Signing Off in Memphis

WMC Anchor Tim Van Horn has left the building. The Weekend Anchor left the Memphis station to...say it with me...spend more time with his family.

Van Horn broke the news to viewers on his blog, writing when Dave Brown and (then) News Director Peggy Phillip took a chance on me back in June of 1999 as a part-timer, I wasn’t thinking much about parlaying the chance into a career that would last 15-and-a-half years.  I just wanted to make it through the next newscast.  In late 2000 I fell into what I thought was the broadcasting lottery, a full-time gig at WMC.  At the time such opportunities were as rare as driving 10 minutes in Memphis without seeing a BBQ restaurant or a church on the corner.  I can tell you that even to this day I still appreciate this fact.

After an extended period of time, consideration and prayer I’ve chosen however, to shut the microphone off.

Family changes priorities. When taking into account my wife’s typical office-hours schedule & my all-weekend schedule, my wife, daughter and I have rarely been awake and all together for more than three hours at a time. This isn’t a knock on anyone or anything. It’s just a fact of the business for some.

I can’t thank all of you enough for the living you’ve allowed me to earn over these many years.  Also, thank you for your trust when the weather was at its worst.  It is not an understatement when I say it is a privilege to serve you.  Without viewers, tv folks don’t have jobs.  It’s just that simple.

Former CBS Weatherman Entertains the Troops

many have wondered what happened to former CBS morning Weatherman Dave Price?

Price has been trotting the globe entertaining the troops. Price has been doing standup comedy while traveling the world. He most recently was performing standup comedy for the troops in the east African nation of Djibouti.

Better known as a weatherman and anchorman and reporter, Price has done standup since he was in college. Working with an organization called Stars for Stripes, Price performed with members of L.A.’s Groundlings improv comedy group to entertain troops deployed overseas. This was Price’s 10th tour of duty doing jokes for heroes.

“I've been everywhere from Iraq to Afghanistan to Kuwait, and now Africa,” Price says. “They (Stars for Stripes) take celebrities and bring us not only to large bases, but to the smallest of forward operating bases as well — in the most remote locations, where typically entertainment is very hard to come by.”

When he’s not performing comedy, Price — who has anchored WNYW's morning show, “Good Day New York” — says he’s also creating his own content these days.

H/T NY Daily News

Former Sports Anchor Mount His Defense in Fraud Case Starting Monday

The Prosecution in former Philly Sports Anchor Don Tollefson's fraud trial rested its case Friday afternoon after scores of people testified that he ripped them off through a sports ticket-selling scheme.

Tollefson is already facing hurdles as he mounts his defense, which is expected to start Monday. Tollefson, who is representing himself, told the judge on Friday that he can't afford the nearly $90 he will need to subpoena 25 of his witnesses.

Those witnesses, who apparently have not agreed to willingly testify, include Howie Roseman, executive vice president of the Eagles.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Judge Rea B. Boylan asked Tollefson if he has a credit card, to which the 62-year-old said, “No.” She reminded Tollefson that he failed to qualify for a public defender because of his assets and income.

Once the region's highest-paid sportscaster, Tollefson no longer makes the $5,000 a week he earned at WTXF in the 2000s. In May, his public defender application showed that he received $2,654 a month in disability payments related to a car accident. The judge resolved the matter by requiring Tollefson to pay the subpoenas' cost, along with other court fees, if he's convicted.

But Tollefson faces another obstacle - being able to fully implement his legal strategy. He wants to call witnesses he has known for decades to testify that he has a long history of helping people and that it would be out of character for him to defraud people.

The judge warned Tollefson on Friday that she didn't want the jury to hear every good deed he's done in his life and that there would be a limit to how far back in time he can go.

Throughout the first week of the trial, people from across eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey have testified that Tollefson sold them bogus travel packages to Eagles road games and events such as the 2014 World Cup that were supposed to benefit his charity and others. Instead, he allegedly pocketed $340,000.

