Cheryl Fair, news director for the Los Angeles ABC owned station, told TVSpy Raines has been “off on a long-planned well-deserved special vacation.”  Fair added that Raines would be back on the air tonight.

On Raines’ company facebook page, viewers began posting comments like, “Where are you Dallas ?” and “Where have you been? You’re the best dresser on t.v. You’re an impeccable dresser! You’ve got the best personality of any weatherperson. I miss seeing you. Are you o.k.? I hope all is well with you.”

Newsblues reported Raines last checked in on air at 5:09 p.m. on April 12 and last tweeted on April 8, the subscription news site also said it was “unusual” KABC made no mention of his absence, especially since it happened during the beginning part of May sweeps. (The newsblues link leads to paid subscription site)

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

The National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians has announced

“I am pleased to announce that at the culmination of a marathon bargaining session conducted under my auspices, the parties have reached a comprehensive initial Memorandum of Agreement.” Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service Director George H. Cohen said in a statement. “The Agreement is subject to union ratification, but it represents a major step toward the successful completion of long and difficult negotiations.”

NABET-CWA said the new contract was reached after a fifteen hour mediation session and includes wage increases and improved retirement benefits. “The wage offer contains a total of 9% (up from 6.5%) in wage increases over the next four years (2.5%, 2.0%, 2.0%, and 2.5%) effective March 30, 2013.” continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Pat Doney

Doney comes to KXAS after more than two years at WDRB, the Fox affiliate in Louisville. He began his broadcasting career as a sports intern at KABC in Los Angeles and has also worked at WSET in Lynchburg, Va. and KNWA-KARK in Fayetteville, Ark.

Doney replaces Matt Barrie, who is headed for ESPN.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

John North

The news came to KABC staffers last week in an email from vice president and news director Cheryl Fair which said in part, “As you know, John has been at the center of our coverage on some of the biggest stories – from his terrific work during the OJ Simpson saga which he covered almost every day for over two years – to being front and center for most of our local and national political coverage.”

Fair went on to call North, “one of those reporters who helped define Eyewitness News.”  She then added, “We and the viewers have appreciated John’s contributions to Eyewitness News through the years and we wish him well in this next chapter of his life.” continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

KABC-TV led the way, with 708,000 viewers, followed by KCBS (680,000 with a KCAL simulcast), KTLA (259,000), KNBC (221,000) and KTTV (169,000). KCBS said it was the station’s highest-rated 5 p.m. newscast since at least 2004 and was nearly five times the previous average so far this month.

The Times reports that ratings fell considerably when the local stations cut away from the Dorner standoff for President Obama’s State of the Union address.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

CBS O&O KCBS, NBC O&O KNBC, ABC O&O KABC and Fox O&O KTTV all switched from wall-to-wall Dorner coverage to State of the Union coverage provided by their respective affiliated networks around 6pmPT. Dorner and police engaged in a shootout in Big Bear shortly after 4pmPT Tuesday afternoon. The cabin he the ex-L.A. cop was believed to be hiding in went up in flames later in the evening.

• Related, TVNewser: Dorner Cornered, California Manhunt Pushes Up Against State of the Union Coverage

CW affiliate KTLA and independent station KCAL were the only stations to stay in coverage of the Dorner search. Dorner is believed to be dead inside the cabin.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Rather than sending up a helicopter from each station for each news broadcast, Terrell said, pilots will fly in shifts. Only one helicopter from member stations — including KABC, KCBS/KCAL, KMEX, KNBC/KVEA, KTLA and KTTV –- will go up at a time. He said the pool plan calls for three flights per night on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings prior to each major newscast at 6 p.m., 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. respectively. He said one helicopter will also be sent out about 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

KNBC anchors Michael Brownlee and Kathy Vara began anchoring coverage just before 9:30amPT. They were joined by Colleen Williams at Griffith Observatory, John Cadiz Klemack in Palmdale, Sean Murphy at the Santa Monica Pier, Ted Chen at Edwards Air Force Base, Toni Guinyard and Chuck Henry at LAX, Patrick Healy at the Nasa Propulsion Center and Antonio Castelan in El Segundo.

KTTV had several anchors participating: Phil Shuman, Carlos Amezcua, Araksya Karapetyan, Lisa Breckenridge and Jeff Michael. