Oregon Media Insiders

KOIN.COM moved to Inergize overnight, and what a different look. Check it out.

I spent a year in the Astoria, Warrenton, Seaside area last week. The rest of the civilized world only caught a glimpse of what was really going on there. I would like to commend the efforts of the meager but potent staff of KAST (AM 1370) for a heroic effort to keep its audience informed and up to date on the very latest news and developments in the North Coast.

At the risk of incurring the wrath of “BurnedOutCrabbyOlNewsies,

From the Shoptalk Newsletter, April 19, 2006:

"George Donald "Don" Fitzpatrick, Jr., 56, of Alexandria, LA, died Monday, April 17, in his residence. All of us at TVSpy and Vault who have had the honor of working with Don in recent years are deeply saddened by his passing. We have had the great pleasure of working with Don on his newsletter and web site, and will miss him dearly.

Services for Don will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, April 21, 2006, in Our Lady of Prompt Succor Catholic Church in Alexandria, LA. Interment will be at Greenwood Memorial Park, Pineville, LA. A wake service will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the funeral home. Friends are asked to call from 4 until 8 p.m. Thursday, and on Friday from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.

It's time for a little diversion from the SJL bashing. I'll start by walking down memory lane. How many Portland TV people made it into the big time, and are they still working?

Ann Curry-- KGW, KVAL
NBC Today Show

Troy Roberts--KGW
CBS News

(Rick) John Stossel--KGW
ABC 20/20

Barry Serafin (sp?)KOIN
ABC News, (retired)

Bill O'Riley--KATU
Fox Networks

You get the idea. How many more can we identify and find? Consider the "Big Time" anything top five markets, network or (Politics!!)

Ok, I know this is a sacred cow, and I shouldn't dream of treading here, but why in the world would a rating service include a four-day holiday in the rating period-- Don't they understand that there are huge variances from "normal" viewing patterns? Do they want to analyze the daylights out of 1/7th of the 28 day cycle to convince broadcasters that this is a truly representative sampling of viewer habbits? Are the TV stations really getting what they pay for?

Besides, our bosses are so worried that Thanksgiving ratings might shift the delicate balance in rankings, that every TV newsroom in the market, perhaps even around the country is geared up for Armageddon today, one of the slowest of the year for compelling content!

Apparently KOBI has scored a major coup! They have garnered the first one-on-one interview with the Big Lottery Winner.

NBC will probably piggy-back and air the interview on TODAY, tomorrow morning, and the NBC affils will have an edge over everyone else in the country on Tuesday, until the lucky winner comes to Salem to collect the check.

I don't know if they have been persistent, patient, or just plain lucky, but it won't matter-- They have apparently scored a big win-- Tune in at 7am to see if Matt and Katie have the exclusive.