Newscast From the Newsroom

A lighting strike knocked out power and the studio cameras at WPSD in Paducah, KY.

The station did their entire late newscast from the newsroom because of the outage. 

Staffers couldn't edit video and they didn't have prompter on any cameras.  

Todd Faulkner was solo anchor and Chief Meteorologist Jennifer Rukavina sat in front of the only working computer.  

Rukavina did her weather from the only computer in the newsroom that had working internet. Which really pissed off the Photographers that wanted to do their usual porn surfing during the news.

Texas Photog Involved in Fatal Crash

A News Photographer at KWES in Midland, TX was on his way to a story when his news vehicle left the roadway, overcorrected and went into a side skid. The Scion then crossed into the opposite lane of the road and hit a 2001 Saturn SL1 traveling the other direction.

The driver of the Saturn, 61-year-old Robert Kounce of Midland was killed in the accident.

The driver of news car was 28-year-old Jerome Chavez, who is KWES photographer and was driving to a story.

Chavez was injured in the accident and underwent surgery yesterday. 

Green Bay Reporter Leaves to be Mayor's Flack

WLUK Reporter Chad Doran is leaving the station after 2 1/2 years to become the mouthpiece for Appleton, WI Mayor Tim Hanna. 

Doran is leaving the business, before WLUK he previously worked at WGBA, in Madison and in Davenport, Iowa. 

“With by journalism background I’m excited to tell the good stories of the people working for the city,” Doran told Post-Crescent Media. “I’ll also be handling some social media and coordinating our efforts with other departments.”

He said he would serve as a point of contact for city residents and the media, but wouldn’t necessarily serve as a spokesman.

“We have many experts at the city that provide the best information, so I’ll serve as the connector and don’t think I’ll be the face of the city.”

H/T FDLReporter.com

Lara Logan Gets to come out of Time Out

After her botched Benghazi report,CBS put Lara Logan in a time out.

Logan was suspended...errrrr.... took a leave of absence back in November of last year. She was the golden girl of CBS News and many felt she should have been fired.

There were rumors that she would not return from her "leave of absence", but in the end CBS wanted Logan back.

A spokesperson for CBS has confirmed that Logan is back at work at TV's number 1 news magazine show.

CBS insiders tell FTVLive that Logan could be seen on the air over the summer introducing some of her old stories as 60 Minutes uses the summer months to often rerun popular stories that have already aired on the show.

It is likely that viewers won't see Logan doing any new stories on the air until the fall. The summer months are the time many 60 Minutes correspondents use to get stories in the can for the fall season. 

Insiders tell FTVLive that not everyone inside the network is happy to see Logan return and that her return was very low key.

But, we can bet there are many guys that live in their Mom's basement that are very happy to see the return of Lara.

Just saying.... 

Oh NBC...You've Gone and done it Again

This morning NBC News sent out this tweet warning people of a powerful storm headed their way:

There was just a few problems with NBC's info. First the map is from yesterday afternoon and many of the places they have in the storms path, aren't even expected to get a rain shower Today.

Second, a "gustnado" is not normally very dangerous. It's small spin-up along the leading edge of a gust front produced by a thunderstorm. Often it looks like a tornado, but does not pack a very powerful punch. If one hit your house dead on, you might get a broken window.

So NBC's "we're all going to die!" tweet was not very accurate.

But you can understand how they made such a mistake, it's not like they own the Weather Channel or anything.

Oh wait!

Stay Off Our Lawn!

This morning, FTVLive told you how WBNS in Columbus is fighting back against viewers that are not happy that longtime Anchor Kurt Ludlow was shown the door.

We told you that online petitions and Facebook pages quickly popped up for support of Ludlow and WBNS is doing their best to silence those Ludlow supporters. Sources say the station has fired off a cease and desist letter to the group of supporters, telling them not to use their logo, etc.

