World-Herald Columnist Sibyl MyersDead At The Age Of 55

Omaha World-Herald neighborhood news columnist Sibyl Myers died Monday of heart failure. She was 55.

Myers started working at the newspaper in 1975 on the same day as World-Herald Executive Editor Larry King.

"Over the next 30-plus years, I've seen her work as a full-time journalist, as a weekly columnist and as a publisher and businesswoman," King said in an article in Wednesday's editions. "Her integrity, her compassion and her love for Omaha and its people were clear in all she did."

Myers' funeral is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday at St. John AME Church, 2402 North 22nd Street.

Power Returns to Kearney TV Station

Employees at KHGI (ABC) in Kearney moved back into the newsroom over the weekend and spent a good portion of time cleaning up the damage left behind by falling chunks of ice from the station's transmission tower.

"We have power back and the holes in the roof have been patched - temporarily," said Sara Linner, executive producer of new media at NTV. "It's not pretty but it works."

The station has started a food drive to help those who lost perishables due to the long-term power outage.

"There has also been a fund set up by the Kearney Community Foundation to help people who had damage to property and lost wages during the storm," Linner said. "My understanding though, is that most people have called the foundation not to donate, but to find out how they can receive help."

What Happened To TJ?

Several KGOR (99.9 FM) listeners have written The Reader's Media Notes, asking what happened to "TJ," the station's morning show personality.

Clear Channel Omaha General Manager Mitch Baker won't say specifically whether TJ has left the station, but did say the station is "looking at several exciting options and an announcement is forthcoming."

Since Monday, legendary radio personality Dave Wingert has been handling the morning shift on KGOR. A member of the Nebraska Radio Personalities Hall of Fame, Wingert has worked at Omaha radio stations WOW, KQKQ, KEFM, and KGOR, in Des Moines at WHO, and in Seattle at KLSY - hosting the nationally-syndicated show, "Dave 'Till Dawn."

TJ has worked for several Clear Channel stations over the past four years, including KXKT (103.7 FM), KEFM (96.1 FM) and KHUS (93.3 FM).

Omaha.com Getting A Makeover

The Omaha World-Herald's online portal, Omaha.com, is relaunching later this week with a site makeover that promises better ease of access.

New navigation menus (like the one shown at right) and dialog boxes will be the most noticeable changes. The newspaper will also change its page headers from orange to blue to red to purple through the day "to reflect ever-changing content mix" on the site.

The changes are being promoted as "the first phase of a complete overhaul of Omaha.com."

Readers are being invited to take a tour of the changes they can expect.

Omaha World-Herald Hires Columnist

Robert Nelson, a veteran reporter for the Phoenix New Times newsweekly and a former Omaha World-Herald reporter, is the newspaper's new columnist.

Nelson fills the vacancy created in June by Rainbow Rowell, who left the World-Herald after nine years to take a job at Bailey Lauerman advertising agency in Lincoln.

Nelson is a Falls City, Neb., native and University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate who previously spent six years at the World-Herald. He is a Thurgood Marshall Journalism Award winner, a two-time winner of Arizona's John Kolbe Government and Politics Award and a two-time finalist for Arizona Journalist of the Year.

As recently as last month, he told Laurie Fagan of the San Tan Sun News that he had no intention of leaving the New Times. He is the author of "Early Yuma," a photographic history that pays tribute to the first residents of the Southwest Arizona town.

Nelson and his wife, Denise, have three sons. She is a wastewater permit writer with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.

'Her' Magazine Features Sheila Brummer

WOWT (Cox Channel 8) anchor and reporter Sheila Brummer shares her inside view of the news business, her unique experiences with presidential candidates and how she balances her professional life with personal endaevors in the December/January issue of "Her" magazine.

The unbylined, two-page story describes Brummer's first job in TV news, her coverage of the Iowa Caucuses in 2000 and 2004 and her recent marriage to musician and graphic designer Ed Antone.

In the article, Brummer says she enjoys volunteering, listening to live music and belly dancing. She also says she joined the Diva Soma Belly Dance Troupe last summer.

Journal Hires Program Director for KEZO

Steve Brill was hired last week as the new program director at KEZO (92.3 FM).

Brill comes to Omaha from Rockford, Ill., where he served as operations manager for a pair of Cumulus Broadcasting-owned stations, WROK and WKGL.

"There's no one more qualified and who has produced a better winning track record with heritage rock stations," said Tom Land, director of radio programming for the Journal Broadcast Group. "Steve is a great addition to our Omaha team, and our group."

Brill replaces Lester St. James, who left the station in October. St. James told Radio and Records that it was an "amicable parting."

Jim Timm, KEZO's station manager, said Brill has a "stellar" track record of guiding stations to rating success.

"He's the perfect person to build on Z-92's heritage and dominance," Timm said.

Brill said he looks forward to working for Journal.

"I'm excited to take the programming chair at one of the few, dominant, heritage Rock stations in America," he said in a press release.

It's A Girl! For KLTQ's Shari Stone

KLTQ (101.9 FM) midday personality Shari Stone had a baby girl, Samantha Marie, on Dec. 29. It is her and her husband David's first child.

Beginning Monday, former KQKQ (98.5 FM) midday personality Alison Steele will fill in for Shari Stone. Steele, who left "Q985" last year to move to Chicago, will be heard from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Merlyn Klaus Bids Viewers Goodbye

Veteran WOWT (Cox Channel 8) sports anchor and reporter Merlyn Klaus signed off for the last time Friday night.

An award-winning sports journalist at the station since 1984, Klaus is leaving the business to take a position at The Steier Group, an Omaha-based development consulting company that specializes in serving non-profit organizations.

Klaus told viewers at the end of Friday's newscast, "I'm going to miss being here. It's been a great run. I'll say hello and goodbye to everybody and thanks for making it a great 20-plus years."

Klaus says one night in particular stands out from his career of reporting on hundreds of games and thousands of athletes.

"When Nebraska won the 1994 national championship, we were on the air live for three hours," Klaus said. "It was not only fun but it was a momentious occasion. At the time, we were the only one with a satellite truck and the only Omaha station doing an extensive postgame. I was back here in the studio and we just kept going and going and going."

Klaus said he will also miss covering University of Nebraska at Omaha and Creighton University sports.

"The guys there (at UNO) are so great to work with and the NCAA road trips with Creighton have been great too," he said.

An award-winning sports journalist at WOWT since 1984, Klaus began his broadcast career at WLS (ABC) in Chicago in 1977. His first job in Nebraska was at KDUH (ABC) in Scottsbluff, where he handled news, weather and sports reporting. He later worked as sports director at KHGI (ABC) in Kearney before coming to Omaha.

Klaus is the latest of several former Omaha TV personalities who have gone to work for The Steier Group. The list includes John Glenn (KMTV), Rich Roberts (KMTV), Sean McMahon (KETV) and Tom Elser (KETV).

Notes From the Laptop

Post-event media coverage of the Omaha Entertainment Awardswas likely not what organizeers had envisioned.

The Omaha World-Herald chose not to review Thursday's show, which recognized individual and group performances across three creative disciplines: Performing Arts, Visual Arts and Live Music.

WOWT's H2O DT station (Cox Channel 248) did broadcast the event in its entirety (more than three hours) from The Holland Performing Arts Center. But no TV stations outside of WOWT were on hand for the event and results of the awards show were not published on the event's website 24 hours after the show.

Reader columnist Tim McMahan posts a summary of the show and winners of the live music category on his blog, Lazy-i. Both The Reader and The City Weekly are expected to publish recaps in their editions next week, on newsstands Thursday.

Kearney TV Station Takes A Pounding

Small market TV can be rough at times. But things have probably never been this difficult for the news staff at Pappas Telecasting-owned KHGI (NTV) in Kearney.

An ice storm last Friday and Saturday that left behind tens of millions of dollars in damage to power poles and transmission lines in central Nebraska knocked out power to the station Saturday. Generators are running nonstop to keep the station on the air but staffers have had to deal with a bigger problem - falling ice.

The station's tower, which stands adjacent to the newsroom building, began shedding chunks of ice when temperatures first rose above freezing Sunday afternoon. Thursday, station engineers estimated there are more than 50 holes in the roof, with the newsroom suffering the most significant damage.

The newsroom is now off-limits and newscasts are originating out of the station's Grand Island Bureau, more than 50 miles away.

"Our concern, first and foremost, is for the physical well being for all our employees, including the subcontractors and people we have working to assist us," NTV General Manager Vincent Barresi told the Kearney Hub newspaper.

Staying safe meant evacuating the newsroom on Tuesday after a huge chunk of ice tore through the ceiling of news director Mark Baumert's office. Computers were moved out of the newsroom into a conference room and the station's lobby. While newscasts were still being delivered from the news set at that time, anchors wore hard hards on the air to protect themselves against the threat of more falling ice.

"It's an unholy mess," said Sara Linner, executive producer of new media at NTV. "They're plugging along as well as they can."

Linner said trash cans litter the building, collecting water that is leaking through the ceiling. Getting to and from the station is difficult since fallen power lines have closed the main road (Highway 44) from Kearney, doubling the 15-mile, one-way trip.

"We can't edit any tape, we can't access national video, our sound board is fried, we can't run supers and we can't make full page graphics except through the weather computer," she said.

A new computer Linner used to post news to the station's website was ruined by water and the fate of the station's archive tapes - which were also soaked - is still not known, she said.

Linner said the station has been fortunate that viewers have posted news and photos to the "Community Correspondent" section of the website. Nearly 50 photos a day have been e-mailed in and posted online.

"They're constantly sending in photos, even though they are dealing with their own hardships," Linner said. "We can't put them on the air like we normally would do, but they are online for everyone to see."

With one to three inches of snow forecast for Kearney today, it might get worse before it gets better.

"We'll deal with it," Linner said.

'Power 106.9' Commercial-Free Until Monday

KCTY's relaunch as "Power 106.9, Today's Hottest Jamz" means the station will run commercial-free until Monday.

The urban format station will be programmed by Bryant McCain, who is known as "Bizzy B" on the air.

NRG Media Operations Manager Mark Todd said the growth of urban radio is a trend across the country.

"We see a great opportunity for the radio station and its format in this market and it fits perfectly within the strategic alignment of our NRG Media stations," Todd said.

Time Warner Cable Will Carry New Fox Channels

An agreement between News Corp. and Time Warner Cable means TWC subscribers in Lincoln will get a pair of new FOX channels when they launch.

It is not known when the Fox News Business Channel and the Fox Reality Channel will make their debuts. However, the deal signed between the two parties Tuesday also extends its carriage agreement for Fox News Channel, meaning Fox will eventually have three channels available on TWC systems.

Terms of the overall business deal were not disclosed, but Fox News has been receiving an average of about 70 cents per subscriber per month in recent deals.

Jim McKernan Returning to Omaha;Takes Helm of NRG Media's Omaha Stations

Jim McKernan is returning to Omaha to become the general manager of NRG Media's seven Omaha radio stations.

No stranger to Omaha, McKernan's experience includes management stints at KPTM, the Journal Broadcast Group and KMTV. He returns to the city after a year as general manager of St. Louis radio stations KEZK-FM and KYKY-FM (CBS) in St. Louis

"I am very excited to join the team of broadcast professionals with NRG Media in Omaha," McKernan said in a press release Tuesday. "Their portfolio of radio stations is impressive. I am looking forward to help take the group to the next level of performance with listeners, advertisers and the community as a whole."

Known to KEZO (92.3 FM) listeners as "General Jim," McKernan served as Vice President and General Manager of the Journal Broadcast Group from 1996 to 2001. He left in March of 2001 to become Director of Sales at KMTV before ascending to the title of vice president and general manager of the CBS affiliate in April of 2002.

"I am thrilled to have someone of Jim's caliber joining NRG Media", said Chuck DuCoty, Chief Operating Officer of NRG Media. "When the Omaha opening occurred, our 'non-negotiables' included someone who was not afraid to make tough decisions, cluster management experience, integrity, an exceptional team-builder and a good communicator. In the end, we were not only describing what we were looking for, we were describing Jim McKernan."

McKernan is a former Director of the Nebraska Broadcasters Association and has served on the Omaha Chamber of Commerce and the American Red Cross boards. He is past President of the Arthritis Foundation of Nebraska and the Radio Association of Omaha and Television Association of Omaha.

NRG Media's Omaha stations are KLTQ (101.9 FM), KOIL (1020 AM), KKAR (1290 AM), KOZN (1620 AM), KYDQ (1180 AM), KQKQ (98.5 FM) and KCTY (106.9 FM).

AT&T Cotton Bowl: Critiquing FOX's Coverage

The Reader's Media Notes reviews FOX's coverage of the 71st annual AT&T Cotton Bowl Monday in Dallas. Auburn defeated Nebraska, 17-14.

Check Your Facts: FOX play-by-play man Pat Summerall said Callahan was with the "Super Bowl Champion Raiders" when, in fact, Callahan's Oakland Raiders lost 48-21 to Tampa Bay.

Case of Mistaken Identity: Analyst Brian Baldinger mistook Nebraska linebacker Corey McKeon for quarterback Zac Taylor, telling viewers Taylor was lined up to attempt a punt block late in the game. McKeon and Taylor both wear No. 13.

Announcers Faked Out: Nebraska placekicker Jordan Congdon quick-kicked out of field goal formation. Cameras caught Congdon smiling and high-fiving after the ball was downed at the one yard line. But moments later, Baldinger said of Congdon, "The punter has put his helmet back on. He's gone back to being a punter." Dan Titchener is Nebraska's punter.

Online or on TV: FoxSports.com streamed the game live, for free. Fans will be able to purchase single-game highlights or a "Best of the Bowl Bash" highlight package that will feature the best plays from all five bowl games FOX will televise in one program produced exclusively for digital distribution.

Most Revealing Interview: At the end of halftime, Auburn Coach Tommy Tuberville told sideline reporter Krista Voda, "We're trying to do much. I can't believe we're still in the ballgame the way we played on offense. We're a little embarrassed after this first half. We're going to play better this second half. We had too much time off to put too much stuff in. I've cut it all the way back. We're going to play football this second half."

Dreaded Glitch: Voda's microphone malfunctioned as she was interviewing Coach Bill Callahan on the sideline prior to kickoff.

Trying Too Hard: Summerall dredged up every possible cliche about Marlon Lucky's last name and used all of them on the Huskers' opening drive of the game: "Lucky, better than lucky," "Lucky is better than that" and "Still Lucky, let's see if he is."

Shades of Last Year: The first video review of the game, when running back Kenny Irons fumbled on a third quarter run. In last year's Alamo Bowl, a Sun Belt Conference officiating crew that took plenty of heat for its shaky performance, including several plays that should have been reviewed but were not.

Shades of Last Year II: When "indisputable video replay evidence' showed Irons was down before he gained a first down that would have allowed Auburn to run out the clock. Callahan had already removed his headset and was preparing for the post-game handshake. Instead, Nebraska got the ball back for a final chance to tie or win the game.

Best Play Not Replayed: Fox Sports cut off the replay too early when Auburn receiver Courtney Taylor had an official's flag thrown into his facemask on a third-quarter pass interference call.

Best Observation: Baldinger correctly noted that Nebraska was ineffective when it tried to use a hurry-up offense. "Every time they've rushed a play today, it has backfired."

Best Comment: "He was the guy jumping over the huddle. Now guys are jumping over him." - Baldinger, talking about Nebraska defensive back Cortney Grixby's inability to defend the pass.

Check the Pronunciation Guide: Summerall had problems pronoucing the last names of Grixby ("GRIZ'bee" and "GRIGS'bee") and Maurice Purify ("Puri-FEE"), while Baldinger referred to former Husker Coach Tom Osborne as "Oz-BORN."

Best Views: A pre-game shot of Grixby leaping into the middle of the Huskers' huddle and a field-level view of Summerall and Baldinger in the Cotton Bowl stadium press box high above.