Another One Crosses the Street in Buffalo

WKBW is continuing its mini-raid of local TV news departments.

The station announced that it has hired Katie Morse who was an anchor-reporter at Time Warner Cable News station in Buffalo.

Morse joins the station on Oct. 28 as a nightside reporter and anchor.

“She is a solid journalist with strong local roots and will be a great addition to our growing news operation,” said WKBW General Manager Michael Nurse.

Morse will be the third local news staffer to move to WKBW in the last several weeks.

H/T Buffalo News

Maine Sportscasting Legend is Dead

Longtime WCHS Sports Anchor Bruce Glasier has passed away.

Glasier,  who had been battling lung cancer, passed away late last night at the age of 69.

Glasier started working for WCSH back in 1977 and was the face of local sports in Maine before retiring in 2012.

The station says that Bruce was a major reason many young people in Maine chose to be sportscasters, or go into broadcasting. His effect on others can not be overstated. He will be terribly missed.

H/T WCHS

Grand Jury Leak in Michael Brown Shooting?

As if the Michael Brown shooting case in Ferguson wasn't screwed up enough, now there is a possible leak from the grand jury.

A woman named Susan Nichols posted on her Twitter account that the grand jury says there is not enough evidence against Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson to indict him.

Not long after Nichols posted the message she pulled it down and now Prosecutors are investigating the possible leak.

Exactly what this whole thing needs, more controversy. 

Smooth Move Mr. Bicycle Guy

A Saudi TV reporter was shooting a stand up, when bike cyclist crashed behind her and wiped out.

You can see both te Reporter and the Photog, don't even ask the guy if he's OK.

But, after watching how this guy rides a bike, he might be better off putting the helmet on his head, instead of his handle bars.

Just saying....

Let's go to the video:

Ax Swings at The Weather Channel

Since The Weather Channel that used to cover weather, swung the ax yesterday.

Word is that 40+ people were pink slipped.

Most of those cut were from the technology group which was created in July.

Sources tell FTVLive that bosses at The Weather Channel are still looking to make more cuts and they are expected to happen by the end of the year.

Stay tuned.... 

BriWi: If I knew I was Going to be an Anchor, I would have Fixed my Nose

NBC's Brian Williams is not a fan of Twitter, the Nightly News Anchor has never sent a tweet.

But, BriWi did take time out yesterday to do a chat on Facebook. He answered the hard hitting questions, like this one:

Viewer Kate Silveira said her three-year-old son wanted to be Williams for Halloween (and was Lester Holt last year). She asked for advice on how to pull it off.

WILLIAMS: "Best advice: have someone break his nose, so it heads off on a weird angle (KIDDING...DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. ATTEMPT AT SELF-EFFACING HUMOR DUE TO BROKEN NOSE IN HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL) but seriously ... if I'd known I was gonna work in television I wouldn't have settled for having my nose put back into place...after being broken by the bridge of my helmet ... with two popsicle sticks on the sidelines. Other than that: tell him to rock a good tie and walk around saying we'll look for you right back here tomorrow night."

You can read some more of the Q&A at NBC's website

Dan Rather's State of the Media

Dan Rather, who's just happy that someone still wants to talk to him, spoke on a panel about the state of the media.

As expected, Rather still is not a fan of the Internet. "The Internet is the greatest opportunity for the manipulation of news and outright propaganda that has yet existed, greater than television, greater than radio, greater than film," Rather said.

Rather also weighed in on CNN's over the top coverage of the missing Malaysian airliner.

"This is part of what's infected the business," he said. " ... In a desperate effort to grab the ratings and what they see as the demographic high-brow, they'll run it into the ground."

Rather was asked by a crowd member for his take on the current slate of broadcast news anchors.

"They have the goods," Rather said, noting that he knows all but newly minted ABC "World News Tonight" anchor David Muir.

"They want to walk in the steps [of legendary anchors like Walter Cronkite]. They want to keep the flame burning," he said. "But it's extremely difficult for them to do so under the circumstances."

Poor Dan is still trying to be relevant, but it's getting harder and harder for him to do so.

You can read more on Rather's comments at Capital New York. 

St. Louis News Director to Leave

Longtime KSDK (St. Louis) News Director Mike Shipley told his staff today that he will be leaving the station.

Shipley told news staff in a meeting that he planed on staying at the station until his replacement is hired.

Shipley began at KSDK in the early 1980s as an assignment desk worker. He rose to newsroom operations manager, assistant news director and then news director by 2000.

After a years-long run of being the top local station for newscasts, KSDK has slipped in the ratings, being passed at times by KMOV and KTVI.

"He had a No. 1 legacy station here, and he let it slip," said one source in local television.

This year, the station's news operation has caused controversy in St. Louis.

In January, the station apologized for one of its news crews causing a lockdown at Kirkwood High School. In that incident, it was unclear if a station employee identified himself as a journalist after entering the building.

In mid-August, the station again apologized, this time for airing video on one newscast that showed the home of Darren Wilson, the Ferguson police officer who on Aug. 9 shot teen Michael Brown.

The station is not commenting on Shipley leaving.

Because, you know...the communications business.

H/T St. Louis Post Dispatch

Chicago TV Website to Go Behind Paywall

Chicago TV Critic Robert Feder posted the news this morning that his website which covers Chicago media will soon be going behind a paywall.

Feder writes: I launched RobertFeder.com under a unique licensing agreement with Chicago Tribune Media Group. I am solely and independently responsible for all editorial content posted here, while Tribune controls the marketing, advertising and technical elements. Thanks to a steadily growing daily readership, the arrangement has exceeded everyone’s expectations.

It "exceeded" them so much, that now you will have to pay to read it.

Feder says that starting October 7,  his site will be rolled in as part of the "digitalPLUS" portion of the Chicago Tribune's website.

As for FTVLive?

Thanks to the most awesome sponsors in the world and some generous people out there that donate some dollars our way...it will remain free and not tucked behind some paywall.

Been there....done that. 

Bill Moyers says he's Quitting his TV Show for Real this Time

Bill Moyers says he is stopping production of his TV show and this time he means it.

Moyers has threaten to quit before, but somehow he raises enough money to do another year. This tim he says he's done.

He posted this message to his website:

Dear Viewers:

The third and final year of Moyers & Company comes to an end on January 2 and I am writing to assure you that this time it’s the real deal. You may recall that we had originally raised the funds in 2011 for a two-year series but when I announced last fall that the end was near, thousands of you wrote imploring us to reconsider. My long-time funders came forward with a renewed commitment to a third year of support. How could I say no?

But as the end of the third year approaches it’s time finally to sign off.

I do so as the luckiest fellow in broadcast journalism for having been a part of public television for over half of my 80 years. I never expected such a full and satisfying run at work I could love so much, and I am deeply indebted to everyone with whom I have been associated on this long and rewarding journey.

As President Lyndon Johnson’s domestic policy assistant I was “present at the creation” when we held the first meeting at the Office of Education to discuss the potential of “educational television.” The Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 became law the year I left the White House to return to journalism. I believe in our mission as strongly as ever, and if you want to be reminded of the importance of what public television does, watch the statement President Johnson made when he signed the Act.

With every best wish to each of you,

Bill Moyers

The Weather Channel Needs Your Help Naming Winter Storms

You may recall that The Weather Channel came up with the marketing ploy of naming winter storms. 

Our favorite name that they came up with, was when then named one storm "Anus", which is also Jim Cantore's nickname around the office.

Now, the gang at The Weather Channel wants to take a stunt a bit further and are asking viewers to help name this year's storm that will begin with "W".

 Here's a good word that begins with a "W"....how about "Weather"? That something you rarely see on the network anymore, but maybe call in "Weather" just for old time sake.

Just a thought. 

Best Bloopers for September

It's your favorite time of the month!

Time to look back at the best news bloopers of the month of September. So sit back relax, watch the video and thank the news gods you are on it.

You Can't Embargo Ebola

You would think that when a confirmed case of ebola is found to be in the U.S., it is news that you would want to get out as fast as possible.

But, the CDC tried to put an embargo on the news and hold off telling the public about it, until they wanted to. 

It didn't work and a number of news organizations broke the embargo (good for them) and reported the news that the U.S. citizens needed to know, ebola is in fact in the United States. 

The fact that news organizations realized that getting this very important news out to the public as quickly as possible, did not seem to sit well with NBC's Luke Russert:

Sorry Luke, you can embargo stories like when U2 is going to start their next tour, but you can't embargo ebola.

Just saying.... 

No! You Really Said that?!

CNN Anchor John Berman had a very bad choice of words, three times in the same sentence!

Berman was reporting the Oklahoma beheading story when he used the phrase “any way you slice it” three times in a row.

You make the mistake once, ok, but to do it again and again? What the hell is this guy thinking?

Here's the video:

After getting lit up on social media, Berman did apologize on Twitter users for using the unfortunate phrase, but did not explain why he kept using. 

CNN's Parts Unknown Falls in Ratings

Uh-oh...

It is not a good start for the news season of CNN's "Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown".

In its season debut, the show fell double digits in the ratings compared to its fall debut last September. 

The opening episode clocked 538,000 viewers – down 21% compared to last September’s 681,000.

In the news demo, the show dropped 10%, to 219,000 from 242,000 viewers.

Bourdain’s show beat Fox News Channel’s Justice with Judge Jeanine in the news demo (135,000) but finished behind the judge (791,000) in overall audience.

H/T Deadline

Orlando Station: We Were Wrong

Give credit to WFTV in Orlando for admitting they screwed up.

Yesterday, FTVLive told you that the had hired Casey Anthony Judge Belvin Perry to offering analysis and make commentaries. During a report, Perry ripped into a commercial against the legalization of medical marijuana in Florida. 

After Perry offered his sharp comments, WFTV didn’t note that Perry now works for the Morgan & Morgan law firm. Attorney John Morgan is the chief proponent of the Amendment.

The station now says that was a mistake. 

"The fact that he [Perry] works for Morgan & Morgan should have been disclosed, no question about that," WFTV news director Matt Parcell told the Orlando Sentinel. "It didn't cross anyone's mind. We looked at him as the judge."

Perry is known widely as the former chief judge of Orange and Osceola counties. Parcell said his staffers didn't remember that Perry works for Morgan & Morgan.

"We hired him for his brilliant legal mind," Parcell said. "The Morgan connection is irrelevant to why I'd want him to be part of our team. But we have to remember it and acknowledge it."

WFTV will handle that connection differently next time, Parcell promised.