MediaMaven

Chris Nguyen, who abruptly left the KOMO anchor desk in February 2025 and then turned up in an apparent temporary slot for KNWN Seattle radio in the spring, has left the station.   Apparently his decision.    He came to KOMO around Christmas of 2024.   KNWN has now added longtime Seattle media man Scott Carty (pic below), who freelanced for me at the old NWCN among many other stops along the way in radio and TV.    This new post supplants my previous one.

  Just happened to switch on Fox 13 at 421 Weds afternoon to see anchor David Rose and Hana Kim in front of a night scene of Seattle with the Space Needle all lit up against a dark sky and lights on in a large building downtown.   What, you don't have a daytime shot???  It's not November!!!   What's the deal?  Oh it must be the replays! Or is it because they call the show Seattle News TONIGHT?   It's not tonight at 421, folks.  I'll hang up and listen.  

Yes, the day is almost here for Fox 13 Seattle to, as promised, expand its morning news to 5am-11am, while dropping the current 430 am show.    Studio 13 will now start at 11 instead of 10, but remains 30 minutes.   That a big 6.5 hours straight live.  So, I wonder if any blocks or segments might be replayed like they are doing in the afternoon/evening slots.    I will have to peek in.

Chris Warren who worked for several years doing weather at NWCN, joined CNN in June as a freelancer.  He was workinig with Wolf Blitzer Wednesday morning on the continuing tsunami alert coverage.   He left the Weather Channel in Atlanta earlier this year.

The Seattle media historian wished the old NWCN was still around for important stories. Thanks for remembering my old station and the people who started it.  His history of NWCN is in the FB comments. https://www.facebook.com/share/167aPG5ihF/

Live Seafair coverage Sunday on KONG from noon to five.  

KING 5 reporter/anchor Madison Wade, apparently in Hawaii on holiday, ends up reporting Tuesday evening from her hotel balcony on the Tsunami warning and evacuations for the Islands.

Madeline Carter joins King5 after several years at WLKY in Louisville as a reporter and fill-in anchor.  Arrived in June.  

  Those great Fox 13 cheap chairs, two-bit chatzakis and large anchor knees on Washington Sports Wrap.  I love the vase.

Madison Wade, weekend evening anchor on KING5, posted on social media that there was a tsunami danger in Hawaii because of a quake off Eastern Russia. She posted!  Let's hope it all passes.  Developing story...watch for updates here

Ok, I wanted to see how KIRO would cover the Ichiro Baseball Hall of Fame induction. I tuned in at 4 excited to get the first reports.  They promised Team Coverage at the outset and had plenty of good sound bites from the player.  Applause.  But for the first half hour, we got a standard live shot from the bar across from the stadium with one patron and a PHONER from KIRO radio's Charlie Harger who WAS in Cooperstown.  What?? You don't have your own reporter live from the HOF. You have to use a radio guy????  Are you saving your people for later when this is your very first show after the event???  Pathetic.    They portrayed the program as an 'Ichiro Special' but it had weather and other news.  False advertising. A special means the only content is about the topic  This is what happens when you have no sports department. News anchor Jason Sloss, an outlier to Seattle TV, has to anchor and read what he knows little about.  He did ok...

  Charlie Harger (right), morning co-host at KIRO FM 97.3 is at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Mariners hero Ichiro.  The ceremony is exclusive to the MLB network, so not on local TV, but his words will flow to fans on radio.  Rain delayed the event.

Who are these anchors at KING Saturday at 5?  #3 sports person, #3 met and soon #4,with Parella Lewis coming on in Aug, and the main guy here is Sebastian Robertson, whose strength is not at the desk.  He's a street reporter and did a nice job in Idaho this week.   I know it's vacation time and it gives others a chance.  But still.  Not KING-like  And mgmt knows it.   Tegna creating too many bosses in news when they need more firepower.

I just don't get it.  KOMO's Sports Director Niko Tamurian has weekend news anchor Michelle Esteban co-anchoring with him Saturday on the Seattle Storm pre-game.  Why?  He can't do it solo??   Does management have no confidence in him?  Do they put a female on the show because it is the WNBA?   A DEI play?   Is a male solo anchor inappropriate? Did the Storm insist on a female co-anchor???    I simply do not understand it.   Niko can go it alone.  Previously they had Kelly Koopmans with him.  Niko has told me he doesn't mind; he's obviously a team player.     Even Esteban can't figure it out, given this pic.   I have honestly never seen this in a major market setting.   Would they have put Molly Shen with Mike Ferreri if he was still there???   This, plus teaming him with sports wannabe senior news reporter Chris Daniels on a moribund podcast.    

A loyal reader tips that Louis Tran has left KIRO after being touted as part of their pieced-together investigative team.   Been here about two years.   No other info at this point.  

