What Kind of Plane is That?!

Luckily this lower third happened during Piers Morgan's show, so not that many people saw it. 

You know that Boeing was more than happy for the mistake.

CNN's Chicagoland Flops in Chicago

It appears that Jeff Zucker's latest experiment is not off to a good start.

CNN debuted their new show Chicagoland and early numbers show that it was a ratings bust. 

How bad was it? The show only pulled a 1.8 ratings in Chicago where the show is based. Word is nationally the numbers are not very good either.

CNN is expected to run the episode again over the coming days and has 7 more episodes in the can.

Maybe they can work a blackfish comes to the Windy City into the upcoming episodes. 

Just an idea.... 

Houston Hottie Moving On

After five years as a weekend anchor/reporter at ABC O&O KTRK (Houston), Katie McCall leave the station for a higher-profile anchoring gig.

The KTRK gig was her second time on Houston TV.

McCall returned to Houston in 2009 from WBBM Chicago to anchor KTRK's weekend morning newscasts. In May 2013, she transitioned into a full-time weekday reporter role, desiring more normal working hours she tells me.

Before that, McCall reported six years for KIAH 39 in the early days of that station's revived newscast.

She has not said yet where she is headed.

H/T Mike McGuff

The Week that Flu By

My battle with the flu continues and while I still feel awful, I can say that this morning I feel a bit better (like maybe I'm not going to die).

Here's my flu battle by the numbers:

103.5 - that was my body temperature at the highest that I measured. Right now my temp is just under 100.

2 - the number of meals I have eaten since Sunday.

6 - the number of Kleenex boxes that I have gone through.

1 - the number of ears that I have that are working. I have lost hearing in my right ear and told it could be this way for weeks. 

1 - the number of baths I have taken this week. This is a huge number because I haven't taken a bath in years. But, I was suffering the chills so bad, I have to jump in the tub. 

2 - the number of bottles of Nyquil that I have sucked down this week. 

5,000,000 - this is an estimate of the number of times I have coughed this week. Wait....make that number 5,000,001 now.

1983 - this is really the only number that counts. It's the number of emails I have gotten from all of you wishing me well. I have not responded to any of the emails, but I did read them all and I can say that it helped.

I'm sorry that FTVLive has been lacking on updates this week and I appreciate you guys for understanding. I'm hoping to have this flu bug at least manageable by next week and FTVLive can get somewhere back to full strength.

Hell, at this point 50% will be OK with me. 

Thanks again for the support. 

Below are the morning updates and I'm sure I will be posting more stories later Today. 

Comings and Goings in Philly

CBS O&O KYW in Philly is adding and losing some on air staff.

Here is the internal memo that was sent to the staff about the changes:

From: "Schiller, Susan M - KYW" <schiller@kyw.com>
Date: March 6, 2014 at 2:01:28 PM EST
To: "@KYW-TV News Department" 
Subject: STAFF ANNOUNCMENTS

 Please welcome reporter Jan Carabeo to the Eyewitness News team! Jan most recently was a reporter/anchor at WTIC-TV (FOX) in Hartford, Connecticut where she served as the morning reporter.  Prior to WTIC, Jan worked as a reporter at WSYR-TV (ABC) in Syracuse, NY, WICZ-TV (fox) in Binghamton, NY and WIVT-TV (ABC)/WBGH-TV also in Binghamton.   Jan was awarded a New York Associated Press award in 2011 for Best News Series “Gold Star Mom” about a mother’s fight against  the Department of Motor Vehicles to keep a commemorate license plate for her son who died in Vietnam.   Jan is a 2007 graduate of the University of Maryland, Philip Merrill College of Journalism where she majored in journalism and minored in English language and literature.   Jan will  heading 200 miles south to join us on March 10th.
 
CBS3 producer Evan Hirsh will be headed 80 miles north to NY where he has accepted a position with CBS News.  Evan will be line producer for CBS This Morning.    Prior to joining CBS3 in January 2008, Evan was the 11pm producer at WBNS in Columbus.   Evan began his career as a radio reporter in Syracuse, NY and transition to television where, like Jan, he worked at WSYR-TV.  also worked at WSYR-TV in Syracuse where he started his career in 2000.   In college, Evan worked as an intern in the political unit of CBS News in Washington.  He is a 2004  graduate of the S.I. Newhouse School of  Public Communications.   During his tenure at CBS3, Evan has produced virtually all of our broadcasts and handled hours of breaking news.  We wish him great success at CBS News. Evan will be here a few more weeks.
 
Amanda Keith is just moving a few feet away to a new desk but is also making a  career move right here in our newsroom.  Amanda will be taking on the role of a broadcast writer-producer.  In the summer of 2012, Amanda took the lead producing role in launching the station’s digital channel  CBSPhillyPlus.  Prior to her work on the sub-channel, Amanda was a key editor on the assignment desk working in all roles including planning editor. She also produced “Backyard BBQ” and “Weather Wednesday”.    Amanda began her career as a traffic editor/producer for Traffic.com in Wayne, Pa.  Amanda is a 2006 Temple University graduate.
 
As many of you know , Ileana Diaz and her husband Joel are expecting and she will be leaving us early to be on baby watch with him in NYC.
While her time with us at Eyewitness News was not nearly long enough we understand Ileana’s need to leave us and we will miss her.  Her last day will be Friday, March 14th.

Please join me in congratulation all of these wonderful journalists whether they are coming or going or staying right here!

Susan M Schiller
CBS 3 & CW PHILADELPHIA 
VP/News Director

FTVLIVE SPONSOR

Click Here to Visit Napoli Management's Website

Ummmm...Back off Bitch

Most people are happy to see beautiful KGUN Anchor Stella Inger show up at their event.

Obviously, the feeling is different for dogs. 

NBC Opens up the Checkbook for Story

Networks vow that they will not be involved in "checkbook journalism" and then a big story comes along.

NBC News has agreed to pay licensing fees to Reeva Steenkamp's family, which is giving the network a series of interviews.

The Peacosk secured interviews with the Steenkamps, whose daughter was fatally shot by Oscar Pistorius, in exchange for licensing fees.

The practice — known as "checkbook journalism," in which networks pay subjects licensing fees for footage and other materials used during interviews — is not uncommon, and has caused trouble for NBC and ABC in the past.

Both vowed not to do it again....until you know. 

NBC News' Ali Zelenko confirmed to the Washington Post that Peacock Productions, an NBC News subsidiary, paid the Steenkamp family what she described as “a very modest licensing fee” for "materials" to be used in upcoming documentaries.

Peacock Productions is the same group that negotiated a deal for interviews with Hannah Anderson and her father last year. At the time, NBC News defended itself saying that the fee — which was reportedly in the six figure range — would be for "footage and personal material" and not the actual interviews themselves. Wink, wink. 

The practice is controversial nonetheless, and the networks have traded fire over engaging in checkbook journalism. In 2011, for example, ABC News said that it would stop paying subjects licensing fees,  which prompted NBC News to gloat, “We agree that their recent activity has been bad for journalism and the news industry." ABC News shot back, alleging that "NBC News lies about its practices."

H/T HuffPo

Is it a News Segment or a Commercial?

You watch the segment above from NBC's Today Show and you might not realize that you're watching a commercial. The guest on Today Show was really being paid by ADT to pitch their product.

Ad Age writes that the Federal Trade Commission, which has been cracking down on potentially misleading endorsements in advertising, said today that it had charged the home security giant ADT with misrepresenting paid endorsements as independent reviews. ADT set up three paid endorsers, one of whom calls herself "Safety Mom," for appearances as independent experts on such as NBC's "Today" in 2010 and 2011, according the FTC.

According to the complaint, ADT set up media interviews for its endorsers through a public relations firm and booking agents, often providing news outlets with suggested interview questions and b-roll video to accompany any coverage. ADT's paid endorsers, who received more than $300,000 to promote a service called ADT Pulse, were billed as experts in child safety, home security or technology. Two of ADT's endorsers also received a free ADT Pulse security system, along with free monthly monitoring.

In exchange, the FTC said, ADT's spokespersons appeared on more than 40 different TV and radio programs, the commission said.

"It's hard for consumers to make good buying decisions when they think they're getting independent expert advice as part of an impartial news segment and have no way of knowing they are actually watching a sales pitch," said Jessica Rich, director of the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Consumer Protection. "When a paid endorser appears in a news or talk show segment with the host of that program, the relationship with the advertiser must be clearly disclosed."

Under an agreed-upon settlement, ADT is prohibited from misrepresenting paid endorsements as independent reviews in the future.

An ADT spokeswoman said the company has a "tough disclosure policy" that follows the FTC's endorsement guidelines. "That's why we are happy to have resolved the matter amicably, and why we are willing to commit publicly to maintain that policy," the spokeswoman said. She did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the appearance of "Safety Mom" on "Today." A request for comment from Allison Rhodes, the Safety Mom, was not returned by press time.

Ummmm... Yeah

The New York Post's Page Six has shown up late to the party, but now they're here.

Page Six reports that Bill Weir looks set to be the replacement for CNN’s prime-time 9 p.m. slot, insiders said.

Weir, a former “Nightline” co-anchor, joined the network in November 2013 as an anchor and “chief innovation correspondent.”

CNN issued a press release at the time stating Weir “will work with producers to develop original programming across the schedule.”

While a date for Piers Morgan’s final 9 p.m. show has not been announced, he’ll be staying with the network to do big-name interviews.

A rep for CNN, Barbara Levin, who isn’t known for her grasp of the truth, said, “No news to share, feel free to speculate.”

Report: Botox Caused Blood Eyes for Bob

From the who really cares file.

 Page Six says that Bob Costas got his infamous case of Olympic pink eye from botched Botox, a source claims to Page Six.

NBC’s prime-time Olympics host, who had to take a six-day absence after coming down with viral conjunctivitis in both eyes, contracted the infection after a Botox procedure to smooth out wrinkles prior to the Olympics. Our source said, “Bob’s eye infection was due to botched Botox. This isn’t the first time he’s had it.”

NBC strongly denies that Costas — who arrived to host the games in Sochi with a forehead smoother than the Olympic luge track — developed the infection from a Botox procedure.

A spokesperson from NBC Sports insisted to us, “This has zero truth to this. Zero.”

FCC Looks to Ban Some Shared Services Agreements

If it goes down, it could have a big impact on some TV station owners.

Owners such as Sinclair Broadcast Group would be forced to give up some properties it controls under a proposal by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler, agency officials said.

Wheeler wants to ban, within a specified period, some shared-service arrangements that have let companies avoid a U.S. ban on owning more than one TV station in a local market, said two officials briefed on his plan. They asked not to be named because the proposal hasn’t been made public.

One official said companies including Sinclair, Lin Media and Nexstar Broadcasting Group Inc. would have two years to comply. The other said the duration was undetermined. Some arrangements may be allowed to remain, they said. Shannon Gilson, a spokesman for the FCC, declined to comment.

FCC restrictions could cost Sinclair “some or all” of the $154.2 million in revenue it generated from sharing arrangements in 2013, the broadcaster based in Hunt Valley, Maryland, said in a March 3 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. That would be much as 11 percent of Sinclair’s annual revenue.

It’s not fair to require companies to unwind sharing arrangements previously approved by the agency, Rebecca Hanson, a Sinclair senior vice president, said at a Feb. 24 meeting with FCC staff, according to a filing. Barry Faber, Sinclair’s general counsel, didn’t return a telephone call yesterday.

Stay tuned, this could have some major impact on the industry.

H/T Bloomberg