Lady of the Night?

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Until someone is finally named, speculation as to who will replace David Letterman on CBS's Late Show will continue to be a hot topic.

Maybe it's time to give girls a shot.

The NY Daily News says that Ellen DeGeneres and Tina Fey are high on the list to take over “The Late Show” when David Letterman retires next year, sources told The News.

Bringing either one into the late night wars, “would be a masterstroke,” said a source close to the situation.

“There’s no reason that late night television should be limited to men,” the source added.

With only one exception — Joan Rivers’ short-lived “The Late Show” in 1986 — late night TV has been dominated by men since the “Tonight Show” debuted in 1954 with Steve Allen as the host.

CBS and DeGeneres have quietly spoken about stepping into “The Late Show” when Letterman retired, a source said.

A rep for DeGeneres declined to comment.

Fey has not spoken to the network, her rep said, but CBS sources claim the “30 Rock” star is among those “topping the list.”

Another major contender emerged on Friday: Comedy Central star Stephen Colbert, whose deal with the cable network is believed to expire later this year, sources said.

One source said Colbert has spoken to CBS about the gig.

Conan O’Brien, who hosted “Late Night” on NBC after Letterman left — and briefly helmed “The Tonight Show” in 2010 — has also talked to CBS, a knowledgable insider said.

The least likely to get the job is Letterman’s protege, Craig Ferguson, the host of the Letterman-produced, “The Late Late Show,” several sources said.

GMA Looking to Add 3rd Hour?

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Good Morning America is looking to take the Today Show on even later in the morning.

ABC is looking at taking on a 3rd hour to their number 1 rated morning show. 

“GMA,” which now airs weekdays from 7-9 a.m., wants to add an hour to compete more effectively with its morning NBC rival, a source tells the NY Daily News. “Today” goes for four hours, 7-11 a.m., the final hour being Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb’s wine-filled, peppy chatfest.

The Daily News says the permanent addition of “Live! With Kelly and Michael” co-host Michael Strahan to “GMA” is a minor move in the potentially seismic plan to reconfigure the network’s morning schedule.

While it could take a few years to line up, ABC is building a deeper bench of talent, such as Strahan, to deploy in a longer morning show.

“Clearly this is way out on the horizon and may not happen if the planets don’t align just right,” our network insider said. “But it’s a plan.”

A second source tells the Daily News, “They’ve always wanted a third hour. It’s just that the opportunity to actually pull it off may finally be on the way.”

To make this work, the syndicated “Live! With Kelly & Michael” would be pushed back an hour from its longtime 9 a.m. slot after “Rachael Ray” wraps up its 10th season in 2016, when her current syndication deal is up.

If Ray’s ratings stay strong, and she signs a new deal to stay on the air, her show could still be moved – into the time slot now occupied by “The View,” which will be heading into its 18th season this fall without creator Barbara Walters.

It remains to be seen whether co-host Lara Spencer — who is contracted for $2 million a year by ABC — will make it to the “GMA” expansion phase, if it happens down the line.

“ABC was considering Maria Menounos for a similar ‘GMA’ role,” our source said.

And while visiting New York last week, Menounos filled in for Kelly Ripa on “Live!” twice, as she was on vacation.

A rep for ABC tells us a “GMA” expansion is “complete fiction,” saying the 9 a.m. hour is a local time period, not a network one, which means that almost half of ABC’s stations have syndicated shows at that time with contracts that extend for several years.

Seattle Station Puts Building up for Sale

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KING in Seattle is looking to sell it's building and move into a different facility.

KING's station is located in the South Lake area of Seattle and construction in that area is  booming.

That is prompting KING 5’s owner to explore selling its Dexter Avenue headquarters and relocating the broadcast operation.

The station’s building at 333 Dexter Ave. and land nearby are for sale, Ray Heacox, the station’s general manager, said Friday.

“We have been in this building for a long time, but it’s a very large building compared to the size of our operation,” Heacox said in an interview with the Seattle Times. “As the value of the property in South Lake Union has escalated, we of course are looking at the marketplace.”

Heacox said about 300 people work in the building, down from more than 500 back when it was the corporate headquarters for King Broadcasting. The company was sold in the 1990s to Belo, and KING 5 now is owned by Gannett, a media conglomerate.

Dexter Avenue is on the western edge of the South Lake Union neighborhood, which is being transformed by Amazon.com’s growth in the area. Buildings have been razed and tenants have moved in order to make way for the Internet behemoth’s thousands of employees and for growth by other employers in the newly popular neighborhood.

Two years ago The Seattle Times Co., another media company with a lengthy presence in the area, sold and vacated a building it had occupied for decades and moved its headquarters across the street. The leased space it moved into was also formerly owned by the newspaper.

Heacox said a final decision hasn’t been made on the KING 5 move, and that the timing is unclear. There’s still not an offer on the table, he said. But if a move does occur, the station and its newsroom are likely to stay close to the center of Seattle, he added.

News of the move first surfaced on the blog run by prominent media blogger Jim Romenesko. In an email to staffers, KING 5 news director Mark Ginther wrote that he expected an “aggressive” move-out schedule.

“My guess would be a move into a different facility in early 2015,” Ginther wrote.

Bob Costas Says Athletes can't be Trusted with Guns

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NBC's Bob Costas is over his eye problems that plagued him during the Olympics and was on Seth Meyers show Light Night.

Costas took the chance to once again talk about how athletes and guns don't mix.

Speaking on the issue, Costas made a bet with Meyers:

"Let's make a bet, you and me. Let's say over the next five years we'll do a Google search. We'll have an independent party monitor it. You keep track of how many good and constructive things are associated with athletes having a gun, and I'll keep track of all the tragedies and criminality and folly. And let's see who comes out ahead or behind as the case may be."

