CNN Riding Missing Plane to Higher Ratings

/
CNN Riding Missing Plane to Higher Ratings

CNN is proving that you don't need to report facts to get ratings.

The cable net has seen a ratings bump all because of the mystery of the missing plane. A story that has little facts and a lot of speculation. 

“It is a tremendous story that is completely in our wheelhouse,” said a senior CNN executive, who asked not to be identified defining the network’s strategy for its coverage. CNN’s ratings soared last week and over the weekend, rising by almost 100 percent in prime time. The network even managed the rare feat of edging past Fox News for leadership in several hours.

The New York Times says that last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, the CNN 8 p.m. program, hosted by Anderson Cooper, beat Fox’s perennial ratings giant, Bill O’Reilly, in the audience that attracts the most revenue for news channels, viewers between the ages of 25 and 54. It was the first time Mr. Cooper has ever topped Mr. O’Reilly in the group for three straight days. (Mr. O’Reilly still won the week in that category.)

CNN also won the 25-to-54 age group from 2 p.m. through 10 p.m. on Saturday, and initial numbers from Sunday indicate the network again led across many of the hours of the day. This is only the case among the specific demographic group preferred by news advertisers; Fox News, as it always does, dominated in terms of total viewers.

“It’s an incredible mystery full of human drama, with an international element,” the senior CNN executive said. “Anything international plays into our hands because we have more reporters to deploy all over the world.”

More after the jump.   

Read More

More Trouble at Russian TV

/

Back on March 6th, FTVLive told you that RT America anchor Liz Wahl abruptly resigned from her job while doing a live segment on Wednesday afternoon.

Insiders now tell FTVLive that there are still problems happening inside RT America. Word is that one American anchor on Monday voiced object to a report from Ukraine that Moscow put together.

Insiders say she took the complaint to the News Director around 330pm and was taken off the anchor desk. The 4pm show was canceled and Moscow coverage was put in its place.

Also, FTVLive hears that there’s a new RT show in the works that’s a late night comedy show (SNL Update & Stewart type) with 3 people,

Sources say that a rehearsal yesterday was canceled because of jokes about the Ukraine coverage.

Yes......a rehearsal was canceled because of jokes.

Stay tuned.... 

What's the Rush Sam?

/

The Weather Channel's “AMHQ,” which debuted Monday with a core team of Sam Champion, Mike Bettes, Anaridis Rodriguez and Maria LaRosa, seemed to be in a rush for it's first show.

The 3 hour morning show seemed to be trying to pack 5 hours into 3.

It seemed like every segment was rushed.

At one point Champion sent to a live hit with a Reporter from the Huffington Post and told the Reporter, "we only have 30 seconds."

Champion made a big deal about how they are the only program covering water problems and included a report live from the Colorado River.

Again, the river report was rushed and really was never given time to breathe and tell us why she should care about the Colorado River?

A report on the NCAA basketball tournament mentioned none of the teams, so why even do it. 

Also, no matter what Champion says, the show was all about Sam. Often times all the Anchors would be on the set, but they would just be seen nodding while Champion did the talking. 

AMHQ is never going to be a big draw in the ratings, but they really need to just slow things down and tell the stories.

Quit trying to be GMA on meth. 

Houston Anchor Talks about His Arrest

/

Last week FTVLive told you that KHOU Anchor Ron Trevino was busted for DUI. 

This morning he went on the air to discuss his arrest. 

Post by KHOU 11 News.

Heeeeee's Back....

/

Former CNN Anchor Rick Sanchez is returning to TV.

Sanchez will be the host of his own talk show, marking his first time back on television solo since he was fired from CNN, after making anti-Semitic remarks against Jon Stewart in a 2010 radio interview.

The show is ironically being billed as "The Daily Show" en espanol, with a mix between politics and comedy.

It will air in primetime exclusively in the Miami area on a channel known as Mira TV, which just so happened to be the Miami affiliate of a CNN Spanish-language TV block before CNN shut down the service. 

Mira TV was the beneficiary of various lifestyle talk shows produced and anchored by CNN personalities of Latino descent. Because those shows will no longer be supplemented to them by CNN, the station decided to take it upon themselves to produce programming on their own with similar concepts and most of the same faces who were previously on-air.

