The fifth day of jury deliberations in the racketeering and conspiracy trial of Boston gangster James Whitey Bulger brought a guilty verdict on 33 counts which included 11 murders. Bulger was one of America’s most wanted fugitives after disappearing in 1995 until being caught in California in 2011.

Boston station’s responded quickly to the news a verdict had been reached.

FOX owned WFXT interrupted the “Ricki Lake” show at 1:33 p.m. with the news from a tweet sent by the Massachusetts US attorney’s office that said, “There is a verdict in the James Bulger case.”

ABC affiliate WCVB broke into afternoon food show “The Chew” at 1:34 p.m. with Susan Wornick.  “Good afternoon,” said Wornick. “Susan Wornick in Newscenter 5 with the news we have been waiting for now for five days, actually for more than a month. There is a verdict in the trial of James Whitey Bulger.”

Boston NBC affiliate WHDH broke into soap opera “Days of Our Lives” at 1:35 with b-roll of Bulger being escorted to the courthouse by helicopter which was voiced over by Kayna Whitworth. Whitworth then tossed to Ryan Schulteis live at the courthouse.

WBZ, Boston’s CBS owned station, broke in at 1:38 p.m. with anchors Jack Williams and Lisa Hughes who tossed to Sera Congi live at the courthouse.

 NECN cut into regular news reports anchored by Steve Aveson and Mike Nikitas at 1:38 with John Moroney outside the courtroom and Alysha Palumbo inside the courtroom.

Tom Burke starts his first day today as news director for Tucson, AZ, ABC affiliate KGUN, TVSpy has confirmed.

Burke replaces Forrest Carr who resigned in March.

Before coming to KGUN, Burke was the news director at WTVM in Columbus, GA, until December 2012. He’s also worked in Sacramento, Fresno, Pittsburgh, Columbus, OH, Detroit, and Greenville, NC.

[Rick Gevers Blog]

Greg Majewski will join Raycom’s Columbus, GA, ABC affiliate WTVM as weekend meteorologist on August 19.

Majewski is an Army reservist who served as deputy director of communication infrastructure with the 335th Signal Command in Kabul, Afghanistan. Recently, he has been chronicling his deployment at his annual Army training in Georgia. Last week he wrote, “Have the uniform on today for the next 16 days until I head down to Columbus to start my new gig at WTVM.”

Majewski, who has freelanced for WVTM in Birmingham, AL, and WTVC in Chattanooga, TN, replaces Justin Logan who left for Raycom’s Jonesboro, AR, station KAIT.

Salisbury, MD, ABC affiliate WMDT has announced it has been sold to Maryland based Marquee Broadcasting pending FCC approval.

According to Delmarvanow.com, Marquee’s first television station purchase is worth $9 million.

“We are thrilled to be entering television broadcasting with the acquisition of WMDT,” said Patricia Lane, who along with her husband Brian are principal owners of Marquee Broadcasting. “As 30-year Maryland residents, we are looking forward to serving communities we know in Maryland, Delaware and Virginia.”

According to a station press release, WMDT has 60 employees. Station manager Kathleen McLain has been with station for 17 years. You can watch video of the station’s announcement after the jump. Read more

El Paso ABC affiliate KVIA is under fire for its coverage of KTSM anchor Adrienne Alvarez‘s recent arrest on suspicion of domestic violence.

After teasing the story of Alvarez’s arrest off the top of its 10:00 p.m. news, anchor Ashlie Rodriguez told viewers the station sent a crew to Alvarez’s house to get her side of the story. They then aired footage of a KVIA intern approaching Alvarez in what appeared to be Alvarez’s driveway. When Alvarez backed away from the intern, the intern said, “That’s fine. Thank you for your time,” which was echoed by what sounded like the photographer saying the same thing.

That report left some in El Paso, including a writer at the El Paso Times, questioning if the station was a little too aggressive in its reporting.

KVIA apologized to viewers for its coverage, once at at the end of the 10:00 p.m. news and once the next day when anchor Estela Casas told viewers, “Well last night we aired a story about KTSM’s Adrienne Alvarez. It was a misguided attempt to provide someone accused of wrongdoing a chance to explain her side of the story. However, we exercised an error in  judgment. That type of report does not meet our standards for ethics or journalism and what you’ve come to expect from ABC-7. We assure  you this has been a learning experience for those involved. We apologized at the end of yesterday’s newscast and we apologize again tonight.” Read more

Ashley Jacobs is going back to Wilmington, NC, ABC affiliate WWAY.

Jacobs announced the move on her facebook page, “Happy hump day! I couldn’t be happier to announce I’ll return to WWAY NEWS very soon. I’m so thankful to be part of such a talented team…and thrilled to share my mornings with all of you again!”

WWAY news director Scott Pickey told TVSpy Jacobs starts next Wednesday but may not go on air until Thursday or Friday. Jacobs left the station in March to spend more time with her family.

Ashley Bridges has been promoted to weekend evening anchor for Augusta, GA, ABC affiliate WJBF.

Before coming to WJBF in August 2012, she was a booker and field producer for ABC’s “20/20″ and “Good Morning America.”

In addition to anchoring the 6:00, 10:00 and 11:00 p.m. weekend shows, Bridges will continue to report and act as South Carolina bureau chief during the week.

After almost three decades at KMGH, Bertha Lynn will sign off from the Denver ABC affiliate this week.

Lynn, who anchors the 11 a.m. newscast, has accepted a job as the executive director of the Children’s Diabetes Foundation at Denver. Her last day at the anchor desk will be August 9.

“I have much to look forward to and much to look back on when assessing my career. It has been a privilege to collaborate with such skillful and caring journalism professionals,” Lynn said in a statement. “The people of Denver and Colorado have been very kind and generous to me as they watched me grow up.”

Lynn has worked on-air in Denver since 1976. Before joining KMGH, she worked as an anchor and reporter at KBTV (now KUSA). She was inducted into the Broadcast Professionals Hall of Fame in 2010.

“She is a true icon in journalism and for Denver viewers. Her career at 7NEWS is an inspiration to so many. But more than anything else, Bertha has worked tirelessly to improve our community,” KMGH news director Jeff Harris said. “For this, we are grateful and not a bit surprised in her decision to lead this wonderful organization.”

Keith Lowhorne, news director for Hunstville, AL, ABC affiliate WAAY, has confirmed with TVSpy he is leaving the TV news business to take a job as director of development for the Huntsville Botanical Garden.

WAAY reporter Shea Allen was recently fired from the station after posting ten controversial confessions to her blog “Shea Allen Says….” including “I’ve stolen mail and then put it back. (maybe)” and “I’ve taken naps in the news car.” News of her firing eventually went viral. She was interviewed on NBC’s “Today” show last week.

Telling al.com, the timing of his move “is what it is,” Lowhorne said, “You can rest assured it has absolutely nothing to do with that and (WAAY General Manager) Art Lanham would probably tell you the same thing. It’s absolutely nothing to do with that. It has absolutely zero to do with Shea Allen.”

Lowhorne has worked in the Huntsville market for 40 years. Before coming to WAAY, he worked at Huntsville’s CBS affiliate WHNT for more than 33 years.

image – Huntsville Times

A KGO crew was robbed at gunpoint of camera equipment in West Oakland Friday afternoon. The San Francisco Chronicle has details of the incident, which occurred despite the fact that the crew was accompanied by a security guard:

The crew and security guard were on the 2700 block of Chestnut Street when they were robbed shortly after 2:30 p.m. Friday by three men, at least one of whom had a gun, police said.

The robbers fled with camera equipment. None of the robbery victims was injured.

The incident is the latest in a string of Bay Area incidents targeting the media. A KPIX photographer was beaten and robbed of his camera last year, and thieves stole personal items from a KGO news van in May. Both incidents occurred in Oakland.