Hatred of Programming Fueled Attack on Discovery HQ

Associated Press

A gunman police shot to death after he took hostages at Discovery Channel's headquarters said he hated the company's shows such as "Kate Plus 8" because they promote population growth and its environmental programming because it did little to save the planet.

Three hostages--two Discovery Communications employees and a security guard --escaped unhurt after the four-hour standoff Wednesday in Silver Spring, just outside the nation's capital. After several hours negotiating with the gunman, tactical officers moved in when authorities monitoring him on building security cameras saw him pull out a handgun and point it at a hostage, Montgomery County Police Chief Thomas Manger said. More...

Kurtis and Jacobson Return to Chicago TV a Bit Rusty

Chicago Sun-Times

It wasn't a perfect newscast. But there they were Wednesday night--iconic Chicago news anchors Bill Kurtis and Walter Jacobson reunited and reporting for duty once again as co-anchors of WBBM-Channel 2's 6 p.m. newscast.

Looking just a tad anxious, Kurtis and Jacobson were seated at a brand-spanking-new anchor desk put in place just hours before their return to regularly fronting a WBBM newscast.

The plan was to make this a straightforward report of the day's news. To a large extent that is what the two delivered. But it was apparent early in the fast 25-minute report More...

Meyrowitz Climbs Tribune Ladder, Moving from DC to NYC

The Washington Post

Eric Meyrowitz, the vice president/general manager of Washington's Tribune-owned CW station WDCW, is leaving town to become vice president/GM of Tribune's New York station WPIX, effective immediately.

Ashley Messina, the station's head of sales, has been named interim general manager of the station, but Meyrowitz will shuttle between New York -- the country's largest TV market -- and Washington -- which is ranked no. 9 -- over the next two to three weeks to make the transition.

Tribune put out the announcement at the crack of dawn Thursday morning to the surprise of staff at both stations and Meyrowitz More...

WFXT Enters Boston's Early Morning News Battle

Boston Globe

WFXT-TV (Channel 25) said yesterday that it is adding a 4:30 a.m. newscast, beginning Sept. 20, making it the fourth local TV station to do so.

The station's morning program called "Fox25 Morning News" will also add another hour from 9 to 10 a.m., making the newscast 5 1/2 hours long. That will be helmed by co-hosts Gene Lavanchy and Kim Carrigan, meteorologist Cindy Fitzgibbon, and news commentator Doug V.B. Goudie.

"The consumer is up earlier," said Gregg Kelley, vice president and general manager of WFXT More...

New York Meteorologists Dig In For Hurricane Earl

Daily News

WABC/Ch. 7 senior meteorologist Bill Evans cut short a vacation this week to get back to his station to prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Earl.

"Back in the weather office early from vacation to keep you updated on Earl," Evans wrote on Facebook.

However, he wasn't alone. Turns out several Ch. 7 staffers who were on vacation this week called in to see if they were needed.

Weather folks like Evans live for this stuff. When the weather is bad, it's their Super Bowl. More...

Sacramento's KTXL Debuts Marijuana Commercial

Broadcasting & Cable

Earlier this week, Tribune's KTXL Sacramento aired what it says is the first-ever TV station ad for marijuana. The Fox affiliate aired a 30-second spot, paid for by Sacramento-based medicinal marijuana advocacy group CannaCare and produced by KTXL, advertising a medical marijuana dispensary.

The spot, scheduled to run throughout the next several weeks, shows various people delivering testimonials on the benefits of marijuana when used for medicinal purposes. Marijuana is not shown; nor is the word mentioned in the spot. Patients refer to the benefits of "cannabis." More...

Mathis Fired From Second Stint at Charlotte's WCCB

Charlotte Observer

The on-and-off career of Mark Mathis in Charlotte television is off again for now.

He was abruptly fired this week from WCCB (Fox Charlotte, Channel 18), where he has been co-host of the station's morning show, "Fox News Rising," since 2008. He last appeared on the show Monday.

"I love Fox. Nothing happened on my end," Mathis said Wednesday. "I really don't have anything else to say." More...

Disney Keeps Channels on Time Warner as Talks Extend

Bloomberg

Walt Disney Co. kept its ESPN, ABC and other networks on Time Warner Cable Inc. systems while negotiations to resolve a fee dispute extended through a midnight deadline.

The sides are still talking and programming is still on the air, Maureen Huff, a spokeswoman for New York-based Time Warner Cable, said in an e-mail at 6 a.m. local time.

About 13 million Time Warner Cable subscribers would have lost ESPN and Disney Channel in a blackout. Customers in New York, Los Angeles, and Raleigh, North Carolina, would lose ABC as well. More...

Lansing's WLNS Names New GM

WLNS

Dan Batchelor has been named General Manager of the Lansing CBS affiliate station (WLNS). Batchelor assumes the additional station duties while continuing to serve as the Vice President of Sales, a similar position he has held since 1998 for a newly reorganized Young Broadcasting corporation.

"WLNS TV 6 will continue to be a strong station in the mid-Michigan market in the future," Batchelor said. "I am honored to assume these additional station duties as General Manager, knowing I will continue to be working with a very successful, talented team of broadcast professionals." More...

Hmong Network Finds Home on Fresno TV

The Fresno Bee

The Fresno-based Hmong TV Network, which has only been available online at hmongtvnetwork.com since its launch 14 months ago, has found a home on local television. It's now airing on KJEO (Channel 32.6), a channel that's part of Cocola Broadcasting.

Merced's Chee Lee, president of the Hmong TV Network, says the channel is aimed at the more than 30,000 Hmong who live in the Fresno area.

"There are a lot of Hmong people who live here, and they have had no outlet. That is what we want to provide through education and information programs," Lee says. More...

Avoid 'How You Can Help' Promos

Using teases and promos to enroll a viewer's public assistance will usually make for a weak tease. For example, a family loses everything in a fire. The promo promises, "How you can help this family get back on their feet." The viewer expects the typical answer will be "give money." Now, this information is appropriate inside a news story, but it's not a motivating force to get a viewer to return from the break.

This approach is also very common in crime stories. We'll tease, "How you can help police catch this criminal." Of course the answer is: "If you've seen him, call the cops." Another variation, "How you could help catch this thief and put money in your pocket." The answer...turn him in and get the reward. How many people in our audience are thinking to themselves, "I just happen to know a few murderers, and I sure could use some money. I'm gonna watch and cash in!" Instead, promise the interesting story details about the crime. Don't use promos to enroll public assistance. Save that information for the story.

Graeme Newell is a broadcast and web marketing specialist who serves as the president and founder of 602 communications. You can reach Graeme at gnewell@602communications.com.