Covering the Storms

Sunday was a big news day in the Midwest as Tornados popped up all over. From Illinois to Indiana, news crews were busy covering the server weather.

When the weather hits and coverage is on the fly, that's when the cream rises to the top in news coverage.

WLS the number of news station in Chicago was the stand out for coverage in the Windy City. The station seemed to have the most crews and stayed away from much of the repetition that dominates breaking weather coverage.

NBC O&O WMAQ and Tribune's WGN also were wall to wall with their coverage, but mainly relied on the smaller staff Weekend crews for their coverage.

In Indianapolis, WISH was the stand out. It was clear that the station had plans for something like this in place and the coverage was very well carried out and produced. 

It's when breaking news and server weather hit a market that you can tell which station are the news leaders, no doubt WLS and WISH are at the top of their game. 

We'll Be Back with our Tornado Coverage after This Tornado

While WEEK in Peoria was covering the severe weather Yesterday, they shutdown the broadcast for because severe weather was right outside the station. 

Here's the video:

When the anchors came back on the air 7 minutes later saying, "We just had a very scary situation to report. WEEK's TV studio was hit by what appears to be a tornado."

They said they went off the air because "we could hear the sound of a train right outside of our station." The anchors said there was damage on the northwest quadrant of the station's property.

H/T YouTube

Ummmm.....

When stations beg viewers to send in their pictures, it surprising that this doesn't happen more often.

Like many stations in the Midwest yesterday, WBBM in Chicago was covering the storms and they asked viewers to send in their storm related photos.

"Alan J" sent in the photo at the top of the screen. You can see the storm clouds building up and the weather getting really nasty.

Almost as nasty as the street sign in the picture that shows a farmer having sex with a cow. 

WBMM might want to be MOO careful next time they use a viewer's photo. 

Just saying....

SNL Drives the Ford to the Laughs

Saturday Night Live has to parsing the rating Gods for Rob Ford.

In their opening bit, the show went straight to the Rob Ford skit and took a big shot at Lara Logan and 60 minutes as well. 

You know it's Sweeps....

...when a Reporter is interviewing a cat. 

Garrett Brnger of WICS in Springfield, Illinois, reported Wednesday that water rates were going up almost 30 percent.  Brnger said he wasn’t able to find anyone willing to comment on the rate hike, so he decided to interview a cat.

“You’ll probably be paying, along with your kittens, about $15 extra,” Brnger said. “How do you feel about that?”

The cat sniffed the reporter’s microphone but withheld comment.

“Oh, you don’t use any water,” Brnger said. “You don’t like baths.”

The cat warmed up to Brnger and rubbed against his leg.

“This is inappropriate,” the reporter joked.

Hang on their people, sweeps is almost over. 

MSNBC Looks to Pull the Plug on Baldwin's Show

MSNBC might be looking to do the wise move by pulling the rip cord early on Alec Baldwin's show on the cable news channel that does not like to cover news.

Not many outside of MSNBC thought the hiring of Baldwin was a good idea. 

Those thoughts seemed even more on target when Baldwin was hurling gay slurs around the streets of New York.

MSNBC suspended Baldwin for two weeks. Many, including Baldwin himself think his show might not comeback to the network.

If MSNBC is willing to yank Baldwin off the air during the November sweeps, then they should have no problem pulling the plug altogether.

"Whether the show comes back at all is at issue right now," Baldwin wrote on his Huffington Post blog, adding: "But if the show dies, its fate ends up being no different than the vast majority of start-up TV programming, and so be it. We do take a small amount of pride in knowing that we beat CNN in the ratings each of our nights. (I forget who they had on at that time.)"

That's the vast start up of entertainment shows Alec, not news shows.

But of course how would you know that, you're not a newsman and never were.

We're encouraged that MSNBC will do the right thing and get rid of this idiot before the next time he melts down. 

Gee...Didn't See this One Coming

Alec Baldwin has barely gotten started at MSNBC and the actor turned anchor has already been suspended.

Baldwin who seems to love hurling around gay slurs while at the same time pledging his support for the gay community has been taken off MSNBC's air for two weeks after he called a photographer a "cocksucking fag."

Of course everyone...well expect for the suits at MSNBC, had predicted that something like this would happen.

Baldwin, who's known for his short temper and giant ego, released this statement and it was posted on MSNBC's website:

I would like to address the comments I made this past week.

I did not intend to hurt or offend anyone with my choice of words, but clearly I have – and for that I am deeply sorry. Words are important. I understand that, and will choose mine with great care going forward. What I said and did this week, as I was trying to protect my family, was offensive and unacceptable. Behavior like this undermines hard-fought rights that I vigorously support. I understand “Up Late” will be taken off the schedule for tonight and next week.

