CBS Sacks Marino, Sharpe from NFL Today

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CBS Sports is bouncing Dan Marino and Shannon Sharpe from The NFL Today, the network announced.

The Network announced that they are bringing in former Atlanta Falcons star tight end Tony Gonzalez.

“While we welcome Tony, we want to acknowledge Dan Marino and Shannon Sharpe, who have contributed greatly to the success ofThe NFL Today for more than a decade. Dan and Shannon are true Hall of Famers on the field and in front of the camera,” said CBS Sports President Sean McManus.

Marino made tabloid headlines when the married father of six children, conceived a seventh child with one of the show’s production assistants. 

We're guessing that was part of the reason he was sacked.  

Philly Sportscaster is Arrested in Ticket Scam

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Former sportscaster Don Tollefson has turned himself in to authorities to face felony charges for allegedly scamming dozens of people out of more than $100,000 meant to go to charitable organizations.

Authorities allege that Tollefson fraudulently solicited money for charities, victimizing more than 100 people and misappropriating more than $100,000.

The Bucks County District Attorney's Office said Tollefson purported to raise money for charities that included the Special Olympics of Pennsylvania, the Salvation Army and the Brad Fox Foundation over the past three years, but the funds didn't make it to the organizations.

Tollefson turned himself in to Warminster Township police this morning. He is being charged with theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception, violations of the Pennsylvania Charitable Organizations statute and other offenses.

He was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Daniel Finello Jr., who set bail at $250,000.

None of Tollefson's purported charities were registered with Pennsylvania or New Jersey. Nor were they on file with the federal government as 501(c)(3) nonprofits. Tollefson pitched himself as operating the One Child, Winning Ways, Employ Young Adults, and Tackle Hatred Now charities. He also solicited donations via the Internet through his website TixR4Kids.com.

Philly.com

In the Spotlight

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Over the past few months FTVLive has featured people in the FTVLive Talent Spotlight.

Many of those people landed new gigs after being featured on FTVLive.

The latest to get a new gig is Melinda Davenport.

Davenport is leaving New Hampshire and headed to WISN in Milwaukee as the new breaking news anchor on “WISN 12 News This Morning.”

“I am honored for the opportunity to be part of such an award-winning team,” says Davenport. “I have tremendous respect for the Hearst Television organization, and am proud to continue my career within the company. I feel fortunate to tell the stories of the people of Wisconsin and look forward to working with the incredible morning news team at WISN 12.”

If you would like to be featured on FTVLive's Talent Spotlight, talk to your agent or email us. You demo reel will be in front of thousands of News Managers and you might be the next one to land a new gig. 

Lame Exclusive

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TV stations love to call stories Exclusive, especially during ratings books.

One of the lamest "exclusives" is when they are covering a story about one of their own and label it as "exclusive."

You know, it's like "our Anchor Jill Fluffy is going into rehab and she talks about it exclusively with news channel, action news coverage you can count on sky 5."

But there is one other "exclusive" that is lamer than that. It's where someone else does the work and your station claims it as "exclusive".

Last night, WTVL First Coast News in Jacksonville claimed to have an "exclusive" interview with "loud music" shooter Michael Dunn's daughter. 

The problem was, WTLV never interviewed her, it was done by ABC News and WTLV just picked the interview off the feed and slapped an "exclusive" label on it. 

It was a lame move by a station trying to grab some credit for something they didn't even do. 

Across the street, new WTEV News Director Bob Longo called WTLV out on Twitter.

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We have to agree with Bob on this one. 

It was bush league move by Jacksonville's so called news leader. 

Ashleigh Banfield: Sick of Twitter Death Threats

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CNN's Ashleigh Banfield is not a big fan of Twitter these days.

The speckled Anchor says she is not pleased with how Twitter users have treated her as of late. The CNN anchor railed against alleged death threats she and her family have received in response to her coverage of Michael Dunn‘s murder trial.

Mediaite writes that some TV anchors and legal analysts like Banfield have suggested race may have played a factor in the jury’s decision, leading to all kinds of criticism on social media. Though Banfield told her panelists on Monday that she intends to feature “all colors” in an upcoming discussion of the Dunn case, she lamented that Twitter has been hateful towards her and other commentators.

“Call it back, folks!” she implored. “Stop threatening to kill people on Twitter because you don’t like what they are saying! That’s the problem: If we can’t communicate, we are never going to know what the problem is. And this is a case that outlines it.”

Her co-panelists agreed that this trial has brought about a need for a longer conversation on “the laws, about race, about sensitivity, about tolerance, about ‘Stand Your Ground.’”

