The Lincoln Journal Star's website was the first Nebraska media outlet to post online official news of quarterback Sam Keller's decision to become a Nebraska Cornhusker.
In a story by reporter Brian Rosenthal, posted less than a half hour after Keller arrived at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Keller was quoted as telling a reporter "Yeah" when asked if he was coming to Nebraska.
The Keller saga had been the subject of much speculation by nearly every sports media outlet in the state. Keller left Arizona State University this past weekend after Sun Devils Coach Dirk Koetter tabbed sophomore Rudy Carpenter as the team's starting quarterback.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Ginzkey Back In Omaha To Manage KBBX
Connoisseur Media has named John Ginzkey as general manager of recently-acquired Omaha radio station KBBX (97.7 FM).
Connisseur purchased "Radio Lobo" from the Journal Broadcast Group in June. Connoisseur also has a construction permit on file for a new FM station that it anticipates will be on the air in early 2007.
In a press release, Connoisseur Media Vice President David Bevins said he is delighted to have Ginzkey on board in a familiar city.
"John Ginzkey brings us over 22 years of radio management experience, and 13 of those years were in Omaha," Bevins said.
Ginzkey previously managed Omaha radio station KKCD (105.9 FM) and was also general sales manager for KQKQ (98.5 FM) and KKAR (1290 AM) when they were owned by Mitchell Broadcasting Company.
Since January of 2005, he has been general manager of AAA Entertainment's cluster in Champaign-Urbana, Ill.
Connisseur purchased "Radio Lobo" from the Journal Broadcast Group in June. Connoisseur also has a construction permit on file for a new FM station that it anticipates will be on the air in early 2007.
In a press release, Connoisseur Media Vice President David Bevins said he is delighted to have Ginzkey on board in a familiar city.
"John Ginzkey brings us over 22 years of radio management experience, and 13 of those years were in Omaha," Bevins said.
Ginzkey previously managed Omaha radio station KKCD (105.9 FM) and was also general sales manager for KQKQ (98.5 FM) and KKAR (1290 AM) when they were owned by Mitchell Broadcasting Company.
Since January of 2005, he has been general manager of AAA Entertainment's cluster in Champaign-Urbana, Ill.
KETV Specials Recall Hurricane Katrina
KETV (Cox Channel 9) will commemorate the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina by broadcasting two specials which recall the storm's catastrophic and devastating effects on New Orleans. "Song for New Orleans," is a celebration of the city's musical legacy and its recovery. It is scheduled to air Thursday, Aug. 31 at 7 p.m.
"Seven Days that Changed New Orleans," will air Tuesday, Sept. 5 at 7 p.m. It is advertised as an intimate look at the people most affected by the storm as seen through the eyes of journalists at WDSU-TV, the local Hearst-Argyle affiliate in New Orleans.
KETV Creative Services Director John Livingston said the station will also air a special "Kaleidoscope" episode focusing on the local effects of Katrina. It will be broadcast Sunday, Sept. 3 at 8:30 a.m.
KETV Goes The Distance
To Cover Ramsey Murder Developments
District Attorney Mary Lacy, center, is flanked by assistants as she talks to the media in Boulder, Colo., about the arrest of suspect John Mark Karr for the murder of JonBenet Ramsey during a news conference at the Justice Center last Thursday. (Reuters photo)
Last Wednesday, KETV reporter Brandi Petersen was just wrapping up a long day of reporting in Iowa on a business owner selling sweet corn on eBay when word came down of a possible arrest in the JonBenet Ramsey murder case.
Hours later, Petersen found herself driving to Colorado with photojournalist Justin Riviera to cover the story for KETV (Cox Channel 9) and other stations in the Hearst-Argyle Television group, which owns 25 television stations around the country and manages three others.
KETV was the only Omaha TV station to send a crew to cover the developments in Boulder. News Director Rose Ann Shannon said KETV management does not set boundaries on the area in which it covers stories.
"The JonBenet Ramsey murder has been one of the biggest stories of the last 10 years," Shannon said. "It is not unusual for us to travel 500 miles to cover a major story. As examples, we covered the Oklahoma City Federal Building bombing, Columbine (school shooting), the Oklahoma City tornado, fires in the (Nebraska) panhandle and the Anne Sluti (abduction) case that led investigators into Wyoming. If it's news and we think we can provide better coverage by sending our crew, we will do it."
For two-and-a-half days, Petersen, Riviera and satellite truck engineer Chad Mayer produced seven live reports for KETV and 25 live or "look live" custom reports for stations in markets such as Orlando, Oklahoma City, Pittsburgh, Albuquerque and Honolulu.
Petersen, who packed a week's worth of clothing, said every day was different.
"Thursday, we interviewed University of Colorado Professor Michael Tracey about his communication with the suspect, and we talked to Boulder residents about their reactions to the arrest," the Papillion-LaVista and University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate said. "Friday, we focused our report on the neighborhood where the Ramseys used to live and their reactions to the case.
"Saturday, we reported live from Boulder for First News Saturday for KETV, and wrapped up our trip with a story about the media frenzy surrounding the arrest."
Petersen estimates there were more than a dozen TV satellite trucks and 100 journalists at the Boulder courthouse during last Thursday's press conference.
"To see everything unfolding with my own eyes, to be in the thick of such a high-profile case, and to work amongst such well-respected journalists is something I'll never forget," she said.
Programming Changes Monday at KFAB
KFAB (1110 AM) is shaking up its weekday programming line-up.Effective Monday, native Nebraskan Scott Voorhees returns to Omaha to host a talk show from 9-11 a.m. Rush Limbaugh keeps his 11 a.m.-2 p.m. slot, while Glenn Beck's syndicated show moves to 2-4 p.m.
Local award-winning talk show host Tom Becka slides back an hour to 4-7 p.m. while Sports Nightly will be heard from 7-9 p.m. Syndicated talker Michael Savage wraps up the day from 9 p.m. to midnight
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
From the NBA Notebook
A few notes from the recent Nebraska Broadcasters Association (NBA) meeting:Five-time Nebraska Sportscaster of the Year Don Gill was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame earlier this month. The host of "Big Band Spotlight" (Fridays on NET radio at 8:30 p.m.) has worked in radio and television for more than 50 years.
Elected as NBA Officers for 2006 are: Chairman Ulysses Carlini (KHAS-TV in Hastings), Chairman-Elect Mark Halverson (Broadcast House in Lincoln), Vice Chairman Dennis Brown (KCSR-AM in Chadron) and Secretary and Treasurer Chuck Schwartz (KOOQ-KELN in North Platte).
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Explain 'Oral Sex' to Your Youngsters
Just what constitutes the definition of a "family newspaper"?
One has to wonder after reading two separate articles - published four days apart - in the Omaha World-Herald, Nebraska's largest newspaper.
In the first story, published in Thursday editions, sports reporter Mitch Sherman documented a visit by entertainer Dan Whitney (a.k.a "Larry the Cable Guy") to a University of Nebraska-Lincoln football practice. Sherman wrote on the back page of the sports section (page 6C):
"The 43-year-old Whitney, born and raised on a pig farm near Pawneee City, Neb., addressed the team by telling a few jokes - none suited for a family newspaper."
However, in Sunday editions of the World-Herald, in a front page story written by Lynn Safranek, the words "oral sex," "penis" and "plastic phallic device" were used at various times in the article:
"As he sat in a car last month negotiating a deal with a prostitute, a man touched the woman's breast, then undid his pants and exposed himself to her - to prove, as the prostitute requested, that he wasn't a cop."
"An officer, working undercover, saw a woman sitting at 24th & Maple Streets. He told her he wanted to "party" - street lingo for having sex - and offered her $20 for oral sex."
"The officer "asked if she wanted to see his (penis)." When she said yes, he complied. The suspect then reached over and grabbed" it, he wrote."
"In 1990, the World-Herald reported on a "plastic phallic device" that undercover Omaha police officers in the vice unit would show to prostitutes to prove that they were not officers."
One has to wonder after reading two separate articles - published four days apart - in the Omaha World-Herald, Nebraska's largest newspaper.
In the first story, published in Thursday editions, sports reporter Mitch Sherman documented a visit by entertainer Dan Whitney (a.k.a "Larry the Cable Guy") to a University of Nebraska-Lincoln football practice. Sherman wrote on the back page of the sports section (page 6C):
"The 43-year-old Whitney, born and raised on a pig farm near Pawneee City, Neb., addressed the team by telling a few jokes - none suited for a family newspaper."
However, in Sunday editions of the World-Herald, in a front page story written by Lynn Safranek, the words "oral sex," "penis" and "plastic phallic device" were used at various times in the article:
"As he sat in a car last month negotiating a deal with a prostitute, a man touched the woman's breast, then undid his pants and exposed himself to her - to prove, as the prostitute requested, that he wasn't a cop."
