Welcome to East Coast TV News MAY 19,
2005 (<|>)
— ECTVN is FIRST with news of WBAL plagiarism allegation, Levy signoff
— Top News: Levy rides off into the sunset, ex-"Apprentice" does TV news
"Broadcasting has always been my other
woman."
-- Philly anchor Steve Levy, leaving WCAU-10 after 23 years
-- Philly anchor Steve Levy, leaving WCAU-10 after 23 years
Mover
Susan Ware Fm: WUPW-36To: WTVG-13
Toledo
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Mudslinging scandal engulfs reporter covering it
A political power play between Maryland's governor and the head of its largest city could be behind an ongoing
scandal, and now, a new anonymous
note accusing longtime WBAL-11 reporter David Collins of
plagiarism. Maryland-area news organizations have been
investigating disparaging online postings about Mayor Martin O'Malley
(D-Baltimore), a hopeful for governor, which an aide to current Governor Robert Ehrlich
(R-Md.), may have either welcomed or, as Collins has been reporting,
may have been provoked into participating in as an O'Malley scheme to
discredit Ehrlich and his staff.The note, sent to the City Paper, accuses Collins of two instances of sloppy reporting by not crediting the Washington Post and the Montgomery County Gazette for first reporting parts of the online conversation, and further alleges Collins committed outright plagiarism in one story, the City Paper reported. Ch. 11 said it independently obtained information duplicated earlier in the Post and Gazette and did not feel the need to credit them, and that the other case was not plagiarism but likely simply two reporters parroting an official's statement. A Gazette staffer told the City Paper someone is probably trying to stop Ch. 11 from uncovering the story.
Collins says he was sans computer during story
In the case of plagiarism alleged
against WBAL-11's David Collins in an anonymous note to the City Paper,
his defense is ironic. The note said Collins
used copy to introduce a story on Ch. 11's 5
p.m. news on
April 26 that was extremely similar to
a Baltimore Sun report posted online
at about 2 p.m that day, according to the City Paper. "[Senate
candidate] Ben Cardin begins the race with a wealth of support from the
Baltimore political establishment, as well as environmental and women's
groups," Collins said. The Sun story read: "Cardin
begins the race with a reservoir of support among the Baltimore
political establishment, as well as from environmentalists and women's
groups." In a story centering on online correspondence, Collins told
the City Paper he was out of the building and his computer was not
working, so he could not have seen the Sun story. Sun reporter David
Nitkin insists he came up with that sentence. The NBC affiliate has
risen to the top of the Baltimore ratings race in recent years with a
heavy dose of investigations, one of
which netted it a Peabody medal on Monday.
BACK
TO TOP April 26 that was extremely similar to
a Baltimore Sun report posted online
at about 2 p.m that day, according to the City Paper. "[Senate
candidate] Ben Cardin begins the race with a wealth of support from the
Baltimore political establishment, as well as environmental and women's
groups," Collins said. The Sun story read: "Cardin
begins the race with a reservoir of support among the Baltimore
political establishment, as well as from environmentalists and women's
groups." In a story centering on online correspondence, Collins told
the City Paper he was out of the building and his computer was not
working, so he could not have seen the Sun story. Sun reporter David
Nitkin insists he came up with that sentence. The NBC affiliate has
risen to the top of the Baltimore ratings race in recent years with a
heavy dose of investigations, one of
which netted it a Peabody medal on Monday.Ex-"Apprentice" tries her luck at news live shots
While
the two final contestants on the NBC reality show "The Apprentice"
waited to find out which one of them would win tonight, one of the
women already fired by D
onald
Trump knew she would have a job in TV news to go home to — at
least for another couple of weeks. Erin Elmore, who was bounced earlier
this season, was the latest reality star to land a
local news gig when she joined WTLV-12's morning newscast earlier
this month on a tryout basis. She could be offered a longer-term
role if she and the station agree on it, the Philadelphia Daily
News reported. Elmore, a University of Miami broadcasting major, is
doing live reports this month on "Good Morning Jacksonville." "I wanted
my story to touch the community and to encourage people to adopt a
wonderful animal," Elmore wrote on the Ch. 12 website about her first
live hit. "Overall, everything went well and the dogs, cats and bunnies
looked absolutely adorable on the news."
