ABC Lands Ferguson Cop Darren Wilson

FTVLive told you that Ferguson Police Officer was auditioning network anchors as he decided who he would sit down with and talk to.

As we told you on Monday, Wilson met with Matt Lauer, George Stephanopoulos, Scott Pelley, Anderson Cooper and Don Lemon.

The winner of dancing with Darren was ABC's Stephanopoulos.

The ABC Anchor flew to Ferguson and sat down with Wilson for about 90 minutes. His interview first aired on World News Tonight and more will be shown on this morning's GMA. In fact, expect to see show much of Wilson on ABC's air, you might have thought he has been hired as a new anchor. 

ON WNT, Wilson went step by step with Stephanopoulos about the day he shot Michael Brown. While most of what he said had already been reported on the Grand Jury transcripts, it was interesting that Wilson did not appear to make eye contact with Stephanopoulos as he told his story. 

There was no doubt that Stephanopoulos landed the interview that everyone was hoping to get.

CNN's Chris Cuomo is Giving Free Piggyback Rides in Ferguson

While tensions are high and things have gotten more than ugly in Ferguson, CNN Anchor Chris Cuomo is doing his best to calm things down by offering up free piggyback rides.

First to hop aboard was CNN Photographer John Bena.

Take that Don Lemon:

As Protests Hit Portland, One Station Stands Out

The Michael Brown protests have spread across the country from coast to coast.

An example, last night in Portland, what started as a  peaceful, turned a different direction after a few hundred protesters broke off from the planned route and clashed with police.

It was just after 6:30 when the protests starting turning ugly and while the other station's in town left their news coverage and went with programing, KGW stayed with the story.

KGW provided outstanding live coverage.

The station's coverage was on point, not offensive or inflammatory and seemed to have live cameras everywhere.

While the other stations were showing Entertainment Tonight, Family Freud and Jeopardy.

KGW was showing major bridges and freeway closings and blocked. 

The station showed they did have the coverage you can count on. 

WTF?

Ferguson Protests also took place in Seattle and the stations there were covering the story. KIRO showed protestors rallying and holding up signs, one that showed a guy holding up a cardboard sign with "Fuck" written on it.

If viewers missed seeing the fuck sign on air, KIRO sent it out again in a tweet.

Huh?

Why and How?

While no one watched MSNBC, the network's lead Anchor Al Sharpton has been doing his best to get his face all over the other networks during their coverage from Ferguson.

Sharpton's antics in Ferguson is once again casting a huge embarrassing light on MSNBC as a network. 

How MSNBC boss Phil Griffin still has a job is beyond us. 

Also, can someone please tell Al, that he can't count viewers of other networks in his ratings.

CNN's Don Lemon's Sour Coverage in Ferguson

It seems like a very old story by now, but once again CNN's Don Lemon is under fire for his awful reporting skills and actions while covering the unrest in Ferguson. 

The NY Daily News writes that as Ferguson erupted into anger, bullets and flames Monday night, Lemon ham-handedly drew tear gas into his own gas mask, whined for water and a device to contact his producers, and then made a culturally insensitive comment about protesters smoking pot.

Tuesday Lemon was further blasted by critics online for imitating the “St. Louis accent” and for retreating to a “safe room” while other CNN reporters stayed out on the scene.

The violence was at a full pitch when CNN's Chris Cuomo tried to turn the broadcast over to Lemon who was wearing a gas mask on his forehead. Lemon then trapped gas in his own mask, began coughing and asked for water. Moments later, Cuomo tried Lemon again, but this time the anchor heard on air saying, "I need IFB (a device to communicate with producers). Someone make a phone call."

Lemon was blasted for his on air behavior on Twitter - most specifically his observation that protesters smelled like marijuana — but also for his general incompetence.

Ferguson Protestors March on CNN

While Don Lemon was dropping the ball in CNN's live coverage from Ferguson, protestors in Atlanta made their way to CNN Center to let their voice be heard. 

The only problem is most of the CNN staff in Atlanta has been laid off or moved to NY. 

Oops!

"Fuck CNN" Seems to be a Popular Theme in Ferguson

CNN has had trouble with many people protesting the events in Ferguson yelling "Fuck CNN" live on the air.

We love the fact that CNN's Anderson Cooper hears the people yelling "Fuck CNN" says, "Seems like  people are now playing for the camera...."

And believe us, no one knows more about playing for the camera, than Anderson.

Just saying....

Let's go to the video:

CNN was covering protests all around the country and listening in on the chants of protestors in New York. And then, for a few seconds, you can hear the profane chant carried live on the cable news network. And there may have been some middle-finger-extending as well...

Protestors Knock Fox News Camera off the Air

CNN wasn't the only station having the F-Bomb dropped on the air. Protestors also threw it down over on Fox News and then appeared to break the network's camera.

