Robin Roberts Launches Production Company

“Good Morning America” Anchor Robin Roberts has launched her own production company called Rock’n Robin Productions.

ABC says that "independent" production company will create original broadcast and digital programming for ABC and other networks, ranging from informational shows and documentaries, to lifestyle reality series and live special events. 

Additionally, Rock’n Robin Productions’ website rocknrobin.tv went live today and will feature behind the scenes footage and photos from all of Roberts’ various projects as well as a new blog, N’Courage, where Roberts and her staff will recognize individuals who despite extraordinary odds have the courage to thrive and encourage others to do the same.

“I’m blessed to be able to do even more of what I love to do and now reach an even broader audience with programming that will inspire, inform and entertain people,” said Roberts, who will serve as the company’s President. “I’m very excited to get involved in the business and development side of production, and will spend a lot of time working with the team on the creative.”  Roberts also added, “I’m so grateful to my ABC and GMA family for supporting the launch of the company.”

John R. Green has been named the Executive Vice President of Programming and Development to run day to day operations of Rock’n Robin Productions.

You may remember Green who was suspended by ABC for a month back in 2006 after he sent emails that used inflammatory language to slam President Bush and Madeleine Albright.

Sinclair to Buy Vegas Station (Update)

FIRST on FTVLive: Back in June, FTVLive told you that Sinclair suits were spotted inside Las Vegas station KSNV. We pointed out at the time that it was a good bet that Sinclair was going to make an offer to buy the station.

Longtime KSNV owner Jim Rogers had passed away and Sinclair was moving in on his old stomping ground. 

In a June staff meeting, KSNV GM Lisa Howfield tried to calm (lie?) to staff, telling them that Sinclair was in the building not to look at KSNV, but because Sinclair had purchased some other Rogers' station (i.e. Reno) and they were there because in was the headquarters for the company. 

Rogers wife Beverly is quoted as saying that she would follow her husband's wishes and not sell the station. 

Well, word is that sometime this morning it will be announced that Sinclair is going to purchase KNSV in Sin City.

Word is that Rogers widow, Beverly told the staff in an afternoon staff meeting that Sinclair was buying the station.

KSNV staffers are said to be very nervous. 

Expect the official announcement to come down later this morning.

Update: FTVLive was the FIRST to tell you about Sinclair buying KSNV. Now, as promised the official announcement has been made. 

Legal Fund Set Up for Former Columbus Anchor

FTVLive told you back in May that WBNS Anchor Kurt Ludlow was pushed out at the Columbus station. 

Ludlow had hoped to land a job across the street at Sinclair's WSYX, but WBNS blocked the move with a non-compete clause and now Ludlow is fighting it.

To offset the legal bills to fight WBNS, a legal fund has been set up on gofundme.com in Ludlow's name.

Dr. Bill Adrion says on the page that he is a close friend of Ludlow's and says that "just as he was in the process of accepting another job at another Columbus TV station, lawyers for Channel 10 sent a letter saying they “would move swiftly” against Kurt to keep him from working."

He adds that "Kurt and his wife Laura don’t have a lot of money and the legal bills are beginning to mount. Those of us who support and love Kurt are hoping to raise $20,000 to cover the legal fees that will likely be necessary to help Kurt work in TV in Columbus again."

The page has raise nearly $5,000 in his fight against his old station. 

Here's a link to the gofundme page. 

Picking the Shows off the Sister Station

When KPHO's (Phoenix) parent company Meredith bought KTVK in the market, it didn't take long to for them to announce that KPHO would be moving into KTVK's building. 

But, along with invading their space, KPHO is also starting to pick off some of KTVK's better rated shows.

The station is "stealing" both Jeopardy and Inside Edition from KTVK and moving it over to KPHO.

KPHO even used the news talent to tout the move.

Inside Edition will air at 4PM and Jeopardy will follow at 4:30, leading into the station's 5PM newscast. 

The changes take place September 9th. 

Ummmm....I don't Think that's Brad Pitt

KABC in LA sent out the news that Brad Pitt and Angelina Joiie got secretly married (in LA that is considered  huge news).

The station sent the news out of their iPhone app and include some pictures of the happy couple.

And while FTVLive isn't all up on the entertainment industry, we're pretty sure that the photo of Pitt and Jolie at the bottom is not them.

In fact it looks very much like David Beckham and his wife ̶p̶u̶m̶p̶k̶i̶n̶ Posh Spice. 

Really?!

Robin Robert's Stalker Unfit for Trial

The man arrested and accused of stalking “Good Morning America” Anchor Robin Roberts was declared unfit to stand trial.

even threatening to punch the cancer survivor in the face — was deemed unfit to stand trial Tuesday by a Manhattan judge.

The psych exam results for loon Troy Warren, who threatened to punch Robert's in the face were revealed in Manhattan Criminal Court.

Warren, 43, who is in custody and charged with harassment and stalking the TV personality, didn’t appear in court. 

Police say Warren made visits to ABC’s Times Square studios at least eight times and threatened Roberts between June 10 and June 24, according to court documents. He asked to see Roberts several times before being asked to leave.

He was arrested four days after allegedly telling the security director of “Good Morning America” on July 24, “When I see her, I’m going to punch her in the face.”

He is set to return to court on Sept. 17.

H/T Page Six

Are You F-ing Kidding Me?!!!

