Back in August, FTVLive told you that Sinclair is working on a deal to buy up KRNV in Reno.
KRNV is currently owned by Jim Roger's Intermountain West Group.
We hear that management told the staff Today that Sinclair is going ahead with their purchase the station. Baring FCC approval of course.
Roger's also owns KSNV in Vegas and word is that Sinclair also wanted that property, but Roger's isn't selling.
Yet.
Looks like Rupert Murdock woke up from his nap long enough to get divorced.
Which means ladies, the guy is back on the market. The line forms to the right (because nothing in Murdoch's world happens on the left).
Former TV Anchor turned Congressman Trey Radel pleaded guilty on Wednesday morning to possession of cocaine before a D.C. Superior Court judge and will be on supervised probation for one year.
In his first court appearance since his arrest last month, prosecutors described how Radel was swept up in a sting operation by federal officials as he attempted to buy cocaine in Washington, D.C.’s Dupont Circle neighborhood from an acquaintance and an undercover agent. When Radel was approached by federal agents, he dropped the cocaine he had purchased.
Radel, a freshman Republican congressman from Florida, also had cocaine in his apartment, according to the prosecutor Nihar Mohanty.
Redel was a news anchor in Ft. Myers before he got wrapped up in coke....ummm...I mean politics.
H/T Politico
Remember when FTVLive FIRST reported the news that KNBC Anchor Lucy Noland was off the 6PM broadcast?
Remember how we told You that Noland was going to be sent packing from the station, even though others said that was not the case?
Well, you might want to read this internal memo that went out to the KNBC staff:
From: "Mokhtari, Todd (NBCUniversal)" <Todd.Mokhtari@nbcuni.com>
Date: November 19, 2013 at 3:16:51 PM PST
To: "@NBC Uni KNBC Newsroom" <KNBCNewsroom@nbcuni.com>
Cc: "@NBC Uni KNBC Department Heads" <KNBCDepartmentHeads@nbcuni.com>
Subject: Lucy's Next Chapter
Passionate
Loves the news
Serious about journalism
When you describe the qualities you want in an anchor and reporter, you want someone passionate about their craft who loves news and is serious about quality journalism.
Lucy Noland has all those qualities and one more quality that makes her standout in our business.
Dedicated mother
And it’s that quality in Lucy, a dedicated mother, that has her ready to do something you rarely get to do in our business, take time off to spend it with your family.
After a lot of thought and discussion, Lucy has decided that this moment in her life is a chance for her to do something she has never done, spend the holidays –all of them- with her family.
Lucy will never stop being a journalist, writer and news junkie, and no doubt she will be back on TV soon, but this Friday will be her last day at NBC4.
She has been a great teammate, always willing to take on any role during breaking news and help out.
We will miss her passion for storytelling and dedication to quality, and at the same time, we know that as a dedicated mother she is making the right decision for her family, which has always come first.
Please join me in wishing Lucy well as she starts to write a new chapter in her life and career.
Todd Mokhtari
NBC4 VP of News
Of course, we would have loved to call KNBC to get a comment on this.....but you know.
You know those Bloomberg Business reports you see in local newscasts?
Well, they're going away.
Sources tell FTVLive that Bloomberg is ceasing all affiliate news services. Which means they will no longer be doing cut-ins for any affiliates.
Bloomberg has been undergoing big layoffs throughout the company and this is part of those cuts.
Word is that a number of Affiliates are NOT happy. Many had just re-signed new contracts extending services.
Our source says the service will stop at the end of the year.
The TV station sales continue to happen and show no signs of letting up.
Gray Television announced today a series of transactions through which Gray and Excalibur Broadcasting LLC have agreed to acquire from Hoak Media and Parker Broadcasting a total of 15 network-affiliated television stations in seven markets (excluding required divestitures) for $335 million in cash, plus a working capital adjustment.
Separately, Excalibur has agreed to acquire two Fox-affiliated television stations in one of the markets served by Hoak from Prime Cities Broadcasting, a company that is unrelated to Hoak and Parker, for $7.5 million in cash.
These transactions will significantly expand Gray's portfolio of market-leading owned and/or operated television stations in growing markets throughout the Central United States.
All the stations involved are in small markets. Here's a list of stations involved in the deal.
H/T TVNewsCheck
It's a big week for Anderson Cooper. This Sunday the CNN Anchor will be a character on The Simpsons and word is that Cooper just inked a new deal at CNN.
The Hollywood Reporter says that Cooper has signed a new deal with CNN that will keep him at the cable news network through the 2016 presidential election.
Cooper is one of the few bright spots on the CNN schedule for CNN President Jeff Zucker and keeping the silver fox was a must for the network.
So far this year, Cooper's 8 p.m. show – Anderson Cooper 360 – is up 28 percent in the critical 25-54 demographic averaging 211,000 viewers.
While Cooper still lags far behind Fox News in the ratings, he is still one few shows that Zucker can look to as a success.
As FTVLive has pointed out, MSNBC made a mistake in the hiring of Alec Baldwin.
And if you believe a report in Page Six, it appears that Baldwin isn't coming back after his suspension for throwing gay slurs around the streets of New York City.
The gossip column writes that Baldwin is not welcome back at MSNBC because of his infamous angry behavior, network insiders say — including complaining that “the air at 30 Rock is too dry.”
Sources exclusively tell us that MSNBC chiefs are not exactly falling over themselves to get boisterous Baldwin back in the building. One insider said, “He would only show up at work an hour a week to prep for the show, and when he did turn up, he was in an angry mood, red-faced, and shouting at all the staff. And he said the air at 30 Rock was too dry, it was bad for his voice, he needed a humidifier.”