KIRO 7 went pretty much semi-wall to wall at the opening of the new Seattle Pier 58 Waterfront.  The station trying to get back in the ballgame after so many internal issues, defections and bad hires, and also to promote the Torchlight Parade telecast on Saturday.  Horcher and Monique and Morgan live at the pier and Sloss anchoring in studio.   Tied to Seafair.   Forced at times, but a noble effort.

I very much welcome all of your comments on the posts I create, but some have become too long.    Please try to keep your reactions succinct and pointed.   Just edit yourself, that's all.   Every writer needs a good editor.   Thank you.  I would appreciate.   I will be moderating all comments.   I want good conversation. 

Noting a bunch of quick promos on KING 5, pushing their 430 a.m. news start a half hour ahead of Fox 13's planned move from from 4:30 to 5 on Aug 4.   BTW, Fox will go from 5 to 11 that day and Studio 13 moves from 10 to 11 am.    Good strategy.   

My original post has taken on a life of its own.   I first projected Simms was gone from KOMO because of missing bio pic on the website, and no stories posted for a month and no recent appearances.    Then a loyal reader indicated that he was on an extended vacation and that his picture had never been posted by the station.  So, I temporarily updated.    However, in a never ending effort to find the truth, I went to his linkedin profile and found this: Ryan Simms is open to work https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-simms-42023a24/ (should have checked there first, I suppose)

Is Nikki Torres gone from Fox 13?   Bio is missing.   Hmmm.  Hearing some rumblings that she's left the station.   Versatile on weather and field reporting.    Meanwhile, I am told KOMO reporter Ryan Simms is on an extended vacation but remains with the station despite no story posts in a month and no pic on the on-air team page.  I am told his pic has never  been for some reason?   He used to be periodic Live Desk talent, too, but that's no longer in play on the evening shows.   I guess I stand corrected, but a bit confused.

It looks like big media companies will now be allowed to own two stations in the same market.   Could CBS finally buy KIRO and also own KSTW as well? 7-11?  Another duopoly?    Just one idea for Seattle. Tegna, Fox and Sinclair might be boxed out, but who knows.     The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has vacated the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) long-standing "Top-Four Prohibition," a rule that prevented a single company from owning two of the top four highest-rated television stations in the same local market. The court deemed the FCC's justification for keeping the rule "arbitrary and capricious" and unsupported by evidence reflecting today's competitive media landscape. While proponents hail the decision as a necessary modernization, the practical outcome for local newsrooms is stark. The ruling effectively allows a single corporation to own, for example, both the NBC and CBS affiliates in a given city. Industry analysts anticip...

A short while back, I posted a linkedin message from Julie Wolfe the new Regional VP at Tegna, and the former ND at KING.  She posted the job for her replacement and concluded the post with NO JERKS NEED APPLY.  It was totally inappropriate for someone at her level.  Pejorative.    I sent her post to her boss and the corporate folks at Tegna, and the original post now seems to be deleted.   Hmm...maybe they all learned something.  Just saying.   We see you!   Here's the original ICYMI: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/julie-wolfe-084b2331_journalists-activity-7348666682002808832-Dma5?utm_source=social_share_send&utm_medium=android_app&rcm=ACoAAFWTKaUBTwc4NGLVz4TARZHYT8qQaNhaM2E&utm_campaign=copy_link

Nice story as Jake Stevenson, who learned at UW from KOMO chief meteorologist Shannon O'Donnell, has joined KEPR in Tri-Cities as the new weekend weather man and reporter, too.  Kudos.  You are on your way.

Ethan McReynolds, radio producer, and Ashley Ryan, also from KJR radio, on Washington Sports Wrap Wednesday night?  Faces in the crowd on a mediocre program on the first day of Hawks Training camp.  Entire show should have been live from VMAC.

Just some observations from the morning TV (not streaming) coverage   Biggest surprise was checking KOMO and ARC and seeing no live coverage when I checked in around 8:30 a.m.  GMA was on KOMO and ARC was in regular programming.     Apparently they had no reporter in Boise because Hannah Knowles was doing live shots on ARC from the KOMO deck at the Space Needle.  At one point Hannah said, "All eyes were on BRYAN."  She calls this guy by his first name?  Inappropriate.   ARC went full live after the recess, pre-empting Seattle Refined reruns.  KOMO went to The View.     The other 3 channels were wall to wall from the outset with the courtroom testimony, which was intense, to say the least. KING and KIRO had Jake Whittenberg and Gary Horcher live in Boise and both had analysts on set with the respective anchors to discuss the testimony.   KING had a former judge on set with Mimi Jung and KIRO had a Seattl...

So far, can confirm KING and KIRO will air the sentencing tomorrow of Brian Kohberger in the Idaho murders case.   Coverage beginning around 7:45 am (8:45 MT).   I assume 4 and 13 will confirm as well.    Intense family testimony will occur as well.

She's on her way to KING in August, but Patreons on ftvlive.com show several colleagues complaining about bullying tactcs and not wanting to work with her.   It may explain why she moved from station to station in Seattle back in the day and wound up in a podunk market for years. Here's the post, you be the judge: FTVLive has heard from a number of staffers who described Lewis as a straight up "Bully." Now, normally, when someone reaches out to FTVLive and describes a co-worker is "mean" or a "bully", we don't pay it much attention. Not everyone likes each other and in a business full of big egos, there will be friction. But, the word "bully" kept popping up, when talking to people inside the WYFF newsroom. One insider shared a story in which WYFF Anchor Destiny Chance was to read a story while standing in front of the chroma key. One WYFF staffer described it this way, "Destiny had a shot at the chroma key after weather.  The pr...

Noticed today, and I admit being way behind on this, but former KING weather anchor Meeghan Black is the spokesperson for the Renton police and has been for almost two years.   Caught her on a video clip about a triple homicide.   She used to be the PIO for Bellevue PD, with almost five years there.   On the TV side, besides weather, she had a long run with Ciscoe Morris, co-hosting his gardening show on KING for years.   She was one of the top KING anchors never obligated to work on NWCN.  

 Kim Holcomb and Jim Dever, both refugees from KING 5's Evening, have a teamed up to launch a new You Tube channel called UPPER LEFTERS.  Yikes.  Just what we needed. https://youtube.com/shorts/KyGZvB5c3i8?si=fG2A48StxmnWB8Gk

  KOMO's Hannah Knowles posted this Sunday.  She's moving on and, so far, no word on what's next professionlly.  She's getting married.   Last day July 30.   Zahn on vacation next week, so we will see who's at the weather wizard wall.   That's why they did their goodbyes today.

Michelle Bos is returning to KREM to do weekend weather, which should be a shot in the arm for the station instead of getting forecasts hubbed from elsewhere.  She  worked for KREM for many years. and happy to say she did some weather for my old NWCN, and it is good that she is back on air.  Pictured here on the left with ND Jessie Kane.  BTW, she's also an entomologist, but don't let that bug you.

  Ethan Mcreynolds??  A producer anchoring?    The main two should back each other up, right? Desperate for filling in on the moribund Washington Sports Wrap??   They use the station's digital guy Curtis Crabtree as a guest as well, so the conclusion is that this show is failing.   I know it's summer but get Elise Woodward or Dick Fain or Softy.  I mean they already have a KJR connection thru Furness.  Don't get it, except to save a buck.         Side note: The FOX company sees Sunday thru Thursday as their key broadcast days, and usually disregard Friday and Saturday anchors.  NFL football is the key factor in season.  But it's nothing new.                                                                            ...

This is why Washington Sports Wrap on Fox 13 is lost.  This guy is a sportscaster from Fox Phoenix and needs to grow up.  Filler, just filler, in July.   Ok maybe 12 not a teen.  Intern?

We have already heard from a loal reader that KUOW is ready to launch a million plus emergency pledge drive to raise mone, and now we hear from Tom Layson, host of Northwest Now on KBTC, who posts about their chunk of money that will be gone with the federal budget cuts to public broadcasting:    "Late last night, Congress passed a bill to rescind all federal funding for public media. This decision removes 20% of KBTC's annual budget - approximately $1 million this year alone. Though we have been defunded, we are not defeated. We intend to remain your trusted source for local journalism, proven educational programs, emergency communications, and the local stories that reflect our community. To everyone who called, emailed, and shared your story in support of KBTC, you have our gratitude. Your support is needed more than ever. Donate here: https://bit.ly/3UoPZOk " BTW, The Seattle Times had a informative piece today on the public radio outlook for Central and Western WA ...

Ok, it's July, and I thought it would be a good time to check out the TV news ops in Seattle, even though is is SLOWWWW. KING - they have lost their ND to a regional news VP position, so they have to fill that before fall, of course.   Parella Lewis will be joining the weather team in early August, returning to Seattle.  The bigger issue is that Tegna corporate posted this in an internal memo: WE WILL NOT MAKE NEWS ON TV.    Hmmm.   And the outgoing news boss posted NO JERKS NEED APPLY on linkedin, trying to hire her replacement.    Huh???  Their reporrers are just so-so although I do like their newest additions. Castro and Copeland should be anchoring together more. KIRO - struggling as usual, especially with a thin weather anchor team.  Using part-timers and freelance and their own news reporters to fill in, they are apparently not looking to hire a full-timer, per job posts.  That's a major weakness going into storm season i...