Tollefson will get his first chance on Monday to argue he was merely a bad businessman who overextended his charitable efforts and suffered from addiction to alcohol and painkillers. He told reporters on Friday afternoon that he's trying to show that he “overspent to help the kids.”

Fox and Friends to Go with the "A" Team Tomorrow

Although tomorrow is Saturday, Fox News is going with the main Anchors for Fox and Friends Weekend.

Steve Doocy, Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Brian Kilmeade will be doing the show that will focus on the situation out of France.

F&F Weekend sent out this tweet about the move. 

Finally! Someone with Some Ethics!

While The Wrap, hack writer Jordan Chariton, TVLoser, and Jeff Zucker Water Boy Brian Stelter all proved that they wouldn't know journalistic ethics if it hit them in the face....the gang over at Politico showed that they have ethics and class:

Hey Jordan, Brian and Chris! See it's not that hard. 

LIKE WE SAID!!!!!!!

Back late last year, FTVLive FIRST reported that Aliyson Camerota would replace Kate Bolduan early in the new year on CNN's New Day.

We followed up the story 3 more times reporting the exact same story and saying that an announcement would be coming from CNN early in the new year.

Today, a website called "the Wrap" and a hack writer named Jordan Chariton reported that very same news and called it an "exclusive" story.

Jeff Zucker's water boy Brian Stelter then tweeted the wrap story like it was some new news. Here is some of the best replies to Stelter's tweet of "breaking news" about New Day changes:

Stelter knows that FTVLive breaking the story really pissed off Jeff Zucker, so he kisses up to the boss by not giving FTVLive credit on the story.

As for Jordan Chariton, he's a hack and always has been a hack.

We expected more from Stelter, but not anymore.

Thanks to the FTVLive faithful that have emailed FTVLive to show the support. As one person from another network said "The Wrap refuses to give credit to another outlet."

We especially thank those that emailed us that work at CNN. Your emails are hilarious and supportive. The one about Stelter had me in tears. Funny stuff. 

You guys rock!

Fuck The Wrap

The website the Wrap tweeted an "exclusive" story just before Noon Today.

Of course this is the same story that FTVLive FIRST reported two days before Christmas. Yes....on December 23rd, FTVLive reported that Alisyn Camerota would be replacing Kate Bolduan early in the new year.

All we have to say to The Wrap is BITE ME YOU F-ING LIARS. 

Let's see if the website has the decency to do what's right, or if they will continue to claim it as an  "exclusive"...even if they were 3 weeks late.

Update: FTVLive emailed The Wrap Reporter Jordan Chariton (Pictured right), who supposedly had this big "exclusive" story.

We'll see if this hack does the right thing.

He's not impressing the bosses with a 3 week late "exclusive"...let's hope he knows that. By the way, thanks to the hundreds of you that have already emailed me. I can promise you, I will never link to The Wrap again...ever. Assholes!

You Haven't Made in This Business....

You haven't made in this business, until a squirrel pees on you while covering a story.

WZTV Anchor/Reporter Kelly Rippin was at the Nashville Boat Show and in case you didn't know, squirrels like boats as well.

The little furry guy was helping Rippin with her "anchor hair" when he decided it needed a little mousse. All out of mousse, the squirrel figured pee would work as well.

Let's go to the video:

Squirrel pees on reporter Kelly Rippin as she gets ready for a LIVE shot.

By the way, it that squirrel looks familiar? Yes it is the water skiing squirrel. 

Oh Don...You Just can't Help Yourself can you?

It seems like not a day goes by without CNN's Don Lemon opening his mouth and inserting his foot.

Lemon actually asked an international human rights lawyer if he supports the terrorist Islamic State in Iraq and Syria?

Following the mass shooting at French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, Lemon interviewed Arsalan Iftikhar 

Citing a poll from August 2014 that indicates 16 percent of French citizens support ISIS, Lemon wanted to know if those people could be considered Islamic extremists.

