Uh Oh... There's an Oder Problem in Monett

Kudos to KSPR for their investigative piece into a river that is causing problems in a Southwest Missouri town even though it is in Europe.

That's right... there is an Oder problem in the community of Monett. The problem? Well... according to www.dictionary.com , oder is
"a river in central Europe, flowing from the NE Czech Republic, N through SW Poland and along the border between Germany and Poland into the Baltic."

Ok, ok... so what the report was really about was Tyson's and a neighbor's complaint about the odor it produces, but whoever was running the chyron didn't bother to proof what they had typed.

You can check out the boo boo by clicking here and watching the video. Notice, too, that after the package the problem had been fixed. Maybe they just forgot to spell check.

KMIZ Changes

Some changes are coming to KMIZ news. John Bassford, the station's evening co-anchor, will be leaving the anchor chair to become involved in public relations for AmerenUE. He will be replaced by Ryan Tate, weekend anchor at KFVS-TV in Cape Girardeau. Tate's co-anchor will be Stephanie Schaefer at 6 and Brynn Gringas at 10.

Quake Shakes LA

While I was away today, a 5.4 magnitude earthquake struck southern California causing people to remember just how shaky the ground underneath their feet can be along the San Andreas fault. The news networks covered the incident in full force, of course, and you can find a wrap up of the coverage from TV Newser by clicking here.

Out of Town

The News2K will not be updated today or much of tomorrow because I will be out of town attending a funeral of a family friend. Updates will resume either Tuesday evening or first thing on Wednesday.

New Links To The Blogroll

I added a couple of new links to the blog roll over the last couple of days.

#1 - OzarkStorms: I am a huge weather buff, but I didn't know about this site until recently. There is some really good stuff here. Be sure to check it out!

#2 - Blog Net News Missouri: I didn't realize that I didn't have Blog Net News listed on the right side. This site is a great resource for all things political in Missouri.

Be sure to check out both of them soon!

My $.02: Vincent David Jericho = TV Expert?

Okay, I know I shouldn't even go here because I will probably only get too fired up and this is probably just going to get me in trouble, but here goes anyway... David Catanese, political reporter at KY3, has linked to Vincent David Jericho's podcast of his radio show on KSGF in Springfield. You can listen to the rambling here. Today's show was essentially a rambling rant against last night's Republican Primary Debate on KY3, which featured candidates Sarah Steelman and Kenny Hulshof.

In the first five minutes he managed to trash Steve Grant, KY3, David Catanese, Missy Shelton, Sarah Steelman, Kenny Hulshof, both of the campaigns, and Sean Hannity. Wow! Quite impressive, isn't it?

Apparently Mr. Jericho is a television expert because he is able to explain everything that was wrong with the debate down to criticizing Steve Grant's hair. (Ummm....excuse me, have you looked in the mirror Mr. Jericho?) He even goes so far as to say that the debate shouldn't have even happened and that Catanese and Shelton are somehow using this debate as a way to grandstand themselves and to help Jay Nixon (ummm...how about some specific examples?). Yes, and I have to throw this tidbit in here too... only Fox News knows how to have a debate according to him. Not any local tv station in America... not CNN, MSNBC, NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS... only Fox News. I am going to leave that alone. The lunacy of that statement speaks for itself.

Springfield is only the 74th largest television market in the nation. They don't have the production budget of your beloved Fox News. Your belief that the debate shouldn't have happened would mean that Steelman and Hulshof's views on issues that matter to Missourians would never have been known to many. That is what KY3 was trying to do when they put this debate together... not try to create a technical masterpiece.

So then Mr. Vincent David Jericho... if you are the shining beacon of amazingness, why didn't you host the debate? Why didn't you moderate? Why didn't the candidates agree to debate for your radio station? They debated on KMOX in St. Louis. Could it possibly be because KY3 reaches more people on an off night than you will ever reach on your best of days? Could it be because KY3's management felt that it was necessary to actually put forth money to produce the debate so that the people of the Ozarks could best decide who should represent the Republican party on the ticket for governor in November?

Last time I checked, you were a radio broadcaster, not a tv expert. Until you actually produce and moderate a debate for all the Ozarks to see, why don't you save your ramblings for actual discussion of what was said. Like your favorite network Fox News... why don't you report what happened and then let us decide.

Who won?

I know, I know... debates aren't sporting matches. There is a never a definitive answer to that question, but judging by the emails KY3's David Catanese has received since last night's debate on that channel the answer is either Steelman or a tie. Did Hulshof set the bar too high and fail to reach it? Or was the bar so low for Steelman she easily jumped over it?

Your thoughts?

You can check what other Ozarkers are saying by going to ky3.blogspot.com .

Katie's In The Kitchen

A recent edition of the Kansas City Star featured KCTV 5 Chief Meteorologist Katie Horner in a location few rarely see her -- at her home. The article also goes on to discuss her lack of cooking skills (which she leaves to her husband) but apparently she does make one mean strawberry pie. For a look at the article and Katie's strawberry pie recipe, be sure to click here.

Here Comes Dolly...

DOLLY is now a HURRICANE. For official information on Dolly, please head to www.nhc.noaa.gov .

With Dolly aiming its wrath at South Texas, the networks have people live on the ground.

MSNBC has Jeff Ranieri from Weather Plus, plus Don Teague. TV Newser is also reporting Charles Hadlock is there but I have not seen a report from him.

Fox News has Claudia Cowan on scene.

CNN has Brian Todd on the scene in South Padre Island.

Countdown To The KY3 Steelman/Hulshof Showdown

It's coming. This Wednesday night at 8 p.m., KY3/KSMU/Springfield News-Leader will be hosting the Republican Primary Governor's Debate. It could be a defining moment for both campaigns as Sarah Steelman looks to gain ground against the establishment favorite Kenny Hulshof.

The Ozark region of Southwest Missouri is the most conservative area of the state and has been a stronghold for Republicans in recent years. If Steelman wants a shot at running against Jay Nixon in November, she needs to perform well on August 5th in the Springfield metro.

Hulshof has been leading nearly every Republican primary poll for the last several months, but some argue that the poll doesn't take into account the Independents and Democrats who tend to be leaning toward Steelman.

What does it all mean? The debate Wednesday night will be critical for both campaigns. At 8:00 Wednesday night, KY3 will truly be "the place to be."

Beck, Behar To Sub For The King

Larry King is off for the week (or so it appears). Headline News Host and Radio Talk Show Personality Glenn Beck will be filling in tonight for the man with the suspenders. Comedian and The View co-anchor Joy Behar will be in King's chair tomorrow night, according to TV Newser.

Hello Dolly...

Tropical Storm Dolly has formed in the Western Caribbean and looks to hit the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico later today. The questions then become numerous. Does it hit Mexico or Texas after spending time in the Gulf of Mexico? Will it make landfall as a Tropical Storm or a Hurricane? Just how strong will it be? CNN has a good update as of 3 p.m. central time this afternoon, which is available by playing the video.




Look for a media onslaught to commence soon. We'll be covering it for you when it happens.

And They Say CNN Is Liberal...

Here is CNN as they covered Gramm's resignation.


Here is MSNBC's coverage.


We record, you decide. ;-)

Tropical Depression 3 Forms Off SE Coast

Tropical Depression Three has formed off of the coast of Georgia and South Carolina this evening. The National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida will begin issuing advisories as well as watches and warnings at 10:00 local time. It will be interesting to see how the media covers this over the next few days.

For the latest, visit the National Hurricane Center at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ .

A Big Friday Thank You To...

...Readers from Springfield, Joplin, and Columbia... several of you are stopping by. Thanks for checking out the blog!

...Everyone who has been commenting on the stories. I really like getting the feedback!

...Those who have been sending me emails and tips. They really do come in handy. Keep them coming!

...And finally a very special thank you to a representative from Barrington Broadcasting Headquarters who keeps checking this blog daily. Apparently they want to keep an eye on what the public is saying about KRCG and the DISH issue? No, that couldn't be it. *wink, wink*

Veteran Springfield TV Icon Passes Away

Long-time KY3 Weatherman Fred Miller passed away this morning at his home. Fred joined KY3 in 1961 and remained there until his retirement in 1995. KY3's website has a loving tribute, including some archived footage available of Fred. You can check it out here. Fred is survived by his wife and two children.

Off Topic: Dumb Move #81,653,927

Okay, we have all probably done some stupid things. I have especially had my fair share of accidents that shouldn't have happened. Here is one embarassing one I will share. Hopefully it will brighten your morning when you realize you are not alone.

Yesterday evening, about 8:30, I came in from church, pulled off my shoes, and went into the kitchen to grab something to drink. It was the first time I had worn my new dress socks and as you might know, dress socks on certain floors are extremely slick. So as I was walking to the fridge, I slid just a bit... enough to make me afraid I was going to fall. I amazingly maintained my balance, grabbed a soda, and headed off to my office to do some stuff.

About two or three minutes later, my cell phone rings. I look around for it trying to find it, when I realize I set it down by the fridge when I got the soda. I go sprinting into the kitchen, hit the slick floor, go sliding, and fell down somewhat headfirst into the stove. (And yes, the stove is okay.) After I recovered I got up, got my phone, and went back to my office. The only thing hurt? My pride.

Brit Hume To Step Down From Special Report

The Washington Post is reporting that Brit Hume, anchor of Special Report and Washington Managing Editor for Fox News, is stepping down at the end of the 2008 election. Hume has been with Fox News since the network began and has almost always been the ratings leader during his 5 p.m. show for the past seven years.

The article goes on to say that Hume will likely stay on as a senior analyst and provide commentary, much the same way Tom Brokaw has for NBC News.

Possible Murder-Suicide at St. Louis Metro Mall

Fox News Channel is reporting (along with the local St. Louis affiliates) that there has been a shooting at the Jamestown Mall in north St. Louis County. Reports seem to indicate that it was likely a murder-suicide, but that has yet to be confirmed.

You can find out more here from KSDK's coverage of this event.

Additionally, KMOV has info here (as well as video footage of the scene).

Helicopter Crash Kills Two From Missouri

A helicopter crash southwest of Mountain Home, Arkansas has claimed the lives of two people from Missouri. KY3 has identified the two men as James Evertson from West Plains and Randall Arthur of Marshfield. The crash happened around 9:30 a.m. this morning.

Links:

Breaking News: Helicopter Crash Kills Two

Details Emerging in Fatal Chopper Crash

KSPR Breaking News Update

KRCG/Dish Duel: KRCG Pulls Out Its Guns

The feud between KRCG and Dish Network is heating up. Recently, the satellite company began calling KRCG's move greedy and telling its subscribers that they (KRCG) didn't listen to its viewers. It cited the recent firing of Sports Director Rod Smith as one of those examples. Protestors were reported outside of KRCG's Columbia bureau in recent days, too. Dish seemed to really be zinging the station.

Now, however, Rod Smith is back with the station and KRCG is using its two biggest weapons in the fight with the satellite company in order to gain some leverage. KRCG is airing two clips: one by recently retired station icon Lee Gordon and another by recently rehired Rod Smith. Both encourage KRCG viewers to not put up with the nasty tactics it claims Dish is involved in and to head to http://www.krcg.com/ and find out alternative ways to watch their programming.

What a duel this has become.

Getting to Know... WDAF's Loren Halifax

The local morning newscast has become a staple for many residents across Missouri and the US in recent years. No station has more local news in the morning than Kansas City Fox affiliate WDAF. Recently I had a chance to talk with morning co-anchor Loren Halifax about Fox Mornings, plus a few more personal details...

2K: What is life like behind the scenes at WDAF?

LH: It's fun. We have lots of great, down-to-earth people on staff, who work hard and have a great sense of humor. Most of them are KC natives, or Missouri or Kansas natives, so they know a lot about the area and are here to stay, committed to the community.

2K: Do you feel that having an expanded morning show (5-9) provides FOX 4 with an opportunity to cover things that the other KC stations can't?

LH: Yes, since we are in local news in the later hours, when other channels go to national shows, we are able to get breaking news on the air immediately. We have a special area set up with phones, computers and a camera and microphone, (we call it the Fox 4 News Update Desk) and our staff monitors everything from local news to international news. We can cut to that immediately in order to provide new information right away.

2K: In your years of reporting, what has been your favorite interview/story?

LH: It's hard to choose one. I got the most response - from thousands of people - when I drove a car into a river, and demonstrated how hard it is to get out, how fast flash flooding can sweep the car away, how the car can roll, how fast it sinks (61 seconds), the fastest way to break the window (down in the corner, where the glass is thinnest) what to do if you have children with you (push them out ahead of you, or have them in your arms as you go out the window). Before the story, I had not realized it was such a fear for so many people.

2K: What are some of your interests outside of your job?

LH: My family, pets, working in my garden, working on my house in the Brookside area. I love home repair and remodeling projects. I watch way too much HGTV and DIY.

2K: Any movies you would recommend readers of the blog check out?

LH: My favorite movie so far this summer has been Ironman.

***

My thanks again to Loren for her time. You can watch Loren weekday mornings from 5-7:30 on FOX 4 News alongside co-anchor Mark Alford.

Developing Tropical System

The blob you might notice in the bottom right hand corner of that satellite image is a developing tropical system. This area has the potential to develop into a tropical depression over the next couple of days. Keep in mind that development is not certain, but anything that can get going here would likely become a strong system.

Expect to hear more about the tropics this week on the news. You will likely become familiar with the name Cristobal...

Watch KSHB Build Their New Set -- LIVE

Kansas City's NBC Action News has torn down their old set and will be putting up a new one which should debut the opening night of the Olympics, August 8th. What makes the whole process much more interesting is that KSHB is letting you watch the process unfold live on the web. The new studio will be high-definition friendly.

Click here to watch over the coming days as the set is put together.

If It's Sunday, It's Claire McCaskill

Obama surrogate (aka: Missouri's junior Senator) Claire McCaskill will be appearing tomorrow morning on NBC's Meet The Press. She will be joined across the table by Carly Fiorina, an adviser to Sen. John McCain.

Meet The Press airs at 9 a.m. on Sunday mornings on KY3, KSHB-41, and KOMU. It will air at 8 a.m. on KSN-16 and KSDK.

Remembering Tony Snow

The News 2K brought you the sad news of Tony Snow's passing earlier this morning around 6:30 a.m. FishBowl DC, a beltway blog, has created an excellent page highlighting the wonderful moments of Tony Snow's career.

Additionally, Fox News has special primetime programming this evening that is remembering the life of Snow, the former host of Fox News Sunday.

KOAM: Saying Goodbye, Welcoming New Life

KOAM has been busy the last few weeks... and not I am specifically talking about the anchors and reporters on the scene of major stories. Take a look at all that has happened at KOAM:

• Reporter Jennifer Denman left for KOLR/KSFX (as referenced in a recent blog entry)
• Reporter Jeff Stensland has also left the station for another tv job out east
• Reporter Christina Tipton, who had been on maternity leave, gave birth to her first child... congrats!
• Reporter Mike Pache joined the KOAM NewsTeam

Anyone else tired yet? Two reporter positions are still left to be filled for the top rated station in the Joplin, MO television market.

Breaking News: Tony Snow Passes Away

Former FOX News anchor, White House Press Secretary, and CNN Analyst Tony Snow has passed away at the age of 53. He had been battling cancer for months. This news is just breaking on CNN at this time.

Fox News apparently has had a story in place. Here is their retrospective, looking back on his career.

Obama Supports Death Penalty for Osama

This Sunday afternoon Fareed Zakaria, host of CNN's new show GPS, sits down for an exclusive one-on-one interview with presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama. Among the topics of discussion will be Osama Bin Laden. In this interview, Obama claims he would seek the death penalty against Bin Laden if he were to be apprehended.

"I am not a cheerleader for the death penalty — I think it has to be reserved for only the most heinous crimes, But I certainly think plotting and engineering the death of 3,000 Americans justifies such an approach."

The entire interview will air this Sunday at 12:00 p.m. local time on CNN.

New Look

I had some free time this afternoon so I thought I would give TheNews2K a new look. I will continue working on it over the next couple of hours, so if you notice things changing a bit... that is why. I get bored with things staying the same for too long.

Where Did They Go?

...Ellie Merritt, former KY3 anchor, now anchors the 4:00 news for the NBC station in Columbus, Ohio.







...Dee Griffin, former KCTV evening anchor, now anchors the 5, 6, and 10 news at the ABC affiliate in Memphis, TN.






...Chris Herzog, former weekend anchor at KOLR/KSFX. He is now managing editor and evening anchor at WEAU-TV in Wisconsin. He is joined there by former co-anchor (and now wife) Sarah Stokes.













But, where did these individuals go?

• Sam Lane, former KSNF Chief Meteorologist


• Eric Maize, former KRCG evening anchor


• Jessica Allen, former KOAM weekend weather anchor

Jennifer Denman Joins KOLR-10

This seems to be a trend... do well in the Joplin market and you can find a nice home in the Springfield one. Following in the steps of Cara Connelly, Tracy Turner, Lisa Rose, and Chad Plein, Jennifer Denman has joined the KOLR 10/ Ozarks FOX family as a reporter. She had previously been with KOAM for three years. Coincidentally, her bio is still up at KOAM TV's website as well.

Schools Out...Just For Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

KSPR touched a nerve yesterday with a story and an associated TalkBack segment about whether or not schools should consider extending the day but not going to school on Friday and many Ozarkers let them know about it. Apparently there are two districts in Arkansas who are examining this possibility because of rising energy costs.

There appeared to be a mixed bag of responses to this proposal. I could see the benefits of this plan, while I could also see some major drawbacks. I am not sure that giving kids one more day off a week is a great idea. That also then opens up the whole idea of breaks... do you now give them 5 day weekends? I think it is very complicated.

I tend to fall under the same umbrella as a poster named Amy who commented, "It is a sad day when schools have to choose between educating kids properly and energy costs."

You can find the talkback information from KSPR by clicking here.

Lisa Ling Joins Nightline

Wow, she is one busy lady! Lisa Ling, former co-anchor of The View as well as anchor/reporter for Channel One News, has joined Nightline as a contributor for the program, according to Broadcasting and Cable. Her first story will air tonight.

In addition to her work for the ABC late night news show, Ling also works as a coorespondent for Oprah and the National Geographic Channel.

Just In: Rod Smith Back To KRCG

A tipster informs me that this is the new venture. He will be doing limited work for KRCG Sports, including the widely popular venture of his fishing segment. I am still awaiting confirmation.

Update: KRCG has now posted an article confirming that Rod Smith will come back to KRCG as the sports director, effective August 4. Read the complete details here.

Breaking News: Ramsey Family Officially Cleared in Murder of JonBenet

This story is breaking on MSNBC right now. According to their local affiliate KUSA-TV in Denver, John Ramsey and all of the immediate family have been cleared in the murder of JonBenet. New DNA was discovered on the leggings of the girl, which was tested with new technology and does not match anyone within the family.

FOX News also is covering this story. CNN now has a story on their website as well.

UPDATE: Here is a link to the KUSA web page where the news first broke.

KRCG's Ex-Sports Director Has Big News

According to the Jefferson City News Tribune, former KRCG Sports Director Rod Smith will be announcing his next career move in an article this afternoon for that city's paper. You can check out the article here that details why the decision was made to provide the information to the public through this avenue. The article also gives some vague hints as to what his new career might be.

This scenario likely means that Smith will not be joining either KOMU or KMIZ. It would not be far fetched to see Rod become a sports writer for the paper or an announcer for a local radio station, although the article seems to indicate he would like to go in a different direction.

The News 2K will bring the announcement as soon as we have access to it.

My $.02: Is it November yet?

I am an informed individual (although sometimes my posts may not show it). I also believe that it is important that the news media provide its viewers with the most information possible concerning candidates for political office, however, this ad nauseum droning on and on concerning the Presidential race has me yearning for mid-November.

Maybe it is because neither of the two major political party candidates have done anything I feel that warrants my vote. Maybe it is because they both keep changing their opinions on issues faster than a woman at a Macy's shoe sale. Or maybe because the media keeps tabs on every movement each of the candidate makes. Did you know Barack Obama had to borrow a new charter jet while his was being worked on? What about the fact that John McCain wiped off a kiss that his wife Cindy planted on him before a rally yesterday? WHO IN THE HELL CARES?!?

