MediaMaven

Mark Wright was a major morning and evening anchor at KCPQ and KING in Seattle.  When he left the TV biz, he tried two different paths and now there is an update on his career.  Podcasts. https://www.mukilteobeacon.com/browse.html?search_filter=mark+wright

Dean Ditmer heads to KATU in Portland as the new GM for Sinclair there.  His first order of business will be to hire a new News Director.  Ditmer previously worked for Tegna in Phoenix. https://tvnewscheck.com/business/article/dean-ditmer-appointed-gm-of-katu-kunp-portland/

Not much improvement at all.  The baseball trade deadline came and went with no strong analysis of the Mariners moves.  That was the best story of the day in the market and it should have led the show, but there was little or no discussion,while they interviewed multiple Seahawks with the usual vapid Q&A.  Co-host was another unknown to TV audience, a podcaster.   No energy, no enthusiam in the studio.  DUD.

  Courtesy our friends at ftvlive.com, here is the skinny from inside sources at KIRO7 in Seattle about layoffs and the severance snafu: It has been nothing short of a mess at Cox, KIRO in Seattle. The station laid off several employees and is now pouring salt in the wound. Most of the employees were laid off between June 20th and 24th. Many had several years of service, and the station was supposed to pay the laid-off staffers one week of severance pay for each year of service. So, an employee who had been with the station for 8 years, would get paid for 8 weeks, a total of 4 paychecks every two weeks. Sources tell FTVLive that this past Friday, July 26th, the severance checks did not go out as promised. Employees who were looking to make rent and house payments, found no money sent their way. The former employees were contacting the station, Cox HR, and anyone who could look into this issue. One staffer was told that they would try to have the problem fixed by this Friday and the...

  Per Associated Press and CNN, Norah O'Donnell, anchor of the CBS Evening News, is leaving the big chair after the election, but will remain with the EYE as a a special correspondent, whatever that means.   But the question is, who will get the job?  CBS does not have the best bench, but if I were to hazard a guess, it would be Margaret Brennan, who hosts Face the Nation.  CBS would be reluctant to replace Norah with a male, and there is no one there strong enough to take the job.  John DIckinson and Major Garrett and Robert Costa are good journalists, but not necessarily anchor material at that top level.  Would they bring in an 'outsider'?    Given the sale of Paramount +, it would be tough sell.  Lots to consider.

Fox 13 Seattle debuted its new weeknight sports show Monday night.   It's called Washington Sports Wrap, and I found it pedestrian at best, boring at worst.  Nothing new, nothing special, nothing unique except the time slot, nothing off the top selling the viewer on the show's mission, what was ahead in the half-hour (it's called a billboard), no reason to spend a 30 minutes of time.  The sides of the set featured the same props and knick-knacks from the morning set of Studio 13 Live, as Fox spares no expense in producton values.  LOL.   A former Seahawk named Bryan Walters co-hosted.  Who?  I don't remember him, nor does he create any buzz, nor is he a draw.  Alyssa Charlton interviewing the station's digital reporter (nothing like a reporter interviewing another reporter -- such insight!). Aaron Levine opened in front of a Jeopardy category matrix board, saying the show will take on all competitors.  Like Jeopardy on KOMO at 730, ...

The daughter of Molly Shen, main anchor at  Seattle's KOMO gives a cool shout out on X for her daughter, who's covering a presidential visit in Texas.  Hannah Norton is a grad from a great journalist school the University of Missouri. https://x.com/MollyShenKOMO/status/1818041312345735310

  KGW, the Tegna station in Portland has promoted its Assistant News Director to the big chair, John Tierney. He has a decade of service to the station and is a PDX native.    More here: https://www.kgw.com/article/about-us/team-bios/john-tierney-kgw-executive-producer/283-3097082

The kind of quality web site coverage we have come to expect from KOMO 4 --   Direct from FRESNO!!?? A nice story about a decomposed body and a dog who found a head on the sidewalk in FRESNO!!??    Keep up giving all of us in Seattle and elswhere meaningful, impactful news.    https://x.com/komonews/status/1816745300230332884 Quote KOMO News @komonews · 12h A decomposing body was found in a shed after a dog dropped a human head on the sidewalk. https:// komonews.com/news/nation-wo rld/decomposing-body-found-in-shed-fresno-police-department-officers-investigation-shed-homicide-natural-discovered-person-scene

Yvonne Simons has left KATU in Portland, to join another SInclair Station in Nashville, WZTV.  She ran the KATU newsroom for six years.   RIckGevers.com reports the move allows her to be closer to her Michigan family.  No successor yet.

