Fox Sports 1 is Now Live and on the Air

Fox Sports 1 is now officially on the air and it looking to compete directly with ESPN.  

I Hate Fake Media Friends

It looks like Katie Couric has pissed of Kim Kardashian, big time. 

Word is that  Kardashian threw a hissy fit on  Friday after reading that Couric talked trash about her.

The ugly spat erupted after Couric, 56, said she’s at a loss to explain the Kardashian family’s fame.

“I think it’s mostly teenage girls that are interested,” Couric said in an In Touch interview that hit stands Wednesday.

The casual comment pissed off Kardashian.

She uploaded a picture to her Instagram account of baby clothes and a sugary note from Couric that arrived after the reality star gave birth to her first child.

The normally placid Kardashian showed some teeth by snarking that Couric shouldn’t “talk shit if she’s going to pretend to be nice.”

Her hashtag harangue went on from there.

“#IHateFakeMediaFriends,” she posted next to her snap.

“#MayIHumblySuggestYouNotSendGiftsThenTalkSh*t,” she added.

Couric hastily backpedaled Friday as Kardashian lashed out.

“I’ve met Kim before and I think she's a really sweet person. I was responding to a reporter’s question, and explaining how I’m intrigued by the public’s fascination with her family,” the veteran newswoman said in a statement.

“I didn’t mean to hurt her feelings. The gift is genuine, and I’m happy for Kim and Kanye (West),” Couric added.

FTVLive is not backing down from our comments that we agreed 100% with what Couric said.  

And we didn't send Kardashian anything after she gave birth. Although if we ever did give the baby a gift, we would like to give her new parents. 

H/T NY Daily News

Top 5 Stories for the Week

Here are your Top 5 most read stories on FTVLive the past week. 

No. 5 - HBO's Newsroom - Fiction or Fact?

No. 4 -  Sports Anchor Acts out his Own Highlights

No. 3 -  Weatherman Sues LA Station Over Hiring Hotties

No. 2 -  WHAT THE?

And the most read story on FTVLive last week was: Dissing the Viewer 

Bumped Down in Miami

FTVLive FIRST told you that Fox News Anchor Rick Folbaum was headed to WFOR in Miami and that he would bump longtime Anchor Elliot Rodriquez down the WFOR food chain.

WFOR has finally got around to confirming our report. The station says starting a week from Monday Folbaum will be anchoring the station’s 5:00 and 11:00 p.m. newscast.

Rodriguez stays at 6PM and tacks on the measly Noon show as well.

“I am thrilled to be joining the distinguished news team at CBS4,” Folbaum said in a statement. “Everyone in the news business knows that South Florida is one of the best news markets in the country. I’ve spent lots of time in this area ever since I was a kid. My wife and I are looking forward to raising our own children in this dynamic and diverse community.”

And while Folbaum is  "thrilled to be joining" WFOR.... As for Rodriquez? Not so much. 

Not a Good Sign

Al Jazeera America held a tour of their studios Today. The new cable net is trying to generate as much buzz as possible before their launch next week. They showed off their shiny new sets and newsroom. 

Shortly after the tour was over, the building had to be excavated because of a water leak.

No truth to the rumor that Roger Ailes was spotted in the building with a fire house.  

Hartford ND is Bounced (Update)

Sources tell FTVLive that a news staff meeting was called at WTNH in Hartford. 

GM Mark Higgins announced that News Director Eric Schrader is out.

Assistant ND Al Carl is bumped up the food chain. 

Update: Sources tell FTVLive that Schrader is leaving the station as ND. But is going to become a GM at another LIN station.  

DC Anchor Headed to Philly

Jim Rosenfield's quest to work at every O&O in the country continues. The former WNBC, WCBS, WRC anchor is now headed to WCAU in Philly.

Rosenfield is headed to the NBC O&O in Philly to work on the evening and late newscasts. 

“Jim is a consummate journalist who is respected by his peers as a true professional,” said Anzio Williams, WCAU’s vice president of news. “I’m looking forward to introducing him to our viewers and welcoming him to the NBC10 family.”

Rosenfield comes to WCAU from the Washington, D.C. NBC owned station WRC where he was a weekend anchor and reporter.

H/T Kevin Eck @ TVSpy

Yeah...We'll Do that as Well

A couple of days ago, FTVLive told you that KSNV in Las Vegas was launching a 3PM newscast. 

The new newscast is scheduled to hit the air on Monday. 

In what can only be described as a knee jerk reaction, KTNV in Sin City also had plans to start up a 3PM.

Sources tell FTVLive that yesterday in an impromptu newsroom meeting, the staff was told that hit the air with their new newscast on....you guessed....Monday.

Word is that many in the newsroom were shocked by the news and at least some of them don't think the station is ready.  

The station has 3 days to get a newscast on the air. 

Stay tuned...  

Leaving "The List"

Jan Jeffcoat co-anchor of "The List" is signing off the show Today.  

'The List' is a national news and entertainment show that was started by Scripps. The show has struggled to find it's footing in the ratings and it is now losing it's top anchor. 

Jeffcoat took to her Facebook page to break the news:

 "A year ago, I came and helped launch The List with my good friend and former "Entertainment Tonight" News Director Rick Joyce. It's been an amazing year and I'm excited for the show's future as Season 2 begins. Tomorrow I wrap on The List. 11 years ago, my husband left Beverly Hills and followed me around this country as I moved from Charlotte to Houston to Chicago and then to Phoenix for The List. Now, it's time for me to follow him...home, back to the East Coast. For now, I'm looking forward to being near family. As for my future, I'm excited about the opportunities that lie ahead. Stay tuned... "

Sources tell FTVLive that Jeffcoat already has offers back in news anchoring. Before heading the 'The List" in 2012, Jeffcoat was an anchor at WFLD in Chicago for 5 years.

Jeffcoat is married to top agent Matthew Kingsley. 

Mika Shares her Weight on Twitter

FTVLive long ago quit trying to figure out women. But, we did learn along the way that you should never talk to a lady about her weight. 

But, 'Morning Joe's' Mika Brzezinski not only talks about her weight, she Tweets about it as well.

Brzezinski put on 18 pounds and she was happy about it.   

Brzezinski opened up about her issues with food and her body earlier this year in her book "Obsessed." She said that she spent decades overeating and overexercising in secret, until a heart-to-heart conversation with her friend Diane Smith in 2011.

Brzezinski wrote in a blog post that after that, "My goal was a healthy 135-pound woman who ate a reasonable meal when she was hungry, instead of someone who freaked out when the scale tipped 120 pounds, fought against the urge to eat at every turn, and often felt drained by all that effort."

If you're expecting FTVLive to be tweeting any pictures from our scale....don't.

We chucked that thing in the trash a longtime ago.  The damn thing never did give us the weight we wanted to be. Must have been broken.

H/T HuffPo

He's Back

After sitting on the sidelines for a few months, our man Robert Feder is back in the game.  

Chicago's best Media Critic is launching his own website RobertFeder.com and will be dishing the dirt about Chicago Television. 

Feder was the longtime TV Critic at the Chicago Sun Times, he left the paper as it was starting to become a shell of it's former self. 

He hooked up with the alternative paper Time Out, but it was sold and Feder was once again on the sidelines.

This time it appears that our man has taken a cue from FTVLive and is starting his own website in which he will have total control. But, Feder will still have ties to a Chicago newspaper. 

Feder says his site will be "licensed and marketed by the Chicago Tribune Media Group. Under our agreement, I will retain sole ownership of the website and its content. The Tribune will be responsible for all advertising and technical support."

FTVLive has been in touch with Robert for over a decade and we for one could not be happier that he's back doing what he loves. 

New Deuce Named in Indianapolis

KFVS (Cape Girardeau, MO) assistant news director Jeff Mulligan is keeping his job title but changing stations. MUlligan is headed to Indianapolis to become the Deuce at WISH.

Steve Bray, News Director for WISH-TV has announced Jeff Mulligan has been hired assistant news director of 24-Hour News 8.

Let's see what the Creative Services Department has come up with for Bray's soundbite: about the new hire:

“We are thrilled to have Jeff joining our newsroom,” said Bray.  “His knowledge, experience and journalistic integrity will continue to build on our already strong foundation and our mission to bring the very best news coverage to our viewers.”

Prior to being the assistant news director at KFVS, Mulligan was the executive producer for WDAF, in Kansas City, MO, where he served previously as producer for their morning and late newscasts.  He began his news producing career right here in Indiana at WTWO, in Terre Haute. 

"I'm looking forward to joining the 24-Hour News 8 team,” said Mulligan.  “I'm ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work serving the viewers of Central Indiana."

Just Asking....

Is there anyone working in Houston TV News that is not pregnant?  

NBC is Fully Behind David Gregory (For what it's Worth)

Earlier this week, FTVLive told you that NBC's Meet the Press has watched their ratings to the lowest levels in two decades. 

One NY newspaper hinted that MTP host David Gregory could be on thin ice with the Peacock. Although it should be pointed out that Gregory did recently sign a new deal with the network. 

So what does NBC have to say about Gregory, his low ratings and reports he could be replaced? "There is absolutely zero truth to this. David Gregory and 'Meet the Press' have the full faith and support of NBC News," the spokesperson said.

So that should be good news for Gregory....right?

Yes...except I think I remember NBC saying the same exact thing about Ann Curry at the Today Show. 

How did that work out?  

No! You Can't Be serious?!

OK cable news networks, please tell us you guys are doing this on purpose and Ashton.....errrr Chris Kutcher is going to jump out of our TV set and say we've been punk'd.

A day after FTVLive showed you how MSNBC moved Buffalo, Syracuse and Binghamton across the state on a map, HLN does them one better. 

Nancy Grace's show didn't even get the city in the right state. The show moved  Morehead Lake, Idaho into the middle of Oklahoma. 

I'm sure there is a good Morehead joke to go along with this story, but it's too early.