local news
The New TV News Battleground: The Pre-Dawn Hours
Wee hours newscasts aren't really a new phenomenon. Back in 1992, a young TV journalist got his start as the anchor of ABC's pre-dawn 'World News Now'. His name was Anderson Cooper. Today, 'World News Now's' anchor is Vinita Nair, whose good looks, crisp diction and hearty sense of humor have earned her a cult of fans.
But whether you view early-early-morning newscasts as a talent farm or simply a way to get an early jump on weather and traffic updates, these shows are multiplying in cities all over America.
According to The New York Times, new 4AM and 4:30AM newscasts are launching this month in New York, Boston, Washington, and other cities, as TV stations recognize that there are untapped groups of potential viewers they can reach, people who aren't just insomniacs or dairy farmers.
In fact, some 16 percent of households have their TVs on at 4:30, a segment that has doubled over the last 15 years.
Discovery Communications Headquarters Invaded By Gunman
UPDATE (6PM): According to NBC's Washington, D.C. affiliate, the police have confirmed the suspect is dead.Montgomery County Cpl. Dan Friz told ABC news station WJLA that the suspect was carrying what appeared to be an "explosive device." A SWAT team surrounded the 10-story building and police chief Tom Manager said negotiations with the gunman are ongoing.
A MySpace profile reportedly belonging to the gunman -- who AOL News says has been identified as James Jay Lee of Silver Spring -- lists "The Discovery channel" as one of his television interests. Lee's most recent status update is from January 2008, and reads "Lee says: It's time for REVOLUTION!!"
The ABC affiliate's website, TBD.com, reported that Lee had a history with Discovery, including an arrest for protesting against the network in 2008.
Here's a phrase you don't hear on live TV too often (NSFW)
The look on the female anchor's face is priceless. I think I'll take a screen grab of it and use it as my Twitter or Facebook avatar.
NBC's Boston affiliate isn't going to show Leno's new show

Well, here's a plot twist I didn't see coming.
WHDH, the NBC affiliate in Boston (I'm watching it right now) says that they're not going to show Leno's new 10PM show. Starting in September, the station is going to show local news at 10PM instead!
NBC is fuming (I'm sure Leno isn't happy either - he's from Boston). The network is threatening to strip WHDH of its NBC affiliation. WHDH says that they have a certain deal that allows them to not show an NBC program if they don't want to. Apparently they asked NBC if they could show Leno's show at 11PM instead but NBC said no. I would have said no too. I mean, The Tonight Show starts at 11:35, so how could they show Leno's hour-long show without it eating into that? I don't think pushing Tonight back to midnight would have been an option.
What's the last show you watch before turning in?
If there is one thing in this crazy, mixed-up world that all human beings have in common, it's that we are creatures of habit. There are just some things that we do on a daily basis in order to maintain continuity and stay somewhat sane. It may be a certain morning routine, something you do at the beginning of each work day, or a particular domesticated animal that you burn during your sacrifice to the god Nomchakatu. No matter what it is, your day can go askew if you don't indulge in your particular habit or ritual.
One of these habits, which has been ingrained into many of us, is watching a particular show or shows right before we go to bed. Since the first grainy, black and white image was broadcast into the first home, millions have tuned into one show or another as a calming ritual before they go to sleep. In the very beginning, it may have been their local newscast or The Tonight Show. Now, with so many choices, what viewers watch before they pull the covers over their heads is nearly endless.
Minivan crashes into Chicago TV station during live news broadcast - VIDEO
There are few things in life more satisfying than when something goes wrong during a live broadcast. I mean, sure there are weddings and births and all that crap, but those things happen all the time. Seeing broadcasters -- especially anchormen, what with their sensible hair and their authoritative voices -- lose their cool is as rare and special as seeing Brigadoon (the magical Scottish town, not the boring Broadway musical).Breitbart.tv has posted what might be one of the best on-air bust-ups of all time: a minivan crashing into the studio of Chicago's ABC affiliate, WLS, during a live broadcast. The video after the jump...
Local news team freaks out over Halloween prank
I hate being scared at Halloween. I mean, scary movies and costumes are one thing, but I can't stand it when people just jump out from hiding to shock you. Such an easy, cheap way to freak out someone. It's only funny when you do it to someone, not when it's done to you.
The news anchors at KXTV in California know that feeling. At the start of a segment on the morning news the other day, they were greeted by a pack of knife and bone-wielding creatures and completely freaked out on camera. And this isn't one of those times where the anchors really knew about it ahead of time. You can tell by the screams that they were caught completely off guard. I'm also sure several viewers had to change their underwear too.
My favorite part is Melissa Crowley, who pretty much says "the hell with my friends!" and actually runs out of the studio.
Anchorwoman shifts to Wednesdays
Anchorwoman, the upcoming comedy/reality series from FOX that takes place at an actual news station in Tyler, Texas, will debut on Wednesday, August 22 rather than August 21 (as previously reported). It will still air at 8:00 p.m., though, kicking off with a one-hour premiere before settling into its normal half hour on Wednesday nights.
Anchorwoman has Texas town talking
On August 21 at 8:00 p.m., FOX will debut Anchorwoman, a comedy/reality TV program focusing on a swimsuit model who moves to the quiet community of Tyler, Texas to try her hand at local news reporting.
As a twist, the series will take place in an actual newsroom, KYTX-TV, a CBS affiliate. Actual newspersons will appear on the program, which has many people in the community asking if this is such a good idea.
CNN executive heads to Fox News
Joel Cheatwood, who helped develop programming at Headline News such as Showbiz Tonight and Glenn Beck and oversaw CNN's highest-rated series, Nancy Grace, is heading to Fox News to develop programming for both the news network and the upcoming Fox Business Channel.
According to Variety, Cheatwood has been tapped for Fox News because of his "tabloid sensibility" that he developed while working on local news in Miami, where he often led with crime stories in order to grab the attention of viewers. According to Cheatwood, news can be both "top-notch" and "fun to watch." Cheatwood used that approach to revamp Headline News, and hopes to do the same when Fox Business Channel launches.
66th annual Peabody Award winners announced
The Peabodys are an interesting case in a world over-saturated with award ceremonies and self-congratulatory accolades. The Peabodys don't actually have categories or even a set number of awards to give out every year. The good folks at the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication just give them out as they deem necessary, and their goal isn't just to recognize local news stations or broadcast journalists. The Peabodys' aim is to hold up examples of "what can and should be done in the worlds of journalism, entertainment, documentary, education and public service," or so their press release tells me.Things I Hate About TV: It's all about news, talk, and reality
What made me think of this is the news that the Today Show is expanding to a fourth hour in September.
Yeah, that's exactly what's missing from my TV schedule: another hour of Today. Hey, let's add three more hours to Good Morning, America. Maybe The View can be an all-day thing, and ABC can show All My Children at 2 in the morning?
A bunch of news bloopers
I'll admit it: I'm a sucker for blooper shows. The ones from sitcoms and dramas where the actors screw up are OK, but the great ones are from news broadcasts, because not only are the shows live, but they're supposed to be very straightforward and serious most of the time. You can see some sort of minor blooper on almost every news broadcast, but the ones here at AOL TV aren't minor. Like the newsanchor that has a tooth fall out of his mouth while live on the air, or the college weatherman who is incredibly nervous and gives one of the worst weather forecasts you'll ever see. Or the guy who tries to stuff a dollar bill down the cleavage of a reporter and the massive slips of the tongue on a live show. And then there's something everyone will like, the prank caller who manages to get on Nancy Grace's show and call her something we'd all like to call her.
Oh, and the next time you're watching your local news, and you think that the meteorologist or the anchorperson is lame or silly, remember this weatherman from the Charlotte, NC TV station (second video down). Wow. (He was eventually fired after rehab and now works at KREX-TV in Denver.)
The Five: Random television thoughts
I know, you're probably thinking, isn't the TV Squad blog just a series of random thoughts about television already? Yes and no. Sure, the thoughts are often random, but we put them in very specific posts, whether it's a review, an essay, or an op-ed piece.The random thoughts below are just things I've been thinking about lately. They could possibly end up in some future post about a specific show or star, but I'm putting them here for now. (And thanks to Rich for starting this.)
1. Why do weather forecasters and anchorpersons always freak out over cool temperatures? When October comes around and the temps drop to the 50s, you'd think the world was ending by the way the local news stations act. It's not 10 below zero folks, it's 55, and it happens every single fall. And it's comfortable! Newscasters always seem to bemoan the start of fall, almost to the point of apologizing to viewers, because summer is over. Folks, I have news for you: humid, 90 degree weather is terrible; fall is the best season.
Things I Hate About TV: uncomfortable handoffs and segues
I was watching Larry King Live last night (oh, come on, like you didn't tune in to see what the hell's going on with Elizabeth Taylor), and Larry calls Liz's priceless jewelry "costume," and she's stunned. Larry tries to laugh it off that he was just needling her, that he can't tell the difference between real and costume, and then he goes to a break and throws it to Anderson Cooper to see what's coming up at the top of the hour on 360, and he says something like "Anderson, get me out of this will you?" as Larry and Liz laugh, and since he has put him on the spot, Anderson has to muster up a semi-joking "I can't tell the difference either Larry ...coming up, more violence and bloodshed in Iraq."Why do they always do this, joke about something and then throw it to the news to get some witty, light comment when there's serious news to report? The worse is the local news, when they'll come out of the weather forecast, laughing about "oh, where did summer go? It's so cool out!", and they're all laughing and shaking their heads, and then they'll put on their frowns suddenly and say something like, "we'll be right back with that update on the child who died in the car accident today."
Mixing the serious and the humorous is a very tricky thing. People like Olbermann and Stewart can do it, but their shows are built like that and since they're just one anchor controlling the show, they can make the segues easier. But on most news shows ...ugh, it's horrible.
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