News Girls Don't Cry

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News Girls Don't Cry

Former KCAL Reporter Melissa McCarty opened up about her teenage years and her brother’s mental illness in a new book called “News Girls Don’t Cry.”

McCarty spent five years writing the book while working at CBS KCAL 9. The process was time-consuming but also therapeutic, she said.

“I knew the story had to be told because it was unique,” she said.

McCarty said there was a lot of darkness in her relationship with her brother growing up in the East Bay area. Her brother was bipolar and an alcoholic and had severe social phobias. At a young age, he started hanging out with the wrong people and became involved in a gang.

One reason McCarty wrote the book was to raise awareness about mental illness. Her brother was not diagnosed bipolar until he was almost 30.

“When he was diagnosed, he was relieved. It was like a burden had lifted because he had answers and solutions,” she said.

McCarty, who dedicated the book to her brother, had to deal with the guilt of not recognizing her brother’s struggles earlier in life.

More after the jump.

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Sinclair Starts PAC

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Sinclair Broadcasting Group is jumping full on into the political pool. The company is forming a PAC, according to paperwork recently filed with Federal Election Commission.

Sinclair Senior Vice President of Policy and Strategy Rebecca Hanson (really? That's the person's job?) says the company will use the PAC as it works on issues in front of Congress and the Federal Communications Commission.

“There are a lot of challenges facing our industry, and we believe that engaging in the process through the PAC is one of a variety of ways to further our goals,” Hanson said.

Hanson said the PAC does not yet have plans to get involved in specific races or support specific candidates.

“We’re still in the process of forming it internally,” she said.

In other words they are totally going to be involved in specific races and support specific candidates.

Stay tuned....

H/T The Hill

Ummmm....It's Not Kenya Brian

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NBC says that Brian Williams was in a rush to get the lead story on the air and that is what lead to his big mistake.

BriWi incorrectly reported that the kidnapping of the school girls occurred in Kenya, not Nigeria.

Williams mixed up Kenya and Nigeria twice on Tuesday night while reporting about the girls' abduction three weeks ago by an Islamist extremist group.

“Tonight it now feels as if the world is aware and responding to the kidnapping of 276 girls in Kenya,” Williams said.

NBC says that Williams made the error while in a rush and the mistake was corrected soon after for future broadcasts.

“Brian realized his error right away, corrected it two minutes later and for all subsequent feeds,” the spokesperson told TVNewser. “He wrote the item in question in the rush before airtime — it was an error borne of haste and he felt terrible about it.”

Once again it was another NBC error that appeared to be made while more worried about being first than right.

Ed Murrow just flipped over one more time.

Let's go to the video:

H/T HuffPo

ABC Tops NBC in Evening News Demos

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Speaking of NBC News.....

Maybe all those mistakes are taking a toll on NBC's ratings, at least the demos.

ABC's World News once again beat NBC Nightly News in the key advertising group last week. 

It was a tight race, but DiSy beat BriWi but 8,000 viewers in the demo.

“I think this is just a nice chapter in a very long march. We have got a long way to go,” said Michael Corn, Executive Producer of “World News With Diane Sawyer,” in an interview. “We have a deep respect for the other broadcast, and we are far from taking any kind of victory lap here.”

Corn says he respects NBC, even if he does refuse to mention them by name. 

Oh the games people play.... 

Houston Photographer Rolling as Driver tried to Run Down People

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KHOU  photojournalist Scott Stevens was rolling when a car came plowing through the scene of a shooting and the driver was trying to run over people. up to 100 people.

It started with a deadly shooting around 12:30 p.m. The gunfire killed 20-year-old Demarkus Harrison and wounded another person.

Neighbors say rising tension between family members and friends of the victim and the suspect escalated throughout the day.

Cops say the accused killer's father was driving the car that was trying to hit the people.

Let's go to the video:

Twin City Sports Anchor Takes High School Girl to her Prom

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WCCO's Sports Anchor Mark Rosen went out a date with a girl still in high school and even took her to her prom.

Now, before you start thinking this guy is some sort of sicko, you should know the back story.

Kayla Meyer, met Rosen three years ago as a guest on Rosen’s Sports Sunday when he was covering the concussions that ended her hockey career.

He was there to discuss the aftermath of the concussions, and when she wanted to go to prom he was there as well, as her date.

“I’m excited. My first prom!” Rosen said.

You heard right.

Little Markie Rosen didn’t go to his own high school prom.

Despite not going to his own prom, he came prepared for this one with a stretch limo and a lovely corsage.

