Thursday's Snow Forecasts

On the final day of the February ratings period, local viewership levels of Wednesday evening's late newscasts were expected to soar due to forecasts of more winter weather in Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa.

Here is what Omaha TV meteorologists were saying on the 9 and 10 p.m. newscasts:

Bill Randby, KETV (Cox Channel 9):
Omaha Metropolitan: 3-6 inches. "Here in the metro, I anticipate snow beginning around 3 a.m. and at 8 a.m., it'll be snowing pretty hard. Snow is going to be a quick shot moving through the Omaha metro area."

Ryan McPike, KMTV (Cox Channel 5):
Omaha Metropolitan: 4-8 inches. "This is going to blow up right along the Missouri River and points to the east. One thing's for sure. We're going to see some real nasty weather by tomorrow morning."

Tyson Pearsall, KPTM (Cox Channel 10):
Omaha Metropolitan: 5-8 inches. "Snow develops between 2 and 3 a.m. A fairly bad morning commute is what I'm expecting."

Jim Flowers, WOWT (Cox Channel 8):
Omaha Metropolitan: 4-6 inches. "Snow could begin as a period of thundersnow for a couple of hours, at least right at the onset. The way things are looking, the band of heavy snow will align itself up and down the Missouri River."

What Students and Parents Wanted To Hear: WOWT and KETV didn't waste any time delivering the news that several schools in Sarpy County would be closed, running their "tickers" right off the top of their newscasts. KMTV did not break the news until 10:05 p.m. and didn't start its ticker until the main weather segment, 13 minutes into the newscast.

'TV Talk' From The Consultants: "Storm Preps" (KETV) and "Team Coverage" (KMTV).

Taking A Big Chance: WOWT reporter Brian Mastre interviewed an Omaha Public School superintendent regarding the chances that the school district would be closed Thursday. Had OPS made a decision Wednesday night (as several districts in Sarpy County did at around 9:45 p.m.), Mastre's two-minute report would have been outdated and irrelevant.

Dreaded Cliche Award: "Calm Before the Storm" (KMTV)

KETV.com Will Stream 'First News' Live on Thursday

KETV (Cox Channel 9) will stream its morning newscast Thursday, "First News," live on KETV.com, beginning at 5 a.m.

The special offering coincides with a winter weather advisory, which goes into effect at nine o'clock tonight. An advisory of this type means snow, sleet or freezing rain will likely cause travel difficulties.

Shatel Column Sparks Discussion On Radio, Online

[Updated Feb. 28, 7:30 a.m.]
A column by Tom Shatel in Tuesday's editions of the Omaha World-Herald led to a number of discussions regarding Nebraska Athletic Director Steve Pederson on sports talk radio programs and several message boards, including Huskerpedia.com.

Shatel's column outlined his surprise encounter with increased security at the new Tom and Nancy Osborne Athletic Complex. Seeking a copy of the Husker baseball media guide, Shatel encountered locked doors, security guards and unfriendly staffers.

On "Unsportsmanlike Conduct" on KOZN (1620 AM), Shatel called it "unnecessary" to be escorted to the Sports Information Office. He said he did not have an axe to grind with the school for not being noticed as the sports columnist with the state's largest daily newspaper.

"In a lot of ways, I try to be the eyes and ears for a lot of people," Shatel said. "I'm very lucky that I get to go a lot of places that a lot of people don't get to go. I guess we're all in the same boat in this deal."

Shatel said he received a call Tuesday from Associate Athletic Director Chris Anderson, who defended Pederson. Shatel also said the World-Herald has tried to get a one-on-one interview with Pederson for the past two two months.

"These people are top people who are accountable," Shatel told "Unsportsmanlike Conduct" co-hosts Kevin Kugler and Mike'l Severe. "For him to not even grant an interview is absolutely ridiculous."

Shatel said he learned Pederson was going to give the World-Herald an interview Tuesday afternoon, but it was called off when Pederson said he would only talk about the issues raised in Shatel's column and not anything else the World-Herald wanted to ask him.

KFAB (1110 AM) talk show host Scott Voorhees did speak with Pederson on his program Tuesday morning. Pederson defended the heightened security measures, saying they were necessary to ensure the safety of the school's female athletes.

TV Stations Roll Out Special Storm Coverage

In a rare move, KMTV (Cox Channel 5) offered viewers a newscast Sunday morning.

Weekday evening talent Carlo Cecchetto and Carol Wang anchored the newscast, with meteorologist CT Thongklin providing weather updates and reporter Joe Jordan provided live reports on driving conditions.

KETV (Cox Channel 9) also provided special coverage in addition to its standard 7-8:30 a.m. weekend newscast. Reporter Lisa Stites and weekday morning meteorologist Andrea Bredow each provided live reports during a cut-in at 6 a.m.

Winter Storm: What The Weather Blogs Are Saying

Online estimates for snowfall amounts from this weekend's winter storm range upwards of six inches, according to information posted on the weather blogs of three Omaha TV stations.

On KMTV's weather blog, weekend meteorologist Dean Wysocki wrote Saturday morning that there appears to be a dry slot pushing into the area.

"Depending on how long this dry slot remains over our area, (this) could really reduce snowfall amounts," Thongklin writes. I'm still expecting at least six inches of snow in the metro, but again, heavier amounts in certain banding regions and lesser amounts to our south and east."

On the KETV.com weather blog, weekend evening meteorologist Roger Schwartz ) is calling snow accumulations through Sunday night of six to 10 inches for Omaha with more north and west. (Editor's Note: Schwartz has flip-flopped shifts with weekend evening meteorologist John Campbell during the February ratings period.)

WOWT's weather blog did not have an entry posted Saturday (as of 10 a.m.), but weekend evening meteorologist Jeff Jensen wrote Friday night that "things still look good" for snowfall amounts

"If you do see a flash of lightning or hear a growl of thunder at 7 or 8 tomorrow (Saturday) night, expect it to start snowing rather heavily," Jensen writes. "One to two-inch amounts per hour can easily accompany convective activity."

KMTV Website Gets A Makeover

The new look of KMTV's website, action3news.com, is much cleaner and user-friendly than its predecessor.

The site is produced in cooperation with WorldNow, which works with more than 250 media outlets nationwide.

In addition to revamping the website's interface, the site also features new pictures of anchors and reporters.

KFOR Suspends John Baylor For 10 Days

According to a story in the Lincoln Journal Star, KFOR (1240 AM) talk show host John Baylor will serve out a 10-day suspension for comments he made about the Nebraska Builders Home & Garden Show at the Lancaster Event Center.

Three Eagles Communications Executive Vice President and General Manager Jim Keck said Baylor questioned the accountability of the Nebraska Builders and the Lancaster Event Center regarding attendance and money during a segment on "The John Baylor Show," which airs from 3 to 5 p.m. on weekdays.

Keck said the station will rotate hosts during Baylor's absence. The Nebraska Builders and Lancaster Event Center had called for Baylor to be fired, according to the article.

Baylor has apologized for his remarks.

Merlyn Klaus Returns To WOWT

After a brief move into the world of public relations and development, Merlyn Klaus is back working at WOWT (Cox Channel 8).

"The people at The Steier Group are great and I can't say enough good things about them, but it just wasn't a fit at this point in my life," Klaus said of his brief time at The Steier Group.

Klaus' old job as sports reporter and anchor was still open, so the transition back to WOWT on Tuesday was seamless, he said.

"I will hit the ground running with all the high school and college basketball coming up in the next few weeks," he said.

'Todd & Tyler's Radio Empire'Looking For New Show Producer

Jeremy Campbell, the producer of "Todd and Tyler's Radio Empire" on KEZO (92.3 FM) and two other stations, will work his last day on the show March 2.

"Jeremy has done a great job helping grow the show over the years," said Tom Land, Director of Radio Programming for Journal Broadcast Group in Omaha. "As we continue growing the network syndication, the responsibilities of the position have changed."

The job listing for Campbell's replacement, as posted on Journal's website says the ideal candidate "must be creative, gravitate to pop culture, news, politics, entertainment, sports and the big story of the day." Candidates must also have three to five years minimum experience in radio with a winning track record required, along with digital editing production skills and Internet skills.

From the Laptop

The Omaha City Weekly newspaper is out with its annual "Best of Omaha" issue. The whopping 160-page issue gives nods to businesses in nearly 100 categories as voted on via VoteOmaha.com.

The sports section of KMTV's website is still asking fans who they "blame for Saturday's loss to Oklahoma," a football game that was played the first weekend in December.

Friday's editions of the Omaha World-Herald contained a listing of past four-time state wrestling champions in Nebraska. Missing from the list was the name of Matt Vacanti of Papillion-LaVista, who won his fourth state title last year at Qwest Center Omaha - just five blocks from the offices of the World-Herald.

KETV.com reports that 2,936 visitors to its site viewed the live streaming coverage of Nebraska football Coach Bill Callahan's national letter-of-intent signing day press conference. At least 1,800 viewed the broadcast again later on the website.

New KETV General Manager Comes From California

Sarah Smith, a newcomer to the Hearst-Argyle Television group, will succeed Joel Vilmenay as president and general manager of KETV (Cox Channel 9).

Smith most recently worked as Vice President and General Manager of KRCR and KAEF, two stations in the Chico-Redding and Eureka, Calif., markets owned by BlueStone Television. BlueStone owns and operates 13 television stations in eight markets. It is headquartered in Wichita, Kan.

"Sarah will bring valuable experience and great energy to KETV," said David J. Barrett, president and chief executive officer of Hearst-Argyle Television. "The stations she managed in her most recent general manager role have flourished under her leadership, and her accomplishments over the past few years indicate her readiness to take on the wonderful opportunity to lead KETV."

According to a press release, under Smith's tenure, KRCR became the local ratings leader while KAEF substantially expanded its audience.

Smith has also worked for the Belo Television Group as general sales manager for KVUE in Austin and as national sales manager for WFAA in Dallas and KXTV in Sacramento. She also was local sales manager for LIN Television's WISH in Indianapolis and began her career as an account executive for Belo-owned KOTV in Tulsa.

Smith holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Illinois.

Vilmenay had served as president and general manager of KETV since 2003. Last week, he was appointed president and general manager of WDSU, Hearst-Argyle's NBC affiliate in New Orleans.

Ken Fearnow On To Kentucky

Longtime Omaha radio manager Ken Fearnow is the new Market Manager for Cumulus Media Inc.'s five stations in Lexington, Ky.

Fearnow was most recently Regional Vice President of NRG Media's Omaha stations. He had also worked as president of Waitt Radio Networks and spent 20 years at former heritage station WOWT, including 16 as the station's general manager.

"Ken is one of the finest broadcasters in the business," Spike Santee, Cumulus Regional Vice President for the Southwest Region, told All Access. "He brings a lot of experience to our company."

Cumulus Media owns WLRO-FM, WLTO-FM, WXZZ-FM, WVLK-FM and WVLK-AM. Lexington is the 104th largest radio market in the country, according to Arbitron. The Omaha-Council Bluffs market is No. 72.

Omaha Sports Radio Talk Shows ProceedWith Caution On Marlon Lucky Story

When the news broke Monday that a Nebraska football player had been hospitalized in connection with a "medical emergency," it brought to mind the media circus that erupted when Dallas Cowboy football star Terrell Owens attempted suicide last September.

