Veteran GA Reporter, David Stevenson Leaving KTVU

 Longtime KTVU General Assignment reporter, David Stevenson, is leaving by the end of the month, according to one of my broadcast sources.


Stevenson, who also did occasional anchoring, has been with KTVU since 2005.


His mysterious departure (I have a few theories) coincides with the hiring of new Sacramento anchor, Keba Arnold, who will be the station's anchor for its new newscast at 4 PM.


Was Stevenson possibly miffed at being passed over for Arnold? I've heard various stories making the rounds and will be on top of it.




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415 Media Exclu: Jenna Susko Leaving NBC Bay Area For LA's KNBC

 NBC Bay Area has lost another reporter--my South Bay spy informs me that Jenna Susko is headed to LA to work for O and O, KNBC.

Susko was a part of the "Investigate Unit" team at the station and won numerous industry awards to boot. The move down to LA was nothing negative about KNTV; I'm told Susko liked the idea of going to the #2 market and ratings-challenged KNBC is supposedly building a bigger "I-Team."

For NBC Bay Area, it marks the sixth recent staffer to go to KNBC which is now being called "KNTV South."

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415 Media: ABC7/KGO-TV Reporter Nick Smith Abruptly Resigns; GA Correspondent Wanted Full-Time Status

 KGO-TV veteran General Assignment reporter and all-around good guy, Nick Smith resigned late last week, suddenly.

I'm told by an ABC7 source that Smith was turned down by management after requesting full-time status at the SF O and O. Smith has been a part-time contributor even though he'd been reporting at the station since 2006.

Smith is also an aspiring actor and appeared on a few notable ABC shows but his news reporting was generally first-rate and I'd be very surprised if Smith didn't turn up soon at a local or out-of-town station.

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Thursday 415 Media Looker; Christie Smith; NBC Bay Area

 Christie Smith --about as cool as they come. Reporter extraordinaire --was Eastbay correspondent for several years --now Morning News contributor at NBC Bay Area.

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KGO-TV's Ace Reporter: Lyanne Melendez; Steady Vet at 900 Front

 She doesn't get a lot of attention nor seeks it. So she'll probably hate this post but I like Lyanne Melendez, KGO-TV's veteran reporter.

Not flashy or gimmicky just steady as all get go and consistent. A terrific street reporter, one of the best in fact. She reminds me a lot of Rita Williams, the legendary correspondent who recently ended a great three-decade run at KTVU.

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Annie Andersen, Star of the Bad Girls Club is a KRON Reporter And Would like to have Dinner with Peyton Manning

Well, this is rather unique and interesting.


Annie Andersen, was hired recently by KRON as a general assignment reporter. She has solid credentials, including the video above where she would love to have dinner with Peyton Manning.


Solid.


Andersen is also an alum of the Bad Girls franchise. Which I guess makes her an automatic supreme hire for KRON, which has a lot of bad girls in stock but this is quite a show. You have to wonder if someone in Employee Relations did a background check here.


Wait, it's KRON.


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Speaking Of Bay Area TV News People We'd Like To See More Of; KPIX's Versatile And Cool Reporter Christin Ayers; Mid-Day Thursday Beat

 Christin Ayers is a damn good reporter, a tenacious correspondent and has star potential, which is why she is the subject of rumors that MSNBC is interested in the KPIX personality.

Too bad KPIX doesn't provide her more airtime. In an industry where story length and time on air is vital, Ayers is MIA too much of the time. That's mostly on the assignment editor at PIX; curiously, Ayers hasn't been on the radar as much lately.

On Wednesday, she did a live shot from Berkeley on the soda tax initiative --it was pointed, well-paced and chock full of information and nice and quick, but that's the point. I'd like to see more of Ayers. She's earned her stripes and I know management likes her; she's also extremely well-liked by most of the staff at 8

55 Battery, so it's a puzzle we don't see more of her. Even Channel 5 likes to hype one of its star pupils and that's good and very prudent. Now just get more stories and we'll all be happy.

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Elyce Kirchner of the NBC Bay Area 'Investigative Unit'; Thursday Looker

 This is why I watch the Investigative Unit on NBC Bay Area and in particular, correspondent Elyce Kirchner who provides a lot of significant insight and quality A-Rate reporting.


Sure, I've been critical of the crew but Elyce has neutralized my stance.
Very powerful TV journalist.








