Former Philly Anchor Loses Lawsuit Against his Old Station

Former WTXF Fox Philly Anchor Tom Burlington sued his former station after they canned him.

Burlington was sacked after using the N-Word in a news meeting.

Burlington, who is white, showed his Anchor ego and dared to use the racial epithet while discussing the word with black coworkers.

He said that his black co-workers used the word, so he should be able to as well.

A federal jury disagreed and rejected his  racial discrimination lawsuit against his former employer.

The verdict came after a trial in which the all-white panel was asked to decide who in the newsroom had used "the n-word" before, how many times, and whether there was ever a situation in which a white person could appropriately use it.

"I can't believe that in this day and age, he didn't have an idea that using the full n-word in the workplace was outrageous, and it didn't matter the context," Jerome Hoffman, lawyer for Fox29, said in his closing argument to jurors.

He declined to comment after the verdict. So, too, did Burlington, who quickly left the courtroom with his wife as soon as the jurors were dismissed.

Burlington said that he has not been able to find a TV job since he was sacked and had to start selling houses to make a living. 

"For the past eight years, he's been out there on the street, trying to sell houses, trying to salvage his reputation one person at a time," his lawyer said. "What is eight years of being labeled a racist worth?"

According to the jury, it's worth absolutely nothing. 

H/T Philly Inquirer

WooHoo! WooHoo! Maybe Someone will Die

Back on June 1st, FTVLive told you that WLTX (Columbia, SC) Reporter Amicia Ramsey was really excited that Hurricane Season was here.

She tweeted out that she really was hoping to cover a storm this year, so she could wear a ball cap, raincoat and get soggy socks. 

After her Gannett bosses read about the insensitive tweet on FTVLive, Ramsey was Pink slipped from her job.

You would think people might learn something from that.

Obviously, they did not.

Check out this tweet from WOOD-TV (Grand Rapids):

Woo Hoo! Let's hope at least a few people lose their homes and maybe some cars get flooded out. 

So why is WOOD so excited for a storm that is nowhere close to them? 

Because their Chief Meteorologist is named Bill (Steffen).

Seriously?! Because your weatherman is named Bill, you are all excited about a Tropical Storm named Bill?

You realize that the storm is not really named for your Anchor. Right?

Shaking my head. 

Really Don Lemon?!

While two escaped killers continue to be on the run, CNN has brought in an expert to track these convicts down.

Yes, the same network that moved the entire state of New York to Pennsylvania, now has pulled out the big guns.  

CNN Anchor Don Lemon brought in an "expert" to talk about finding the escapees.

Some from the New York State Police?
Nope.

How about someone from the FBI?
Wrong again.

Don Lemon brought on Dog the Bounty Hunter. 

Are you kidding me?

Dog the Bounty Hunter has about as much expertise at tracking down escaped convicts than Bozo the Clown.

Leave it to CNN to take a serious story and try and turn it into reality television. 

Maybe the inmates were swallowed up in a black hole Don.

Just saying.... 

Back in the World Headquarters

After a few days in South Florida, I am back in the World Headquarters.

I want to thank the FTVLive intern for holding down the fort while I was gone.

My golf tournament did not end as I had hoped.

Instead of bringing home the trophy, I brought home a very aching back. I have popped a few muscle relaxers and chased it down with a RedBull.

Right now, I'm plowing through some email and making some calls to get back into the mix.

I'm playing hurt, but I'm still playing.

Networks Fighting Over Killers

While escaped killers David Sweat and Richard Matt are on the run, network executives are battling for the 'get'.

The fiercest fight is between NBC and ABC. ABC is fuming that NBC already landed interviews with family members of the woman believed to have helped the two escape. NBC is still ticked that ABC scored Caitlynn Jenner. It's a prime example of how important ratings are for the networks' morning shows.

Matt and Sweat busted out of the Clinton Correctional Facility 10 days ago.

H/T Page Six

Dallas Police Association Wants CNN To Apologize

The Dallas Police Association isn't buying CNN anchor Fredricka Whitfield's apology. In what can only be described as Whitfield totally losing her mind, the anchor called attempted cop killer James Boulware, "courageous and brave". Once social media lit up (and probably the phones, too), Whitfield tried to say she, "misspoke".

That made things worse. The police association is asking CNN for, "a more appropriate apology for the offensive comments made by Ms. Whitfield".

Not surprisingly, the entire law enforcement community is pissed. Check out the "Open Letter" to Whitfield on Officer.com.

Here's some free advice to Fredricka: Don't book any flights to Dallas anytime, soon and make sure you have someone drive you wherever you need to go.

Guard Smacks Child; Anchors Can't Stop Laughing

How exciting it must be to meet the Queen (if you live in a country that has one). A 6-year old girl , dressed in traditional costume and appropriately curtseying, got smacked in the head when a soldier saluted Queen Elizabeth II.

The salute knocked the little girl's bonnet off her head. But she handled it much better than the anchors covering the incident. Watch as they totally lose control.

BTW: If these guys think accidentally smacking a little kid on the head is funny, imagine how they'd handle FHRITP!

LIVE From A Selfie Stick?

We're not sure who uses 'selfie sticks' more; TV journalists or Millennials on Instagram and Twitter, oh wait....

Well, Down Under, SKY News reporters will be using the 'selfie sticks' to go LIVE! The new product is called LiveU SmartGRIP.  Reporters attach their smartphone and mic to the 'stick' and then fire up LiveU's Smart mobile app. 

We're not sure this new technology is going to be welcomed by the NPPA, but you can bet groups like Nexstar and Sinclair will be buying these by the case.

More from Mashable.

