Larry Conners

“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.” continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

KMOV anchor Larry Conners, who claimed he was targeted by the IRS after he pressed President Obama on government spending during a 2012 interview, walked back his allegation on the St. Louis CBS affiliate’s 5 p.m. newscast Tuesday.

“First, I need to state those were my personal views, not those of KMOV-TV,” Conners said (video above). “Second, to be fair, I should disclose that my issues with the IRS preceded that interview by several years. As a journalist I understand the importance of keeping personal matters separate from my professional work — sometimes you have to do that retain your independence as a newsman. Those lines might have been unintentionally crossed yesterday by my [Facebook] post.”

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports Conners and his wife owe more than $85,000 in back taxes.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

KMOV

“At the time, I dismissed the ‘co-incidence,’ but now, I have concerns … after revelations about the IRS targeting various groups and their members,” Conners wrote.

During the interview, Conners asked about government spending, telling the President that some KMOV viewers were concerned about the First Family “jetting around on different vacations” and wondered if he was “out of touch.”

“The President’s face clearly showed his anger; afterwards, his staff which had been so polite … suddenly went cold,” Conners wrote on Facebook. “What I don’t like to even consider … is that because of the Obama interview … the IRS put a target on me. Can I prove it? At this time, no. But it is a fact that since the April 2012 interview … the IRS has been pressuring me.”

Conners declined to comment for this post. Watch his 2012 interview with the President here. [h/t Politico]

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

The Reynolds Journalism Institute at the University of Missouri interviewed Meaghan Anselm KSDK’s return path producer about how the station uses the abbreviated technology to communicate with viewers. You can watch the video after the jump.

Anselm told RJI she uses Vine to give viewers a behind the scenes look at the station. “I actually have a few reporters and a few photographers…they really take some great Vine videos while on the scene or if they’re out doing a shoot and they see something else really creative.” continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

KMOV

KMOV’s Craig Cheatham and Jim Thomas won the IRE Award in the small Broadcast/Video category for “War Zone: The Destruction of an All-American City,” an hourlong documentary about political corruption in East St. Louis, Ill. Cheatham’s “dogged reporting and hard-hitting questions appear to get inside the minds of hardened politicos who admit to him their wrongdoing,” the judges wrote. The CBS affiliate’s report resulted in the resignation of a police chief and pending criminal charges and investigations.

WFAA’s Brett Shipp, Billy Bryant and Jason Trahan won in the medium Broadcast/Video category for “Unfair Game,” an examination of Texas high school coaches and administrators helping students illegally transfer school districts to put together top athletic teams. Shipp “used an inventive combination of social media and dogged reporting to show how high school athletics had been transformed into a business in which the best players were lured away from their neighborhood schools and sometimes across state lines,” the judges wrote. One coach was fired as result of the ABC affiliate’s report.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Thomas Duroso of Overland, MO, has been charged with six counts of misdemeanor harassment for posting threatening messages on employees’ facebook pages as well as making obscene and threatening phone calls since November 2012, according to the St. Louis circuit attorney’s office. Click here to view the probable cause statement posted on the St. Louis Post-Dispatch website.

On April 2, police say Duroso made repeated calls to KSDK saying, “something bad would happen to the KSDK family.” He then showed up at the station, asking how he could get in the building. continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Chris Stanford

Stanford posted the news to his facebook page, “It’s been a great year and a half here at WCCO-TV. I feel I’ve learned a great deal and have worked with so many talented people. So, “where are you going”, you ask? St. Louis!! I start Monday at the CBS affiliate KMOV.”

Stanford comes to KMOV from WCCO in Minneapolis where he has been the morning anchor since August 2011.  He previously worked at WQOW in Eau Claire, WI.

News director Sean McLaughlin told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Stanford will anchor his first newscast next weekend.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Lauren Trager

KMOV news director Sean McLaughlin confirmed with TVSpy, Trager will join the St. Louis CBS affiliate as a general assignment reporter.