“Talked to mom, made sure we had the right combination. My daughter helped put the colors together,” Rosen said.

Three years ago, Meyer went on Rosen’s show to discuss the two concussions that still cause daily headaches, dizziness and sensitivity to light.

“They used to say you’ll be better in two weeks, then they said two months, then they said about six and they don’t say anymore,” Meyer said.

Although those symptoms often kept her out of school, Meyer became an active speaker for concussion awareness and helped push for the Youth Sports Concussion Bill, signed by the governor in 2011.

“I am a victim, but I’m also a survivor and I’ll keep being a survivor as long as it takes,” Meyer said.

Meyer was planning to go to prom on her own, just to experience it.

But her mother had a better idea.

She contacted Mark, who was thrilled, and gave Meyer a call.

“And then he said would you like me to take you to prom. And I kinda was ecstatic and said yes you can take me to prom,” Meyer said.

“I didn’t ever believe this would happen – ever. I didn’t set out four years ago and say I’m gonna meet Mark Rosen so he can take me to prom,” Meyer said. 

Here's hoping that Mark was the perfect gentleman and didn't do the same thing we did after the prom.

We're guessing he didn't.

Exit Stage Right?

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Steve Edwards has been the host of Good Day LA on KTTV for years.

Each morning you could tune into GDLA and see Edwards sitting front and center on the anchor desk with his co-anchors on each side.

Suddenly, this week KTTV has move Edwards to the far right (camera right) side of the anchor desk and the two females are now sitting next to each other.

What does this mean? We have no idea, but at least one loyal KTTV viewer thinks the station is slowly pushing Edwards out the door.

More than likely some overpaid news consultant promised that ratings would go up if the moved poor Steve to the side.

Or maybe, after all these years, Steve figured out the left side of his face was his good side. 

Stay tuned......

OKC Station Takes Wraps off New Set

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KOKH (Oklahoma City) has unveiled their new news set and it is impressive.

The set, designed an open architecture and large displays was designed and built by Devlin Design Group.

“The most important thing that this new set does is to allow us to interact with our viewers in ways we haven’t been able to before.   We now have the tools necessary to better communicate important and potentially lifesaving information during emergency weather and breaking news situations.  The unique content we provide to Oklahoma is now more impactful and easier to understand.”—Adam Pursch, News Director, FOX 25

In addition to the programmable display walls, Pursch is excited about the other showcasing tools available on this set such as the working weather center, and  rolling stand-up video kiosks.  

“Oklahoma City has a vibrant lifestyle and a well-defined expectation of quality.  FOX 25’s design goal was to exceed that expectation and set the market standard for a new generation of news presentation.  Everyone at Team DDG congratulates FOX 25 on hitting this goal right out of the park.”—Dan Devlin, Creative Director, Devlin Design Group

Hanging it Up in the Big Easy

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Stick a fork in WWL Anchor Dennis Woltering....he's done.

Or at least he will be at the end of the book.

Woltering says that he will retire at the end of May. An evening newscast anchor at the station since 1994 who served an earlier stint as a reporter and weekend anchor at the station from 1977 to 1984, Woltering is 67.

“This has been on my mind for probably a couple of years,” Woltering said to the Times Picayune, after a staff-meeting announcement and a WWLTV.com posting of the news. “I think most people at the station have known about this for some time.”

Woltering added that his contract with WWL expired in February, but he was asked by management to stay on through May.

NBC to Keep Olympics to 2032

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Looks like the Olympics are going to stay on NBC for the rest of many of our lives.

NBC has bought the broadcast rights to Olympics through 2032.

The pact includes TV, Internet, mobile rights, along with whatever other platforms are invented between now and then (like video in your flying car). 

NBC's dished out $7.65 billion dollars for the rights from 2021-2032.

This means you will be seeing Matt and Al in spandex for years to come.

I wonder what Matt and Al will look like in 2032?

Today Show to Get a New Boss

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Ever since NBC's Today Show fell behind ABC's Good Morning America, the Peacock has been in full panic mode.

Ann Curry was booted, Tamron Hall, Willie Gesit and Ryan Seacrest were brought in. Managers and producers were changed and the News President was replaced.

Now, NBC is about to make another big change to Today.

Word is that  NBC has hired ESPN's Jamie Horowitz and will be making him the Senior VP and General Manager of the Today Show.

Back in January, rumors started to spread that Horowitz was headed to Today. Now those rumors are about to come true.

He will oversee every aspect of the morning program.

Stay tuned....