MediaMaven

But he does it with a local sports twist in his final Tournament of Champions post on X.    https://x.com/i/status/2014022623240528094

Fox 13's Aaron Levine was back on Jeopardy Monday the 19th to play in the popular and highly rated Tournament of Champions.  Good luck after a previous stellar three-win performance to get him into the running for big money.  If you missed it, check Peacock and Hulu if you have it.  No spoilers here..

Abby Acone and Taylor Winkel must have a lot of time on their hands while anchoring the weekend morning news on Fox 13 Seattle.  Incidentally, Acone is a prolific Instagram poster using her station's studio to emphasize certain ideas, behavior which seems to be continually ignored by her bosses.    Posts on a personal handle is one thing, but again, here, the anchors are using their studio to dance.   Credibility killer.    Thoughts? https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQUoeMEEsuM/?igsh=c2F1M2J2a3oya3Bv

Fox 13's Alyssa Charlston-Smith posts that she's back on TV this week after maternity leave, just in time for Seahawks NFC championship game!   Mama and baby have good timing indeed.   Cute pix at the link: https://x.com/i/status/2013036817550110811

Fox 13, as expected, had the most coverage, with most of the first block devoted to the game, which Fox is televising.  They brought in Chief Met Brian McMillan and morning anchor Mireya Garcia to muscle up the anchor team with Taylor Winkel, and with Abby Acone saved for pre-game show (I learned later).  No stadium reporter live.  Nikki Torres live instead from an overnight shooting spree.  The show featured a bunch of social media fan posts about the game, reported the costs of attending the game, and, of course, promoted main channel pre- and post-game shows.   KOMO had the least coverage spinning thru the 8 am show with the biggest homage being the anchor wearing Seahawks colors.  No live reports from Lumen.  No taped presence from Sports Director Niko Tamurian, which was a bit of a showcasing surprise, even on a Saturday morning.   I also wonder if they will have sports sidekick Chris Daniels covering the story tonight. KING with it...

Former Mariners and now Yankees play-by-play man Dave Sims and his wife celebrate his journey back from prostate cancer surgery.   Worth a listen and a bunch of congrats.   Kudos and thanks for sharing, Mr. Sims. https://x.com/i/status/2012283405413556256

Seahawks Fever is 'crystal clear' as the first playoff game approaches when morning anchors Jake Whittenberg and Mimi Jung are called to the GM's office on an often-foreboding Friday for a football gift. Enjoy: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/17sQJahF67/

Don O'Neill, part of the long running 'Ron and Don Show' on 97.3 KIRO, posted some fiery comments about the station letting award -winning reporter/anchor Heather Bosch go with just a cardboard box and hardly a goodbye.   Here's the link to the post: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1FUKivTiyB/ Bosch quoted as saying:  " After decades as a successful broadcast journalist, the local radio station I worked for declined to renew my contract. They did provide a lovely cardboard box for me to put my most recent awards in, and my news director was kind enough to fetch my coat. "Realocating resources" I was told. They will not be "back filling" my position. I will continue to do fill-in work for CBS” Heather B. O'Neill and his partner were also unceremoniously cut seven years ago.

NFL TV reporter Kyle Brandt went to the streets of New York to see if die-hard NFL fans there can actually name the coach of the Seahawks by showing a picture.  McDonald's may be a household name, but not when Mike is in front of it.  But.I think Seattle fans would be stumped, too.  Check out the video: https://x.com/i/status/2011817249003147642

  Shannon Brady did her final forecast Wednesday th 14th at KTVZ in Bend, OR.   What's next can be found at this station link, but it appears this was a final FAREWELL. https://ktvz.com/news/local-news/2026/01/14/ktvz-sunrise-meteorologist-shannon-brady-signs-off-moving-to-arizona/

KIRO radio talk host John Curley has done Lasik surgery and hair restoration over the years and is featured in local TV commercials about the procedures.  Now, he's gotten a facelift, giving him his best 'face for radio,' I guess.     Video at the link: https://mynorthwest.com/john-curley/john-curley-kiro-facelift/4186678 And here he is on the left after he worked for me in DC and then did a morning talk show at the CBS affiliate there in 93-94.   That led to his job on Evening at KING and the rest is history.

Monty Webb , longtime meteorologist at KIRO 7 , with freelance stint at NWCN and a good run in Tri Cities , got a ' Dad Joke ' book for Christmas and is now posting them every day on cam.  Here's a sample of one he added himself: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1DiXJjr1et/

I see a producer opening posted at Fox 13 Seattle with the confirmed departure today of a morning producer, reportedly leaving for a law firm.   Just noting that the morning show is 5-11 a.m., and I wonder if she is the first casualty of working in that grind since the June expansion...or maybe a contract expiration?    Side comment:  The number of local law firms advertising on Seattle TV is astounding...Dubin, Pendergast, Davis, Bernard and others.   The spots seem to be everywhere.   Anyone else notice?   