CBS has announced that it will cancel Stephen Colbert's show next May. The show that follows him is already gone.   Was this a retaliation for Colbert criticizing Paramount for making a deal with Trump to protect the Skydance sale, which he called a bribe?    Of course it was, despite CBS citing financial issues.    I wonder if CBS will continue funding late night programs when he is gone and if they don't, will KIRO go back to the late night movie????   Or second-run sydie crap?

Well, KIRO 7 is all excited a bout showing the Seafair Torchlight Parade on JUly 26 7-10 pm to see our two favorite Seattle killers, Eric Johnson of KOMO and Carmen Best, security risk chief of Microsoft watching the layoffs.  I hear Eric is working on a follow up to his Seattle is Dying doc.  It's called Somehow, Seattle named me Seafair KING NEPTUNE.    Carmen's behavior in 2020 led to police leaving in droves.   https://x.com/KIRO7Seattle/status/1945992324170825899?t=egiijeXi38OAP6UtIKboYA&s=19

The heartfelt, judgmental words of Julie Wolfe, outgoing King Seattle ND, whose first job as a regional news VP is to find her replacement.  That line in her job post is a total turn off to applicants. It speaks volumes about who's in charge and how she will operate.    And did GM & HR approve that?  What if an applicant thinks there was unfair treatment and rejection after she revealed this???     Is this a professional or pejorative approach to hiring?    Here's her condescending post on LinkedIn.com  https://www.linkedin.com/posts/julie-wolfe-084b2331_journalists-activity-7348666682002808832-Dma5?utm_source=social_share_send&utm_medium=android_app&rcm=ACoAAFWTKaUBTwc4NGLVz4TARZHYT8qQaNhaM2E&utm_campaign=copy_link

Here's the salary posted for the vacant News Director position at KING, now that Juile Wolfe has gone corporate: Pay Range $165,000   -   $215,000   USD   (Readers, do you think this is high, low or the approprate range for the market and do you think it is higher than the other Seattle stations?)   The full post is here: https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/tegnainc/jobs/4775130007?gh_jid=4775130007

Those words are from an internal memo at Tegna, owners of KING, KGW, KREM in the PNW and many others all over the country.  Our friends at ftvlive.com got a hold of it, posted it on the wib site and distributed it thru their newsletter today.  I copied a portion of it below but the full story is at the link.  It appears ominous for TV news and TV personnel at the company, and seemingly is being pushed by the former CBS Corporate lady who wound up at Tegna: "Just when you thought you’d heard it all, one of the country's largest station owners has decided to share its vision for the future. And if you work in television news, you might want to sit down for this. In an internal memo announcing a major reorganization, Tegna CEO Mike Steib dropped a line so stunning, so perfectly corporate, that it deserves to be framed. He wrote,  “We will not make news for TV.” You read that right. A company that owns dozens of  television  stations, that employs thousands of ...

Yes, although KUOW has won the top PPMs spot again, KJEB has jumped into second.  "Come and listen to a story 'bout a station named Jeb."    That move pushed KZOK to third.   KIRO AM sports radio had a good run in June, popping into the top 5 with a .5 boost, maybe from Cal Raleigh?? https://ratings.radio-online.com/content/arb039b

In case you have failed to keep track, here are the six people filling in on weather for KIRO.  They only have two full timers, Nick Allard and Morgan Palmer, so after that, it's freelance pot luck. Scott Haveson, former met who worked in Seattle TV, now a real estate agent for Windermere Stephen Kilbreath freelance weather and auctioneer, has hit NWCN, KING, FOX 13 and now 7. Ed Muir, ex of NWCN and Boeing, now working in a Comms position Madeline Otillie, news reporter Ranji Sinah, news reporter Brandon Thompson, news reporter Looks like Cox/Apollo will limp along like this for the rest of the summer, and it appears there is no permanent fix in sight.  There are currently two PART-TIME weather postions advertised on the stattion's web site, but a meteorology credential is only PREFERRED, not REQUIRED.   The wage scale for this position is $35.00 per hour to $55.00 per hour.    And at the same time, KING is adding Parella Lewis as its 5th full-timer, Who's...

This from Awful Announcing.   Dave, of course, left the Mariners broadcast booth to do Yankees radio.  He's doing great. It's almost 50 minutes but there is an index to skip through. At 31 in he talks Yankee fans and M's fans and he also talks Cal Raleigh.     https://awfulannouncing.com/orig/dave-sims-yankees-mlb-sterling-esiason.html

  Saw Alejandro Guzman of Fox 13 reporting from the Kerrville area.  Often during extended coverage of breaking news, Fox and other owners dispatch reporters from their various markets to provide relief personnel for the stations most heavily involved.   They also do live shots for their home base.

They are able to turn cloudy Seattle skies into sunny ones.  Great new group pic! I see Leah, Shannon, Claire and Wren, Abby, Rebecca, Stella, Ashley and Savannah (K5).     It's missing Ilona from Fox and Frankie K, ex of KIRO.