CNN's Zucker: Twitter is a Frenemy

/
CNN's Zucker: Twitter is a Frenemy

Jeff Zucker spoke to The Atlanta Press Club yesterday about a number of topics.​

The Zuck compared CNN to something in the trunk of your car.​

He said that CNN is like the "spare tire in the trunk."

"You only take it out when you really need it," Zucker told a packed Atlanta Press Club luncheon. "It's not one of the four tires on the car all the time. The challenge for us is how to make CNN more essential, how to make it one of the four tires on the car."

He said he doesn't have a magic formula to solve this intractable problem for the TV network, which has suffered languid ratings during times when there is no breaking news.

"I don't have all the answers," he said. "I don't even have half the answers."​

What Zucker says about Twitter after the hop  ​

Read More

The Very First Tweet of the Bombings

/
The Very First Tweet of the Bombings

Social media once again to center stage in the bombings in Boston. ​

You were getting eyewitness accounts just seconds after the bombs went off. Pictures and information became a valuable source for the Main Stream Media as well.​

Twitter Pics were used on newscasts all over the country and Reporters used social media to reach out to people that may have witnessed the ​bombings.

It appears that Kristen ​Surman was the first person to tweet that there was an explosion at the Boston Marathon. Her tweet went out exactly at the same time police say the first bomb went off.

See her Tweet just seconds after the bomb went off, after the jump  ​

​

Read More

Covering the Boston Bombings

/
Covering the Boston Bombings

It is tragic events such as the Boston Bombings that TV News brings people together with a urge for information.​

“Of all places, of all days, this was Patriots’ Day in Boston,” said Brian Williams.

“Cities around this nation are on high alert,” said Diane Sawyer.

“At least two people are dead, although that number is expected to change,” said Scott Pelley.

For the most part TV news did a very good job of getting out information and not over hyping a story that needed no hype.​

The tone by almost all the networks was reserved and professional. 

But, in what is now the the norm, the news first broke on Social Media. Messages were going out on Twitter and Facebook about the explosions at the Boston Marathon a good 10 minutes before any of the cable nets broke the news.​

Which cable net made the biggest mistake? Find out after the jump ​

Read More

Photog's Eyewitness Account of the Bombings

/
Photog's Eyewitness Account of the Bombings

Boston Globe photographer John Tlumacki, who photographed the explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Tlumacki, who has photographed more than 20 marathons in his 30 years at the Globe, describes the sheer chaos of the scene:

I was covering the finish line at the ground level at the marathon. Everything was going on as usual. It was jovial — people were happy, clapping — and getting to a point where it gets a little boring as a photographer. And then we heard this explosion.

It was sort of like, ok, what’s that all about? It wasn’t super loud but all you saw was the smoke. There was this big cloud of smoke and people screaming. The percussion from that explosion threw my cameras up in the air. Right in front of me, one of the runners fell on the ground — he was blown over from the blast. My instinct was…no matter what it is, you’re a photographer first, that’s what you’re doing.

 More after the hop

Read More

Cue the Idiots

/
Cue the Idiots

As FTVLive has pointed out, the networks did well in their coverage of the Boston Bombings.​

Then you have the idiots like Conservative Erik Rush. (FTVLive Note: Earlier we quoted an website that said Rush was a Fox News Contributor. He has been a guest on Fox News, but is not paid by the Network. We have corrected the error.)

Rush responded to the Boston Marathon bombing by suggesting that we round up Saudis and then kill them — but don’t worry, he was mostly joking.

More after the bounce ​

Read More

No Faith for NBC's Sunday Football

/
No Faith for NBC's Sunday Football

Faith Hill won't be waiting all day for Sunday night this fall.

The country star announced on Twitter Monday that she'll no longer sing the intro to NBC's Sunday Night Football. Her tune, "Waiting All Day for Sunday Night" was a takeoff on the Joan Jett classic "I Hate Myself for Loving You."

"Amazing 2 have been part of SNF - an honor. I've just let everyone there know it's time 2 let someone else rock the open," she tweeted. Hill, 45, added, "….Difficult decision. Kinda emotional. Love all u guys at SNF - I'll b watching!!!"

More after the leap ​

Read More

Devlin Design Wins Set of the Year

/
214.jpg

Devlin Design Group walked away with with Best Local News Set of the Year Award.

For a second year in a row, DDG captured NewsCastStudio’s Set Madness award for Best Local News Set of the Year for 2012!

This year the set DDG designed for KCRG-TV beat out some tough competition; WTVJ, WCNC, WXTV, WEWS, KSTU, WITI, KERO, WYFF, and KSL-TV were all in the running.  Two other DDG designs were also nominated this year; WPMI-TV made it to the first round and  WTMJ-TV made it to the third round!

NewsCastStudio.com is considered the broadcast industry authority for set design and graphics.  ​

You can see more pictures of the set here ​

Boston Anchor's Day goes from Great to Nightmare

/

WBZ Anchor Jonathan Elias saw his day go from one extreme to the other.

He was working the Boston Marathon and was enjoying the 117th running of the great race.​

He posted this to his Facebook page around 3PM:​

Screen Shot 2013-04-15 at 6.54.41 PM.png

Not long after that post, two explosions went off near the finish line and right near where Elias was stationed.​

He followed up with this post to his Facebook page:​

Screen Shot 2013-04-15 at 6.55.07 PM.png

Conflicting Media Reports on Boston Explosions

/
Conflicting Media Reports on Boston Explosions

When something like the explosions that happened Today at the Boston Marathon, it is expected that some of the early media reports may not be totally accurate. 

But, in these times of get it first and worry about the facts later, there were a number of conflicting reports.​

The confusion surrounding the Boston marathon attacks was exacerbated by a welter of conflicting media reports about everything from the number of injuries and fatalities to the existence of a third explosion at the JFK Library.

The New York Post, Fox News and NBC News all reported that someone was being held in connection with the explosions.

 More after the jump 

Read More

3 Kids Died...Let's Dance!

/
3 Kids Died...Let's Dance!

From the "what the Hell were they Thinking" department, WITI-TV (Milwaukee) reporter Angelica Duria was roped into performing a promotional-type dance video while on assignment at a fire scene in West Allis where three children died.

The video featured Duria and the giddy “Wake Up News” team - anchors Kim Murphy and Shawn Patrick, reporter Laura Langemo and behind-the-scenes personnel - all doing a twitchy dance called the Dougie, based on a hip-hop song.

Duria filmed her part while at the fire scene, and the others were in the studio. Videos of each of them were edited together and posted on the station’s website and Facebook page Friday morning not long after Duria reported on the fire for the “WakeUp News” broadcast.

“The Fox 6 WakeUp Crew has a blast doing the Dougie,” the cutline to the video reads.

"We're going to go clubbing with Angelica on the weekend," says Patrick during the video. 

What the GM says after the bounce ​

Read More

Gannett Sports Anchor Needs to Go...NOW!

/
Gannett Sports Anchor Needs to Go...NOW!

FTVLive told you that WGRZ (Buffalo) longtime Sports Anchor Ed Kilgore was leaving the station at the end of the May book.​

He is leaving to go work for ​Terry Pegula, who owns the NHL's Buffalo Sabres. 

There was some question about Kilgore staying on at the station while covering the team that his new boss owns. The Gannett station ​said at the time that "Kilgore’s new job wouldn’t involve the Sabres and added that meant he could continue to be objective covering the team."

Well it looks like there has already been a bit of a conflict with Kilgore and his new boss that more than blurred the line. ​

What went down after the jump  ​

Read More

Zucker Poaching 'Katie' Executives

/
Zucker Poaching 'Katie' Executives

CNN's Jeff Zucker is back to poaching and this time he is taking from his buddy Katie Couric. ​

Michael Bass and longtime friend of Zuck is leaving asthe Co-Ep for "Katie" and headed to CNN.

Zucker and Bass have a history together since they worked together at "Today." 

But that might not be the only person that Zucker is looking to swipe from Couric;'s show. ​

Find out who after the leap  ​

Read More