O'Reilly Threatens NY Times Reporter

Bill O'Reilly is vigorously defending himself on the charges that he lied about his role covering the Falklands War. While O'Reilly is doing well to produce people and evidence to back up his claims, it seems is not above laying down some threats as well. 

During a phone conversation on Monday, O'Reilly told New York Times Media Reporter Emily Steel that there would be consequences if he didn't like the way the story she was writing came out.

"I am coming after you with everything I have," O'Reilly said "You can take it as a threat."

Steel tweeted the threat that she says O'Reilly made to her:

You can read the Times story here.

Look Out!

A French Reporter got a bit too close trying to cover the story. She ended up on her ass soaking wet:

Comcast, Al Sharpton Hit With $20 Billion Racial Discrimination Lawsuit

A group has filed a whopper of a lawsuit against NBC parent company Comcast and it includes MSNBC host Al Sharpton in the lawsuit.

The FCC hasn't yet ruled on the proposed merger between Comcast and Time Warner Cable, but that isn't stopping the National Association of African-American Owned Media from filing a lawsuit claiming at least $20 billion in damages from the way the two giants allegedly discriminate against black-owned media.

The Hollywood Reporter writes that this time, the plaintiff is not only targeting both Comcast and TWC — on the eve of the two companies merging to become what would be the largest pay television distributor in the United States — but also various African-American advocacy groups and MSNBC host Al Sharpton for allegedly facilitating discrimination.

"We do not generally comment on pending litigation, but this complaint represents nothing more than a string of inflammatory, inaccurate, and unsupported allegations," responds Comcast in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.

Sharpton tells us that he "welcomes the opportunity to answer the frivolous allegations" and says he will be bringing counterclaims for defamation.

Plus, if it can get Rev Al more time in front of the cameras, he's all for it. 

Back9Network Suspends Operations

Looks like the Back9Network is about to go belly up.

The network announced on Monday that it has suspended operations, It is the latest setback for the golf lifestyle network that debuted Sept. 29 on DirecTV.

No one at the Back9Network is speaking publicly and only this statement was issued:

“Due to a temporary shortfall in capital, Back9Network has suspended its operations. Management and the board of directors are planning next steps and will continue their efforts to secure long-term, operating capital. The company will keep the public informed with any new developments.”

In other words, don't expect to see it back on the air anytime soon. 

Out the Door in Chicago

After 9 1/2 years WBB Reporter Pamela Jones has parted ways with the CBS O&O.

A WBBM spokeswoman for the CBS-owned station confirmed that Jones' contract was not renewed and she's done at the station. 

“It has been a wonderful 9½ years breaking news for WBBM in Illinois and Indiana,” Jones said Monday. 

Jones joined WBBM in 2005, she previously worked as an anchor/reporter at KETV-TV, the ABC affiliate in Omaha, Nebraska, and KMIZ-TV, the ABC affiliate in Columbia, Missouri.

H/T Robert Feder

Bay Area Reporter Headed Down The 5

Word is that KNTV (San Francisco) Reporter Jenna Susko is leaving the station and headed down I-5 to LA.

Rich Lieberman reports that Susko is headed to KNBC in LA. 

Susko was a part of the "Investigate Unit" team at the station and won numerous industry awards to boot.

Lieberman says that Susko liked the idea of going to the #2 market and ratings-challenged KNBC is supposedly building a bigger "I-Team." 

For KNTV it marks the sixth recent staffer to go to KNBC.

New Boss at MSNBC's Morning Joe

MSNBC continues to shake things up both in front of and behind the camera.

The struggling network has made a change to their staple show "Morning Joe."

The network has named veteran sports producer Michael Weisman to the newly created position of Executive in Charge. He will oversee show production. 

It's a demotion for Alex Korson, who was named EP of the show in 2011, but the network is spinning it as Korson will continue to serve as executive producer, but now will report to Weisman.

Weisman has worked on a variety of programs including  Olympics, Wimbledon, and World Cup tournaments, but also late-night television, daytime and morning television.

Look for more changes soon from MSNBC as they try and halt the downward spiral in the ratings.

H/T Deadline 

Ummmm.... That's Not OK

WJW (Cleveland) Anchor Kristi Capel is in hot water after using a derogatory word on the air.

 Capel was praising Lady Gaga's Oscar performance by saying that generally, "It's hard to hear her voice with all the jigaboo music...that she...whatever you want to call it...jigaboo, haha!"

When she told the word "jigaboo" was a derogatory term for a black person, Capel took to Twitter to claim ignorance:

Here's a tip, if you're an Anchor, it might be a good idea not to use words that you don't know what they mean or if they are even words.

The video was posted to YouTube, but WJW seems to have acted fast to get it pulled from the site. 

There is no doubt that this should buy Capel some time off without pay.

We'll have to wait and see if WJW does the right thing here.

Stay tuned.... 

Fox O&O Boss: KTTV GM will be Truly Missed

Earlier, FTVLive FIRST told you that KTTV/KCOP GM Kevin Hale was going to retire later this year.

We told you that Fox would be making it official later Today and now they have.

Fox O&O CEO Jack Abernethy released this statement about Hale:

“Kevin is a hard-working, dedicated and talented leader who shows up every day with boundless energy and enthusiasm. He has been a loyal employee who has risen to every challenge presented to him in his nearly 20-year tenure, filled with countless achievements. We want to thank him for his dedication to FTS and he will be truly missed.”

DISH Lost BIG in Pissing Match with Fox News

Remember when Dish Network dropped Fox News off their satellite?

Well it appears that Fox News won the war.

Dish says that they lost 63,000 pay-TV subscribers in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31.That number was almost double the number forecast by analyst. 

Dish also reported that quarterly revenue that fell short of estimates.

You may remember that Fox News petitioned hard to get Dish Network subscribers to drop the satellite service when Fox fell from the bird. 

Dish announced Today that founder and Chairman Charlie Ergen will return to take charge of the company.

Chief Executive Joe Clayton, 65, will retire on March 31. 

Fox News boss Roger Ailes can put another notch in his gun belt.  

Reporter Headed from Houston to Bean Town

KHOU Reporter Malini Basu is leaving the station after 3 years and his headed to Boston. 

Basu is headed to WFXT as a Reporter. 

Prior to moving to Houston, she worked at WVIT the NBC owned and operated station in Hartford, CT, where she was a general assignment reporter.

She starts at WFXT on March 2.

H/T New England One

LA General Manager Retiring

FTVLive has learned that later Today, the Fox will announce that KTTV General Manager Kevin Hale is retiring.

The staff has at the station has been told and the official announcement is expected later Today.

Hale has been the GM at KTTV/KCOP since 2004 and is expected to officially step down later this Summer. 

Look for a possible shift in Fox O&O GM's later this year as they fill Hale's job.

Unemployment Rates Climb for J-School Grads

We got some bad news for those of you in Journalism School.

A new study shows that unemployment rates by majors for recent college grads, and found that it’s falling for almost everyone.

But not recent journalism grads.

This group, defined as 22- to 26-year-olds with journalism degrees, now has an unemployment rate of 8.2 percent, and counting. Other majors actually have higher unemployment rates (architects are highest at 10.3 percent), but journalism’s continues to climb.

The unemployment rate is also still rising for journalism majors with a recent grad degree, defined as 24- to 34-year-olds. Their unemployment rate is now 5 percent.

“Hard times are becoming better times for most college graduates, though how much better varies widely among college majors,” the report says.

For experienced journalism grads, the unemployment rate was either falling or unchanged. Experienced workers are 35-54 years-old, experienced graduate degree holders are limited to 35-54 years of age.

Earnings for all journalism grads are also falling. For a recent journalism grad, median earnings now stand at $34,000, compared with $36,000 in 2010. And for experienced college grads they are down to $63,000 from $65,000.

FTVLive can assure you that if you are willing to go behind the camera and be a Producer, there are still plenty of jobs out there.

Not a week goes by where we don't hear from some News Director looking for Producers.

Just saying.... 

H/T Fusion 

Bill O'Reilly is Fighting Back

Fox News host Bill O'Reilly isn't backing down from charges that he inflated his war coverage while working for CBS News.

Late last week, left leaning website Mother Jones called O'Reilly out for his war stories and claimed he was "pulling a Brian Williams."

The site says that Bill O'Reilly made claims to be covering the war in the Falklands, when in fact no US Journalist made it to the Falklands during the very brief war. 

Then another attack was lobbed O'Reilly's way from retired CBS News correspondent Eric Engberg, who was covering the Falklands conflict for the network with O'Reilly in 1982 posted his own version of events Saturday on Facebook. "We — meaning the American networks — were all in the same, modern hotel and we never saw any troops, casualties or weapons," Engberg wrote. "It was not a war zone or even close. It was an "expense account zone."

CNN also started to call O'Reilly's stories into to question. 

The Fox News host fired back at CNN (don't call him Media Critic) Media Reporter Brian Stelter, calling him a “far-left zealot."

As for the other reports, O'Reilly says, “I got calls in to Dan Rather, I got calls into all the CBS brass at the time,” O’Reilly told Howard Kurtz. “I’m going to get the video – CBS I think is going to give it to us tomorrow so the people can see for themselves.

CBS News confirmed it did get the request, and is in the process of locating the video, which was shot three decades ago and is in the network’s archives, portions of which are stored off site.

While the O'Reilly's stories may continue to be called into question, don't expect FNC to suspend him like NBC did with Brian Williams. 

The stories in question are over 30 years old. Williams was suspended just a week after telling his lie (again) on air. 

CNN and others seem to be working overtime to try and get this to stick to O'Reilly and while the FNC host might take some hits, it is more than likely there will be no long term effects. 

Stay tuned....

H/T USA Today, Deadline

O'Reilly's Stories in His Book are Called into Question

While Fox News host Bill O'Reilly is taking hits, there is at least some evidence that his book the "No Spin Zone" did in fact have a bit of spin.

Some are questioning if Bill O might have added a little pizazz to his war stories to help sell books?

Gawker writes that O'Reilly denied to media watchdog Dylan Byers that he had ever claimed to be on the Falkland Islands at all—something he wrote about, with words, in a book about things that are supposed to be true (i.e. his memoir)—before redirecting attention to a violent protest he'd covered in Buenos Aires: "I was not on the Falkland Islands and I never said I was. I was in Buenos Aires... In Buenos Aires we were in a combat situation after the Argentines surrendered."

Further details on that "combat situation" in Buenos Aires from O'Reilly's No Spin Zone: 

A major riot ensued and many were killed. I was right in the middle of it and nearly died of a heart attack when a soldier, standing about ten feet away, pointed his automatic weapon directly at my head.

"There were certainly no dead people," Jim Forrest, who was a sound engineer for CBS in Buenos Aires at the time, told CNN of O'Reilly's claim that people were killed. "Had there been dead people, they would have sent more camera crews."

One of the cameramen, however, got trampled, and all of us got banged up in the panic. Many, including me, were teargassed.

"Nobody remembers this happening," Manny Alvarez, a cameraman, said. "If somebody got hurt, we all would have known."

Looks like there might have been a bit of spin in the no spin zone after all. 

O'Reilly Swings at the Left

Here is O'Reilly's Talking Points memo reacting to the Mother Jones story, it's author David Corn and CNN's Brian Stelter: