MediaMaven

KING5 Morning Traffic Anchor Shante Sumpter turned up Monday from home to let everyone know her new baby boy is doing well but said she has no firm timetable for returning to the newscast.    The station has been using several staffers to fill in during her maternity leave.  World Cup traffic will be a major challenge for one and all starting real soon!!   Fox 13's Adam Gehrke should have the experience edge in the market. https://x.com/i/status/2063982924295524714

Teased three old stories, one by Whitaker, one by Stahl, one by the departed Cooper.  The anchor intro included everyone: Pelley, Copper, Alfonsi, Vega.  All rights reserved.  Nothing to see here.  But I wonder what kind of lead-in it was for the Tony Award on CBS?  Curiosity tune-in?   I turned it off after peeking at the opening sequence. There's a long interview with Pelley at the NYTimes.  FYI

I want to salute the man in the tux from this celebratory photo taken in 2010, if memory serves. The industry lost Dick Splitstone nine years ago this month.   He was my talented, loyal executive producer and dear friend at NWCN, running the day-to-day and teaching our young staff professionalism.   He also had many work colleagues at KIRO and NATAS NW.  He is missed very much. Dick was kind enough to honor me in retirement, arranging some great farewell photos of the staff. (Below) Thank you, Richard Also, I want acknowledge that the lady in the first photo is Emily Cantrell, former NWCN and KOMO leader, now president of Seafair. 

I went looking on the cable program grid Saturday for evening network news, but none of the local stations elected to take earlier feeds of WNT, NNN or CBS EN.     There were network sports events at 7, 730 & 8 in the East, presumably with the usual network news in normal time slots.  Here, KOMO did Sinclair's 'Full Measure' at 330 and local news at 4. KIRO ran paid at 330 and local news at 4. KING ran paid at 330.   And after Golf, it ran five straight paid shows.  First local news aired at 10 on KONG, 11 on K5 after Dateline.   This happens a lot during college football Saturdays, but was surprised today that there were no opportunities.  

Rick Rizzs, longtime, popular and soon to be retiring voice of the Mariners has a new honor: "The voice of the Seattle Mariners, legendary broadcaster Rick Rizzs, is officially your 2026 Alaska Airlines Seafair Torchlight Parade Grand Marshal! For decades, Rick has brought unforgettable Seattle sports moments to life, and on Saturday, July 25, he'll lead one of the city's most beloved summer traditions down the Seattle waterfront. Beginning at 7:30 p.m., the Alaska Airlines Seafair Torchlight Parade will Light Up the Night with dazzling floats, marching bands, cultural performances, dragon dancers, precision drill teams, prancing horses, and more. The parade is free and open to the public, but if you want the best views without the hassle, secure your reserved seating now. Skip the wait, save your spot, and enjoy the parade from premium viewing areas. Reserve your seats today and join us on July 25 from 7:30-10:30 p.m. as we celebrate Seattle with Rick Rizzs leading the wa...

Elise Jawed, an Emmy-winning producer for KOMO/ARC Seattle, is leaving for 'new adventures,' but no word yet on a specific destination or job.    Good luck!!

KOMO Sports Director Niko Tamurian and former FOX 13 #2 Sports anchor/reporter Alyssa Charlston-Smith are on the same team, at least via the Seattle Storm.  Alyssa is the new game TV analyst and Niko co-hosts the pre-game show (Kelly Koopmans in the background).  Games are seen on both KOMO and KUNS.   Two talented folks for sure.