God is His Agent

Earlier this morning FTVLive FIRST told you that former Atlanta AM Anchor Brandon Rudat was spotted at KTVK in Phoinex doing an audition.

We asked is the station looking to add an anchor to the line up, or are they looking to replace or cut back Main Anchor Fields Moseley?

An FTVLive reader pointed us to this tweet sent out by Brandon Rudat after his trip to Phoenix:

Nice to see that Rudat is trusting in his faith, but we want him to know, even if God is your Agent, he still wants his 10%.

Just saying... 

Weatherman: I get too Use my Brain Here

It pears that when you're the weekend Weather Anchor in the Miami market, you don't get to use your brain all that much.

Former WFOR Weekend Weather Anchor Jeff Berardelli has moved up the coast to WPEC and he thinks it was a good move.

The Sun Sentinel asked Berardelli about moving from Miami to the smaller market of West Palm Beach.

I have more responsibility at this station. I wanted a job where I could really help make a difference in the weather department. The job up here requires me to work harder and really use my brain, it requires me to be more creative … I have that authority at the station. Whereas in Miami, I was a weekend meteorologist [and] I was more of a worker than [someone who]I had the ability to change things, Berardelli said. 

Yeah, it's a much better gig that working with those brainless people in Miami. 

Google Invites FTVLive into Project Glass

Yesterday I got an email from Google inviting me to join Project Glass as an Explorer.

For a gadget geek, it doesn't get any bigger than this.

Read more on this story posted in FTV Tech

Who is This?

OK which HLN/CNN Anchor is this?

If you haven't seen the story this is no way you would guess the right answer.

It's HLN (and FTVLive favorite) Robin Meade!

Meade was made up to look like a man nearer this week in a stunt-worthy week dubbed Hollywood Secrets.

In an email, Meade wrote that "it was one of the grossest experiences of my life... thank you to the lords of estrogen for letting me be born a woman because I couldn't take all that hair."

H/T Atlanta Journal Constitution 

Today Show Says Sorry for Sign Language Joke

NBC's Today Show says they are sorry for making fun a deaf people on their show. 

Natalie Morales, Willie Geist and Al Roker were discussing the bizarre story about the man posing as a sign-language interpreter during Nelson Mandela's memorial service.

While they talked, the show put up a video bubble with a floor crew member doing fake sign language as a joke.

Natalie Morales immediately  saw the offensive joke and told the control room to take it down.

Al Roker kind of half laughed and did the same. 

NBC says they're sorry and we're betting that few on the crew were called into the corner office. 

Let's go to the video:

Anchor Shake Up at KTVK?

Is something about to go down at KTVK in Phoenix?

FTVLive FIRST told you that longtime Anchor Patti Kirkpatrick's desk remains cleaned off, she hasn't been on the air for months and the station won't say anything about it. 

Now, word is that the station brought in former Atlanta AM Anchor Brandon Rudat for an audition this week. 

Rumors are that Rudat was trying out for the 4:30p, 9p. & 10p newscasts. 

Is the station looking to add an anchor to the line up, or are they looking to replace or cut back Main Anchor Fields Moseley?

An interesting note is that Rudat was brought in for the audition on Moseley's day off. 

Uh-oh. 

Stay tuned.... 

Another Anchorman Highjacking

After "Ron Burgundy" anchored an entire newscast in Bismarck, his Co-Star Steve Carell decided to give it a try as well.

Carell (who plays Brick Tamland in the movie) hijacked his way onto the weather forecast, taking UK meteorologist Laura Tobin by surprise.

Let's go to the video:

Just Asking.....

Which Austin News Director was spotted interviewing for the News Director job at Cox owned WTEV in Jacksonville?

As FTVLive told you 10 days ago, the station had  parted ways with News Director Mike McCormick who had been there since 2008. 

You Be the Weatherman Game

Let's be honest, what kid doesn't like looking into the sky and telling the difference between a cirrus cloud and a stratus cloud?

Ok, so maybe not many kids do that, but soon they will be able to play weatherman on their phone. 

WGN in Chicago is launching its first ever game app called “Tom Skilling’s WGN Weather Challenge” for the smartphone. Oh Boy! Move over Grand Theft Auto 5.

In the game you jump in front of the Chroma Key wall and beat the hell out of pimps and Ho's. Oh wait, that's Grand Theft Auto 5 again. 

The WGN weather-themed game featuring chief meteorologist Tom Skilling will be available for FREE download through the Apple Store, December 19, and through Google Play (for the Android) by February 2014.  

This game app will also be the first in the country created for a local television news or weather personality.  WGN-TV partnered with Chicago creative design studio Cubicle Ninjas in developing the game.
The game app is designed as a race against the clock to keep Tom Skilling’s forecast going as long as possible.  A cartoon Tom begins his adventure in the WGN Weather Center.  When a user starts the game, Tom runs to his weather report green-screen in the WGN-TV studio to begin his battle with the weather elements.  The object of the game is to move Tom across the screen, avoiding bad weather (which will subtract from his forecast time) and collect good weather (which will add to his forecast time).  The game ends when Tom runs out of time.  Top-ranked players will be able to see their scores on a leaderboard page.  As part of the application, users can also access their local weather forecast via a WGNtv.com link at the end of the game.

I don't know about you, but December 19th can't get here fast enough. 

Cincy Station Hires New Sports Anchor

WXIX Fox 19 in Cincinnati has hired Jeremy Rauch as a sports anchor/reporter. He’ll appear on Fox 19 later next week.

