This Might Not be So Funny....

.....if it wasn't so real. 

Watch this skit from Saturday Night Live and see if it doesn't look a bit familiar to what happens in your studio: 

RIP Skip Loescher

Skip Loescher, who is best known to TV News people as the reporter that did generic Washington live shots for Newsource has died. 

Loescher passed away at his home in Annapolis, MD on Friday, October 4. Loescher was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease four years ago.

Before going to NewsOurce, Loescher worked at several stations in the Midwest before serving more than 20 years with WCCO-TV in Minneapolis/St. Paul. He also worked as Senator Walter Mondale's press secretary, but after Mondale was elected Vice President, Loescher went back to journalism.

Skip was named WCCO's first St. Paul Bureau Chief reporting live from WCCO's bureau and studio in downtown St. Paul.

In 1990 he joined CNN as Washington Bureau Chief for their Newsource affiliate service. Though Loescher's primary work was covering politics, he also covered many other stories including both Gulf Wars, hurricanes, tornados, floods, plane crashes, Princess Diana's funeral in London and 9/11.

Loescher retired in 2004.

A memorial service for Loescher will be held at a future date. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to the National Parkinson's Foundation or the SPCA.

Houston We Have a Problem

Word is that KTRK in Houston scrapped their Sunday morning newscasts, due to some technical problems.

Mike McGuff says that in the 6 and 7am newscast spots were Good Morning America and This Week with George Stephanopoulos. The same GMA episode that aired at 6am, re-aired at 7am. 

The station did post about their technical problems on their Facebook page: 

ABC13 is undergoing some maintenance work. We are working to return you to our regular programming as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience.

CBS Extends Letterman's Contract

While NBC can't push Jay Leno out the door quick enough, CBS is hanging onto the guy that Leno beats on a regular basis. 

CBS has extended David Letterman's contract until 2015.

"There is only one Dave, and we are extremely proud that he continues to call CBS 'home,'" Leslie Moonves, CBS Corp president and chief executive, said in a statement on Friday.

"Les and I had a lengthy discussion, and we both agreed that I needed a little more time to fully run the show into the ground," the 66-year-old Letterman added.

The Top 5 Most Read Stories this Week on FTVLive

FTVLive is ending a week saw traffic shoot to levels that we have never experienced. It's only October 6, but if the month ended Today, it would be our best month ever. 

While FTVLive is getting record traffic. We also could really use your support. If you would like to put your message on THE FTVLive WALL and help us out. Please click this link to see what you can do.  

Here are the Top 5 stories that were clicked on most by FTVLive readers. The number one story is the most read story in the history of this website (thanks to several links from the Gun lobby). 

The Top 5 are: 

No. 5 -  FORMER WEATHER CHANNEL EXEC TO HEAD BIRMINGHAM STATION

No. 4 - WEBSITE PUBLISHES REPORTERS HOME ADDRESSES AND PHONE NUMBERS

No. 3 -  ANCHORS TALK ABOUT THE WEATHERMAN'S LITTLE WIENER LIVE ON AIR

No. 2 -  REPORTER FINDS THAT DRINKING AND TWEETING DON'T MIX

And the most read story this week (and ever):  CNN TO DROP PIERS MORGAN

Another Day, Another Station Sale

The Buying and Selling of TV stations continues to roll. 

Journal Broadcast Group agreed to the sale of stations KMIR-TV (an NBC affiliate) and My 13 KPSE TV (a MyNetwork affiliate) in Palm Springs, Calif., to OTA Broadcasting, an affiliate of Virginia-based OTA Broadcasting, LLC. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“We sincerely appreciate the dedication of our talented team in Palm Springs and their continued development of our television stations over a number of years,” said Steven J. Smith, Chairman and CEO of Journal Communications.

“We are confident that OTA will do an excellent job of continuing to guide and build these important local brands in the Coachella Valley,” Smith added.

“We are pleased to be adding these two stations to our growing roster of television stations,” said Bill Tolpegin, CEO of OTA. “We look forward to serving the Palm Springs market, as well as welcoming the employees of KMIR and KPSE to the OTA family.”

According to Nielsen Media Research, Palm Springs is the 148th largest television market in the United States and serves more than 154,000 television homes.

Sponsor Love - Devlin Design Group

It's Friday, FTVLive is wrapping up our biggest week ever for the website and it's just about time to get the party started. 

This really was a huge week for FTVLive and none of it would have been possible without our awesome sponsors.  Companies like Devlin Design Group.

When FTVLive decided to take this site from behind the paywall, Dan Devlin was one of the first people we reached out to. Dan is a straight shooter and his company quite simply designs the best news sets in the industry.  

One of DDG sets that is getting a lot of buzz is the set they built for KSAZ in Phoenix. The set in a word is "Awesome!"

The KSAZ set lets the news department deliver the news in an exciting, compelling, and dynamic environment.  Anchors are no longer chained to a desk, but encouraged to move around the set to various story telling venues, adding an exciting visual energy to KSAZ’s production value.

