Political Coverage

KTVK, the independent station in Phoenix, has hired Dennis Welch as political editor, TVNewsCheck reports. He will begin June 1.

Welch will oversee the station’s political coverage and co-host “Politics Unplugged,” the station’s political affairs show. He joins KTVK from the Arizona Guardian, where he was owner and editor. He has been a frequent guest on “Politics Unplugged” for the past several years.

“Dennis gives us a first-rate political reporter who really knows Arizona’s political landscape,” executive news director Brad Remington said.  Read more

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Chicago stations were in overdrive this weekend covering the ongoing NATO Summit, which continues today at McCormick Place.

WFLD‘s Bob Sirrot and Robin Robinson co-anchored an hour-long newscast at 5 p.m. Sunday on the Fox O&O. Political editor Mike Flannery‘s regular Sunday morning newscast was expanded to an hour this weekend.

On NBC O&O WMAQ, weekday anchors Stefan Holt and Daniella Guzman anchored a special 11 a.m. newscast on Sunday. WMAQ also expanded its 5 and 10 p.m. newscasts, anchored by Allison Rosati and Rob Stafford, to an hour. Read more

Anita Kissée is joining TVW, the Washington state public affairs cable network, as host of “The Impact,” a weekly political show.

Kissée joins TVW from KATU, the ABC-affiliate in Portland, where she has been a reporter and anchor for seven years. She is also a former moderator of “Viewpoint,” the weekly public affairs program on KTVB in Boise.

“Anita’s experience and style fit very well with TVW,” president Greg Lane said in a statement. “In addition to being an exceptional reporter and talented anchor, Anita has extensive background covering state and local governments, as well as a strong personal passion for politics and public policy.” Read more

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney used a recent one-on-one interview with WBTV as an opportunity to clarify his position on gay adoption.

Following President Obama‘s declaration of support for same-sex marriage last week, Romney has continually fielded questions about gay rights and, in an interview with the Fox Business Network last Thursday, he raised eyebrows when he said that it’s “fine” for gay couples to adopt.

Speaking with WBTV’s Paul Cameron, Romney backed away from that statement. Read more

In an interview on Wednesday in Colorado, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney grew frustrated with KCNC reporter Shaun Boyd when she asked him a viewer’s question about medical marijuana (after she had pressed him on the issue of same-sex marriage).

Romney was still talking about the incident on Thursday and, on Friday afternoon, it was at the center of an on-air argument between MSNBC anchor Tamron Hall and Washington Examiner columnist Tim Carney (video above). Read more

Mitt Romney fielded questions with the poise of a seasoned presidential candidate during a series of one-on-one interviews with Denver reporters on Wednesday, but at one point he became frustrated with KCNC‘s Shaun Boyd when she asked him a question that a viewer had shared on the station’s Facebook page.

After pressing Romney on the issue same-sex marriage, Boyd asked him a viewer’s question about medical marijuana.

“Aren’t there issues of significance that you’d like to talk about?” Romney shot back. Read more

While President Obama was preparing to sit for an exclusive interview with ABC News, in which he would express his support for same-sex marriage, Mitt Romney was in Colorado, talking to local reporters.

Just hours before news broke of Obama’s gay marriage pronouncement, Romney affirmed his opposition to same-sex unions in interviews with reporters from a handful of Denver stations.

On Tuesday night, Republicans in the Colorado state house of representatives blocked a bill that would have allowed same-sex civil unions, so on Wednesday reporters from KDVR, KUSA, and KCNC asked Romney to discuss his stance on the issue. Read more

Kyle Clark, an anchor at Denver NBC-affiliate KUSA, turned the tables on NBC’s David Gregory in an interview this week in Washington, DC (watch above).

Clark interviewed Gregory on the set of “Meet the Press,” the Sunday political affairs show he hosts on NBC. Gregory said Colorado is a vital state to the Presidential election this year. Read more

Hallie Jackson is leaving WFSB, the CBS-affiliate in Hartford, to join Hearst Television’s Washington, DC bureau.

Jackson, the station’s weekend evening anchor, joined WFSB in 2008. Her last day will be May 13, according to The Laurel.

“Definitely sad to leave my WFSB family, but excited for a new adventure in Washington, DC,” Jackson wrote on Facebook. “Starting mid-May, you’ll find me in the mornings on 30 Hearst-owned stations across the country, from Boston to Hawaii.”

WNCN, the NBC-affiliate in Raleigh, will host a Democratic gubernatorial debate tonight.

The hourlong debate, presented in partnership with the League of Women Voters of North Carolina, will be moderated by political reporter Kim Gernardo. It will air at 8 p.m. on WNCN and stream live on the station’s website.

“Our commitment is to provide voters with as much information about where each candidate stands on the issues that impact their lives on a daily basis so that they can make smart and informed decisions,”  news director Andrea Parquet-Taylor said in a statement. Read more