Departing KIRO 7 Sports Director Chris Francis took a parting social media shot at his old employer on X, posting this pic on his cover photo to summarize the station's current revolving door. Meanwhile we wait for word on whther or not Ian Furness of Seattle radio and Fox 13 will turn the lights back on in the KIRO sprots department ahead of football season.  Furness says stay tuned.                                                                             Chris Francis

Change in the wind for a local sports radio talk host and TV reporter.  His latest post says he is leaving Fox13 Seattle wth a new TV opportunity ahead.  Could he be headed to KIRO, where the sports anchor and producer were just fired??   Seahawks and Husky football right around the corner, right?  He's covered the Hawks a lot for 13.  Says he is still at KJR.   Hmmmm    Here's another idea.   Maybe he is headed to the Kraken to do some TV on Amazon??  Or even for broadcast rights holder KING/KONG? Check his first post and an Instagram video below. https://x.com/IandFurness/status/1816656813154279692 https://www.instagram.com/reel/C93kevEvEwp/?igsh=N3BhYmQxYnVwamhq

Ever see 'Question of the Day' or now called 'KOMO Quiz' daily on KOMO 4 ?? Hearing from my blogger friends that it is put out by SInclair corporate and is mandatory at all of its hundreds of stations. An example: https://x.com/ShannonODKOMO/status/1816257042459550171

As KIRO radio in Seattle celebrates 50 years since it became an all news station, they did a little THEN and NOW with some of their original reporters. https://x.com/KIRONewsradio/status/1816204699202113623 

Next time you hear teams and coaches and players tell you we love our fans and we do everythng for our fans, take note of this anouncement at training camp today:  - No ifs, ands or buts.  No pics, phones or vids. https://x.com/gbellseattle/status/1816197102994874676

The owners of KOMO in Seattle and many other stations across the country apparently have a Rapid Response to drum up right-wing leaning stories.  Always knew the company had a clear agenda, from the owner (David Smith, who recently bought the Baltimore Sun) on down.  This story started earlier this year, with more coming to light this week. https://popular.info/p/top-sinclair-anchor-resigned-over

Sadly, another death to report in the PNW, this one from KHQ in Spokane for a longtime newsoom stalwart, 'A Swiss Army Knife.'    Debra Wilde.    More at this link: https://x.com/KHQLocalNews/status/1815596327683731469

A popular writer/columnist from Tacoma, Matt Driscoll, has passed away at a very young age.  RIP   https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article290315789.html

  4 for 24.....how brilliant and creative for these Sinclair sycophants, right.   Why didn't we all think of thes.    Just saw it today.  

TNT (Turner Network Television) has sent paperwork to the NBA matching one of the bids for NBA league games in 2025-26.  The question is, will the league accept it, probably in place of the Amazon deal, if so.   The popular 'Inside the NBA' studio show hangs in the balance.   Amazon has far more global reach than a cable property, and that will be key.  Gotta get to a bigger audience.    These will be billable hours for lots of legal eagles. TNT's statement:        https://x.com/TNTSportsUS/status/1815473139062813141

  KING5's Chris Egan has officially and safely arrived in Paris and posts (below) that he is ready to rock The 2024 Summer Olympics.   He's gonna be working 22 straight days, 12-16 hours per, he says,  joining a band of reporters and others from the Tegna sister stations, 20 of whom are NBC affils carrying the Games.  He starts reporting a few days before the Friday start.

It's official, KIRO radio sports co-host MIchael Bumpus is named to the CW's college football broadcast teams for 2024: J.B. Long/MICHAEL BUMPUS/Camryn Irwin/Heidi Watney Thom Brennaman/Max Browne/Treavor Scales Ted Robinson/Chase Daniel/Nigel Burton The CW, seen in Seattle on KUNS (KOMO sister station), will carry ACC games and Pac 12 (Washington St. and Oregon St. included). Michael works with Stacy Rost 10-2 weekdays on 710.

As a retired newsman and a viewer today watching the Biden story, Rachel Scott (ABC), Rachel Maddow (MSNBC) and Robert Costa  (CBS) were superior in their reporting and poise. Scott was live in the field at the Trump shooting, worked the floor at the GOP convention, and today nailed hours of coverage on the network.  Maddow excelled with logic and knowledge and interviewed historian J on Meacham, who spoke without interruption, providing incredible insights. Costa broke news 'live'  for CBS including having a phone convo with Trump.   Congrats to all and several others, who worked this incredible Sunday. CBS anchor Norah O'Donnell got into the studio later in the afternoon.  Muir at ABC and Holt at NBC were in for the evening newscasts and specials.

Arielle Orsuto just won an Emmy as best sports anchor in Denver for her work at KUSA.  Now she is packing for KING 5 Seattle to join Paul Silvi and Chris Egan just in time for football season.  Cool way to say goodbye and hello. https://x.com/ArielleOrsuto/status/1815143415560224919