Sorry, But We are Not Buying This One

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About a year ago, FTVLive told you that WIS (Columbia) viewers were not happy when they heard that the station was kicking Anchor Ben Hoover to the curb.

Viewers posted to social media and some even showed up and protested the station for dumping Hoover.

The station even went so far to release a statement saying they could not say anything:  

"During the last several days much has been posted on social media about Ben Hoover's departure from WIS news, much of it erroneous. However, we simply cannot engage in a public conversation regarding details of Ben's departure from WIS TV. It is a private personnel matter."

Well then in January, WJZY (Charlotte) announced that they were hiring Hoover as an Anchor. They even had a party welcoming him to the station. 

Word is that Hoover had a hard time showing up for work.  So the station parted ways with him after just 3 months. Hoover claimed on his facebook page that the job was only temporary.  But who throws a party for a temp?  Who sends out a press release on a temp? 

Sorry, but we are not buying it. 

Well now, Hoover has come full circle and has landed back in Columbia at WOLO.

Let's see how long this one last.

Just saying.... 

Two Dallas Reporters Leave TV News

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Two KDFW Reporters hired in the same year within several months of one another, have decided to leave the Dallas-based station after relatively short tenures.

Calvert Collins and Latoya Silmon are the departing twosome. Collins currently is vacationing in Peru with her husband, but said via email that her last day will be on July 17th. Silmon confirmed that she’s already left the station. 

“I am NOT leaving Fox4 over scheduling issues,” Collins said in an email to Ed Bark “Nor was I seeking another job. But I was courted for a public relations manager position.”

The offer came “out of the blue” in early June from Methodist Health System, which “made me an offer I couldn’t refuse,” Collins said. She’ll start at Methodist on July 27th after Fox4 “ultimately agreed to release me from my contract.”

“I was never unhappy at Fox,” she added. “This was just an incredible opportunity to be a manager and pursue a different challenge and learn new skills while still using my news background. I’ve always been passionate about health care . . . And the ultimate perk was a normal schedule so I can see my daughter more than an hour a day, which would have been the case had I stayed on nights.” 

Silmon arrived at Fox4 on Nov. 5, 2012 from KTUL in Tulsa. She’s mainly been a field reporter for Fox4’s Good Day, on both weekends and some weekdays. The program remains No. 1 in the early morning ratings and is especially strong among 25-to-54-year-old viewers (the main advertiser target audience for news programming).

“I grew up watching and admiring the anchors and reporters in Dallas,” she said via email. “So landing a position at one of the stations was a dream true . . . I took pride in giving a voice to the voice-less and keeping people informed about what was happening in our city.”

Silmon said she now has “a new story to tell” as a representative of Plexus Worldwide. “These plant-based products have transformed my personal health. When 2 a.m. wake-up calls and a rigorous work schedule took a toll on my health, Plexus helped put me on the road to wellness, and that’s what I want to do for others . . . I hope my story becomes an inspiration to others who want to embrace a healthier lifestyle and those who want to become financially free in the process.”

More Anchor Changes in Carolina

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Some more Anchor changes are going down at WCNC.

The station has hired Carolyn Bruck to Anchor the morning show alongside Ben Thompson, forecaster Larry Sprinkle and traffic anchor Brooke Katz.

Bruck  comes to the station from WSYX ABC in Columbus, where she spent the past four years.

Elsewhere at WCNC, Anjanette Flowers will move from mornings back to the 5:30 p.m. newscast with Bill McGinty and Sonja Gantt will anchor the 4 p.m. newscast, do special reports and fill in on the 11 p.m. newscast with Fred Shropshire until new co-anchor Beth Troutman arrives in September.

H/T Charlotte Observer 

 

Philly Station Hires Radio Guy as Anchor

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Earlier this month, FTVLive told you that CBS O&O KYW in Philly had parted ways with some of the station's top Anchors.

Among those pink slipped was longtime Sports Anchor Beasley Reece.

Well, the station has found a new Anchor, but will not say if it is Reece's replacement. And they found the guy in radio.

Pat Gallen has left his gig at 97.5 The Fanatic to start doing sports in a top 5 market on television.

Gallen shot an in studio audition a few weeks ago, and then found out recently that he got the job: 

Fox Sports Suspends McNabb After DUI Arrest

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Fox Sports Analyst and former NFL Quarterback Donovan McNabb is on the bench.

Fox Sports has suspended McNabb "indefinitely" after he was arrested on a DUI charge after being involved in a traffic accident on June 28.

"It is important that Donovan use this time as best he can to resolve his personal situation," Fox Sports said in a statement.  

And it might also be a good time to update his resume.
just saying.....

Where were the Peacock People?

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When NBC's Josh Elliott married WABC Anchor Liz Cho on Saturday, there were a number of ABC staffers at the wedding.  

The the couple were married by former “GMA” weatherman Sam Champion.

Also there was Cho’s co-anchor Bill Ritter, the Golf Channel’s Matt Ginella, Christopher Reeve’s son Will Reeve, a former intern for Elliott, and WABC meteorologist Lee Goldberg.

But, there was no one there from NBC. Champion and Ginella work for NBC companies, but no on air staff from NBC attended the wedding. 

Elliott went to NBC with big fanfare last year but has not appeared on the network or the “Today” show as often as expected, amid rumors of a rivalry with Matt Lauer.

According to Page Six, the news couple negotiated a magazine deal for their wedding pictures.

And no one at ABC or NBC has a problem with that?

Let me repeat that line, "the news couple negotiated a magazine deal for their wedding pictures."

Uncle Walter flips over one more time. 

ESPN has Lost Over 3 Million Subscribers in the Last Year

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As FTVLive told you, ESPN is cutting ties with Keith Olbermann. This comes on the heels of losing another big name, Bill Simmons.

