"That Can't Be Him"

"That Can't Be Him"

Yesterday, FTVLive told you about WMTW ReporterNorm Karkos and the missing man.

Karkos was doing live hits about the search for a 72 year old man that was missing. The man walked right up to Karkos while he was on camera.

Karkos exchanged ​pleasantries with the man but it did click that this was the same guy he was reporting about. 

“I just looked at him and I was thinking, that can’t be him,” Karkos, an anchor-reporter, told the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday.

“I was doing a double take, and he says, ‘Don’t put me on television,’ and I said, ‘I won’t,’ and I saw him walking a little farther and going toward a garage," Karkos said.

McDonough then circled back while Karkos did his live broadcast about McDonough’s disappearance -- as McDonough watched.

“We wrapped up, and he kind of approaches me, and he says ‘So?’ And I said, ‘So what?’ And he said, ‘Don’t you want to talk to me?’ ”

More after the hop.  ​

Read More

O-Town Station Starting 4PM

os-martie-salt-and-bob-opsahl-20130529.jpeg

The Doctor is Out at WFTV in Orlando.​

The O-Town station is starting up a 4PM newscast that will replace Dr. Oz. The Doc's show is being moved to 3PM.

The newscast, anchored Bob Opsahl, Martie Salt is expected to hit the air June 10th. 

The moves are long-term, WFTV General Manager Shawn Bartelt said. "Dr. Oz should be strong in the 3 p.m. time period with the 'General Hospital' lead-in," she said. " 'Feud' performs well with both women and men viewers. And our Eyewitness News viewer will know they can get the jump on major news, breaking news and weather at 4."

The moves could help bolster WFTV's 5 p.m. news, which fell behind WESH-Channel 2 and WOFL-Channel 35 in the 25-to-54 age group during the May ratings period.

H/T Orlando Sentinel ​

CNBC Pulls Plug on "Crowd Rules"

Screen Shot 2013-05-30 at 6.42.14 AM.png

NY!'s Pat Kiernan was given the chance to do more than a cable news show in New York City. ​

He was given his on show on CNBC called "Crowd Rules." ​The show was a business competition show that Kiernan hosted along with jewelry designer Kendra Scott.

It's been on the air just a few weeks, so we decided to check in and see how it is going for the local news anchor?​

Not good.​

CNBC has already canceled the show ​and you knew it wasn't going to last long when drew a dismal 47,000 viewers in its debut airing.

Oh well, back to local cable news.​

Zucker Slams Fox News, MSNBC

Zucker Slams Fox News, MSNBC

CNN Boss Jeff Zucker took some swipes at both Fox News and MSNBC.​

“Those two channels are covering political news. We’re covering politics and much more,” Jeff Zucker said of the two. “Our competition now is two political channels that have actually left most of the actual news coverage to the side,” he also said. 

​Zucker made the comments at this year’s D11 conference in Ranchos Palos Verdes.

“News is how you define it, we define it broadly as news and information. We’re expanding the audience that is watching CNN. In order to be successful, we need to bring new viewers,” he added stressing that elements of CNN programming have more in common now with Discovery and Nat Geo than FNC and MSNBC. “

​More after the hop.  

Read More

Life After Fox News

Life After Fox News

Yes, there is life after Fox News.

Sarah Palin “parted ways” with the network in January. Dick Morris was gone the following month. Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum were suspended as contributors in March 2011 while they considered presidential runs. They haven’t come back.

Being escorted — or, in some cases, shoved — off Fox News’s big stage has tested the ability of the four to find ways to stay relevant, whether through social media, books, radio shows, public appearances or other projects. In the time since these former high-profile paid commentators departed the most-watched news channel in the country — and its unquestionably massive media platform — they’ve all remade their media personas with varying degrees of success.

Who's stayed relevant and who's wilted away? After the bounce. ​

Read More

Producer Opening in Savannah

nowhiring-e1367347681276.jpg

If you're looking for a beautiful place to live, a producer job has opened up in Savannah, Georgia.

We're fairly certain ​you're not going to get rich on this job (Savannah is the 96th market) but you could find a lot worse places to work. 

Here's the job posting:​

WJCL/WTGS is looking for a strong Newscast Producer to supervise the production and execution of daily newscasts. WJCL/WTGS is located in beautiful Coastal Georgia.

Experience:
Candidates must have two (2) years of newsroom experience. Producing experience preferred.

Requirements:
Candidate will be responsible for management of writing deadlines and supervision of our branding position.  Strong news judgment is a must.

Additional Information:
We are an aggressive newsroom located in the historical city of Savannah with a wide viewing area that includes South Carolina.

Contact:

Please send resumes to: hr@wjcl.com. No phone calls.

Changing Channels

N.S. Bienstock is proud to announce the following job placements:

ALI VELSHI joins Al Jazeera America as Anchor of their prime time business show, which is in development.

DAVID MUIR has been named Co-Anchor of 20/20 on ABC News, in addition to anchoring World News with David Muir on Saturdays and Sundays, and his duties as a correspondent.

TOM MAZZARELLI returns to NBC as a Co-Executive Producer of the “Today Show.”

NATALIE MORALES to co-host NBC News’ Peacock Productions produced special for Discovery Channel, where daredevil Nik Wallenda attempts to walk across the Grand Canyon on a tightrope.

KAREN FINNEY joins N.S. Bienstock as a new client and has been named Anchor of her own one hour show on MSNBC airing Saturdays and Sundays.  She was previously a contributor for the network.

NICK PATON WALSH joins N.S. Bienstock as a new client and returns to CNN International as a Senior Correspondent.

DON DAHLER joins CBS News as a New York Correspondent.  Previously, Don was a weekend Anchor/Reporter for WCBS.

JEFF PEGUES is joining CBS News as a Correspondent based in Washington, DC, after 10 years of award winning Reporting at WABC-TV in New York City.

More Bienstock Clients moves after the jump.   

Read More

Spinning the Numbers in Tampa

Spinning the Numbers in Tampa

Looks like St. Petersburg CBS affiliate WTSP-Ch. 10 won May’s competitive “sweeps” ratings period, according to a press release pronouncing it “Tampa Bay’s most-watched television station.”

But hold on. Across the pond, Tampa Fox station WTVT-Ch. 13 claims to be “the dominant source overall in key adults” during early newscasts.

And Tampa ABC station affiliate WFTS-Ch. 28 trumpets a “historic change in Tampa Bay area TV news,” noting it has beaten all other late night newscasts among the most sought after viewers for the third year in a row.

Welcome to the most popular sport after a “sweeps” ratings period; citing ratings data which makes your channel look good as possible.

More after the jump.  ​

Read More

The Best Person I Ever Worked With...

Screen Shot 2013-05-29 at 9.34.31 AM.png

People often ask me in all the years I have worked in TV news, who is the best person I ever worked with.?

I have said before that the first person that pops into my head is Robin Meade. Robin is the morning Anchor at HLN and she and I worked together years ago in Miami.

Robin was great on air, professional off air and just one of the nicest people that I ever met. ​

But, after thinking more about it, I think Robin might have to move down to the second spot on my list of best people I have ever worked with. ​

Sorry Robin.​

​Find out who moves to the top of the list and why? It's posted in ScottLand

Larry King Has New Show on Russian TV

Screen Shot 2013-05-29 at 8.54.12 AM.png

146 year old Larry King is coming back to TV, but not CNN

King will host a new TV show on Russian network RT.

“I have interviewed every US president since Nixon (we could have sworn he also talked to President Lincoln once), and lest people forget, I helped usher Ross Perot into the national conversation during the 1992 presidential contest. I appreciate the importance of providing a platform to those with real alternative visions for our country’s future,” said King.

RT says that the "mold-breaking political talk show" will go on the air next month.

We can hardly wait. ​

Reporter Fired Because he Was "Painful to Watch"

Reporter Fired Because he Was "Painful to Watch"

WHP CBS 21 (Harrisburg,Pa) Reporter Kirk Wilson is no longer with the station. According to an email that News Director David Baer sent to the staff, Wilson "resigned."

But, Wilson says that was not the case.​

Kirk Wilson is the former Mayor in Carlisle, Pa and he says he was let go from the station because according to Baer he was "painful to watch."​

After the email went out to the staff from Baer saying that Wilson "resigned," Wilson went onto his Facebook page to set the record straight:​

"I understand the news director at WHP issued an email to the staff saying I resigned. True, I signed a letter, but he's being disingenuous....

Read the rest after the jump.  ​

Read More

MSNBC Sinks in the Ratings

Screen Shot 2013-05-29 at 6.21.02 AM.png

After a strong February book, MSNBC Boss Phil Griffin boasted that his network was taking aim at Fox News.

He said he expected MSNBC to pass Fox News in the ratings by the end of 2014.​

So how is that race for the top going for Griffin and MSNBC?​

The cable network finished the May book in 4th.​

Ouch!​

"Phil Griffin is either, Very confident,  very optimistic , or he's smoking crack,"
FTVLive wrote back in March when Griffin was making his predictions of passing Fox News. ​

As FTVLive predicted, Chris Hayes show "All in" is leading the charge to the bottom of the ratings.​ Hayes show reached a ratings low during the May book. On May 14 the show pulled in just 396,000 and its second-lowest demo audience of just 88,000.

It might be time for ​Griffin in the gang at MSNBC to take their focus off of Fox News and worry more about getting out of the ratings basement. Maybe try focusing on getting to number 3 in the ratings, before worrying about number 1.

Just a thought. ​

Longtime Big Easy Anchor Cutting Back to Part Time

Longtime Big Easy Anchor Cutting Back to Part Time

WDSU anchor Norman Robinson will sign off on his last regular 10 p.m. newscast Tonight, and begin part-time status at the station until his planned full retirement in June 2014. Robinson, who is 62 and has been part of the New Orleans TV-news scene since 1976, will continue as a 6 p.m. anchor until he retires.

“This is something that I negotiated three years ago,” Robinson said. “I had planned to do it before now, but Katrina interrupted things.

“The timing’s right for me. I happen to be working for a company with great benefits, so I can do what I’m doing.

More after the leap.  ​

Read More

Former Cable Anchor Now Commercial Actor

Geico has the gecko. Progressive has Flo. And Allstate has…Nicole Lapin?

Cable and business news viewers know Lapin as a former anchor for CNN and CNBC. For a brief time in the summer of 2011, she was also one-half of what the New York Observer deemed to be a “New York media power couple” with the Times’Brian Stelter.

Lapin left CNBC in 2011 to start Nothing But Gold Productions to create content, as she told Adweek, to “demystify Wall Street and personal finance for a younger generation.” She currently hosts a show called Recessionista for Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim’s Ora TV and, according to her website, “regularly appears as a financial expert on CNN, Entertainment Tonight, and talks shows, including The Wendy Williams Show.”

She also does ads. In this one, Lapin plays a financial expert who advises a couple on ways to save money on their insurance.

“Energy-efficient appliances, you can get a tax write-off for those,” she says before adding, “A programmable thermostat. Very smart, saves money.”

BuzzFeed

Ummmm....That's the Guy!

Screen Shot 2013-05-29 at 7.22.08 AM.png

WMTW News 8 in Maine was doing a story on a 73-year-old Limington man who had been missing for more than 14 hours.

Reporter Norm Karkos was doing live hits on the story while authorities were searching for Robert McDonough, who they say who suffers from dementia.

The camera was rolling on Karkos between live shots and a man can be seen walking about behind the Reporter.

Karkos looks the man right in the face and says hello to him. Even though Karkos had been reporting on the missing man all morning, he doesn't realize that THIS IS THE GUY!

They finally did figure out it was the man the authorities were looking for and they contacted them. 

Watch the video of the guy walk right up to the crew on the station's website.​