DC Station Hires Sports Anchor from CNN (Updated)

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WJLA is hiring CNN Sports Anchor Erin Hawksworth to replace Sports Director Tim Brant, who left the station after not being able to come to terms on a new contract.

Before CNN, Hawksworth  worked as a national sports anchor in Canada for Rogers Sportsnet. Prior to that she worked for KCPQ in her hometown of Seattle as both a sports and morning news anchor and reporter. She also worked for WFXT in Boston and  WFAA in Dallas.

 Hawksworth knew she was in the right place when she got her start as an intern for NBC, covering the 2004 Summer Olympics.

Update: After FTVLive reported that Hawksworth was hired by WJLA, she tweeted this out:

Donald Trump: CNN has been wild about the whole Trump thing

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Even Donald Trump thinks that CNN has gone wild covering Donald Trump.

Trump did an interview with the Hollywood Reporter and was asked if he needs Fox News to get the GOP nomination? 

"I don't know. It's a great question. I know that CNN has been wild about the whole Trump thing, whatever that is, and MSNBC has been doing it, and Meet the Press and George Stephanopoulos and Face the Nation — I've been doing all of them."

Trump seems to be saying that as long as he has all the other networks bowing down to him and eating out of his hand, he'll be fine. He did admit that Fox News is "very important."

So what about the Trump supporters that are making death threats against Megyn Kelly? 

Trump says, "I'm sure they don't mean that. I had heard that had happened. But I have gained such respect for the people that like me and respect me and that like my views, it's incredible."

What the hell kind of answer is that?

Subway Jared to Plead Guilty

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Subway Pitchman Jaren Fogle made news years ago, when he went from some very large pants to much smaller ones, all because of his Subway diet. 

It appears that Fogle is making news again for getting into some even smaller pants, but the problem was they weren't his own.

Today, Prosecutors say that Fogle is agreeing to plead guilty to engaging in sex acts with minors, receiving child porn.

The nightmare for Subway is just beginning.

Stations better pull those Subway ads out of the newscast tonight.

Just saying.... 

Shaking it up in O-Town

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Back in June, FTVLive told you that WKMG(Orlando) had parted ways with GM Skip Valet. Then in July, News Director Steve Hyvonen was out the door. 

In mid-June, Mark Hoffman was named the GM of the struggling station. Hoffman is now making some changes to the on air news product. 

Sources tell FTVLive that the "Local 6" brand name is going away and will be replaced by "News 6." 

The Weather forecasts are now called "PINPOINT WEATHER CENTER" forecasts.

On the anchor desk,  Traffic Anchor Julie Broughton (pictured) is off the morning newscast and will be anchoring a new 4pm newscast.

Word is that this is just the first round of changes that Hoffman is making, many more are planned.

Stay tuned.... 

Actor calls NY Anchors "Clowns" after Appearance

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Actor Christopher Jackson, who plays George Washington in the Broadway smash “Hamilton,” was interviewed onWNYW's “Good Day New York” by anchors Greg Kelly and Rosanna Scotto who were were dressed in colonial garb and poked fun at the production.

Jackson was not impressed and he took to social media, “Can’t remember a time where I found myself having to try so hard to NOT be embarrassed for someone,” Jackson wrote on Facebook. “What some people fail to realize . . . when you try to take the piss at something you know NOTHING about, you risk making yourself look incredibly small, petty, and uniformed (sic). I KNOW what I do. Will ALWAYS comport myself and act in an honorable way, especially when I’m talking about my art/work. I’ve never been a bafoon (sic) in MY work. Clowns.”

The anchors, whose comedy segments have helped their ratings, admitted they hadn’t seen the show and performed a rap.

Jackson, who was composed on air, tweeted this after his appearance on the news:

A Fox rep said, “Our circus is No. 1. Lighten up.”

Let's go to the video:

H/T Page Six

LA Reporter Makes Little Boy Cry

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KTLA's Courtney Friel was on the back to school beat and she played the role of the school bully.

Friel was interviewing 4 year old Andrew Macias about his first day of pre-kindergarten. She asked him if he was going to miss his mom?

Andrew said "No!" but then after thinking about it a second, he started to cry. A few seconds later, Andrew’s mom gave him a hug off camera.

Let's go to the video:

Houston Reporter Leaves for Teaching Job

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KHOU Reporter Angela Korchega is getting out of TV news and into teaching.

Korchega has taken a new job at the Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. She has accepted a position as a professor and editor for the Borderlands Desk of the university’s Cronkite News service, which produces daily news, features and investigative stories for Arizona PBS.

“As I leave KHOU and Tegna (formerly Gannett Broadcasting) I am grateful for the opportunity I’ve had to bring viewers stories about the border, Mexico and beyond,” Angela tells Media moves. “I’m excited to have a role teaching a new generation of journalists who will report on border issues. And I will continue to report select stories on the border and in Mexico. I think teaching by example is one of the best ways to work with students.”

Korchega says she’s not quitting her life-long passion of reporting the news. “I don’t really see it as leaving journalism for academia. I see it as combining my love for covering the border, producing content and sharing my experiences with a new generation of students. I was not looking for a new position, but the Cronkite School of Journalism is a perfect fit….I remain committed to our profession and will continue to work as a journalist and with young journalists to bring viewers stories about the border and beyond.