Speculation about the events that led up to Marlon Lucky's hospitalization Sunday night provided instant fodder for discussion on Omaha's two afternoon sports radio talk programs, "Unsportsmanlike Conduct" on KOZN (1620 AM) and "The Big Show with Matt Perrault" on KXSP (590 AM).

However, hosts of the two shows proceeded with caution when reporting on the few facts about the incident that had emerged.

"As (my) show went on, many people started to call us reporting that they were hearing from other media outlets about speculation about the story," Perrault said. "Some of that speculation turned out to be correct, some turned out to be wrong."

University Released Few Details
Kevin Kugler, co-host of "Unsportsmanlike Conduct," said the story was particularly difficult to cover because so little information was being divulged by the Nebraska Sports Information Department.

"We waited to report (Lucky's) name until we had a copy of the Lincoln Police Report in our hands due to the sensitive nature of the story," Kugler said. "We received that copy at approximately 3:40 (Monday) afternoon, so we felt confident in going with the name of the player at that point."

Perrault said he chose to mention only what major media news outlets, like sister TV station KMTV (Cox Channel 5), were reporting.

"I am a sports talk show host," he said. "Unless someone is willing to go on the air to talk about specifics of a story involving a player's health, I don't talk about it or wonder out loud about what could be going on. It's just too dangerous a situation to be wrong about."

Kugler said he felt responsible to be right, not first, with the story.

"This is too sensitive of a story to just run out and throw rumors on the air," he said. "We won't do that. Anything we have reported or will report will be confirmed through multiple sources."

On his early evening sportscasts Monday, KMTV Sports Director Travis Justice pointed out the primary obstacle many journalists faced when reporting on the story.

"You have a university that doesn't communicate and it leads to all types of speculation," Justice said. "In today's Internet world, it can run crazy."

World-Herald Marketing Director Now At First Data

Michael Geppert, the man who oversaw the revamp of the Omaha World-Herald's website, is no longer employed by the newspaper.

According to a press release which was published in the World-Herald's Monday editions, Geppert is now president of First Data Solutions in Omaha.

After receiving a tip that Geppert was leaving the World-Herald just days after Omaha.com re-launched in late January, The Reader's Media Notes tried several times unsuccessfully over the next two weeks to reach Geppert or obtain a comment from senior level managers at the newspaper about his depature.

The new look of Omaha.com has been the subject of discussion -- much of it unfavorable -- on several Omaha message boards. An employee at the newspaper who wished to remain anonymous tells The Reader's Media Notes that dozens of readers have responded with phone calls and e-mails criticizing the changes.

Geppert had worked at the World-Herald for seven years. The newspaper has not announced his replacement.

NRG Media Hires Business ManagerAnd Veteran Omaha Account Executive

NRG Media announced Monday the hiring of Conie McCully as business manager and Paige Becker as account executive for the Omaha radio group.

McCully has 20 years of accounting experience and has worked in the media for 13 years,including 10 as a business manager/controller at radio and TV stations in Nebraska and Texas.

"Conie is well-versed in Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), has worked with broadcast sellers and department managers extensively and has always enjoyed the respect of her peers," said Jim McKernan, General Manager of NRG Media, L.L.C. in Omaha.

Becker arrives at NRG Media with 10 years of experience as an account executive in television, including stints at KELO-TV in Sioux Falls and Omaha's KMTV (Cox Channel 5). She will become a member of the AM Sales team headed by Tim Marshall, General Sales Manager and will focus on KKAR (1290 AM), KOZN (1620 AM), KOIL (1020 AM) and KYDZ (1180 AM).

"We are so pleased to have someone of Paige's caliber in our organization," said Rhonda Gerrard, NRG Omaha Director of Sales. "Her depth of experience will be a terrific asset to our staff and our clients."

NRG Media operates seven radio stations in Omaha and 87 stations throughout the Midwest, as well as Waitt Radio Networks, which is based out of Omaha. The headquarters for NRG Media, LLC are located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

A Note From The Author

Dear Readers:

When The Reader's Online Media Notes column was launched last March, the intent was to provide a place where news could be shared on a more timely basis than the print edition of the newspaper.

The ability for readers to comment on stories posted online was offered as part of the Blogger.com interface. Now that the online column has moved to its own URL (www.thereadersmedianotes.com), that aspect of the website can be removed.

However, in the interest of affording readers the opportunity to provide feedback, the ability to comment on a story will continue. But personal attacks will no longer be tolerated. If necessary, comments will be moderated or anonymous posts will be prohibited.

Thanks for reading,

Sean

NCAA Tournament Bracketing: Behind The Scenes

Why wait for Omaha World-Herald columnist Tom Shatel to write about the mock NCAA Tournament bracket produced earlier this week by U.S. Basketball Writers Association members when you can already read what other participating scribes wrote? (Shatel's story will appear in Sunday's editions of the newspaper):

Andy Katz, ESPN.com - We were the first guinea pigs: 20 sportswriters tossed into a meeting room in the NCAA headquarters Wednesday, going through a simulated NCAA Tournament mock bracket. We had the same computer system, access to all of the NCAA's information on each team, and the same kinds of chicken, pasta and ice cream the 10-member selection committee will digest over four days at the Westin Hotel in downtown Indianapolis next month. Continue reading...

Mike DeCourcy, The Sporting News - There are no televisions in the room. This is the first big surprise that strikes me upon arriving in Indianapolis to help 19 other members of the media select and seed the teams that will be part of the 2007 NCAA Tournament. There are games being played that will affect the outcome of our deliberations, but we will be watching only during breaks. There is no time for Lost and only a little for Duke vs. North Carolina. There is so much work to be done. Continue reading...

Dana Pennett O'Neil, Philadelphia Daily News - After 11 hours and 45 minutes, a bouncing baby basketball bracket was born early Thursday morning. My two real kids took a combined seven hours to come into this world. Continue reading...

Pat Forde, ESPN.com - If this had been real, CBS would have drowned in dead air. Jim Nantz and Billy Packer would have been locked in a marathon verbal tap dance while a producer frantically begged them to stretch it out, do magic tricks, show pictures of their kids - anything. Eventually, they would have skipped the whole thing, killed off March Madness and gone straight to "60 Minutes." Continue reading...

Rick Bozich, Louisville Courier-Journal - At 12:07 yesterday morning, when you were still debating if the University of Kentucky men's basketball team could hang another 95 points on Florida tomorrow or if the University of Louisville could hang 95 points on anybody, this is what I was doing: Finishing my 11th hour sitting inside a first-floor conference room at NCAA headquarters in downtown Indianapolis, surrounded by enough computers to fly a 747 and enough statistics to choke an accountant. I was debating the fairness of shipping UK to the San Jose Regional of the 2007 NCAA Tournament as a No. 3 seed. Continue reading...

Tony Barnhart, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - To sit on the NCAA tournament selection committee is to have your integrity and intelligence questioned at the highest possible decibel level. When the 65-team tournament field is announced here on March 11, you can bet Billy Packer, Dick Vitale and every talking head who can make it to an office water cooler Monday will wonder what in the heck those 10 folks had been thinking and doing for the past four days. Continue reading...

Bryan Burwell, St. Louis Post-Dispatch - There are 20 dazed, grumbling and exhausted sportswriters in this boardroom at NCAA headquarters. On the tables are hulled peanut shells, empty coffee cups, piles of computer printouts, opened loose-leaf binders, newspapers, soda cans and a vat of melted ice cream. There are dozens of blinking computer screens and dozens of glazed, unblinking bloodshot eyes. Continue reading...

Mark Blaudschun, The Boston Globe - Selection Sunday. For hundreds of players and coaches, and millions of college basketball fans, it is one of the most magical, and sometimes controversial, days on the athletic calendar. It is the day -- March 11 this year -- when the 65 teams in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament are announced. But what about selecting the field, a process that has often been cloaked in terms such as Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), "quality losses," and, of course, "on the bubble"? Continue reading...

Marlen Garcia, USA Today - Intent on setting the record straight for its selection process for the NCAA men's basketball tournament, the NCAA invited 20 members of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association to select, seed and bracket a 65-team mock field Wednesday, following the principles used by its 10-member selection committee. Continue reading...

Vahe Gregorian, St. Louis Post-Dispatch - In an enterprise to de-mystify and dispel what it considers myths or conspiracy theories about the making of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, the NCAA on Wednesday shepherded 20 members of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association through a mock selection, seeding and bracketing exercise. Continue reading...

Meeting Monday May Decide FateOf Cox Community Access Channels

Does Omaha need six channels to broadcast public access programs on cable TV?

That is the question that will be raised Monday at a meeting of the Cable Television Advisory Council.

Cox Communications is asking the City of Omaha for the right to reclaim three of six community access channels. According to Cox, six channels are available but users are only creating enough programming to fill just over one of them.

Cox's proposal would cut the number of community access channels in half to use them to provide customers "with enhanced services" such as high definition channels and additional programming.

WOWT (Cox Channel 8) reported on the issue earlier this week. Cox Communications has lobbied a lawmaker in Tucson, Ariz., to propose a similar move in that city, one which would cut the number of public access channels by more than half.

Two of the six channels up for review are The Knowledge Network of Greater Omaha (TKN) (Cox Channels 17 and 18). Jim Adams of UNO Television is appealing to viewers of programs on the Knowledge Network to come to Monday's meeting at 4 p.m. in the Douglas County Civic Centerto show support for the programs they watch.

The programming in question on TKN includes specially-produced shows such as "ICU Learning English," "Hola Amigos," "La Otra Cara De La Moneda," and the student productions, "The Coach Kemp Show" and "The Omaha News."

The Knowledge Network also provides University of Nebraska at Omaha students, Omaha Public School students and Metro Community College students with the opportunity to gain hands-on television production experience. Westside High School's student-produced news program has proven to be particularly popular, according to viewing habits tracked through the "Viewer's Choice" option.

Tracy Jacim Leaving KPTM After Two Years;Amanda Mueller Promoted To Weekday Anchor

KPTM (Cox Channel 10) announced Wednesday night that weekday news anchor Tracy Jacim is leaving the station, to be replaced by weekend anchor Amanda Mueller (pictured at right).

Jacim made her debut on the FOX affiliate on Feb. 6, 2005. She had previously worked in Buffalo, N.Y.

"I enjoyed my two years at KPTM a great deal and am grateful for the opportunities I had to accomplish what I have here," Jacim said in a press release. "That said, there comes a moment when it is simply time to move on and take on new challenges. For me, that time is now."

Mueller will join Taylor Wilson as co-anchor on the "KPTM FOX 42 News at Nine" beginning next month. She arrived at KPTM in December 2003 from another Pappas Telecasting station, KHGI in Kearney.

"We are excited and proud to promote Amanda to the weekday anchor desk," said Randy Oswald, Vice President/Midwest Group Manager and General Manager of KPTM and its sister station, KXVO (Cox Channel 11). "We also thank Tracy for her two years contributing to the growth of KPTM FOX 42 News at Nine."

In the press release, Mueller said she is flattered by the opportunity to continue to build her career at KPTM.

"I am confident the News At Nine can reach new heights and can't wait to be a part of that growth," she said.

