Denver NBC affiliate KUSA gave viewers a behind-the-scenes look at how the station discovered a report on rival KDVR was a hoax (video above).

KUSA anchor Kyle Clark said KDVR’s report, which was about an Italian gun executive being detained after he was mistaken for a terrorist, “came apart almost instantly.” Clark began to investigate the claims after the station received several tips asking why the story hadn’t been covered on KUSA.

“There wasn’t anyone out there saying that the story happened as it was described elsewhere. So this wasn’t some great feat of investigative journalism on our part,” Clark said. “This was just the standard due diligence that we would do on any story.”

Fox affiliate KDVR admitted last week that the report was based on “an elaborate but false” story.

Denver Fox affiliate KDVR has admitted that a report broadcast Saturday about an Italian gun executive who was detained by local law enforcement was incorrect.

The station says Karina Aguirre, who claimed to be the man’s U.S. attorney, “concocted an elaborate but false story” about a man who was detained after a taxi driver mistook him for “a terrorist.” KDVR says they were referred to Aguirre by David Kopel, an attorney for the Independence Institute in Denver, and Steve Schreiner, a Colorado board member of the National Rifle Association.

“More steps should have been taken to corroborate Aguirre’s story and verify information provided by Kopel and Schreiner,” news director Ed Kosowski said in a statement. “KDVR is committed to fair, accurate and balanced reporting and we are reviewing policies and procedures to ensure our content meets those standards.”

Neither Kosowski’s statement or the post on KDVR’s website address the fact that the station failed to reach out to law enforcement or the gun company to corroborate Aguirre’s story before the report aired. In a strongly-worded statement Wednesday, the Adams County Sheriff’s Office said KDVR “dropped the ball.”

“The Sheriff’s Office feels that it is unfortunate for Fox 31 Denver to have released a report that claimed the Adams County Sheriff’s Office involvement in an event without verifying it first. It is also unfortunate and disturbing for Fox 31 Denver to have released such a bold report before doing their due diligence by thoroughly investigating the tips prior to broadcasting,” the statement reads.

The Sheriff’s office also praised KUSA, the NBC affiliate in Denver, for uncovering the hoax.

Denver Fox affiliate KDVR has taken down a report about an Italian man who was detained for questioning after rival KUSA uncovered details that indicate the story was a hoax.

“We believe we were intentionally misled by someone who misrepresented herself not only to the news media but to two of our sources on the story, an NRA board member from Colorado and a nationally-recognized Second Amendment attorney, both of whom as recently as yesterday were standing by the story,” KDVR news director Ed Kosowski told TVSpy in a statement. “These sources now tell us they believe they were misled by the woman. We are working on a follow-up story that will thoroughly explain what happened.”

The KDVR report, which aired Saturday, claims Daniele Perazzi, the grandson of a “prominent Italian gunmaker,” was questioned by law enforcement after “a taxi driver mistook him for a terrorist.” Hendrik Sybrandy sources the man’s U.S. attorney, who was not identified by name. KDVR reported the attorney said “that her client was scared during the incident because he’s not familiar with U.S. gun laws.”

KUSA said they received “numerous emails inquiring as to why the story wasn’t being broadly covered.” During the NBC affiliate’s investigation of the story, the gun company, the Adams County Sheriff’s office and the taxi company denied the incident happened, KUSA reported Tuesday night.

“The company says there’s no grandson named Daniele and they didn’t have a representative in Denver last week, either,” Kyle Clark said in the KUSA report.

KUSA also identified KDVR’s source as a Colorado woman named Korrine Aguirre. “There was a comment that I had made the other day that I probably shouldn’t have made,” Aguirre told KUSA. “Apparently that blew up a lot bigger than it was supposed to.”

The original story was removed from KDVR’s website Wednesday afternoon. TVSpy hears that KDVR staffers met Wednesday morning to review the report.

Watch both the KDVR report and the KUSA report after the jump.  Read more

KMGH meteorologist Lisa Hidalgo was fast on her feet — literally — after one of her weather reports Tuesday didn’t go exactly as planned. As the camera swung to her feet, Hidalgo broke into a jig and finished her forecast amid laughter in the studio (video above).

>Update: a tipster tells us this wasn’t live — it happened while Hidalgo was taping a weather update for KMGH’s website.

Danielle Grant will join Denver NBC affiliate KUSA as the morning meteorologist.

“I’ve had an absolute fantastic time here,” Grant said while signing off from KREM in Spokane, WA, Sunday. “And I hope I brought you guys a lot of joy, a lot of laughter, and a big smile.”

Grant worked at KREM for three years. She was the weekend weather anchor and reporter. Before coming to KREM, she worked KIFI in Idaho Falls, ID.

Denver NBC affiliate KUSA tweeted an apology for using “coarse language” Tuesday evening:

Apologies to all offened by our earlier coarse language. New snow reports continue to validate forecast.#9wx twitter.com/9NEWSWeather/s…

— 9NEWS Weather (@9NEWSWeather) April 10, 2013

KUSA has deleted the original tweet, but a tipster tells us (and this retweet confirms) it read “What’s all the bitching about?”, apparently a reference to the fact that the storm was living up to its hype — and therefore validating KUSA’s extensive weather coverage Tuesday.

KUSA has yet to return TVSpy’s request for comment.

Denver FOX affiliate KDVR has hired a new morning anchor team that includes former KCNC anchor Brooke Wagner. Wagner’s new co-anchor will be Kirk Yuhnke who joins KDVR from Phoenix ABC affiliate KNXV.

“We believe Brooke and Kirk, along with meteorologist Jennifer Broome and traffic anchor Ken Clark, will make a dynamic team,” KDVR news director Ed Kosowski told TVSpy. “They have the experience, passion and personality to make “Good Day Colorado” a unique morning newscast in this highly-competitive market.”

Both Wagner and Yuhnke, who go on-air two weeks from today on April 22, broke the news via social media.  Wagner chose twitter to announce, saying, “Friends, I’m thrilled and proud to announce I have a new TV home @KDVR ! I will start on #GoodDayColorado soon! Honored to join the team!” Read more

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

Denver FOX affiliate KDVR has announced a change to its evening anchor line up. After more than 35 years on-air in the Denver market, anchor Ron Zappolo (pictured left) will sign off this Friday, April 5.

To replace the longtime anchor, KDVR has announced Jeremy Hubbard (pictured right) will join Deborah Takahara to form the new anchor team at 5:00 and 9:00 p.m. beginning Monday April 8.

“I’ve had a really fortunate run,” Zappolo told the Denver Post. “I’ve been able to see the world, provoke a little thought, have fun and get paid for it. How many people can say they got to do exactly what they wanted to do?” Read more

Raj Chohan, former reporter for Denver CBS owned station KCNC, has been hired as a prosecutor for the Weld County district attorney’s office.

“He just has outstanding credentials to be a prosecutor,” Weld district attorney Ken Buck told the Denver Post. “He covered the courts, but he’s never been a prosecutor. He is very good on his feet, which is important for a prosecutor. He has a great background in law school, and he’s working for one of the most prestigious firms in Denver.”

After leaving KCNC in 2010, Chohan went on to practice commercial litigation and media law at Denver law firm BakerHostetler. Chohan also hosts a weekly political program called “Colorado Inside Out” on Colorado Public TV station KBDI.

Chohan has also worked at WOOD in Grand Rapids, MI, and WREX in Rockford, IL.

[FTVLive]