Monthly Archive for November, 2008

Rosie O’s PR Team Is Teh Boss

Author admin on 11/24/2008 in Local Media.

WPTV just got snubbed by Rosie’s PR people who are apparently teh boss of her.

WPTV being an NBC affiliate was set to interview Rosie about her upcoming variety show on the network. Rosie’s PR people wanted John Favole to only ask her about the show and nothing else. As in no questions about View co-hosts not getting along and the subsequent responce from Barbara Walters about a certain lady.

However, during the interview prep according to this WPTV article Favole asked Rosie:

“How about if I do it this way: How about we start off talking about the show and then we touch on that. I don’t want to beat a dead horse.”

She agreed but suddently the audio went out then the picture went to color bars. The PR team killed the interview.

Wonder if he they vet her blog videos?! Rosie’s rather funny responce Baba Wawa’s comments aptly titled ‘Lady’

9 Comments Tags: , .

Tony Segreto Retires

Author Alex on 11/24/2008 in Local Media and departures.

8339067_240x180

 

 

 

 

 

 

WOW! This is unexpected, at least, this soon. I had tipsters at WTVJ let me know that it was going to happen soon, but not this soon. NBC6 announced today that 40 year anchor Tony Segreto is retiring form WTVJ at the end of the year.

“Segreto joined WTVJ as an intern in 1968 and grew professionally while carrying out a variety of jobs, first as a photographer, moving on to producer, reporter and sports anchor before being tapped as the main news anchor. Segreto has covered every major national and international sports event, including two Olympics and over seventeen Super Bowls. He has interviewed two United States Presidents, traveled to Cuba for a papal visit, and was a source of critical information while reporting about major weather events, including hurricane Andrew.”

The following is the statement written by Tony Segreto to be shared with colleagues and with his South Florida audience:

 

“It is with much consideration and a grateful heart that I announce my leaving WTVJ. For four decades it has been a privilege to be a part of such a distinguished and honored organization. WTVJ has given me the opportunity to meet some extraordinary people and cover benchmark stories all over the world, but above all, it has allowed me to serve the South Florida community that I so dearly love.”

 

“My most memorable and rewarding moments have been with the viewers and sharing their stories. I look forward to the future and am very thankful for the past. I have been given the opportunity to move on and explore new ventures and I fully intend to continue to support this community well into the future.”

 

“For forty years WTVJ has been my home away from home and in turn it has treated me like family. As this chapter comes to a close and a new one begins I could not be happier or more at peace, and I wish the same for all my colleagues and friends at WTVJ.”

Am I shocked that he’s leaving before the sale? No. It’s really a smart move on his part. He’s getting out of the black whole known as WTVJ while he still can. At the end of the year, South Florida will loose a very, very great anchor. He has served South Florida well, and will be missed. Best of luck, Tony.

This now leaves that anchor seat open that we’ve been talking about for a few months. My thoughts are Joel Connable will be up for the seat. Joel is a really great talent, but I think it’s too little, too late on WTVJ’s part. We will find out more details in a few days, I’m shooting the e-mails out to find out more. I’ll let you know.

25 Comments Tags: , , , .

WTVJ’s Tom Llamas Leaves for WNBC

Author Alex on 11/21/2008 in Local Media and departures.

tomllamas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WNBC announced today that Tom Llamas will be joining the station as a general assignment reporter beginning in January. SFLTV reported a few weeks back that him, and DeMarco Morgan (who was also just hired) were up in NY interviewing at WNBC. Again, we wish him all the best. He never really made a big impression on me, anyways. Good luck, Tom.

(Sorry about the giant Tom photo.. Computer is being weird today.)

25 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Now With Threaded Comments

Author admin on 11/21/2008 in Site News and Comments.

I’m not sold on this particular feature but some have asked for it so I turned it on.

Now when you’re commenting you can reply directly to a comment posted by another user if you want to without the need to use @Name etc. to show who you’re responding to.

0 Comments

WTVJ’s DeMarco Morgan Says Goodbye

Author Alex on 11/17/2008 in Local Media and departures.

14478673_240x180

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The new anchor changes take effect this week. DeMarco Morgan’s last day is Wednesday.  

Starting Thursday:
 Joel Conanble anchors the 7pm with Jackie
Julia Yarbough anchors the 11pm with Jackie
Sharon Lawson anchors weekend mornings solo
Amara Sohn anchors the weekend nights solo
 
There has been a lot of “alleged” talk in the NBC6 newsroom about his attitude lately. Apparently New York has gone to his head. He apparently even yelled at a producer last week or not delivering his script to the desk for him. From what I’ve heard, this is extremely out of character for him. It’s either New York going to his head, or the stress of this move. Who knows. None the less, we wish him luck. Good luck DeMarco!
49 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

7News in HD Imminent

Author admin on 11/17/2008 in HD Transition, Local Media, dtv and hdtv.

Yes, people! Finally, 7News will end stretchovision madness and launch real HD.

Here’s what I learned:

- rehearsals were happening Friday evening
- the plex will/receive(d) subtle changes, nothing major
- anchor desk has grown a bit. The 7 logo at the front was replaced
- the blue duratran between the floors is going back to
how it was before, small. Or at least smaller than it is now.
- flat screens will be added to it?
- monitor wall may or may not change. WHDH replaced theirs
with almost a dozen large flat screen tvs

Graphics
- “very ESPN-sportscenter ish”
- “LOTS of swooshes and flying 7s”
- “everything looks like its flying out of the screen”
- the new opens are much shorter
- color scheme is blue, black, red with chrome

Music
no info but I’m working on it. My guess, something original
by Chris Crane, naturally

Field photogs will be shooting in 16×9 SD which will be upconverted
to HD. NO stretchovision and as few sidebars as possible.

Don’t expect any more major changes after this. Even with holding nearly 20% of the local tv ad market WSVN is still pinched by the bad economy.
They like every other station are having budget problems and allegedly won’t be filling open positions.

Doesn’t appear like they’ll acquire the WTVJ building at this point in time. Of course you never know but at the moment it doesn’t appear likely (maybe it never was?)

Sunbeam is still in litigation with the company that wants to build condos right next the studios.

7News HD will swooshhhh in with a bang sometimes during the first or second week of December.

And now you know. Thanks to the tipster for the info.

51 Comments Tags: , , .

Sign of the Times? FOX and NBC O&Os Play Together

Author admin on 11/16/2008 in Media Headlines.

NBC and FOX announced a couple of days ago they’ve entered into a video sharing agreement. Only FOX and NBC-owned stations are involved, for now.

The Local News Service will only cover stories such as breaking news, crime scene stories, news conferences etc. Basically the stuff every news station covers ultimately ending up with video of the same thing shot by 4 stations.

The idea was tested over the summer in Philadelphia where a team of 20-25 people from the FOX and NBC stations would decide where to send crews. The video will be made available to both stations to edit as they wish, or send their own crew to the scene, and for a fee to other news outlets in town.

The two companies will soon expand the model to New York, Washington DC, Dallas, Chicago and LA with Philadelphia launching first officially in January

The partnership, hope FOX and NBC, would save both outlets quite a bit of money plus free up staff at each station to focus on original reporting.

At some point in the future non-owned-and-operated NBC and FOX stations will be invited to participate.

TVWeek: FOX, NBC Stations form Local News Service

0 Comments Tags: , , .

Jennifer Gray Speaks Out

Author Alex on 11/16/2008 in Local Media.

She says that “only thirty minutes after forecasting the South Florida weather, I found myself sitting in a local emergency room, clinging for life.” Who would have thought that such a healthy looking young women could have been going through all this.

“Just six weeks after moving to Miami, NBC 6 meteorologist Jennifer Gray nearly died from a blood clot in her lung caused by her birth control pills. It’s called a pulmonary embolism, caused by Deep Vein Thrombosis, in which a blood clot, usually in the legs, travels to the lung.”

I do remember when she first started a few months back, she all of a sudden dropped of the radar for a few weeks. You can read her full story here.

2 Comments Tags: , , .

WPEC’s Chopper Crash Lands

Author admin on 11/11/2008 in Local Media.

Sky12 WPEC’s chopper has crash landed in Boynton Beach just before 06:20 in the morning.

Early reports say the chopper lost power and landed on its belly near Boynton Beach boulevard.

The chopper’s tail broke off and one of the landing skids was damaged during the landing but thankfully neither the pilot nor reporter were seriously injured. Both were taken to Bethesda Memorial to minor injuries.

Video: WPTV’s chopper pilot capt. Julie Stevens reports on the crash after it happened

Video: WPEC’s report on the crash

Video: WPTV’s report on WPEC CBS12’s chopper crash during the noon newscast

2 Comments Tags: , .

Vanessa Ruiz Returns To 7

Author admin on 11/11/2008 in Local Media and arrivals.

Vanessa Ruiz who left Channel 7 in January of this year to finish her college degree has returned to 7News.

She will be freelancing and going to school. Look for her mostly on the weekend editions of 7News

4 Comments Tags: , .