World-Herald Creates 'Presentation Editor' Positions

The Omaha World-Herald has named Dave Elsesser "Presentation Editor" of Nebraska's largest daily newspaper, while fellow co-worker Josh Crutchmer will serve as "Deputy Presentation Editor."

Both positions are newly created, but neither employee is new to the World-Herald. Elsesser has worked in Omaha for two years, including the past year as Assistant Sports Editor. His past work has won him two awards of excellence in the 27th annual Best of Newspaper Design competition from the Society for News Design.

Crutchmer joined the World-Herald last year in the position of "Sports Design Director." He previously was a page 1/special projects designer at the Arizona Republic and assistant sports editor/nights and design at The Oklahoman.

YouTube Video Features Vintage WOWT Promo

A YouTube video features a 30-second promotional spot for former WOWT (Cox Channel 8) anchor Pat Persaud. In it, Persaud encourages viewers to tune in for her "health desk" reports weeknights at 10. Also featured is a "bumper" promo for "Action News" and the station's "Newstar Six" satellite truck.

From the Laptop

KETV (Cox Channel 9) reporter Farrah Fazal continually referred to a three-year-old girl as a "baby" in a story at 10 p.m. Wednesday about the child's disappearance. The more appropriate term, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, would be "toddler" (a child between the ages of one to three years old). A story on the station's website refers to the girl simply as a "child."

A story KMTV (Cox Channel 5) reporter Michelle Bandur will present Thursday night at 10 examines whether people will return money that is unwittingly dropped in public places. The Lincoln Journal Star newspaper performed the same experiment (minus the hidden camera) as part of an award-winning eight-day series of stories in December of 2005 and January of 2006 that examined the differences between the cities of Lincoln and Omaha.

A page on the KFAB (1110 AM) website invites listeners to click on an interview with "Marlon Brisko." The NFL's first starting black quarterback, Marlin Briscoe started his playing career at Omaha South High School and the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Update: Friday, Feb. 9: The page has since been updated to read, "Marlon Briscoe."

Joel Vilmenay Leaving KETV For New Orleans

Nearly four years to the date of his hire as president and general manager of KETV, Joel Vilmenay is leaving the Omaha ABC affiliate to become president and general manager of another Hearst-Argyle Television-owned station, WDSU.

Vilemenay's appointment to the company's NBC affiliate in New Orleans (DMA Market No. 54) was announced Wednesday by David J. Barrett, president and chief executive officer of Hearst-Argyle Television, Inc.

"Hearst-Argyle is committed to enabling WDSU to play a vital role in the recovery and rebirth of New Orleans," Barrett continued. "We're confident that Joel will build on the work of Mason with everyone at WDSU, and carry on the station's important mission."

At KETV, Vilmenay succeeded Richard Dyer on Feb. 5, 2003. Dyer moved to Cincinnati to serve as president and general manager of WLWT, another Hearst-Argyle NBC affiliate. In New Orleans, Vilmenay will succeed Mason Granger, who is stepping down after eight years with WDSU in order to return to his hometown of New York.

"Joel intuitively recognizes the challenge and the importance of this new assignment, and his willingness to succeed Mason is great news for the station, our company, and the community of New Orleans," Barrett said. "Over the past four years KETV, under Joel's leadership, has achieved impressive results, strengthening its local competitive position, and delivering record financial performance."

A press release said Vilmenay's successor at KETV will be announced in the coming weeks.

Vilmenay holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Radio, Television and Film, and a Masters of Business Administration, both from the University of Maryland. He also completed a Media Management Development seminar at Northwestern University, and was a 2001 National Association of Broadcasters Education Fellow.

During his tenure in Omaha, KETV consistently finished at, or near the top, of the Nielsen Media Research ratings. Another major development that also occurred on his watch came last year when KETV denied Cox Communications the right to rebroadcast its high definition signal. The dispute continues to this day.

"Until we come to terms with Cox our viewers can access KETV-HD via both major satellite services, over-the-air or through the use of ATSC/QAM tuners," Vilmenay said last month. "This also allows viewers access to KETV's Weather Now, Nebraska's first and only 24-hour local weather channel."

Several Stations Offer Coverage of 'Signing Day'

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln football team's 2007 recruiting class will be unveiled by Coach Bill Callahan this afternoon.

Live coverage of the 2:30 p.m. press coverage will be available on the websites of KETV (Cox Channel 9), KETV.com and WOWT (Cox Channel 8), WOWT.com.

Shatel Will Head Up Mock NCAA Tourney Selection

Omaha World-Herald sports columnist Tom Shatel will serve as co-chairman for a "Mock NCAA Basketball Bracket" session, a first-of-its-kind event Wednesday at the NCAA National Offices in Indianapolis.

Shatel and 23 other members of the United States Basketball Writers of America will participate in an unprecedented examination into the process of selecting the field for the NCAA men's basketball tournament. The NCAA is holding the mock selection seminar in conjunction with its February orientation meeting of the Division I men's basketball committee.

Shatel is president of the United States Basketball Writers of America. Andy Katz, ESPN.com and USBWA vice-president, will join him as the other committee chairman.

MSNBC.com columnist Ken Davis, one of the two dozen mock bracket selection committee members, writes that the journalists have been promised the same menu and the same snacks that the real committee members receive.

"We will even take a TV break, to watch a portion of the North Carolina-Duke game," Davis writes. "Committee members often break away from their bracketing to watch important conference tournament games that could impact the seeding process."

Shatel says he will write about the event for Sunday's editions of the newspaper.

In This Week's Issue...

Catch up on what veteran Omaha radio talent Otis XII thinks of his return to radio.

The former KEZO (92.3 FM), KFAB (1110 AM), KKCD (105.9 FM) and KKAR (1290 AM) personality is now broadcasting mornings on KVNO (90.7 FM).

This week's edition of The Reader is available on newsstands Thursday.

2007 NASCAR Season Debuts Saturday on KPTM

A season of NASCAR racing on FOX begins Saturday with the Budweiser Shootout from the Daytona International Speedway. The race airs from 7 to 9 p.m. on KPTM (Cox Channel 10).

Sunday, FOX will televise qualifying for the Daytona 500 from 1 to 4 p.m. In addition to broadcasting the Daytona 500, the network will also televise the 12 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races after the Feb. 18 race.

KIBZ Hosts Lincoln Mayoral Forum;Next Up Is D-Cup Diva Fashion Revue

Lincoln radio station KIBZ (104.1 FM) hosted a forum for mayoral candidates (from right) Ken Svoboda, Chris Beutler and Roger Yant.

KLKN (ABC) news anchors Rod Fowler and Lauren Silverman acted as moderators. The Lincoln Journal Star has a recap of the event.

On Saturday, KIBZ will host the "D-Cup Diva Fashion Revue" at the 1st Avenue Social Hall from 7-10 p.m. The event is being advertised as showing off all fashions, "modeled by 12 hot D Cup Divas."

From the Laptop

Less Than Helpful Cross Promotion: KKCD (105.9 FM) morning host Steve King stumbled to correctly pronounce the name of fellow Journal Broadcast Group colleague and KMTV (Cox Channel 5) news anchor Carlo Cecchetto. King was promoting an in-studio visit Wednesday with Cecchetto, who will broadcast a "sweeps" report on how teens drive when they are behind the wheel.

Conspiracy or Culture?: In a front page story in Tuesday's editions of the Omaha World-Herald, reporter Jake Thompson refers to Chuck Hagel as "Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel." But Ben Nelson is identified only as "Nebraska Democrat Ben Nelson" and not as a United States Senator.

Proposed State Song Gains Support: KHAS-Hastings TV reporter Ginger Ten Bensel's proposed song to replace Nebraska current state song is the leading vote-getter in KFAB (1110 AM) talk show host Tom Becka's unofficial online poll on his website.

WOWT Lands First Interview With ManWho Discovered Amber Harris' Remains

A man known to viewers only as "Joe" was introduced by WOWT (Cox Channel 8) last night as the person who discovered the remains of Amber Harris in Hummel Park last May.

In an interview broadcast Monday, the man (who asked WOWT not to disclose his last name) told Channel Six that he was drawn to the park after a web site reported people seeing and hearing ghosts and other paranormal activity in the park at night. He discovered her remains while walking down a path.

"I was really in shock but I remember seeing her, her skull and then I knew it was a kid, it just looked small," Joe said. "I could see, something like, I knew it was white. It was real brightly colored and I just kind of looked over and there she was, she was right in my face like two feet away from me. There was a hole in the middle of her head. It was pretty much the whole forehead."

The man called WOWT after police confirmed the remains were Harris' but police asked him not to disclose any details of his discovery until an arrest was made in the case. On Monday, Roy Ellis was arrested in connection with Harris' disappearance and murder in Nov. 2005.

Updated: Feb. 6, 8:47 a.m.:

KMTV (Cox Channel 5) also interviewed the man Monday night (identified as "Joe Dunham"). He said the discovery changed him and eventually forced him to leave his job.

Omaha Company's Super Bowl Ad Flunks Out

The 30-second advertisement for Omaha-based InfoUSA's "Sales Genie" was the least popular Super Bowl commercial, according to USA Today's annual "Super Bowl Ad Meter."

USA TODAY assembled 238 adult volunteers in Houston and McLean, Va., and electronically charted their second-by-second reactions to ads during the Super Bowl. Fieldwork Phoenix and Shugoll Research chose the volunteers, who used handheld meters to register how much they liked each ad. A computer continuously averaged the scores. Scores are the highest average for each ad.

Commercials for Anheuser-Busch's Bud Lite ranked in seven of the top 10 spots, with the fourth-quarter spot "Crabs worship Bud ice chest" being the most popular.

InfoUSA's commercial featured a breathless blonde whose runs up to a guy in an office and asks breathlessly if she can go for a ride in his new sports car. As he goes through the office, others fawn all over him. He finally reveals his secret: He uses some kind of sales database because people who work hard are fools, and he works "smarter," not harder.

The ad was conceived and produced in-house and is posted on the company's website. One blogger called it "a simultaneously insult to intelligence, blondes, women, sales people and people who work hard."

Wrestling Fans Will Miss Publication This Month

The absence of Nebraska Wrestling Illustrated's unprecedented bracket-to-bracket coverage of the Nebraska State Wrestling Tournament will almost certainly be felt by fans of the sport later this month.

NWI ceased operations last October with E-Publisher Michael J. Carnes citing increasing demands on his time for family and personal matters.

"With the amount of personal commitments we both have with our family and careers, it just has become more than we are capable of continuing at the level we had established," Carnes said in a statement on the publication's website. "(Business partner) Kevin Dill and I both are of the belief that the wrestling community of this state deserves a much stronger commitment than either of us are able to continue, and therefore we felt it was time to say good-bye and shut things down."

Carnes, a veteran sports writer, and Dill, a graphic designer, teamed together to start NWI in 2000. In a short time, the magazine developed an immense following which led to more than 200,000 downloads of the magazine during the 2001 and 2002 seasons.

This year's State Wrestling Tournament is Feb. 15-17 at Qwest Center Omaha.

Omaha Press Club Show is April 21

KFAB's Gary Sadlemyer (right) plays the part of "Carnac" with Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey impersonating Ed McMahon.

