New in Town!

Rick Boone is the newest edition to join FOX40 Morning News! He started last week and now co-anchors the show. He comes from KTAL-TV NBC in Shreveport, Louisiana where he was the main anchor. You can catch a mini interview conducted by Bethany Crouch by clicking on the link below!

http://www.fox40.com/pages/fox40_live

Sacramento... on the Oprah Show

Lisa Ling and a production crew were in Sacramento last week covering a story about a family who lost their home because of the housing crises, and another story on the homeless situation around Downtown Sacramento. The show will air next week Wednesday, February 25, at 4 p.m. on KCRA.

Now Online!

You can now get a look behind the scenes at FOX40 through their 24 hour webcast online! There are two web cams, one in the control room and the other in the newsroom.

If your interested you can view them followed by the link below, and they are located at the bottom right of the page. Sometimes they get interrupted so you wont be able to view.

http://www.fox40.com/pages/fox40_live

San Joaquin Bureau Reporters Move Up

KCRA moved up reporter Sharokina Shams late last year from reporting in the Modesto area to now in Sacramento.

And News10's Cornell Barnard is also reporting in Sacramento now, rather in the Modesto area as well.

If your not aware both stations already have reporters in the area, in their Stockton bureaus... Tim Daly (News10) and Rich Ibarra (KCRA).

KCRA Update

Political reporter Kevin Riggs is now anchoring the morning editions of KCRA on the weekends and still reporting three days a week.

Teo Torres is general assignment reporting three days a week and anchoring the evening weekend editions.

Not sure how he does it, but Walt Gray is now anchoring the 5 p.m. newscast along with Edie Lambert AND anchoring the 5-7 a.m. broadcast.

Also reporters Leticia Ordaz and Sharokina Shams are now reporting weekday mornings rather than in the afternoon/ evenings.

And Anchor/ Reporter Pamela Wu will be leaving KCRA to work for the Dean at UC Davis School of Law as a Director of Marketing and Communications... She starts next week!

Political Reporter Leaves News10

News10 political reporter Marcey Brightwell is no longer with News10, she left in January 2008 to Rose and Kindel Grayling Communications, a Sacramento lobbying firm as a Deputy Managing Director . "Standing in the hallways for hours at a time, referring to Big Five budget meeting takeouts, "I figured I just can't do this for another year." Said Brightwell in a statement to the bee. Prior to joining News10 in October 2001 (which I do remember that newscast) she was a Bureau Chief/Political Correspondent for Capitol Television News Service (CTNS) since 1994.

Amgen tour of California

Photo: sabcee.com
Thousands of people lined up for the Amgen Prologue tour that ran through Downtown Sacramento Saturday morning to see some of the biggest names in cycling which included Lance Armstrong. Over a hundred police officers were on hand to control the crowds, but no arrest or drama was made. Many roads were also blocked off which kept traffic around Downtown Sacramento extremely slow. The Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau estimated with all these people in town it will bring in $8.5 million in revenue.



Photo: sacbee.com

February 2009 Interview Rowena Shaddox

Rowena Shaddox is a general assignment reporter for KTXL FOX40 News in Sacramento. She first worked as an assignment editor at FOX40, for 3-1/2 years, but started reporting on-air six months after she started on the assignment desk. Prior to that she worked for the Daily Republic Newspaper in Fairfield, where she covered the crime beat for 11 years. Shaddox can be seen live during the 10 p.m. newscast throughout the week. She can be contacted at rowena.shaddox@fox40.com

Name: Rowena Lugtu-Shaddox
Height: 4'11 AND 3/4 inches
Hometown: San Francisco
Birthday: November 9

1. What decided you to take a reporting position while working at the desk?
My news director at the time I started, knew my goal was to report on T.V. He felt it would be a good way to become familiar with all the T.V. jargon, along with getting to know how T.V. news worked, if I started on the assignment desk.

2. What is an interesting/ unique fact most viewers don't know about you?
I was a background dancer in an MTV video back in the day, for a new wave group call The Units. My coworkers get a kick out of watching it today on YouTube! I was also with a professional dance company in San Francisco at that time.

3. What was your most embarrassing moment live on air?
Thank God, so far, I really don't have any since I've only been going live since last July. But if I had to say something, it would be my toss a few weeks ago about Clint Eastwood's movie Gran Torino. The words spewed out of my mouth, and I had no idea what I was talking about. My producer said my facial expression was very funny, once my package ran and I was off air for the moment.

4. If you weren't in the Journalism field today, what would you be doing?
Probably just spending more time with my family, doing more domestic/mom things.

5. What's your favorite singer/band or type of music?
Madonna, Earth, Wind & Fire. But really anything you could dance to.

6. Where did you attend school and major in?
University of San Francisco - BA in Mass Media Communications

7. What types of food's do you enjoy?
Japanese, Italian, Mexican!

8. Most people don't know who Wyatt is... could you explian? (lol)
Wyatt is my adorable German shepard/basset hound mix. Patrick and I were on assignment near Modesto, to cover an animal rescue in Stanislaus County. I asked for the cutest doggy to do my standup with, and they handed me Wyatt. I adopted him three days later!! I love, love, love him!!

9. Do you have any advice for someone who wants to be a TV reporter while in school?
Take advantage of any internships that come your way. Although you may be extremely busy, take the time somehow to fit that into your schedule. You'll benefit from it. If there is a school newspaper, volunteer to do any writing assignments. Write as much as you can. Your reporting will be so much better if you have a solid writing background.

10. Lastly, what was your first job while in high school or college?
Working at the Serramonte Mall in Daly City, at Expressions. It was a really cool stationery shop where lots of my friends worked.

News Director Out...

Emmy Award-Winning Stacy Owen has been the news director at News10 for almost 4 years and will be leaving the station at the end of February. "When I came to Sacramento, I had the goal of taking News10 to No. 1," Owen said in a statement to the Sacramento Bee. "I came, and I did that and transformed it to a multimedia news organization. I've accomplished what I set out to do." Prior joining News10 in August of 2005, she worked over 10 years at KRON 4 in San Francisco. Right now they are looking for a news director, and its unsure where Owen is off to next. I was thankful to meet Owen in early 2007 during a job shadow at the station and chat for a few moments.