East Coast TV News - The News About The News Site TM

After a few years apparently spent exhausting his reality show fame with various Hollywood gigs, former "Survivor: Australian Outback" competitor Jeff Varner will celebrate his birthday Saturday with a new job in TV news. Varner, who was Former "Survivor" contestant Jeff Varner will work for WGHP-8 as weekend anchor. (Courtesy CBS/Survivor)

Former "Survivor" contestant Jeff Varner will work for WGHP-8 as weekend anchor. (Courtesy CBS/Survivor)

voted off the second version of the hit CBS show in its seventh episode, will be a weekend anchor in his hometown market for Fox affiliate WGHP-8. Even though he has not worked in news before, the Greensboro native and UNC-Chapel Hill journalism major said he will work hard now. "I have the label of reality-show contestant tattooed across my face," Varner, in his late thirties, reportedly said in a News & Record interview. "I have a journalism degree, the experience, and I can write better than most producers. But I know I have to work three times as hard because credibility is a big issue." For example, Varner, onetime UNC "cheer team" captain, reportedly French-kissed Rosie O'Donnell for a Saturn car. His perfect day is "a trip to the mountains with someone special" ending with "a jog, a shower, a bottle of Merlot, a ruthless game of backgammon, and great sex," according to his official CBS biography. "Jeff brings to the table charisma, energy, and his strong desire to return home," Ch. 8 news director Karen Koutsky told a reporter. Before "Survivor," Varner worked in the dot-com boom in New York, and has since been a host for the TV Guide Channel and appeared on other reality shows. He is not the first reality TV star with a TV news connection — "Survivor: Marquesas" runner-up Neleh Dennis was a morning reporter for KUTV-2 (CBS) in Salt Lake City for a year. In 2002, Ch. 8 photog Chris Roseboro was on "Fear Factor."

A photographer for WXYZ-7 was barred from a budget speech in a Detroit suburb There's no love lost between WXYZ-7 reporter Steve Wilson and Warren, Mich., officials after one of his reports showing city officials on a "sex trip" to Costa Rica. (Courtesy WXYZ-TV)

There's no love lost between WXYZ-7 reporter Steve Wilson and Warren, Mich., officials after one of his reports showing city officials on a "sex trip" to Costa Rica. (Courtesy WXYZ-TV)

after the station aired a report last year casting some of the city's officials in a bad light. Police reportedly did not allow the cameraman into the convention hall room where Warren's mayor was giving his State of the City address after the cameraman said he worked for Ch. 7. About 100 people were inside, including staffers for five newspapers. Reporter Steve Wilson did a story last year that appeared to show the Warren police chief and a sergeant among others getting friendly with alleged prostitutes in a Costa Rica hotel pool. Wilson, known for suing WTVT-13 in Tampa after lawyers tried to tone down one of his investigations, showed up to the scene, where an adjacent store allowed Ch. 7 to videotape from their property. But, the store apparently reconsidered after a visit from police. The deputy mayor said any other Ch. 7 reporter would have been allowed inside and the mayor recently sent a letter to the station saying "Wilson has an axe to grind against the city of Warren." The city had sent out a press release about the event.

Jim Taricani helped out the bosses with an NBC interview on his first day of freedom. (Courtesy WJAR)

After four months not just confined to his house, but not allowed to give any interviews, Jim Taricani did do some talking on Saturday, his first day this year as a free man. He told the Associated Press that house arrest was better than jail, but still not the greatest. "You're just not free," he said. "You have an ankle bracelet on, you're monitored, your probation officer shows up unannounced. It's taxing." Taricani said he plans to go back to work on Wednesday and continued defending his decision not to reveal his source. "If reporters can't have the opportunity to use confidential sources when they need to, we no longer have a free press," he told the AP. Taricani also taped an interview at NBC in Rockefeller Center for air on "Nightly News" and local stations. He and others have been pushing for a federal reporter shield law since his contempt of court troubles began.