“We’ve heard extremely complimentary praises from the directors, producers, and management at KSAZ, as well other FOX O&O’s across the country," Devlin tells FTVLive/   It makes for a great deal of satisfaction and pride when a client takes one of our sets to the edge of the envelope, KSAZ has redefined that edge! We are extremely proud of KSAZ, and everyone at DDG feels privileged to be a part of their success.”

If you haven't seen the KSAZ set, check out this video: 

Miami Station Names New GM

As FTVLive told you, the staff at WPLG were called into a station wide meeting this morning.  

Head of Post-Newsweek Emily Barr held the meeting to announce the new GM of the station. 

The next General Manager of the station is Bert Medina. 

Medina has experience in the market, working as the Director of Programing across the street at WSVN for 14 years.

He also has GM experience.  He was the GM WGBO, the Univision station in Chicago. 

Most recently he was President and Chief Executive Officer at Cangas Communications in Miami.

I Really Think this would end the Shutdown

I Tweeted this Yesterday, but the more I'm watching cable news, the more I really think this would work. Retweet it if you agree with me: 

What if the media said they would not put ANY Politician on camera until the shutdown is over? I bet the shutdown would be over in minutes.

— FTVLive (@FTVLive) October 3, 2013

On This Day....

On October 4, 1976 history was made in TV News.

Barbara Walters became the first woman to anchor a network evening news program.

Walters was named the Co-Anchor at ABC Evening News.

It was a major milestone and pissed off her Co-Anchor Harry Reasoner to no end.

Look at "Happy Harry" in the photo above. 

Fired KNBC Staffer Sues Station, NBC

NBC News, Comcast and NBCUniversal are being sued by a former investigative journalist who claims that he was the victim of age discrimination, and was fired after complaining repeatedly about ageism in his workplace.

In the suit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court this week, Frank Snepp claims he began to see a pattern of discrimination against older employees, leading to terminations or retirements, and at one point he was passed over for a promotion to investigative producer “and, instead, younger and less qualified individuals were hired and appointed to the position(s) of investigative producer.”

“Despite his obvious qualifications and experience and expertise as an investigative reporter and producer, Plaintiff’s value to Defedant NBC News was considerably diminished because of his age,” the suit reads. “It is well-known in the television industry that Defendant NBC News has fostered a ‘youth movement’ in recent years.”

Snepp says he was fired in October 2012, at age 69, after repeatedly complaining about ageism at the station.

KNBC nor NBC has not commented on the lawsuit

H/T The Wrap  

All Hands on Deck Meeting Called at Miami Station

Word is that head of Post-Newsweek Emily Barr has been spotted in South Florida.

Sources tell FTVLive that Barr has called a 10AM meeting this morning for the staff at WPLG in Miami.

It is expected that she will announce who will be the new Vice President and General Manager of station.

Stay tuned...  

Really Robin?!

FTVLive basically falls out of bed each morning long before the sunrise, we stumble into our home office, slouch into our chain and start banging out your favorite website. Sitting in our chair, we admit we exhibit some of the worst posture and at times have fallen asleep in the chair while working on FTVLive.

Then there's HLN Anchor Robin Meade. 

A while ago, Robin ditched the chair and moved to a stand up desk. Just the thought of standing while doing our work makes us cringe. But Meade took it to another level. 

She has now added a treadmill under her stand up desk. So, while she is approving scripts, she is also burning calories.

Are you kidding me! No wonder why she has such a good body. 

As for FTVLive, we found a couple of Cheetos in our office chair and that means we don't have to get up and go to the kitchen for a snack. 

Take that Robin!  

Just a Thought....

When the newscast is about to hit the air, you might want to change the channel on the monitors in the newsroom. 

You know, like the one showing a close up of a guy's penis! 

Here's the video: 

Houston Anchor Spotted in Miami Newsroom

Word is that KPRC (Houston) Weekend Anchor Irika Sargent has been spotted at CBS O&O WFOR in Miami. 

Sargent did a run through with new WFOR Anchor Rick Folbaum.  

WFOR has gone through a number of anchor changes over the past several months and it looks like Sargent could be another piece of the anchor puzzle.

Sargent spent four years away from TV News, working as a lawyer in New York City, "I represented clients in New York federal and state courts, as well as the New York Division of Human Rights and National Labor Relations Board. But I never planned to stay away from journalism too long!" she said. 

As for her getting hired at WFOR? The station isn't commenting.  

H/T GossipExtra  

Twin Cities Anchor Bound for Bean Town

KSTP weekend anchor Joy Lim Nakrin is bolting the Twin Cities for Bean Town.  

Nakrin has accepted a job at WFXT, the Fox O&O in her hometown of Boston.

"We wanted her to stay here and we made her an offer to stay," said KSTP news director Lindsay Radford. "We know it was a tough decision for her. She went back and forth for many, many weeks and months. At the end of the day, her hometown called. It's a chance for her to report, anchor and be a legal analyst for the Fox station in Boston. It was an opportunity that was tough to say 'no' to."

Nakrin, who has been at KSTP since 2010, is an attorney by training.

Her last day on-air is Oct. 13. 

H/T Pioneer Press