The Dream Lives

It's been 50 years since the March on Washington and TV networks are planning a lot of coverage Today to mark the event. 

Here is a breakdown of what networks are doing what: 

 ABC News“I Have a Dream” -- four words that helped change the course of American history. ABC News and Yahoo! News will host a first-ever live global broadcast on Wednesday to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s March on Washington and his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. This hybrid digital-television event will be anchored by George Stephanopoulos with Dan Kloeffler from ABC News World Headquarters in New York beginning at 11 a.m. Coverage will be available across all ABC News digital platforms as well as through Yahoo! News. When President Barack Obama speaks from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, ABC News will simulcast a live special report to the ABC Television Network and to the Yahoo!-ABC News Network.

MSNBC The news channel will present special coverage of the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington on Wednesday. This will include live coverage from both Washington, and New York, with Chris Matthews anchoring live from the National Mall throughout the day beginning at 11a.m. After Obama’s remarks at about 4 p.m., MSNBC will present the Rev. Martin Luther King’s entire "I Have a Dream" speech, with the special hour hosted by Tamron Hall. And Chris Hayes will host a special “All In” at 8 p.m., live from Washington.  “All In” will also air King’s "I Have a Dream" speech with limited commercial interruption, followed by commentary and reflection by Hayes and his MSNBC colleagues regarding the historic nature of King’s words. The limited-commercial presentation has been made possible by Bank of America.

CNN The news channel will observe the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington on Wednesday with a re-broadcast of King's “I Have a Dream” speech. The address from five decades ago will air in its entirety. The day’s coverage will be hosted by CNN anchor Don Lemon, with live reporting from correspondents Joe Johns and Athena Jones in the crowds gathered on the National Mall to participate in the events, and commentary from CNN Crossfire host Van Jones and contributions from CNN’s Donna Brazile.

CBS Evening News Anchor and managing editor Scott Pelley will lead CBS News’ live coverage of the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington including President Barack Obama’s speech from the Lincoln Memorial on Wednesday. Coverage begins on "CBS This Morning" at 7 a.m. with reports on the anniversary, and includes live coverage  of President Obama’s remarks Wednesday afternoon. Pelley will be joined by CBS News Chief White House Correspondent Major Garrett from the White House, CBS News Correspondent Jeff Pegues from the National Mall, and presidential historian and CBS News consultant Douglas Brinkley from Washington, D.C.

Struggling NY Station Finally Names Co-Anchor

WPIX made official what just about everyone knew. 

WNBC Anchor Scott Stanford will joining WPIX as main anchor alongside Tamsen Fadal. 

“I am impressed with Scott’s skills as a communicator, his ability to get to the essence of a story and his sports experience, which has proven he is quick on his feet,” said Mark Effron, PIX11 VP/News Director. “Just like our audience, Scott is a local guy who is passionate about this place we call home and I’m certain viewers will appreciate his candor and his personality.”

Stanford has also worked in the New York market at WNYW Fox 5 and WWOR My9. Prior to joining My9, Stanford was the full-time afternoon sports anchor on WCBS Newsradio 880 where was twice awarded the “AIR Award,” which recognized him as the best radio sports anchor in New York City. He began his broadcast career at WFAS in Westchester County and WRKL in Rockland County.

“As a lifelong New Yorker, my entire broadcast career has been based here and I am thrilled to be joining a station with such a strong New York heritage. I have watched PIX11 since I was a kid and I can’t wait to get started in the newsroom,” said Stanford.

He starts September 16th.  

Back To TV News

Regina Waldroup, a former news anchor and reporter at CLTV the Tribune owned cable station in Chicago is coming back to TV news.

Waldroup, who left TV and went into teaching broadcast journalism at two Chicago area colleges, is returning to television news as a part-time reporter for WMAQ.

Our man Robert Feder says that Frank Whittaker, station manager and vice president of news at the NBC O&O, confirmed her hiring Tuesday in a memo:

"Please welcome Regina Waldroup to the newsroom," he told staffers. "Regina is joining us as a per diem reporter and will work part-time to fill out our reporting schedule."

It's a homecoming for Waldroup, who worked earlier in her career as a desk assistant and field producer for WMAQ. After on-air news jobs in Coos Bay, Oregon, and Albany and Elmira, New York, she joined CLTV as an anchor/reporter in 2006. 