Somewhere Piers Morgan is smiling. 

Chicago Morning Newscast Turns 25

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25 years ago, WLS in Chicago debuted a new morning newscast.

It was only a half hour and aired from 6:30 to 7AM. We're sure that all the staff that was told they would be working on the morning newscast that started at 6:30AM, whined about how early they had to get up.

Now, with many morning newscasts going on at 4 or 4:30AM and lasting for hours, 25 years ago was certainly, the good old days.

Here's video of that first morning newscast at WLS.

Richmond Anchor Says "Sorry" for Facebook Post

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When will TV Anchors learn?

WWBT (Richmond) Anchor Curt Autry posted a photo and made some comments about a suspect that was wearing a platinum wig.

Some viewers found his post insensitive and Autry posted an apology and judging by the wording it appears the station made him do it.

He then followed up telling viewers if they don't like his Facebook page, move along and find one they do. He also told viewers they can complain all they want, but he isn't changing. 

Autry might want to watch want he posts of Facebook, or at least talk to Larry Connors before he does.

Just saying.... 

H/T Romenesko

Huntsville Producer Headed to Afghanistan

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Producers, net time you bitch about a Reporter's story not coming through, just remember it could be worse.

WHNT Producer Chase Moon is taking a leave from the station as he is headed to Afghanistan as part of an Alabama Air National Guard 187th Fighter Wing deployment.

It’s his second deployment.

Chase said, “The first time when I deployed to Iraq, I was single”.

Chase is an aircraft armament specialist.

“I have to get the bomb on the airplane so the pilot can get there do the job that needs to be done. That way the guys on the job can come home.”

For the past 9 months, Moon commuted to WHNT from Jasper –an 80-90 mile drive one way.

Moon – A husband to Jennifer and a father to Natalie. He will leave them for, at least, several months

Chase said, “I’ve been in Iraq, and I’ve been in a war, but I’ve never been in a war with a wife and a child at home.”

Chase’s goal is to do his job well, do it a day at a time and get home to see his family again.

Chase said, “I’m trained. I know what I’m supposed to do. As long as i keep my eye on what I’m supposed to do, then everything else will fall in place.”

Good luck to Chase!

H/T WHNT

Who Replaces Dave?

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Letterman announced on his show that he is retiring in 2015 and the speculation as to who will be replacing him has already started.

It is interesting that Letterman picked 2015, because that is the same time a number of possible replacements contracts expire.

Comedy Central host Jon Stewart’s deal expires next year.

His buddy, Stephen Colbert’s agreement expires this year. CBS’ Late Late Show host Craig Ferguson is also up this year.  

TBS late-night host Conan O’Brien and Bravo’s Andy Cohen are through next year. ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel? Yup, 2015.

Chelsea Handler has already said that she is shutting down her show. Oh, and a certain former Tonight Show host has a lot of free time on his hands, as well.

What about Piers Morgan? Ha ha...just kidding. 

Any bets on who replaces Dave?

H/T Entertainment Weekly

3 Strikes You're Out?

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Less and less viewers are meeting the press on NBC.

NBC's Sunday talker "Meet the Press" came in third place for the third quarter in a row.

CBS News' "Face the Nation" and ABC News' "This Week" topped the NBC News show in both total viewers and the key A25-54 demo, according to the latest Nielsen ratings. The news was not surprising, given that "Meet the Press" came in third for five out of the past six weeks. "Face the Nation" was the number one show, with an average of 3.348 million total viewers and 980,000 in the key demo.

The ratings mark the continuation of troubles for "Meet the Press," which was also third place for the third quarter of 2013. It was the first quarter that "This Week" beat "Meet the Press" in 16 years, though it did so by just a thin margin (2.532 million total viewers to 2.513 million).

This time, the margin was wider at 92,000 total viewers — the most ABC News said it has beat "Meet the Press" by since 1997.

The news certainly does not ease worries for host David Gregory, who has been the subject of criticism in the past year. NBC News senior vice president Alex Wallace attempted to tamp down speculation about his role in an interview with The Huffington Post's Michael Calderone, insisting that the show is "doubling down on David Gregory." Wallace said that Gregory is at the center of their plan to expand their digital presence.

H/T HuffPo

Wow! How Did the Today Show Land that Interview?

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The Today Show has landed an interview with former President Bush showing off some of his never before seen paintings.

NBC tweeted out the big exclusive get and might have tipped off how they got the interview with the former Commander in Chief.

Oh yeah.... Bushes Daughter Jenna works for the Today Show. Good job landing Dad Jenna. It must have been a tough get. 

Orlando Station Adding Anchor

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WESH in Orlando is adding a morning Anchor, but she is not replacing anyone.... at least not yet. 

Current Anchors Jason Guy and Meredith McDonough aren't going anywhere.

Michelle Imperato will anchor with Guy from 7 to 9 a.m. on sister station WKCF-Channel 18, starting June 2, WESH announced Thursday. Imperato is joining the NBC affiliate from KSBW in Monterey, Calif., where she was a morning anchor and reporter.

Imperato will be a contributor to the WESH news from 4:30 to 7 a.m.

McDonough will continue to anchor with Guy from 5 to 7 a.m. on WESH.

"We're just trying to increase our bench strength," said Jim Carter, general manager of WESH and WKCF to the Orlando Sentinel. "We love Meredith. Michelle will be a great addition to our anchor team."

Carter said he was simply building up the team. "We do four and half hours of news between the two stations. That's a lot of news for what's been a few people," he said.

The change will free up McDonough to do reporting projects.