"Oh My God"

Oklahoma TV news crews are used to covering tornados.

No one was used to covering what happened Yesterday in Moore, OK.​

A twister cut a mile and half wide path of destruction through ​town ripping through homes, businesses churches and schools.

KFOR Reporter Larry West was on the phone talking to anchors back out the station. He was standing at the what used to be the elementary school in Moore. While he was describing the scene he started to cry. A reporter that has been covering tornados and the damage they leave behind for the past 18 years, was doing a phoner and it all became too much, he broke down.

In just a matter of seconds, everyone watching and all those back at the station knew how bad it was.

Almost 100 people dead, at least 20 of them children, it was a nightmare in Moore.​

TV News Choppers ​became invaluable in showing the damage. 

KFOR Pilot Jon Welsh was one of the first over the scene, his words again told everyone  that covering this storm was going to be different. 

“Oh, my God,” he said, grasping for words as he spotted one of the schools obliterated by the tornado.   

Welsh talked to police in choppers flying near him, he asked them if they needed him to help in anyway.

Welsh told viewers that he "could care less about getting the pictures" it was about trying to do whatever he could to help. ​

For all those news people in Oklahoma that have covered hundreds of storms, it took them a matter of minutes to know that this one was different than all the rest. ​

Networks Head to Oklahoma

NBC's Today Show was supposed to come to you from Yellowstone National Park this  morning.

It won't.​

​NBC scrapped the plan last night and is sending the entire Today Show crew to Moore instead. 

NBC also has Brian Williams on the way to Moore. CBS says Scott Pelley's broadcast will also emulate from Oklahoma ​as well.

CNN is sending in their "A" team as well. Anderson Cooper, Wolf Blitzer and Jake Tapper will be some some of the CNN Anchors doing their shows live from the scene. ​

The Boston Bombings, the missing girls in Cleveland and now the deadly tornado in Moore. It has been a May ratings book like no one can remember. 

Watch it Become a Monster

This raw video was shot Yesterday in Newcastle, OK. This is the tornado as it was just forming and making it's way to Moore.

Former NY Anchor Scheduled to Appear in Court

Former WCBS Anchor Rob Morrison is expected to be back in court Today.​

Morrison faces felony strangulation charges after cops say he choked his wife, CBS MoneyWatch anchor Ashley Morrison back in February.

Police also claim he threatened to kill his wife while he was being booked into jail.

Morrison denies the choking incident and the threats on his wife's life.

After Tornado, CBS Pulls Plug on Sitcom

CBS wisely shelved last night's episode of Mike and Molly.​

Even though it was the season finale, the network said it was going to air it last night. 

“Due to the tragic events this afternoon in Oklahoma, we are pre-empting tonight’s season finale of Mike & Molly, which has a related storyline," CBS said in a statement.

​The season closer featured a tornado hitting Chicago.

Here's the official description for the finale: "Mike and Carl get stuck working at the Renaissance Faire after their boss, Patrick, gets dumped by Mike's mother. Later, as a tornado descends on Chicago, Mike and Molly each confess important news to each other."

Instead, a Mike & Molly repeat will air in its place. The season finale will be broadcast "at an appropriate date."

H/T Hollywood Reporter

Robin Meade to Sing National Anthem at NASCAR Race

It's not the first time she's done it.​

FTVLive favorite, HLN Anchor Robin Meade will be belting out the national anthem at NASCAR's Coke 600 race in Charlotte. 

Meade will also be the emcee for a special pre-race salute to 10,000 U.S. troops according to Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Before the race gets underway, Meade will perform the national anthem.

This isn't Meade's first time singing the Star-Spangled Banner at a NASCAR event.

She performed the national anthem for the Coke 400 summer race at Daytona International Speedway last year.

Tornados Rip Through the Heartland (Updated)

Stations in Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri are in full tornado coverage mode.

In Moore, Oklahoma a tornado destroyed the town including and an elementary school packed with kids.​

Also at KSNW, the weather anchors bailed on coverage after a tornado was bearing down on the station. You can watch the video below and you can hear the hail just pounding the roof of the station. ​

Update: KFOR Reporter Lance West started crying on the air while doing a phoner back to the station from near the elementary school. ​

Finally the weather anchors bail and head for a storm shelter:​

Ummm... You Might Want to Look Behind You

Brad Gauy noticed something strange while he was watching WTNH's (Hartford)​ newscast. Behind the Anchors in the monitor popped up video of  Anchor Alison Morris.

Just one problem.

Morris is the anchor at the competition across the street at WTIC. ​

Oops!​

The question now has to be, does WTIC get to share the rating numbers pulled in by WTNH?

The Internal Memo

Here is the internal memo sent to the staff at NBC News announcing their new President: ​

From: "Pat Fili-Krushel (NBCUniversal)" <PFKCommunications@nbcuni.com>
Date: May 20, 2013 6:01:00 AM AKDT
To: "@NBC Uni NBC News All" <NBCNewsAll@mail.tfayd.com>
Subject: NBC NEWS ANNOUNCEMENT

All,

I am very pleased to announce that Deborah Turness will be joining us as the new President of NBC News beginning Monday, August 5.  She joins Mark Hoffman, Phil Griffin, Jared DiPalma, Elisabeth Sami, Jo O’Brien and Kathy Kelly-Brown on my News Group leadership team. The NBC News team will continue to operate in the current interim structure.

Deborah joins us from ITN-produced ITV News - the United Kingdom’s most-watched commercial TV news programming - where she served as Editor for nine years, responsible for news programming and coverage for the network, its seven bureaus and all its business operations.  More details about her background are included in the press release below.

Through our partnership with ITN, I know many of you have had the opportunity to work with Deborah over the years. She has earned a reputation for being a strong leader, innovator, and respected journalist and I look forward to her joining NBC News.

I have scheduled a series of meetings tomorrow and Wednesday to introduce Deborah to the team.

I want to take this opportunity to recognize the outstanding work and leadership of the senior team who seamlessly led this organization, never missing a beat, even throughout one of the busiest news cycles in recent memory.

NBC Makes it Official

NBC News has made it official, Deborah Turness is the new President of NBC News. ​

Turness was running ITV News but will take over at NBC News in August.​

"It is quite simply the greatest imaginable honor to be named as the next president of NBC News. I am hugely excited by the opportunities that lie ahead and look forward to working with the talented journalists and technicians who make it one of the great global news operations. I owe so much to ITN for nearly 25 fabulous years of adventures and challenges. It has been a huge privilege to be the editor of ITV News, and to work alongside such a wonderful team of motivated, brave and loyal people," Turness said in a statement. 

Chicago Anchor Headed for the Exits?

FTVLive was the FIRST to tell you on Friday that WBBM in Chicago had parted ways with morning Anchor Susan Carlson.

With still 3 days left in the very important May ratings, the station kicked Carlson to the curb. ​The station has yet to make any official announcement about Carlson leaving. 

But, that might not even be close to the biggest Anchor change at the CBS O&O.​

Sources tell FTVLive that WBBM has started a quiet search to replace ​primary anchor Rob Johnson.

One source tells FTVLive that Johnson will be leaving the station in the very near future and the hunt for a replacement is one.​

No word yet if Johnson is leaving the station voluntarily or forcibly, but either way it is a blow to the station that continues to struggle in the ratings.

Johnson came to WBBM in August 2006 from WLS-TV where he worked since 1998 as weekend anchor and reporter.