"An officer, working undercover, saw a woman sitting at 24th & Maple Streets. He told her he wanted to "party" - street lingo for having sex - and offered her $20 for oral sex."
"The officer "asked if she wanted to see his (penis)." When she said yes, he complied. The suspect then reached over and grabbed" it, he wrote."
"In 1990, the World-Herald reported on a "plastic phallic device" that undercover Omaha police officers in the vice unit would show to prostitutes to prove that they were not officers."
Friday, August 18, 2006
'CBS Evening News' Will Be Simultcast On Web
When Katie Couric makes her debut on the CBS Evening News on Sept. 5 on KMTV (Cox Channel 5), you won't have to be near your TV set to see her.CBS is trying to attract viewers the same way it did with its simulcast of college basketball's NCAA Tournament by offering its evening newscast in its entirety on its website, CBS.com.
By making her available online, CBS hopes to offset her three-year, $39 million contract by selling more advertising inventory to a younger demographic than that of its traditional broadcast.
Over the last four weeks, the "CBS Evening News," which Couric will anchor for the first time on Sept. 5, averaged 6.9 million viewers, trailing both NBC and ABC, Horizon Media's Brad Adgate said in a story by The Associated Press. For all three network news shows, the average viewer age is 60. By contrast, Kramer said the average viewer age on its news Web site is 45.
CBS was previously unable to "repurpose" news content because of restrictions in a contract with affiliates like KMTV and Lincoln affiliate, KOLN/KGIN. However, that agreement expired earlier this year. In the new contract, CBS news programs are exempt from restrictions that previously existed.
The online offering will feature the same seven to eight minutes of advertising time as the broadcast version. Since there are no affiliates to deal with, however, CBS will be able to sell more advertising directly.
Viewers on CBS.com will be required to register, which will prevent them from watching the program before it is aired on TV in their time zone.
As previously announced in this space, KMTV plans to revive its 6 p.m. newscast in conjunction with Couric's debut. The newscast was discontinued in September of 2003.
WOWT UPN Re-launching Sept. 18
As Independent Station '6 2 0'
WOWT's digital station, UPN Omaha (Cox Channel 248), will re-launch and re-brand itself as "6 2 0" on Sept. 18, following the merger of the WB and UPN networks to form The CW.WOWT-DT first launched last October. But when the two networks merged, broadcast rights were awarded to the local WB affiliate, KXVO (Cox Channel 11). KXVO's sister station, KPTM, is expected to launch the "My Network TV" network on a digital subchannel of its own later this fall.
Among the featured programs on the new 6-2-0 station will be "The Daily Buzz," a nationally-syndicated three-hour morning news program that uses the slogan "weather and news delivered with personality." The Daily Buzz will air from 6 to 9 a.m.
A locally-produced, half-hour evening version of The Daily Buzz called "The Omaha Buzz" will air Wednesday nights at 8, beginning Sept. 20. Produced by WOWT Promotional Director Vic Richards, the program will focus on restaurants, activities and events that appeal to the teen and 20-something crowd and other trends unique to the Omaha metropolitan area.
"We will take you inside to the hottest clubs and restaurants and give you the low down on the best music ... the places to be 24/7 and everything in-between," Richards said. "From nightclubs and bars to the hottest entertainment, 'The O Buzz' will be your backstage pass to Omaha."
Thursday, August 17, 2006
'Husker Beat' Adds Lincoln Show
Huskers Illustrated's Sean Callahan and Lincoln Journal Star sports reporter Steve Sipple will once again be co-hosting special Nebraska football radio talk shows this fall.Beginning next week, the pair's "Husker Beat" program debuts on Lincoln radio station KLMS (1480 AM). It will air Mondays from 6-7 p.m. and originate live from Bennigan's Grill & Tavern at 8701 Andermatt Drive (near 87th and Highway 2).
On Friday nights, Callahan and Sipple will host an Omaha-based version of the program from 6-7 p.m. on KOZN (1620 AM), broadcasting live from Indigo Joe's Sports Pub & Restaurant, 7425 Dodge Street. Both shows will run weekly through the first week of December.
KETV Live From Boulder
KETV (Cox Channel 9) reporter Brandi Petersen was scheduled to report live from Boulder, Colo., Thursday on the station's early evening newscasts, as well as to provide custom reports for Hearst-Argyle-owned stations around the nation.According to station insiders, Petersen arrived in Boulder early this morning, but the station's satellite truck did not arrive in time for KETV's 11:30 a.m. newscast.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Revamped Omaha.com Coming Soon
As previously mentioned in this space, Omaha.com will be getting a new look and some new features. A posting on the site's home page provides some of the details:
The best source for news and information in Omaha and across the region is about to get better!
Over the next few months, we're rolling out new features and sections that will make getting what you want online even easier:
- Brand new classified sections for homes, jobs and stuff - you'll search, buy and sell faster.
- Streamlined online edition - you'll make fewer stops to get the lowdown.
- Fun and useful features - share your photos, submit calendar items, get breaking news alerts, and more.
We'll keep you posted on each exciting change. Just check here to find out what's new online - right here, right now!
The best source for news and information in Omaha and across the region is about to get better!
Over the next few months, we're rolling out new features and sections that will make getting what you want online even easier:
We'll keep you posted on each exciting change. Just check here to find out what's new online - right here, right now!
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
KMTV Hires Simmons' Replacement
More than six months after she left Omaha, KMTV has hired a weekend anchor replacement for Sarah Simmons.Simmons (left) now works at WTTG (Fox) in Washington, D.C., as a general assignment reporter and anchor. One of her co-workers at "Fox5" is former "Good Morning America" weathercaster Tony Perkins.
Replacing Simmons is Kerri Stowell, a Missouri native. Stowell (right) interned at three stations (KMBC in Kansas City, KSNT in Topeka and a cable station in Olathe, Kan.) before graduating from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.Most recently, she was a reporter, anchor and producer at KCAU (ABC) in Sioux City, Iowa. She replaces Sarah Simmons, who left KMTV in January to take a reporter/anchor job at WTTG (Fox) in Washington, D.C.
Obviously An Out-Of-Towner
Sharp-eyed readers will be able to tell which of these local news media reports was written by someone who is not familiar with Omaha:
A construction worker was in critical condition today after a fall from the eastbound bridge of the West Dodge Expressway.
His injuries are considered life-threatening.
The bridge is under construction.
Omaha police and rescue workers were called to the scene, near 111th Street and West Dodge Road, at 6:53 a.m.
The worker was smoothing cement on the deck of the eastbound expressway, backed up and fell 35 feet onto an elevated ramp that leads to Interstate 680, said Officer Andrew Passo, an Omaha police spokesman.
A construction worker was taken to the hospital in critical condition after he fell off the Dodge Expressway this morning.
The accident happened near 111th and Dodge just before 7am. Omaha Police say the man was smoothing concrete on the new eastbound expressway overpass when he fell. The victim fell almost 30 feet onto another bridge. He was taken in critical condition to The Nebraska Medical Center.
A construction worker was critically injured Tuesday morning in a fall from the elevated West Dodge Expressway. The worker fell approximately 20 to 30 feet to another bridge below.
It happened just before 7 a.m. near 111th and Dodge.
Jim Prchal, with Ready Mix Concrete says, "Once they performed CPR he was able to breath on his own. They got there very fast. The people did a great job."
A construction worker was in critical condition today after a fall from the eastbound bridge of the West Dodge Expressway.
His injuries are considered life-threatening.
The bridge is under construction.
Omaha police and rescue workers were called to the scene, near 111th Street and West Dodge Road, at 6:53 a.m.
The worker was smoothing cement on the deck of the eastbound expressway, backed up and fell 35 feet onto an elevated ramp that leads to Interstate 680, said Officer Andrew Passo, an Omaha police spokesman.
A construction worker was taken to the hospital in critical condition after he fell off the Dodge Expressway this morning.
The accident happened near 111th and Dodge just before 7am. Omaha Police say the man was smoothing concrete on the new eastbound expressway overpass when he fell. The victim fell almost 30 feet onto another bridge. He was taken in critical condition to The Nebraska Medical Center.
A construction worker was critically injured Tuesday morning in a fall from the elevated West Dodge Expressway. The worker fell approximately 20 to 30 feet to another bridge below.
It happened just before 7 a.m. near 111th and Dodge.
Jim Prchal, with Ready Mix Concrete says, "Once they performed CPR he was able to breath on his own. They got there very fast. The people did a great job."
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Broken Sports News
Although we do not normally nit-pick typos, we could not resist sharing this tidbit from Omaha.com Thursday afternoon.
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