Katie Marzullo Is 'Supremely Pissed Off' At KGO-TV; Rising Star Miffed Over Recent 'Hottest' Hires; Power Struggle Between ND Watkowski And GM Burton; Staffers Angry At 900 Front

 Katie Marzullo was thought to be a rising star at KGO-TV (ABC7); she's been the primary weekend anchor and also reports in the field. In addition, Marzullo has been doing fill-in anchoring during the week.


Not anymore.


Marzullo, who is universally loved at 900 Front, is both miffed and "supremely pissed off" at being replaced by San Diego newcomer, Natasha Zouves. My KGO Insider tells me Marzullo isn't going to rock the boat but privately she's seething and has told friends she feels as if the station has disrespected her.


"Katie is a professional and will continue to do her job but she's very discouraged about her situation and the direction of the station," offered my spy. "She was told she'd be the main weekend anchor and that management felt she was KGO's up and comer."


Not so fast.


Marzullo's status has become the centerpiece in what might be called a baby power struggle between News Director, Tracey Watkowski, and GM and President of KGO, Bill Burton, who was instrumental in the recent hires of Zouves and just last week, Portland and CNN anchor, Reggie Aqui. These "Hottest" new KGO anchors has touched off quite a division in the KGO newsroom, particularly senior staffers.


The staffers have great respect and possess near-universal admiration for Marzullo. Furthermore, almost everyone in the building is turned off by the direction of Burton, who seems to have taken some word from Disney to a "move to a more LA/KTLA style." Plain Speak: Lots of glitz, lots of 'flash and emphasis on "Social Media", read by "pretty people" from LA. Your basic KTLA look, but does that formula work in the Bay Area?

We won't know for sure in the immediate future but we do know that this weekend reshuffle has Katie Marzullo bent out of shape. She's apparently not alone.


























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KPIX High Profile Anchor De La Cruz Missing From Airwaves; Still 'Settling In'; Misses Important May Sweeps; Attends 'Cultural Event' at Station

 Veronica De La Cruz, the mucho-pubbed new 6 and 10 PM anchor KPIX hired to vamp up its content and probably lessen this anchor's 'face-of-station' status, is still absent from the Channel 5 news desk.

She was to have begun her reading-the-news duties back on May 5th.

More importantly, PIX had hired her well in advance of the May sweeps period which has now ended and presumably during that all-important time, to introduce her to the Bay Area and amp up their new acquisition.

Wrongo.

De La Cruz, who most recently was a MSNBC anchor, is not AWOL nor has been kidnapped by strange aliens in spaceships from another planet. In fact, she attended a recent "cultural arts" event at the station. Then why is it she's been missing from Channel 5's newsroom?

A PIX staffer tells me it's still family stuff: "I really think it has to do with settling in and being ready to take on the job." So, she has the wherewithal to attend a station function but is unable to go to work and be ready for sweeps? Sounds suspicious to me.

"They wanted to revamp the 10 PM 'big time' and she's, (De La Cruz), is anchoring it, but no sight of her.  Still settling in with her mom and nanny."

I find it utterly incomprehensible that a CBS O and O in the 6th market that makes a splashy hire to enhance its presence on the local news scene is OK with De La Cruz's mysterious absence. Furthermore, and all the more irritating, KPIX hasn't said a word. Not to its staffers nor to its viewers. A little nod every now and then is most helpful and doesn't rev up the rumor mill. How simple is that? Apparently KPIX is OK with the present status of people in their own building who don't know what's going on and a key news hire mysteriously "settling in" after sweeps. Or not, in this case.

Whatever.

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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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Local TV News Managers Faux Transparency; My Duck Dynasty Bit; Thursday Quick Start

 Clearly, TV News managers here love to send out glossy press releases extolling their latest big numbers, praising coverage of natural and non-natural disasters, but they're not very good at doing basic follow-up when inquiring minds want to know. (Wink).




This is most evident when it involves the tragic circumstances of one of its reporters. Ms. Watkowski: think e-mail and phone calls. Real easy. Tremendous way to get out your side of the story. Does wonders for all of us trying real hard to get both sides. Imagine that. Tom Raponi, take note and copy and paste to your ND, the enlightened one.




*Duck Dynasty brouhaha--yours truly: In trying to parody the DD "star" and his thoughts about life, love, religion on KSCO, I attempted, God forbid, a spontaneous shot at satire, remember that? For the most part, it worked. It was funny, at least to some of you and most importantly, the guy that writes the checks and owns the place thought it was really funny and loved it. He's got impeccable taste.


In case you missed it, here's the hour for you to listen.




*Thoughts and prayers to Heather Ishimaru for a speedy recovery.




Check back later for updates.




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KPIX5's Da Lin: Reporter of the Day

Da Lin/CBS photo

 Da Lin: KPIX

 

Feared. Relentless and ruthless. He's a walking embodiment of the mantra: never give in. Never.

 

"I don't mess with the guy and neither will anyone else. He's not the person you want to give the impression you're screwing with.", offered a local industry wag.

 

Other notes: Lin knows the ropes around town. He had a stint at KRON too.

 

We here at 415 Media appreciate the presence of Da Lin. Always have--always will.

 

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The Blues at KGO-TV; Morale Lousy at 900 Front; Ratings, ND at Top of List

Things are not exactly rosy at KGO-TV.

My newsroom insider tells me that morale is lousy; lots of bickering among many staffers and News Director, Tracey Watkowski, and to top it off, the ratings on the 4 and 5 PM newscasts are lousy.

And we haven't even mentioned the hostile-work environment lawsuit in the offing. A process server served papers last week in the newsroom. It involves one of KGO's senior Executive Producers and although some say it has no merit, others are not so sure. The specifics of the suit aren't entirely known however it doesn't involve sexual harassment.

My insider, who is a veteran camper at 900 Front, says acrimony is especially evident between Watkowski and staffers. "She'll look at 100 things of which 97 are great and she'll complain about the three things that aren't," says the source.

Furthermore, the EP who is the target of the proposed lawsuit is not popular among the rank and file although the individual has been at the station for 14 years. If there's an ounce of merit to the suit, expect Disney, (which owns KGO-TV), to settle this; Image-conscious Disney does not like the prospect of depositions and the potential land mine of information that could get out that doesn't suit their interests.

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