Category: Fox31

Torres Lands At Fox31 After Leaving 9News

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Former 9News reporter storyteller Kevin Torres – who may or may not have been fired for a traffic citation that occurred in a station-owned vehicle – has landed a try-out with Fox31, according to The Denver Post’s Joanne Ostrow. From Torres’ Facebook page:

EXCITING NEWS to share: I will be staying in Colorado and joining the amazing news team over at FOX31 and Colorado’s Own Channel 2! To say I’m ecstatic would be an understatement. FOX31 was just named ‘Best Newscast’ by the Colorado Broadcasters Association this past weekend. The legacy both stations hold in this market can’t be matched.

Fox31’s Hubbard Returning to Denver

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Former Fox31 anchor and Westword “Best Hair on a Male Anchor” winner Jeremy Hubbard is returning to Denver following a stint at ABC’s overnight “World News Now.” Hubbard will co-anchor the 7 pm newscast on KWGN-2 and the 10 pm newscast on Fox31.

“My wife and I have a new baby, seven-month-old Charlie, and we can’t wait to raise him in Denver…the greatest city in America,” said Hubbard.

(Hat Tip: Denver Media Watch)

Bar & Grilled: Ron Zappolo

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Fox31 anchor Ron Zappolo is the subject of Bill Husted’s “Bar & Grilled” column this morning. One interesting quote:

If you listen to the smart guys, they say (the future of local TV news is) not very bright. There will always be local news, but the face of it is going to change. I don’t think you’re going to see people like me anymore, people who spend 35 years in one market. You’re going to see a lot more young people with shorter deals, more turnover. I’m a survivor. People ask me what I’ve accomplished and I say, “I survived.”

Fox31’s Vittert Named Fox News’ Middle East Correspondent

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Fox31 weekend anchor Leland Vittert is the latest Denver television news personality to make the move to a national spot. Vittert has been named Fox News’ Middle East correspondent and will be based in Jerusalem.

As the Denver Post’s Bill Husted points out, Vittert follows Bill O’Reilly, Phil Keating, Jeremy Hubbard, Tom Costello, Thanh Truong, Kevin Corke and Harry Smith as local personalities who have made the move to the national stage.

‘So Long Suckers,’ Says Fox31’s GM Leonard

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After 18 months of slashing and burning the Fox31 and KWGN/Channel 2 news departments to the tune of 30-40 layoffs, Fox31 GM/VP Dennis Leonard is “ready to re-evaluate (his) priorities” and will be leaving the station.

It’s hard to pick my favorite Dennis Leonard moment, but here are a few finalists:

Westword: Fox31 Stars ‘Go from Anchors to Skank-ers’

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When 303 Magazine announced its recent “Gentleman’s Issue” featuring nude local marketing directors, I wrote it off as the desperate last gasp of a magazine being squeezed to death by 5280 and Denver Magazine. But now Denver Magazine has followed suit with its own “Men’s Issue,” and Michael Roberts at Westword has called out Fox31 GM Dennis Leonard for allowing anchors Libby Weaver and Natalie Tysdal to transform themselves from “anchors to skank-ers” for the cover photo shoot.

Denver News Channels Unveil ‘Pool Coverage’ System

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It’s no secret that the news resources of local television affiliates are stretched thin. Layoffs have hit every station, and the Fox31/WB2 “marketing agreement” looks to be the future of local news. But it was still surprising to see the details that Pete Webb of Webb PR shared of a new “pool coverage” system that Fox31, 9News, KMGH7, CBS4 and Univision are implementing.

Starting today, the five stations will pool coverage of up to three events per day. The pool is on a rotating basis with each station responsible one day a week. The assignment desks will join a conference call each morning at 8:30 a.m. to determine which events will be covered by a pool representative, and the resulting raw video will be sent to all stations at 3 p.m. According to Webb, the arrangement “is intended for newsworthy events that all the stations would customarily cover on their own, such as gubernatorial news conferences, the Mayor’s State of the City, product launches, events.”

Says Webb, “My fervent hope is that we’ll see more enterprise reporting, now that crews are being freed up, but I’m not holding out much hope. More likely, viewers will see more of the same, with identical footage on each broadcast. That doesn’t reward creativity, enterprise, or just good old fashioned newsgathering, and it doesn’t reward the viewer.”

Post: Ernie Bjorkman, 25 Other Staffers Let Go at CW2

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The details of the CW2 layoffs are starting to emerge, and Joanne Ostrow at the Denver Post reports that more than 25 staffers are being let go. Anchor Ernie Bjorkman, a fixture of Denver television news for 26 years, is the highest-profile employee to be let go, although he will remain on the air for the next three months.

UPDATE: And, gracious to the end, Fox 31’s Dennis Leonard (yes, the guy who discovered John Mayer, Maroon 5 and Five for Fighting) has wasted no time marginalizing Ernie Bjorkman. Here is Ernie’s CW2 bio prior to the layoff announcement, and here is the new-and-improved version.

CW2 News Staff Gets Foxed; Layoffs ‘Significant’

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We noted last month that the Fox31/CW2 news “marketing agreement” would likely result in layoffs, and today we have learned those layoffs will be “significant.” A CW2 official confirmed that news director Carl Bilek was among those notified today they are being let go, but the official refused to discuss whether any on-air personalities have been affected. Mark Harden at the DBJ has the details.

Expect Layoffs As Part of the Fox31, CW2 Deal

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The consolidation continues. Fox31 and CW2 today announced a “marketing agreement” effective Oct. 1 that will have the two stations sharing news, sales, operations and engineering services. CW2 also will relocate from its Greenwood Village headquarters to the Fox31 building downtown. Fox31 GM Dennis Leonard confirmed what everyone already knew: layoffs are coming. Said Leonard: “(We are) evaluating how things will change, (including) evaluating the talent and people we have on both sides.” 

Interestingly, neither Fox31 or CW2 has the news on its Web site yet, but you can see the coverage here: Denver Post, Denver Business Journal, 9News, MediaWeek, Westword.

Product Placement Hits the Morning News Shows

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The local Fox affiliate in Las Vegas has signed a product placement deal with McDonald’s that puts two cups of the fast-food chain’s iced coffee on the desk in front of the anchors. But fear not. The Fox news director assures viewers that the “nontraditional revenue source” won’t impact his station’s reporting. How long until Ron and Libby are sipping after-dinner cappuccinos provided by Starbucks between stories?

2008 Regional Emmy Award Winners

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KUSA/Channel 9 was the big winner at the 2008 Regional Emmy Award ceremony this weekend. Among the individual awards:

  • KUSA/Channel 9’s Nelson Garcia, winner of the journalistic enterprise trophy
  • KUSA/Channel 9, winner of the overall station excellence and interactivity award
  • KUSA/Channel 9’s Adam Schrager, winner of the award for general assignment reporting
  • KMGH/Channel 7’s Anne Trujillo, winner for best news anchor
  • KMGH/Channel 7’s Mike Landess, winner for his report on prostate cancer 
  • KMGH/Channel 7’s Tony Kovaleski, winner for his investigative report on the Denver Jail
  • KCNC/Channel 4’s Brian Maas, winner for his investigative report on airplane de-icing
  • KCNC/Channel 4’s Vic Lombardi, named as best sports anchor
  • KDVR/Channel 31’s Sari Padorr, winner for her serious news features

And congratulations to the four inductees of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ Silver Circle for 25 years of service: KWGN/Channel 2 anchor Ernie Bjorkman, KCNC/Channel 4 reporter Suzanne McCarroll, KUSA/Channel 9 anchor Ward Lucas and KRMA/Channel 6 PBS president and GM James Morgese.