Morning Race Heats Up in Cincy

Here's a forecast for May: Get ready for daily showers of promotions and thundering enticements to watch local morning TV news.
With the departure of meteorologist Steve Horstmeyer from WKRC-TV's top-rated "Good Morning Cincinnati" after 19 years, stations are eager to snag viewers who might be changing their TV habits.

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080427/ENT/804270324/1025

NBC 4 Names New HD Downtown Studio

NBC 4 (WCMH-TV) is preparing to launch its new high definition studio located in downtown Columbus at 4 East Broad Street. In preparation for the launch, the new studio has been officially named, "NBC 4 on the Square."

http://www.nbc4i.com/midwest/cmh/news.apx.-content-articles-CMH-2008-04-24-0006.html

FCC on 'Collision Course' With First Amendment

Speaking at the Quello Communications Law and Policy Symposium in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell first focused on the ever-expanding array of media content before criticizing what he called the FCC's decision to start "dusting off decades-old policy regulations to impose on broadcasters." Media content, McDowell said, has "exploded into exponentially more diverse and interesting programming that is now available through a dizzying array of platforms." He pointed in particular to Internet use, which, he said, is growing "at an astounding rate," and gave some statistics on the huge popularity of online video.

http://www.radioink.com/HeadlineEntry.asp?hid=141860&pt=todaysnews

Cross Ownership of TV and Newspapers in 1 Market No Go

A Senate committee voted Thursday to nullify a recently approved Federal Communications Commission rule that allows media companies to own a newspaper and a television station in the same market.

http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2008/04/24/daily.6/?promo

Cincinnati TV Stations to Air Maupin Funeral

Three local TV stations will broadcast Staff Sgt. Matt Maupin’s funeral Sunday, pre-empting the NBA playoffs, CBS’ PGA coverage and possibly part of the NHL playoffs.
Managers at WLWT-TV, WCPO-TV and WKRC-TV (Channels 5, 9 and 12) have been re-arranging their Sunday schedules to air Maupin’s 1 p.m. funeral from Great American Ball Park. However, Fox’s WXIX-TV (Channel 19) will not pre-empt the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway at 1:30 p.m.

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080423/ENT/80423005/1025

WTHI Cleans Up at Indiana AP Awards

WTHI/Terre Haute had a good night at the annual Indiana Associated Press Broadcasters Association awards banquet earlier this month. The LIN TV station and CBS affiliate took the Outstanding News Operation award for its market division. WTHI also took first place in the Best Community Impact category.The station also received second–place honors for Outstanding Weather Operation (Storm Team), Best News Series (“New Day, New Way” – Susan Dinkel, Mike Latta) and Best Enterprise Story (“Food Stamp Challenge” – Joe Stoll, John Timm).

Is Another Hollywood Strike Looming?

The Screen Actors Guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers agreed to extend their bargaining session by one week, through May 2.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6554466.html

First Thursday of Sweeps Goes to ABC

With “Grey’s Anatomy” finally back from writers’ strike hiatus, ABC easily won the first night of the May sweeps last night. Still, the best news of the night for ABC came at 10 p.m., where the network has long struggled to find a strong lead-out for “Grey’s.”
By relocating “Lost,” which aired at 9 on Thursdays while “Grey’s” was out, to 10 p.m., the network may have finally found its winning duo.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman2/publish/Overnights_50/First_Thursday_of_May_sweeps_to_ABC.asp

Anyone Surprised? Internet Broadcasting Sets Records

Internet Broadcasting, the local Internet solution provider for broadcast publishers and local advertisers, announced today that it set all-time traffic records in first quarter of 2008.


http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2008/04/23/daily.7/

KET Airs Antiques Roadshow's Visit to Louisville

Jane Harcourt is just glad her son never broke her lamp while tossing a football around the house. And Bill Pfund's family won't be leaving a pair of prized boxing gloves in the garage anymore.

