New Family Members...

CW31 Weekend anchor Kelly Chapman finally had her son Wednesday night which had her husband Jeff James (CBS 13 morning/ noon Meteorologist) worried about when he was going to pop out because his son had made false attempts before, he finally came into this world Wednesday evening and Jeff was filling in that day for Chief Meteorologist Dave Bender and had to have Anny Hong cover for him for the 10 p.m. newscast. Now they are one big happy family.

Heather Hudgens who formerly worked for Good Day Sacramento is temporarily filling in for Kelly while on maternity leave, Heather is now doing Traffic reports for CBS 5 Morning News in San Francisco.

And News10 Good Morning's Melissa Crowley is expecting her second child at age 38 later this summer, while on maternity leave News10's Angel Cardenas will be filling in for her over the summer.

Mayoral Candidates Debate Part. ll

This time it was KCRA's turn to interview the mayoral candidates about their feelings, opinions, and concerns are for the city of Sacramento. The debate was an hour long which took place from 7- 8 p.m. at the KCRA 3 studios in Downtown Sacramento which was hosted by Edie Lambert and Kevin Riggs. The candidates also got the chance to answer themselves questions and also questions asked from viewers and simple questions brought up from KFBK and KCRA. This debate was a bit different than the one News10 hosted earlier this month. News10 had ALL the candidates running for major lined up at the table and each candidate had 30 seconds to respond. KCRA's debate was focused on the two main candidates which have more attention in the race. Either way, very good information for voters who are not sure who to vote for. If you missed the broadcast, you can catch it online at their website at the link provided below.

http://www.kcra.com/mayor/index.html

Want a Job in Local TV News?

FOX40 News is looking to expand their morning news coverage by a few hours. Which they now are hiring for a few openings which include--
*Producers
*Anchors-Host/ Reporters
*Assignment Editor
*Web Producer
*Production Assistants
Of course to apply for these position's copy and paste the link below into your URL and fill out the online application, I have a feeling the FOX40 newsroom will be busy in the mornings now.

http://fox40.trb.com/about/station/jobs/

And this just in Tom Burke, former news director for FOX40 has officially left the building and been replaced by former CBS 13 news executive producer Brandon Mercer. According to some sources, big changes are in store for this shop. Of course when a new general manager comes in, changes definitely occur, and that's what exactly has happen for FOX40.

Back From Last Month

It's been around a month since Eileen Javora broke her arm while with friends. Shes now back and on Memorial day while filling in for Mark Finan for the evening newscast she forecasted the weather with her arm supporter on. Can't think of the name for it at this moment, but I thought it was just interesting how she had it on doing the weather.

Interviews

Its been a while since I featured someone for my interview of the month. After 4 months its back! Hopefully you'll enjoy them every month.

May 2008 Interview with Kurtis Ming

Emmy Award Winner Kurtis Ming has been with KOVR CBS 13 News since 2003. He started off as a general assignment reporter, then to the weekend anchor position, and now he is the Consumer Investigative reporter and has created a new segment titled "Call Kurtis" during the nightly weekday 10 p.m. newscast which helps people get their money back or solve their problems with large companies/ firms. He is the May 2008 interview of the month. Kurtis Ming can be contacted at KMing@kovr.com

Name: Kurtis Ming
Height: 6’4”
Hometown: South San Francisco
Birthday: June 18th
Date Hired: 2003

-First off, what interested you in becoming an anchor/ reporter?
Living through the Loma Prieta Earthquake in 1989. --Realizing reporters had the most important job secondary to the disaster relief, I wanted to be able to research and deliver critical information to viewers when they need it most.

-What college did you go to and major in?
Emerson College in Boston. I majored in Journalism & Public Information.

-What do you normally like to do when not at work in general?
I enjoy spending time with friends, traveling, rafting and camping.

-If you could offer advice to anyone who is interested in becoming a reporter or anchor for TV news, what would you tell them?
It’s a tough business, that is becoming increasingly difficult to survive in. Jobs are being cut, individuals are being required to take on more roles in the news operation. Technology through the internet and DVRs, is making a live TV newscast less relevant. Audiences are shrinking as viewers gather information whenever they want on demand, and online. I would recommend majoring in some other field, with a minor journalism. It’s always good to have an expertise you can fall back on, if you find it tough to survive in TV news. You have to have a passion in finding the humanity in every story, and holding government accountable. Many who start-off in this business just have a desire to be on TV. They often drop out, quickly learning it’s a business that is far from glamorous. If you have the tenacity, drive and passion to dig for information, and tell stories… you will thrive.

-Where was your first TV job and what did you do?
My first TV job was KGO-TV in San Francisco, where I worked behind the scenes researching stories for their consumer advocacy program “Seven On Your Side”. My first on air job was KRCR-TV in Redding, CA where I was a reporter, anchor, weather anchor, producer, editor, writer, photographer and graphics designer. Those were the days.

-What kind of music do you enjoy listening to/ favorite band or artist?
I listen to a variety of music, ranging from Alternative to Top40, to classical. I have no favorites.

-What is your favorite dinner plate/ dessert?
I enjoy a good peppercorn steak, potatoes, mushrooms and gravy… maybe some baked asparagus. I’m also a big fan of gnocchi, and Thai food. As for dessert… put just almost anything in front of me, without coconut, and I’ll eat it.

-If you weren't in the TV news industry, what would you be doing today?
That’s a question I’ve asked myself several times. I’m not sure. I’d love to travel the world and do long form stories on fascinating subjects Americans have never heard about. If you still consider that TV news…. I’d consider teaching journalism or being a kayak guide in some beautiful place.

-What is an interesting/ unique fact about you?
I only attended college in Boston for 2 ½ years. I had such a fascination with this business, I convinced my professors to allow me to finish my degree while working as a reporter. I attended two junior colleges on my off days in Chico and Redding, working as a TV reporter at the age of 20.

-What is the most embarassing thing that has happened to you while live on-air?
Losing it in laughter in Redding, CA. My co-anchor and I found ourselves in a 2 minute long laughing fit as we were reading a couple crime stories on a shooting, stabbing and meth bust. It all started with a mysterious loud noise in the studio, which turned out to be the sound of her brand new designer pen dropping on the desk during the story I was reading. It sounded like a gun shot sound effect. The boss wasn’t too happy.

American Idol

American Idol is coming to an end this Wednesday when America votes for their favorite idol over the phone lines. The end of this season of American Idol is so big that FOX40 News in Sacramento sent out a reporter (Lousia Hodge) to cover it which I'm somewhat surprised because FOX40 rarely sends out reporters to other parts of the U.S like some other stations do in Sacramento. So you can expect a lot of celebrity interviews in the coming nights of FOX40 News, definitely looking foward to it.

ABC News Political Advisor Visits Sacramento

ABC News Political Advisor George Stephanopoulos, who was a former senior advisor to President Clinton, made a stop at the Sacramento Convention Center this afternoon as a guest speaker for the IPC California Circuits Association (CCA) which brings the issue of the California electronics industry to the attention of the State Legislature. After his appearance at the Convention Center, he stopped by the News10's studios to broadcast his commentary of the political race for the ABC world news that broadcasts weeknights nationally at 5:30 p.m. Interestingly after his thoughts on the political race during the show, Charlie Gibson didn't say he was in Sacramento, instead that he was reporting from their Washington bureau.

Protesters in Front of KCRA

Hillary Clinton supporters in Sacramento are expected to demonstarte in front of the KCRA 3 studios Tuesday, May 20th at 5:30 p.m. during the NBC nightly newscast. In fact, Sacramento Clinton supporters aren't just doing this to KCRA, this is a nationwide protest because according to a Clinton support site, says that NBC News displays an "anti-Hillary" bias in its news coverage which is odd because all stations should cover politicians in an equal matter, which i'm sure most do.

He's Back!

John Alston is back now reporting for ABC 7 News in San Francisco, Most likely freelancing. It was great to see him reporting again after he left KCRA in October 2006, and made  a brief appearance on the NBC show Law and Order. To watch his latest report with ABC 7, copy and paste the link into your URL.

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local&id=6119664 

A Look Back Part. II

These are photos of the KCRA studio from a student workshop held at KCRA in March 2006 that i attended. I decided to post these up because they might bring memories from when it was completed in March 2000. Probably the most well known object on this set was the stairs near the weather center. Those stairs are not real and don't lead to anywhere, just make the studio look more 'professional'. Most stations stick with the same set for about 6 years.








Hope you enjoyed these pictures as much as I did =) This was one of the well constructed sets i've seen.

Former Sacramento Reporter

Lisa Amin, who was a reporter for FOX 40 News in Sacramento for two years is now the offical reporter for the South Bay bureau for ABC 7 News in San Francisco. She was freelancing when she joined KGO-TV in December 2007, but now is full time as of March 2008. Its great to see former Sacramento reporters excell.

Former Meteorologist Joins the Conversation

Former News10 Chief Meteorologist Elissa Lynn will be Live_Online on News10.net with Sharon Ito talking about drought preparedness. So far this year and last year we have seen a very dry season state wide and it's become a serious issue that its going to be important that we are conserving our usage of water during brushing our teeth, showering, watering plants and more. Of course the conversation begins at 11am during News10 Midday. Elissa is now with the Department Water Resources which is part of the State of California. Her role is a Senior Meteorologist is to inform the public and media about weather and climate issues. She also works with the National Weather Service quantitative precipitation forecasting group at the California Nevada River Forecast Center. She acts as Department spokesperson for Flood Operations, Water Supply, and Climate Change. Elissa will also be working to update and improve telecommunications for public outreach in Flood Management.

Voices of Sacramento

Every Thursday of the week KCRA 3 goes out into the community and broadcasts live for their 6:30 p.m. newscast which is anchored by Dave Walker and Lois Hart. Every week is a different topic, they interview a few people during the show who are involved in the community or part of an organization which I thought was neat.

These are pictures when they came out to the Oak Park Community Center on Martin Luther King Blvd near South Sac. The broadcast every week is only expected to run through June when the Mayoral elections are held. I'm guessing this broadcast helps people understand issues that are going on in the community.

A Look Back

r
Photos of the previous News10 set have been unleased online at a TV News studio design website. Back then when News10 went by KXTV 10... a new set came in from September 1998- October 2004. I thought these pictures were interesting and brough back memories when I first started watching TV News in summer 2001 in elementary school.



This was my favorite backdrop because of how neat the small trees were actually built on the mountains.

These pictures were takin' in the year 2000, when Kiran Chetry used to co-anchor with Dan Elliott. She looks a lot different now as she is currently with CNN in New York City.

This of course was where the special guest interviews were held. Also News10 Midday at 11am was broadcast here.


Someone commented for a link to the photos, and here it is on the Modular Broadcasting Design company

http://www.mbdtv.com

Mayoral Candidates Debate

Were just about a month away until election day for Mayor of Sacramento and other measures in the county. News10 held a special debate on Wednesday, May 7th, 2008 for viewers to learn more about the candidates running for the mayoral position. It was an hour and 30 minute debate that aired from 6-7 p.m. on News10, and the other 30 minutes were broadcast Live_Online on News10.net and other networking websites in partnership with News10. All of the questions were e-mailed in from viewers wanting to know more of what each candidates thinks of a certian idea or what would they do in their own words. Each canidate had 30 seconds to respond and interestingly Adam Daniel who was running in the race decided to step down and support Heather Fargo who has been the mayor for Sacramento for years already. Above is an older picture of the California Secretary State Building where it was held, and below are recent pictures.
Of course running for candidates are

Heather Fargo


Kevin Johnson


Muriel Strand


Leonard Padilla

-no photo-
Richard Jones

-no photo-
Shawn Eldredge




If you missed the broadcast, you can watch online at the following link provided below
http://www.news10.net/display_story.aspx?storyid=41696

Cancelled

News10 has been sponsering the Strawberry Festival for a few years already and this year it has been cancelled. When I asked one of the anchors, Is it because of a personal matter? Their response...
"No..nothing like that. We just had to make some choices about what to sponsor and that event replicated our efforts to reach viewers in that area. We hardly ever get to Oakdale for stories so the station thought it was important to have a presence at the Chocolate festival"
Maybe next year we'll catch News10 in Placer County for the Strawberry festival which happens every April. The Oakdale Chocolate festival will take place May 17th which runs through the weekend.