MediaMaven

KING met Leah Pezzetti's doing double duty thru Wednesday hosting New Day Northwest while Kelly Hanson is aboard a cruise ship filming (probably a pay for play deal for this lifestyle show).

Just wanted to let those that might have known Mark Ginther during his 7+ years in Seattle, that he has left his consulting gig with a major LA firm to return to a newsroom, this one at WSLS in Roanoke, VA, a 70th market station owned by Gray Media.  He aslo has worked in Dallas and corporately in Baltimore.  We left KING and NWCN respectively on the same day in Sept. 2015.   

After I retired from Northwest Cable News in Sept. 2015, I remembered how sad I was when I got a call from KING's General Manager saying NWCN would be shuttered in January 2017 after 21 years. We had a unique mission, great people and worked hard every day to knit the news of the PNW together in one place.   We innovated so many segments and coverage.   I know the agony and bittersweet memories that the folks at Root Sports (32 years, I think) feel now that the Mariners ownership has pulled the plug.   So many food recollections and joy to register for your Rooters and viewers. Thank you, everyone.    I wish all good luck, and I am sure many will land well. Meanwhile, here is the NWCN goodbye special from back then...some faces and stories you may remember, just to reminisce a little in light of the latest shutdown. https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=UZor6X3YHgA Group shot, too.

With the demise of Root Sports, she will focus on her Seahawks work, cooking shows online, public speaking and a book, according to her farewell social media post. No more residual Gatorade baths after victories, at least.   Enough of that nonsense.   After the football season, it might be hard for her to catch on with another channel, so we wish her well.    Here is her post: https://x.com/JenTalksSports/status/1972430326954938868?t=Izw1Jpf9EwyXQRFcw9Y4eQ&s=19  Jen, Brad Adam and Angie

For the first time, saw new Fox 13 Seattle sports addition hosting a post game show Saturday.  Lauren Helmbrecht came from the Green Bay market. We will monitor her progress and the Mariners post seasom should benefit her as she learns the local sports scene

Did not take long for KOMO senior news reporter to inject himself into Sports anchor Niko Tamurian's territory on the Friday news live from T-Mobile.    I don't care if they have a podcast together.  Or if Daniels had a separate story.  Let the sports guy do the honors.  Daniels wants to work for a team, I swear.    Niko always stresses the team effort, but if KOMO wants to build him in a key sports moment for the market and its audience, they are missing an real opportunity.   IMHO.

Pleased to offer an interview with KIRO FM 97.3 morning drive host Charlie Harger.    Charlie moved from the old KOMO radio to become News Director there but then has successfully returned to his on air roots.   Enjoy: Q:  Charlie how do you like the morning drive role? I’m really enjoying being back on air. When I moved over to KIRO from KOMO, I thought I’d end up behind the scenes in a management role and didn’t even imagine taking over when Dave Ross retired. I’ve listened to Dave since elementary school in 1980, so this whole experience has been overwhelming and humbling. KIRO is such a big part of Seattle, and I feel lucky to be a broadcaster here. The former hosts of Seattle’s Morning News have all been so supportive, and you can still hear some of their voices  (Bill Yeend, Gregg Hersholt, Dave Ross) in the show liners. Q: You brought former colleague Manda Factor over from KNWN and it seems to be a comfy chemistry on mornings, true? Working with Man...

Seattle Times reports that the Mariners will shutter Root Sports after Sunday's final out against the Dodgers.   The story says Major League Baseball will take over game production, reportedly with minimal  other connected programing.    Jobs will be lost.   Mentink, Adam and Rowland-Smith, though, may be rehired. Goldsmith reportedly a lock to be back.    More at the link: https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/mariners/mariners-are-shuttering-root-sports-network-after-regular-season/

  The station groups said that they would end their preemption of the latenight show Friday night. Sinclair said its decision came after “thoughtful feedback from viewers, advertisers and community leaders representing a wide range of perspectives.”   Both KOMO and KATU are affected, of course, in the PNW. Later Friday, Nexstar also stated it would restore the Kimmel show as well for similar reasons.   https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/jimmy-kimmel-live-returning-to-stations-nexstar-sinclair-1236378740/ https://deadline.com/2025/09/jimmy-kimmel-returning-nexstar-stations-1236557460/

Former Hawks wide receiver Bryan Walters was really strong co-hosting the Thursday post game with Alyssa Charlston-Smith on Fox 13 while sports boss Aaron Levine was in Phoenix covering the game. Have seen him a little before but tonight he showed some talent.  Bigger role and he impressed.    