The show Sleepy Hollow is about is arriving on Blue-ray in a couple of weeks and the show's PR staff sent out an email yesterday, proclaiming September 2nd, "National Beheading Day."

No Really?!

Not long after the sleepy hollow PR folks sent out the email, ISIS released the video of the beheading of Journalist Steven Joel Sotloff.

If this entire PR team isn't fired, I will be shocked.

Here's the email they sent out:

H/T Romenesko

TV Newsie Writes Book

A Reporter who was taking a break from on-air work to focus on writing a novel has launched a website for the book.  The book's website is www.ThirtyTheBook.com.

"-30-", is a novel written by D. Myers, who has worked in the Columbus (OH), Beckley, Las Vegas, and Phoenix markets. The book, which one reviewer said is the Fifty Shades of local news, is based on a real-life experience Myers endured.

The book follows two characters, Shawn, a young reporter from Louisiana who is full of infidelity, and Joel, the print-turned-television reporter who befriends him.

In the dramatic story full of heartbreak and anxiety, Shawn cheats on his girlfriend with a viewer he met online. The girlfriend, also a reporter, is one of Joel's close friends and Shawn has no problem sexually manipulating him and using him to gain her back.

Full of sexual encounters and suicide attempts, the book pulls back the curtain and removes the smoke and mirrors of television news and shows that journalists are normal people with real world problems.

We're told that FTVLive gets a few mentions in the book as well. 

It goes on sale September 15.

Sports Guy Moving Over to News

WKRC Sports Director Brad Johansen is going back to the future.

Johnansen is moving from Sports Anchor to News Anchor, the same job he heald when he started at the station in 1992.

In making the move to news, Johansen will also give up his CBS Sports Network play-by-play job.

"The CBS football schedule made it really difficult to manage for both the station and CBS," Johansen said Tuesday. He debuts Sept. 8 on the 4 p.m. news, which Kit Andrews anchored before leaving the station in late July.

The station will begin a search for a news Sports Director, said Jon Lawhead, general manager of the Sinclair station.

Lawhead said Johansen "was interested into taking the next step in his career. I've seen the stories he's done for sports, and as news director Kirk Varner said, he's an incredible storyteller."

H/T Cincinnati Enquirer 

Milwaukee Station Names New Anchor

WISN has named Joyce Garbaciak the station's new 5PM Anchor. 

Garbaciak is no stranger to Milwaukee viewers, she spent 17 years at WITI in the market and has been at WISN since 2006. 

"We look at Joyce as a wonderful addition to a great group of journalists," said WISN president and general manager Jan Wade.

Craig McKee, who had previously been anchoring the 5 p.m. newscast with Washington, will continue to anchor the 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts with Kathy Mykleby. 

H/T Milwaukee Journal 

KRON Reporter Robbed at Gunpoint

Just a short time ago, FTVLive told you that a KTVU Reporter was beaten up while covering a story.

Now word comes that a Reporter in the same market was robbed at gunpoint this morning.

The San Francisco Chronicle says that a KRON Reporter was robbed of equipment and personal property early Tuesday in San Francisco's Potrero Hill neighborhood.

The employee, whose name wasn't released, was sitting in his news van on the Interstate 280 overpass near 18th and Pennsylvania Avenue about 5 a.m., preparing a report on recent work that was completed on the freeway.

Two men with bandannas hiding their faces got out of a car, opened the van doors and put a gun to the reporter's head while ordering him to get in the back, police said.

The assailants stole a laptop computer, a wallet and a camera tripod before fleeing in their car.

No arrests have been made. Station managers declined to comment Tuesday.

KTVU Reporter Beaten Up While Covering Story

A scary story out of KTVU in Oakland....

Word is that KTVU Reporter Cara Liu, was beaten by a female assailant on Sunday afternoon while covering a homicide story at a local flea market. 

Liu was on the scene when she was confronted and beaten up and struck repeatedly.

While shaken and unnerved, Liu is OK and recovering, according to a station sources who indicated her injuries was not serious.

Cops have made no arrests in the case. 

H/T Rich Lieberman 

Piers Morgan Officially Out at CNN

Piers Morgan tweeted something that he labeled "Breaking News":

Of course, if you were one of the thousands of people that has read FTVLive over the past year, then this is not breaking news.

Morgan said he was offered a new deal but decided to turn it down, so he can spend more time fighting on Twitter with Larry King. 

ISIS Cowards Behead Another Journalist

The barbaric, asshole, cowards of the Islamic militant group ISIS has beheaded another Journalist.

Reports say that ISIS has murdered Steven Joel Sotloff, an American freelance journalist who was abducted a year ago Syria.

"As your missiles strike our people..our knife will cont. to strike necks of your people," ISIS said about the killing.

It makes you sick..... 

Please Stand By....We're in a Pissing Match

This is what viewers that are trying to watch WBNS in Columbus see if they are tuning into DirecTV:

51 Years Ago Today at CBS.....

51 years ago Today, CBS broadcast their first ever half hour newscast. 

Since 1948,  the newscast anchored first by Douglas Edwards and then Walter Cronkite was just 15 minutes long.

On September 2, 1963, that newscast was stretched to a half hour.

Of course, if you count all the commercials and promos, some would argue that Today's CBS Evening News is still just 15 minutes of actual news.