Top 8 Social Media Fails - No. 5

What would be a social media fail list be without and entry from Geraldo Rivera.

Geraldo still tops the all time list with his naked selfie that he posted in 2013. Last year, Geraldo dialed it back a bit and thankfully put his clothes back on.

This year, Geraldo's wife and daughter got into an accident and it gave Geraldo another chance to take a selfie. Because only Geraldo would take a selfie at a car crash. 

Rivera's wife Erica and daughter Sol were involved in a fender bender:

Not sure why the out of state thing mattered, but Geraldo wasn't done just yet. He had to tweet a picture of himself and the cops that worked the accident scene.

Lot of cops for a fender bender.

Here is how the story first appeared on FTVLive.com

Check back next hour for No. 4 on our list. 

Top 8 Social Media Fails - No. 6

We head up to Greenville to find the No. 6 top social media fail on our list for 2014.

A fire breaks out a local hospital and the hospital and fire department are scrambling to get patients to a safe place.

WYFF (Greenville) Reporter Mandy Gaither was on her way to cover the breaking news and while on route to the story, she figured it would be a good time to smile and snap a selfie.

We're guessing that the families that have loved ones in that hospital, weren't smiling. 

Here is the original story that was posted on FTVLive. 

Check back next hour for No. 5 on our list. 

Top 8 Social Media Fails - No. 7

Making a joke about a shooting on a college campus is not wise to do, especially if you are a Reporter on Twitter.

Welcome to No. 7 on our list of social media fails.

When gunshots starting flying through the library at Florida State University, a University of Alabama student who serves as a campus reporter for ESPNU took to Twitter.

ESPN Reporter Marisa Martin, a sports broadcasting student at the university, tweeted a joke about FSU troubled and talented Quarterback Jameis Winston.

Needles to say, not many found her joke very funny and after she tried to explain why she was standing by her Twitter joke, she ended up deleting her account and claimed she was hacked.

We don't buy that for a second.

Here is the original story on FTVLive.

Come back next hour to see No. 6 on our list. 

Top 8 Social Media Fails - No. 8

Coming in at No. 8 on our list of social media fails is WPLG in Miami.

Back in November the station psoted a video on their Facebook page that was nothing more than a tease for a sweeps piece on how to get rid of unwanted fat.

When some of the station's viewers made some comments about the promo, WPLG snapped back at the viewers.

The station talked down to the viewer (their customer) and were rude in dealing with people's feedback.

It was a prime example how not to do social media:

Here's a link to the story as it was posted on FTVLive

Check back next hour for No. 7 on our list.

The Top 8 Social Media Fails in TV News

There is no doubt that TV stations haven't quite figured out how to use social media.  It still amazes us that you hire an EP for your morning show, an EP for your evening newscasts and EP for late news.

Yet station's don't hire an EP to oversee their social media accounts.

In fact it is more than likely that the person doing your station's social media account is just out of school and is using that job as an entry level job to get in the business. We would bet that the social media person at a TV station is one of the lowest paid people in the newsroom.

Stations need to have a manager in that role, someone that understands social media and can keep the station on point. We can assure you, down the line stations will finally get it and you will see EP's for the social media accounts and the person will be paid more than peanuts.

But until that time, stations or tv news employees will screw up on social media and that is the good news for FTVLive.

Today, each hour on the hour for the next 8 hours (you still following me?), FTVLive will post the Top 8 social media fails for 2014.

Tune in next hour as the countdown starts.  

CNN: Terrorist Acts Only Happen in Good Weather

For those betting that Don Lemon would be the first to say something stupid on CNN's the latest missing plane smotherage....you lost.

CNN's Aviation Analyst Mary Schiavo took the price when she said that she felt confident ruling out a terrorist attack because "most terrorist activities take place in good weather."

"At this point, given it was extremely bad weather, the chances of this being some sort of terrorist activity are very small because most terrorist activities take place in good weather," she said.

Really?! If Terrorist only do their activities in good weather, I'm moving to Seattle next week. 

Let's go to the video:

CNN 12/27/14

Fox News: Could the Metric System Brought Down Air Asia

CNN wasn't the only one have their people say dumb things on the air.

Fox News co-host Anna Kooiman interviewed former FAA spokesperson Scott Brenner about the search for the missing flight Sunday morning, asking the airline industry insider whether foreign pilots were at a disadvantage since they were trained using the metric system.  

'Even when we think about temperature, it's Fahrenheit or Celsius,' Kooiman said. 'It's kilometers or miles. You know, everything about their training could be similar, but different.' 

She then when on to point out that International Air travel may not be safe. 'It's not just a difference in the way that we measure things?' Kooiman asked. 'Is it not as safe in that part of the world? Because our viewers may be thinking, "International travel, is it safe? Is it not safe?"'

Obviously.....Unlike terrorists, the metric system does work in bad weather.

Are you F-ing Kidding Me?!

No! You did not just do that?!

Post by Tim Calahan.

Chicago Anchor Heading to India to Adopt a Child

WMAQ Anchor Susan Carlson told viewers  that she is taking 8 weeks off the air to travel to India to adopt a 4 year old child. 

