Seattle-Tacoma

Michelle Esteban, a reporter and fill-in anchor at KOMO for over a decade, has been promoted to weekend anchor at the Seattle ABC-affiliate.

A longtime member of KOMO’s investigative team, Esteban began anchoring the station’s weekend morning newscasts at the beginning of the year, and recently moved to the weekend 5, 6, and 11 p.m. newscasts.

“It feels like I’m Cinderella and the slipper fits perfectly,” Esteban said about the move.  “KOMO is a great station with a long history.  It’s a privilege to be here, to be partnered with a super talented co-anchor, John Discepolo, and an ever-supportive crew.” Read more

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Mark Boe has been named vice president, station manager and director of sales at KSTW, the CW-affiliate in Seattle.

Boe joins KSTW from Tribune Broadcasting, where he was the director of sales for the Pacific Northwest region, overseeing KCPQ-KZJO in Seattle and KRCW in Portland.

“Mark is an incredibly talented and experienced broadcaster,” KSTW general manager Ron Longinotti said in a statement. “We are very fortunate to have someone with the extensive local, regional and national perspective that Mark brings to the table and we know that KSTW will continue to grow and thrive under his leadership.” Read more

“Love ABC Primetime? We do too.”

That’s the message behind #liveonkomo, the ambitious new Twitter initiative from Seattle ABC-affiliate KOMO aimed at boosting primetime ratings by promoting social media interaction among viewers, as well as the station’s on-air talent.

KOMO launched #liveonkomo with the season premiere of “The Bachelorette” earlier this month and Kristi Waite, KOMO’s digital strategist, says that the station plans to promote top ABC shows through the upcoming 2012-13 season, using the model established by the “Bachelorette” debut. Read more

Police and prosecutors in Seattle are preparing subpoenas requesting footage of the violent May Day protests from television stations in the area, according to the Seattle Times.

Tuesday’s protests turned violent and resulted in widespread vandalism in downtown Seattle. Footage shot by television stations could be used to identify suspects, the Times reports:

The state’s “reporter shield law” limits law-enforcement access to unpublished material gathered by journalists, but three network-affiliated TV stations contacted Tuesday said that with a subpoena they would turn over footage that already had aired.

Holly Gauntt, KOMO-TV news director, said one clip the station aired shows a black-clad protester changing into street clothes. “There’s one shot we have where you can clearly see the guy,” she said.

A veteran photographer for KING was injured while covering the protests for the NBC-affiliate.

Watch KOMO’s report on the violence after the jump. Read more

A veteran KING photographer ended up with a bloody cheek after a scuffle with protesters in downtown Seattle earlier this week.

Richard Departee, who has worked at the Seattle NBC-affiliate for more than 30 years, was shooting video of the May Day protests when he found himself in the middle of a group wearing “face masks and dark glasses.”

“I think as soon as they saw me it was like ‘Hey get out of here, you know, scum,’ and started pushing me,” Departee said. The camera was still rolling as the group surrounded him and one of the protestors “popped me in the face,” he said.

Watch Departee’s video of the incident after the jump. Read more

Janene Drafs has been promoted to vice president and station manager at KOMO-KUNS, the Fisher Broadcasting duopoly in Seattle. Her appointment is effective immediately.

Drafs is a 25-year employee of Fisher Broadcasting who most recently was vice president and general sales manager at KOMO-KUNS. In her new role, she will continue to be responsible for sales activity at the duopoly.

“Janene has the expertise and track record to be an excellent station manager in this market,” Jim Clayton, the SVP-GM of Fisher Seattle Broadcasting, said in a statement. “She knows the landscape very well. And I am pleased to announce her new responsibility.”

Bob Throndsen is retiring after more than three decades at KOMO, the ABC-affiliate in Seattle.

Throndsen has been a reporter, anchor and managing editor of KOMO. Most recently, he served as news director for KOMO Newsradio

“He’s taught me a lot and I know he’s taught everybody else in this newsroom a lot,” KOMO anchor Dan Lewis said in a statement. “I really feel like it’s chipping a little brick out of the foundation of KOMO when he leaves — a piece of that foundation that will never be replaced.” Watch KOMO’s tribute to Throndsen inside… Read more

The U.S. Secret Service may have another scandal on their hands. KIRO investigative reporter Chris Halsne is reporting that last year in El Salvador, an advance team of agents prepping for President Obama’s trip picked up a group of women at a strip club and brought them back to their hotel.

Halsne, who is just back from El Salvador, discussed the KIRO report today on “CBS This Morning” (video above). Read more

Kathi Goertzen and Dan Lewis, the longtime KOMO anchor team, were back together on Tuesday at a charity luncheon in Seattle. It was Goertzen’s first public appearance since undergoing her latest surgery to combat brain tumors.

“Her voice is very weak–it’s only been 6 weeks since the surgery, and she has to walk with a cane because she is still having some balance problems,” KOMO news director Holly Gauntt said. “In typical Kathi fashion though, with a quiet voice, she made everyone laugh with a couple jokes.”

Goertzen has been speaking at the annual YWCA luncheon every year since it began 24 years ago. Read more

“Look who’s coming to KOMO 4 News!” longtime KOMO anchor Dan Lewis wrote on his Facebook page Wednesday. “My son, Tim, is going to be our new weekend sports anchor and sports reporter.”

Tim Lewis is currently the sports director at KREM in Spokane, where he’s worked since 2006. He is set to leave the station on May 25th to join his dad at KOMO.

“I’ve really enjoyed my time in Spokane, and I can’t thank everyone enough for making this a great place to call home,” Lewis tweeted recently. Read more