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080421/COLUMNISTS15/804210331

February 08 Ratings for Evansville

http://www.evansvillemedia.com/em/2008/04/21/february-08-news-ratings/

PBS Icon Jim Lehrer Undergoes Heart Surgery

Jim Lehrer, the longtime anchor of PBS’s signature evening newscast, underwent a successful heart valve procedure on Wednesday.
“Jim plans to be back at full speed and on the program within a few weeks,” the network said in a statement on Friday.

http://tvdecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/25/pbss-jim-lehrer-has-heart-surgery/

NAB's Struggle to Merge Programming and Tech

While expanding the already huge NAB Show by beefing up its programming agenda may make sense to the association, many on hand this year liked the smaller crowds and don't want it any larger. What would really serve the industry best would be a programming show in October, not April like NAB or January like NATPE.

http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2008/04/25/daily.7/

Big Surprises at Media General Board Elections

Three director nominees put forward by a dissident investor group won Media General board seats at a shareholders’ meeting Thursday in Mechanicsville, Va., beating management-backed candidates.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6554998.html?desc=topstory

Opposition to Rupert Murdoch's Latest Paper Bid

With Rupert Murdoch closing in on owning his third New York-area newspaper, opposition is emerging from consumer groups to potentially more concentration of ownership in the nation's media capital.

http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2008/04/25/daily.2/

Jimmy Fallon Headed Back to Late Night on NBC

NBC will officially name Jimmy Fallon as Conan O'Brien's "Late Night" replacement within the next few weeks, if not sooner, Peacock insiders said Thursday.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117984592.html?categoryid=14&cs=1

Stunned Reactions to Local Earthquake

The stunned reactions of the news anchors at four Louisville TV stations that were presenting early morning newscasts when the earthquake hit showed they were rocking like everyone else.“Take cover!” called out WAVE-3 meteorologist Kevin Harned to the WAVE-3 staff in the studio as he instantly recognized what was happening. The reason for the warning was that the studios at all the stations are full of large, hanging lights that were precariously swinging.WHAS-TV’s “Good Morning Kentuckiana” was going to a break with a picture on the screen but one of the anchors could be heard saying exclaiming “A-a-h … it’s shaking in here!”Afterward, some of the on-air people were just trying to find out something, anything and looked a little like deer caught in the headlights. But they quickly recovered and later interviewed an array of knowledgeable experts that made sense of the quake and what it might mean. Many viewers called in with bedtime stories, since that’s where most people were when the quake occurred at about 5:40 a.m.In one of the lighter moments, newscasters at Ch. 11 read an e-mail from a viewer who said she attempted to wake her husband when the shaking started, but it had stopped by the time he was roused, and he said to her, “Put another quarter in.”

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080418/NEWS01/80418020

New Hires in Evansville

Frary rejoins WFIE
Adam Frary has returned to 14WFIE-TV as marketing director.
He most recently held the same position at an NBC affiliate in Montgomery, Ala.
Frary began his career at WEVV44-CBS in 2000 and first joined 14WFIE as a marketing producer in early 2001. Later, he was promoted to the marketing team at WAVE3-TV, an NBC affiliate in Louisville, Ky., before he went to Montgomery in 2005.
Hoyt joins 14news
CJ Hoyt has been hired as news director at 14NEWS.
He previously was the news director at KLFY-TV in Lafayette, La. Hoyt received a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism from Syracuse University.

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2008/apr/08/new-hires-promotions/?ebj=1/

WSTR Loses 10pm Newscast

WSTR-TV (Channel 64) will be without a 10 p.m. newscast in August - for the second time in two years - when WKRC-TV moves its 10 p.m. news to its CinCW digital TV station.
WKRC-TV (Channel 12) has exercised an out in its three-year contract to move the newscast starting Aug. 25, said Jon Lawhead, Channel 64 general manager.

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080419/BIZ01/804190333/1076

Fans Not Happy About Ken Schulz Departure

Readers have lots of questions and comments in the latest mailbag. Calls and e-mails continue to come in about Ken Schulz leaving WHAS-TV. Here are just some of them:
Richard Stoll of Louisville will miss Schulz:
"I've watched him for many years and I hate to see him go. He's a fine, fine meteorologist."
Dan Burress of Prospect, Ky., said Schulz's exit might mean he will leave WHAS as a viewer:
"I will certainly miss Ken. As my wife said, we might have to 'see what Jay says.' We missed Ken's humor when WHAS radio switched to WAVE (for weather updates). Hate to see the old standards go." (The Jay reference is to Jay Cardosi on WLKY-TV.)