Rick Rizzs is a Seattle radio icon, but Wednesday night he called Cal Raliegh's 59th HR as 'tying Babe Ruth for the all-time record in the American Leauge.'   WHAT?    Then he repeated it again when Raleigh hit #60, apparently hoping no one would remember the blunder.    That's just stunning when you know he had time to anticipate both calls and prepare himself.   I've now seen it on national TV.   No one listening at KIRO Radio?  I think he gets too much respect for anyone inside to bring it up.    He also called Raleigh 'the new Bambino.'    Huh????    Supposedly he gets no feedback from the station or the team, so who knows?

Mariners will get a bye in the wild card round, so it will be the weekend of October 4 before the divisional round starts for them.  TBS and Fox/FS will carry those games and have exclusivity, so no Root Sports, of course.   With the Fox network connedtion, it's an opportunity for 13 to go all out for Washington Sports Wrap and possible pre and post game shows, includiing the duopoly channel and streaming.   Whatever the decisions are, expect to see a lot of coverage on the morning/evening news shows in town ahead of home games for all the stations.   Their budgets will be stretched for travel to the east and back with NYC, Toronto, Cleveland, Boston and Detroit all in the picture.  And if the team advances, it will get even more expensive.   The sales folks will be lining up advertisers to meet the costs.   Certainly KING has the most manpower, and so does Fox 13.   I would expect KOMO to use a lot of Chris Daniels t...

ICYMI, KOMO ran a local newscast, solo anchored by Preston P. with Shannon on weather, followed by one from the Sinclair National Desk, to fill the hour usually occupied by Kimmel.  Did the same in DC, according to a fellow blogger there, and I assume KATU in PDX.   Will be interesting to see how long Sinclair can buck ABC with what could become significant pre-emptions.    They are allowed based on  their contracts, but then the network can strike back for breach.   Protests continued Tuesday night outside KOMO Plaza on Denny Way, trying also to get advertisers to abandon the station. While we're debating all of this, I see FCC boss Carr WALKED BACK his statements that started the melee: "At the Concordia Summit in New York on Monday morning, Carr denied he had threatened to pull licenses of ABC stations if they did not fire Kimmel. He said that “did not happen in any way, shape or form.” Carr said that “what I spoke about last week is that when ...

It amazes me how Richard Sherman is seen as some worthwhile football guru with his multiple DUI offenses, which continue slogging in court.  Amazon keeps him on Thursday Night Football when there are ex-players available without police records.  He gets off easy again, and my prediction would be, stay tuned, he will betray his sentence.  RENTON, Wash. -- Former  Seattle Seahawks  cornerback  Richard Sherman  has received a deferred prosecution in his ongoing DUI case, a spokesperson with the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office told ESPN. A King County District Court judge on Tuesday granted a request by Sherman's attorney for the deferred prosecution, which means a charge is suspended in exchange for the defendant agreeing to meet certain court requirements.

The FCC and Freedom of Speech .  The First Amendment, as well as Section 326 of the Communications Act, prohibits the Commission from censoring broadcast material and from interfering with freedom of expression in broadcasting.  The Constitution’s protection of free speech includes programming that may be objectionable to many viewers or listeners.  Therefore, the FCC cannot prevent the broadcast of any particular point of view.  In this regard, the Commission has observed that “the public interest is best served by permitting free expression of views.”  However, the right to broadcast material is not absolute.  There are some restrictions on the material that a licensee can broadcast.  These restrictions are discussed below. Licensee Discretion . Because the Commission cannot dictate to licensees what programming they air, each individual radio and TV station licensee generally has discretion to select what its station broadcasts and to otherwi...

It's sad how far KOMO and KIRO have fallen.  I know it's all part of the decline of broadcast economics, but it's a lot more that that, isn't it?   KOMO is saddled with Sinclair's corporate free speech blockade and KIRO is apparently doing some prime union-busting.  You can read all about in on other posts I  have made here.   I suppose that news viewers don't really care because the talent does its professional job on both channels and their viewers just want to know about Kimmel on KOMO and the day-to-day news on 7, no matter who shoots the footage.   The debacles continue.   And they probably aren't going away.    I watch local news to observe changes in talent and presentation, etc., and I will continue doing so to keep my readers up to date.   Doesn't mean I have to like it.   You know the old saying, "it's a dirty job but....."

Our friends at ftvlive report that scabs were brought in to cover photographer shifts after the rank and file were suddenly scheduled to work four 10-hour days.  They reportedly were brought in from the Cox flagship station in Atlanta, WSB.  The union photgs are trying to get a new deal from the company but it's become a major war of words and actions. at this point, as we reported previously.

Haven't seen her before, but Claire Weber seems to have landed from Charleston, SC to fill the reporting void since Ryan Simms bailed on the station on 9-12.

The station comes out of a huge lead-in after Monday Night Football and finally mentions that it won't air the Kimmel  show's return on Tuesday night, even if ABC has reinstated it.  Thirty-five minutes in, it was finally buried and given a whole half-minute.  No statement from the GM, of course.  Fans or no fans of the show of Kimmel wanted to know the station's decision, but sorry folks, either way.   Once again ignoring their viewers.  Nothing new.   The show won't air, based on this report. I am sure the KOMO stalwart journalists are happy, right?  By the way, anybody hear from the Radio-TV Digital News Association or any other organization yet about Trump saying the media should not publish negative stories about him or Hegseth's Pentagon clamp down on access at the Pentagon?    The silence is deafening.

Despite ABC reinstating the Kimmel Show, Sinclair says NAY.  Covers KOMO, KATU in the PNW.  Here's the statement: Beginning Tuesday night, Sinclair will be preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live! across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming. Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return.

The Seattle Times reports 20 jobs going away at the Cascade PBS newsroom.  It was, unfortunately, just a matter of time.  More at the link: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/cascade-pbs-slashes-seattle-newsroom-citing-federal-cuts/ A critical story: https://www.postalley.org/2025/09/23/the-cowardly-killing-of-a-seattle-newsroom/

With the Kimmel show now reinstated by ABC, will Sinclair allow its stations to carry it?   Affiliate contracts generally restrict such blanket preemptions since the nets need clearance for programs to drive national ratings, so we'll wait for a statement from Sinclair and Nexstar, too.    Set your DVRs.

  Hannah Knowles, who left her anchor/reporter job at KOMO at the end of July, is now firmly ensconced in Arizona.  No word on a new TV gig, so stay tuned.

Union photographers at KIRO are calling for a petition drive as they seek a new contract with the Cox/Apollo-owned station.   We reported on the trouble brewing a few days ago.  One alert reader said there was even a mobile billboard circling the Seahawks game being carried today by KIRO Here's the latest update from the union at the link below: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/stand-with-kiro-7-photojournalists-the-local-600-heroes-behind-the-headlines

 Some KIRO female folks lifted a glass or two and got together to celebrate their work at the station. Below, I see my friend Diane Denison Bowers,, Michelle Millman, Monique Ming-Laven, Angela Poe Russell, Natalia Dotto, many more, and. of course, the legendary Deborah Horne.  Post courtesy of Tairsa Worman, who worked for me at NWCN later in her career.

  ***On Sunday after their CBS/Seahawks game telecast, KIRO brought in their big anchor guns again. just like after the UW game Saturday.   Elle, Monique, Gary Horcher, Eric and even chief met Morgan Palmer worked a Sunday to get major audience sampling.  A news reporter at Lumen rounded it out.  Five people on the anchor desk!!!  A full house.  Comp days ahead for these folks...lol. Saturday: KIRO pulled in their three major anchors Saturday night after UW crushed WSU in the Apple Cup, Elle and Monique at the desk, Horcher and Eric Thomas were at the wall for highlights and stats.  Thomas did the heavy lifting on the game clips  Another reporter was posted, as usual, talking to lubricated fans at a local pub, and later we got a live on tape from KHQ sports guy Noah Boelter in Pullman after the half hour break (really? You couldn't send a KIRO reporter?).  Also, there was a history piece with Horcher.  Eight minutes of coverage off ...

The Mariners #2 sidekick of radio Rick Rizzs got the honor of calling the 57th home run to put Cal Raleigh into the HR top spot for the team all time.  Timing is everything. ICYMI   https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1ZJqxumtPv/

So it's a big weekend for local sports....Apple Cup,  Hawks home game and the Savannah Bananas at T Mobile.  Luckily Elle Thomas and Monique M-L, those paragons of sports reporting, are ON it.  Pretend you're happy, ladies.  Where's Eric Thomas???    And why is morning weather guru Nick Allard doing evening weather?  Did new hire Rip Van Winkle fall asleep already???  Maybe he did mornings so Nick could do prime time.   As a viewer, I'm confused on all of this?   What a morass.  

ABC/Disney apparently has not yet not made a public decision on what programming will air in Jimmy Kimmel's late night space next week  The show is still listed all five weeknights as of Friday, but, of course that could change in an instant.  ABC does have a slew of Celebrity Family Feud reruns and Celeb Wheel of Fortune, too, so that would be an easy fix and non-controversial   I wouldn't rule out running an ESPN Sportscenter or Scott Van Pelt live or even a PTI.  ABC could also move Nightline to 11:35, then back fill with these other programs after midnight.   How much money will they lose?   I don't think they care about that right now even amid calls for boycotts and continued fallout.   Also, Kimmel could just have his lawyers negotiate an exit and remove any non-competes, but why would another network or even station pick him up.  More likely an HBO/MAX or cable type deal depending on ownership (as in no Paramount)....

Shannon O' Donnell, chief met at KOMO,  has married her UW college sweetheart Richard Ross and tied the knot on campus where love bloomed in 1991.   Lots of beauty and love and friends from KOMO joined the celebration.   Congrats to Shannon and may you continue living happily ever after as you have been with your beautiful family. A video, too:     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obxLOP-yhY0

Just when KOMO finally, at long last, it's about time, updated its Meet the Team page to include several recent additions, Ryan Simms, who NEVER had a bio picture up since joining KOMO a few years ago, has left the station.   He posted on X at the link below.    He hit the Seattle TV exacta, working first for crazy KIRO and then KOMO.    Several months back I noted his linkedin page had the words 'open to work,' while still at 4.    Was he thinking ahead?  Well, now he is open.  Good luck. https://x.com/RyanTVnews/status/1966617110173638744?t=PfBgHRCnluKQk37aOfp3BA&s=19

KOMO has been frequently running promos featuring their talent claiming the station 'holds the powerful accountable.'   Hardly...a hearty HAR HAR, in fact.   More like KOMO and Sinclair BEND THEIR KNEES to the powerful.   Maybe Chris Daniels and Michelle Esteban should ask for a copy change and re-do those farcical messages.   

  Fox 13 has scheduled two Seattle Mayoral debates on Sept. 23rd and Oct. 2.  A third debate between King County Executive candidates is scheduled for the next night, Oct. 3.   The first debate (between incumbent Bruce Harrell and opponent Katie Wilson) comes in a partnership with Converge Media, and Angela Poe Russell (formerly of KIRO and KING) will co-host with Fox 13's anchor David Rose.  The second debate will be held in conjunction with the Seattle City Club with Fox 13's Hana Kim moderating.    The King County Executive debate (moderated by Fox 13's John Hopperstad) will air 7-8 pm Oct. 3, just one hour before KING 5 telecasts its Mayoral debate in partnership with the Seattle Times.   Mimi Jung will co-host that one. Haven't seen anything from KOMO or KIRO.

Sinclair's stations won't air Jimmy.  Will air a special in his time slot Friday. Read on.    Former KIRO reporter Essex Porter provided this, not a pretty sight: https://x.com/EssexJP_TV/status/1968491762403496232?t=HDRdMP2E95pKqpOtziwW9w&s=19

Is Monique Ming Laven just holding on at KIRO amid the cuts and defections?   I am hardly recognizing her.  Great longtime Seattle anchor with years of service and loyalty.   Is she happy?   

According to copy read by anchor Molly Shen of KOMO, Celebrity Family Feud will replace Jimmy Kimmel at 11:35 Wednesday night.   Beyond that we don't know the long term plan in the wake of ABC's decision to pull the show following his political remarks Monday.    Meanwhile, big station owner Nexstar told its ABC affiliates that it would pre-empt Kimmel even before ABC's decision.   And they want to buy Tegna, so let that sink in.    Draw your own conclusions.    One other note: ABC's David Muir did not mention the Kimmel story tonight, possibly because it happened after the live broadcast at 330 EDT, but I remain suspcious.  My belief is that Muir and producers were told by ABC honchos to ignore or avoid it.  NBC DID air a story and even teased it in the open at 6 on KING5, always trying to nail a network competitor.   Fallon still ok.   CBS had nothing off the top of the news show.   KOMO will air...

Hey, it's the Apple Cup Saturday in Pullman between UW and WSU and KIRO 7 has it at 430? Any special plans for coverage? Nah. Not that I can find.    Wow two days, big games with high local interest (Seahawks Sunday) on 7 and everyone seems out to lunch. GM and ND, please pick up the white courtesy phone.

I got a message from a loyal reader, which you can see in the comments about KIRO ND Laura Evans, that claimed KIRO actually locked out news photographers last week in a union dispute that the company wants to win.    My inside sources tell me this: The photogs were NOT locked out per se, but the news cars they take home to make them available for fast reaction to breaking news, WERE taken away from them.  They were restored at some point, but it reportedly caused some internal problems.  The overarching issue is that corporate may be seeking to reduce the number of photographers on staff. Draw your own conclusions, but it's something else Laura Evans, the news director, must contend with in her already tenuous tenure.

Awful Announcing released its fan voted on MLB radio broadcast teams. Rick Rizzs and company finished 11th of 30.    Ex Mariners guy Dave Sims finished 16th with his new Yankees partner.    6400 votes were cast in the website poll. Read the full list and fan comments here: https://awfulannouncing.com/orig/2025-mlb-local-radio-booth-rankings-miller-rose-hughes-hamilton.html

Well, she is the news director at KIRO, and it has been a tough run when you consider that Apollo/Cox, the owners, just want cuts.  One insider called her the worst ND they ever had, but I have no idea if she descends to that level.  But she presides over a station with no sports department; no weekend morning newscasts; went about four months with reporters and freelancers doing important weekend weather until finally making a hire; has morning weather anchor Nick Allard doing double duty as a traffic reporter; lost Jesse Jones, one of the premier personalities of Seattle TV; will lose her best reporter Deborah Horne next month; hired a quasi sports/news guy from Canada but uses him poorly, along with other cutbacks along the way.  She was interim ND at KING but left to work for Apollo/Cox at WHIO Dayton a powerhouse in Ohio always on automatic ratings pilot.   She came back here to a major market, but so far, I don't see many positives under her tenure.  ...

KIRO has a Seahawks gane next Sunday, a home contest against New Orleans.   Checking the cable grid, I see no local pre-game or post-game, just a newscast following the CBS telecast.    Before the game, professional bull riding is listed.   It would seem to be a great revenue opportunity to do some local programming around the game.   Of course, that would also cost money.    Not to mention KIRO has no sports department, which leaves Eric Thomas (who anchored weekend news this past weekend -- where's Jason Sloss) as the lone ranger with at least some TV sports cred.  They may just front load the newscast with post-game stuff without branding it as a post-game show.    Meanwhile, FOX 13 has its gameday at 5 pm opposite KIRO news with full coverage of the Hawks game.   I'll watch Red Zone.