H/T Media Moves

Another Win for Lester

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Lester Holt is contining his winning ways in the ratings.

Holt's NBC Nightly News won in total viewers for the eighth straight week, which means he has come in first every week since he became permanent anchor at "NBC Nightly News."

"ABC World News Tonight With David Muir" and the "CBS Evening News With Scott Pelley" had good news, too. Both newscasts were up 2 percent in total viewers from the same week a year ago. NBC was off just 1 percent in that count.

Here are the averages in total viewers for last week, according to Nielsen Media Research: NBC with 7.953 million viewers, ABC with 7.684 million and CBS with 6.379 million.

NBC also won the 25-to-54 age group, which is most important to news advertisers.

H/T Orlando Sentinel

WGN to Cash in by Launching New 10PM Newscast

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It an attempt to get more political ad dollars, Tribune's WGN is launching a new 10PM newscast starting October 5th. 

Of course the station does not admit that this is about political ad dollars, but any new newscast that is be launched at this point and time, you can bet that was a major consideration.

More money will be spent on political ads in the 2016 election than ever before.

Candidates love to buy spots during news and TV stations are adding newscasts to make sure they have more spots to sell. 

WGN's 10PM will be anchored by Mark Suppelsa and Micah Materre. The station says it will be fast-paced with the latest developments of the day.  Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling will be first at 10pm with a complete forecast for the viewing area.  

“Thirty-five years after launching the WGN News at Nine, news consumption has changed dramatically.  We know the appetite for news continues to grow,” commented Greg Easterly, President/GM of WGN-TV.  “This new, expanded half-hour will bring viewers all the news and weather you need to know before the night ends.  It’s just too important of a time period for us not to be there.”

“We are committed to delivering the successful 9pm newscast we’ve produced for decades,” commented Jennifer Lyons, WGN-TV News Director.  “This expansion offers us an opportunity to bring Chicago’s Very Own news team to a whole new audience at 10pm.”

Shep Smith: There is No Porn Allowed on the Fox News Deck

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Fox News Anchor Shepard Smith was on Late Night with Seth Meyers last night and they touched on a broad range of subjects. 

Myers asked Smith if he has had any interactions with Trump:

“I try to go the other way.  I had an interaction with him once before and he tore my apart….so I figure we’ll just have Megyn Kelly have it.  She’s doing a fine job,” Smith said.

On the network being a part of the story:

“I know why we’re a part of the story because Megyn asked a relevant question that the candidate didn’t want to answer…..she said what do you mean by these things and he didn’t really have an answer for that.  At some point he’s going to have to have an answer for that just as all the candidates have to be held accountable for all that they’ve done until this point.  It’s a part of the process. And that he he turned it on her while running from the question wastelling for me.” 

When the subject turn to the Fox News Deck and the giant iPads, Smith did point out, “There’s no porn allowed.  It’s a family channel.”

Of course, no one knows what Bill O'Reilly does when he wonders around the building late at night. 

 

CryWitness News

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WPEC Reporter Lauren Hills was interviewing Special Olympian Brandon Boterf talking about the Dream Ride. 

The Dream Ride is a 1900 mile motorcycle ride that started this morning in Palm Beach Gardens, FL.

The motto of the Dream Ride is “Changing the world one smile at a time.” 

Brandon was very touched to be a part of the dream ride and it brought him to tears. Then the Reporter started crying, then the viewers and well just about everyone that has a heart.

Because WPEC's website is awful and embedding the video just doesn't work, you'll have to watch it on their site. 

CNN's Chris Cuomo Helps Save Drowning Man

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CNN New Day Anchor Chris Cuomo might have picked up a new viewer over the weekend.

Cuomo help rescue  a drowning man who had been swept away by a rip current while boating in the Hamptons.

Cuomo spotted the older man being carried out in the Peconic River near Shelter Island hot spot Sunset Beach on Sunday afternoon.

Cuomo, 45, who was at anchor on his fishing boat with his editor wife Cristina Cuomo and their children, saw the unnamed stricken man was in distress and threw him a life preserver before jumping in and swimming after him.

Frank Cilione, the managing partner of Philippe East Hampton who had moored up with Cuomo and his family, said, “Chris saved this man’s life. We saw him floating by in what looked like a very strong, fast current, and Chris began yelling at the man to swim out of it at an angle. But the man said he couldn’t move his arms, all his energy was spent, and he carried on floating away, his head barely above the water.

“Chris threw him a life preserver, but the man still didn’t start swimming, so Chris jumped in the water and went after him. It was happening too fast to untie the boat and start the engine. At this point, the man was 500 to 600 feet away from us, almost so far that you couldn’t see him, but Chris is a strong guy and swam up to him.”

Cilione continued, “Once he got to him, the man still couldn’t fight the current, so Chris then somehow managed to drag him back to shore, where they could stand in the water. If he hadn’t done this, the man would surely have drowned.”

Both were then picked up by a police boat flagged down by frantic fellow boaters who witnessed the scene. Cilione added, “The police didn’t seem to realize who Chris was, but told him, ‘You saved this guy. That was heroic.’ But he was very humble about it.”

H/T Page Six