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080419/COLUMNISTS15/804190335/1011/SCENE

Blogger - Radio, TV Should Go Back to Days of Yore

Radio, TV should go back to the days of oldTuesday night yields a great emptiness of interesting, erudite and educational entertainment.What with the “Biggest Loser,” “American Idol,” “Survivor” and that darned dance competition hogging the traditional broadcast bands, the only thing left to watch is usually some other weird show that may not be very entertaining but just enough so to make us watch.

http://www.thetimestribune.com/editorials/local_story_108115934.html?keyword=topstory

WOUB Names Newsroom for Top Fox News Exec

The Roger E. Ailes Newsroom in the Scripps College of Communication will be dedicated at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 22. Located on the third floor of the Radio-Television Communication Building, the newsroom will be named in honor of FOX News Chairman and CEO Roger E. Ailes, a 1962 graduate of Ohio University whose contribution made it possible.
"It is my honor to announce that the newsroom will bear Roger's name as it benefits Scripps College of Communication students, faculty and staff for generations to come," Dean Greg Shepherd said. "Roger is an extraordinarily accomplished alumnus of and champion for the Scripps College of Communication, and we are grateful for his continuing generosity and support of our students and programs."

http://www.woub.org/about/index.php?page=47&item=690

Grass Valley Aims to Make Web, Mobile Easier

Most TV stations are eager to post the stories they produce for live newscasts on the Web and to distribute them through mobile outlets as soon as they can. But chopping up newscasts into Web- or mobile-ready clips is a chore, requiring hours of work for a station employee.
Hoping to meet the demand for a simpler, faster way is Grass Valley.
At the NAB Show Sunday, The Thomson subsidiary introduced MediaFuse, a “hardware-software” platform that fully automates the process of segmenting, encoding and processing stories within minutes of their broadcast.

http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2008/04/13/daily.1/

New Web Platform for Local TV Stations

The consulting company AR&D has unveiled a new full-service content management system, built by partner Synapse Multimedia. Here at NAB-RTNDA, AR&D is actively pitching the product to local TV media groups. “It puts the flexibility to innovate the next generation of local media at the local level,” said CEO Jerry Gumbert. I watched a demo of the product, and it’s packed full of features. The web-based CMS allows just about anyone to drag-and-drop widgets to create their own web pages. It includes ad serving with behavioral targeting, a video player (live and on demand), basic video editing, image editing and user-generated content. One of the big sells of the CMS is its ability to publish content seamlessly across multiple sites — and import RSS feeds from any other site. It also has the ability for a local TV station to run a local ad network of unaffiliated sites. “We’re not taking on WorldNow or IB (Internet Broadcasting),” Gumbert said, explaining that AR&D has no plans to create a national ad network. But the idea is to empower local newsrooms with the technology tools they need to “have control at the local level to be more successful on the web.” You can see the CMS in action on KTBS.com in Shreveport as well as AR&D’s recently relaunched site.

http://www.lostremote.com/2008/04/15/ard-debuts-web-platform-for-tv-stations/

Local TV - Digital Minds Should Plot Digital Strategy

Traditional newsroom staffers with traditional news-gathering philosophies don’t cut it in the fully-converged media world, according to the panelists here at Radio-Television News Directors Association session “Going Local … in a New Direction.”

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6551890.html

Online Video Viewing Soars, TV Viewing Tanks

New data released Wednesday show online views of videos soared 66 percent in the U.S. in February from a year earlier, with TV networks grabbing just a pittance of those eyeballs. The numbers from comScore Inc. had executives buzzing at the National Association of Broadcasters annual meeting in Las Vegas because they are searching for ways to drive viewers to their Web sites and TV channels.

http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2008/04/17/daily.4/

TiVo Offering "Stop Watch" Service

NEW YORK (Reuters) - TiVo Inc reshaped television by allowing viewers to skip right past commercials when they save their favorite shows on digital video recorders -- and made life far tougher for advertisers in the process.
Now TiVo is attempting to make it up to the advertisers and broadcasters, selling them data that show exactly what viewers are watching during every second of every show.

http://www.reuters.com/article/reutersEdge/idUSN1639696420080416

NBCU Digital Studio Inks Strategic Partners

NBC Universal Thursday announced the formation of its new Digital Studio for developing brand-centric digital content for distribution across its portfolio of digital properties.
Omnicom Media Group Digital has signed on as the studio’s first strategic partner will produce a pair of new projects; “Gemini Division,” which is scheduled to premier this summer and “Woke Up Dead.”