When Iftikhar, who is a senior editor at Islamic Monthly and founder of TheMuslimGuy.com, said that he didn't believe their sympathies with the ideology meant "they would justify the killing of innocent civilians or murdering people on the streets,” Lemon pressed him further. 

"I just want to get more specific,” Lemon said. “Again, in August, 16 percent of French citizens support ISIS. Would you describe those who support ISIS as Islamic extremists? Do you support ISIS?”

Clearly stunned by the audacity of the question, all Iftikhar could do was repeat his answer.  “Wait, did you just ask me if I supported ISIS?” he said.

Let's go to the video:

During coverage of terrorists attacks on the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris, CNN Don Lemon interviewed human rights lawyer Arsalan Iftikhar, founder of The Muslim Guy website, about whether radical Islam was to blame. video footage caught on tape cellphone camera surveillance raw dash cam air live on tv

H/T HuffPo

Shot Weatherman Forecasting on Facebook

KCEN Weather Anchor Patrick Crawford has been off the air since getting gunned down in the station's parking lot.

But, now that Crawford is home from the hospital and recovering, he is slowly getting back into is weatherman role.

Crawford took to Facebook to update his fans to some wintery weather moving into the area:

How Cold Is it?

It's so cold that icicles formed on the WABC Time/Temp weather bug.

H/T @NYNewser

Damn Executive Producers!

Of course they are inside a nice warm newsroom. 

Station Manager Out the Door in South Bend

Sources tell FTVLive that Ed Kral is out as Station Manager of WSJV in South Bend.

Kral joined the station back in 2000 as the News Director and had been the Station Manager since 2008, while continuing to serve as ND.

His bio has been scrubbed from the station's website.

No word on a replacement. 

Sinclair Names News Boss for West Coast Stations

Sinclair has bumped KUTV (Salt Lake) News Director Jennifer Dahl to oversee the news operations of the company's West Coast stations. 

Dahl will oversee Sinclair owned KOMO, KATU, KSNV and her old station KUTV. 

Before returning to KUTV in 2010, Dahl was director of news and marketing for Tribune Broadcasting and Local TV, LLC. She first worked at KUTV from 2002 until 2008 where she was assistant news director and EP of Special Projects.

H/T Kevin Eck @TVSpy

Matt Lauer Gets a New Bitch

Matt Lauer and rest of the Today Show gang are getting a puppy.

They will take care of a dog from nonprofit Guiding Eyes for the Blind.

The small yellow Labrador “puppy with a purpose” will arrive Wednesday, and they will work with a Guiding Eyes expert over 18 months to train it as a guide dog.

Viewers will help pick a name for the cute canine next week.

By the way, newest FTVLive member Rory is doing much better at getting along with his cat brothers and sisters. Still a ways to go, but Rory is doing all he can not to terrorize them.

H/T Page Six 

Anchor Suspended after it was Revealed He Owned a PR Company

Canadian News Anchor Leslie Roberts has been suspended from the network after a Toronto Star investigation found he is secretly the part owner of a small public relations firm whose clients — lawyers, small businesses and others — appear on his show (suspended? How is he not fired?!)

Roberts helps clients with pitches and media training and has tweeted positive comments about some of the clients to his 20,000 followers on Twitter. In one instance, during a morning show on which supermarket shopping was being discussed, he blurted out the name of one of his firm’s clients and suggested viewers “check it out.” At no time did he disclose to viewers his connection to the companies or his public relations firm: BuzzPR.

Roberts is the anchor of Global’s News Hour and the Morning Show. As well, he is the executive editor of Global News. On Thursday, he was suspended “indefinitely” from those positions pending an investigation by the network. The move came a few hours after the Star approached Global for comment on its probe of Roberts.

“At Global News we take matters of journalistic integrity very seriously,” Global spokesperson Rishma Govani told the Star. “Mr. Roberts has been suspended from his duties indefinitely as we conduct a full investigation into this matter.”

The Star presented its findings to Roberts early this week. Roberts said he had done nothing wrong but would resign from BuzzPR, the public relations firm he owns with a partner.

H/T Toronto Star