Could This be the Start of a Very Long Run?

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For us older people (I hate saying that), we can remember the days of Tom, Peter and Dan. Those were the network evening news anchors you could count on seeing on your TV each night.

Tom Brokaw, Peter Jennings and Dan Rather were like old faithful, you could trust that they would be there each night at 6:30, giving us the news.

But, then things got unstable in the network news game. Jennings died, Brokaw retired and Dan Rather just went bat shit crazy.

Since then, there has been all kinds of changes. ABC tried the duel anchor team Bob Woodruff and Elizabeth Vargas. Just into the experiment, Woodruff was critically injured in Iraq and ABC soon put Charles Gibson in the chair. Not long after that, Gibson was gone and replaced by Diane Sawyer.

Over at CBS, after Rather was pushed out, the network turned to Bob Schieffer. Schieffer was then replaced Katie Couric. Couric was pushed out and replaced by Scott Pelley.

NBC was the only one to complete and successful handoff. When Brokaw stepped down from the chair, he handed it off to Brian Williams and BriWi has been there ever since.

But, now with David Muir replacing Diane Sawyer, we could be going back to the future. It is likely that we might not see another network anchor change for a decade or longer. The current anchors could be the Peter, Tom and Dan of the future.

Scott Pelley is the oldest of the three at 57. There is no dount he could stay in that job until he's 70 at least. BriWi is 55 and looks like he's 45. David Muir is the baby on the block at just 40 years old.

As anyone that works in this business knows, there is no such thing as stability in TV news. But, this could be a long run without an anchor change network news.

Just like the old days.....

God, I sound like my grandpa. 

Never Thank Video Tape

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Why back when I started in TV News, a very smart News Director told me, "You don't thank video tape."

What the ND was saying, is never let the anchor say, "thank you" to a video taped report. If the Reporter is live and you want to thank them after their live shot, that's ok, but never if it's a taped package.

My ND told me it looks awkward and unprofessional.

Check out this video of David Muir's first newscast as the new Anchor of ABC's World News Tonight. Correspondent Cecilia Vega sigs out on video and than Muir says he name again and then thanks her.

It was awkward and it proved to me once again that my old ND knew what he was talking about. 

25 Years Anchoring the News in The Burgh

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In January, WPXI (Pittsburgh) Anchors David Johnson and Peggy Finnegan will have been anchoring the news together for 25 years.

The co-anchors are already longest-running local news-anchor team in Pittsburgh television history and one of the longest in the nation. 

Twenty-five years for a single anchor is extraordinary, says Robert Thompson, professor of media and culture at Syracuse University. 

“For a team to stay together for 25 years is almost unheard of,” Thompson says. “You're talking about two different people who have to be incredibly stable in a field that is unstable. Those in TV news tend to move around all over the place, to bigger markets or for personal reasons, or new management shakes things up and they're fired.” 

After an anchor team reaches 10 years together, they have the advantage of nostalgia working, he says. “When you have that kind of continuity of 25 years together, a lot of people living in Pittsburgh may never have known a world without these two people together. A lot of these viewers' parents may have broken up, but these anchors are still together.” 

Their achievement, begun in 1990, surprises even Johnson, who has been in television journalism for 35 years, and Finnegan, who got her start in radio in 1982 before moving to TV in 1983. Johnson has been through 11 news directors and two general managers since coming to the station in 1985. 

When he arrived in Pittsburgh, Johnson decided to give it three years and then re-evaluate. “You just never know when you get hired some place if you'll catch on, if they'll like you and you'll like them, or if you'll connect with your co-anchor,” he says. “We loved it.” 

Finnegan's original intent was to work for a few years in Pittsburgh — “a great TV market,” she says — and then move on to a larger city. “Nothing like marrying a Pittsburgh boy and starting a family to make you realize you're exactly where you're supposed to be,” she says. 

“Part of what David and I have together is mutual respect and admiration for the abilities and talents of the other. When you add that we also truly like each other, you've got the foundation for a good team.” 

Johnson offers this assessment: “I think we're both good journalists. I'm not bad at being a ‘hard news' reader. She is so wonderful at delivering emotion and compassion. I don't possess that like she does. Together, it seems to work. 

“She is a good reporter who, as such a good person and mother, can translate that in a way the viewer can relate to, better than I can. She's Catholic, I'm Jewish. She lives in the suburbs, I live in the city. We have some contrasts, but we love each other and love working together.”

FTVLive spent 4 years working with both Johnson and Finnegan and we can say that both are some of the nicest people you will meet in this business full with not so nice people.

H/T Pittsburgh Tribune Review

Ummmm... Isn't that the Station Across the Street's Video?

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WSB (Atlanta) posted a story on the station's website about a gay teen who was attacked and disowned by his parents.

The station took the story from Newsy.com and it included a soundbite in the story that was from a package by WXIA, WSB's competitor. 

It appears that someone called out WSB for using a competitor's video, becuase now WSB has pulled the story from their website.

Like a kid with his hand caught in the cookie jar. 

Screen shot of the page before is was pulled, is posted on the right. 

Joey The Garden Cat Passes Away

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As you well know, FTVLive is a huge animal lover (it's people we can't stand) and we got some sad news over the weekend.