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6552387.html

CBS Unit Gets Interactive

CBS Interactive restructured its senior management Thursday and opened a new office in Silicon Valley.As part of the reshuffle, Bryon Rubin has been named executive vp and CFO of the division, which is headed by president Quincy Smith. Rubin, a nine-year CBS veteran, comes to the digital side after serving as a senior executive in CBS' corporate development and M&A group.CBS also said Thursday that CBS Interactive COO Steve Snyder will run the group's new satellite office in Menlo Park, Calif., as the company looks to build more partnerships in the tech hotbed. Michael Marquez, who came to the network a year ago from Yahoo, also will work in that office after being promoted to executive vp strategy and corporate development.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3ie6b027a8a8962cf1a089f12ba9ec3155

Tell Us How You Really Feel - Tim Robbins on the Media at NAB

The actor's speech was the talk of the NAB Show, with its criticisms of the media, the president and a few words the FCC wouldn't approve of. But, for all of that, it seems to have got people thinking.

http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2008/04/18/daily.6/

60 Years of WLWT

Famous faces from WLWT-TV through the years:
Ruth Lyons: Cincinnati's "First Lady of Broadcasting" hosted the live weekday "50-50 Club" from 1949 until her retirement in 1967.
Bob Braun: The father of TV anchor Rob Braun was hired in 1957 after winning "Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts." He succeeded Lyons, hosting a live noon show 1967-84.

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080413/ENT/804130456/1025/LIFE

Broadcast Nets Still Seeking New Projects for Next Season

With fall schedules still in tremendous flux due to the writers' strike, broadcasters continue to seek out new projects that could work on their schedules--sometime next season.

To wit: ABC has ordered a pilot presentation from Victor Fresco (Andy Richter Controls the Universe). Produced by 20th Century Fox TV, the single-cam comedy project is about a moral guy in an amoral world.

And speaking of amorality, comic Louis C.K., whose last TV series was HBO's ribald family sitcom Lucky Louie, is writing a new half-hour comedy project for CBS. In fact, C.K., will reunite with his Lucky co-star Pamela Adlon, to write and star in the project, another family comedy, this time produced by CBS Paramount Network TV.

NBC, meanwhile, has signed David Eick--executive producer of Sci Fi's Battlestar Galactica--to a two-year overall deal at Universal Media Studios. Earlier this season, Eick helped shepherd NBC's high-profile remake of The Bionic Woman, which ultimately failed to draw viewers. Among other projects, Eick currently is working on Sci Fi's Galactica prequel Caprica.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003791383

Senate 1 Step Closer to Blocking FCC Decision on Newspaper Broadcast Cross Ownership

The Senate Commerce Committee will take up a Federal Communications Commission-blocking bill this month.

The committee said Thursday that it would take up the resolution April 24. It had planned to do so April 2 but postponed it.

The "resolution of disapproval" -- an unusual congressional step that invalidates a decision by a regulatory agency like the FCC -- was introduced by Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) after the commission voted Dec. 18 to loosen the newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership rules.

FCC chairman Kevin Martin billed it as a compromise with consolidation opponents -- like Dorgan -- since it did not lift the ban entirely and was less deregulatory than a 2003 FCC effort to change the rules.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6552462.html

Media General's Profits Dip

Media General reported fourth quarter 2007 results Thursday. Its broadcast division revenues decreased 1.2 percent to $74.7 million.

http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2008/04/17/daily.10/

New Documentary Honors Ruth Lyons

Two new Ruth Lyons projects - a one-hour TV documentary and a new Christmas music CD - will be completed later this year.

CET will premiere "Ruth Lyons: First Lady of Broadcasting" during a fall pledge drive, says writer-producer Mark Magistrelli, a co-founder of the local Media Heritage broadcasting preservation.

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080413/ENT/804130458/1025/LIFE

Media General's Centralization Project Picks Up Speed

While station group owner and newspaper publisher Media General has been under pressure from activist shareholder Harbinger Capital Partners to streamline its operations and improve its financial performance, the company has been quietly overhauling its TV operations for several years. It has been increasing the use of centralized systems and automation, and reducing head count in the process.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6550814.html?industryid=47171

Sinclair to Launch First HD Station in Columbus

Sinclair Broadcast Group has contracted Devlin Design Group (DDG) to create scenic design to support a complete HD conversion of its 14 news stations. The transition to HD news will be completed over the next three years.

Sinclair selected the Devlin Design Group to create the HD sets in part because of its extensive HD experience, according to Mark Nadeau, senior director of the Sinclair Broadcast Group.

Devlin Design Group has created HD scenic designs for broadcasters worldwide, including WRAL-TV in Raleigh-Durham, NC. The first two Sinclair stations to make the HD transition will be WSYX-TV in Columbus, OH, and WBFF-TV in Baltimore. Both are set for a May HD launch.

http://broadcastengineering.com/newsrooms/sinclair_chooses_devlin_design_0411/

Time Warner Cable Breaking Free of Parent Company?

In the next two weeks, Time Warner Cable could well be on the path to becoming a fully independent cable operator, free of Time Warner Inc. and able to chart its own course in a world where hundreds of channels are delivered over telephone lines and via satellite, and Internet distributors provide a seemingly limitless array of entertainment and communications.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6550895.html

WCMH Traffic Reporter Competing in Miss USA Pageant

Little crossover exists between her regular job and the activity that will put Monica Day on national television this week.

The traffic and entertainment reporter for WCMH-TV (Channel 4) is also Miss Ohio.

http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/life/stories/2008/04/10/1A_MISS_OHIO.ART_ART_04-10-08_D1_A59S2HV.html?sid=101

WLWT Celebates 60th Anniversary

WLWT-TV celebrates its 60th anniversary this week, to mark becoming NBC-TV’s second affiliate. The station also telecast the first Cincinnati Reds Opening Day game and debuted the “Midwestern Hayride” country music show 60 years ago this week.

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080411/ENT/80411005

WKYT Losing 2 Anchors

CBS affiliate WKYT-27 is losing female anchors Renee Charles and DeAnn Stephens.

Charles, who anchors the station's 5:30 p.m. news, is moving to Peoria, Ill., where her husband will take a promotion with Caterpillar Inc.

http://www.kentucky.com/779/story/373497.html

Lexington News a 2 Horse Race

With favorable weather, a relatively low crime rate and scenic horse country, residents of Lexington, Ky., say they've got a pretty fair quality of life. Many others will sample the lifestyle in 2010, when Lexington is slated to host the World Equestrian Games. Some 600,000 people are expected to turn up for the two-week event.

Locals say Lexington was an obvious choice to host the international exhibition. “We're the thoroughbred capital of the world,” says WDKY General Manager Michael Brickey.

The local news competition is essentially a two-horse race, with Cordillera's WLEX leading the pack. The NBC affiliate took morning, evening and late news in February, and finished in a virtual tie with Gray's WKYT for total day ratings. WLEX President/General Manager Tim Gilbert says the station pulled off “something of a minor miracle” in growing a 4 household rating/9 share in the last half-hour of primetime to a 9/28 in late news. “The inevitable conclusion is that viewers have a strong preference for our news, and they're finding us,” he says. “Our news is very consistent—no stunts, no sweeps pieces, no fluff pieces.”

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6550790.html

Is Katie Couric Ready to Leave CBS?

Amid swirling news reports that Katie Couric may exit the "CBS Evening News" after the November elections, multiple people close to the situation describe a discontented anchor who is conflicted about whether she wants to continue laboring on the third-place newscast.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-et-couric11apr11,1,6481140.story

NAB -Company Adds Media Flexibility to Cameras

At the company's NAB Show press conference, Thomson executive VP Jacques Dunogue used the newly minted term “broadercasting” to refer to the emerging world where networks and stations use new technologies to serve audiences via a variety of devices at all times and in many places.

http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2008/04/13/daily.3/

Moving From Old to New Media Isn't Easy

“No business is going to be $100 million on day one.”

—John Wallace, president, NBC Local Media Division.


This statement really caught my attention. Everything I’ve been reading and hearing about the new digital future tells me that we are struggling to figure out the business model.


http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2008/04/11/daily.4/

WDRB Getting Ready for Thunder

When people begin showing up on the riverfront tomorrow morning for Thunder Over Louisville, the WDRB-TV crew will already be at work getting ready to beam the big show back to perhaps 500,000 viewers at home.

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080411/COLUMNISTS15/804110375/1011/SCENE

Man Tries to Take Over Indiana TV Station

A Henderson County man was arrested Wednesday after allegedly sideswiping a vehicle on the Breathitt Parkway, apparently in a hurry to complete a mission — commandeering WEHT-News25.

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2008/apr/11/tv-station-takeover-try-thwarted/

KET Gets New Production Manager

PUBLIC TELEVISION KET has promoted Carl Babcock to production manager. Babcock has been at KET for eight years, previously serving as producer/director for its legislative coverage and as senior producer of the program, "Kentucky Afield."

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080410/BUSINESS/304100005/1003

KET to Begin Candidate Forum

KET will start election coverage this year, beginning with six forums and leading up to live primary election coverage, analysis and returns.

http://www.kypost.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=fde662d5-4b99-4460-ab44-2aceb789c6e0

WSFJ gets a new GM

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6548184.html

Former Evansville GM Goes Back to School

The former general manager at Evansville’s NBC affiliate 14 WFIE will join the UE community as director of university relations in mid-April.

Lucy Himstedt replaces Marcia Dowell, who left in December 2007 to take a similar position at Butler.

http://www.uecrescent.org/articles/stories/public/200804/04/04fD_news.html

Dispatch Gets New National Sales Reps after 50 Years

Dispatch Broadcast Group announced Thursday it moved the national the national sales representation for its two TV stations to Katz Television Group's Eagle Television Sales. The two stations, WBNS, the CBS affiliate in Columbus, Ohio; and WTHR, the NBC affiliate in Indianapolis, were previously repped by Blair Television. Katz will begin to rep the stations beginning April 7.

The move to Katz consolidates Dispatch's national representation with one company. Katz Radio Group currently represents Dispatch's two radio stations in Columbus, Ohio.

"We are very excited about our expanded relationship with Katz Media. The addition of our CBS Columbus TV affiliate and our NBC Indianapolis TV affiliate to our existing radio representation is a great opportunity to excel in the national sales marketplace," said Michael Fiorile, vice chairman and CEO of Dispatch Broadcasting.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003785048

Columbus News Pioneer Remembers TV News The Way It Used To Be

In the 1960’s I worked at WBNS-TV in Columbus, Ohio. The station was run by John Haldi, one of the great pioneers in television broadcasting. The friends I made at channel ten have been part of my life, both personal and professional, ever since.


http://newsroom-magazine.com/?p=380

Dave Wagner Leaving Cincinnati

Dave Wagner, who lost his 11 p.m. anchor job at WLWT-TV two years ago, is leaving Channel 5 to anchor in Charlotte, N.C.

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080401/ENT/80401006/1025

WLEX and WPSD Big Winners at Kentucky AP Awards

WPSD-TV and WLEX-TV were big winners at the Kentucky Associated Press Broadcasters 2008 awards presentation.

The broadcasters group is made up of Kentucky radio and television stations who are members of The Associated Press. Stations in Louisville and Lexington are in Class One and all others in Class Two. The awards were presented Tuesday in Lexington.


http://www.lex18.com/Global/story.asp?S=8100774

The Electric Company is Coming Back!!

" 'The Electric Company' is coming back" as a different series "from the one many parents grew up with in the 1970s," Knell said. "The Electric Company" was a PBS program produced from 1971 until 1977 and aimed at elementary schoolchildren.

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080401/COLUMNISTS15/804010347/1010/FEATURES

Will Evansville Get Another Bowling Show?

Recently, I was walking through Franklin Lanes reminiscing with Dave King about the glory days of bowling in Evansville when we started talking about the Bowling Skins Game on WEVV and TSN Channels 44 and 63 in the 90's.

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2008/mar/30/30c13crowley/

Massey CEO Accused of Assaulting ABC Producer in West Virginia

Massey Energy Co.'s chief executive threatened to shoot an ABC News producer and tore his shirt collar when the newsman made an unannounced attempt to interview him in a parking lot at one of the coal company's offices, a network spokesman said Thursday.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/W/WV_COAL_EXECUTIVE_SCUFFLE_KYOL-?SITE=TNCLA&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

April Fool's Prank Press Release Makes it on Station's News

Not in our market, but still funny.


Fox4 fell hard Tuesday for an April Fool's joke about a $900 million retractable roof to be built over the Texas Motor Speedway.

Anchor Dan Godwin put the "story" out on the station's noon newscast before retracting it on the air later.

The fake news came in a press release and Web site posting from paddocktalk.com. But a subhead should have been enough to warn most people off. "Alluring Project Requires Incredible Logistics For Oval Of Landmark Significance," it read. Spell out the first letters of those words and it reads "April Fools."

Another tipoff was the phony name of the "project manager," Sidd Finch. That's the made-up moniker of a pitching phenom in a famous April Fool's hoax article written in 1985 for Sports Illustrated by George Plimpton. The phony New York Mets prospect supposedly could throw a 168 mph fastball.

http://www.unclebarky.com/dfw_files/45c8e45fd5a31cf5fc7790f855670ad0-620.html

News Over Wireless Broadens Verizon Deal

News Over Wireless, a subsidiary of Capitol Broadcasting that has partnered with more than 80 local TV stations to deliver news video to cellular-phone users, significantly expanded its service by striking a deal with Verizon Wireless to carry its stations’ video content as part of Verizon’s V CAST download service.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/index.asp?layout=article&articleid=CA6546983&industryid=47171

TV Media Finally Feeling Print Media's Pain

When five longtime on-air journalists were laid off this week at CBS 5-TV (KPIX) in San Francisco, many viewers and analysts were left scratching their heads. Local TV news stations post a 20 percent profit, and ratings for the CBS-owned and -operated station are solid. Plus, election years like this one - with high voter interest - are a godsend to local TV stations for the mounds of campaign advertising they bring.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/01/BUUQVU7F9.DTL

Major Cuts at CBS O&O's

This may not affect any of us, but it shows what could happen on any given day. This is from "Shoptalk" at TVSpy.com



The house cleaning and budget cuts continue at more of the CBS O&O's.

Yesterday, WCBS in New York, WBBM in Chicago, KPIX in San Francisco and WBZ in Boston were all hit with cuts. I should add a important 'by the way' here...some keep calling these "layoffs," but as one manager told me "layoffs imply these employees might be called back...no, these are cuts."

Of course, these latest cuts are in addition to the ones already announced in Sacramento, Miami, Denver, Dallas, Pittsburgh and Minneapolis. Rob Owen at the Post-Gazette has a blurb about the Pittsburgh KDKA cuts in this morning's edition.

But one of biggest CBS stations hit is in Boston.

WBZ in Boston whacked 30 jobs yesterday. The headline for Jessica Heslam's story calls it "Black Monday"

Last night, I read about the Kirtzman and Weinberger cuts on the blog NewsByte2 where it was pointed out that WCBS wasted no time in pulling the Kirtzman and Weinberger bios and photos from the WCBS.com website


I'll have more on the WCBS cuts in a piece this morning from Richard Huff at the New York Daily News and stories on the cuts from Chicago and Dallas. ShopTalk also hears that KCBS in Los Angeles made cuts...more on that in tomorrow's edition of ShopTalk.

One additional note on the CBS cuts. A week or so ago, one CBS O&O manager shared with me his upset over postings at the TVSPY.com Watercooler and how posters had characterized his station's cuts as a "blood bath." Maybe that's not a fair assessment for his station, but I think it's fair to label it a "blood bath" across the CBS group.

Era of the Celebrity Newscaster Over?

This article is from Boston, but thought it was very relevant to those of us who live, work, and love local TV.



The buyouts this week of three of WBZ-TV's highest-paid star reporters, including sportscasting legend Bob Lobel, could signal the end of the celebrity lineup at local news stations struggling with declining advertising revenues and shrinking viewership.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/04/03/era_of_the_celebrity_broadcaster_fades_on_local_tv/

Local TV No Longer Cash Cow - What's Your Opinion

Interesting article on local TV. Do you think it has fallen this far?



For decades, local TV stations in cities like Baltimore were cash cows for the companies that owned them. Even though one or two stations with the most popular anchors often came to dominate each market, everybody made money. Local TV was that surefire a business - even for last-place and poorly managed stations.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bal-te.to.localtv03apr03,0,3748488.story

Longtime WHAS Meteorologist Announces Retirement

When Ken Schulz started doing the weather on WHAS-TV in 1978, gas cost about 63 cents a gallon, "Grease" was a hit at the movies and "Laverne & Shirley" was No. 1 in the television ratings.

Yesterday, gas was going for more than five times that amount when WHAS and Schulz announced he will be retiring May 21 after almost 30 years on the air.

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080402/COLUMNISTS15/804020819&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL