Station to Station
Station to Station covers the odds, ends, ups and downs of the local television business across America
The Only Station Ombudsman in America?
We’ve got an interesting story–at least I think it’s interesting–out Monday about Paul Giacobbe, who may be the only local television ombudsman in America. We try to stay away from saying things like, he’s definitely the only on in America, because inevitably someone from some tiny station out there will drop us a line Monday and tell us they’ve had an omb ...... Read More
Comments (0)Hearst, NBC and Microsoft Partner on Local Video
Microsoft is joining forces with Hearst TV and NBC Local Media to feature the broadcasters’ content on MSN’s “Local Edition” sites. Microsoft will get around 3,000 clips a week from its partners to air on 36 local sites, which launch in January. According to an MSN blog post: We’re happy to announce two partnerships that will allow us to combine the power of both ...... Read More
Comments (0)A Happy Birthday For WBNS Chief Griesdorn
WBNS Columbus President/General Manager Tom Griesdorn marks his 60th birthday today with some happy sweeps results from November–what he calls an unprecedented sweep of the local news races. That includes an 11.2 household rating and 21 share in late news–grabbing a couple share points from WCMH. (Leno Effect, anyone?) “We’ve won every local news race before,” he ...... Read More
Comments (0)Newspaper, TV Converge in Hartford
Reporters from Tribune’s WTIC Hartford and the daily Hartford Courant will start working side by side this week, reports the Hartford Courant, and helping one another on stories. Senior managers are overseeing print, TV and Web, on Rich Graziano’s watch. Reports the Courant: The combination is a rare example of a metro newspaper and an existing network-affiliate TV news outlet joini ...... Read More
Comments (0)WPTV Works Through Staff Tragedy
A veteran staff member at WPTV West Palm Beach became part of the news late last week, tied up in a terrible Thanksgiving tragedy during which four family members were shot to death. Jim Sitton, a photographer in the investigative crew at the Scripps station, was hosting Thanksgiving dinner at his Jupiter home when his cousin by marriage, Paul Merhige, opened fire. Merhige killed his two sisters, ...... Read More
Comments (0)All That Twitters Is Not Gold For WPMI
It was just a case of bad timing for WPMI Mobile, whose three anchors appeared on a digital billboard next to an unfortunately timed live Twitter feed, which at one point said, well, the photo says it all. Alabama’s Press-Register says the photo has gone viral around the globe. The photograph found its way on to a South Carolina blog, the Palmetto Scoop, then on to social media site Mashab ...... Read More
Comments (0)Cops Say KING Chopper Impeded Investigation in Slain Police
Some news folks at KING Seattle may be in hot water after a local Washington State sheriff’s department said the Belo station interfered with its investigation of the four police officers who were shot dead in Lakewood, Washington. Reports the News Tribune: The Pierce County Sheriff’s Department intends to forward reports to prosecutors after officials said a Seattle television stati ...... Read More
Comments (1)Some Miami Stations Cover Car Chase, Some Don't
The blog SFL TV was surfing the Miami TV universe during an A.C. Cowlings-esque high speed car chase covering three counties today, and gives WFOR and WSVN high marks for their coverage. SFL TV wasn’t so enthused about WTVJ and WPLG, which he says stuck with soap operas. SFL writes: Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t the basic duty of local news station’s to keep ...... Read More
Comments (1)Harpo Reaches Out to "Valued Partners"
As news broke Nov. 19 that Oprah Winfrey will end her syndicated talk show in 2011, many stations that broadcast The Oprah Winfrey Show learned about Winfrey’s decision via a memo from her company, Harpo Productions. The full memo, from Harpo President Tim Bennett, follows: Dear Friends: Over the past several weeks, my team and I have had conversations with many of you to help address your ...... Read More
Comments (1)Fox Sports Sets Sites On Local
Since the local television world isn’t quite competitive enough, Fox Sports Net is entering the fray with regional sports sites that look to compete with local ESPN sites and, of course, station sports reports. PaidContent.org says the rollout has been quietly going on for a few weeks. Says a Fox Sports spokesperson: “Our plans were underway long before ESPN rolled out their sites.&# ...... Read More
Comments (0)The Dave-ness of Letterman
A few of us had the opportunity to attend the taping of Letterman yesterday–the first time I’d seen it in many years. (Last time I went, Richard Harris regaled Dave with great carousing-with-Peter-O’Toole stories, and afterwards, my sister and I sat at the bar at McHale’s next to an angry whiskey-sipping Irish dwarf in a green suit who was there to promote one of t ...... Read More
Comments (1)WRC's 'Local' Show Out of NY
Interesting story in the NY Observer about WRC Washington’s Daily Observer program, which is comprised of bits from across the NBC media spectrum–NBC News, Weather Channel, CNBC, etc. The segments are edited in New York, sent to master control in Washington, and the program is hosted by a rotating cast of staffers at WRC. Most of Daily Connection’s “breezy” conte ...... Read More
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