It also gives the station room to add new personalities such as Sanchez, whose show will air in primetime alongside María Elvira Salazar (a talk show host whose show was cancelled by CNN and then picked up by Mira TV) and Alexis Valdés (a Cuban comedian who will be back on TV for the first time since 2012 when his popular TV show was cancelled).

Sanchez currently hosts a mid-morning radio show from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on WIOD-AM in Miami.

H/T JMan's Media Zone

Savannah Guthrie Got Pregnant, Then Married

/

She might have done it different than tradition states.

But, Today Show Anchor Savannah Guthrie announced that she got married this past Weekend in Tucson. 

 It was a hush-hush wedding, she said on the Today show Monday morning.

She also announced that she was four months pregnant.

"I feel great, and actually I'm so happy to tell the world. Because I can't suck in this gut anymore," said Guthrie.

The baby is due in "late summer."

CNN and Their Toy

/

CNN has decided to go wall to wall with coverage of the missing Malaysia Airlines plane. In a coverage note sent to the staff it states:

"we are wall to wall with plane mystery; this is strategy we are confident and comfortable with"

The biggest problem with the missing plane story is the lack of visuals. But, CNN boss Jeff Zucker has spared no expense and has bought the CNN Anchors a toy plane to play with on air.

Needless to say, the Twitterverse thinks it's stupid:

H/T HuffPo


I am Sam

/

Sam Champion's AMHQ kicks off Today on the Weather Channel. 

Champion has been making the rounds pimping the show and getting ready for Today's launch. Champion has made it clear that the show is not about him and is a team effort.

The promos tell a different story. Sam is front and center and "the team" is pushed to the back. 

Looks like there is no "Sam" in Team. 

Brown Out at Fox News

/

Back in February, FTVLive told you that the Boston Globe reported that Former Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) was out as a contributor at Fox News.

Brown and Fox News both said the report was not true. 

Fox News boss Bill Shine said “Senator Brown has renewed his contributor agreement with FOX News. The previous year long agreement expired on February 11th and was never terminated — this was purely administrative. We look forward to his continuing political analysis and insight across the network.”

Well, now less than a month later Fox News announced that it has terminated its contract with the former senator, right after he formed an exploratory committee to run in New Hampshire. 

Well there you go......

Done in Dallas

/

After just 2 years, KXAS reporter Kendra Lyn is heading back to Orlando, FL.

She signed off on Friday. 

“Thanks for a memorable two years, North Texas, and making me part of your morning!” Lyn tweeted.

Lyn said her husband recently was promoted to National Catastrophe Manager with Esurance. “It coincides with the end of my 2-year contract here at NBC5. So we’re relocating for his job, and we miss the friends, family and ties we have in Florida. I’ll definitely pursue available television opportunities in Orlando.”

Lynn joined KXAS in March 2012 from Orlando’s WESH-TV, where her on-air name was Kendra Oestreich during a five-year tenure. 

H/T Ed Bark 

Saying Good Bye in Philly

/

WTXF Fox Philly Morning Anchor Sheinelle Jones is signing off the station after 9 years. 

She broke the news to viewers by saying:

"At the end of this month, after almost 9 years here, I am leaving Good Day to go be with my kids.

There is a quote that I hold onto, that is so true for me. "God has bigger dreams for you than you can ever dream for yourself." And when I look at my life so far, where I am, God has given me the desires of my heart and topped it by a billion. I thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your mornings.

When I was in high school, I had one wall in my bedroom with two windows where I would gaze out and wonder where life would take me, cheerleading pictures on one wall, Janet Jackson pictures on another, and above my bed were all the new anchors in Wichita Kansas I admired. Their black and white headshots with black sharpie signatures. All I wanted was to be one of them.

I didn't end up in Kansas.  I ended up in the city where I was born, here in Philadelphia. And who knew would I would ultimately give birth to three children in the same hospital where I was born. And you've been with me for all of it.

And no, I'm not in Kansas anymore, but God gave a piece of it right here. A man who grew up on the same street I did!

The two of us will always have an unspeakable bond."