Tickets are now on sale for the 2007 Omaha Press Club Show.

The theme of this year's 50th show is "Through the Jeers: 50 Shows, No Apologies." The Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs will host the event on Saturday, April 21.

Patricia and D.C. "Woody" Bradford, and Karren and Gary Kerr are serving as the show's honorary chairs.

Cocktails and a silent auction begin at 5:30 p.m., with a 7 p.m. dinner followed by the show.

Individual tickets and tables remain available. Click here to download more information. (You do not have to be a member of the Omaha Press Club to attend the show.)

The Omaha Press Club Show is produced and managed by the Omaha Press Club Foundation. All proceeds benefit the Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. $150 of a $175 ticket is tax-deductible; $100 of a $125 ticket is tax-deductible.

Cartoon Design HighlightsWorld-Herald's Super Bowl Section

Omaha World-Herald page designer Tim Parks explains the design behind the newspaper's Super Bowl special section in Sunday's newspaper on his portfolio page on industry website News Page Designer.

Click here to see the page design.

Parks has worked at the World-Herald since last spring. He previously was design director of Conference Call Magazine in Kansas City and also worked at The Oklahoman and the Tulsa World newspapers.

KFAB Drive For Open Door Mission Is Friday

KFAB (1110 AM) will be asking listeners to help restock the Open Door Mission.

The radio station will be collecting coats, blankets and canned goods for the mission Friday, Feb. 9 at the Old Country Buffet at 75th & Dodge. On-air personalities who will be broadcasting live include Gary Sadlemyer (6-9 a.m.), Scott Voorhees (9-11 a.m.), Tom Becka (4-7 p.m.).

Sunday Is First Glimpse of New Z-92 Commercial

(Updated Feb. 2, 6:02 p.m.)

The winning 30-second commercial in KEZO's "It's My Z" contest will air at 1:30 p.m. Sunday on KMTV (Cox Channel 5), according to Journal Broadcast Group Marketing and Promotions Director James Barton.

The winning video was created by Pat McGuire. He also takes home a $1,000 prize for beating out eight other semifinal entries.

Steve Wexler Promoted To Executive VP For Journal

Journal Broadcast Group's realignment of management responsibilities this week resulted in a promotion for Omaha-based manager Steve Wexler.

Steve Wexler was promoted from Senior Vice President for Television and Radio Operations to "Executive Vice President" for the same position. He also became responsible for the Knoxville radio market.

A native of Shorewood, Wisc., Wexler has worked for Journal in several leadership positions since returning to the company in 1993 after a stint with King Broadcasting. Before working as an on-air talent and program manager for King, he held on-air positions at Journal stations in Milwaukee, where the company is headquartered.

Journal owns and operates 36 radio stations and nine television stations in 12 states and operates two television stations under local marketing agreements.

Journal made adjustments in its management alignment to heighten its focus on Interactive and New Media opportunities, said Doug Kiel, President of Journal Communications Inc., and Vice Chairman and CEO of Journal Broadcast Group, Inc.

"This realignment of several of our key executives should help us take advantage of opportunities in the Interactive and New Media space, while at the same time maintaining a strong focus in our core broadcast business," Kiel said in a press release.

Is the World-Herald Picking On Senator Ben Nelson?

In a story in Thursday's editions of the Omaha World-Herald, the newspaper pointed out that Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson was not in attendance at the funeral of Army 1st Lt. Jacob Fritz Wednesday in Falls City.

The Reader's Media Notes reviewed World-Herald stories documenting the funerals and memorial services of 32 Nebraskans (through Thursday) who have been killed or died in the war in Iraq. (Editor's note: Not all 32 were buried or had memorial services in the state of Nebraska.) Only Thursday's story, co-authored by staff writers Tim Elfrink and Robynn Tysver, makes reference to a public or elected official's absence:

Among those attending the service was Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., who recommended Fritz for West Point. Hagel was invited to the service by Fritz's mother.

"I remember reading his application. It was one of the best I'd ever read," Hagel said after the service.

As several outside the auditorium thanked him for attending, Hagel declined to talk about his views on the Iraq war, saying it was not the appropriate time. He returned to Washington after the funeral

Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., also was invited but was unable to attend. Nelson recently spoke with members of Fritz's family and expressed his condolences, an aide said.

The Reader's Media Notes contacted Nelson's office, which confirmed that it was contacted about the senator's absence and provided the World-Herald the following statement:

"Senator Nelson was invited to the funeral but cannot attend because the Senate is in session and votes are expected. He did speak with the family a few days ago to express his condolences."

Eleven World-Herald stories written between April of 2003 and Thursday make reference to elected or public officials in attendance. But none refer to someone's absence or provide an explanation for one.

World-Herald Managing Editor Mike Reilly did not immediately respond to questions from The Reader's Media Notes.

Here are the Omaha World-Herald stories which reference elected or public officials in attendance at memorial services or funerals for Nebraskans who were military victims of the war in Iraq:

Travis Ford, April 17, 2003
Reporter David Hendee
Among the dignitaries attending were Gov. Mike Johanns and Adjutant Gen. Roger Lempke of the Nebraska National Guard.

Jeremy Fischer, July 22, 2004
Reporter Stephen Buttry
Gov. Mike Johanns sat with the military contingent.

Eric Knott, Sept. 15, 2004
Reporter Paul Hammel
About 500 people, including an estimated 150 members of the Knott family and Nebraska Gov. Mike Johanns, were in Trinity Lutheran Church for the service.

Shane Kielion, Nov. 25, 2004
Reporters Rick Ruggles and Kristin Zagurski
Among the dignitaries who attended were Lt. Gov. Dave Heineman, Rep. Lee Terry, R-Neb., Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey and Omaha Public Schools Superintendent John Mackiel.

Also attending were State Sens. John Synowiecki and Chip Maxwell, Nebraska Veterans' Affairs Director John Hilgert, and County Commissioner Mike Boyle and his wife, Anne, who is a member of the Public Service Commission.

Nicholas Nolte, Dec. 8, 2004
Reporter Robynn Tysver
Lt. Gov. Dave Heineman also attended.

Garrison Avery, Feb. 26, 2006
Reporter John Ferak
Also attending the service were Gov. Dave Heineman, U.S. Sens. Chuck Hagel and Ben Nelson, U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry and Lincoln Mayor Coleen Seng.

Benjamin Slaven, June 21, 2006 Brent Zoucha, June 21, 2006
Reporters Tim Elfrink and Martha Stoddard
Among those attending Slaven's service was Lt. Gov. Rick Sheehy, who also attended Zoucha's funeral in Clarks.

Jeremy Jones, July 9, 2006
Reporter Tim Elfrink
Among those at the church were U.S. Rep. Lee Terry, R-Neb.; Lt. Gov. Rick Sheehy; and Maj. Gen. Roger Lempke, the Nebraska National Guard's adjutant general.

Joshua Ford, Aug. 11, 2006
Reporter Derek Kravitz
Among those at the church were Lt. Gov. Rick Sheehy; Maj. Gen. Roger Lempke, the Nebraska Guard's adjutant general; and Marksmeier's brother, Sgt. Chadwick Marksmeier, who was a member of Ford's unit.

Germaine Debro, Sept. 19, 2006
Reporter C. David Kotok
Before him sat local dignitaries in suits, U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson, U.S. Reps. Lee Terry and Jeff Fortenberry, as well as people in work clothes and military dress.

Jacob Fritz, Feb. 1, 2007
Reporters Tim Elfrink and Robynn Tysver
(Refer to text in story above.)

WOWT Third Station To Roll Out Weather Blog

WOWT (Cox Channel 8) is joining the ranks of Omaha TV stations which offer weather blogs.

Weekend meteorologist Jeff Jensen writes in the site's first post that he will initial handle most of the posting of information, which will appeal to a wide range of weather-savvy viewers.

"I'm going to try to aim towards the middle of this group on a regular basis here when talking about daily forecasting thoughts," Jensen writes. "The pros might find it simplistic at times while the hobbyists might not have a clue to what some of the maps I'll post mean. Don't worry about that. We'll try to link you up to sites that will help to explain some of the things I'll be referring to."

Viewers will have the opportunity to comment on posts, but all comments will be approved before being posted.

KETV (Cox Channel 9) weekend meteorologist John Campbell was the first Omaha TV meteorologist to publicly offer a weather blog. "Campbell's Corner" debuted last April.

KMTV (Cox Channel 5) meteorologists began blogging about the weather in November. According to page view statistics posted on its site, about 500 viewers visit it daily.

Which Station Did You Watch?

The first night of the February ratings period offered viewers three different lead stories on the 10 p.m. newscasts of the ABC, CBS and NBC affiliates:

KETV (Cox Channel 9)
Owen Lei reporting on the extremely cold conditions.
Sweeps Piece: "Excessively shy" child (reporter Brandi Petersen).

KMTV (Cox Channel 5)
"Breaking News Update" on a gas leak in South Omaha.
Sweeps Piece: Potentially deadly chemicals traveling unguarded by rail (reporter Joe Jordan).

WOWT (Cox Channel 8)
Mike McKnight's exclusive on a monkey that attacked a vacationing Omaha tourist.
Sweeps Piece: Vocal smoke alarms - a follow-up on a story from three years ago that investigated the effectiveness of smoke detectors on young children (John Knicely).

DeAnn Bright Leaves KFAB

Veteran news reporter DeAnn Bright's last day at KFAB (1110 AM) was Wednesday.

Bright had spent the past 18 months at the station and had previously worked at KFAB and at former Omaha radio station WOW.

KFAB News Director Tom Stanton said a replacement has not yet been named.

KQBW Shuffles 'Brew' Lineup

KQBW (96.1 FM) is shuffling its on-air lineup and adding a new personality.

"The Morning Brew" crew of "Mookie" and Michelle Matthews (5:30-10 a.m.) remains the same. But behind-the-scenes demands have moved "Steve-O" to the midday shift (10 a.m.-3 p.m.) and "Crash Davis" to nights (7 p.m.-midnight).

Matthews, who also serves as the station's program director, said the changes were necessary to free up more time for those jocks to handle their off-air responsibilities.

"I was blessed with a very talented staff who also do a good chunk of work for Clear Channel," Matthews said. "Steve-O is also our production director and Crash Davis is our creative services director. So the changes allow them to be able to meet with clients and better handle their jobs when they're not on the air. Plus, Crash is such a freak show that at night he can have that much more fun."

Davis takes the place of Lucy Chapman, who previously handled the night shift. She will remain part of "The Brew Crew" by taking on air shifts on weekends and working station events, Matthews said.

Taking over the afternoon drive (3-7 p.m.) is Ethan Stone, who previously was heard on KCTY (106.9 FM) "The Bob," (which has since switched formats). Stone was one of several NRG Media employees who were laid off late last year.

TV 'Sweeps' Begin Today

Nielsen Media Research's February ratings period, better known as "sweeps," begins today and lasts through the end of the month.

They're called "sweeps" because Nielsen mails out diaries to certain households around the country, then collects and processes the diaries in a specific order. The diaries from the Northeast regions are processed first and then swept up around the country, from the South, to the Midwest and finally ending with the West.

According to TV industry site Newsblues.com, May is considered the most important month, followed by November.