MediaMaven

Based on the cable grid, with Sherri's program gone, it appears FOX 13 will simulcast its Live Desk from noon to 2 pm on the main channel after Labor Day.    Live Desk will continue past 2 pm on 13+.    Jennifer Hudson syndie show airing 11-noon.    Meanwhile, Drew Barrymore's show eventually replaces Kelly Clarkson on KOMO at 2 pm weekdays.  Can't tell your shows without a program!

  This clock makes sense.  Deadline approaching for a Seattle teacher's strike.    Next up?  Apple Cup countdown clock for Saturday?   More clocks please!    Gimmick overkill?  Did a consultant recommend this?

KOMO's Senior News Reporter Chris Daniels gets the first sit-down TV interview with ex-Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes.  Barnes also appeared on 97.3 FM radio's 'Gee and Ursula Show' Monday.  This 'exclusive' follows his solo reporting work in Atlanta last week when the NFL okayed the new Seahawks ownership.  On a roll. https://komonews.com/news/local/former-seattle-police-chief-shon-barnes-talks-forced-resignation-unsolved-bite-of-seattle-mass-shooting-response-mayor-katie-wilson-exclusive-interview-delay-public-update-public-safety-crime

For those of you who may not have heard, WMAR-TV in Baltimore, where I worked for 13.8 years, has elinated all anchors from newscasts as part of the Scripps mass layoffs there and elsewhere and its swtich to AI produced and hubbed shows.    It's only the next sad step of this evolution and I had a chance to weigh in for a column written today by Leslie Streeter Smith in The Baltimore Banner, a Pulitzer-winning paper born to compete with the now Sinclair-controlled Baltimore Sun. Submitted for your approval, with some scrolling: In the nautical sense, an anchor is a heavy metal device that, when used, holds a ship in place. In journalism, a news anchor does the same job, as the grounded support that holds down all the moving parts around them, from the meteorologist to the field reporters. So what is a television station without anchors? WMAR-2 , an ABC affiliate owned by E.W. Scripps, is now figuring that out. They laid off more than a dozen producers, photographers and anchor...

Well, I know all of you Seahawks fans watching KOMO Sunday were on pins and needles to know when the opening game will take place, but this is ridiculous.  Just an absolute insult to any of the team's fans, 60,000 plus fans who have tickets and thousands more set to watch.   Not 10 seconds, Not 10 hours, Not 10 minutes.  TEN DAYS!    Whose idea was this?   NBC has the game!     Same person who won't give Menino a riser with Hussion on mornings.   Management gone awry as usual.

ICYMI, Fox 13's weather wizard Abby Acone bade a fond farewell Sunday to her weekend morning co-anchor Taylor Winkel.  You're welcome.  

KING+ will be streaming a big high school football game this Friday night between Graham-Kapowsin and Lake Stevens with play by play and plans for replays.  It's the K5 Big Game.  Developing story, more to come.  Is this a Seattle TV first on the big channels?    

KREM2 in Spokane says goodbye to Regan Gallo-Fenz, who is leaving to tend more to her marriage and family per her social media post.    She says she elected not to renew her expiring contract after a two-year stint.  Regan is an Arizona State U. Cronkite School Masters grad.   She won Miss Pierce County and Miss Washington in 2022.

  "This is an extremely heart-wrenching and personal thing to share, but I need your help. My son ran away from home Wednesday after a tumultuous summer of mental health issues.  He ran with a girl his age; she was found in Gresham, Oregon late Thursday night after separating from him. My friends in the Portland Metro area, can you please share his pictures?  My heart is breaking.  I need your help." 

Her goodbye post below! After an almost five-year stint, FOX 13 meteorologist and part-time news anchor Abby Acone ends her run there with a final show on this Sunday morning.  Married earlier this month, she left no word on what's next.  Not sure if it is fully her decision, but I'm told she had 'favored nation' status with news management.  Before joining 13 in December of 2021, she worked three years at KOMO and also did a stint in Tri-Cities. Fittingly, this last shot on IG is studio appropriate.    I've been frequently critical of her on this site for using the station's studio to post questionable videos (IMO), but for now, good luck.   Here's Abby's goodbye post: My heart is so full as I reflect on my final week at FOX 13 ❤️ 🥹 I’m incredibly grateful for my time here and for the remarkable people who made this place feel like home. I’ve had the joy of working alongside some of the most talented, hardworking, and genuinely wonderful people in th...

BALTIMORE, Aug. 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sinclair today issued the following statement regarding an employee-led vote by KOMO 4 on-air employees in Seattle to determine whether they would continue to be represented by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). KOMO anchors and reporters voted to end SAG-AFTRA representation, following a decertification petition filed with the National Labor Relations Board in July. Following completion of the NLRB process, SAG-AFTRA will no longer serve as the exclusive bargaining representative for employees in the unit. Sinclair strives to be the employer of choice in every market we serve, and we believe this decision reflects the trust and strong working relationship we have built with our employees. Our employees are the heart of our company, and we value their commitment, contributions and dedication to serving the Seattle community. Same memo went out for the photog union which decertified. Here...

Per social media just in: "A winning partnership continues!  " The @SeattleKraken and @933KJR through @iHeartMedia Seattle have announced a multi-year extension of their broadcast partnership."  I have to add as a personal opinion that listening to hockey on radio is very very difficult unless you're watching the TV broadcast at the same time. 

Ex Fox 13 Seattle chief met Walter Kelley brings in some breakfast for his Florida station peeps. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/192gfYxycY/  

KOMO Senior reporter Chris Daniels gets a word with NFL Commish Roger Goodell on the day the league approves the sale of the Seahawks.   This is one of those cases where having Daniels covering the business side pays dividends.   The NFL knows him to be credible and aggressive.

Netflix is now airing a documentary called 'Freefall, a Reckoning for Boeing, alleging that the compnay put greed and manufacturing pressures above paasenger safety, resulting in hundreds of crash deaths.    Will any station in town try to get reaction from the company or the unions about this?    Is it accurate?  Could a former aviation reporter like Glenn Farley offer a credible review or opinion?    We shall see.  All the people working at Boeing who used to be at KING won't push for it, that's for sure.  I did see a post about KIRO radio's John Curley interviewing an involved whistleblower.  Now, this!     https://www.seattletimes.com/business/boeing-aerospace/faa-requires-some-boeing-787-inspections-for-fatigue-cracks/?block=ebtopphoto&utm_source=marketingcloud&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Evening+Brief+08-26-26_8_26_2026&utm_term=

The style advisor for Internet sports writer Corbin Smith has badly and irrevocably lost his/her way.  The worst, distracting, hilarious, poor-fitting scorchingly RED blazer paired with the totally unmatched tie he wore on the Seahawks pre-game show is beyond redemption.   Fox 13 Sports Director Aaron Levine, always dressed professionally, has to shade his eyes for this co-hosts outfit, not to mention the mutton chops.  Stick with the web, Corbin, although I hear he has discontinued his association with something online called 'Locked In.'    People will write me and say he has the right to wear what he wants.  It is NOT a right.  It is a matter of  common sense, viewer taste and on-air credibility.    He's not Steve Harvey. 

Hearing strong rumors that KING5's The Ultimate Seattle Sports Show with Paul Silvi and Chris Egan, originally launched in late April for a 6-month trial run, has apparently passed all of its on-air and streaming goals.  The show reportedly now has a FULL green light going forward as the fall sports season swings into high gear with Mariners, Hawks, Huskies, Cougs, Kraken, et al.    The show is seen now at 3 pm on KING with an 8 pm replay.    

KING5 is muscling up in the reporting department.  We were the first to tell you about the addition of Heidi Kirk from N.C. and now we can confirm that Rachel Louise Just has joined the team.   He last worked for KNXV in Phoenix, but moved to Medellin, Colombia, South America, last December for a Spanish language immersion program.    Now she's back!    She previously worked in Michigan and, prior to that, was an MMJ at the ABC/FOX Montana.   Rachel is a grad of Purdue, so perhaps we'll see some stories that are real boilermakers!

  Mariners get a big come-from-behind win on Saturday on Fox 13, but its Extra Innings post-game show opened with a news reporter and digital sports producer opening the program (perhaps they were rushed to the set to stall - and he needs a longer shirt) and when the show went a second time to the stadium for more comment, anchor Lauren Helmbrecht and Sports Director Aaron Levine were not quite ready for prime time. Well, so much for 13's run to compete with KING sports.  Yikes. .

See what I did there? KING 5 has a new reporter!   She's Heidi Kirk, who comes here from the highly respected WRAL-TV in Raleigh, N.C., where she worked for a little less than three years. Prior to that she worked at a small market Maryland station.   He linkedin profile says she also interned for CNN's Jake Tapper.

Matt Calkins, who resigned from the Seattle Times today because a column on transgender athletes was spiked by his bosses.  He is getting good support from Seattle media obserurnesdvers.  More from Matt: https://mattycee.substack.com/p/agreeing-with-sophie-cunninghams https://x.com/i/trending/2090496802487201837 From Aaron Levine of Fox 13: Matt has never shied away from tackling some of the hottest-button issues and I give him tons of credit for that. Wishing you nothing but the best going forward, Matt, and truly appreciate and admire the full explanation in your Substack. From Ian Furness of KJR: "When a columnist is muted by a newspaper, the paper of record for the region, we have reached a dangerous place. The fact that it has happened multiple times to Matt is even worse."⁸

Some of you may have heard or read that Scripps has completely removed anchors from the 7 and 11 newscasts at its station WMAR in Baltimore, still a top 30 market.  It runs only sequenced local taped reports along with hubbed national stories from its 24/7 streaming service.     For me, it touches a nerve.  That's me in the middle. I worked there from 74-87 and, even though WMAR was a pioneer and legacy station and the first station in Maryland (1947), it ended up with four different owners from 86-91, suffered thru an ill-fated talent strike in 83 and just two years earlier in 81, lost its CBS affiliation because of low ratings and too many pre-emptions for Orioles telecasts and specials.  The decline put a bullseye on the station for a long time and Scripps has made zero progress managing it since 91, culminating in this decision to try something totally different there and in about a dozen smaller markets.  They just laid off about 20 WMAR staffers ...

  Kelly Franson was a meteorologist for KIRO from 2014-2017.  Now she's in a totally different field!  This is from her social media post: 🌦️Broadcast Meteorology ✍🏼Public Relations 🩻 Radiologic Technology  This change may be a surprise, but it's been in the works for a while!  I didn't know medical imaging was a career choice until I was already immersed in meteorology. I remember thinking that if I had to do it all over again, I'd probably choose x-ray or ultrasound, but didn't think much about it at the time.  Fast-forward to when I began to think about getting out of TV. I checked into Rad Tech programs in several places, at several different times, but could never make it work until now. Thanks to family, friends, and supportive coworkers, I finished up prerequisites last semester and officially started a two year radiologic technology program today!

Fox 13's plan to move its Washington Sports Wrap show to 11 a.m. weekdays as an added play started with it being nothing more than a throwaway placeholder in its Monday debut (which it is anyway).   It was listed on screen as an encore presentation and was it ever!   It was a show produced late last week before the Seahawks pre-season game Saturday and that game was promoted in a first block graphic as you see above!  Fox 13 couldn't have fixed a graphic to add Saturday's score and have anchor Lauren Helmbrecht just fix the voice over?   Guess that was too much trouble.   Nothing on the Mariners winning the Houston series either.   Couldn't add one home run highlight and fix the audio.  The bosses obviously didn't care about a debut show being fresh  and current.  Waste of time.   Lazy and sloppy.   PS.  The show airs at 6:30 pm weeknights.  I realize there was no Sunday WSW show to time ...

Reporter Mo Haider, who left KOMO in 2024 to go to KTRK, the ABC O&O in Houston, is returning afte two years there to join the KGW Portland Sunrise Team, per his soical media post.   Why anyone would rejoin Tegna right now is puzzling to me, but there it is.  Mo spent three years at KOMO.

The Radio Television DIgital News Association announces its winners: KIRO-FM takes the Breaking News Award for "Seattle ICE Protests Turn Violent" in the Large Market Radio Category.   Former KIRO7 reporter Gwen Baumgardner and ex-KCPQ reporter James Lynch were part of the live field coverage and Tom Hutyler anchoring. In small market radio, congrats to KLCC Eugene, OR, for Best Newscast. Cory Howard of KHQ, Spokane, takes Excellence In Writing. Not TV winners this year in our region. https://www.rtdna.org/2026-regional-edward-r-murrow-award-winners

This is going back in time a bit, but Jake Milstein left KIRO-TV in 2018 at News Director and started a totally new chapter working in Cyber Security, working for two difference companies.  Now, he says he is leaving Contrast Security, where he rose to VP level positions, and now teases new adventures ahead on linkedin.com    Good luck, Jake, and be glad you aren't at KIRO anymore! And just in, his new job. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jakemilstein_im-excited-to-share-that-ive-joined-zscaler-share-7495983626640211968-1seV/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android&rcm=ACoAAFWTKaUBTwc4NGLVz4TARZHYT8qQaNhaM2E

Our friends at ftvlive.com report that KOMO talent is trying to decertify SGA-AFTRA.  Also have a story from Publicola. https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2026/8/13/komo-talent-vote-on-union-representation     Here's the vote tally from NLRB. Case Number: 19-RD-390809 Date Filed: 07/16/2026 Status: Open Location: Seattle, WA Region Assigned: Region 19, Seattle, Washington Tally Issued Date:08/12/2026 Status:Open No. of Eligible Voters:22 Void Ballots:0 Total Ballots Counted:16 Challenged Ballots:0 Votes for Labor Union:7 Tally Type:Initial Ballot Type:Single Labor Organization Unit ID:A Votes Against:9 Challenges Determinative:No Labor Union:Screen Actors Guild- American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) Union to Certify:Screen Actors Guild- American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) Here's more from Publicola: On August 12, the reporters, anchors, and other on-air staff at KOMO TV, a station owned by the conservative media company...