She choked up while making announcement on air, but as she said, these were "happy tears".

Let's go to the video:

Like We Said....

FTVLive told you that back on October 6th, that the entire news staff at WMGM in Atlantic City was going to get the boot at year's end and that is exactly what is happening.

Speaking of the station employees, the Philly Inquirer writes, starting midnight on Wednesday, though, they will be history as personalities on NBC40 when the station fades to black - a victim not of the cratering Atlantic City casino economy but broader forces in the TV and telecom industries.

Comcast Corp.-owned NBCUniversal has pulled the station's NBC affiliation so it can consolidate viewership in the regional TV market under NBC10 in Philadelphia.

NBC40 and NBC10 existed symbiotically for decades by sharing news-gathering resources. But NBCUniversal ultimately considered NBC40 a "duplicate" in the Philly TV market, an NBCUniversal spokeswoman said.

NBC40's relatively new owner, LocusPoint Networks of California, is expected to sell the TV station's valuable wireless spectrum at a government-managed auction, possibly in 2016. The company describes itself on its website as an "early-stage wireless communications company."

Former Tampa Anchor in I-95 Crash, Daughter Killed

Sad news for a former Tampa News Anchor.

Former WTSP Marty Austin, known locally as Marty Matthews, was uninjured in a Christmas Eve wreck in South Carolina, but her 28-year-old daughter was killed and her husband was critically injured.

Matthews co-anchored the 4 p.m. newscast on WTSP for several years.

Her daughter, 28-year-old Emily Austin of West Hollywood, Calif., was trapped in the wreck and died at the scene, according to a story published on Wednesday’s online edition of The Post and Courier in Charleston, South Carolina. Edward Austin, the 66-year-old driver and husband of Marty Austin, was taken to a hospital where he was admitted in critical condition.

According to the newspaper, the wreck occurred at about 12:20 p.m. Wednesday on Interstate 95 in Colleton County. The newspaper quoted fire rescue officials and a spokesman for the South Carolina Highway Patrol as saying Austin’s 2008 Cadillac SUV ran off the left side of the road after losing control in the rain and struck some trees.

All three were searing seat belts, the newspaper reported.

Emily Austin was traveling with her parents to her brother’s home in North Carolina, officials said.

Matthews spent more then 15 years at WTSP before her contract was not renewed in 2009.

H/T Tampa Tribune

Longtime Miami Reporter to Sign Off

SoFlo sources tell FTVLive that longtime WTVJ Reporter Hank Tester is taking a buyout from the station and will be signing off.

Tester has been in Miami since 1992 and does just about every job there is in TV news. Tester's TV career has included working as a news director, news anchor, reporter, political commentator, assignment editor and television station owner.

Tester, a former school teacher always was seen helping out the younger people in the newsroom. “I like helping young reporters and producers," says Tester on his station bio. Many of his interns and hires have gone on to enjoy successful careers in the television news business.

His last day is at the end of January. 

KTLA Adding Newscasts Starting Today

Earlier this month, CBS O&O KCAL announced that pulling the plug on both their 2 and 3PM newscasts.

But, it looks like LA viewers will not be stuck with no news during those hours. KTLA announced Today that they will be starting up a 3PM newscast and a "temporary" 2PM newscast.

And they are starting them Today!

Expect a lot of people shopping the day after Christmas stories and about 10 different angles on the movie 'The Interview.'

A slow news day to launch a newscast. 

CNN Has Lowest Rated Year Since 1992

With the end of the year fast upon us, Fox News remains the king of the hill in the cable news universe.

For the 13th year in a row, FNC will walk away with the year's end ratings crown. Fox News has averaged 1.76 million watchers in primetime, including 302,000 in the aforementioned demo, according to Nielsen data. Compared to 2013, those deliveries were even and up 3%, respectively.

MSNBC was second, averaging 590,000 watchers, down 8% from the comparable period in 2013, CNN third with 515,000 (off 9%) and HLN fourth with 335,000 (-15).

Despite how much CNN tries to spin their ratings, their year end numbers will end up being the lowest ratings since 1992.

Ouch!

H/T MultiChannel News

The Top 8 Social Media Fails for 2014

It seems that as long as TV people try and use social media, FTVLive will always have some good content.

On Monday's FTVLive, we will unveil the Top 8 Social Media Fails by TV news people for 2014.

There is no doubt that the list could have been extended to more than 8, but we wanted to pick the best (dumbest) of the best to make the grade.

So, log onto FTVLive on Monday to see if your Tweet, Instagram or Facebook post made the list. 

Stay tuned.... 

Ex-Tribune Boss Spotted in Her Christmas Jammies

FTVLive was the FIRST to tell you that Tribune SVP of News Katherine Green was leaving the comapny after just 7 months.

Green seems to be enjoying the fact that she no longer needs to dress up in the corporate suit. Her partner Kelly Frank Green, who just landed a job as the Senior Managing Editor at WGCL in Atlanta posted this photo to Facebook.

Kelly on the left, Katherine on the right: