As NBC-owned stations across the country expand their investigative units, WNBC rolled out a new ad campaign during the Super Bowl promoting its “I-Team.”

WNBC’s dramatic “I-Team” ads were run repeatedly throughout the big game, giving Jonathan Dienst, Melissa Russo, Lynda Baquero, and Chris Glorioso the same level of exposure in New York as Volkswagon’s dogs and David Beckham’s underwear (video above).

The New York Press Club Foundation is calling for an investigation into the reported police aggression against journalists covering the NYPD’s early morning raid of Zuccotti Park.

“As police officers acted to remove Occupy Wall Street protesters from Zuccotti Park, several reporters protested that they were the victims of harassment and that their rights under the First Amendment were violated,” wrote Gabe Pressman, longtime WNBC reporter and president of the New York Press Club Foundation, in a letter to Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly.

“The actions of some police officers were not consistent with the long-established relationship between the NYPD and the press,” Pressman added. Read more

As the NYPD removed Occupy Wall Street protesters from Zuccotti Park early Tuesday morning, they effectively created a media-free bubble around the action, pushing reporters out of view and clearing the airspace of news helicopters.

While there were plenty of reports of police aggression against demonstrators, as well as members of the media, many journalists were unable to provide first-hand accounts of the clashes because they were so far away.

“Reporters were unable to independently verify reports of police aggression inside the park at a certain point because police had pushed the media so far back,” WNBC’s Chris Glorioso told viewers this morning after covering the early morning raid. Read more

Brian Taff, reporter for WPVI in Philadelphia has been promoted to be the station’s 4:00 co-anchor.  Prior to WPVI, Brian was the host and moderator of “Capital Tonight” as well as anchor and reporter at Capital News 9 in Albany, NY.

Rosemary Orozco has recently joined KTVU in San Francisco as weekend meteorologist.  She’s a California native and was previously the morning meteorologist at KTXL in Sacramento.

Iain Page, who recently joined KPRC in Houston, has already been promoted to the noon and 4:00 weekday slot.  Prior to KPRC Iain was a host for The Golf Channel, as well as ESPN, and a former lawyer for the SEC.

Lisa Spooner is the new morning anchor at WFTX in Ft Myers.  Lisa spent the last four years as a main and morning anchor at KYTX in Tyler, TX.

Keli Fulton was recently named noon anchor and reporter for WPTV in West Palm Beach.  She is very excited to focus on news full time. She moves to West Palm from WDSU in New Orleans where she worked as a news and sports anchor/reporter.
Read more

The revolving door continues to spin at New York’s WNBC.  Following the departure of reporter Glenn Zimmerman, veteran investigative reporter Tim Minton has left the NBC flagship.

Minton (left), who has won 18 Emmys, had been with the station since 1998.  TVSpy’s sister site FishbowlNY first reported Minton’s departure yesterday. His final day was last Friday.

While Zimmerman and Minton are now part of a long list of recent WNBC departures, the station has recently added talent.  Chris Glorioso, who local viewers will recognize from his time with CW-affiliate WPIX, began reporting for the station last week.

Glorioso is a two-time Emmy winner.  One of his first reports for WNBC was on New York’s burgeoning black market for the alcoholic energy drink Four Loko.

Video inside… Read more