MediaMaven

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