledad O'Brien off the morning show. A number of minority groups chastised Zucker for the move. 

When Zucker talked about the disbanding the diversity council in a meeting with his tp managers, some were shaking their head. When one questioned Zuckeer about how this might look? Sources say that Zucker said "I'll get a pass, I'm trying to build a network."

We'll see if he gets that pass....and also if he can have his cake and eat it too. 

Stay tuned...  

Look Who's Out the Door at CNN

Yesterday, FTVLive reported the story that CNN had disbanded their Diversity Council. We reported that CNN Boss Jeff Zucker made the move to make it easier to push some of the people on the council out the door.

We wrote: "Sources tell FTVLive that Zucker has quietly started looking for a replacement for Maria Ebrahimji.  

Ebrahimji is Executive Editorial Producer and main Booker at CNN. She has been at the network since 2008. She's also the Vice Chair sitting on CNN's Diversity Council. 

Ebrahimji is not the only council member on "Zucker's hit list." FTVLive has heard other names as well."

CNN says the FTVLive report was not correct.

But, the network did say that Johnita P. Due,  longtime chair of the council is stepping down. Due, the network says that she is  "transitioning out" of the council role.

Oh! The network also says that Maria Ebrahimji the council's vice chair is leaving the network to....you guessed it "to pursue other opportunities."

So the Chairman and the Vice Chairman are either no longer on the Council or working at the network altogether.

Not to say we told you so, but..... 

Not Again! Jacksonville News Crew Robbed at Gunpoint

Earlier this week, FTVLive told you about the Palm Beach Anchor that was robbed at gunpoint while walking back from dinner. 

Now, 4 hours up I-95, the same thing happened to a Jacksonville news crew. 

WTLV Reporter Mike Lyons and a station Photographer (whom the station doesn't name) were robbed at gunpoint in Northwest Jacksonville last night.

The station does not report what the thug made off with, but they did add that Lyons and the photographer were not hurt.

Cops are investigating. 

Here's a link to the story posted on the station's website, although we will warn you it is some of the worst reporting you'll see.  And they call themselves First Coast News... Pfffft.

91 Year Old to Anchor Charlotte Station's Newscast

Tonight WBTV in Charlotte is bringing back and old anchor...and when we say old, we're not kidding. 

Doug Mayes, who launched Charlotte’s first television newscast 61 years ago is returning to the anchor chair at WBTV tonight.

Mayes, 91, will sit in for the vacationing Paul Cameron on the 11 p.m. newscast. Their job-share grew out of a lunch they had a few weeks ago at a restaurant in Denver, on the western shore of Lake Norman, where Mayes has a lakefront home named Station Break.

Cameron, who started in WBTV’s sports department in 1981 while Mayes was in news, took a picture of the two of them together and posted it on the station’s Facebook page. “It got tens of thousands of hits,” says WBTV news director Dennis Milligan, an extraordinary volume.

WBTV thought it would be fun to invite Mayes back for a victory lap. “He took about five milliseconds to agree,” Milligan says.

“It made me feel good,” says Mayes, “and very humble.”

Last week, he went by the studios to practice reading the teleprompter.

“It took him about a minute of reading to get used to it,” says Milligan. “You could tell when the old news guy kicked in, kaboom. He had full command.”

Mayes also sat in on the station’s news meeting, where the police shooting of an unarmed man was the key topic.

“He knew every detail,” says Molly Grantham, who will be his co-anchor Friday night. “He had great questions to ask. He was still the newsman, even at 91. That was when I was sure this is such a great idea.”

Mayes was the anchor of WBTV's first newscast when it hit the air in 1952.  It is likely that all the people working with Mayes on Tonight's show, we're even born when he anchored the first newscast.

The only problem we see with this....why didn't the station save this stunt for the November book?  

H/T Charlotte Observer  

September News Bloopers

Here is a look back at some of the mistakes, screw ups and Oops for the month of September.

Some you have already seen and some you haven't, but always and an entertaining few minutes.

Here's hoping you don't make the reel for October: 

Coming up on 7 News....AH CHOO!!!

Hey...sometimes you have to sneeze no matter what you're doing. Even if you are anchoring a newscast.

WSVN's (Miami) Anchor Belkys Nerey did her best to fight off a sneeze while doing last night's newscast.

The sneeze finally won the battle: