Dale Munson, Dead At 81

Former WOWT weathercaster Dale Munson died of a heart attack Thanksgiving night in Lincoln while visiting his daughter. He was 81.

Munson's nearly 50-year career in broadcasting also included work as an announcer for radio station WOW and University of Nebraska at Omaha radio station, KVNO. He was also the voice of BRUNO ("Better Registration UNO"), the university's automated phone registration system.

In 2000, he received a lifetime achievement award from UNO's Department of Communication and was inducted into the Nebraska Radio Personalities Hall of Fame in 2004.

According to WOWT, a memorial service will be held Saturday, Dec. 1 at 11 a.m. at Lutheran Church of the Master, 114th and West Center Road. The station posted this video tribute on its website:

Election Kept UNO Communication Students Busy

University of Nebraska at Omaha professor Jeremy Lipschultz shares a behind-the-scenes account of the School of Communication's election night coverage in a story for the Huffington Post.

UNO sponsored a pair of DebateWatch events, which involved students meeting to live tweet quotes and comments, and hosted a lunchtime discussion with U.S. Senate candidate Bob Kerrey on the eve of the election.

"You cannot simulate this type of experience in a classroom exercise, but an engaged metropolitan university can offer such experiences to our students," Lipschultz writes. "A student reporter for our campus newspaper, the Gateway, had a front-row seat and filed a story on the event. A little more than a day later the paper was reporting on Kerrey's concession, in a Senate race that cost Democrats an important seat."

On election night, student reporters were sent to local campaign sites to cover victory and concession speeches and file stories on deadline.

In January, Lipschultz will mark his 24th year at UNO. Since 2004, his students have been televising and blogging on election night. In 2008, their coverage won a Northwest Broadcast News Association (NBNA) Award in Minneapolis.

"I've been Director of the School of Communication since 2004, so my job is to support and promote these efforts," Lipschultz said. "Mike Hilt and Chris Allen coordinate most of the election coverage."

Cue The Christmas Music

Jon Ellis's excellent Upper Midwest Broadcasting website reports that KSRZ (104.5 FM) is the first Omaha radio station (and first in Nebraska) to go to an all-Christmas format. The switch by "Star 104.5" occurred Monday.

Since 2001, Ellis has been tracking Midwest radio stations that have gone entirely to a Christmas format in advance of the holiday. Four stations in Nebraska made the change last year, down from the six stations that did it in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

Ellis is currently an assistant news director at WDIO-TV (ABC) in Duluth, Minn.

Capturing The Moment: Tom Osborne's Tunnel Walk

Gwyneth Roberts' photo for the Lincoln Journal Star.

Omaha World-Herald sports columnist Tom Shatel might have written the column that memorialized the moment retiring Nebraska Athletic Director Tom Osborne ran onto the field with the Husker football team, but Lincoln Journal Star photographer Gwyneth Roberts shot the photo that captured it best.

Roberts said she didn't actually select the photo herself from the more than 500 images she shot at Saturday's Nebraska-Minnesota game. That job was left to her boss, Journal Star Photo Editor Ted Kirk. He collected the memory card from her moments after she shot the photo from a standing position near the Husker band, just about 15 yards from where Osborne, head coach Bo Pelini and the team made their entrance.

Roberts was one of four still photographers Kirk had positioned around the stadium to capture the moment. One of them was even in the stands directly above the tunnel to get a bird's eye view of the moment that seems to have been more talked about than the game itself (which Nebraska won, 38-14).

"My personal strategy was to pick a position directly down from the tunnel and just hope nobody walked in front of him (Osborne)," Roberts said. "There were good odds, with everybody there, that someone was going to walk in front and block the whole thing."

Dave Weaver shot a similar photo for The Associated Press.

But standing over Associated Press photographer Dave Weaver – who was laying on his stomach to get a similar shot (shown at right) – and next to a Husker marching band member, Roberts got what she was looking for using a 300-millimeter telephoto lens.

"I wasn't sure what I had when I first took it, but I felt like I had good frames – very solid, tight compositions," she said. "I knew I had certainly taken enough frames to capture the moment."

Though not a native Nebraskan, Roberts was familiar with the Huskers before coming to work at the Journal Star six years ago. She grew up in northern Kansas, just south of Holdrege, and was a sophomore in high school when Osborne retired after the 1997 season.

Roberts says her photo reveals a bit of a role reversal for the man who led the team onto the field more than 300 times during his 25 years as the Huskers' head coach.

"I liked the moment when the players patted him on the back. He was almost kind of hesitant for a moment. But the players made him feel like he was welcome there."

Related links:
Purchase the photo from the Lincoln Journal Star.
View the Omaha World-Herald's online gallery.
View photos from Hail Varsity's online gallery.
Comprehensive game recap page from HuskerMax.

NET Televising Football Title Games

As it has since 1996, NET is televising the Nebraska School Activities Association state high school football championships at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln.

Here is the schedule of games:

Monday
10 a.m.: Class D2, Humphrey St. Francis vs. Giltner
2:30 p.m.: Class D1, Elgin Public/Pope John vs. Exeter-Milliga
7 p.m.: Class A, Millard North vs. Omaha North

Tuesday
10 a.m.: Class C2, Aquinas Catholic vs. Sutton
2:30 p.m.: Class C1, Boone Central/Newman Grove vs. Norfolk Catholic
7 p.m.: Class B, Omaha Gross Catholic vs. Norris

NET is also streaming the games live on its website.

As Seen On TV: Nebraska vs. Minnesota

Many viewers of Saturday's Nebraska-Minnesota football watched BTN's pre-game coverage with high anticipation, knowing something special was planned to mark Dr. Tom Osborne's final home game as part of the Husker program. But after broadcasting an edited version of some of the senior player introductions, announcers Eric Collins and Derek Rackley totally missed the fact that Osborne did the tunnel walk next to head coach Bo Pelini. Here's Collins's voiceover:

"The tunnel walk, here at Memorial Stadium, such a special experience each and every time. Bo Pelini and the Nebraska Cornhuskers take to the field here at Memorial Stadium..."

The network did post the special halftime video shown in Memorial Stadium to its website, along with the pre-game card tribute to Osborne and his tunnel walk entrance.

From The Notebook
BTN's announcers repeatedly botched the pronunciation of Osborne's last name throughout the broadcast ... A good deal of the early game coverage focused on the strength of the wind (22-28 mph, according to an on-screen graphic). But native Nebraskans know that's pretty normal around these parts … Not counted, but likely more than 40: the number of cutaways to the Husker cheerleaders … Heard in the "Awful Announcing" category in the first half: "There was a lot of misconfusion there." ... Pelini, who obviously wasn't watching BTN's coverage, even remarked on the TV coverage in his post-game press conference, saying it seemed like "the longest fourth quarter I've ever been a part of." "Maybe it was just me because of the situation, but that clock...if there had been one more TV timeout I think I might have just taken it to the house," Pelini said.

Popular Photo

HuskerOnline.com Publisher Sean Callahan's photo (at right) of the pre-game stadium tribute to Tom Osborne was re-tweeted more than 300 times and made a "favorite" more than 120 times. Callahan's twitter feed also featured this quip: "Gangnam Style being played in Memorial Stadium on Tom Osborne's tribute day just don't go together."

From The Notebook

Tear-Filled Goodbye
Lincoln Journal Star features editor Jeff Korbelik reports KOLN/KGIN morning anchor Erika Tallan is leaving the station to take a morning reporter job at a still-to-be-announced TV station in Kansas City, Mo. The Arizona State University graduate was born in Scottsdale and has worked at the Lincoln CBS affiliate since Dec. 2008. Tallan reflected on "where the magic first happened" (her words, not ours) during a nearly three-minute, tear-filled farewell segment. Watch it here. 

Forgotten Steakhouses

In Friday afternoon's "Bluejay Talk Live" question-and-answer segment on Omaha.com, Creighton University beat writer Steven Pivovar was asked what his "favorite traditional steakhouse in town is." Pivovar, whose seventh floor office at the Omaha World-Herald virtually overlooks Piccolo Pete's (at 20th and Dorcas) and is a five-minute drive from Johnny's Cafe (at 27th and L) replied: "Didn't know we had any traditional steakhouses left."

Check the Schedule
KETV's weather tease in its 5 p.m. newscast mentioned how mild temperatures would make for pleasant conditions if you were heading out to "one of the high school football playoff games tonight." But the only games being played Friday involving teams remotely close to KETV's viewing area were happening indoors at the UNI-Dome on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa, in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Did Anyone Mention Lucky?

The question being posed on Omaha sports talk shows this afternoon was why no one asked Nebraska football Coach Bill Callahan about running back Marlon Lucky's status during today's pre-spring practice press conference.

Lucky was hospitalized in mid-February after police were called to his apartment at 11:30 p.m. The 20-year-old was admitted to BryanLGH West hospital for "undisclosed medical reasons," according to the Nebraska Athletic Department. The department has since offered no further comment on the incident.

Matt Perrault, host of "The Big Show" on KXSP (590 AM) did not attend the press conference and neither did Kevin Kugler, co-host of "Unsportsmanlike Conduct" with Mike'l Severe on KOZN (1620 AM).

One caller wondered when the Nebraska media "are going to take off their skirts and start asking the tough questions."

KMTV Offers 'Edwards Trial Blog'

[Updated March 21, 2007]
KMTV (Cox Channel 5) is offering a blog to help viewers follow the court case of Christopher Edwards.

The "Edwards Trial Blog" will be written by Bill Kelly, a former WOWT (Cox Channel 8) reporter who is now a senior producer for NET Television (Cox Channel 12). Kelly is researching a documentary on criminal forensics.

Edwards is accused of murdering his former girlfriend, 19-year old Jessica O'Grady. She went missing May 10 and her body has not been found.

Last Call For Omaha Press Club Journalism Awards

Friday is the final opportunity to submit entries for the Omaha Press Club's Fourth Annual Excellence in Journalism Awards Competition.

Entries must be postmarked by 5 p.m. and there is no limit on the number of entries each individual or organization may submit.

Copies of the Call for Entries packet, including rules and categories of competition, are available by clicking here.

Entry categories include newspaper, magazine, television, radio, photography and public relations. All entries must have been published, broadcast or transmitted in Nebraska and/or the eight-county Omaha metropolitan area (including Cass, Douglas, Sarpy, Saunders and Washington counties in Nebraska and Harrison, Mills and Pottawattamie counties in Iowa) during the 2006 calendar year.

OPC individual and corporate members in good standing pay a $20 fee per entry. Nonmembers pay $35 per entry. Last-minute questions can be answered by Bridget Brooks, 393-4600.

Jays' Press Conference Will StreamLive On Action3News.com

KMTV (Cox Channel 5) will stream live coverage of the Creighton University men's basketball team's press conference today on its website, Action3News.com.

The press conference originates from New Orleans and begins at 12:05 p.m. The Jays will play their opening round NCAA Tournament game at 1:50 p.m. on Friday.

Nebraska Baseball Big 12 Opener On TV Thursday;NET - Not Cox - Will Carry Six Husker Games

Thursday's Big 12 Conference opener between the Nebraska baseball team and Texas Tech will be telecast live in Lincoln, Omaha and Grand Island.

In Omaha, the game will be carried on WOWT's digital carrier ("H20"), which is Cox Channel 248. In Lincoln and Grand Island, the game will be on MyTV, which in Lincoln is Time Warner Channel 110, Charter Channel 17 in Grand Island and DirecTV Channel 25 in both cities. The game will also be carried nationally on Fox College Sports.

On Wednesday, the University of Nebraska also announced that Nebraska baseball will return to the Nebraska Educational Television network. Five baseball games and one Husker softball contest will be carried live on NET this spring. On-air talent for those broadcasts has not yet been announced.

All six will also telecast in high definition on NET-HD, while the baseball games will be carried live on NET1 and the softball game will be telecast on NET2.

Last year's partnership between the University and Cox Communications came under fire because it did not provide statewide coverage of Nebraska baseball games. At the time, Nebraska Associate Athletic Director Chris Anderson said the broadcasts on Cox would provide the University with a unique opportunity to market its programs to new audiences utilizing cable.

"This will continue to increase the visibility of our nationally-ranked baseball program and could provide a new revenue stream in the future," Anderson was quoted as saying.

Greg Peterson Headed to NBC Station In Alabama

Former KMTV (Cox Channel 5) anchor Greg Peterson is headed to Mobile, Ala., to be a weekday evening news anchor at NBC affiliate WPMI.

Last week, WPMI fired its three primary news anchors in the midst of lackluster ratings and management changes. The station is one of a number of Clear Channel Communications properties up for sale.

Peterson starts Monday and will anchor at 5, 6 and 10 p.m., beginning March 26.

"We hate to leave Omaha because my wife, Jill, is from here," Peterson said. "But it's golf 12 months a year there and that was a big factor."

Last December, Peterson's contract at KMTV was not renewed after nearly five years, along with that of veteran co-anchor Deborah Ward. She has since become the director of public relations and marketing for the Omaha Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Peterson said he enjoyed his three months of "retirement."

"I got to spend some great time with my family," he said. "It was also the first ratings period I haven't participated in in 25 years, so that was kind of odd. It's been a great break but I'm chomping at the bit to get back at it."

Nielsen Media Research groups the Mobile market with Pensacola, Fla., and lists it as the 59th largest in the country (Omaha is No. 75).

In a press release issued today by WPMI, Station Vice President and General Manager Bob Franklin attempted to control the negative publicity that sometimes occurs when veteran anchor teams are abrubtly terminated. Peterson's co-anchor is expected to be named in the coming weeks.

"NBC 15 recently made a commitment to institute some significant changes to our local news programs in an effort to make them even more relevant for our viewers," Franklin said. "We're thrilled to welcome Greg and are confident in his ability to bring our viewers the day's top stories with the most informative and entertaining delivery in town."

Unsportsmanlike Conduct Features 'Hot Chick Picks'

Who says female TV personalities don't know much about sports?

Four on-air female reporters and anchors from two Omaha TV stations will announce their picks for the NCAA Tournament during today's edition of "Unsportsmanlike Conduct" on KOZN (1620 AM).

Brandi Petersen and Lisa Stites of KETV (Cox Channel 9) will square off against Amanda Mueller and Calvert Collins from KPTM (Cox Channel 10).

"I was flattered to be asked to pick brackets on the air," Collins said. "Now I can add 'Blonde Bracketologist' to my repetoire of few talents. Hopefully, my analysis will be sufficient enough to land me a seat next to Dick Vitale, but I'm not counting on it. It's all in good fun."

Collins and Mueller will make their selections at 5:30 p.m., while Petersen and Stites get to announce their picks at 3:30 p.m.

In related NCAA Tournament news, Unsportsmanlike Conduct co-host Mike'l Severe says more than 300 people have signed up for the show's ESPN Tournament Challenge group. Entries are accepted until the tipoff of scheduled games on Thursday. The keyword to enter the station's group is "unsportsmanlike."

Kugler Will Call NCAA Tourney Games in Columbus

Westwood One radio broadcaster Kevin Kugler hits the road tonight to begin two weeks of calling the NCAA Tournament.

Kugler, who also serves as co-host for "Unsportsmanlike Conduct" on KOZN (1620 AM), will be in Columbus, Ohio, Thursday to do the play-by-play for first and second round games - four on Friday and two on Sunday.

Next week, he heads to San Antonio, Texas, to call the South Regional from the Alamodome. His season as basketball play-by-play announcer ends there, though, as Kevin Harlan will handle the play-by-play of the Final Four for Westwood One.

This past fall was Kugler's first season of announcing football for Westwood One. Later this year, the four-time Nebraska Sportscaster of the Year will once again call the College World Series for the network.