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If WMGM was Jersey's last decent news station then may God have mercy on New Jersey.

 

Yikes.

 

You know where I stand on this ;), but yeah, this is really the result of YEARS of under investment and awful, awful, awful management decisions. This is a station that is shooting on surplus DVCPRO cameras from the 1996 Olympics (seriously) and editing tape-to-tape. The switcher is older than half of the on-air staff there can barely key the chroma key wall (OTS and 2-boxes? Those features died off a while ago). None of this is hyperbole, by the way. It's sort of a miracle that they're able to put out six hours of news a day.

 

In spite of the challenges faced, it does serve a nice little niche and is very much so part of the community. Folks still call it TV40 even though they haven't gone by that since the mid-90s, I think.

 

There's an article floating around putting the date of the sale about 18 months from now, but I wouldn't be surprised if the place is gone in less time. Their contract with NBC is up before then, and considering they share a market with an O&O...do the math.

 

The shame of it is that there are some really talented and hard working people there that do the best they can with what little they have. A lot of really talented people have come from there, at least three of which frequent(ed) this board. Yeah, the place is a shithole that pays terribly but 64 people are out of the job. And there's a lot of wood paneling in that place that's going to go unloved.

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KXAN NBC 36 has announced that Shannon Wolfson will succeed Leslie Cook-Rhode as evening anchor for KXAN News at 5, 6, & 10pm and 9pm on KNVA CW 54.

http://www.austin360.com/weblogs/tv-radio-blog/2013/nov/12/shannon-wolfson-co-anchor-kxans-evening-newscasts/

 

And FOX 26 Anchor/Reporter Ned Hibbard is leaving KRIV for join WJZY FOX 46 as assistant news director.

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvspy/charlotte-fox-station-adds-houston-reporter-as-assistant-nd_b108827

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KXAN NBC 36 has announced that Shannon Wolfson will succeed Leslie Cook-Rhode as evening anchor for KXAN News at 5, 6, & 10pm and 9pm on KNVA CW 54.

http://www.austin360.com/weblogs/tv-radio-blog/2013/nov/12/shannon-wolfson-co-anchor-kxans-evening-newscasts/

 

Ha. Called it. ;)

 

 

Wouldn't surprise me if they promoted either Shannon Wolfson or Sally Hernandez to the main spot. Both are deserving of it. Though if Christine Haas had just waited a little longer for an opening...

 

Someone on the comments section of their site suggested their weekend evening anchor would be bumped up. That won't happen because their weekend evening anchor is David Scott...

 

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WTAJ Anchor Patrick Schurr announced via his Facebook page this he will be leaving the station. He starts his new job tomorrow.

 

 

 

Now it's time to say goodbye... or at least, see ya later.

 

I was 23-years-old when I went to WTAJ as a reporter in 1999. I figured I'd be there for two or three years and then move on to a bigger city.

 

Instead, I found that Central Pennsylvania was a good place to live and a good place to work. I enjoyed covering stories that affected our communities. That was a good reason to stay.

 

I was promoted to morning/noon anchor in early 2002. Another good reason to stay.

 

I met my future wife here around the same time. That was a great reason to stay.

 

We started our family and now have three wonderful young sons. This is a good place for them to grow up.

 

I loved working at WTAJ-- especially doing the morning show. I was blessed to work with a great crew-- a true team (we always called ourselves a "dysfunctional family"). Many of us became great friends and I think always will be. Past and present, they have my respect, love and gratitude.

 

But most of all, I truly loved having the opportunity to be a part of your mornings. My hope is that, along with the news, I was able to provide a little fun and humor-- whether you were laughing with me... or at me! And I'll never be able to thank you all enough for your kind words, compliments and support over the years.

 

Even though I've moved on from the station, I'm not moving. I'm just changing careers. I'll still be in the area, still be active in the community. After all, as I said, there are a lot of reasons to stay! Not to mention, this is home.

 

I'm looking forward to this next chapter and am excited to get started. In fact, I start tomorrow. And I don't have to get up at 3 a.m.! But, I should get to bed.

 

So, in the words of Edward R. Murrow... "Good night, and good luck."

I, personally, will miss Patrick every morning. His former co-anchor, Amy Mearkle, is still in the community, but does not work in news. It appears at though Schurr is going to do the same thing.

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All of us at TVNT are offering our prayers to KTTV FOX 11's Julie Chang. Chang has been diagnosed with a brain tumor.

The Tumor was found in a CT Scan that Chang had after a surfing accident a few months ago. Chang will have surgery this week.

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvspy/kttv-anchor-julie-chang-has-a-brain-tumor_b109303

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http://charlottemediascene.blogspot.com/2013/11/wsoc-to-expand-10-pm-newscast-to-hour.html?m=1

 

WSOC is expanding their 10:00 news on WAXN to a full hour starting December 2. (Weekdays only). This will be the first ever 10:00 hour long conventional news broadcast in the market. Not counting WCCB's news which is followed by News Edge. It also confirms WJZY's will be an hour when it launches.

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Courtesy of UncleBarky.com (Ed Bark) and MikeMcGuff.com (Houston): KTVT CBS 11 announced today that Ken Molestina of Washington DC's WUSA-TV

is joining CBS 11 News as the stations weekend anchor/weekday reporter. Molestina's first day is on January 6, 2014.

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CNBC is reporting that Comcast is exploring a bid for Time Warner Cable should TWC choose to sell.

 

 

Good Lord......

 

If this happens, it would be a boon for satellite and the phone companies. If you hate Time Warner, you'll be begging for them back after Comcast drives them further into the ground!

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Charter is bidding for them too so I imagine it's going to be a very competitive bid if TWC decides to sell.

 

I'm sure that Comcast is salivating at the thought of picking up TWC. Comcast is not available in several markets where they own NBC O&O's and at the top of my head, they would at least be covering LA (KNBC) and New York (WNBC). Also, if TWC were to include it's regional networks (sports, news) it will fit in nicely with CSN. CSN Los Angeles/CSN New York anyone? (TWC cable does have a stake in SportsNet New York as does Comcast along with the Mets.)
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Good Lord......

 

If this happens, it would be a boon for satellite and the phone companies. If you hate Time Warner, you'll be begging for them back after Comcast drives them further into the ground!

 

You can't get much worse than Time Warner. I hope Comcast buys them.
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I'm sure that Comcast is salivating at the thought of picking up TWC. Comcast is not available in several markets where they own NBC O&O's and at the top of my head, they would at least be covering LA (KNBC) and New York (WNBC). Also, if TWC were to include it's regional networks (sports, news) it will fit in nicely with CSN. CSN Los Angeles/CSN New York anyone? (TWC cable does have a stake in SportsNet New York as does Comcast along with the Mets.)

 

They would really love Comcast to come back to the Metroplex. TWC basically have that state locked, except for Houston, where they use to be.

 

Hell I wouldn't even mind a compromise in between split of the TWC assets or let Comcast leave some of their coverage areas. Comcast securing the bigger markets (they're already in the Bay Area, Chicago and their flaggy Philly), like the New York/Jersey (to complete the megalopolis strip), Upstate NY, California, Texas Cluster.

 

If Comcast have to sell some of their clusters, it can give their Atlanta cluster to Cox. It's Cox's home turf. Yeah they own the paper, the radio and Channel 2, but it would make the most sense. And give some of the rest (anything south of DC, the Virginia, Carolina, Tennessee, the Midwest Cluster (except for Ohio, Erie PA & Wisconsin), Colorado, Utah and the Northwest cluster) to Charter. Hopefully that would clear some of the air for any anti-trust issues. But the Texas cluster should be clustered up with Houston. And the NYC/NJ, upstate NY and Maine should be clustered up with the rest of the northeast.

 

While it would be wise to buy some and divest some, I doubt Charter and Comcast would even think about doing such of a thing. They want everything in one silver platter. And while Charter is still likely the favorite, and yes Comcast is no better than TWC, I would think Comcast has a way better shot of getting TWC. Not just for the regional cable and broadband standpoints, but what have been said with the NBC O&Os in those areas (NY, LA, San Diego & Dallas; Comcast is already six of those markets; Chicago, Philly, DC, Bay Area, Connecticut, & Miami).

 

This article have the map of both TWC and Comcast maps and their coverage areas.

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WCIA 3 anchor Dave Benton has been off the air the last few days, and the reason why is that he's in the Hospital. Doctors found a tumor in his brain and underwent brain surgery today. We are happy to say that the surgery went well and on his way to a full recovery.

