Here’s a look at what FishbowlNY stories made the most buzz this week.

1. Maxim is Up for Sale, March 15

2. Andrew Sullivan Tightens Paywall Because People are Cheap, March 19

3. Judge Grants Rob Morrison Modified Protective Order for Sake of His Son, March 14

4. Hearst Allegedly Cuts Scott Sassa Because He Sexts, March 14

5. Esquire Editor is Cool with Objectifying Women, March 20

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AMC’s Walking Dead had the rare feat–number one for the week. The horror drama actually tied for the top spot in Nielsen’s New York prime time ratings with CBS’ The Big Bang Theory.

The shows averaged 961,000 viewers and a 4.9 rating.

American Idol occupied the next two positions. There were 904,000 WNYW viewers and a 4.6 rating for a third-place showing of the Thursday night results. Idol‘s performance night was fourth with an estimated 872,000 fans and a 4.4 rating.

Person of Interest was next at number five (844,000/4.3), while CBS was also represented by NCIS at six (805,000/4.1). It tied with ABC’s Bachelor: After the Rose (800,000/4,1). The two-hour Bachelor finale tied for 10th (699,000/3.6).

WNBC had just one Top 3o entry, Celebrity Apprentice at number 18 with 539,000 Channel 4 viewers and a 2.7 rating.

The latest episode of History’s The Bible notched 475,000 viewers and a 2.4 rating.

More from the Top 10 after the jump

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Here’s a look at what FishbowlNY stories made the most buzz this week.

1. Rob Morrison Denies Report of “Comeback” Via Tell-All Book, March 11

2. Jodi Applegate “Lost Sleep for Seven Months” Deciding to Leave WPIX to Have a Baby, March 8

3. Reporter Sean Hennessey Leaves WCBS-TV for Teaching Job in Boston, March 11

4. WSJ. Money Debuts Saturday, March 7

5. Meteorologist Domenica Davis (left) “Surprised How Long [She] Stayed” at WNBC, March 7

6. No Women Among the “Most Powerful” in Sports Media, March 7

7. Exclusive: Don Dahler Leaving Channel 2 for CBS News, March 7

Keep up-to-date with the latest FishbowlNY news. Click here to sign-up for the FishbowlNY daily newsletter, bringing you our articles each afternoon directly to your inbox.

Rob Morrison has been under a protective order, keeping him 100 yards away from his CBS MoneyWatch wife, Ashley Morrison, since the alleged choking incident last month.

Morrison, who resigned from WCBS-TV has, according to the New York Daily News, received many calls from his wife in the ensuing weeks. Now for the first time since the February 17th arrest, the court says he is permitted to return the call.

A Connecticut judge modified the protective order Tuesday, allowing Rob to call, text, or email Ashley, for the sole purpose of discussing their seven-year-old son. But Judge David Tobin ruled that can only happen once a day.

Morrison’s million-dollar home is still off-limits to him and he is reportedly banned from driving with his son.

• Related: FishbowlNY, Rob Morrison Denies Report of ‘Comeback’ Via Tell-All Book

Morrison, talking to FishbowlNY,  denying reports of writing a tell-all book. He then turned the focus to his son, Jack.

“My son had the worst February vacation of his life,” Morrison said Monday. “He couldn’t go outside of the house because the paparazzi would just camp there. The poor kid couldn’t go outside and play with his friends… He was scared. He’s confused. He doesn’t understand what’s going on.”

Morrison’s lawyer, Robert Skovgaard, would only refer to the original statement that says the “allegations have been greatly exaggerated.”

It’s possibly American Idol fatigue, but the dominance of Fox’s talent showcase has been slipping this season in New York. CBS’ NCIS took the top spot for the week with an estimated 1.1 million WCBS viewers and a 5.9 rating, according to Nielsen.

As for Idol, the Thursday night show grabbed number two with 961,000 people tuned to WNYW and a 4.9 rating. The Wednesday performance tied for fifth with 927,000 viewers and a 4.7 rating. That led to the Fox 5 News at 10 scoring with viewers. The Steve Lacy/Dari Alexander newscast tied for 18th (570,000/2.9).

Idol added a 10th-place result (779,000/4.0) for the Tuesday night edition.

Also in fifth place were 60 Minutes (931,000) and Person of Interest (914,000).

Big Bang Theory (947,000/4.8) and AMC’s Walking Dead (932,000) tied for third.

WABC made its first appearance in the Top 30 with Revenge at 13 (641,000/3.3).  Struggling NBC was represented only by Celebrity Apprentice, which tied for number 29 (487,000/2.5).

There’s more from the Top 10 after the jump.

Read more

Astute WCBS-TV news viewers have noticed Pablo Guzman is missing. The popular reporter, who joined Channel 2 in 1995, remains on the station’s Web site.

After reaching out to WCBS for a comment, FishbowlNY was pleasantly surprised when Guzman called to explain his M.I.A status.