Let's go to the video: 

A Ferguson protestor wearing a Guy Fawkes mask confronted a Fox News cameraman tonight and it appears that he grabbed it and broke in on live television. Fox News reporter Steve Harrigan and his crew are reportedly okay. Looters Knockout Fox News reporter & Cameraman on LIVE TV - Ferguson Looting Riots!

BBC Tries Using Invisible Anchor to do Newscast

Well, at least if your Anchor is invisible, it saves money on hair and make up:

Subscribe to BBC News HERE http://bit.ly/1rbfUog Martine Croxall was about to begin the 9pm broadcast when it became clear she was in front of the wrong camera. She, of course, dealt with it like a pro telling her viewers. "You can pretend like you haven't noticed."

Sinclair to Offer Conservative Newscast in St. Louis

Sinclair owned KDNL (St. Louis) is getting back into the news game....sort of.

The station says it is going to start doing a newscast once again, but that it will have a conservative slant.

The station will produce "The Allman Report,"  which it describes as a non-traditional newscast and airing at 5 and 10 p.m. weeknights, in January.

Jamie Allman (pictured), formerly with KMOV and a conservative radio host in town will anchor the show while keeping his radio gig.

In a statement, Scott Livingston, vice president of news for KDNL owner Sinclair Broadcast Group, said:

"This will be a unique news program focusing on comprehensive analysis of stories that impact the community. The goal is to go beyond the headlines and provide context and perspective of a particular issue. We know that there is an appetite for a more in-depth conversation on the issues. We want to engage our viewing audience and get St. Louis talking."

Look for the newscast to go belly up right after the 2016 elections.

Just saying.... 

H/T St. Louis Post Dispatch 

Phoenix: Another Day Another Anchor

FTVLive was the first to tell you about some major anchor changes in Phoenix. Last week we reported that KTVK AM anchor Kaley O'Kelley is headed to Dallas. Then we told you that primary anchor Carey Pena is leaving over failed contract negotiations. 

At KNXV, AM anchor Connie Colla is out.

The primary seat isn't even cold at KTVK and sources say KPHO investigative reporter Heather Moore is likely taking over. She used to work at 3TV but was canned. She left for San Diego and then came back to Phoenix at CBS 5. Moore is reportedly Meredith duopoly GM Ed Munson's favorite (and we can see why).

Still no word on who will be occupying the AM co-anchor seat at KTVK. With O'Kelley and Pena exiting, the only remaining veteran is Scott Pasmore.

Over at KSAZ FOX 10, weekend anchor Kristin Keogh has left the building. Word is she's doing something on Youtube? Good luck with that!

ND Out in ND

FTVLive is hearing WDAZ-TV Grand Forks North Dakota news director Julie Moravchik has left the building. No official word from the station.

Long time (now retired) WDAZ anchor Terry Dullum appears to have broken the news on his blog: The Dullum.

Geraldo: "You Little Pieces Of Shit."

No one can ever accuse Geraldo Rivera of not speaking his mind. We're just wondering if as he gets older, his common sense filter is broken?

Rivera got bent over the responses of some of his followers to his posts about President Obama's Immigration policy on Facebook (Click the link if you want to read the 1000+ comments). In true Geraldo fashion, he called them 'little pieces of shit'.

But he didn't stop there. He threatened to send their posts to Fox News and Facebook authorities. OOOoooooooo...... that'll fix those basement dwellers.

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm more afraid of Geraldo's half-naked photos.

h/t Politico

Someone Tell Sales We're In 'Breaking News'

Knowing the GM of KSHB is considered a pretty smart guy in the industry, we're going to assume that some sales guy was trying to make sure he made his BMW payment this month? Either that, or the news department has been threatened to make sure these tweets run 100x per day?  Kinda like making sure you pull the airline commercials during coverage of a plane crash.

Don't Worry, You Won't Miss DWTS (Update)

Taking a cue from the "Did they really say that" playbook, WTVC-TV in Chattanooga thought it would be a good idea to tell viewers the Ferguson announcement would have no impact on Dancing With The Stars.

As you can imagine, Twitter went crazy. What's worse, whomever was responsible for the @NewsChannelNine Twitter feed, kept trying to fix it. It got so bad, the Sinclair station was tweeting individual apologies.

As FTVLive has shown countless times, it's important that stations have an adult overseeing social media. Check out some of the tweets courtesy of BuzzFeed.com and read more in The Hollywood Reporter.

(UPDATE) You gotta give a GM credit not only for knowing how to use Twitter, but for trying to save their station from a social media tailspin. Unfortunately, WTVC's Mike Costa was either 1) tweeting through Siri or 2) so mad that he made some big typos. Once again, the twitter-verse responded.