If the networks would cover the substantive issues and delve deep into some of their positions maybe I could find a reason to watch the cable news channels on a daily basis again. Instead they have to focus on a lot of nuances that the general public couldn't care less about. If they aren't going to do that, then why not focus on some major governorship races or Senatorial seats that are hotly contested? These have been interesting. The governor race here in Missouri, along with the Attorney General primary, have been fascinating to keep up with in the blogosphere as well as on Missouri tv.

Let me applaud those networks who are spending time covering other substantial races outside of Obama/McCain. Those are the campaigns that I feel like I still have some vested interest in.

I wish cable news had substance when it came to covering the Presidential race 24/7 instead of analyzing the same comment and/or attack ad 297,898,675,071 times.

Maybe it is just me... but is anyone else asking: Is it November yet?

KMBC Weather Go Round...

Pete Grigsby, veteran weekend meteorologist at KMBC, has left the station to take a position in the Blue Springs (MO) school district, according to Bottom Line Communications. Now the site is reporting that former KMBC meteorologist Erin Little is heading back to take the weekend job. Erin is a Kansas City metro native... recently she has been working in Denver. Anyone else dizzy yet?

Breaking Now: NBC To Buy The Weather Channel

I knew it was probably going to happen, but CNBC is now reporting the news and so is TVNewser. You can check out the info on CNBC by clicking here.

This development poses a lot of interesting questions, but chiefly among them: what happens to Weather Plus? How does this affect all of the work getting local markets to brand their weather after the network?

There is so much to digest. TV Newser also has a few additional relevant questions to consider.

KY3's Catanese Introduces The NoteCast

The KY3 Political Notebook has always been one of my favorite sources for all things political in the Show-Me State, but I happened to notice a new feature on the blog yesterday. Political guru David Catanese is experimenting with a video update (hey David... it's known as a vlog) on the week ahead in politics. The entry seems to leave it up in the air concerning whether or not it will actually be a regular feature, but I have to say that while this update was really short and didn't divulge into anything extreme, there is potential here.

Head by the KY3 Political Notebook and check it out.

KRCG Off Dish...

It seems that these disputes are becoming more common around the nation. KRCG-TV, based out of Jefferson City, went off of Dish Network, effective midnight July 3 because the two could not reach an agreement on what was a fair compensation concerning subscription rates. The Lake Expo has a good write-up concerning what the incident is all about.

This can't be good news for KRCG, who has been fighting bad publicity recently after canning long-time sports director Rod Smith. The lack of tv viewers means less they will be able to ask for advertising rates if this blackout continues.

This isn't the first time a Missouri station has been in this kind of a dispute with a satellite or cable company. Joplin duopoly KSNF and KODE had a similar dust up with local cable provider Cable One back in 2004.

We shall see how long this feud lasts. It essentially comes down to who holds out the longest. My bet would be on Dish. We shall see...

Happy 4th of July!

I hope you have a great Independence Day! We have so much to be thankful for in this country. I know a lot of blogs like to criticize everything that is wrong with us, but I believe this is the greatest nation on the face of the planet. Hopefully today we can all put aside our criticisms for one day and celebrate as one.

Congrats to...

...Elizabeth Alex. The NBC Action News anchor is now a blushing bride. Bottom Line Communications reports that the ceremony took place over the weekend. Alex's first husband died in 2003 of cancer.

...Joe and Christine Daues. Ron Davis, on his blog Chatter, announced the happy news that KSPR evening anchor Mrs. Daues was pregnant with their second child.

...Natalie Nunn. The KSPR morning anchor will be getting married on August 1st. We wish her and her future husband many years of wedded bliss!

It's Sad...

It's sad that I can't even put a poll up for someone deciding the need to vote tens of times for the same person. It is pretty easy to figure out that someone is doing it when I had significantly more votes show up in a two hour time frame yesterday than I did page hits. This also happened with the last poll I put up.

Because someone can't be mature these polls will be discontinued. Sorry everyone for one person spoiling everyone's fun, but I can't find a way to work around it. If you have any suggestions, feel free to email me about it.