He’s been suffering from blood clots in the leg, keeping him off the air since June.

“I can’t chase after people in the street,” Guzman tells FishbowlNY exclusively. “I can’t run up and down six flights of stairs. A lot of what we do in the street, I can’t do.”

Guzman’s left foot is double the size of his right foot.  So Guzman is convalescing at home, which is no easy feat for him.

“I have not been out of work since I was 13,” Guzman says.

A two-time New York Emmy Award winner, Guzman misses his colleagues and the ability to communicate a story to viewers. However, that would not have applied to covering one particular tragedy.

“I could not have done that Newtown [story],” Guzman says. “I would have broken up.”

Guzman, 62, says WCBS management is hoping to keep the street-savvy reporter in their future plans.

Read more

Three weeks ago, Rob Morrison was forced to resign in disgrace from his morning anchor position at WCBS/Channel 2. Another WCBS on-air talent is leaving West 57th Street but in a totally different situation.

Veteran reporter Sean Hennessey is exiting WCBS for a teaching job in Boston, FishbowlNY has learned. He’s headed to Boston College, which makes sense for the BC graduate. He got his B.A. in English in 1987 at the Chestnut Hill campus, according to his LinkedIn page. Hennessey returned to Boston College in 2001, attending the Wallace Carroll School of Management.

A general assignment reporter, Hennessey joined Channel 2 in March 2007. He’s covered numerous high-profile stories, including the NYPD “Cannibal Cop” trial last week. Prior to arriving in New York, Hennessey worked 11 years for WHDH in Boston.

Update: A WCBS spokesperson has confirmed Hennessey’s last day is Friday and adds, “the WCBS family wishes Sean the best as he starts his new career as an associate editor of news and public affairs at Boston College.”

The spokesperson says Hennessey will likely become an adjunct professor of Media/Journalism on the side.

The future of Rob Morrison on New York television, or any other market for that matter, is going to be difficult. But the New York Daily News reports the embroiled former WCBS/Channel 2 anchor may be planning his next move: a tell-all book with hopes of turning it into a TV series.

Not so fast. Morrison tells FishbowlNY exclusively that there is no merit to that claim.

“I have no plans to write a tell-all,” Morrison told us, “and I have no idea where that story came from… I swear to God.”

The Daily News quoted a close friend of Morrison’s as saying, “Rob isn’t the sort of guy that gives in and goes away. He’s a fighter.”

• Related: FishbowlNY, Former Anchor Morrison Faces “Very Serious Blow to His Career,” Legal Expert

“This is his chance to tell his side of the story firsthand. He’s already started writing,” the friend reportedly said.

Morrison, though, refutes the quote. “Definitely, not a good friend… [giving] that kind of trash,” Morrison said.

In February, Morrison was forced to resign from WCBS morning anchor duties after an alleged incident of domestic violence with his wife, CBS MoneyWatch anchor Ashley Morrison.

Read more

If there was ever perfect timing for a pregnancy, this may it! WLNY’s The Couch hosts Carolina Bermudez and Lisa Kerney announced this morning they are both pregnant.

Kerney also does sports reports for sister station WCBS/Channel 2.

It will be Bermudez’s first child, while Kerney has an 18-month-old.

The Couch‘s third member John Elliott hosted a video montage asking for advice from WCBS working moms, including Mary Calvi and Cindy Hsu.

The segment concluded with an emotional moment as sisters of the expectant mothers phoned in.

The good news could not have come at a more opportune time for the station. Last month, morning anchor Rob Morrison was forced to resign after allegedly assaulting his wife, CBS MoneyWatch anchor Ashley Morrison.

Don Dahler, the WCBS weekend anchor, is leaving the station. FishbowlNY has learned that the veteran newsman will be a correspondent for CBS News.

Although Dahler’s time at WCBS was productive, it can also be described as dizzying. He joined WCBS in September 2007, initially as weekend evening anchor. By May 2008, Dahler was named weekday noon and 6 p.m. co-anchor.

That lasted until September 2011 when Dahler was shifted back to weekends to make way for Chris Wragge following his stint on The Early Show.

• Related: FishbowlNY, WCBS Shuffles Don Dahler to Weekends 

Upon Dahler’s return to weekends, he was given the tiring split shift, early morning anchor with Cindy Hsu and solo at 11 p.m. (usually delayed on Sundays due to sports coverage). During the week, Dahler files reports for WCBS and sister site WLNY. Since Wragge has been filling in mornings on Channel 2, Dahler has been the co-anchor at 6 and 9 p.m  (on WLNY) with Dana Tyler.

Sources say Dahler will be based in New York as a reporter for the CBS Evening News and CBS This Morning. CBS News declined a comment to FishbowlNY.

It’s a homecoming of sorts for Dahler, who got his start in network news as a 48 Hours producer.

Read more