Man Sues Miami Station that Labeled Him a Sex Offender

A man claims that a Miami television station broadcast a report falsely identifying him as a sex offender, when in fact he isn't.

Now, he's suing the station. 

Courthouse News writes that Wilfredo Batista says until Nov. 11, 2014, he enjoyed a good name and reputation, but on that Monday, WPLG Local Channel 10 showed an advertisement on its news program saying "that he was a sexual offender and lived at the residence and zip code where only sexual offenders lived."

In a complaint filed in the Miami-Dade County circuit court, Batista says that prior to broadcasting the defamatory and false statements against him, "Defendant did not investigate to determine the truth of the matters, and didn't conduct an investigation before portraying plaintiff Wilfredo Batista's picture in the television news advertisement," the complaint says.

According to the complaint a station photographer violated plaintiff's privacy and took a picture of him without his consent. It alleges that the photographer used plaintiff's image to falsely accuse him, and broadcasted it on an advertisement for a news story.

Batista called defendant's actions "ambush journalism."

The complaint states that the station said that all sex offenders reside in a certain zip code, and exploited Batista's picture to support its allegations.

Batista claims the station fabricated the story and falsely depicted him to the public cheapening his name, and offending him in front of the general audience.

According to his attorney, Theodore Enfield, Channel 10 televised Batista's picture, and labeled him as a sex offender without a reason.

Miami- Dade County Police Department's public records do not show or list plaintiff as a sex offender.

An attorney for the station said it is WPLG's practice not to comment on pending litigation. 

OKC Reporter Collapses During Live Shot

During coverage of Sunday's Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon, KFOR reporter Chellie Mills passed out while reporting from the "Gorilla Hill" section of the marathon route. She wasn't running the race, but passed out while giving her live report.

Mills is currently pregnant, it it is a good bet that played a part in her collapse. Fortunately for her, medical personnel were on hand to help the runners and were able to treat her.

They gave her crackers and juice and she soon was able to get back to reporting on the race. 

President Takes Shots at CNN, MSNBC at the Nerd Prom

For the second year in a row, FTVLive was invited to attend the White House Correspondents dinner and for the second year in a row, we declined. 

The "Nerd Prom" as it is called was Saturday night in DC and of course the guest list was packed with people that are not White House Correspondents, nor do they know who any of the White House Correspondents are. 

While the night was filled with speakers making jokes about the President, it was a chance for the President to take some shots at the media.

President Obama noted that Cecily Strong, the evening’s entertainer, impersonates a CNN anchor on “Saturday Night Live.”

“Which is surprising,” he said, “because the only people impersonating journalists on CNN are the journalists on CNN.”

He added that this winter’s polar vortex produced “so many record lows that they renamed it MSNBC.”

What makes the jokes funny, is they are so very true.

Strong stayed mostly mum on BriWi, "What can I say about Brian Williams?" Strong said, "Nothing because I work for NBC," she joked. 

H/T Washington Post

Oops! X 2

NBC is home to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but someone needs to tell WNBC exactly how the hockey playoffs work.

Like no matter what, there is never a game "8":

Also, the it is an "Extended Stay" not "Stat". We did mention this is the number 1 market...right?

The Blacks Win! Wait! What?

Speaking of the NHL Playoffs, WLS in Chicago reported that the "Blacks" have won.

We're fairly certain that meant to say "Blackhawks" or just "Hawks"...they did not. 

The Live Truck is Dead in Medford

This is not how to get the all important May book started.

Just saying....

WTF?! (Updated)

When Gannett came out and said that the new name of the broadcasting side of the company would be called TENGA, many working at Gannett stations were wondering what the hell the bosses were thinking?

Well, maybe the reason for the name is that Gannett CEO Gracia Martore and the other executives were too busy making this lip sync video to worried about the name.

Seriously, this is the CEO of Gannett and the other executives. Shaking my head.  

Updated: Looks like the Gannett suits are a bit embarrassed by their lame lip sync video and have forced YouTube to pull the video. 

Maybe they should have never made the video in the first place.

Just saying.... 

Uploaded by scott Jones on 2015-04-24.

How the Hell did I Make This List?

The website Mediaite is out with their list of, "The 14 Most Important Media Reporters in America."

Somehow, your humble Editor of FTVLive made the list.

Not sure how that happened, we didn't pay anyone off or even know that we were on the list until a few of you emailed to tell us. 

It's a nice way to end the week and thanks to the folks at Mediate and Andrew Kirell for recognizing us for what we do. 

Of course, all you that read FTVLive already know how damn good this site is.

Sorry....we could only stay humble for so long.

Carry on. 

Here's the Mediaite list

Houston Station to Launch Web Only Newscast

They have been tried before and it will be interesting to see how long this one lasts.

KRIV is going to launch a web only newscast in in hopes of driving viewers to its 5 p.m. newscast,

Starting Monday the station is launching a daily half-hour Web program “to get the entire newsroom involved in new content that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the market.

“This significantly improves our ability to talk about stories rather than report stories,” says Bob Morford, the station’s VP and news director.

The show, called 30 Minutes ‘til Air, will air daily at 4:30 p.m. Central time on the station’s website, myfoxhouston.com.

Each day features a different newsroom staffer as host, wandering through the newsroom discussing with colleagues a range of topics – what’s coming up on the 5 p.m. broadcast, the weather and the day’s big social media stories among them.

Sharri Berg, Fox Television Stations’ SVP of news operations and services, says 30 Minutes ‘til Air represents the group’s growing emphasis on station newsrooms using the Web as “a platform that they can develop given what viewers are interested in.”

H/T NetNewsCheck

Comcast CEO is Proud of Failure

Comcast made it official this morning that they are ending their bid to takeover Time Warner Cable.

FTVLive told you yesterday that Comcast was going to back out after they realized that the monopoly deal was not going to be approved.

Comcast CEO Brian Roberts said of the failed deal: “Today, we move on... I couldn’t be more proud of this company and I am truly excited for what’s next."

I wish I was that proud of my failures.

Just saying.... 

The Only Thing Exclusive About this.....

The Only Thing Exclusive About this..... is we hear that Kim Kardashian will be clothed.

Now there's a switch.

Britt McHenry Goes Back to Work This Weekend

After being suspended for a week, ESPN Reporter Britt McHenry will be back on the job this weekend.

McHenry was suspended following the release of video footage showing the blonde cruelly berating a towing-company employee in suburban Washington, D.C.

Despite a massive public backlash, McHenry will assume her regular responsibilities covering the NFL, an ESPN producer told Sports Illustrated. That means at least one of her mean-girl barbs from the stunning rant — “I’m on television and you’re in a f—–g trailer, honey” — still applies, in half.

McHenry’s suspension is officially over as of Thursday and she will have a spot on “SportsCenter” this weekend, according to the report. She will be in front of the ESPN cameras next Thursday for the network’s coverage of the opening round of the NFL draft.

Her bosses know the rehab tour begins now for a young woman who overnight went from an indistinguishable face in the ESPN talent horde to a pariah synonymous with pettiness and entitlement.

“I think she is just really anxious to get back to work,” ESPN senior coordinating producer Seth Markman told SI.

“We had a conversation where we both talked about that it would take time and it will be hard. … She realizes she will have to do her job really well and hopefully win back some of the trust of our viewers. We expect that from her, and I expect that from her. She did a great job for us on the NFL last year in some difficult situations, and I have seen nothing that doesn’t make me think she will rebound from this. But she knows the first couple of assignments out of the box will not be easy.”

H/T NY Post 

Short Time Today Show Boss to Run Fox 's Cable Sports

Jamie Horowitz's job running NBC's Today Show did not last very long. In fact he was fired from the job before he officially started.

Horowitz had big plans to shake up the Today Show and get it back on track, before he could do that, Today staffers went running to management and Horowitz was kicked to the curb.

He came to NBC from ESPN and now he is headed back into the sports world, but this time with Fox Sports. 

Horowitz has been named president of Fox Sports National Networks, where he will be in charge of both Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports 2, overseeing all programming, marketing and scheduling. He will report to Eric Shanks, president, COO and executive producer, Fox Sports and will be based out of the Fox Network Center in Los Angeles. He is scheduled to start mid-May.

“Fox Sports 1 is the fastest growing sports channel in the country, and we’ve seen about a 30% viewership increase overall, and 50% increase for live events, year over year,” said Shanks. “That substantial growth has made it necessary to more clearly define our organizational structure so we’re better positioned for long-term success. Bringing an extremely creative executive like Jamie aboard to oversee our national cable channels ties everything together.”

H/T B&C

Atlanta Looks to Rename Street after Ted Turner

There is a public hearing next week in Atlanta to rename a street in downtown Atlanta to Ted Turner Drive.

A group is hoping to get CNN founder's name on the street to honor him for all that he has done for the city of Atlanta. The meeting is next Tuesday at 9:30 AM at City Hall in the City Council Chambers on the 2nd floor of 55 Trinity Avenue. 

FTVLive also hears there is a proposal to get new CNN boss Jeff Zucker's name on a street as well.

But that street will be a dead end. 

2 Hours of Your Life You will Never Get Back

Warning! If you watch Diane Sawyer's interview with Bruce Jenner Tonight, it will be two hours of your life that you will never get back. 

ABC's released another promo yesterday about the interview. In it, Jenner says, "I want to know how this story ends?"

After watching the show for an hour and fifty minutes, you might be wondering if it will ever end.

Here's the latest promo from ABC News: 

Bruce Jenner sat down for an exclusive interview with Diane Sawyer that will air on Friday April 24 at 9pm EST on ABC.

Reporter Tip - Listen to What the Person is Saying

Yesterday, FTVLive showed you the video out of Greenville of the woman that pissed herself on live television. 

The woman told the Reporter she had to pee, but the Reporter is only half listening to what the woman is saying, and the Reporter thinks it's part of the story.

Until the woman actually ends up pissing herself live on air. 

This should be a lesson to all Reporters! Actually listen to what your interview subject is saying and always carry a box of Depends with you in the live truck.

Let's go to the video:

Greenville MS Reporter interviewing a girl and she pees herself on live TV. For any licensing requests please contact: licensing@break.com