Al Jazeera America Launches with Hash Marks

It's not like we didn't say this was going to happen. 

But, the ratings are in for Al Jazeera America's first week and they are in a word awful.

How awful?

If you turn on the channel right now, you will be doubling their ratings. 

OK...maybe it's not that bad, but most of the shows hash marked in the ratings. 

TV Newser says the highest rated show on AJAM last week was the Thursday evening edition of “Real Money with Ali Velshi,” which drew 54,000 total viewers.

When your best show pulls only 54,000 viewers, you know you're in for a long road ahead. The reporter that went topless when she interviewed the Mayor pulled more than 4 times the traffic as AJA's best show and that was just a posted video on YouTube.  

AJA's ratings are awful and we frankly don't see them getting much better.  

The critics can rave about the network all they want, people aren't going to watch it.  

Hang on! Here We Gooooo!

We could see it coming and now it looks like the Fox News vs. Brian Lewis death cage match is about to get started.  

Lewis’s attorney Judd Burstein just released this statement:

I have just been retained and am still plotting our course of action. But two things are very clear to me. First, Brian Lewis no longer has any confidentiality obligation to Newscorp or Roger Ailes because of the false and malicious statements made by Fox to date. Second, Roger Ailes and Newscorp have a lot more to fear from Brian Lewis telling the truth about them than Brian Lewis has to fear from Roger Ailes and his toadies telling lies about Brian Lewis.

Judd Burstein

Oh boy!!! This is going to be fun.

H/T Gawker

Olbermann Back on ESPN2

Last night Keith Olbermann rebuilt the bridge he burned down at ESPN. 

Olbermann launched his new show on ESPN 2 and in a surprise to no one, the show was about....Keith Olbermann.

The show titled "Olbermann" (did you think it would be anything else?) featured clips of Keith Olbermann which of course were watched by Keith Olbermann.  

The show featured more Keith Olbermann and finished with Keith Olbermann saying "I've done all the damage I can do for one night."

We're guessing that at some point Olbermann will stop talking about Olbermann and we'll get some sports news.  It is ESPN after all. 

Then again, we still can't find any music on MTV which is supposed to be a network about music. 

Reporter Charged with Domestic Battery

WTHI (Terre Haute) Reporter Jon Swaner was booked Friday at 2:43PM and charged with domestic battery.

Police say that Swaner was involved in an altercation with his wife after they found his wife in a nearby home, with blood on her face and a cut over her eye.

Swaner's wife claims she ran into a door - causing the injury. Jon Swaner told police the same thing.

Because of course when you run into a door, the first reaction is to go the neighbor's house and get away from all the other doors in your home.  

A judge has ordered Swaner to stay away from his wife as the case moves through the courts.  

WTHI had posted the story on their website, but then they pulled it.

It didn't take viewers long to figure out what was happening and they lit the station up on their Facebook page. Shortly after the story was once again posted on the station's site.  

What does the station's GM Todd Weber have to say about the arrest of one of his reporters?  

Say with with me "We don't comment on personnel issues. '

Gotcha!

Inside Edition correspondent Megan Alexander aired not one but two stand ups from the red carpet of the MTV awards.

The first one she said "It was the moment from the MTV Awards everyone is talking about." The second was, "There's always a shocking moment  at the MTV Awards, and this year was no different."

Of course the story was about Miley Cyrus and her slutty dance moves that got the olds all up in arms.  

Trouble was the standups were recorded in the daylight, with people on their way IN to Barclays Center, not out.

They were recorded before the show took place.

Oops!  

Bounced in the Big Apple

Word is that WCBS and reporter Derricke Dennis have parted ways.

Dennis tells the website Tuned In that he is no longer employed by the CBS O&O.

While Dennis would not elaborate about the departure, sources say this was a case of station management choosing not to renew his contract.

Dennis, who left the station at the end of July, spent three years at WCBS.

“I enjoyed my time at WCBS,” Dennis tells Tuned In. “I loved telling the stories across New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, and plan to do it again very soon.”

Before landing in New York, Dennis had a six-year stint as a reporter at WDIV in Detroit. 

