KTVU's Video of LaMar Kidnapping Suspect Irks Bay Area TV News Stations; Footage was Pool Intended; RL 415 Media Exclusive

Bay Area TV News stations are up in arms over a reported breach of protocol by perennial market leader, KTVU.

Their gripe?

Video footage of the suspect, Antolin Garcia-Torres, arrested in the case involving missing teen, Sierra LaMar. KTVU was provided  reportedly shot footage of Torres being led away by deputies shortly after his arrest Monday night. The video was provided on a "pool" basis from the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Dept. and was intended for use by all other local TV news outlets. SOP.

According to local broadcast sources, KTVU, (which was first to break the story), used the footage on its "10 O'clock News" and didn't feed out the pool video until after midnight, well past the 11 PM newscasts of KGO-TV, KRON, KPIX and KNTV, (NBC Bay Area).

Local news heads were livid. Beyond waiting until after midnight to feed the footage, according to the sources, KTVU embedded its logo onto the video contrary to local news protocol on a pool basis, (see the video)

The brouhaha was met with considerable anger inside newsrooms. A KGO source told me that its news director, Tracie Watkowski, was on the phone for a lengthy time with KTVU news director, Ed Chapuis. In addition, a source close to KRON said the affair left several news managers "fuming."

Attempts to reach Chapuis for comment were unavailable.

*RL 415 MEDIA EXCLUSIVE

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