Trager made the announcement on her facebook page saying, “It is with very mixed emotions I make this announcement to you all: I’m leaving KARK. Thank you for all the kindness you have shown me here. I’ll always be so fond of my time in Arkansas. Best wishes to you all!”

Trager, who started at KARK in 2008, said her last day at KARK will be Wednesday.

[Arkansas TV News]

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Chris Higgins

Higgins responded with what he called an “open letter of sorts”:

This is an open letter of sorts to respond to the many posts from folks who claim this storm was a complete surprise and who have gone as far as to question my integrity by calling me a liar and an idiot. I do this at the risk of getting in trouble but I feel it necessary to defend my integrity.

In his post, Higgins tells viewers he correctly forecast how long heavy snow would fall and where it would fall but admitted he did not correctly forecast how much snow would fall, adding, “But you cannot sit there and tell me I didn’t tell you it was going to snow…and that I didn’t say [it] was going to snow heavily…because I did.” continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Conners has been out of action after a second rotator cuff surgery. He posted the slow progress of his recovery on facebook last week saying,

Pain meds not working again but think infection is improving. Seeing doctor tomorrow. Still hoping [t]o be back on air soon. As always thanks for prayers and don’t forget those much worse off. continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

KMOV

Sean McLaughlin, executive news director for the St. Louis CBS affiliate, told the Post-Dispatch, “We started the KMOV Sunday Morning News in September. Saturday mornings is the next logical step.”

Diana Zoga and Meteorologist Kristen Cornett will anchor the show which airs from 5 to 6 a.m. and again from 7 to 8 a.m.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

“When the mayor’s office approached me, it became a hard opportunity to pass up,” Crane told TVSpy. “I absolutely love [TV] news.  It has afforded me many wonderful opportunities, and I will certainly miss it.  But, I look forward to lending my voice to the inside workings of the city I love and call home.”

Crane, who started working at KMOV in 2009, began her TV News career at KQTV in St. Joseph, MO, before moving to WINK in Fort Myers, FL.

“We really admire her work,” Jeff Rainford, the Mayor’s chief of staff told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “She’ll be a great addition.”

[Jake's DTV Blog]

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Vickie Newton

“I don’t know who is stalking me and I don’t know what the end game is,” said Newton. “Recently, some of the postings have included key words that describe rooms in my home, family members names are included and so the level of the threat is more aggressive.”

Newton has described her situation as “mind-boggling” – she hid her computer, but her computer case is missing; the stalker has described the “sterling silver picture frames in her master suite;” and the alarm at her Arkansas lake house was going off while she was in St. Louis at early hours in the morning, but no one was ever found.

Newton signed off from KMOV in July, hoping her relocation would deter her stalker, but she says it has only intensified. She said she has installed new security systems and changed her locks, as well as contacting the authorities about the harassment, but it has continued. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch]

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

“I have spent 17 years studying, forecasting and helping people through every aspect of Missouri weather from ice storms, heat waves, floods and tornadoes,” Horner said. “It’s an honor to join KMOV’s team of dedicated, skilled meteorologists led by Steve Templeton.”

Over the summer, Horner announced she was leaving Kansas City’s KCTV to spend more time with her daughters. When she left the station last month, she said, “I still don’t know what I’m going to do when I leave KCTV 5.”

“There are few people who have the credentials Katie will bring to News 4,” said Sean McLaughlin, executive news director at KMOV. “She is a severe weather expert and will bolster our already strong weather team.”

Horner will forecast the weather on the Noon and 5 p.m. newscasts.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Brittany Noble

Since September 2011, Noble has reported for the morning newscast at WEYI, the NBC affiliate in Saginaw, Mich. Her first day at KMOV will be January 7.

Noble has also worked at WBBJ in Jackson, Tenn., as a reporter and anchor. She began her career working as a producer at KAIT in Jonesboro, Ark. while she pursued a master’s degree in journalism at Arkansas State University.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.