It appears that 9News has let meteorologist Marty Coniglio go following his political social media post on Thursday:
9News has removed Coniglio from its website, and, late Friday evening, Coniglio updated his Twitter bio to remove 9News references and posted a pinned Tweet:
Coniglio originally planned to leave 9News on Dec. 30, but some organizational changes at 9News convinced him to remain. Now, seven months later, he is out. Marty Coniglio 9News KUSA fired nazi post
You can expect to see a little less of your favorite 9News reporters and anchors over the next few months. The station’s parent company, Tegna, announced that most employees will be required to take one week of unpaid time off before the end of June.
Additionally, “news directors and station heads of technology will receive a commensurate 8% temporary pay reduction and general managers and corporate senior vice presidents and above will receive a 20% temporary pay reduction,” according to a statement from Tegna.
As a reminder, Tegna raked in $140 million in political ads alone in the 2018 mid-term election season, a number that will no doubt balloon later this year with the upcoming presidential election. Do not expect Tegna to reimburse employees for the lost wages once that revenue bonanza hits.
If you follow anyone from 9News on Facebook or Twitter, you have probably noticed that the on-air talent all got updated photos over the past few weeks. Not everyone had a great experience, though, as Lori Lizarraga noted on Twitter. Credit Lori for speaking up about the issue and using it as an opportunity to educate the photographer, and credit 9News for immediately addressing it.
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.
Following her puff piece on 9News Vice President of News Patti Dennis last month, Denver Post media critic Joanne Ostrow went completely the other direction today when she called out 9News photojournalist Brian Willie for his conflict of interest in serving as a family spokesman in an incident 9News was actively covering. Her lede:
Question: According to journalism ethics, when is it proper for a TV station employee to serve as a spokesperson on a news story the TV station is covering?
Answer: After that employee leaves the media job.
9News sports anchor Susie Wargin is the latest KUSA-TV employee to join the 9News Alumni Association. Wargin, who is leaving the station to pursue a real-estate career, joins Will Ripley, Kirk Montgomery and Amelia Earhart as the most recent high-profile departures.
9News entertainment reporter Kirk Montgomery wasn’t offered a full, one-year contract and is leaving for Lansing, Mich.’s WILX. And former 9News sports anchor and Fox31 news anchor Ron Zappolo is returning to 9News in a move that may give Drew Soicher nightmare flashbacks from when he was unceremoniously drummed out of the San Francisco market.
Bravo to 9News anchor Kyle Clark, whose demand for better snow pictures has made it all the way to CNN.
9News cuts to the chase …
Fox31 and reporter Hendrik Sybrandy may be playing a little defense after 9News fact-checked a recent Fox31 story about an Italian gun manufacturer executive being mistaken for a terrorist and determined the whole thing was a “hoax.”
UPDATE: Fox31 has pulled the online version of its story, but not made any statement about why or offered a correction.
9News anchor and investigative reporter Kyle Clark made headlines locally and nationally on Friday with his interview of President Obama as part of a satellite media tour.
Clark’s questions – on the U.S. consulate attack in Benghazi, Libya; stimulus money for the politically connected, Colorado-based Abound Solar; and the lack of civility in the Presidential race – represented a departure from the softball interview questions sitting presidents usually face in local markets.
Kyle graciously agreed to answer some of my emailed questions about the interview and the wide-ranging reactions to it.
Q: How was the decision made for you to be the one to interview President Obama?
A: As I understand it, the interview was offered to 9NEWS by President Obama’s campaign and our news director, Patti Dennis, asked me to conduct it. I’m not sure why I was selected; I’m not our political reporter, but like any player called off the bench by the coach, I just tucked in my jersey and hit the court.
Q: You have developed a reputation for asking hard-hitting questions, particularly as part of the 9Wants to Know investigative team. Did President Obama’s team push back when they learned you would be the one asking the questions?
A: I’ll be sure to mail you $5 for saying that. If President Obama’s team pushed back about me conducting the interview, I never heard about it.
Q: How did you prepare for the interview and select the questions you would ask?
A: I’m a political junkie who follows the campaigns pretty closely so I had a good idea which issues the candidates had already addressed head-on. We have no shortage of canned political messages on-air in Colorado, so my goal was to ask timely, tough, and fair questions that would elicit previously unheard answers on critical issues like Libya, the use of stimulus money and the tone of the race. I wrote out questions the night before the interview and ran them past about 10 people at 9NEWS to ensure that they were fair and addressed issues of interest. The morning of the interview, I adjusted our question on Libya to reflect recent comments made by Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta to the Associated Press.
Q: President Obama’s answers were perhaps a little longer than you might have expected. What were the next two questions you would have asked him if you’d had the time?
Former 9News investigative reporter Deborah Sherman has launched Media Zone Consulting, an agency focused on media strategy and crisis communications. She is kicking off her grand opening with a “Mile High PR Boot Camp” on Saturday, August 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Former Rocky Mountain News editorial cartoonist Drew Litton offers his view on NBC’s Olympics coverage.
U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman’s redemption tour continues in The Denver Post. Following his mea culpa Op-Ed Wednesday, the Post’s lead editorial Sunday lauds Coffman and fellow U.S. Rep. Jared Polis for their bipartisan approach to defense budget cuts. 9News’ Kyle Clark can’t be happy that he is being squeezed out of a story that 9News broke and he made national.
If your media-training presentation’s example of how not to answer a media question is getting a little dated, here is a new clip you can insert.
Good news: The Denver Post reports that 9News morning anchor Kyle Dyer will return to the airwaves Monday. She has been out on medical leave for the past eight weeks recovering from a dog bit she received during an in-studio interview.
A day after 9News anchor Kyle Dyer was attacked on-camera by a dog, Michael Roberts at Westword contemplates the journalistic integrity of 9News’s decision not to allow anyone – even its own NBC Today Show – to air the clip because it “has been traumatizing for staff members.” Roberts rightly questions whether 9News applies that same standard to individuals not affiliated with the station:
“… Many items shown by TV stations on news broadcasts are traumatizing for the friends and family of the people involved. Think of the late January hit-and-run for which Taylor Jo Mathis was arrested. In that case, 9News and many other outlets in town ran surveillance footage of the car striking two people, with one sent airborne by the impact.”
9News so far has resisted sharing video or photos of the in-studio dog attack on morning anchor Kyle Dyer, but a viewer captured the incident, and has posted it online:
9News morning anchor Kyle Dyer was taken to the hospital this morning for facial wounds suffered when a dog being featured in a news segment attacked her. Kieran Nicholson at The Denver Post has the details.
9News meteorologist Ashton Altieri is on to bigger and better other things. He has been named the weekday morning meteorologist at KXTV in Sacramento.
9News meteorologist Ashton Altieri accidentally hits on the crew at the desk.
9News officially tapped Kim Christiansen to co-anchor its weeknight 9 p.m. newscast with Kyle Clark. Christiansen replaces Bazi Kanani, who has taken a job with ABC News in Nairobi, Kenya.
One by one, Denver’s best television political reporters are leaving. First, CBS4’s Raj Chohan leaves to become a lawyer, and now 9News’ Adam Schrager is leaving today for a job in Wisconsin to be closer to family. Let’s hope Adam’s departure is of the Gregg Moss variety, and that Adam is back in Denver in a year or two.
Eli Stokols, you are officially on the clock.
A shout out to 9News’ Kirk Montgomery, who had the courage to record an anti-bullying PSA based on his own experience as a teen:
(Hat tip: Bill Husted at the Denver Post)
Congratulations to 9News political reporter Adam Schrager and former Colorado House member Rob Witwer for the positive Wall Street Journal review of their new book, “The Blueprint: How the Democrats Won Colorado.”
(Hat tip: Pete Webb)
Congratulations to 9News anchor Cheryl Preheim, whose reporting on Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano was featured last night in a David Letterman bit, “Iceland Volcano Mispronunciation Roundup.“
Good news if you are a fan of business reporting. The rumors swirling the past week that former 9News business reporter Gregg Moss would return to the Denver NBC affiliate have proved true, but with a twist. The Denver Business Journal reports Moss will return to 9News in a part-time role, while continuing to work as a business strategy consultant for the company that previously had lured him away, Alem International Management. Over the past decade, Moss has bounced between 9News and positions with the Fort Worth Business Press, Wiesner Publishing and Alem.
Congratulations to CBS4, which posted its first 10 p.m. newscast ratings win in years. 9News GM Mark Cornetta blamed his station’s second-place performance on “re-runs, specials and football (that) tend to skew the ratings results at this time of year,” but we all know that the real reason CBS4 landed in first place is because of Misty Montano’s twitter presence.
Perpetually underappreciated former 9News anchor/reporter Bob Kendrick’s career death spiral continues. In July, Kendrick took a reporter and occasional weekend anchor position with CHEK News in Vancouver. However, CHEK News was sold to a new owner in September, and Kendrick has now accepted a position as an anchor on the combined ABC/FOX newscast in Columbus, Ohio. Kendrick told the Columbus Dispatch, “I’m thrilled to call central Ohio home. And, yes, I’ve already started practicing my ‘Go Bucks.’ “
My seventh favorite philosopher/theologian Desiderus Erasmus famously said, “In the country of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.” And in that spirit, charisma-challenged former 9News anchor Bob Kendrick has made the move to Canada. Kendrick, whose professional obituary by Westword’s Michael Roberts described him as “steady, reliable and dull,” has landed as a reporter and occasional weekend anchor at CHEK News in Vancouver.
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.”
I’ve often wondered why NBC, CBS, ABC and Fox don’t simply bypass their cash-strapped local affiliates and offer programming directly to viewers via cable and satellite. If ESPN can charge cable and satellite companies $2.50 per month per subscriber, imagine what the Big 4 could charge (they currently receive nothing). Certainly enough to make up for the 12 percent of the population that they would lose because they still view television via over-the-air signals.
Along those lines, Local Newser takes a look at an interesting trend – NBC purchasing “local” Web site domain names in cities such as Denver where NBC does not own a station. Local Newser’s question: Does NBC intend, perhaps, to use its domain “NBCDenver.com” to compete locally against 9News/KUSA?
Meterologist Nick Carter, who was let go from 9News for salary reasons in January, has landed at Fox31.
9News business reporter/anchor Gregg Moss is leaving the station to take the Chief Marketing and Communications Officer position at Alem International Management. Mosss has been at 9News for most of the past decade. The station also announced that reporter Carrie McClure will not return when she takes maternity leave in June. Joanne Ostrow at the Denver Post has all the details.
Former 9News investigative reporter Paula Woodward talks to Michael Roberts of Westword about her decision to leave the station after 32 years.
It took nearly a week to become official, but the Denver Post is now reporting that 9News’ investigative reporter Paula Woodward is leaving the station after 32 years. No official word on CBS4’s Reggie Rivers yet.
We’ve heard rumors for several days that 9News is dumping investigative reporter Paula Woodward, and now the rumor mill has Reggie Rivers out as CBS4’s weekend sports anchor. We’re starting a pool for the last Denver news personality over age 30.
We noted a couple of weeks ago that anchor/reporter Ward Lucas had decided to retire rather than accept another contract from 9News, but it was overshadowed that day by Scripps’ announcement that it would close the Rocky. Today, Joanne Ostrow at the Denver Post provides the details behind Ward’s decision.
9News anchor/reporter Ward Lucas has decided to leave the station, and will anchor his last broadcast this weekend. Also, CBS4 is outsourcing its helicopter operations and, as a result, pilot/personality Mike Silva is being let go. Joanne Ostrow at the Denver Post has the details on both.
9News sports anchor Susie Wargin wins the public relations diplomacy award for her classy response to a rant that appeared in Westword media critic Michael Roberts’s blog that was written by Roberts’ 15-year-old daughter. Wargin has learned what too many CEOs have not yet – you are almost never sorry later on for having taken the high road.
9News meteorologist Nick Carter is the latest Denver television news personality to be axed due to the tough economy. Carter’s contract will not be renewed, and his last day on air will be this Friday. Joanne Ostrow at the Denver Post has the details.
Gannett, the nation’s largest newspaper publisher and owner of 9News (KUSA-TV), My20 (KTVD-TV) and the Fort Collins Coloradoan, announced it will “force thousands of its employees to take a week off without pay in an effort to avoid layoffs.” So we may find out who’s at the bottom of the totem pole at 9News in the coming weeks if the cuts extend to on-air talent.
9News and 7News have reached an agreement to share a news helicopter and on-board cameraman, a move that will help the stations control costs.
And the hits just keep coming. Former 9News sports anchor Kevin Corke has been laid off from NBC’s Washington bureau where he served as the network’s Sunday White House reporter. Corke, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from CU-Boulder, left 9News for ESPN, and later joined NBC. Corke’s NBC colleagues Bob Faw and Jeannie Ohm also were let go.
“Retired” Rocky Mountain News media reporter Dusty Saunders is getting more column inches than … well, name a reporter who still works there. First, Dusty names names (and salaries) on Bob Kendrick’s departure from 9News. Then, Dusty is the first to report that 9News is offering buyouts to employees older than 55 years who have 10 years or more with the station.
And if that weren’t enough, Dusty today digs into the most recent four-week rating period that were measured by “Local People Meters,” the A.C. Nielsen’s new electronic measurement technology. The results:
10 p.m. Monday-Sunday Newscasts
1. 9News/NBC – 16.8 (+0.2 from 2007)
2. CBS4 – 11.5 (-2.5 from 2007)
3. KMGH/ABC – 9.9 (-1.0 from 2007)
It looks like Bob Kendrick is no fan of Dusty Saunders after Dusty guesstimated (incorrectly, Bob asserts) the salaries of various Denver TV newsers. And, no, Steve Saunders wasn’t among those whose salaries were listed.
Dusty Saunders at the Rocky Mountain News conducts the most extensive post mortem to date on Bob Kendrick’s departure from 9News, and concludes that he is a victim of the sagging economy. Dusty also guesstimates the annual salaries of various local news personalities:
Michael Roberts at Westword weighs in on 9News’ curious decision to dump half its top-rated anchor team. Meanwhile, 9News news director Patti Dennis is blaming tough economic times for the decision not to renew Bob Kendrick’s contract (as if his contract was anywhere near those of castmates Adele Arakawa, Kathy Sabine and Drew Soicher), and she says she has “no idea” who Adele Arakawa’s co-anchor will be (or whether she will even have one) going forward. If anyone sees Ernie Bjorkman delivering a bouquet of flowers to Dennis, let us know.
9News anchor Bob Kendrick’s contract has not been renewed and he will leave the station at the end of November when the sweeps end. Details are scarce, but Penny Parker at the Rocky and Joanne Ostrow at the Post have the latest.
KUSA/9News will carry nearly 60 hours of broadcast and online news coverage of the Democratic National Convention. The coverage will appear on both Channel 9 and KTVD/Channel 20, as well as include a six-hour daily live Web cast from the Pepsi Center anchored by Gregg Moss and Shawn Patrick.
The New York Times examines how KUSA/Channel 9 was a pawn in the McCain/Obama advertising wars, and how KCNC/Channel 4 followed along.
KUSA/Channel 9 was the big winner at the 2008 Regional Emmy Award ceremony this weekend. Among the individual awards:
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.
9News sports anchor Drew Soicher calls Carmelo Anthony out for his DUI arrest. Amazingly refreshing to see a hometown sports guy criticize a local sports hero rather than pander to him. 5280‘s Daniel Brogan has the details.
The best part of being a lawyer? You know all the inside tricks.
9News has a little scheudenfraude going on this morning after a Fox31 videographer was arrested early this morning for interfering with police. This 2 a.m. arrest occurred as videographers from several stations were trying to get footage of an SUV that had plunged onto the banks of Cherry Creek.
I’d pay $1,000 to see this happen to KUSA/Channel 9’s Drew Soicher.
Denver Public Relations Blog 