Archive Date 2015-09-11
HIGH AND DRY Sam Champion tried to return to ABC News when it became clear that his Weather Channel morning show was a flop, but his former "Good Morning America" bosses told him there ...
Author: newsblues_admin
Mrs.B-Archive-09-11-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." Mrs. B wonders if youre excited about seeing todays list of fractured phrases. Could this be the highlight of your day? Enough idle ...
Archive Date 2015-09-10
WEATHERING THE BUNDLE The Weather Channel is canceling Sam Champions ill-advised morning newscast, replacing reality shows with more weather coverage, cutting TV production costs, and laying off some staffers in sweeping changes announced yesterday. ...
Mrs.B-Archive-09-10-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." Before we get to todays list of fractured phrases, lets look at the difference between refugees and migrants, as the EU struggles with ...
Archive Date 2015-09-09
CONFLICTS AHEAD Media General Inc. yesterday agreed to pay $3.1 billion for Meredith Corp. in order to take full advantage of the virtual treasure chest of political advertising dollars in the battleground states of ...
Mrs.B-Archive-09-09-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." Lets look at another list of fractured phrases just to be sure youre not using one of them. The correct phrases are in ...
Archive Date 2015-09-08
WRONG-WAY PAULA Paula Lopez Ochoa, 50, the longtime primary news anchor at KCOY-12-CBS and KEYT-3-ABC in Santa Barbara (Market #124), was jailed Sunday night after the California Highway Patrol says she drove the wrong ...
Mrs.B-Archive-09-08-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." It can be embarrassing to find out youve been saying a phrase wrong. So take a minute to check todays list of fractured ...
Archive Date 2015-09-04
TV TERRORISM Has the business of local TV news become more dangerous? Or are young journalists just freaked out by the recent events in Roanoke? Many of us remember when being on television was ...
Mrs.B-Archive-09-04-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." Mrs. B puts on her history hat today, in preparation for Labor Day on Monday. The tradition got its start in 1882, when ...
Archive Date 2015-09-03
DEMEANING AND INSULTING Its the question everyone is asking. Why would toy giant Hasbro produce a collectible with the same name as a Fox News anchor? It would appear the American multinational toy and ...
Mrs.B-Archive-09-03-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." Lets be sure these often-heard phrases come out the way you want them to. Those in italics, on the left, are the misspeaks. ...
Archive Date 2015-09-02
REPLY TO ALL "Wake Up with Al," the early morning show for the past six years on The Weather Channel featuring Al Roker and Stephanie Abrams, will go off the air September 25. According ...
Mrs.B-Archive-09-02-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." Every now and then Mrs. B likes to go over some lists of words and phrases with you that sometimes get lost in ...
Archive Date 2015-09-01
NEWS SHUTTERED Spanish-language KWHY-22 "MundoMax" in Los Angeles canceled its 5 and 10 p.m. newscasts yesterday and laid off the entire news, marketing, and sales staff. Between 50 and 60 people lost their jobs. ...
Mrs.B-Archive-09-01-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." If youve been waiting with bated breath for Mrs. Bs next lesson, let it out. When you do something with bated breath, that ...
Archive Date 2015-08-31
MIND OF A MURDERER Coverage of last weeks double murder in Virginia began with Twitter alerts and a YouTube video of WDBJ-7-CBSs actual live shot. The reporting then followed the predictable arc of misinformation ...
Mrs.B-Archive-08-31-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." Is there a difference between Hispanic and Latino? Thats what several of Mrs. Bs readers have asked. The terms overlap in their meaning, ...
Archive Date 2015-08-28
MISPLACED CONCERN Color us bemused by the sudden concern for the safety of local news crews. Wednesdays double-murder in Virginia had nothing to do with journalism, and everything to do with a deranged narcissist ...
Mrs.B-Archive-08-28-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." One in any number always takes a singular verb. Mrs. B would have to circle in red the plural verb in this New ...
Archive Date 2015-08-27
LIVE SHOT DEAD Vester Flanagan, 41, known professionally as Bryce Williams, was a former television reporter with a history of conflicts at work that were apparently stoked by racial and homophobic grievances. Yesterday morning, ...
Mrs.B-Archive-08-27-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." In a follow-up to the "have got" lesson, Mrs. B defers to her most reliable language reference book, Garners Modern American Usage. The ...
Archive Date 2015-08-26
Late Breaking LIVE SHOT DEATHS Alison Parker, 24, a reporter at WDBJ-7-CBS in Roanoke (Market #67), and her photog, Adam Ward, 27, were shot and killed during a 6:45 a.m. live shot Wednesday at ...
Mrs.B-Archive-08-26-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." The best thing about Mrs. Bs job is hearing from her readers, like this from a meteorologist in Orlando: I hear this all ...
Archive Date 2015-08-25
STEPPING ASIDE Byron Harris, the award-winning investigative reporter for more than 40 years at Tegnas WFAA-8-ABC in Dallas (Market #5), will retire in October on his 69th birthday. His trophy case could buckle the ...
Mrs.B-Archive-08-25-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." Heres a pronunciation question for you. How do you say divisive? It means something that causes disagreement or hostility between people. Mrs. B ...
Archive Date 2015-08-24
ACCIDENTALLY FIRED ESPNs crack NFL reporter Adam Schefter, who seems to always be on the phone and can often be seen texting during an on-air segment, rose Friday morning to zero new emails on ...
Mrs.B-Archive-08-24-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." Mrs. B knows you have important places to go and important people to see, but please take a minute to check your pronunciation ...
Archive Date 2015-08-21
OUT WITH THE OLD Top-ranked Scripps-owned WPTV-5-NBC in Palm Beach (Market #38) has blown up the markets longest-running anchor team. Roxanne Stein and John Favole have fronted the stations morning newscast for 21 years. ...
Mrs.B-Archive-08-21-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." What a joy to hear from readers like this South Carolina reporter: Hi Mrs. B — Quick question for you: when is it ...
Archive Date 2015-08-20
TACO DON AND HOLLYWOOD BRAD For months, the rent on a commercial storage unit in Fort Myers went unpaid. The warehouse staff was unable to contact the renter. So, on June 25, the contents ...
Mrs.B-Archive-08-20-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." Do you remember what an irregular verb is? That means it doesnt form its past tense by adding -ed. Shake is an irregular ...
Archive Date 2015-08-19
READY, SET, GO It seems to be a good time to be in the set design business. Sinclairs WJLA-7-ABC in DC (Market #8) will move into a temporary set at cable sister-station NewsChannel 8 ...
Mrs.B-Archive-08-19-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." Mrs. B wants to get a couple of things straight today. The noun "kind" is singular. So, say or write "this kind" or ...
Archive Date 2015-08-18
CASE DISMISSED An Arizona appeals court has upheld a Maricopa County judge who dismissed a lawsuit against Fox News Channel earlier this year on First Amendment grounds. As you may recall, JoDon Romero stole ...
Mrs.B-Archive-08-18-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." When Mrs. B heard a CNN correspondent say this, she knew it was time for a "these ones" lesson: These ones are known ...
Archive Date 2015-08-17
COLD WAR DECLARED "There is a full-blown cold war now between Donald Trump and Fox News," reported CNNs Brian Stelter on Sundays "Reliable Sources." Last Monday, Trump and Roger Ailes appeared to strike a ...
Mrs.B-Archive-08-17-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." One of Mrs. Bs readers who says she needed to vent writes: Have they changed the rules of grammar since I went to ...
Archive Date 2015-08-14
NO WARNING Nicolle Wallace, the former communications chief for President George W. Bush, tells Variety she learned that she had been fired from "The View" by reading about it in Variety. "I loved the ...
Mrs.B-Archive-08-14-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." Sometimes people get conscience and conscious mixed up. Just in case youve ever been one of those people or might be one of ...
Archive Date 2015-08-13
CABLE CATNIP Getting Donald Trump to appear on your show may be great for ratings, but are journalists refusing to ask tough questions because of the potential for backlash from Trump supporters? Fox News ...
Mrs.B-Archive-08-13-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." Lets talk about cement and concrete today. Mrs. B hopes you know they arent the same thing, but if youre having any doubt ...
Archive Date 2015-08-12
THE TROUBLE WITH DONALD Donald Trump has single-handedly beaten back the August news doldrums, and no one is benefiting more from his unhinged behavior than Fox News. The networks telecast of last weeks Republican ...
Mrs.B-Archive-08-12-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." A note before we begin todays lesson. Earlier this week, China devalued its currency, the yuan. Its pronounced you-ahn. Continuously means uninterrupted. Continually, ...
Archive Date 2015-08-11
CHILLING THE DONALD Until Thursdays Republican presidential debate, Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes and Donald Trump had been executing one of the most successful examples of media synergy in recent memory. But the Trump-Ailes ...
Mrs.B-Archive-08-11-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." When Mrs. B read this, she thought it might be a good time to review some plurals: Just as the best lawyers aren?t ...
Archive Date 2015-08-10
ALL-AMERICA HERO Frank Gifford, the All-America football hero from Southern California who became a Pro Football Hall of Famer with the New York Giants and then tackled a brilliant career as an announcer for ...
Mrs.B-Archive-08-10-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." News and views rhyme. Really. If youve been saying nooz, Mrs. B hopes youll do a pronunciation adjustment. And that W that probably ...
Archive Date 2015-08-07
FAKE NEWS FAREWELL Did anyone else notice how the Republican presidential debate on Fox News ended a few minutes late…cutting into the start of Jon Stewarts final "The Daily Show"? Probably just a coincidence. ...
Mrs.B-Archive-08-07-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." Resolutions, amendments, ordinances, and rules are adopted or approved. Bills are passed. Look at this headline from WTVDs website: North Caroline Legislature Passes ...
Archive Date 2015-08-06
FAKE NEWS KING Tonight in Cleveland, the crowded Republican primary race will begin in earnest with the first day of debates, live on Fox News. The perfect Jon Stewart moment. But Stewart wont be ...
Mrs.B-Archive-08-06-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." Lets look at two expressions that have the same root word but have different meanings: bullying and bully pulpit. Bullying is treating someone ...
Archive Date 2015-08-04
THE COX PAYOFF Another day, another fawning profile of Martha Sugalski on the front page of the compliant Orlando Sentinel. This Friday, Sugalski is expected to (drum roll, please) reveal her move across the ...
Mrs.B-Archive-08-04-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." Some pronouns are always singular, and neither is one of them. For example: ~Neither of the cameras is working. These are other pronouns ...
Archive Date 2015-08-03
A TOUGH DECISION Even though a federal grand jury declined to indict Renee Chenault-Fattah, the longtime 4 and 6 p.m. anchor at NBC-owned WCAU-10-NBC in Philadelphia (Market #4), prosecutors say she participated in a ...
Mrs.B-Archive-08-03-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." The picture of a couple of adorable puppies in her local paper tugged at Mrs. Bs heart strings, but the caption made her ...
Archive Date 2015-07-31
ALL ACT SURPRISED MSNBC yesterday announced sweeping changes to its afternoon lineup that will clear the way for Brian Williamss return. Today will be the final appearance for "The Cycle" (Abby Huntsman, Tour? Neblett, ...
Mrs.B-Archive-07-31-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." It was in July of 1965 that, under the leadership of President Johnson, Congress created Medicare under Title XVIII of the Social Security ...
Archive Date 2015-07-30
UNINDICTED CO-CONSPIRATOR Renee Chenault-Fattah, the longtime 4 and 6 p.m. anchor at NBC-owned WCAU-10-NBC in Philadelphia (Market #4), has taken a leave of absence after her husband, Congressman Chaka Fattah (D., Pa.), was indicted ...
Mrs.B-Archive-07-30-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." Whos is a contraction of the pronoun who and the verb is, as in: ~Whos going to do the headlines from the newsroom? ...
Archive Date 2015-07-29
RAZOR-THIN FAUX GOLD Brendan Keefe, the chief investigative reporter at Tegnas WXIA-11-NBC in Atlanta (Market #9), fired back yesterday at those who criticize him for hoarding Emmy awards. "An Emmy is a tangible acknowledgement ...
Mrs.B-Archive-07-29-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." A media consultant in Sarasota has a question for Mrs. B that you might have too: Is this really right? The billionaire real ...
Archive Date 2015-07-28
NOT TO WORRY We told you yesterday that Comcasts NBCUniversal had downgraded the value of its investment in The Weather Channel from $335 million to just $86 million, a $252 million "impairment charge" resulting ...
Mrs.B-Archive-07-28-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." This Panama City anchors quandary might be one you have too: As you can imagine, we do a lot of weather stories. I ...
Archive Date 2015-07-27
NEWS RETURNS Try to follow along here. Fourteen years ago, at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, July 17, 2001, bosses from the Communication Corp. of America called an all-hands on deck meeting at WEVV-44-CBS/Fox in ...
Mrs.B-Archive-07-27-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." Alleged is a word that may be creeping into your copy when it doesnt belong, like this: Evansville police have arrested a 25-year-old ...
Archive Date 2015-07-24
CULPABLE CONDUCT The wife of former "60 Minutes" correspondent Bob Simon has sued Skyline Credit Ride, the limousine company that owned the Lincoln Town Car that crashed in February, killing Simon. This week, the ...
Mrs.B-Archive-07-24-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." Anniversary means returning yearly. So "one-year anniversary" is redundant, as in this excerpt from theSkimm: Last week was the one year anniversary of ...
Archive Date 2015-07-23
REBUILDING DAYTIME MSNBC is expected to announce today sweeping changes to its afternoon lineup that will clear the way for Brian Williamss return. The network will cancel "The Cycle" (Abby Huntsman, Tour? Neblett, Ari ...
Mrs.B-Archive-07-23-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." If Mrs. B hadnt checked under the hood, she might have driven off with the kitten nestled on the engine. See how that ...
Archive Date 2015-07-22
PLAYING AT NEWS You can put a fork in "the giant petri dish for news innovation." Its done. Eighteen months after launching a bold corporate initiative to re-engineer the traditional TV newscast, Fox-owned WJZY-46-Fox ...
Mrs.B-Archive-07-22-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." Surplusage. Mrs. B gets all tingly-toed saying that word. Its one newswriting coach Merv Block introduced to her. Surplusage means excess, more than ...
Archive Date 2015-07-21
INTERNAL MELTDOWN Gawker Medias two top editors resigned Monday following the companys decision to remove a highly controversial post from the website, a move that the editors described as an "unacceptable and unprecedented breach ...
Mrs.B-Archive-07-21-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." Mrs. B wants to go over a common usage mistake, or maybe its just a spelling issue. One of the meanings of lose ...
Archive Date 2015-07-20
AIRBORNE STORM CHASERS Aircraft dispatched to drop chemicals or water on at least five western wildfires over the past month have had to divert after crews on the ground spotted drones hovering in their ...
Mrs.B-Archive-07-20-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." Someone may have told you once that youll sound more educated or more sophisticated if you use words like "utilize" and "purchase" instead ...
Archive Date 2015-07-17
SAVED BY THE LORD Rick DAmico, an "Emmy Award winning Television Newscaster" at Fox-owned KSAZ-10 in Phoenix (Market #13), was on his way to work yesterday when he tangled with a wrong-way driver. DAmico ...
Mrs.B-Archive-07-17-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." Mrs. B found this in her emailbox: I actually heard an anchor say "anyways" during a transition to a weather reporter. Youre not ...
Archive Date 2015-07-16
BURN ME ONCE At least two Bay Area TV insiders scoff at a report earlier this week by blogger Rich Lieberman, who breathlessly noted that former news anchor Dana King would "strongly" consider coming ...
Mrs.B-Archive-07-16-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." A euphemism is a nice-sounding word substituted for one that is harsh or ugly. Most are evasive at best and deceitful at worst. ...
Archive Date 2015-07-15
FOUND AND LOST? Cops in Texas arrested Joe Frank Washington, 41, last week and charged him with making threatening phone calls to KXXV-25-ABC in Waco (Market #87). Washington left more than a dozen angry ...
Mrs.B-Archive-07-15-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." When to use foot and feet … thats the quandary of an Indianapolis sportscaster. And that makes a worthy subject for Mrs. Bs ...
Archive Date 2015-07-14
HEALING AT HOME Justin Roberts, an "Emmy Award-Winning" weather guesser at Sinclairs KGAN-2-CBS and KFXA-28-Fox in Cedar Rapids (Market #90), was released from the hospital Monday morning, just 24 hours after he was involved ...
Mrs.B-Archive-07-14-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." Mrs. B begins todays lesson with a pronunciation quiz. Please read the following aloud: ~The burglars found the cache, grabbed the jewelry, and ...
Archive Date 2015-07-13
CONFEDERATE RELIC South Carolina, which became the first state to secede from the union in 1860 to protest the election of Abraham Lincoln, has proudly flown the confederate battle flag over its Statehouse in ...
Mrs.B-Archive-07-13-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." Mrs. B appreciates when one of her readers offers a lesson idea. Heres one from a teacher friend: …I think of you every ...
Archive Date 2015-07-10
SAVED BY THE FIRST A Milwaukee County judge has dismissed a defamation lawsuit against Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly, saying her former show, "Kellys Court," wasnt an actual news show but rather a mock ...
Mrs.B-Archive-07-10-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." If youre not sure when to use into and in to, then this lesson is for you. Into can indicate direction or motion. ...
Archive Date 2015-07-09
HERE TODAY, GONE TOMORROW Keith Olbermann, who left ESPN amid controversy, then left MSNBC amid controversy, then left Current TV amid controversy, is once again leaving ESPN amid controversy, less than two years after ...
Mrs.B-Archive-07-09-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." A Chattanooga anchor writes: Were having a discussion in our newsroom about causes of death. I decided you are the source for the ...
Archive Date 2015-07-08
EXCLUSIVELY YOURS Were pretty sure, tucked away somewhere deep in the bowels of the Comcast Building, NBC has a Department of Synergy and NASCAR Cross-Promotion. At 2:41 a.m. Monday, 25-year-old NASCAR driver Austin Dillon ...
Mrs.B-Archive-07-08-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." One of the most frequently misused words is dilemma. A dilemma is a choice between two undesirable options. For example: ~Many communities now ...
Archive Date 2015-07-07
FEAR OF LITIGATION Lowell Bergman, 69, the swashbuckling investigative reporter who has produced, written, and directed 27 documentaries for the Pulitzer Prize-winning PBS series "Frontline," has had a public falling out with the series ...
Mrs.B-Archive-07-07-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." Mrs. B knows you try to be sensitive in your choice of terms. So today lets review some of the words you use ...
Archive Date 2015-07-06
WRESTLING THE CRACKHEAD Vincent Crivelli, a reporter for a little more than a year at Raycoms WAFF-48-NBC in Huntsville (Market #79), stopped at the Kroger just after midnight last Thursday to get some strawberries ...
Mrs.B-Archive-07-06-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." Homonyms are words that have the same spelling and the same pronunciation but have different meanings. Bear is one of them. The verb ...
Archive Date 2015-07-02
WILD WEST SHOOTOUT An armed man forced his way into the motel room of former CNN anchor Lynne Russell Tuesday night and was shot and killed by her husband, former CNN investigative correspondent Chuck ...
Mrs.B-Archive-07-02-2015
MRS. Bs GRAMMAR YAMMER "A PBS mind in a Twitter world." Saturday is July 4th, the Fourth of July, or Independence Day. Take your pick. Theyre all correct. Just please dont say July "the" ...
