Throwback Thursday

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It's a New Year but Throwback Thursday must go on.

Here I am hanging out with the legendary late great Attorney Johnnie Cochran.

If my memory serves me right this photo was taken just before closing augments in the OJ Simpson trail. I remember telling Johnnie at the time to use the line "if the glove doesn't fit, you must acquit."

He took my advice and the rest as they say is history.

Then again, my memory might be a little fuzzy. 

Welcome to Throwback Thursday 2014. 

Surviving the Polar Vortex

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It appears that the polar vortex is headed back to where it came from. But the damage is left behind.

Here in Florida it was nasty. The picture to the right is just some of the devastation in my neighborhood. 

To go along with that, I had to wear long pants for two straight days.

So for all of you that have suffered through this extreme storm, I totally feel your pain.

I will pass along your thoughts and prayers to my neighbor as he tries to recover from the damage. 

Thank You 9 + Million Times

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Not sure when it happened, but sometime over the last day, FTVLive went over 9 million visits to our site. Here is a screen cap from Statcounter: 

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I want to thank all of you that help make that happen and a very special thank you to the sponsors of FTVLive. 

As we have said before, we reached out to only the best companies to partner with us. We can assure you that the companies that you see listed on this site are the best of the best.

Not many websites can claim this, but FTVLive has turned down businesses that have wanted to advertise on here. If we don't think the company is top notch, then you will not see their ad or banner on this site. 

As FTVLive.com moves into 2014, we have even more plans to make your favorite TV News insider website even better.

But right now, I just want to thank all of you for speeding the word about FTVLive.com and here's wishing that 2014 is a great year for each and every one of you. 

Thanks again!

FTVLive's Worst Person of the Year

FTVLive's Worst Person of the Year

Everyone does a best list.

The best story of the year. The best person of the year. The business business of the year. Blah Blah Blah.....

FTVLive says the hell with that!

But before we do, let's look back shall we. 

2013 will go down a big year for FTVLive.com and for me as well. After thinking about taking this website out from behind the paywall for years, I finally got up the nerve to do it in 2013.

On February 4 on this year, FTVLive was free at last....free at last...thank God almighty we were free at last.

More plus who is the Worst Person of the Year all up after the jump.   

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When Being First...really isn't

FTVLive FIRST reported the news that Sam Champion was leaving Good Morning America and headed to The Weather Channel. 

FTVLive first posted the story shortly after 10AM and Tweeted it out soon after that. The story was retweeted and tweeted scores of times after FTVLive's initial post. 

Just minutes later we followed up the first story with the news that Ginger Zee would be taking over for Champion on GMA. 

Again, we tweeted the story out and once again it was retweeted a number of times.

Almost an hour after FTVLive FIRST broke the news, the website TVNewser posted the story. Screen capture below:

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Did they credit FTVLive with breaking the story?

No

Did they give FTVLive props for being the FIRST to have the news?

Nope.

No, TVNewser posted the story 2 minutes prior to 11AM with the claim that it was "First on TVNewser".

Not sure what their definition of being first is....but in most people's minds, this ain't it. 

Throwback Thursday - News Director and Laker Girls

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You know what day it is? Throwback Thursday! 

Today we go back to the 90's and a photo of my buddy and now WHAM (Rochester) News Director Matt Malyn and myself hanging out with a couple of Los Angeles Laker Girls.

Matt is a married man and if I remember this right, because of that I had to take both of the Laker Girls home with me.

Now you know why they are wearing the sweat bands.

What's Up with you Dude? Vol. 9 (Sweeps Edition)

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Been a while since we opened up the email and responded to some of your questions and comments.  

We have gotten a number of emails about the Ratings Book. So this edition of What's up with your Dude? Will be a sweeps edition.  

Email 1 - What is the stupidest Sweeps story that you have seen?

Scott - Any sweeps piece that involves a Taser.  

Email 2 - My News Director does newscast postmortems after every newscast during sweeps, but he hardly does it outside the book. What are your feelings on PM's?

Scott - As a News Director I did them for awhile, but I a quit it. First of all, after the newscast, the people that are about to head home, want to head home. The folks working on the late newscast, want to get working on those. So no one is really paying attention anyway. Second, if you are talking about a Producer mistake, why the hell does the Photographers care. If you're talking about a badly placed soundbite, why does the Weather Department care. I think all the issues with the newscast should be addressed to the people it pertains to. If the ND thinks a package was not very well done, call the Reporter and the Photog in that worked on that piece and tell them. Postmortems are a waste of time. During the book. outside the book, makes no difference. 

Email 3 - I love your site! Everyone in the newsroom here logs onto it all day long. I love the fact that you update 7 days a week. 

Scott - Thanks! Everyday is a sweeps at FTVLive.com  

Email 4 - What is the average day like at FTVLive? I just wonder how your day unfolds?

Scott - There is no average day at FTVLIve. They are all awesome days. I will post a video in the near future to help explain this. Stay tuned. (Tease) 

Email 5 -  I love your site! Do you accept donations?

Scott - Donated clothes? No Donated cash to help keep this finally tuned operation running along? Of course we do! And we even you something for your small donation. You get a brick! OK it's a virtual brick, but you still get a brick. Click here to see how you can get a brick and help out. 

I Hate Halloween

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I will admit, I'm not a big fan of Halloween and I never really have been. 

Even as a kid, every year I dressed as a hockey player when I went out trick or treating. Then when some house would give us apples, we headed out to the street and slap shot them into the sewer with our hockey sticks.

As I have gotten older, I don't go to Halloween parties. The last time I dressed up was years ago when I went to a station party as an incompetent TV station Engineer. Needless to say I didn't win best costume. Although, when I fell asleep at the party on the couch, everyone thought I was still playing the role of the Engineer. 

Today, I get up around 4 something and that means an early bedtime. Except on Halloween, where this little varmints are ringing my doorbell all night long asking for candy. 

It's got to the point where I just can't stand it anymore.

Yesterday I went to the store and bought two bags of candy a package of razor blades and a box of sharp screws. 

I have doctored up the candy, so hopefully these kids will not be stopping by again next year. 

Do you think they'll be able to tell I sabotaged my candy? 

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Maybe I didn't do it right. 

Throwback Thursday

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Throwback Thursday is a day on social media when people post old pictures on themselves. Today I figured I would bring "Throwback Thursday" to FTVLive. 

This picture is from around 1990. On the left is CNN's Gary Tuchman on the right the more sexy one, is me.

Gary and I were working at WPEC in West Palm Beach and we were about to head out on and undercover assignment.

To be honest, I can't remember what the assignment was, but I'm fairly certain we were doing something with the local county fair. We were either looking at ride safety or how how the games at the fair were rigged so it's next to impossible to win.

Gary and I did our best to look like the guys that work at the fair. To be honest, I think we both look more like members of the Village People. 

By the way, the Tattoo is fake.