George Carlin Dies at 71
June 23rd, 2008 by anthonyz |
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According to the Associated Press, George Carlin died of heart failure in Santa Monica, California at 5:55pm PST. He went to the hospital because he was complaining of chest pain. He was 71 years old.
NBC News: Tim Russert dead at 58
June 13th, 2008 by anthonyz |
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Today, we lost a well-known journalist who want people to know what’s happening in politics, Tim Russert, host of NBC’s Meet the Press; has died at the age 58. Russert suffered a major heart attack while preparing his show at the NBC News Bureau in Washington D.C. Russert had just came back early from his family’s vacation to Italy so he can do this Sunday’s edition of Meet the Press.
The New York Times report that at 3:39pm, former NBC Nightly News Anchor Tom Brokaw announced to NBC News viewers that his colleague has died.
“Our beloved colleague,” a grave Mr. Brokaw called him, one of the premier journalists of our time. He said this was one of the most important years in his life, with his deep engagement in the network’s political coverage, and that he “worked to the point of exhaustion.” Mr. Brokaw said Mr. Russert was a true child of Buffalo and always stayed in touch with his blue collar roots and “the ethos of that community.”
He said Mr. Russert had just moved his father, who is in his late 80s, from one facility to another in Buffalo. He said he loved his family, his Catholic faith, his country, politics, the Buffalo Bills, the New York Yankees and the Washington Nationals.
“This news division will not be the same without his strong, clear voice,” Mr. Brokaw said.
Russert, the longest running moderator for Meet the Press, has been with the show since 1991. Since then, he has formed of what is today known as Sunday morning government affairs program
As his death happens days before Fathers Day, he had written two books about his father and became a best-seller. In 1995, the National Father’s Day Committee named him “Father of the Year,” and Parents magazine honored him as “Dream Dad” in 1998, and in 2001 the National Fatherhood Initiative also recognized him as Father of the Year.
NBC News has planned to air a tribute to Russert on “Dateline NBC” on Friday at 10 p.m. ET.
Kelsey Grammer Suffers Heart Attack
June 2nd, 2008 by anthonyz |
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Kelsey Grammer, television and movie actor, is relaxing in an Hawaii with his wife after he suffered a mild heart attack over the weekend. “Grammer experienced symptoms Saturday morning after paddle boarding with his wife Camille at their Hawaiian home,” according to a statement from Stan Rosenfield, the actor’s representative.
Shakesups at WNBC and WCBS
May 28th, 2008 by anthonyz |
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Since this week, WNBC-TV and WCBS-TV in New York experienced shake-ups this week with their news anchors.First off, WCBS-TV removed Jim Rosenfield from his anchoring role last Thursday. Replacing Rosenfield is Don Dahler to the noon and 6pm slots.Next is a huge shakeup at WNBC with their anchors, not only the evening newscasts were affected but also the morning newscast “Today in New York.” Rob Morrison, who has been in the weekday morning newscast since 2004, left the station over the weekend; no comments of why he left the morning newscast. This comes up after weeks that WNBC announced that it will have 24 hour news on its digital subchannel 4.4. According to the Daily News, Michael Gargiulo, who was the 5pm co-anchor, will replace Morrison. (Update: Gargiulo mentioned on air that Morrison is on vacation.)On the evening newscasts, you can now see Chuck Scarborugh and Sue Simmons three times a night; an effort to help organize the new news channel and boost ratings. Replacing Gargiulo is David Ushery, who anchored the 6pm newscast with Lynda Baquero who became a street reporter this week, will anchor with Sue Simmons, known for her f-bomb on a live teaser on May 12, during the half-hour 5pm newscast. At 6pm, Simmons will anchor with Scarborough, who have been anchoring the 11pm newscast on WNBC for the past 28 years. At 7pm, Scarborough will continue to anchor solo for the “New York Nightly News” newscast. And at 11pm, you will be able to catch “Chuck and Sue.”
Rosenfield, Baquero, Rossen to leave
May 21st, 2008 by anthonyz |
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The Daily News reported that Jim Rosenfield will be leaving WCBS-TV on Thursday in a round of cutbacks for CBS Owned and Operated Stations. Rosenfield came back to WCBS-TV from WNBC-TV in 2005 to become a male anchor for the 5 and 11 o’clock newscasts. At WNBC-TV, he co-anchored with Sue Simmons for the 5 o’clock newscast “Live at Five” since 2000 when he then left WCBS-TV.
Since he joined WCBS-TV, his roles changed dynamically in 2006 as he was replaced with station’s former sportscaster Chris Wragge. Since the change, he anchored the 6 and noon broadcasts.
The Daily News is also reporting that WNBC will be dropping Lynda Baquero as her anchor role for the weekday 6 o’clock newscast. This decision was made before the “Sue Simmons incident.” Baquero has been with WNBC since 1995; she was first a street reporter, then became a weekend anchor and then replaced Michele Marsh’s anchor-role in summer of 2003.
Finally, the Daily News is also reporting that Jeff Rossen is leaving WABC-TV. He replied to the Daily News by saying
“My contract is up at the end of the month. I’ve decided to leave, Working with all the great people at WABC has been an amazing experience. I will miss them all. However, I’m ready to spread my wings on different platforms. And I’m excited about pursuing new opportunities.”
The question here is “will each of these reporters swap their jobs at each of the three stations?”
WTF is on at 11?
May 13th, 2008 by anthonyz |
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Updated: May 13, 2008 at 4:10pm.
At 10:27pm Monday evening during a live teaser for the 11PM news on WNBC NY Channel 4, news anchor Sue Simmons slipped “a word that many people find offensive.” This happend on the same day as an old video of Bill O’Reilly, from the O’Reilly Factor on Fox News, turned up on the Internet showing O’Reilly angry during a recording of the “Inside Edition.”
After the incident occured, I wrote my reaction of what I thought happened.
“As an observer of WNBC News 4 New York for the past many years, I noticed something different about the teaser that was aired. After my observation of watching the clip online several times, it seems like it is not Simmon’s fault; it feels and looks like they were unaware that they are live. One hint during the teaser, Chuck Scarborough, the co-anchor of Simmons for the past 28 years, was not looking at the camera; something that Scarborough will never do during a live teaser. If in that case, the director in the studio did not tell Simmons and Scarborough that they are live; the audio and video was perfectly done just like the other live teasers at 10:30pm. But it is what Simmons said that outraged the audience. My prediction is that there was a similar situation just like in the O’Reilly video posted on Monday that might have been going on in Studio 6B; an argument between the anchor and the director. On the 11 o’clock newscast, she apologized to the audience.”
During the mid-day on Tuesday, the Daily News is reporting that she slipped on the word “heck” that caused her to say the F-word while teasing the first story when the video switched to a cruise-ship story.
It is expected that Simmons will not be on the air tomorrow during the 5 o’clock and 11 o’clock newscast if the situation is not resolved.
In my views, Simmons seems like she won’t be fired; Simmons and Scarborough is the anchor team that represents New York news. Simmons joined WNBC back in 1980 with Scarborough.
Because videos and links contains strong language, links were not posted.
Left image: snapshot of the May 12 live teaser, Right image: Sue Simmons in February 2007.
WNBC To Have 24 Hour News Channel in NYC
May 7th, 2008 by anthonyz |
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For FiOS and over-the-air TV viewers living in New York, cable’s local regional news may not be something important anymore. NBC Universal is creating a 24-hour local channel on WNBC’s DT feed, it was first reported in the New York Times website.
“It will de-emphasize the identity of the NBC network’s flagship station, WNBC, Channel 4 in New York, rechristening it a “content center,” and making it one part of a larger local media effort.” (Carter)
This operation will compete with Cablevision’s News 12 organization and Time Warner’s NY1. Currently, Verizon FiOS does not offer a local news service like cable. The new news platform will be delivered on the cable’s digital service on Cablevision, Time Warner, Comcast, Satellite, and FiOS. The channel will also be available out-of-house, such as taxis, gas pump televisions, and PATH stations.
No employees will be layed off, but a change of shifts is expected. The new channel will have “live headlines” every half hour, including weather and traffic. Currently being planned is the new space needed for such an operation. It is unconfirmed if the local newscasts will be relocated out of studio 6B, where The Tonight Show was once held, or if the news studio will have a new set.
WNBC’s website will experience a change as it might leave the IBS (Internet Broadcasting Systems) platform, which they have been with since 2001; most NBC owned stations use the same platform. Instead, it will go completely video and on-demand, (of what we understand, something similar to NBC Nightly News website).
“This is the next step in WNBC’s mission to diversify its operations and become the leading multi-platform content provider for the New York market,” said John Wallace, Local Media Division President.
The expected move is to be complete by quarter 1 of 2009. If a success, the seven other owned stations: KNBC, WRC, KNTV, WMAQ, KXAS, and KNSD, may follow a similar move.
Mariah Carey is married!!!
May 1st, 2008 by Cruzin |
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Mariah Carey is married!!!
Mariah Carey and fiance of two days, Nick Cannon got hitched on Wednesday, Latina magazine is reporting.
The vows are said to have taken place on a small island and the ceremony was “very impulsive”, according to an unnamed source.
And here’s the real kicker. 90’s one hit wonder DaBrat was one of few who attended the wedding.
Updates to come!
Islip Power Outage
April 28th, 2008 by anthonyz |
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There are currently 1,341 reported customers without power this morning living in Ronkonkoma, Bohemia, Central Islip, Oakdale, East Islip, and Islip Terrace. The power outage is due to a short circuit break, according to LIPA. An additional 94 customers are without power in Oyster Bay due to weather related outages.
Sandra Bullock and Husband Unharmed After Crash
April 23rd, 2008 by Cruzin |
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Crash Actress Sandra Bullock is unhurt after a head-on collision with an SUV. The driver of the SUV was intoxicated and her blood alcohol content was .20, twice the legal limit. The driver, 64 year old Gatchell has no previous record.
Police Lt. Jerry Cook said that Bullock and Husband were being driven on Friday around 9:50 when the accident occurred.
Bullock is said to be “grateful” and was initially worried about the driver that hit their car.
