Now that Asiana Airlines has threatened legal action against KTVU, the internal investigation in Oakland has shifted to Channel 2's corporate owner, Cox Media in Atlanta.
Which effectively puts both the GM, Tom Raponi, and News Director, Lee Rosenthal out of the loop on Namegate. Raponi, the GM, was the latest recipient of a fake news release that looked and sounded genuine until the very end. It bears to repeat that someone out there really hates KTVU. Who and why remains to be seen and investigated. The situation gets more bizarre by the day.Inside the station the staffers remain tight-lipped, (as they should now that the legal arena has entered into the equation). Even a few of my insiders don't know what's going on. They just go to work and do their job although all of this has put a tremendous amount of strain on people in the newsroom.
There's growing belief that someone is going to take the fall. No one is immune. Rosenthal has barely been on the job for three months yet if the situation remains fluid and/or more embarrassing developments occur, he might get the hook. This is Cox mind you; a private company fiercely protective of its name and brand. They've never been in love with their progressive entity in the Bay Area but they also acknowledge it's still a cash cow. (At one point years ago KTVU's vaunted "10 O'clock News" alone accounted for 1% of the overall gross earnings for Cox Media).
**Developing...
*Follow me on Twitter
I wonder who that someone is? When you mess over people, it comes back to bite. But who ever it is, that person is an insider.
ReplyDeleteIf it is an insider, I hope that he/she has a strong "plan B," for a career path.
DeleteThe fake news release cited in this post "looked and sounded genuine until the very end"? Really?
ReplyDeleteRich has inadvertently illuminated a central truth: most of today's newsroom people wouldn't know bullshit if they had a mouthful of it.
The "news release" is so poorly written that any responsible journalist should immediately smell a rat. But if something like this crude fake doesn't set off alarm bells, why would a list of sophomoric fake names stand out as bogus?
People... this is easy!!!Put on your legal hats. Who was motivated to this? High priced anchors? Overpaid photographers? Snot nose Interns? Not a chance. Two "insiders" had motive, the authority, and most importantly the KNOW HOW to place Sum Ting on the air.
ReplyDeleteKGO's Tracey W is SUPER PISSED because KTVU made her personally look bad....by trashing the ABC O&O about crash coverage ( BTW, that really was a low blow by KTVU )
Her GOOD buddy Janice S. Gin is EQUALLY PISSED and every right to be. KTVU promised her:
*The ND job after Special Ed would be promoted, that's why she left KGO....
*Special Ed almost left in 2006 and they practically gave her the keys. When Ed's deal fell through she was back as assistant.
*An obligatory in your face, somewhat rude interview to be ND after Ed was canned.
*Janice is polarizing. She has detractors, but she also has very loyal minions willing to drink her brand of kool-aid
Janice knows the gig is up. She's too expensive and old to go anywhere else and won't move. What a what to go! Frankly, its somewhat brilliant! Take this job and shove it! Maybe Tracey W will give Janice a job as payback for helping KGO get out of the crash coverage s-hole. If she's dumb enough to do that....then you'll know Sum Ting is wrong!
How is that putting on any "legal" hats? Haven't heard any law being recited. Just some baseless conspiracies.
DeleteSo, these two just crossed their fingers in the hopes the NTSB would come back and confirm the names, as they did?
DeleteJust their luck a 'summer intern' was there to answer the phone from KTVU, ay?
ya right.
Fuck KTVU. They haven't been shit (ratings, content, talent, product, etc.) for at least 5 years.
DeleteIts now "legal" because of pending civil action. No laws broken, but airline lawyers will depose everyone and anyone remotely involved.
DeleteAre we supposed to feel bad for the Cox family? This drama is fun to watch but as Rich would say on Lieberman live: "at the end of the day who gives a damn about this proverbial 1%er family?"
ReplyDeleteSome thirty years ago I was watching CNN who broke the "Richard Pryor On Fire" story. I flipped to KTVU and no report. I realized local news was behind Cable on current news info and called KTVU to report the CNN/Pryor report. KTVU reported within in three minutes of my call.. Did the same thing/same scenario with Mt. St. Helens...
ReplyDeleteI think some clever prankster simply called KTVU very bullshit officially and reported. Probably had no idea KTVU would even attempt to vet the info by calling the NTSB and lucked out when the Intern screwed up and confirmed. Hot to trot with breaking news, KTVU went with the names similar to what they did with my call.. I bet those involved with getting the names up barely looked at the names and/or those who looked quizzically, shit canned any second thoughts in favor of "Breaking News".....
Exactly--enough with the conspiracy stuff.
DeleteI am curious to know what cable service provider here in the bay area was airing CNN in 1980. CNN went on the air for the very first time on June 1. 1980. And June 8, 1980 was when Richard Pryor lit himself on fire in that drug induced /suicide attempt incident. I do recall it being a major news story at the time. But I was living in the south bay at that time and our provider did not carry CNN.
DeleteL. Ron, I can't remember the Cable company. Think Comcast ended up with my area after several mergers/buy outs. There were several Cable companies in my area at the time from city to city. We had a box with buttons connected with a wire to the receiver in those days. I think Cable established in the mid to late 70's in my area.. And CNN was part of our Cable package..
DeleteThis is a ridiculous story that has gotten waaaay too much play locally. So a stupid anchor doesn't do her homework and repeats these ridiculous names verbatim on the air...so what? And then the Airline that these fictitious pilots were supposedly working for has the temerity to sue Channel 2 after one of their incompetent pilots crashed a plane resulting in three deaths? That's the real story; the tragic loss of three lives, not the ruffled feathers of the Asian community for some foolish anchor making a joke out of some names at their expense!
ReplyDeleteIf Amy G. were doing the anchoring at KTVU, it wouldn't have surprised me in the least that she would have made the same mistake that poor anchor woman did. Amy G. is one of the most clueless ditzes in the history of bay area TV. "Well, let's talk with Sergio...take us through that last inning..!"
ReplyDeleteAre you on a personal mission to make sure Amy G. is mentioned and slammed in every single thread?
DeleteI think you need to look into news director Lee Rosenthal's background.
ReplyDeleteHe is a lunatic in beating the competition and getting things on first with no disregard for the process to assure facts within stories.
He also has a storied history in Indianapolis for taunting the competition.
He was also fired in Columbus OH as a producer. It's unclear why.
He's also big on being a part of the story. He used to make calls like a reporter to confirm things and it will be interesting to find out how this investigation proceeds.
Who was the reporter, who made the calls, or was it a manager instead?
Furthermore, why did a news director with three years experience and a storied history end up in the Bay area?
I think we should look at the news director, with only 3 years experience, and an apparent fondness for jumping the gun and slamming it in the competition's face (ask anyone in Indianapolis) he jumped on stories before staffers felt comfortable airing them.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if rosenthal knew about this beforehand. What I do know, having worked for him, is he cares more about bragging about how good he is than really being good. Here in Indy, he missed so many breaking stories but later bragged about having "exclusives" even though our competition had it first. Don't know how an inexperienced guy got such a big job. What was the GM thinking?!?!
ReplyDelete