This is more about saving money than anything else.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the sports network has has lost 3.2 million subscribers in a little over a year, according to Nielsen data, as people have “cut the cord” by dropping their cable-TV subscriptions or downgraded to cheaper, slimmed-down TV packages devoid of expensive sports channels like ESPN.

ESPN, a profit machine that has long towered over the media landscape, is showing signs of stress as the pay-TV industry goes through an unprecedented period of upheaval.

A decline in subscribers as customers trim their cable bills, coupled with rising content costs and increased competition, has ESPN in belt-tightening mode, people familiar with the situation say.

At the same time, the prices ESPN pays for the rights to show games are ballooning. Rivals including 21st Century Fox Inc.’s Fox Sports and Comcast Corp.’s NBC are aggressively pursuing sports properties to feed their own outlets, which is also driving up prices.

Last year, ESPN agreed as part of a renewal deal with the National Basketball Association to triple its average annual fees from $485 million to about $1.47 billion, people familiar with the deal said.

Higher prices for sports and less people watching, it's not hard to figure out that ESPN needs to cut costs. 

Cops: Man That Robbed Former CNN Anchor was Forced to Do It

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The man that cops say tried to rob former CNN Anchor Lynne Russell and her husband, former CNNer Chuck de Caro, was forced to do it. 

De Caro traded shots with Tomorio Walton after Walton pushed his way into the couple's hotel room.

Walton was killed and now Albuquerque police charged Skyy Durrell Barrs with his murder.

A criminal complaint dated Wednesday cites a police informant who said Walton was one of Barrs' "slaves," and indicated that the dead man was forced to commit the robbery as Barrs waited outside.

"A guy named Skyy went with Tomorio, AKA "Memphis," to "hit a lick," slang term for committing a robbery," the complaint states." Although Tomorio was shot by the robbery victim in self-defense, Tomorio's death was caused by the actions of Skyy Barrs for planning to "hit a lick" and providing Tomorio with a firearm."

De Caro was shot three times, but is expected to recover.

According to the complaint, Barrs provided Watson with the gun he used in the robbery attempt. Although the informant told police Barrs used Walton, "as one of his slaves," it was unclear why Walton was indebted to Barrs.

When Barrs heard the gunshots, he drove around the motel to find Walton lying in the parking lot, bleeding, according to police. When the source saw surveillance footage, he also implicated Barrs' girlfriend, who was allegedly sitting in the front seat of the getaway car.

Barrs is being held without bail in the Albuquerque jail.

H/T Fox News

The Blonde Bomber

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A few days ago, FTVLive told you about the female Anchors with the best hair (everyone else followed FTVLive's lead and then covered the story).

The website GetGoodHead.com listed the best female Anchor hair for each state. 

In Kansas, the website picked KWCH Anchor Melissa Scheffler as having the best head in the state.

The website called her Melissa “The Blonde Bomber” Scheffler and you just know that's going to stick.

Some of her co-workers had a bit of fun at the Blonde Bomber's expense, leaving this on her desk: 

Poor Melissa, whether she likes it or not, she will be the "Blonde Bomber" forever more. 

New Anchor Hire in Phoenix

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KNXV has hired Kim Tobin as their new weekend evening Anchor and Reporter.

Tobin grew up in the Phoenix area and even interned at KNXV at one point. So this is a return home for her. 

“Arizona is part of my fabric; I’m thrilled to be back in the community,” said Tobin. “I’m looking forward to doing my part to make Arizona a better place to live.”

“Kim is a seasoned journalist,” said ABC15 News Director Chris Kline. “She cares about our state and wants to make a difference with passionate storytelling. She joins an aggressive team that is committed to getting important news and information out to our audiences across all of our digital platforms.”

 

Yo! You Got Something?

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If your News Director or GM just sent out a memo, make sure you forward it to FTVLive.

If you have any tips, or found and interesting news story, pass it along. FTVLive is always looking for good tips and if you have one, why not share it with us?

You can email us at FTVLive at Gmail Dot Com 

Also you can follow us on Twitter! We post to Twitter the second a new story is posted on FTVLive.com.

Remember all tips are treated as anonymous and FTVLive never reveals our sources. 

O-Town Reporter Headed to the A-T-L

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WESH (Orlando) Reporter Rikki Klaus is working her final day at the station Today.

After 2 years at the station, Klaus is headed to WSB in Atlanta.

"For almost two years, I woke up before 3 a.m. five days a week to either report or anchor on 'WESH 2 News Sunrise.' So, I mostly experienced Orlando before my 5 p.m. bedtime," she said by email.

But even with those hours, she listed a few things she will miss in Central Florida.

"The actual sunrises were always a treat," she said. "The yoga at Warrior One Power Yoga and the classes I took at the Bar Method in Winter Park helped me stay healthy despite a challenging shift. I loved emceeing events for the Sharing Center, Edgewater High School and Miss Apopka scholarship program. I will miss my good friends, the warm(er) winter weather and the short drive to my hometown of Vero Beach. But I can't wait to discover the future possibilities in Atlanta and enjoy every moment."

H/T Orlando Sentinel 

WJLA Deuce Resurfaces in Milwaukee (*Note)

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Former WJLA Assistant News Director Mark Hanner is headed to WDJT in Milwaukee in the same role. 

Hanner spent six years as a producer for CBS’s The Early Show from 2002 to 2008. 

He began his career as a Photographer/Editor at KEYT Santa Barbara, Calif., and then went on to be a producer for CNN International.

Hanner subsequently held senior producer positions at WSPA Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C., and KNTV San Francisco; served as executive producer at KLAS Las Vegas; and as news director at KYMA Yuma, Ariz.

H/T TVNewsCheck

*Note: and Update to this story is posted here