 

This is a statement from Benton's wife Teri on WICA 3 Facebook:

 

A message from Dave's wife:

Dave is out of surgery and is in recovery. He read everyone of your messages and really appreciated all of them.

Thank you so much for your support.

Terri

 

We at TVNT offer and prayers and well wishes to WCIA 3's Dave Benton and wish him a full and speedy recovery, especially this Holiday season.

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Guest Former Member 207

 

They would really love Comcast to come back to the Metroplex. TWC basically have that state locked, except for Houston, where they use to be.

 

Hell I wouldn't even mind a compromise in between split of the TWC assets or let Comcast leave some of their coverage areas. Comcast securing the bigger markets (they're already in the Bay Area, Chicago and their flaggy Philly), like the New York/Jersey (to complete the megalopolis strip), Upstate NY, California, Texas Cluster.

 

If Comcast have to sell some of their clusters, it can give their Atlanta cluster to Cox. It's Cox's home turf. Yeah they own the paper, the radio and Channel 2, but it would make the most sense. And give some of the rest (anything south of DC, the Virginia, Carolina, Tennessee, the Midwest Cluster (except for Ohio, Erie PA & Wisconsin), Colorado, Utah and the Northwest cluster) to Charter. Hopefully that would clear some of the air for any anti-trust issues. But the Texas cluster should be clustered up with Houston. And the NYC/NJ, upstate NY and Maine should be clustered up with the rest of the northeast.

 

While it would be wise to buy some and divest some, I doubt Charter and Comcast would even think about doing such of a thing. They want everything in one silver platter. And while Charter is still likely the favorite, and yes Comcast is no better than TWC, I would think Comcast has a way better shot of getting TWC. Not just for the regional cable and broadband standpoints, but what have been said with the NBC O&Os in those areas (NY, LA, San Diego & Dallas; Comcast is already six of those markets; Chicago, Philly, DC, Bay Area, Connecticut, & Miami).

 

This article have the map of both TWC and Comcast maps and their coverage areas.

 

We used to have Comcast here in Los Angeles, as they covered most of southern and central Los Angeles County. Previous to the Adelphia acquisition by TWC and Comcast, which resulted in some cluster areas trades (like L.A. and Dallas' Comcast systems for the TWC systems in Houston and the Twin Cities), TWC already had systems spread throughout the rest of the region, dating back to when they acquired Paragon and United Artists Cable back in the 90s/early 00s.

 

An acquistion of TWC by Charter would give them the entire Los Angeles market, except for those pockets already covered by Cox Cable (the southwestern edge of L.A. County, and southern Orange County). If a TWC-Charter marriage becomes reality, I wouldn't be surprised if Cox gets out of metro Los Angeles altogether, via trading of system clusters.

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Read on NewsBlues that WATN's chief met, Paul Williams, had a (non-fatal) heart attack yesterday. The guy he replaced (Mark Walden) died of a heart attack, and that guy replaced another guy (Brian Teigland) who died from a heart attack.

 

Good lord.

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A settlement has been reached in an anchor discrimination case at WGME/Portland. Former longtime anchor Doug Rafferty claimed that after he suffered a stroke, he was discriminated against by being removed from his job and getting his pay cut. The settlement was reached on Friday, four months before the case was to head to federal court.

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Read on NewsBlues that WATN's chief met, Paul Williams, had a (non-fatal) heart attack yesterday. The guy he replaced (Mark Walden) died of a heart attack, and that guy replaced another guy (Brian Teigland) who died from a heart attack.

 

Good lord.

Yikes!

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Read on NewsBlues that WATN's chief met, Paul Williams, had a (non-fatal) heart attack yesterday. The guy he replaced (Mark Walden) died of a heart attack, and that guy replaced another guy (Brian Teigland) who died from a heart attack.

 

Good lord.

 

are heart attacks written into their contract or something as being part of the job to be chief met there or what?

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Richmond news:

 

-Sydney Cameron from WRBL (Columbus, GA) and Claudia Rupcich from WSET (Roanoke/Lynchburg) will join WRIC as reporters/videojournalists on December 9.

 

-Reporter Parker Slaybaugh (also from WSET) joined WRIC just last month.

 

-Curtis McCloud (from WRBL) joined WWBT last month as reporter.

 

-Catie Beck (investigative reporter at WTVR) will be joining WXIA in Atlanta next month according to the station's FB page. Sunday was her last day.

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