He fills the vacancy created by sports director Brian Giesenschlag leaving in September to work for Fox Sports Ohio, and the promotion of Joe Danneman from weekend sports anchor to sports director.

Before doing weekend sports at Sinclair’s WICS-TV in Illinois, he covered sports for WHIZ-TV in  Zanesville and at WDNN-TV in Dalton, GA. 

H/T Cincinnati.com 

San Antonio Station names new ND

KSAT12’s Vice-President/General Manager Phil Lane has announced that Bernice Kearney, currently Assistant News Director, has accepted the title of News Director/KSAT12 effective immediately.

“Bernice has worked at KSAT12 for more than 20 years and was trained under one of the best News Directors in the country, Jim Boyle, who has announced his retirement,” said Lane. 

Bernice first served at KSAT12 as a news producer and worked her way up to Executive Producer and most recently Assistant News Director. 

“Trying to continue the legacy Jim Boyle has created in this community will be a real challenge,” said Bernice, “but one that I’m proud and honored to accept as we lead KSAT12’s evolution into a multi-media Jim Boyle served as KSAT12’s News Director for nearly 30 years and helped to elevate 
the station to the top of the ratings mound during his tenure. 

“We will greatly miss Jim’s leadership, his vision for KSAT12 and San Antonio, and his unbridled connection to this community,” said Phil Lane, “it is with a very heavy heart that we accept his retirement and we know that he will forever be connected to the people he mentored and led for the past 30 years.”

H/T Mike McGuff

What's Next for Ann Curry?

A window is coming up in Ann Curry's contract with NBC. Word is that she wants out, but will she have any options?

The Hollywood Reporter writes that Curry's representative, Washington lawyer Robert Barnett, has made NBC News' competitors, including CBS News, aware she will be available. (He declined comment.)

A CBS News executive tells THR he respects Curry's journalistic chops but that there really isn't a place for her at that division. Sources say Curry, 57, also has not had talks with CNN Worldwide president Jeff Zucker, her former Today producer.

Al Jazeera America, the Qatar emirate-backed network that launched in August and has struggled to lure viewers, did express interest in Curry this year when executives reached out to numerous anchors and producers to gauge availability. Certainly her style of journalism -- she's an intrepid, empathic interpreter of humanitarian crises -- would be a good fit for AJAM. And the network, available in 55 million homes, has demonstrated willingness to spend top dollar to attract such talent as former NBC News anchor John Seigenthaler and Ali Velshi, lured from CNN. But sources there say there are no current discussions with Curry or her reps.

The newswoman continues to appear on NBC News programs: In September, she reported on the 1 million-plus children displaced by the war in Syria; in October, she sat down with Brad Pitt to talk about 12 Years a Slave. But the role is a big demotion from her daily platform on Today, and NBC News insiders do not expect Curry to stay at the division at the conclusion of her deal.

She was given her own production unit and a $12 million salary to exit Today amid the botched transition to anchor Savannah Guthrie, but since then, NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke and news group chairman Patricia Fili-Krushel have instituted increased cost-consciousness across the news division. Insiders say there is little appetite for such hefty salaries. Indeed, CNBC executives declined to match the $6 million-plus deal Fox Business Network offered Maria Bartiromo, who left Nov. 22.

So where will Curry go?

Stay tuned....

Holiday Movers

Adams Broadcast Consulting reports the following client news:

Christy Andrews moves to WBBH-TV in Fort Myers as an MMJ/fill-in anchor from WCTI-TV in New Bern where she had the same duties.  

Drew Douglas jumps 45 markets joining WTXF-TV in Philadelphia as a freelance reporter from WLKY-TV in Louisville.

Omari Fleming returns to his home state joining KNSD-TV in San Diego as a reporter from WTXF-TV in Philadelphia.

Heather Mills is going to KDVR-TV in Denver as a weekend evening anchor from KOB-TV in Albuquerque where she is a weekday morning anchor.

Lindsay Watts moves up 72 markets to KUSA-TV Denver as a freelance reporter from KRDO-TV in Colorado Springs where she was an anchor/investigative reporter.

Ophelia Young joins KEYT-TV in Santa Barbara as an mmj.

Christy, Drew, Omari, Heather, Lindsay and Ophelia are represented by Dana Adams.  Adams Broadcast Consulting is a full service boutique agency.  Visit ABC on the web at www.adamsconsulting.tv.

Tampa Deuce Hired as ND at Rochester Station

WTSP (Tampa) Assistant News Director Chris Ford is trading in his sun screen for a snow shovel.

Ford is the new News Director at WHEC in Rochester, NY.

Here is the internal memo obtained by FTVLive to the staff at WTSP. 

From: "Roghaar, Peter" <proghaar@wtsp.com<mailto:proghaar@wtsp.com>>
Date: December 11, 2013, 10:06:58 AM CST
To: WTSP-All <WTSP-All@wtsp.com<mailto:WTSP-All@wtsp.com>>
Subject: Chris Ford

I am pleased to announce a wonderful career opportunity for Asst. News Director Chris Ford. He has accepted a News Director position with WHEC, the Hubbard-owned NBC station in Rochester, NY.  Since joining us in April 2012, Chris has done a great job helping guide news coverage and improving the quality of our content. In particular, Chris has done terrific work with our Investigative team and elevating our award-winning Investigative coverage.   Chris’ last day in the station will be Tuesday Dec 31.  Please join me in congratulating Chris on this well-deserved opportunity to lead his own newsroom.

Peter

Hmmmmm?

It's obvious that this [picture has been Photoshopped, but you have to admit there is more than a grain of truth in it.

Just saying....