Meredith Reverses Trend at KTVK

FTVLive has been reporting on the steady stream of talent 'exits' at KTVK, ever since Meredith bought the station with plans to merge it with KPHO. They couldn't come to terms with primary anchor, Carey Pena; wouldn't renew primary co-anchor Fields Moseley; demoted anchor Jaime Cerreta; couldn't come to terms with AM co-anchor Kaley O'Kelley and wouldn't renew AM talent Yetta Gibson (that's just the high profile talent).

Sources tell us that finally, they realized they better keep someone the viewers recognize, and have renewed long time "Good Morning Arizona" anchor Scott Pasmore. Word is the 25+ year anchor inked a 5-year deal. We're willing to bet that should make him the highest paid AM anchor in the market, and probably in the Top 3 overall (now that Lin Sue Cooney is gone from KPNX). 

No one can argue he doesn't deserve it. Pasmore has been on GMAZ's anchor desk since the beginning. KTVK produces news from 4:30 am to 10 am. GMAZ has traditionally been a powerhouse in the time period, although, there's been some recent jockeying with Gannett's KPNX and Fox's KSAZ. 

Pasmore will anchor the 6am to 10am shows with Olivia Fierro, who Meredith brought back from KVVU in Las Vegas. When Pasmore isn't anchoring, he's flying his private plane. 

Kudos to Meredith for finally thinking of the viewers and not just the margins.

Turmoil At WCMH?

It appears Media-General/Lin, or whatever the group is called these days, is making some big changes at WCMH in Columbus, OH. Morning anchor Mikaela Hunt is out the door, and it doesn't appear she knew it was coming:

Hunt has been with WCMH since 2007. Her bio is already gone from the website. Damn cruel business, this TV industry.

Astros & Rockets Suing Comcast/NBC

Talk about contact sport: Comcast is in a fight with 12 companies over the collapse of CSN Houston. The Astros and the Rockets are the latest to join the battle. The Houston Chronicle calls it the largest regional sports network collapse in history.

The lawsuit claims Comcast officials conspired to gain full ownership of the network by financially crippling CSN Houston so that it would have no choice but to sell itself to Comcast. NBC Universal is also named in the suit.

The suit is seeking hundreds of millions of dollars to recoup the Astro's and Rocket's investment in CSN Houston.

Full details here.

WGCL Atlanta Commentator Arrested

Well, that didn't take long. Former Fox 5 Anchor, Amanda Davis, who was supposed to make her debut tonight on CBS 46 as a commentator for "Just A Minute", was arrested again this AM on suspicion of DUI.

Davis retired from Fox last year, several months after being arrested for DUI. She's not been on the air, since.

Perennial last place place WGCL, trying to get any eyeballs on their product at all, came up with this plan to get former Atlanta news talent to appear doing commentary. Davis was set to hit the air tonight. 

Maybe the arrest will actually boost ratings?

Here's more from the AJC.

Former Atlanta News Anchor Arrested (Again)

The Atlanta-Journal Constitution is reporting that WGCL 46 commentator and former Fox 5 anchor Amanda Davis, has been arrested on DUI charges.

Police records show Davis was arrested at 12:50am and released on $1,650 bond at 5:40am.

Davis was set to debut on WGCL 46 tonight for their new "Just A Minute" franchise of former Atlanta news personalities.

We have a feeling there's a 'Just A Minute' moment going on in ND Larry Perret's office.

AJC

FTVLive in Hollywood (the other one)

Today's FTVLive is coming to you from very slow WiFi from a hotel in Hollywood, Florida.

I'm here playing in the Florida State Golf Association's Match Play tournament. The difference between Match Play and a regular tournament, you play one person and not the entire field. Win you move on, lose you go home. 

The tournament started this weekend and so far I'm still here.

If you win your match in the morning, you are sent right back out in the afternoon to play another match.

If I keep winning, I could be here till Thursday evening. I lose and I could be home tomorrow.

The FTVLive Intern is going to take over the site until I'm either beaten or sitting at home with the trophy. 

The players here are damn good, so it is more likely to be the former than the latter, but you never know. 

So, while I head to the course, you can expect the FTVLive Intern to step in and keep you in the mix.

Later gang.....  

CNN Anchor: Dallas Shooter was Courageous and Brave

During a discussion on the Dallas Police headquarters shooting on Saturday afternoon, CNN anchor Fredricka Whitfield bizarrely referred to the shooter’s actions as “very courageous and brave,” before adding “crazy as well.” 

Couragous and brave? Really? That's how we want to describe this idiot?

Only after Whitfield started catching Internet heat about her comments, did she say that she mispoke.

You be the judge:

H/T Newsbusters

MSNBC Tries to Fool Viewers

MSNBC tried to pull the wool over the viewers eyes on Friday and shame on them for doing so.

At 2:15PM on Friday, MSNBC put up a banner that said "House Voting Now on Obama Trade Authority."

The truth of the matter, when the banner was put up, the President had already lost that House vote over a half hour earlier.  

Anybody watching the House floor TV feed could see the vote totals and the overwhelming loss of the Trade Authority legislation at 1:36pm.  MSNBC didn't cover the vote live.  Instead, 40 minutes afterwards, they decided to try and fool viewers into thinking MSNBC was on top of a story still developing.  

Naturally, they didn't show the house floor or screen totals at 2:15pm, because that would have undercut their premise that the vote was still happening.  Instead, MSNBC led viewers into believing that something was happening that very moment.  

It was not. Just further proof of MSNBC's total lack of integrity and disregard for basic on-air reporting. 

Hello Andy Lack? Are you seeing this?