Paul Moriarty, a mayor in New Jersey and former KYW-3 reporter, is running for Assembly. (Courtesy Washington Twp. website)

Paul Moriarty, the former KYW-3 consumer reporter who won an election as mayor in New Jersey, will now be campaigning for a job in the state assembly. Moriarty, the Democratic mayor of Washington Twp., Gloucester County is stepping in to run for the legistlature seat after another candidate dropped out. "Paul will be a very strong candidate," local party leader and state senator Stephen Sweeney told the Inquirer. Republicans, who are putting in a local police chief for the slot, are already seizing on Moriarty's lack of political experience — he has been mayor for just three months. "Do you want to vote for somebody just because they've been on TV in the past, or do you want to vote for somebody who gets things done?" Republican organizer Dave Burnett told the local paper. Moriarty has said he would continue as mayor if he wins as assemblyman. If elected, he would join former Ch. 3 anchor Diane Allen, a state senator, in Trenton.

Beth Troutman is the new co-host on WCCB-18's "Fox News Rising." (Courtesy BethTroutman.com)

After losing a relatively close race for Congress, Beth Troutman is back in the television arena for her next job. Troutman was scheduled to start today as the co-host of WCCB-18's morning news program in Charlotte. The 27-year-old former beauty queen started out of college as a production assistant at "The West Wing" and ran for a North Carolina congressional seat in November. She lost to Robert Hayes by ten percent of the vote. "Fox News Rising" is a two-and-a-half hour chatfest billed as "Charlotte's Most Unusual Morning Show." She replaces Adam Smasher alongside Robin King. In other Ch. 18 news, former weatherman Mark Mathis, fired after entering alcohol rehab, is settling into a new job at KREX-5 in Grand Junction, Colo.

A small Spanish-language news operation went to the people recently looking for its next reporters. WUNI-27, a Worcester-licensed Univision affiliate which airs a low-budget weekday 6 p.m. newscast for Spanish v WUNI-27 recently held auditions to become part of its news team. (Courtesy WUNI)

WUNI-27 recently held auditions to become part of its news team. (Courtesy WUNI)

iewers in the Boston area, held a casting call for new news staffers. According to the Boston Globe, the operation is two years old and looking to expand to 11 p.m. Station officials were looking for people who might have media experience in a foreign country but were working other jobs due to a lack of opportunities, or even newcomers. ''The fact that they don't have an education on broadcast journalism doesn't mean that the doors are closed to them," news director/co-anchor Sara Suarez told the Globe. "They may have natural talent, and the camera may love them."

.: Home .: Sound .: Archive .: E-Mail	Welcome to East Coast TV News APRIL 11, 2005 (last) — Thanks for making ECTVN your source for coverage of the TV news biz — Top News: Survivor's anchor break, TV and government, quiero anchor
	— Today's ECTVN Quotable: "I have a journalism degree, the experience, and I can write better than most producers." -- former "Survivor" contestant Jeff Varner, hired as WGHP-8 anchor with no reported TV news creds
	— Slugs: 'SURVIVOR' ANCHOR - WILSON VS. WARREN - NO REGRETS - TV TO GOVT. - GOVT. TO TV - CASTING CALL
Mover Pei-Sze Cheng Fm: WFSB-3 Hartford N. HAVEN REP. To: WNBC-4 New York REPORTER (more) Tipline Have a story idea for ECTVN? Drop us the dirt in an e-mail.	WGHP hires ex-"Survivor" contestant to anchor After a few years apparently spent exhausting his reality show fame with various Hollywood gigs, former "Survivor: Australian Outback" competitor Jeff Varner will celebrate his birthday Saturday with a new job in TV news. Varner, who was voted off the second version of the hit CBS show in its seventh episode, will be a weekend anchor in his hometown market for Fox affiliate WGHP-8. Even though he has not worked in news before, the Greensboro native and UNC-Chapel Hill journalism major said he will work hard now. "I have the label of reality-show contestant tattooed across my face," Varner, in his late thirties, reportedly said in a News & Record interview. "I have a journalism degree, the experience, and I can write better than most producers. But I know I have to work three times as hard because credibility is a big issue." For example, Varner, onetime UNC "cheer team" captain, reportedly French-kissed Rosie O'Donnell for a Saturn car. His perfect day is "a trip to the mountains with someone special" ending with "a jog, a shower, a bottle of Merlot, a ruthless game of backgammon, and great sex," according to his official CBS biography. "Jeff brings to the table charisma, energy, and his strong desire to return home," Ch. 8 news director Karen Koutsky told a reporter. Before "Survivor," Varner worked in the dot-com boom in New York, and has since been a host for the TV Guide Channel and appeared on other reality shows. He is not the first reality TV star with a TV news connection — "Survivor: Marquesas" runner-up Neleh Dennis was a morning reporter for KUTV-2 (CBS) in Salt Lake City for a year. In 2002, Ch. 8 photog Chris Roseboro was on "Fear Factor." BACK TO TOP TV crew barred from speech after negative report A photographer for WXYZ-7 was barred from a budget speech in a Detroit suburb after the station aired a report last year casting some of the city's officials in a bad light. Police reportedly did not allow the cameraman into the convention hall room where Warren's mayor was giving his State of the City address after the cameraman said he worked for Ch. 7. About 100 people were inside, including staffers for five newspapers. Reporter Steve Wilson did a story last year that appeared to show the Warren police chief and a sergeant among others getting friendly with alleged prostitutes in a Costa Rica hotel pool. Wilson, known for suing WTVT-13 in Tampa after lawyers tried to tone down one of his investigations, showed up to the scene, where an adjacent store allowed Ch. 7 to videotape from their property. But, the store apparently reconsidered after a visit from police. The deputy mayor said any other Ch. 7 reporter would have been allowed inside and the mayor recently sent a letter to the station saying "Wilson has an axe to grind against the city of Warren." The city had sent out a press release about the event. BACK TO TOP Taricani does interviews on first day of freedom After four months not just confined to his house, but not allowed to give any interviews, Jim Taricani did do some talking on Saturday, his first day this year as a free man. He told the Associated Press that house arrest was better than jail, but still not the greatest. "You're just not free," he said. "You have an ankle bracelet on, you're monitored, your probation officer shows up unannounced. It's taxing." Taricani said he plans to go back to work on Wednesday and continued defending his decision not to reveal his source. "If reporters can't have the opportunity to use confidential sources when they need to, we no longer have a free press," he told the AP. Taricani also taped an interview at NBC in Rockefeller Center for air on "Nightly News" and local stations. He and others have been pushing for a federal reporter shield law since his contempt of court troubles began. BACK TO TOP Mayor, ex-KYW reporter running for state office Paul Moriarty, the former KYW-3 consumer reporter who won an election as mayor in New Jersey, will now be campaigning for a job in the state assembly. Moriarty, the Democratic mayor of Washington Twp., Gloucester County is stepping in to run for the legistlature seat after another candidate dropped out. "Paul will be a very strong candidate," local party leader and state senator Stephen Sweeney told the Inquirer. Republicans, who are putting in a local police chief for the slot, are already seizing on Moriarty's lack of political experience — he has been mayor for just three months. "Do you want to vote for somebody just because they've been on TV in the past, or do you want to vote for somebody who gets things done?" Republican organizer Dave Burnett told the local paper. Moriarty has said he would continue as mayor if he wins as assemblyman. If elected, he would join former Ch. 3 anchor Diane Allen, a state senator, in Trenton. BACK TO TOP Fresh off House race, Troutman lands anchor gig After losing a relatively close race for Congress, Beth Troutman is back in the television arena for her next job. Troutman was scheduled to start today as the co-host of WCCB-18's morning news program in Charlotte. The 27-year-old former beauty queen started out of college as a production assistant at "The West Wing" and ran for a North Carolina congressional seat in November. She lost to Robert Hayes by ten percent of the vote. "Fox News Rising" is a two-and-a-half hour chatfest billed as "Charlotte's Most Unusual Morning Show." She replaces Adam Smasher alongside Robin King. In other Ch. 18 news, former weatherman Mark Mathis, fired after entering alcohol rehab, is settling into a new job at KREX-5 in Grand Junction, Colo. BACK TO TOP Spanish station holds casting call for news talent A small Spanish-language news operation went to the people recently looking for its next reporters. WUNI-27, a Worcester-licensed Univision affiliate which airs a low-budget weekday 6 p.m. newscast for Spanish viewers in the Boston area, held a casting call for new news staffers. According to the Boston Globe, the operation is two years old and looking to expand to 11 p.m. Station officials were looking for people who might have media experience in a foreign country but were working other jobs due to a lack of opportunities, or even newcomers. ''The fact that they don't have an education on broadcast journalism doesn't mean that the doors are closed to them," news director/co-anchor Sara Suarez told the Globe. "They may have natural talent, and the camera may love them." BACK TO TOP