KSTP has named Chris Egert the co-host of “Twin Cities Live,” the Minneapolis ABC affiliate’s afternoon talk show.

Egert, who has been the station’s weekend morning anchor, begins in his new role on April 29. He replaces John Hanson, who left the show last year to work at a sports radio station.

“It’s an exciting career move for me and my family and I can’t wait to be part of the show,” Egert said in a statement.

“Twin Cities Live” is celebrating the five-year anniversary of its debut on April 21, 2008.

“The show is always evolving and improving. And with the addition of Chris Egert, our team is ready to take the show to new levels,” executive producer Mandy Tadych said.

KNXV, the Phoenix ABC affiliate, is two reporters short after the departures of both Steve Kuzj and Kimberly Cheng on consecutive days.

“It’s really tough losing two fine reporters at the same time,” KNXV news director Pat Costello told TVSpy. “That said, I’m happy for them and the fact that we’ve been able to provide them growth opportunities that have taken them to the nation’s second market. Our search is on to find their replacements. Tough shoes to fill, clearly.”

Kuzj, who left KNXV on Monday, announced in early April he was leaving for KTLA. There’s no word where Cheng is headed other than what she wrote on her facebook page, “Yes it is true. I am going, going back to Cali. #HollywoodBound.” Her last day is today. Read more

Boston TV stations broke in to regular programming to report on the two explosions near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. The explosions were reported shortly before 3:00 p.m.

WBZ, the Boston CBS owned station, first reported the news at 2:57:29. The station cut in to “The Talk” with anchors Paula Ebben and Bobby Sisk in the studio. They quickly went to a shot from their helicopter on its way to the finish line before going to a live phoner with Lisa Hughes who was on the scene.

WHDH, the Boston NBC affiliate, broke in at 2:59:42.  With an anchor in studio talking under a wide shot of the city skyline, WHDH tossed to a live phoner with Janet Wu. Wu reported the explosions happened inside a building in between Exeter and Dartmouth less than hundred feet from the finish line.

WCVB, the Boston ABC affiliate, cut in to “Katie” at at 3:00:38 with anchor Liz Brunner in the studio.  Brunner then tossed to Sean Kelly who was live by phone.

WFXT, the FOX affiliate, was next to break in, interrupting “Anderson Live” at 3:03:04.  The station began with a helicopter shot of the scene at the finish line.  They quickly went to a live phoner with WFXT news photographer Matt Tomlin. Tomlin said he was on the photo bridge at the finish line when the explosions happened.

An influx of people trying to access Boston’s TV and newspaper websites have caused the sites to either go offline or slow considerably.

Memphis ABC affiliate WPTY says a photojournalist was attacked by a Memphis City employee while he was shooting video on public property.

The station reports Nick Sheluga was shooting video of a sculpture at a car inspection station Wednesday when the city employee “grabbed me, put me in a headlock and pulled me down,” pushing the camera out of his hands. The employee said Sheluga needed permission to be there.

Police were called to the scene and have launched an investigation into the incident, according to WPTY. Sheluga gave the police a copy of the recording and described the incident to detectives.

Watch video of the incident after the jump. Read more

As Central Arkansas news stations continue to report on an oil spill in Mayflower, just north of Little Rock, there are concerns ExxonMobil, which owns the burst Pegasus pipeline, is controlling the storyline.

Mother Jones reports on the difficulties some reporters are facing — including threats of arrest — while covering the spill. On March 29, a 20-inch buried pipeline burst in the town, releasing oil into local backyards and streets and, as one local station discovered, a nearby lake.

TVSpy checked in with several Little Rock stations to find out how they’re covering the story. We reached out to FOX and NBC affiliates KLRT and KARK, ABC affiliate KATV and CBS affiliate KTHV.

KATV news director Nick Genty says none of his reporters have been threatened with arrest, but says reporting the story has been a challenge. “Some of the issues that we have run into are that Exxon is running the show at the site.  When we try to get information from local law enforcement, they direct us to the PR from Exxon.”

