NBC News "Big" Story

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NBC News "Big" Story

In case you thought NBC News was just filled with fluff and no hard news, check out this story on NBCnews.com.​

This is some hard news (pun totally intended).​

A new study shows that women prefer ​a man that has a large penis. 

NBC writes that “Penis size does affect attractiveness,” lead author Brian Mautz, a University of Ottawa post-doctoral researcher said in an NBCNews.com interview.

Past research has seemed to indicate that women, as a group, are drawn to larger male members. But those results have been disputed as sexist, or scientifically flawed, or both.

More after the bounce  ​

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MSNBC Anchor Doubles Down

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MSNBC Anchor Doubles Down

Yesterday, FTVLive told you that MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry, host of a Sunday morning MSNBC show that bears her name, cut the promo spot to promote her program. 

In the spot Harris-Perry says 'We have never invested as much in public education as we should have,' Harris-Perry says in the ad, 'because we've always had kind of a private notion of children: "Your kid is yours, and totally your responsibility." We haven't had a very collective notion of "these are our children."'

The promo got the right wing up and flying. ​Harris-Perry took heat from both the Beauty and the Beast (Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh). 

Harris-Perry says she has "no intention of apologizing" for her ad.

​He response to the Right after the bounce  

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CNN Throwing it Against the Wall and See if it Sticks Strategy

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CNN Throwing it Against the Wall and See if it Sticks Strategy

It appears that Jeff Zucker's new strategy at CNN is just ​take a show idea and throw it against the wall and see it it sticks.

Last week, CNN unveiled a new show called '(Get to) The Point'...the show never did get to the point and was cancelled 4 days later.​

The Washington Post writes that Zucker, 48, has come into his new job like a man rummaging through the contents of a cluttered attic. He has hired, fired and reshuffled anchors and hosts (out: Soledad O’Brien,Ali Velshi), added new producers and pared CNN’s long list of talking heads (out: Mary Matalin, James Carville, Roland Martin, Bill Bennett). He has whipped a sports show onto the weekend schedule and added a newsy weekday afternoon program, hosted by ABC News defector Jake Tapper.

Read more after the leap  ​

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Alec Baldwin to NBC's Late Night?

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Alec Baldwin to NBC's Late Night?

Looks like you can add Alec Baldwin's name to the mix when talking about NBC's late night shows.​

The NY Times writes that the most likely landing place for a show hosted by Mr. Baldwin would be in the latest of NBC’s entries, the show now called “Last Call.” That half-hour interview program currently stars Carson Daly.

Mr. Daly is also the host of NBC’s biggest show, “The Voice.”

NBC is in the midst of what looks like a complete overhaul of its late-night lineup. Last week, the network confirmed that Jimmy Fallon, now host of NBC’s “Late Night,” would be taking over the “Tonight” from Jay Leno when he steps down next February. The show will move from Los Angeles to New York with Mr. Fallon as star.

More after the skip  ​

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St. Louis Station Looking for Producer

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St. Louis Station Looking for Producer

Have you ever wanted to live in the city of Cardinals and Budweiser?

Here's your chance as there is an opening for a producer at KMOV in St. Louis.​

Here's the listing:​

KMOV-TV has an opening for a Newscast Producer. This candidate must have solid news judgment and must know how to put production values to great use. This candidate must also be able to cultivate sources and create story ideas. This person may also be asked to produce pieces for various newscasts and special projects.

More, plus where to send your resume after the jump  ​

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Cops Figure out the Cause to the Katie Couric Ghost Calls

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Cops Figure out the Cause to the Katie Couric Ghost Calls

Back on Valentines Day, FTVLive told you about something strange going on with Katie Couric's late husband's phone. ​

Couric was rattled by a bizarre series of early morning 911 calls made from a home phone registered to her dead husband, police sources said.

Every Tuesday at 2 a.m., Jay Monahan’s phone dials 911. And each time, a patrol officer near her Park Ave. home has been forced to respond. The calls, at least 10 since last month, are under investigation, the police sources said.

Couric  was so worried that she called Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.

“So I called Ray Kelly, who I know just through the years seeing at different things. ‘Ray, this is so weird but can you help me? I don’t know what to do,’” Couric said, according to a member of the audience.

Well now cops have figured out what happened.

What it was after the hop  ​

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A Good Week for BriWi

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Along with learning that his Daughter is influencing what parents name their kids, Brian Williams also had a good week in the ratings. 

“NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams” was the most-watched network evening newscast for the week ending April 5, 2013, according to Nielsen Media Research data. The NBC broadcast averaged 8.375 million total viewers, +974,000 more than ABC “World News,” and +1,961,000 more than CBS “Evening News.”

NBC also had it's best week in the demos in the past month.

Nightly drew its best total viewer delivery and A25-54 rating in four weeks (since week of 3/4/13). 

Struggling NY Station Names New News Director

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Struggling NY Station Names New News Director

WPIX has finally gotten around to hiring a new News Boss for the struggling station.​

The station has gone with longtime news veteran Mark Effron.

Effron will become Vice President/News Director starting April 17.

Effron has 30 years of television news management experience, most notably at MSNBC and Post-Newsweek.

At MSNBC, Effron was Vice President of News and Daytime Programming; while at the helm he reorganized MSNBC Daytime and led the expansion of weekend programming for the network.  

Prior to his post at MSNBC, Effron was the Vice President of News at Post-Newsweek, the broadcasting division of The Washington Post, Inc. 

The oblatory quotes after the jump  ​

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'Missing" Anchor Returns But says Nothing about the Incident

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'Missing" Anchor Returns But says Nothing about the Incident

KEYT anchor Paula Lopez returned to the air last night and as FTVLive predicted, she said nothing about the day she went missing and the search to find her.​

But, Lopez did talk to the local media outlet and blamed her strange disappearance partly (like all celebrities that are admitted to a hospital) on dehydration. 

​Noozhawk writes that a combination of working too much (might be the first local news anchor in history to work too much) while neglecting medical issues — including pneumonia and dehydration — caused the deterioration of KEYT News anchor Paula Lopez’s health six weeks ago...

More after the jump  ​

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O-Town Reporter Cried When Her Head was Shaved

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O-Town Reporter Cried When Her Head was Shaved

Traffic reporter Jessica Sanchez, now bald, returned briefly Tuesday to WKMG-Channel 6's morning news to discuss her battle against non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

She shared footage of her head being shaved Saturday. Her hair had been falling out from chemotherapy. She passed on wearing a wig on the air after getting advice from Facebook friends.

"Everyone said, 'You know what? Your hair doesn't define you.' And I said, 'Oh, well, then I should start trying to live that,' " Sanchez said.

"It's just very therapeutic for me to be open about what I'm going through," she said. "I want to be able to show everyone that it's just hair, and I can do this, and I can be strong through this."

Sanchez told her WKMG colleagues that she cried after her head was shaved.

The video of her getting her head shaved after the skip  ​

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Non-Compete Bill Proposed in Nevada

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There is a bill weaving it's way through the Nevada Senate, they could have wide reaching impact on people that work in TV News.

Senate Bill 422 would make it illegal for TV station from having non-competes in employees contracts. 

If passed the bill could be adopted by other states and could change the landscape of how TV contracts are drawn up. 

Either way, it will be an interesting story to watch. ​

Here's a link to the full bill as proposed

WABC Wants in on Mayoral Debates

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WABC Wants in on Mayoral Debates

When WABC wasn't picked this year as one of the stations to hold a debate for the office of NY Mayor, they decided on plan 'B'.​

They'll have their own private debate.​

The station has decided to air a privately held mayoral debate after getting shut out by the city agency responsible for running the debates this year.

The official debates — coordinated by the NYC Campaign Finance Board — are scheduled for later this year and will air on NY1, WCBS and WNBC, the NY Daily News has learned.

More after the hop  ​

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