Viewers Appear to be 'All Out' when it Comes to 'All In'

MSNBC was featured in a long article in The New Yorker this week.

The struggling cable news network that admits they don't like to cover news should be happy that anyone is paying attention to them. 

The story hits on a number of things going on at MSNBC, including the lack of ratings for Chris Hayes' 8PM show.

As FTVLive FIRST predicted months ago, Hayes' is finding it very hard to get viewers to watch his show 'All in.'

MSNBC trying to prop up Hayes' show by moving Chris Matthews' show to 7 PM, in what appears to be an attempt to provide Hayes with a more solid lead-in.

MSNBC president Phil Griffin was quoted in the story, "I'm building for the future," he said. "We're making a bet that this is what our audience wants." 

What does Hayes have to say?  

 "Obviously, the numbers are bad right now," Hayes said. 

Thank you Captain Obvious! 

Howie Kurtz FNC Show has a Launch Date

I know you haven't been able to sleep at night, wondering when TV "Critic" Howard Kurtz's new show will launch on the Fox News Channel. 

Well, we now have a date! 

Kurtz show will hit the air on September 8th and since Kurtz has long passed the days of being "reliable," the show will be called "Media Buzz."   

What will be the topic of Howie's first show?

Kurtz will take a closer look at the firing of top Roger Ailes' right hand man Brian Lewis.

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!! 

We're kidding of course.

It is likely that Kurtz will never cast a critical look at Fox News. Just like he didn't do it to CNN when he was on their network.  

Former Tampa Reporter to Run for Office

Former WFTS Investigative Reporter Alan Cohn knows he is giving up his news reporter life with his next move. 

On Thursday, Cohn will announce that he is running for political office.   

"You can't do what I'm doing and go back to covering a beat," said Cohn, 50. "But I would like to do this more than any job I can think of."

Cohan is choosing to run as a Democrat against U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross to represent Florida's 15th Congressional district. 

He made a name as an investigative reporter over three years at WFTS, revealing an undisclosed vacation home owned by the wife of then-Hillsborough County Commissioner Jim Norman.

But WFTS let him go in June 2012 with no public explanation; Cohn said then and now he doesn't know why they ended his employment. He created a company, AMC Productions, which has developed promotional videos for the state's tourism office and Tampa's Chamber of Commerce.

He's hoping some of the notoriety he gained as a TV reporter will help in his first bid for public office. "We're all frustrated by the gridlock in Washington," said Cohn, who lives in New Tampa with his wife, Patricia, and two teenage children. "That's not who we are."

H/T Tampa Bay Times

Charlotte Anchor Leaving

After 3 years at WCNC in Charlotte, Morning Anchor Kellie Patterson is leaving the station.  

Patterson came to Charlotte from KENS in San Antonio in 2010 and she also competed on CBS Amazing Race.

Here is the internal memo that News Director Corrie Harding sent out to the staff:

From: Harding, Corrie 
Sent: Friday, August 23, 2013 12:47 PM
To: WCNC AllNews
Cc: WCNC Department Heads
Subject: Kellie Patterson

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It’s been a week…

I’ve got some news on Kellie Patterson.  She’ll be leaving WCNC TV to take on a new opportunity.  Kellie’s been a critical part of our morning news effort for almost three years, and I’m thankful for her efforts on that show, as well as working on the medical news segments for the 4pm and other special projects.  She particularly helped us by field anchoring during the coverage of those awful storms in York County.

This is one of those situations that is ‘good news’ for Kellie, but a few other things need to shake out before we’ll all know all the details on just how good it is.

Her last day on the air with us will be Friday, August 30th.   I hope you’ll join me in wishing Kellie the best of luck in the future.

Thanks,
Corrie

In and Out

It will be a odd day at your favorite TV website Today. 

This morning I am attempting to qualify for the United States Golf Association Mid-Amature which will be held in October in Alabama. 

That means a very early wakeup call this morning.

After our round FTVLive will be back in the World Headquarters and updating you on the latest news about TV news.

As we said last week, August is a very slow month. FTVLive is planning on taking a day or two off later this week, before settling in for the Fall.

We have taken one day off in the last 200 days, so I think you can understand why we could use a little R&R. 

See you back on here later Today.  

Right now..... FORE!