Tacking on News in Tampa

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WTSP (Tampa) announced that they will be offering up more news on the weekends.  

The station announced plans an 8:30 a.m. newscast on Sundays beginning March 1. 

The newscast will directly precede “CBS Sunday Morning” and will be anchored by Mark Rivera and meteorologist Ashley Batey.

The newscast will include WTSP’s “On the Road” segment with reporter Bobby Lewis and offer a “more in-depth look at local stories, with less crime and more news befitting Sunday morning,” WTSP general manager Elliott Wiser said in a news release.

H/T Tampa Tribune

CBS Keeps Rose & King

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There were a lot of raised eyebrows when CBS first announced they were hiring Charlie Rose and Gayle King to front CBS This Morning. A host on PBS and a friend of Oprah, seemed an unlikely couple. Apparently, Black Rock likes what they're doing and have signed them to new deals.

Even though the show is still in 3rd place, it's the only show to grow year-to-year; up 6% among total viewers.

King is 60 and Rose is 73. Who says there's no place in TV news for senior citizens?

H/T The Hollywood Reporter

WHOA: Dear Who, Time Warner?

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Evidently, someone working for Time-Warner Cable has anger management issues.

A customer who had trouble with their cable box and used the 'Live Chat' option on Time Warner's website, apparently ticked someone off. Not only did their service get canceled, but they received a letter addressed to Cunt Martinez.

Time Warner immediately apologized and offered Ms. Martinez a year of free service.

Comcast has been caught doing similar things.

And yet these cable companies wonder why people are cutting the cord?

H/T Gawker

Nielsen Vows Improved Accuracy

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Nielsen says it's going to increase the sample sizes in local TV markets, bringing more stability and accuracy to TV ratings.

The company also says it's going to add meters to 14 markets that were diary only.

Basically what this means is Nielsen now has some competition from Rentrak, and they realize they're going to have to start actually producing results, instead of just counting stations' money.

If you're bored, there's a lot more 'nielsen-speak' in Multichannel News.

Like We Said... (UPDATED)

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Earlier today FTVLive FIRST told you that MSNBC was going to pull the plug on Ronan Farrow's low rated show. 

We wrote, "And while the very low rated Ronan Farrow show is still on the air, word is it will be next to be flushed off the schedule."

Not long after FTVLive posted that story, Farrow was called into the corner office and told his show is being cancelled.

UPDATE: We just got an email from NBC who is telling us they're moving toward a more news-focused daytime schedule and putting Thomas Roberts in the anchor chair from 1p-3p.

MSNBC says both Joy Reid and Ronan Farrow will stay on at the network, which really means they'll be around until their contracts run out; then you'll never see them again. Or a new contract is offered at a greatly reduced salary.

MSNBC Pulls Plug on The Reid Report. Is Farrow Next?

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It looks like MSNBC finally making some much needed schedule changes.

Word is the network has pulled the plug on The Reid Report, the 2PM show hosted by Joy Reid. 

Insiders say that the staff was told Today that MSNBC is pulling the plug on the show. No word yet when the final show will air. 

And while the very low rated Ronan Farrow show is still on the air, word is it will be next to be flushed off the schedule. 

Farrow's 1PM show has pulled in record LOW numbers for MSNBC and although Farrow is a favorite of MSNBC boss Phil Griffin, many inside the network expect the Peacock to send Farrow packing as well. 

Mediaite reports that people inside MSNBC are not happy that Reid's show is gone while Farrow's show is still on the schedule.  Mediaite writes that an MSNBC employee told them that canceling Reid's show is a “a slap in the face of a woman of color,” especially because Reid’s ratings have been consistently higher than Farrow’s, and yet “she’s been given no support and no promotion.”

Sources tell FTVLive that you will likely see Farrow's show gone by Spring. 

MSNBC is not commenting. 

Can you Say Conflict of Interest?

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The CEO Newsmax.com and Newsmax TV reportedly pledged $1 million to the Clinton Foundation. 

Chris Ruddy, the Newsmax CEO, has reportedly been “friends with the Clintons since 2007″ and “last year pledged $1 million to the Clinton Foundation over a five-year period.”

Ruddy told the Wall Street Journal through a spokesman that though he felt Hillary Clinton would “make a great presidential candidate,” the donation was not an endorsement.

Lsat year, Ruddy launched “NewsmaxTV, a 24-hour cable news channel that will be, he says, a kinder, gentler Fox.”

“Our goal is to be a little more boomer-oriented, more information-based rather than being vituperative and polarizing,” Ruddy said.

H/T Breibart.com

Water Freezes when it gets Cold....Who Knew? Welcome to Local TV News (Updated)

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WAFF Reporter Muriel Bailey did a live report this morning and broke the news that water does in fact freeze when it gets cold.

She put water in two cups and damn if the water didn't turn to ice. We never found out what happened in the water in the other cup?

It's local TV news at it's finest and if this reporter doesn't win at least an Emmy, I don't want to live anymore.

Let's go to the video:

Update: WAFF must have realized how stupid this report was and they have pulled the video from YouTube. Wimps!

We set two cups of water outside when it was 11 degrees (feels like -5) in Huntsville

Allison Williams Says She Still Trusts her Dad 100 Percent

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While many people have lost their faith and trust in suspended NBC Anchor Brian Williams, his daughter Allison has not.

Williams was speaking at the 92nd Street Y in New York with Seth Meyers when he asked (very gently) about how Brian Williams is doing these days?

She told the audience that she can't wait until her Dad is back on TV.

Ummmmm...... That might be a long wait Allison. 

Allison Williams, a woman who has not (to the best of my knowledge) ever undergone a DNA paternity test, says you can trust her father. Williams was speaking at the 92nd Street Y with Seth Meyers when he asked-gently-about how Brian Williams is doing these days.

SoCal Sports Anchor Released from Hospital

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8 days after getting gun-down in his driveway, KFMB Sports Anchor Kyle Kraska has left the hospital.

Kraska was shot outside his home in what prosecutors say was a dispute with a house painter.

Kraska released a statement through his station KFMB:

"I can't thank you enough for all the prayers, blessings and well-wishes that have been pouring in over the past eight days. After awakening from a four-day medically-induced coma, I have begun the long process of healing," Kraska's statement said. "I am happy to report the remarkable news that I was released from the hospital today and now my fight will continue from home with my family."

Kraska was shot six times and had injuries to the stomach, chest and limbs. He had multiple surgeries during his stay at Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla.

House painter Mike Montana pleaded not guilty to attempted murder earlier this week.

Police say Montana was in a dispute with Kraska over work done on the reporter's home. He surrendered to authorities the same day after a SWAT standoff at his home in nearby El Cajon.

He is being held on $750,000 bail.

H/T Times Colonist

This is CNN....

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In President Obama's speech to a White House summit on "countering violent extremism," the President said, "So in our work, we have to make sure that abuses stop, are not repeated, that we do not stigmatize entire communities," Obama said. "Nobody should be profiled under a cloud of suspicion simply because of their faith."

How did CNN interpret that:

2015-02-18-CNN-TL-Obama_Graphic.jpg

A bit later, CNN got it right: