Tori Campbell, KTVU: 2013 SF Bay Area Media Person of the Year

 Time Magazine has its annual "Person of the Year"--it features a person or persons who had the most impact, for better or worse, on the year's news.

 

In the Bay Area, I'm inaugurating the " SF Bay Area Media Person of the Year"and in 2013, it's a no-brainer.

 

Tori Campbell, KTVU's inimitable morning and noon anchor is my unanimous winner.

 

If you just got out of a coma or were on a Mars vacation, it was Campbell that read the infamous fake Korean airline pilot names. It caused a storm. It stained prestigious Channel 2. It made otherwise normal media people ponder.

 

Stephen Colbert was handed a double-size buffet of red meat.

 

There were consequences, of course, over the big TV news brouhaha, but the bottom line was that it was Campbell that evaded the sudden fate and wrath that begot others. Why, some people wondered, myself included, was Campbell allowed to carry on without nary a mild suspension or outright termination? Good questions.

 

In any event, this still mind-numbing event; the talk of both the local and national TV/Radio newsrooms to this day; a parody only it was real and SNLish, is, hands-down, unequivocally, the Bay Area media event of 2013 and Campbell, the 415 Media "Person of the Year."

By the way, did she really read it? I must still be dreaming.

 

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Exclusive: Ex-KTVU ND, Chapuis, Was Told By KTVU MGT To Fire Senior Staffers; Newsroom Angst Over Fired Asiana Personnel

  MORE KTVU EXCLUSIVES!

A source close to KTVU tells me, exclusively.

*Ed Chapuis: The former News Director, according to my Insider, ,has been telling people that he was ordered to fire "higher-paid, senior people without contracts" (Chapuis was not present during the Asiana affair, having long been let go months earlier.)

Chapuis refused, said the source, because supposedly, he, (Chapuis), regarded these staffers as the "best in the business." But GM, Tom Raponi wanted them gone so he could hire "easy-to-manipulate" kids at cheaper prices.

SO they fired Chapuis. (On his way to a new gig in Sacramento.)

And brought in a new ND, the current person, Lee Rosenthal, "TO DO THE EXECUTIONER'S WORK."

--Meanwhile:

 

*The latest on the Asiana NameGate affair:

 

From my sources: There's still considerable angst in the newsroom over the four fired staffers let go by management last month. Moreover, according to my chief source, those let go were made to be scapegoats.

 

A direct quote: "THE ASIANA THING WAS A JUST A RUSE! THOSE PEOPLE DID NOTHING WRONG. THE ONLY ONE WHO DID IS STILL WORKING THERE!"

 

Figure it out.  Michelle Toy, the ex-Managing Editor and/or Tori Campbell, the veteran news anchor who read the fake names.
 

*Developing...

 

*Rich Lieberman 415 Media Exclusive

 

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The KTVU Conundrum; Even if Bay Area Media Ignores the Asiana Airline 'Namegate', I Will Not; UPDATE: Chronicle/SF Gate Runs 415 Media Exclu

There are those that get it and those that don't.

I have been dogged on the KTVU story since its inception and will continue to pursue its course even if the majority of the Bay Area press, (and some of you), insist that I back off and offer up relentless there's no there there's --we'll really, that's not so.

First off, we all make mistakes. It's an everyday occurrence. In all walks of life and professions, even local TV News stations.

This was NOT one of your run-of-the-mill mistakes. It was, yes, epic. It involved people in the business, as many as 6-7 initially, and many more later, who escalated the mistake and only added fuel to the fire. To this day, we still have No Idea how it all went down, although I'm beginning to get some information on the missing pieces and hope soon, one day, that we know all the details.

This was not my doing. A local anchor-friend joked with me yesterday that "this Channel 2 'thing was handed to you on a silver platter." Sure, just what I ordered. Fact is, just when you think the whole thing can't get even more bizarre, it gets more bizarre and confounding. Now we're hearing more of what actually took place in the KTVU newsroom that fateful Friday afternoon.

Frankly, I'm getting tired of the complaining from people who tell me I'm beating a dead horse. I don't think that's the case. I don't believe a TV station with the reputation of a KTVU is above reproach. If it was a simple mistake, it would have been buried a day after it happened, but it didn't disappear . The sheer zaniness of what actually took place right on the screen before all of us hasn't evaporated. And in spite of people who insist this go away; many of whom work for KTVU, and a few sorted trolls who will always bitch no matter what, the story is still fluid: WHO, ultimately, was behind all of this incompetence? How could 4-5 people with a plethora of experience and TV journalistic savvy, working for a Legacy station, allow this to happen? Furthermore, how can people in upper management--people who should know better, handle this as poorly as the folks at Channel 2 have? It still, after almost the month, boggles the mind. Conundrum personified.

If the Bay Area media chooses to ignore this, so be it. The trades have NOT. The TV people and the media folks want more coverage. They too are interested in what went down and who and what  might be going down in the future. They want to know. And in case you haven't read my latest post, there's a helluva lot more back stories to this than you could imagine. Believe me.

There's a way to handle this and a way not. The GM, whom I'm told is a "good guy", refuses to talk about this; it's been that way since day 1. The News Director, who has more fingerprints on all of this than an Newark, NJ crime lab, has said nothing. In fact, KTVU has still placed a complete gag order on all its personnel, from the phone operator to the interns in the newsroom. Are they that paranoid? Do they lack the basic functions of how to handle a crisis and not look like a bunch of rank amateurs?

There is more coming. Inevitably, I'm told, the dismissals are not final. There likely will be more. That's not on me, that's KTVU and Cox Media. Evidently, Cox and Channel 2 think this is still alive because the internal investigation is ongoing.

And I will be here to continue my pursuit of the truth until the very end. Even if the Bay Area media has moved on, I have Not.

UPDATE: Well, the SF Chronicle has picked up the story, (again): http://blog.sfgate.com/stew/2013/08/07/pilot-consultant-source-of-ktvus-fake-pilot-list-report-says/

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Exclusive: KTVU Fake Pilot Name List OKed by Station 'Managing Editor Who Wasn't Fired; Station Feared Backlash by SF-Area Asian Community; Source That Provided Fake List Was Ex-Pilot

Several minutes before the moment the fake names of the Asiana Airlines pilots aired prematurely on KTVU News, a veteran staffer-- awarding winning TV News journalist, Roland De Wolk, (one of the four fired at the station over the incident), passed the names over to newsroom staffers whose duty was to make sure the names were authentic, according to a broadcast source close to the station. One of those staffers included the Managing Editor!

The source spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the story.

"You better check these, (names), out", said De Wolk after he passed the names over to newsroom personnel.  KTVU's Managing Editor, Michelle Toy, who saw the list and whose duty, (among normal news procedures),  was to read the names out loud, phonetically, raised the issue that the names sounded suspicious. Told that they were confirmed by an NTSB official, (later to be known as an intern), OKed the list.  Toy, who is of Asian descent, was not one of the four staffers let go by KTVU and its corporate owner, Cox Media.

Another individual close to De Wolk said that the source that provided the fake pilot's names,(electronically via e-mail or text), was an ex-pilot who had worked with KTVU in the past and was considered to be trustworthy.

I asked the source if the pilot knowingly sent the names as a joke and if so, did the station know? "Apparently not." At least 4-5 people saw the list of names, including anchor, Tori Campbell, who read them on the air on KTVU's Noon Newscast, Friday, July 12th.

Toy, according to the source, made note that even though the downed jetliner was a Korean airline, the pilot, (fake), names were that of Chinese descent. Furthermore, the real names had already been posted on-line and KTVU was one of several news organizations that published them.

So, why then was Toy spared? Said the source: "KTVU didn't want to offend the Asian Community. They'd already did so with the fake name scandal and they were worried about a backlash."

Attempts to reach Toy were unsuccessful.

KTVU management has ignored repeated requests for comment on this and other items related to the story. 

De Wolk has hired SF-area attorney, Michael Cardoza, over a wrongful-termination act.

KTVU has placed a gag order on its entire staff regarding the affair. It should be noted that Cox Media sent its own media attorney out to the Bay Area to head an internal investigation into the highly embarrassing incident. An incident that has tarnished KTVU's stellar news product reputation and continues to haunt several of its key personnel, both on and off the air.

**RICH LIEBERMAN 415 MEDIA EXCLUSIVE

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KTVU ND Rosenthal was Under Fire at Indy Station on Questionable Homeless 'Story'

Lee Rosenthal, the beleaguered News Director at KTVU, under fire for the Asiana Airline pilot name gaffe, is no stranger to controversy.

In 2011, Rosenthal was ND at an Indy station that did a story exploiting the city's homeless.

Rosenthal has been mum lately, (wonder why), and as usual, did not comment for this story.

As the investigation continues into Namegate, the situation remains fluid. Outside of the four people fired over the brouhaha, there's relative calm, although I'm hearing that there's a decent chance that more heads might roll.

Rosenthal has held a lower profile than usual over in Jack London Square. Senior staffers tell me there's considerable strain with the rank and file over NameGate. This is one of the  the main reasons.

This hasn't helped either.

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Tori Campbell and KTVU Namegate; An Honest, Politically-Incorrect Viewpoint from the 415 Media Blogger

The non PC Dept.


I don't know Tori Campbell that well but I've been told she's a total pro. I don't doubt that but her reading of the fake pilot names that has caused considerable angst both for her and KTVU still continues to befuddle me.

Like this: TORI!! A 5th-grader would have immediately known those names were FAKE! How in God's name could you have then carried on without stopping and saying that, for example, "we're going to a break and look at these names--something needs to be checked." COME ON, THIS IS FUCKING COMMON SENSE!!

**Campbell isn't going to be fired because she just recently re-upped and is being paid pretty good money but her performance here is flat-out mind-boggling. If I'm to be castigated to suggest here that she should be held accountable, so be it.

I mean, shit, did you see what Stephen Colbert had to say?!!

The easiest and most politically-correct take here in the Bay Area is that Campbell is a solid anchor and therefore should be given a pass. Bullshit. She royally screwed up. She has major company but she did the deed. Again, this sounds harsh but it's the truth.  (Can't wait for the, you're a misogynist, Rich!, crowd to come out from hiding.)

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Cox Media Conducts Internal Investigation; KTVU Namegate Still Fluid; Fake Press Release Latest Development

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...

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KTVU has Monday Staff Meeting on You Know What; Asiana Considers Legal Action; The Latest

Full-scale staff meeting at KTVU on Monday. Sometime around 10-ish.

I'm hearing it might either be a "rally the troops" gathering or "shit hits the fan" encounter. A few local wags indicated this latest possible legal indignity is cause for concern.

One thing is certain at Jack London Square: They were probably never happier that the Zimmerman verdict was announced on Saturday night.

Oh, and the ratings for Monday's Noon News should be off the chart; "MO2" too.

Developing...

Keep it here for the latest.

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Siege Mentality at KTVU Tonight; Cox Exec 'Fuming'; Internal Investigation Likely; EP Likely First to Be Fired

Needless to say, the mood is not good and shock and befuddlement--not to mention utter humiliation permeates the headquarters of KTVU in Jack London Square.

Cox Communications, (corporate owner of Channel 2), is, according to my insider, demanding a full-fledged investigation into the matter. A senior exec was said to be "fuming." (No shit, Sherlock.)

Beyond that:

*The EP, (Executive Producer), on duty during the Noon News is being fingered by staffers as the point person behind the major embarrassment. I tried to contact the individual and was not successful--I'm not shocked. The person may be updating the resume.

*A local broadcast observer told me he doubts the ND will be fired.  Someone else said "nobody" is immune from the soon-to-be internal investigation. This should be interesting.

*The GM, Tom Raponi, was unavailable for comment. (Shocking).

*Tori Campbell, the anchor who was unfortunate enough to read the circus act, may be sick by all of this, but is probably safe from being fired. On the other hand, did she not see what we all saw?--Hello!!

*This is an INDELIBLE event that cannot be erased. The ramifications are mighty. Right now the only good news is that it's a Friday night. Countless apologies will not cleanse the wound. It's serious business.

*Developing...

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The Very Best and Worst TV/Radio Coverage of the Airliner Crash at SFO; KTVU Leads the Pack

KTVU: From the very first reports that a jumbo jet had crash-landed at SFO, KTVU was on the air and its #1 anchor, Frank Somerville was describing the horrifying scene on the runway. It helped, too, that the station had live video footage which gave viewers a direct view of the jetliner's demise.

Somerville lives in the Oakland Hills; it helped that as the story evolved, he was able to get to KTVU's Jack London Square studios just moments after the first report of the crash from the airport.

Moreover, Somerville was calm, cool, and collected. He was helped out immeasurably by reporter, Tom Vacar, a veteran reporter and small-plane pilot himself and Ken Wayne, a fellow anchor and himself, a small-plane pilot. Both gave detailed analysis and were a steady compliment to Somerville's on-air work. This was vintage KTVU work and to its credit, the Oakland station went a full nine hours on the air and stayed with the story. In fact, KTVU flipped the Giants-Dodgers FOX telecast to sister station, KICU, and remained with the on-going developments at SFO.

All in all, KTVU did a stellar job and provided the best and most comprehensive coverage. GRADE: A

*KPIX5: Shockingly enough, the CBS O and O had the worst coverage. Wait, what coverage? Initially, PIX stayed with the golf tournament on CBS for a good hour-plus before finally breaking into the net and going with the story at SFO, but there was total embarrassment here. PIX had NO anchor, not even a reporter on the scene. PIX relied on content and actuality from its sister radio station, KCBS! Are you kidding me? No, worse yet, when they finally got Allen Martin into the studio, Martin looked dazed and confused, entirely out of the loop. Worse yet, Martin deferred back to KCBS coverage because they simply were not ready to cover the story. I'm wondering if they'll be a meeting at 855 Battery and who's head could roll. GRADE: D-

*KRON: Early on, very unimpressive work with a female anchor who looked totally out of place. I don't know her name and frankly, after watching her fumble and bumble, I had no interest. Of course, KRON may have felt the same: They didn't bother to put her name up and I'm not so sure that wasn't so bad after all. GRADE: D

*KNTV: Raj Mathai provided solid, if not spectacular, work and managed to snag a passenger eye-witness account of the crash. Overall, KNTV provided the necessary news with lots of overhead shots from the scene of the crash and a ton of phone interviews with aircraft experts who gave early analysis of what might have caused the crash. GRADE: B

KGO-TV: Dan Ashley did a good job describing the scene and providing a very respected, decidedly toned-down approach. Not too great was his partner, the out-of-place Cheryl Jennings who sounded as if she was describing a Royal wedding from time to time. Bizarre. GRADE: B-

RADIO:

KCBS: Great job from the all-news king of radio in SF. KCBS was front and center with capable anchorwoman, Janice Wright at the microphone, and given the enormity of the story, News Director, Ed Cavagnaro. Reporters en mass filed detailed packages from the scene at SFO to the hospital at SF General. KCBS clearly knows how to cover a major story even if it happens to fall on a holiday weekend. Nice work. GRADE: B+

KGO Radio: Oh, how the once-mighty have fallen...First off, Tim Montemayor was on the air when the crash occurred. I didn't hear much of the "Monty" but was told he was so bad, KGO's meager news vets in the newsroom were fuming over The Monty's screeching solo act. "Nails on board" was how one KGO staffer described his reporting. Beyond that, Montemayor also reportedly spoke about the "possibility of two planes" even though there was no word  early on about that possible element. Simply inexcusable but not really surprising anymore from the news wannabees. GRADE: F


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