It was quickly evident that he wasn’t living up to the promises he made to MSNBC president Phil Griffin when he was signed to host “Up Late With Alec Baldwin.” The source explained, “MSNBC only signed Alec to keep him out of reach of CNN, but considering his recent boasting about beating Anderson Cooper in the ratings it is highly unlikely CNN would sign him. Alec had promised Griffin he’d bring in top political and cultural guests, he delivered Bill de Blasio, who was great for the first show, and Debra Winger, who is a wonderful actress but certainly wasn’t right for a whole hour.”
Then there were his ratings. According to Deadline.com, Baldwin’s last show hit a demo low, pulling in only 101,000 viewers aged 25 to 54 against 395,000 total viewers — a 41 percent drop from the 172,000 viewers 25 to 54 who watched the Oct. 11 debut. MSNBC suspended Baldwin this month after he hurled an anti-gay slur at a paparazzo. He apologized, “I did not intend to hurt or offend anyone with my choice of words.”
An MSNBC rep said, “Every episode of ‘Up Late’ has beaten CNN and increased MSNBC’s audience in the time slot. Alec has been dedicated to developing ‘Up Late’ and spent hours each week in production. He’s got great ideas and has a collaborative relationship with the staff.”
CNN's Anderson Cooper is excited that he is going to be on The Simpsons this coming Sunday.
Coop tweeted a picture of himself on the show and said "I'm very Excited...."
FTVLive is also excited as we make our Simpsons debut. You can also see me in the photo above.
I'm guy over Anderson's shoulder with only one eye.
Here's one cat that has a nose for news:
Which just 6 weeks left in the year, let's take a look back at some of the News Bloopers that we have had in 2013:
ABC 20/20 Anchor Elizabeth Vargas did not tweet her followers when she went into alcohol rehab, but she did when she got out:
Vargas announced to Twitter yesterday that she has completed her treatment for alcohol abuse.
Vargas checked herself into rehab earlier this month saying she "was becoming increasingly dependent on alcohol."
No word yet on when she will return to the network. But you can bet your bottom dollar that at some point she will tell "her story" about her battle with the bottle.
Stay tuned...
Talk about show moving news.
When George Zimmerman was busted by police for pointing a gun at his Girlfriend, the news media was on the story with full coverage within an hour.
When a former News Anchor turned Congressman is busted for buying cocaine last month, the news is just now getting out.
WTF?!
Former WINK (Ft. Myers) Anchor now Rep. Trey Radel, was caught buying drugs as part of a federal investigation into a Washington, D.C., drug ring last month and is being charged with cocaine possession, according to a senior Drug Enforcement Administration official.
The official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the case, said several federal agencies working as part of a task force arrested a dealer who told them one of his cocaine customers was a congressman. The dealer, working with federal agents, set up a buy on Oct. 29, and Radel, a freshman congressman first elected last year, purchased the cocaine, the official said.
More after the jump.
Read MoreAnother person bolting the TV news world for PR.
The revoking door at BELO's WFAA in Dallas continues to turn.
Ed Bark reports that Steve Stoler, who joined the station in December 2002, has decided to take a position as director of media relations for the City of Plano.
Collin County, where Plano is located, has been Stoler’s primary beat for the last decade.
Stoler’s last day at WFAA8 will be December 6th. He is scheduled to begin his new job three days later.
WFAA8 news director Carolyn Mungo later confirmed Stoler’s departure and he then sent an extended reflection on his 34 years in television news and the “exciting new opportunity” awaiting him. Rival station Fox4, where Stoler worked for 17 years before joining WFAA8, initially informed its news staff via email of his decision to leave WFAA8.
Back in the late 90's, WCBS Anchor Chris Wragge had a bit part on the TV series "Sabrina the Teenage Witch".
Wragge played the role of a newscaster....I know it's a stretch.
But, before you laugh at Chris for being a show that catered to preteen girls, know this... the guy is still getting residual checks each time the episode airs.
ragge posted pictures of the checks he's getting on his Facebook page. The latest check amount?
$10.57
Wait?! What?!
Ok, I guess now you can laugh at him.
Yesterday, FTVLive told you that it was 45 years ago that the "Eyewitness News" brand hit the air on WABC in New York.
To this day, the Number 1 station in the Number 1 market still uses "Eyewitness News" as its brand. Take that Coverage You Can Count On.
And speaking of Eyewitness News, one FTVLive reader reminds of a guy that had so much history with the two events that intersect this week.
He was Jay Watson, the Program Director at WFAA in Dallas.
Watson was among the first to break news on TV of President Kennedy being shot.
He was instrumental in harnessing all available TELCO lines out of Dallas, to make it difficult for other stations/networks to gain live access (until they paid WFAA extra money). He was also first to interview Abraham Zapruder and worked to get the historic film processed.
5 years later Jay was station manager at WJBK-TV in Detroit (then owned by Storer, then a CBS affiliate) when he got word that Primo was launching the Eyewitness News campaign at the ABC O&Os.
In the days before WXYZ was to launch, Jay turned WJBK-TV into the Detroit "Eyewitness News" station, forcing WXYZ to become an ABC O&O "Action News" station. From that moment forward, the ABC bosses gave WXYZ managers an essentially open checkbook to bring all of WJBK's top talent to WXYZ for a #1 news rating run that ran almost unchallenged for four decades
Here's a link that shows Jay's work the day Kennedy was killed.
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