Larry Conners,the KMOV anchor who said on facebook the IRS targeted him after an interview with President Obama last year, is off the air until further notice.

“He’s not suspended. We just all thought it made sense (for him) to take a few days off,” Sean McLaughlin, news director for the St. Louis CBS affiliate, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “We take this very seriously, and we don’t expect this to drag on. We’re still looking into the situation and weighing our options.”

>UPDATE: Conners’ attorney told TVSpy in a statement, “As the attorney for Larry Conners, I am constrained to advise you that he is barred by corporate from making statements, posting on Facebook, or participating in interviews on the IRS issue. That is the only reason for his silence.” Read more

Gary England, chief meteorologist for Oklahoma City CBS affiliate KWTV, will be inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.

England has worked at KWTV since October 1972. His induction into the Hall will take place November 7, 2013.

The Oklahoma Hall of Fame has inducted names like noted author Ralph Ellison, radio announcer Paul Harvey, and Cincinnati Reds’ catcher Johnny Bench. Inductees get their names along with a bust and a portrait displayed at the Gaylord-Pickens Oklahoma Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. They also get granite monuments in the Heritage Plaza at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds.

KENS executive news director Kurt Davis is joining CBS News as vice president of news services.

Davis has worked at the San Antonio CBS affiliate for 10 years. In his new role, he will oversee CBS News’ satellite newsgathering organization, which provides news and information to the network’s 200 affiliates.

Davis has also worked as manager of coverage and content at WSB in Atlanta and as news director at WDSU in New Orleans. He has also worked at KDFW in Dallas, WSET in Lynchburg, Va., KATV in Little Rock and WBRZ in Baton Rouge, La.

Elizabeth Tumulty has been named executive vice president of Affiliate Relations for the CBS Television Network.

She will report to CBS president of affiliate relations Diana Wilkin and will work with Wilkin on negotiating new affiliation contracts and all affiliate related initiatives.

“I’m thrilled to have someone of Elizabeth’s professional caliber joining our team,” said Wilkin. “Her business acumen and vast knowledge of the inner workings of the affiliate-network relationship make her well-suited to keep CBS and its affiliates at the forefront of an always-evolving industry.” Read more

“Hawaii News Now” has announced sports director Chris Tanaka will be switching from sports to news.

Tanaka will take over for current 5:00 and 5:30 p.m. anchor Shawn Ching. The station said Ching is leaving “Hawaii News Now” next Friday to concentrate full-time on his law career. “Hawaii News Now” is the branding for Honolulu’s CBS affiliate KGMB and NBC affiliate KHNL.

“Though Shawn Ching is difficult to replace, we are confident that Chris can fill his shoes on our top-rated broadcasts,” said KGMB-KHNL news director Mark Platte. “In the two years he has been with us, Chris has proven to be a gifted and intelligent anchor who can think on his feet.”

[Honolulu Star Advertiser]

Both CBS and NBC are set to premiere comedies about local news personalities this fall.

CBS has picked up “The Millers,” starring Will Arnett as Nathan Miller, “a recently divorced local roving news reporter looking forward to living the singles’ life until his parents’ marital problems unexpectedly derail his plans.” The show also stars Margo Martindale and Beau Bridges as Nathan’s parents.

CBS will air “The Millers” Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. beginning this fall. NBC’s new comedy about a local news anchor, “The Michael J. Fox Show,” will air Thursdays at 9:30 p.m.

Watch a preview after the jump. Read more

Alexis Smith‘s first day on-air as KIRO morning traffic reporter was informally announced on twitter by meteorologist Brian Monahan.

Monahan tweeted a shot of Smith (pictured right) practicing for her Monday morning debut. “Well welcome @AlexisASmith to our team on Monday.. Rehearsing this morning! #goteam @KIRO7Seattle.”

KIRO news director Bob Jordan confirmed the move with TVSpy. Smith joined the Seattle CBS affiliate from Dallas ABC affiliate WFAA.

Reporter Dan Kain is signing off from WFSB after more than 25 years at the Hartford CBS affiliate, according to The Laurel.

Kain joined the station in October 1987. His last day will be June 7.

“In editorial meetings, so often Dan is our ‘tie-breaker’ when we are deciding the merits of a story. He is smart and funny and can see a story for what it is … or (even better) isn’t,” news director Dana Neves told The Laurel. “If you are lucky, really lucky you get to tell people you worked alongside one the “greats”.  We are all so lucky to be able to say that we worked with the great Dan Kain.”

A man who climbed the transmission tower of Tyler, TX, CBS affiliate KYTX was safely removed by police just before the end of the station’s 6:00 p.m. news.

At around 4:30 Wednesday afternoon, a KYTX employee saw a man later identified as Claude Allen Lacy on the station tower. At the time, Lacy was approximately 50 feet up the tower. By the time police arrived, KYTX said he had climbed down to around 25 feet then slowly made his way back up the ladder as the afternoon progressed.

The station lead with the story on its 6:00 p.m. news. KYTX reporter Field Sutton was on scene at the tower located behind the station. KYTX devoted the last 20 minutes of the newscast to the stand-off between police and Lacy that ended with Lacy coming off the tower shortly before 7:00 p.m. You can watch the video of the incident after the jump. Read more

WISH has announced Lori Wilson will join the Indianapolis CBS affiliate in mid-June as an anchor and reporter.

“Lori has built a solid career filled with many examples of quality journalism both reporting out on the street and behind the anchor desk,” said WISH news director Steve Bray. “We are thrilled to welcome her home to Central Indiana and to our 24-Hour News 8 team.”

In addition to anchoring the 5:00 p.m. news, Wilson will also report live during the station’s 10:00 and 11:00 p.m. news. Read more