“And you know? No Twitter,” Banfield declared. “I have had it with people who are threatening me, and my kids, and my family over simply commenting on the law and criminal procedure and respecting juries. Because they do work hard. They work way harder than I do; and they work way harder than the rest of those people making those peanut gallery comments.”

Johnny, Jay, Conan, Jay and now Jimmy

Jimmy Fallon debuted last night as the host of the Tonight Show, which is now based out of New York.

Fallon opened his first monologue of The Tonight Show night with: "I'm Jimmy Fallon and I'll be your host… for now."

He then thanked all the hosts who have come before him, including "Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien and Jay Leno."

He also did something Jay Leno never did, or could......he danced.

He and Will Smith gave viewers a look at the history of Hip Hop dance:

WTF?!

What the hell?!

If you watched the Olympics you might have been confused when a piece down by Tom Brokaw was really a commercial for a movie from NBC Universal.

Brokaw narrated the commercial during NBC's Olympics coverage.

Whe the spot started, it seemed like a feature by Brokaw on Olympian Louie Zamperini. But it carried the NBC Universal logo, not NBC News.

Midday through it turned into a commercial for Angelina Jolie’s “Unbroken,” a Universal movie due this year.

Showbiz 411 writes, maybe Brokaw did commercials on air when he was on the Today show. But narrating a commercial for a movie? Is this what we’re calling ‘native advertising’– when the ads are indiscernible from the editorial? Brokaw never seemed the type. Who paid him? What are we to make of this? That he’s endorsing the movie? (No one’s even seen it.) Very strange stuff here. What next? Brian Williams touting “Despicable Me 3″?

Here's the Brokaw shill piece that aired:

Professor Sues Chicago TV Station

Professor Sues Chicago TV Station

Philosophy Prof. Peter Ludlow is suing three local media companies, claiming their coverage of a Title IX lawsuit against Northwestern was defamatory and portrayed him in a "false light before the public."

Ludlow is suing Sun-Times Media, LLC, WFLD Fox Television Stations, Inc., and Cumulus Broadcasting, LLC, asking for damages for the outlets’ false use of the word “rape” in their descriptions of the allegations against him. He filed the suit Friday morning in Cook County Circuit Court.

The Daily Northwestern writes that in the federal lawsuit filed Monday against NU, a Medill junior alleges she was sexually assaulted by Ludlow.

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Bob's Back

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NBC says that blood eyed Bob Costas will be back on the air tonight for NBC's prime time Olympic coverage.

"I'm glad to be back, and I want to thank Matt and Meredith for doing such a good job in filling in,'' Costas said by phone on TODAY Monday. "I really feel bad, especially (for) Matt. Meredith was twiddling her thumbs a little bit, let's be honest, but Matt was doing double duty. Back and forth to the mountains and an hour's sleep, and now he holds so many chips on me on his side of the table. I owe him so many favors. That's the worst part of the whole thing."  

NBC Snuck a Starbucks into the Olympics

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It appears thaw hen NBC is not trying to make Bode Miller cry, the crew is enjoying their Starbucks Coffee.

Which is totally against the rules.

Gawker writes that NBC been stealthily operating a Starbucks in the Olympics media center, they've been taunting all the other journalists who are forced to drink the only branded coffee available — McDonalds' McCafe.According to the Wall Street Journal, NBC found a loophole to the draconian non-Olympics-brand exclusion by treating the Starbucks as a personal item not open to the public. And although John Fritsche, NBC's senior vice president of Olympic operations said they share with "neighboring broadcasters," reporters from NPR and thePittsburgh Tribune-Review have been unable to get their hands on the bland Starbucks nectar.

The NPR reporter spotted the green mermaid on a cup and started following the holder only to be rebuffed. Pittsburgh sports columnist Dejan Kovacevic, coming off a "three-venti-iced-chai latte" a day habit, found himself reduced to substituting with eight cups of McDonalds.

And although the cups are everywhere — even duct-taped (see photo) in front of Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir — it seems unlikely Olympics organizers will shut the illicit Starbucks down. NBC paid more than $775 million to broadcast the games, and Coca-Cola — which holds the beverage rights — and McDonalds, holder of coffee rights, are "aware," but not concerned.

Don't Watch this if you Recently Ate

Don't Watch this if you Recently Ate

If you know FTVLive you know how much we HATE on air wedding proposals.

They are a waste of viewers time and worthless. 

This one is really bad and really long. It took up a lot of the KSBY newscast. 

We think stations that let this happen on the air, should also air when the divorce papers are filed. Fair is fair....right?

You can watch after the jump. but just like swimming, you might want to wait a half hour until after you ate. 

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