FTVLive has obtained a copy of the cease and desist letter that the station sent out. That are also barring the Ludlow supporter from the station's property:

The Case of the Missing Anchor in SFO

Back in March, FTVLive told you that MSNBC Correspondent Veronica De La Cruz was leaving the cable net and headed to be the main Anchor at KPIX in San Francisco. 

Reports at the time that De La Cruz would be starting her new gig in May. Many expected to see her on the air for the May book. 

But as of yet, De La Cruz has not been seen anchoring on KPIX air? 

FTVLive checked with DeLa Cruz's Agent Matthew Kingsley, who tells us that the Anchor will be starting at the station next week and should be seen on the air in the next couple weeks

Stay tuned....

Unnamed Woman Beats the Fox Logo in Iowa Elections

Elections were held in Iowa yesterday and if you tuned into Fox News, then you learned some unnamed woman won her race against the Fox logo. 

Both were Democrats, so in FNC's world it really doesn't matter what their names were or what race it was. 

Hey Jeff Zucker, It's 2006 all over again

Back in 2006, FTVLive FIRST told you that NBC under the leadership of Bob Wright and Jeff Zucker was going to have massive layoffs in something they were calling NBC 2.0.

The network denied FTVLive's report and then went and did exactly what they said they were going to do. 

Now, fast forward to 2014 and change from NBC to Turner Broadcasting.

Turner, which owns CNN and a number of other networks says they plan to "future proof" the company in a plan executives there are calling "Turner 2020." 

By the way, anytime you hear the word "futureproof" you can bet that means layoffs.

In an email to the staff Turner Broadcasting C.E.O. John Martin said that layoffs are a good bet.  

"We’ve been shifting resources already and I would ask that you think carefully about how and where to get the greatest return on the assets you control," Martin wrote. "This may mean staff changes. In fact, I’ll be surprised if it doesn’t."

One of those places you can expect the ax to swing is Jeff Zucker's CNN. Many inside CNN have grown weary of Zucker's plan to move many of the staff to New York from Atlanta.

One CNN source tells FTVLive that he fears almost all the cuts to staff at CNN, will come from those that remain in Atlanta. 

"Let's face it, Atlanta is Jeff's bastard step child," the staffer said to FTVLive.

Stay tuned, it might be a long hot summer in the A-T-L.

H/T Capital New York 

Jax City Council President Weighs in on Dropped Anchors

It has become a PR nightmare for the Cox Duop in J-Ville. 

FTVLive was the FIRST to report that WTEV/WAWS in Jacksonville was scrubbing their main anchor team and starting over from scratch. 

Station anchors Paige Kelton, Mark Spain, Lynnsey Gardner, and Tera and Mike Barz have been told their contracts weren’t being renewed.

Now the President of the Jacksonville City Council is weighing in on the Cox station's move to dump their main talent.

City Council President Bill Gulliford (pictured) wrote a letter to Cox Media Group President Bill Hoffman.

In a letter to Hoffman on council letterhead, Gulliford said the move by Action News is “getting a lot of push back in the community.”

“I have heard it constantly since the story broke,” Gulliford wrote. “People are challenging the wisdom of such a move and questioning whether Cox Media really gets the local aspect of their operation here.”

Asked about the letter, Gulliford said he heard a little more background about the situation from one of the anchors after an interview. After hearing about the situation, he said he didn’t “think someone up the line understands what Jacksonville is about.”

“I think they exercised bad judgment,” he said.

Gulliford said he had no relationships or personally knows the anchors, but felt compelled to let his opinion be known because “they are part of our community” and know Jacksonville.

In the letter, he said he hoped the situation is salvageable and receives consideration.

Another community letter also wrote a letter to station management.

Jim Kowalski, executive director of Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, also sent a letter to the station manager at Action News questioning the decision to not renew Kelton’s contract.

He said Kelton had “spent enough time in the trenches with community leaders” to gain their trust. “She is active with several nonprofits, cares deeply and has proven her commitment to local issues,” he said. “Being genuinely nice helps. As a result, where other media outlets will get sound bites, Paige will get the rest of the story.”

Kowalski said he wasn’t sure if it was too late for management to rescind the decision or if Kelton would consider staying with Action News. “But I think you are making a mistake in not recognizing how valuable relationship and reputations are, particularly in Jacksonville, and how much time and effort Paige has put into establishing hers,” his letter concluded.

H/T Jacksonville Daily Record

Columbus Station Offers no Support to the Supporters

FTVLive FIRST told you that WBNS had parted ways with longtime Anchor Kurt Ludlow. 

With voice cracking, Ludlow signed off the air last week saying he doesn't know what is next for him. 

Online petitions and Facebook pages quickly popped up for support of Ludlow and taking the station to task for dropping the anchor.

Now word comes that WBNS is doing their best to silence those Ludlow supporters. Sources say the station has fired off a cease and desist letter to the group of supporters, telling them not to use their logo, etc.

Of course if the online petitions and Facebook pages were praising how great their station is, we're guessing that those supporters would not had gotten that letter. 

Well OK Then....

A Reporter for a station in Boise was reporting on the return of U.S. soldier Bowe Bergdahl. He asked one women want she we say if saw Bergdahl?

It got a bit weird after that.

Let's go to the video:

Josh Elliott Gives Award to His Replacement

Former Good Morning Anchor Josh Elliott kept it classy as the host of the  Susan G. Komen Impact Awards luncheon.

Elliott, who bolted ABC’s “GMA” for NBC Sports in April after heated negotiations, presented an award Tuesday to Amy Robach, who replaced him GMA

Elliott insists there is no bad blood, and they even called Sam Champion — who left “GMA” last year — for a congratulatory call among the trio.

“The three of us are very tight,” Elliott said. “For Amy, all they have to do is throw up the ‘Bat- Signal,’ and I’m there.”

Of any lingering controversy over his move to NBC, Elliott added, “There’s been zero backlash. You hope in organic ways those fires burn themselves out. It was a deeply personal decision [between] two great offers.”

H/T Page Six

Signing Off in the Big D

KXAS Anchor/Reporter Lindsay Wilcox is leaving the NBC O&O after giving birth to her third child.

Wilcox, a Dallas native joined KXAS in August 2007 from KLTV in Tyler, TX. She’s been anchoring the station’s weekend morning newscasts and also reporting during the week.

“The past 6 years have been such a blessing to me and my family,” Wilcox said in a memo to staffers forwarded by NBC5 to unclebarky.com Tuesday. “Working in my hometown has been a dream come true and the great co-workers and opportunities at NBC5 have been the icing on the cake. I will miss seeing each of you every day, but I know this is the right thing for me and my family.”

Susan Tully, NBC5’s longtime vice president of news, said the station “will miss Lindsay. She’s a solid journalist, delightful on the air and an enjoyable worker. We wish her and her family all the best in the future.”

H/T Ed Bark 

Busted Bum Has San Antonio Anchor Off the Air

OK, we are going to try and refrain ourselves here while doing this next story.

WOAI 5PM Anchor Delaine Mathieu is off the air because she has a broken tailbone (insert your own joke here).

News Director Blaise Labbe says that Mathieu will likely be out all week while her butt heals (insert another joke here).

“Sitting is definitely an issue.  I’m on pain meds right now so reading is an issue as well…not to mention driving!” Mathieu said in a message.

Apart from her tailbone injury, she also has “a cut and a bad bruise on my right arm,” she said — all sustained during the Gladiator Rock ‘n Run on Saturday.

“There was a rock sticking up through the slide,” the athletic newscaster explained.  “Several others had to go the hospital, too.  

She added she won’t be participating in that race again.

Evy Ramos will be filling in during Mathieu’s recovery.

There we made it, without cracking a single ass joke. You don't know how hard that was. 

H/T San Antonio Express News