From: Mireya Garcia:   Today was Studio 13 Live’s Final Episode!  But don’t worry, I am not going anywhere. All the things you love about the show are moving to the 9 and 10am hour of Good Day Seattle. So, we will see each other there! Huge thank you to my friend, Radio King, and fill-in host Bender with Mornings with Jodi & Bender for suiting up and joining me live on set on this special day. ❤️  I’m so excited to keep working with this incredible crew on the best morning show in Seattle!

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/bradley-warren_the-last-12-days-have-been-a-lot-i-was-ugcPost-7493408847349301248-xn1c/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android&rcm=ACoAAFWTKaUBTwc4NGLVz4TARZHYT8qQaNhaM2E  

I appreciate this tip from one of my loyal readers, letting me know Fox 13 Seattle posted a web story and pictures of their new facility scheduled to open in November.  Apparently David Rose got an early tour, which is nice since he failed to show up as lead anchor at the 'Bite of Seattle' shooting.  The layout is similar to KING's 'under one roof' design of 2016.  The story says it will mean better access to 'regional' news stories.   Uh huh.  Sure.  Regional?  Better than being on Westlake??  But the big question is will Met Abby Acone stop doing offensive Instagram posts about sexuality in the new studio?    As they say in TV, 'only time will tell.'   BTW, this will leave KIRO with the absolute WORST newsroom in Seattle TV and I douby Apollo/Cox cares.   Unless they have rehabbed it, it is a rabbit warren. https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/fox-13-seattle-downtown-seattle-move

Hearing from a good source that KUOW-FM broke the recall story on Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson simply by calling the election office every day to see if anyone filed.   Good leg work.   The petitioners are apparently an elderly couple from North Seattle.   

Hired Brock Huard in the 2005 Super Bowl season to co-host a brand new call-in post game talk show after the Seahawks game ended on the networks.  Called The Fone Zone.  Big success with him and Chris Egan and he soon parlayed it into bigger and better things nationally after several years.  From Brock on social:  'Thank you NWCN & ⁦@ChrisEgan5⁩ for the opportunity."  

I may be a little late on this one, but KING's Evening EP, Meghan Stewart has departed her position with no word on what's next.  Apparently, her husband, Chris Smith, who worked in Marketing there, is also gone.  No update. 

Looks like Studio 13 on Fox 13 goes away at the end of this week, according to a source.  Last show live Thursday.   I note on the cable grid that on Monday, a Washington Sports Wrap rerun will start air at 11 a.m. next week in a strange morning and very dated position, but perhaps trying to fill a void whereThe Ultimate Sports Show used to air on KONG at 10 and got some traction, and moved to 3 on KING.     I assume host Mireya Garcia will continuue news anchoring in the mornings and her Spanish newscast.

KING5 sports newcomer Dusty Baker appaently has his own digital segment on "The Ultimate Sports Show, highlighting online fan reaction.  He's on the lower right in the quad box below with hosts Paul Silvi and Chris Egan up top and guest Bill Krueger lower left.  He is also doing a segment called 'King of the Bet.'  I have neglected to mention that Terry Hollimon, a local media personality, UW football alum and public speaker, has joined the show as a semi-regular.  

KUOW still first and up a bit for July.   KIRO down almost a point mirroring the Mariners problems.   KIRO-FM down slightly, KNKX and KNWN did better. https://ratings.radio-online.com/content/arb039

I hadn't seen this before and maybe it's been going on for awhile, but 97.3 KIRO-FM mid morning show co-host Ursula Reutin doing relationship advice.  Found it on IG.   It's branded with the station, but what if her advice for someone goes wrong and consequences result?  Is the station responsible?   Just askin'.   Hearing the station legal team is clearing it. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbtXlAQj3o1/?igsh=N3I5ZG4zcGxkazl4

  This weekend's big 50th anniversary weekend for the Mariners also produced a new member of the team's Hall of Fame as longtime play-by-play man Rick Rizzs gets the nod for 40+ years behind the home plate mic.  He's already announced this is his last season and wanted to top it off with a World Series, but that is in doubt at this point of the season.   Meanwhile, KIRO 97.3 reporter and commentator Luke Duecy writes that he has to undergo some significant and unexpected surgery near his brain.   He posted his story here: https://mynorthwest.com/kiro-opinion/mri-tumor/4263480 And one more, reporter Shirah Matsuzawa got a shot at the FOX 13+ anchor desk Sunday morning.

 Miracles CAN happen.

In my never ending effort to fully cover the Seattle media waterfront, I can report that Abby Acone of Fox 13 has officially tied the knot this weekend.     Photography: Amazaday