Fear and Loathing Hits KTVU In The Morning; Mallicoat, Wong and Orozco At War; Insider Tells 415 Media: 'They All Hate Each Other'; Wong Tries Sex Appeal; Orozco is Orozco; Mallicoat Enraged; Thursday 415 Media Special

Left to Right: Rosemary Orozco, Frank Mallicoat and Claudine Wong

THEY MAY BE SMILING HERE BUT TRUTHFULLY THEY HATE EACH OTHER'S GUTS!! 

A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words and the photo on the left is worth at least double that.

The KTVU AM juggernaut --"Mornings on Two" dominates, still, the Bay Area TV News morning shows-MO2 handily beats lame KPIX and brain -dead CBS This Morning; KGO is dead in the water and NBC Bay Area is bogged down by plunging "Today Show" flat lining. KRON tries mightily with its infusion of local news but continues to fake TV orgasms with shameless Darya Folsom and her cast of misfits. It's a sorry scene every morning because of Darya's stupid antics. Which leaves us with KTVU and inner symmetry --right? Great ratings do not make for stellar chemistry and love among the troops.

A KTVU Insider tells me the bulk of the morning crew can't stand each other. The three main players involve anchors Frank Mallicoat and Claudine Wong. On the outside but very much looking in, perennial "I'm bigger and better than just damn plain weather", Rosemary Orozco. Not again? Oh yes, there's history. And a lot of leg too.

The gist of what's going on inside the studios in Jack London Square where KTVU broadcasts:

* Mallicoat is enraged at Wong's behind-the-scenes showboating and flirtatious behavior with every guy in the newsroom and beyond. "She's using her sex appeal and sarcasm as a device to get a more prominent role in the news domain," said the Insider who watches the mayhem every day.

"Claudine wants the spotlight and is willing to do anything to get her way; she's set her sights on something bigger than the morning job and Frank (Mallicoat) is royally pissed off because of it."

Quietly, Mallicoat wants out of KTVU because he despises the "foxification" of the station. "But he loves the Bay Area too so it's a major dilemma."

The Insider tells me Mallicoat and Wong don't talk at all off the air and have built up quite a rivalry --so much so, one day Wong showed up at work with boxing gloves.! It was considered a joke; Mallicoat wasn't amused. Station brass were also not very happy.

For now, the gruesome twosome have let personal issues and hijinks aside and show no sign of conflict on the screen but that's all smoke and mirrors. "Complete bullshit!" offered another station spy, "They hate each other bigtime!; It's all a mirage."

Orozco is viewed as a peacemaker but can't be bothered by such petty behavior. As I've noted before, the tall weather diva is looking for a Hollywood position; literally! Orozco curries favor with KTVU/FOX upper brass in hopes to get a network gig down south, something both Wong and Mallicoat despise and Rosemary knows it. Which is the focus point as to why she loves working every shift but the morning one.

The fisticuffs in the morning have created tension and turmoil in the newsroom. A fear and loathing of the terrible trifecta is pervasive among staffers and HR especially. The Insider:

"Our coffee machine sucks; we might as well have bottles of vodka and gin. Sooner or later, you need a break!"

Ouch!

415 Media Exclusive: Chaos at KTVU Over Nia Wilson Facebook 'Gun' Photo; News Director Amber Eikel Breaks Down in Front of Shocked Newsroom; Source to 415 Media: 'Job On The Line'; Claudine Wong Also Crying; How The Controversial Wilson Picture Made KTVU's 'Noon News'; Staffers Worry in JL Square

ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE AT

KTVU; CHAOTIC NEWSROOM

Anchors/Reporters/EP's' staffers

still shaken over Nia Wilson

KTVU News Director Amber Eikel

picture

*The fallout from the inappropriate

picture of murdered Oakland teen

Nia Wilson continues at KTVU;

the latest?

In a stunning display of the angst

that haunts the building, VP/News Dir,

Amber Eikel broke down in the

newsroom; crying and crying all in

front of a shocked staff; according

to my source who witnessed the

scene, anchor Claudine Wong

also began to sob uncontrollably.

Said the source:

"It was the most awkward scene in the newsroom I've ever witnessed and I've seen some beauties."

Claudine Wong smiling here but crying in KTVU newsroom

The source indicated and I've confirmed through multiple contacts that Eikel may have been crying not just for the Wilson picture incident, but for her own future at KTVU: Word is she's more than likely to get fired over the incident. Someone has to take the fall and it appears Eikel is at the top of the list.

Why?

Eikel, says Fox2 contacts, was the only person willing to work for GM, Gregg Kelley.

"He could control her," said the source.

But it was Eikel's own hired reporter and Executive Producer working the morning (and later Noon News) that were responsible for allowing the Wilson photo (in which a picture of her holding a cell-phone case that resembled a gun) made Channel 2's air on its Noon News--so, says the source:

"It falls on her."

The name of the reporter and EP working Monday is not known but the reporter sent a piece back to the station for air and the producer, also not known, quickly pulled the Wilson image off her Facebook account and nobody bothered to check the image and just ran with it.

A newsroom source: "This is another 'fuckin' Asiana!" --referring to KTVU's most recent news blunder in which fake pilot's names off the downed Korean jetliner made it Noon News back in July, 2013, an embarrassing incident that still haunts KTVU today.

And now this. You thought it would never happen again. But it has.

And like the Asiana embarrassment, heads will roll. The first to go is said to be ND, Eikel.

Making matters all the more complicated, a series of protests are set to take place in front of KTVU's Jack London Square studios in the coming days.



#415MEDIA EXCLUSIVE

KTVU's Claudine Wong Gets Robbed at Concord Costco

KTVU veteran anchor, Claudine Wong, was robbed at the Concord Costco Friday.

She writes about her experience on Facebook.

Yes, even local celebrities are subject to life's cruelties.

Wong wasn't hurt although her purse, cell phone and other belongings were taken.

Police are investigating.

Wong and Mibach on KTVU "MO2" Can't Stop Chatting; Fox Infusion Underway; Station Re-Brand Can be Seen and Heard

 FIRST YOU NEVER HEARD 'EM UTTER a slight ad lib, hardly ever; now, they won't SHUT UP.

Nothing wrong with that either --it's nice to see that Claudine Wong and Mike Mibach are human and that KTVU's Weekend "Mornings on Two" isn't some local TV News zombie zone.

The suddenly chatty-on-the-couch twosome, along with slightly, less-chatty weatherwoman, Rosemary Orozco, have delved into a very noticeable format alter --call it the official FOX version of what the program has become--the first major tweak from the Murdock media people. It is, after all, their Bay Area baby now, but the difference is startling and different, to say the least. Some of that is good and perfectly acceptable--but it also can be grating and artificial. Not contrived and forced, mind you, but potentially awkward. We're so used to watching KTVU News devoid of chatter; at least inane chit-chat--the banal back-and-forth offered by others.

It's a very subtle sign of the changing style at KTVU, which FOX took over in October. It's not only the very overt chit-chat between the anchors; you can also see it by the more cheery stories, the relentless live shots, the ubiquitous sensational "pieces." Matter of fact, KTVU is being altered by the day. This wasn't part of the early master plan as the basic tenet of KTVU's very successful "Keep it simple" approach to their news brand was and still is a ratings winner. Nevertheless, one need only take a glance at the product and see for themselves the early major twist.

It's first significant test is taking place on the morning show--and now, it's more a show than it is a newscast. I like the fact the growing-powerful Wong has a personality and it's engaging and quite refreshing at times--same too with Mibach, although there's times where Mibach seems a bit wooden and forced. It's not that big a deal but if this is the beginning of the new KTVU brand re-image, then it should be candid and convincing --after all, they have couches now. Party on.

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Claudine Wong's Growing Power at KTVU; Weekend 'MO2' Anchor Set To Become Station's Highest-Paid Personality; Gets More Attention Than Somerville and Holmes, Combined

 GET OUT OF HER WAY!

Claudine Wong is part of KTVU's Weekend Mornings on Two --and possibly, soon to be one of the most highest-paid air talent at the station.

Forget the fact that KTVU is now owned by budget-minded FOX and has told everyone in JLS that the days of high, six-figure salaries are gone.

Wong has undeniable local TV News presence and knows it. She gets more recognition than Frank Somerville and Heather Holmes, combined! Plus, add to the fact that Wong has been heavily pursued by at least one local station, (probably, KGO-TV), and before she got her MO2 anchor gig, MSNBC wanted her very badly. How much so? That high-powered execs from NY made it clear that the popular Wong was on their radar list. That accelerated her negotiations with KTVU and she was rewarded with a nice raise.

I suspect Wong is happy now and settled into a comfortable Bay Area home. But I also know that behind the scenes she is hellbent on becoming the highest-paid personality at Channel 2. That would mean her income would top Somerville's roughly $500K a-year gig. Might Wong be a little audacious to command that type of money? Perhaps, we'll know soon enough. She's definitely holding all the cards.

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Cluadine Wong can and does indeed SMILE on KTVU's Weekend MO2

Claudine Wong has a legion of fans. I'm one of them.

I have marveled at her straight-forward news delivery but often chided her for her lack of emotion, lack of a simple laugh every now and then. Smile, Claudine, smile!

WE INTERUPT THIS POST TO BRING YOU 'BREAKING NEWS'

As I watched KTVU's weekend 'Mornings on 2', not only was Wong smiling A LOT more, but downright almost laughing and chirping. It was a nice detour away from the usual placid-looking woman anchor who at times appeared to act as if she was auditioning for a CSPAN morning gig.

Two things we can deduce from this:

1. The power of 415 Media, (it's OK, I'll gladly accept a MO2 coffee cup and you all at KTVU just saved another dime from the consultants.)

2. Smiling and showing some genuine emotion will not rock the boat and lose viewership. Viewers want to see news, sure, but it also helps to see a popular anchor develop a personality too. We appreciate Claudine Wong's new vibe and hope she keeps it.

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