On Thursday, federal agents shot two people on Portland. Back when NWCN was on the air, we would have simulcast our sister station KGW there for the entire PNW.  Given the current controversy over the Minnesota killing, three ICE arrests in Seattle and this new incident, the channel would have been valued more than ever, regardless of other platforms for immediately informing viewers on their phones.   One stop shopping.   Sorry that Tegna and Xfinity thought otherwise as to its worthiness to every Washingtonian.   Full disclosure, I was ND there for 11 years, but I would have the same opinion as a viewer.

John Forslund, TV play by play man for the Seattle Kraken Hockey Network, apparently got very frustrated after reading some long ad copy about Alaska Airlines during a break in the action.  AwfulAnnouncing.com reports he lashed out about it on air: "'Now I’m done with ‘War and Peace,'” the play-by-play man said in reference to the 1,200-plus page novel. “Let’s make that one longer next time… the powers that be that control these things have never read something and watched a hockey game at the same time. That’s all I’ve got to say. It’s almost goodnight, folks.”

With the Seahawks in a bye week, it offers lots of time for the Seattle TV stations to plan their playoff coverage for a minimum of one, max of two games at Lumen Field.   The Super Bowl would be another matter.   We shall see.  Here's a snapshot to ponder. KING is well positioned as usual and, as we know they have the inside track Seahawks partnership, but longtimers Paul Silvi and Chris Egan, along with Arielle Orsuto, will be on top of the story, plus lots of non-sports opportunities with Evening and New Day NW wide open for features and sidebars.  Needless to say, The Fifth Quarter will offer its usual diet of post-game coverage with Silvi and Walter Jones.  Michael Robinson, Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril are on the pre-season games for KING, so that might offer another edge for star power.  And get Matt Hasselbeck on a Zoom interview along the way. FOX13 has really increased its staff, led by knowledgeable longtimer Aaron Levine.  ...

This story impacts the lives of no one.  It is simply a response to the elite Mercer Island and Issaquah neighborhoods . The story was significant but now it is follow-up with no impact.  It's sad. of course, but it's a domestic.  Let's move on from leading with it on KIRO.

Dan Griffin , who left Fox 13 in 2023 to return to Ohio , has come back to the station's reporting staff.  I appreciate the from a loyal reader and now confirmed from inside.  My fave memory is when he was live during a Tsunami alert here and was worried that he couldn't swim.   Oh well.  

KUOW stayed a solid #1, but holiday music was on parade and that didn't help some news listening as KIRO-FM dropped a couple of slots and KNWN slipped one.  KNKX was flat.    KRWM 'warmed' our hearts with the sounds of Santa after flipping early.    KIRO Seattle Sports dropped again, even with Seahawks success.    See for yourselves: https://ratings.radio-online.com/content/arb039

KING 5 must truly be lamenting the live broadcast and money spent on the Space Needle fireworks. Fog obstructed the thrills and chills for those attending and those watching on TV.   And it went to Portland and Spokane, too.   Oh, well   Wait till next year, I guess. https://www.king5.com/mobile/article/entertainment/television/how-to-watch-livestream-new-years-at-the-needle-seattle-2026/281-e7d138d7-63da-4e7f-8d67-aef5e014daf2 KOMO used some pics from its Seattle Center vantage point to add to the misfotune.   https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1B5EhYg58E/

Let's get a conversation started on this first day of the year with a personal commentary: On Dec. 31, 2024 one year ago, Mark Neerman was named the new news director for Sinclair's KOMO.  Amid my personal expectations as a former ND who had to push creative change, I want to ask viewers what changes or improvements they have seen during his tenure to make the newscasts better (or worse).  Has he been able to put a true stamp on the product?    Most of the change that I have noted here came in personnel.  Meteorologist Rebecca Stevenson and weekend news anchor Hannah Knowles left, as did reporters Paul Rivera, Ryan Simms and Denise Whitaker.   New anchor Chris Nguyen was gone in February after just a couple of months.  On the plus side, he brought anchor Steve Soliz over from KING, Natalie Fahmy from Ohio, reporter Claire Weber from SC and Tyler Cunnington from Colorado.  Standard turnover in TV newsrooms.    On screen, the only tan...

Brawl breaks out at KOMO Plaza on NY Eve near the Space Needle and reporter Jeremy Harris weighed in on social.   Odd comment from the station's primary crime reporter about a violent situation and mentioning a competitor.    Don't get it.  https://x.com/i/status/2006829399971377436