KTHV (Little Rock) mascot, Joey the Garden Cat has passed away from an illness. The station posted on Joey's Facebook page the sad news:

"From the THV11 staff: We would like to our extend our gratitude to each and every one of you for all your kind words and thoughts about the passing of Joey The Garden Cat. From the beginning, when he showed up in our Weather Garden, he stole our hearts and many of yours. He will always be remembered, and his spirit will continue to be a big part of the THV11 family. Thank you again for all your kindness."

Joey was a staff and viewer favorite from the first day he showed up on the set.

Joey played by different rules than the rest of the staff. If Joey wanted to take his lunch break in the middle of the newscast, he would do it. Let's go to the video:

RIP Joey, I know you will be missed. 

Pushed out of Traffic

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KYW (Philly) Traffic Reporter Bob Kelly took to Facebook to tell his fans that he was kicked to the curb at the CBS O&O.

Kelly writes:

It truly is with a very heavy heart I announce that today will be my last broadcast on CBS3. For 13 years I have always looked forward to coming in to work and having the opportunity to be a part of a show and a work "family" that has given me more laughter, more love, and more rewarding moments than could fill a lifetime. To YOU the unbelievable, faithful viewers!! I cannot express my gratitude for the support and constant love and kindness shown towards myself and my family all these years!!! Endless thank you's to each and everyone of you. To you my most awesome morning team, co-workers past and present!! Although not on the TV screen, we will continue to have fun and may the endless laughter live on!!! And to my family, your unwavering support and love is what will make this next part of the adventure the best we've had yet!! Hope to see you all again soon, thank you so very much for allowing me to be in your home these past 13 years. With all my love.

Jammo Bob Kelly

Raycom Stations Fall off DirecTV

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53 Raycom owned stations fell off DirecTV in the latest retransmission pissing match.

Raycom went forward with its plan to remove its station signals from the DirecTV system after midnight on Sunday, issuing a statement that day which said it had been “working with DirecTV to resolve this issue” for three months but had reached an impasse.

According to a statement issued by DirecTV, Raycom was demanding more than twice as much in compensation.

“So when local broadcast stations, sports networks, and other channels want to be paid more for the same channels you already have, we’re going to do everything we can to minimize the impact to your monthly bill,” Mike White, DirecTV president and chief executive officer, said in a video posted on the Internet.

Look for this retrans fight to go until just before the NFL season kicks off, when then the two sides will come to an agreement.

Just saying... 

H/T Toledo Blade

Muir Takes the Chair at ABC News

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It was the first day on the job for David Muir as the new Anchor of ABC's World News Tonight.

Muir had to work at holiday the first day out of the box.

At least his boss took time out from his holiday to wish him good luck:

Nuir opened the broadcast by wishing viewers a happy Labor Day and saying "it's an honor to begin this journey with you"

With Muir now anchoring ABC's newscast, it is back to the future for the network newscasts. All three net newscasts are fronted by middle age white guys. 

Motown Weatherman to Return After Fireworks Accident

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WXYZ Chief Meteorologist Dave Rexroth is back in the weather center with a new prosthetic eye.

Rexroth sent a picture to the station showing off his new eye and telling them he is ready to return to work.

He's back at the station this week for rehearsals, with the goal of returning to Action News newscasts the next week. 

FTVLive told you that Rexroth lost his eye during a fireworks accident back in July.

NY Anchor Headed to ABC News

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As FTVLive told you last week, WNBC Anchor Tom Llamas signed off from the NBC O&O for the last time on Friday.

Sometime this week it is expected that ABC News will announced that Llamas is joining their network.

Llamas spent most of his career at NBC properties, working at WTVJ (Miami), MSNBC, WNBC and NBC News.

Now, the popular NY Anchor will be taking his talents to ABC News. 

Call Me Ugly, But Don't Call Me the Weather Girl

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Last week, FTVLive told you that a study showed that female TV talent were the only subjects that got trolled on and verbally abused more than men on social media. 

ABC's Ginger Zee found that out first hand when some idiot called her and ugly "weather girl" on Twitter.

Zee responded saying you can call her ugly all you want, but don't dare to call her a "weather girl."

Zee later said "....don’t disrespect me by calling me that other nasty term! I studied too hard & chased too many storms to be called that,” she wrote.

The troll, Brian Rice obviously needs a lesson in manners and needs to get his eyes checked. Zee is a Meteorologist and  sure as hell looks a lot better than Sam Champion.

Just saying.... 

Vice Media to Sell Stake to A&E Networks

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Vice Media ended their talks with Time Warner this morning, but they had an ace up their sleeve.

The Financial Times says that Vice is finalizing the sale of a 10 per cent stake to A&E Networks, the cable television group jointly owned by Walt Disney and Hearst Corporation, in a deal valuing the digital media company at $2.5bn.

Vice and Time Warner broke off talks earlier Today over the purchase of a stake that would have valued the group at about $2bn.

The Financial Times says that A&E will pay $250m for 10 per cent, which represents a steep increase in Vice’s value.

Last year it sold a 5 per cent stake to Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox for $70m, which then valued it at $1.4bn.

Vice will produce digital and cable programming for A&E as part of the deal but it will not currently take over any of the running of any of the company’s cable channels, which had been part of its negotiations with Time Warner, according to people briefed on the negotiations. 

The latest deal was negotiated between Nancy Dubuc, president of A&E Networks, and Vice.

“It’s a great deal for us,” said Shane Smith, Vice’s chief executive. “It means we can preserve our independence and it gives us a war chest for another three years of dramatic growth.”

Vice is “exploring channel possibilities” with A&E, he added, in addition to producing programming.