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: Campbell Leaving KTVU On Her Terms; Asiana Gaffe Played No Part In Decision; After Two Decades Ready To Travel; Inside Story

 It would be extremely convenient and a logical assumption that Tori Campbell leaving KTVU was hastened by her direct involvement in the Asiana Airline pilot's name gaffe.

It would also be wrong too.

According to multiple KTVU sources, Campbell is leaving on her own volition; she wasn't pushed out the door and simply feels it's time to move on and enjoy life and travel. Furthermore, Campbell's husband lives in Seattle and the grind of frequent commutes to the Northwest took its toll and Campbell decided, among other reasons, that it was time to leave.

My KTVU spy told me that Campbell informed the "Mornings on Two" staff about her decision yesterday (Wednesday) and insisted that the decision was "hers alone." No one else at the station other than a few management figures were notified.

Said one of the sources:

"She's had 20 years in the biz; she just turned 50 and she wants to travel a little, see her family--she's gonna get a nice pension and she's going out on her terms--it's as simple as that."

It should be noted that right before the Asiana affair, Campbell signed a contract extension that was for three years--two years and an option. That would have taken her to June, 2015. Her last day at KTVU is June 19th.


Campbell, by all accounts, is a nice person. "A real pro," said a staffer. Her tenure at KTVU, unfortunately, might be highlighted, or maybe lowlighted, by her reading of the fake names on that infamous newscast back in July, 2013. To some, Campbell's action was worthy of instant termination. Others said she was simply caught up in a monumental, momentary brain fart that most likely will be embedded for years to come.


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*Rich Lieberman 415 Media Exclusive


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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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