Allie Gets Served

[Media] Attention angry housewives: Word has it that former Fox 13 and KUTV 2 features reporter Allie MacKay will be returning to Fox 13's Good Day Utah via her current TV station, Los Angeles' KTLA (it's a corporate-synergy thing). Look for her on Friday, if her camera crew isn't busy covering fires or other far-less-important news.

Meanwhile, Allie has finally arrived nationally--or at least on E!: She was served by The Soup's dreamy Joel McHale for referring to his show as Talk Soup (an big no-no Joel World). Here's the faux pax goodness:



(Bill Frost)

Another Cafe Closed

[Media] Don't worry, it's just Channel 14's KJZZ Cafe, the most ineptly executed morning "news" show in local media history. KJZZ canceled that not-quite-year-old series and the even newer Home Team (sports, right?) last week. Hard to believe KJZZ Cafe couldn't catch on with viewers (as in plural) with sparkly-vague "family" promos and overlong "comic" editorials like these:





(Bill Frost)

Idol Kills News Anchor Brain Cells

[Media] And to think this happened just across Main Street from us yesterday. How did we not sense a disturbance in The Force when Darth Cowell was near?


(Bill Frost)

Breaking News: Dog Shit Terror!

[News-ish] So, are we glad to report that former KCPW 88.3 news director Lara Jones' first on-camera appearance as the Minister of Information for the Salt Lake Police Department was for a KUTV 2 story titled "Dog Poop Dispute Ends in Stabbing"? Uh, sure ...


(Bill Frost)

Mad Interview Skillz

[Former Local TV Folk] Anybody remember Fox 13 fluff reporter (fluffer?) Shauna Thomas? She did mornings, pre-Big Buddha, post-Allie MacKay. She moved on to other markets years ago and, apparently, once scored a fascinating interview with actor Peter Gallagher, who was starting work on a little TV show called The O.C.

Behold this hysterical YouTube bastardization ... or was it edited at all?



(Bill Frost)

Shake Those Ta-Ta-Talents

[Locals on the TV Box] We hear tonight's 8 p.m. season premiere of NBC's America's Got Talent (which more often then not actually proves the opposite) will feature an appearance by Salt Lake City's own Slippery Kittens Burlesque--not that you'd read it in the "more local-er than you" daily.

How far the ladies--who will be hosting a viewing party tonight at Bar Deluxe at 666 S. State--will or won't advance on the freak, er, talent show remains mystery, as does the fate of SLC comic Marcus on NBC's Last Comic Standing. Even more cloudy, will affiliate KSL 5 even acknowledge the progress of the locals on these reality shows (almost mandatory anymore--just ask American Idol 'hos Fox 13)? Or will the tats and tits prove too much for Eyewitness News to bear?

More importantly, how did David Hasslehoff vote? Tune in tonight, or go to Bar Deluxe for the full 3-D (if not double-D) experience. (Bill Frost)

High Defamation

[Local TV] Is it purely coincidence that, as soon as KUTV 2 rolls out its "true" high-definition broadcast, that "false HD" KSL drops this report about how HDTV isn't really all that?

"Some cable or satellite customers say they're a little disappointed with high definition programs," it leads off. "They say the picture quality isn't much better than normal programming."

In other words, even though KSL has been touting its own HD broadcasting for months, it's all now bullshit and every local channel just looks the same--no flipping! (Bill Frost)

Sexy Time With KSL

[TV] By now, you've heard of/actively ignored NBC's Lipstick Jungle, a new Thursday-night knockoff of Sex and the City about three powerful Manhattan career women who still find time to cry, yell at their kids and knock back a few martinis with each other while whining about men.

One of the women, Nico (a magazine editor; the other two work in film and fashion--are there any other jobs in Manhattan?), is having an adulterous affair with a hot young stud, so we're treated about one PG-rated sexcapade per week. Last night, Lipstick Jungle's final scene was a nice overhead of naked Nico getting boned by said naked stud, leading right into KSL News at 10.

Are Bruce and Nadine aware of their steamy lead-in? Is anyone at KSL even paying attention? Why exactly are they still not carrying NBC's Saturday Night Live? Most importantly, why was I watching Lipstick Jungle? (Bill Frost)

Really, Don't You Know Who I Am?

[Media] Heard the one about the well-known Salt Lake City TV news reporter who had a guy 86ed and banned from a local coffee shop because he made said java-sipping reporter "uncomfortable"? We sorta did, so why not post it on the ol' Salt Blog? Any wild guesses about identity (of reporter or coffee shop), feel free to post 'em in a comment.

There's plenty of dickheads I'd like to have ejected from places I frequent, but I don't think I have the celebrity cachet to get it done. Maybe I need to start hanging out with TV people--they get all the perks. Anybody from KUTV 2 across Main Street (I know you read this) want to meet downstairs and knock back a few at Keys on Main? You're buying ... (Bill Frost)

Deja 2 News

[TV News] Where have we heard of local bounty hunter Reata Holt before? Oh yeah, City Weekly did a feature on her in December.

KUTV 2, our unwaving neighbors across Main Street, broke this human interest story last night on their 10 p.m. newscast. Not quite two months later; they're getting quicker over there. Maybe they'll get to this KRCL thing sometime in March. (Bill Frost)

You're Gonna Die! Tonight at 10 ...

[Media] As we've gone over here before, November Sweeps is the time when your local TV news stations trot out an alleged danger lurking just around the corner, then present their pat solution once they've hooked you. The latest round ...

ABC 4: Using a tanning bed this winter will kill your children! Unless they're under 18 and saw this same damn report the first 37 times on every other channel.

KUTV 2: There's lead in your dinner plates! Not enough to actually matter, but we'll test 'em for you anyway!

Fox 13: There's meth residue in your motel room! Of course, that's probably the least-concerning substance strewn about in most motel rooms; tune in for the special report "Utah Jizz: The Semen Scare" tomorrow at 9.

Sweeps ain't over for a couple of more weeks. Courage. (Bill Frost)

Ooh, Byrned!

[Elections 2007] While everyone else on the losing sides of the elections last night was playing nice and "we're still hopeful" on the locals news, clearly perturbed Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne--who sank millions into the pro-voucher campaign--spouted Beowolf lines at Fox 13 News at Nine's Sandy Riesgraf and called the vote "a statewide IQ test." Yes, he thinks you failed it, Utah--you've been served by a douchebag in a mock turtleneck. Go sit in the corner and think about what you've done. (Bill Frost)

Utah vs. Reality

[Local TV] Salt Lake City ABC affiliate ABC 4 has no problem (over) reporting Marie Osmond's progress on Dancing With the Stars--which airs tonight on, of course, ABC 4--but why aren't the other local TV news stations keeping us in-step with one of Utah's Own? You'd think KSL 5 would be all over this ... oh yeah, Dancing With the Stars isn't on NBC. They'll let you know when she's on The Singing Bee or The Biggest Loser.

Meanwhile, CBS affiliate KUTV 2 is conspicuously silent about Survivor: China contestant Todd Herzog, the Pleasant Grove playa who's kicking some ass and fast becoming a favorite to win America's favorite reality-TV competition that involves no karaoke. Usually, this would lead the newscasts ahead of war, weather and high school football. Is it because he's, I dunno, a gay Mormon? Or a flight attendant? Hell, even the Deseret Morning News at least mentioned Herzog last month before washing their hands furiously. What's the local media going to do if he ultimately takes the tiki torch? Go, Todd! (Bill Frost)