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Delivering the Goods on KPIX: Betty Yu; Tuesday Looker; GA Reporter Knows Her Stuff

 Betty Yu, the KPIX5 GA Reporter --via Miami and we're pleased to report: hard-nosed, rugged, aggressive yet polite and pleasant.

She has an innocent look but don't be fooled and don't think she's here for a simple ride down the crooked street.


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Valentine's Day Special Poll; Who's Your Favorite Bay Area TV/Radio Media Personality?; KTVU's Tara Moriarty Special Morning Mantra; TGIF

 Talk about love!Like, for example, KTVU's lovely, but tough-nailed reporter, Tara Moriarty. I've always admired the feisty, tenacious field-correspondent who looks as if she just vacated a Manhattan hair salon. Not in any way shape or form to denigrate Ms. Moriarty, but she reminds me more of an East Coast newswoman as opposed to most of the Bay Area ditzies here. I'm told she's one of Channel 2's highest-paid reporters and has quite the following among young men who daydream about such fine female journalists of local TV News. I appreciate her presence and look forward to her work.


**On Valentine's Day, what Bay Area TV/Radio media personality is your favorite? Maybe to cozy up to and possess thoughts of true romance and admiration. Male or female.


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Don Knapp Is the Hardest-Working TV Reporter In The SF Bay Area; Veteran at KPIX, KRON, KGO, KTVU, CNN; Still Steady And Gritty As Ever

 He's everywhere. Peripatetic? You bet. Busy? What, are you kidding me? On the go? Please, like you didn't notice? I suspect the man would give the Energizer bunny a run for his money.

To merely say Don Knapp is a TV reporter would be like describing the Mona Lisa as just another painting.

Knapp is a veteran Bay Area correspondent. He's worked everywhere--literally. Currently, he's holding down the fort at KPIX, but in case you were on Pluto, he's held down stints at KRON, KGO-TV and radio, CNN, for 12 years too. Did I leave out KTVU?

Knapp is good. Hold that. He's great. In an environment that is, well, un-Knapp-like, he's survived the current cutesy culture that's a haven for local TV news not just in the Bay Area but beyond. We know the story. So does Knapp. Like it's his middle name. Get that 49ers jersey and put "STORY" on the back above the number and put it in his mailbox.

Knapp is tenacious without being obnoxious; aggressive and hard-core-- get the story and facts and get it right, for the most part. He's also old-fashioned dogged and determined--how much so? I ran into Knapp on the Embarcadero a few months back and noticed he was carrying a notepad in his pocket. The old newspaper notepad and it was littered with a ton of notes--notes everywhere. I began laughing: "Don, what the hell is that?" I mean, it's not everyday you see a slick TV guy with an old notebook that would make Lou Grant proud.

I know, wait...you smell the irony too?

Yeah, Knapp is an old-school correspondent who doesn't have blond hair, big boobs and red lipstick. Knapp can get away with it because he's, well, Don Knapp. A good word is survived. And truth be told we're damn well lucky he's still out in the field hunting down the next story, the next interview with all the dexterity of a young thoroughbred. That's not just good for Knapp, but indeed the entire Bay Area TV news audience.

Here's to a pro. And a nice guy too.

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Today's Looker: KTVU's Allie Rasmus

 Allie Rasmus: tough and tenacious, fair-minded, good, solid reporter and a fine attribute to KTVU.


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The 2 Senior Reporters at KTVU That Management Wanted Out But Are Stuck; News that You'll Get Only NOT on KTVU

John Fowler/KTVU photo

Tom Vacar

 Tom Vacar is a seasoned KTVU Bay Area News Reporter, Consumer Editor and aviation expert. He's been in the market for over three decades and has won a host of industry awards, including five Emmys.

Vacar is a lawyer too. He doesn't practice but he has a law degree. At various times in the past, management has wanted to part ways with Vacar but pulled back. Remember, he's a lawyer and he has mucho tenure at Channel 2. Not good to mess with a lawyer--they haven't...yet.


*Health and Science Editor, John Fowler, has been a KTVU stalwart since 1975. A station source recently told me the station has a problem: "Fowler doesn't ever want to retire." That's contrary to what KTVU wants/wanted but are you really going to show the door to a 38-year vet? Hell no and even if you tried, the union would be all over your ass. As they should.

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