I want to apologize to my loyal fans and to my colleagues at msnbc – both for my actions and for distracting from their good work. Again, please accept my apology.

We predict that Baldwin will comeback to MSNBC, there will be another incident and MSNBC will finally wise up and end this failed experiment. 

Stay tuned.... 

KPIX Goes Bat Crazy

The feel good story on the year has to be San Francisco's BatKid. I'm sure you know the story by now and if you don't  just Google it.

KPIX in San Francisco went bat crazy while covering BatKid and while normally we would say that this kind of coverage was over the top, it wasn't yesterday.

Props to KPIX..... getting on board and helping tell the story of one brave little kid that got to live out his dream...even if only for a day.

For one day, a sick kid with a huge heart was the news, and it had nothing to do with Obamacare.

BatKid saved the city, but he also saved a country that thought human compassion was dead.

Thank you Batkid!

The over the top coverage (that was totally with it) from KPIX: 

Tampa ND Gone in the Middle of the Book

FTVLive FIRST told you yesterday that News Director Don North was out after 8 years at WFLA.

Nancy Chafin a spokeswoman for WFLA's parent company Media General confirmed that North was gone but would not discuss the circumstances of his departure.

For a longtime News Director to suddenly leave in the middle of the important November sweeps is far from normal. 

Media General posted the ND yesterday on their website. The station has also had a job for Assistant News Director posted since September. Which means WFLA has No ND and no Deuce. 

Donna Reed, Media General’s vice president for content and a former Tribune news executive, will help the TV station with its transition, Chafin said.

Expect this story which you first saw on FTVLive yesterday to finally get picked up by the other TV websites including one based in Reddick, FL  a few days from now.  

Stay tuned... 

Tampa News Director Out

Sources tell FTVLive that WFLA News Director Don North is out at the Tampa station.

North has been at the Media General station since 2005.

FTVLive will have more as we hear it. 

What's Up with you Dude? Vol. 9 (Sweeps Edition)

Been a while since we opened up the email and responded to some of your questions and comments.  

We have gotten a number of emails about the Ratings Book. So this edition of What's up with your Dude? Will be a sweeps edition.  

Email 1 - What is the stupidest Sweeps story that you have seen?

Read the answer to that question and many more in ScottLand

OK...You're an Idiot!

New Hampshire's WMUR did a story on some punk that is wanted by police for violations of conditions of supervised release.

Nicholas Emond is wanted by the New Hampshire Joint Fugitive Task Force and he is considered armed and dangerous. 

WMUR also posted a picture of Emond on the station's Facebook Page. His Mom must be so proud. 

The person to comment on the photo the most?

Nicholas Emond!

Emond has posted a number of times under the name 'Sin Demon' (which might not be the best name to use while protesting your innocence). 

Somehow I get the feeling it won't be long before the police catch up with this rocket scientist. 

Just saying.... 

That Didn't Work Very Well... Now Did it?

Yesterday, FTVLive told you about WOFL in Orlando blowing off the dust from radio stunts that were done 30 years ago.

The station put Fox 35 Reporter David Martin in a box at the top of a billboard sign along I-4 and says he is staying there until the station gets to 85,000 Likes on their Facebook page.

Yesterday when we posted the story in the morning the station had 76,621 on their FB page. 

Well it appears that Martin has come down from the sign, so let's check and see how far the station smashed that gaol of 85,000 likes:

Wait? That's it?!

The station is still well short of their goal and it seems that have turned to plan B. They are now asking viewers to like their page and they will give you cold hard cash.  

We think that this viewer summed up best when he posted to the Fox Orlando website: 

I guess we are as well Randy, but we agree with you 100%. The station should be ashamed for doing such a lame stunt.

Just saying.....

Dan Rather Clings to Last Bit of Fame

When the 50 year anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy passes by next week, Dan Rather's light might finally extinguish.

As FTVLive told you, CBS has snubbed Rather in their coverage of the anniversary. 

Rather claims that the snub upsets him only as a journalist.

“This follows a pattern,” he tells the NY Daily News, “that CBS is trying to airbrush me out of their history. It doesn’t bother me. I’m at peace. I have my own record.”

It does concern him, he said, that “a news operation responsible for history” would “change history for corporate interest.”

Rather will pop up in CBS's coverage of the event, but only in archival footage.

He is producing his own own AXS-TV special on the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s assassination (which no one will see) and says that at first he resisted doing the special. “Originally, I was not in favor,” he said, “knowing how many other outlets were doing specials. But not very many of us who were actually in Dallas that day are still around, and I think it’s critical to give historical perspective and context to the times in which it happened.”

After the anniversary date passes and the coverage stops, Dan Rather will be less relevant than ever. Kind of sad when you think about it.

You know....as a Journalist.