BACK
TO TOPonald
Trump knew she would have a job in TV news to go home to — at
least for another couple of weeks. Erin Elmore, who was bounced earlier
this season, was the latest reality star to land a
local news gig when she joined WTLV-12's morning newscast earlier
this month on a tryout basis. She could be offered a longer-term
role if she and the station agree on it, the Philadelphia Daily
News reported. Elmore, a University of Miami broadcasting major, is
doing live reports this month on "Good Morning Jacksonville." "I wanted
my story to touch the community and to encourage people to adopt a
wonderful animal," Elmore wrote on the Ch. 12 website about her first
live hit. "Overall, everything went well and the dogs, cats and bunnies
looked absolutely adorable on the news." Steve Levy signs off; big sendoff for WCAU anchor
WCAU-10's longest serving anchor signed
off yesterday with full sweeps-month
regalia. 
Steve Levy had a long run as co-anchor
of the station's morning news before the NBC station announced in
December that he was retiring
early to spend more time with his girlfriend building a ranch house in
the Rocky Mountains. Originally slated to sign off in June, Levy has
been a sometime presence since as the station named veteran reporter
Terry Ruggles to his anchor slot, but on Wednesday said his farewells
from the 6 a.m. news. A farewell interview with health reporter Cherie
Bank also headlined the 11 p.m. newscast, but mention of Levy has since
been purged from the Ch. 10 website. Levy, who spent six years doing
sports and weather for WPVI-6 before moving to Ch. 10 in 1982, said he
will still spend most of his time in Philadelphia and thanked viewers
for tuning in. "I will miss communicating with you every day, and want
to thank you again for allowing me to do so," Levy wrote on the
website.
BACK TO
TOPSteve Levy had a long run as co-anchor
of the station's morning news before the NBC station announced in
December that he was retiring
early to spend more time with his girlfriend building a ranch house in
the Rocky Mountains. Originally slated to sign off in June, Levy has
been a sometime presence since as the station named veteran reporter
Terry Ruggles to his anchor slot, but on Wednesday said his farewells
from the 6 a.m. news. A farewell interview with health reporter Cherie
Bank also headlined the 11 p.m. newscast, but mention of Levy has since
been purged from the Ch. 10 website. Levy, who spent six years doing
sports and weather for WPVI-6 before moving to Ch. 10 in 1982, said he
will still spend most of his time in Philadelphia and thanked viewers
for tuning in. "I will miss communicating with you every day, and want
to thank you again for allowing me to do so," Levy wrote on the
website.Third-place Colorado station looking for respect
The
staffers of Colorado's ratings also-ran are eager for recognition
for a recent upswing, if you believe two reports out today. KMGH-7
reporter
John Ferrugia bristles
at not getting newspaper credit for breaking
news that state officials are investigating local car dealerships in a
story in the Rocky Mountain News. Ferrugia says the Denver Post on
Friday credited the probe to a KUSA-9 investigation that had yet to
air. The Post and Ch. 9 have a news partnership. Meanwhile, Ch. 7
general manager Darrell Brown says he is happy
with the station's progress under his year-and-a-half reign. "We've
taken the station back to a neutral position, which is great," he tells
the Westword, which notes "Denver dailies didn't ballyhoo" the ABC
affiliate's 5
p.m. win in February. That newscast follows "Oprah."News Flashes: Meet El Press; Good citizen WPIX
Univision is planning a new
political talk show. "Puento de Encuentro con Jorge Ramos,"
anchored by the nightly news co-anchor, will air Sundays at 10 a.m.
from Washington. The Spanish network is also doing a late-night 12 a.m.
show. A
California mental patient who has admitted to threatening mass killings
at KNSD-39
was not
arraigned as scheduled this week for a separate hostage incident.
Martin Jauregui, 23, was deemed incapable of appearing in 
court.
WPIX-11 was feted with a Values award by
owner Tribune at a shareholder meeting
Wednesday. Ch. 11 used a satellite uplink to connect some troops and
their New York-area families while reporter Marvin Scott was embedded
in Iraq over the holidays.
Robert Feder's TV column is celebrating
a quarter-century in Chicago. Feder notes Oprah's arrival, Jesse
Jackson's WBBM-2 boycott, Deborah Norville leaving, the Jerry Springer
debacle at WMAQ-5, and the end of Bozo were big events in his 25 years
at the Sun-Times.
Austin's KXAN-36 is generating some
buzz with an undercover-camera sweeps story on how easy it can be
to get into and stay in schools. The Chronicle reports this story idea
was circulated in the TV producer newsletter IdeasAdvantage. A
small Arkansas PBS station limped
its way to static on Monday. "Pine Bluff Morning" did not get its
good-bye after a technical failure drove KIPB-65, which says it can't
afford to leave the Chs. 60-69 band, off the air ahead of schedule.