“We have found other ways to obtain video,” Genty says, “mostly from viewers that have sent in cell phone video from inside the neighborhood.” Read more

Paula Lopez, the anchor for Santa Barbara ABC affiliate KEYT who went missing in February, will be back on-air tonight.

“We’re thrilled Paula is now able to come back to work,” Jim Lemon, KEYT news director told the San Luis Obispo Tribune. “As a veteran member of the team at NewsChannel 3, it’s good to have her back where she belongs, anchoring and reporting the news up and down the coast.”

Lopez returned home nearly eight hours after being reported missing by concerned family members. Relatives blamed an unnamed medical condition on her disappearance.

She posted the news to twitter over the weekend saying, “Happy to be back on @KEYTNC3 in 48 hours!”

[FTVLive]

There are changes coming to the morning newscast at WCVB. The Boston ABC affiliate has promoted JC Monahan (pictured) and hired meteorologist Cindy Fitzgibbon.

Fitzgibbon joins the station after signing off from rival WFXT last year. She began today as WCVB’s morning meteorologist, replacing Monahan, who has been named co-host of the station’s daily newsmagazine, “Chronicle.”

“JC is an extraordinarily talented journalist and was looking for a new challenge. Cindy is someone we long admired as a competitor and was looking for a return to local television after taking six months off to be with her family,”  WCVB president-GM Bill Fine said in a statement. “The timing was incredibly fortunate for NewsCenter 5 and Chronicle, as this is a true perfect match in every way, for our viewers, JC and Cindy.”

Monahan, who joined WCVB in 2001 and has appeared on the morning newscast since 2004,  will begin as “Chronicle” co-host alongside Anthony Everett in June.

“Co-hosting Chronicle was a dream opportunity I couldn’t pass,” she said. “I’m also excited about a new role in the news department.  My career began in news and it’s nice to be able to bring it full circle.”

Here’s a TGIF photo that almost melted the hardened heart of this TVSpy editor. KMGH traffic reporter Jayson Luber had to babysit his one-and-a-half year old daughter Jolene, but he also needed to give viewers of the Denver ABC affiliate the scoop on the streets around Coors Field on Opening Day during the 11:00 a.m. news, so he compromised.

Luber told TVSpy his wife took their oldest girl to “Disney on Ice” so he got to watch Jolene. He also told us she is holding her “beebee” and her “guck” to prevent her from crying, which apparently is not allowed in the studio.

The station posted the picture, taken by meteorologist Maureen McCann, on its facebook page saying, “You gotta “like” this. Ever wondered what’s going on off-camera in the studio? Jayson Luber Traffic Guy is so tall, viewers didn’t see what was below him during 7NEWS at 11am. Yes, Jayson has babysitting duty today.”

Read more

WBBJ, the ABC and CBS affiliate for Jackson, TN, has named Shanda Sundstrom news director.

“I am excited to take the reins as News Director at WBBJ-TV,” said Sundstrom. “I look forward to leading the team established as the West Tennessee News leader, while growing a strong web and social media presence.”

Sundstrom comes to WBBJ from KFSM in Fort Smith, AR where she was executive producer.  She has also worked as a producer in El Paso, TX, and Miami, FL. In Sioux Falls, SD, she was a producer and reporter.

Her first day at WBBJ will be one week from Monday on April 15.

The E.W. Scripps Company has named Jeff Brogan vice president and general manager of Cincinnati ABC affiliate WCPO. He was serving as interim general manager after Steve Thaxton left in January.

“WCPO has a long history of agenda-setting journalism that serves the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky community,” said Brian Lawlor, senior vice president of the Scripps television division in a statement. “As a seasoned media executive who values creative storytelling and impactful journalism, Jeff will now have the opportunity to work in his hometown to help define the role of a local media organization in this new digital era.”

Before coming to WCPO, Brogan was in a corporate role at Scripps, overseeing news strategy at several of its owned stations.  He began his career at WXIX in Cincinnati and began working for Scripps in 2000 when he got a job as a producer at WCPO. In 2004, he was promoted to executive producer. He was named assistant news director in 2008. Two years later, he was promoted to news director of Scripps NBC affiliate WPTV in West Palm Beach, FL.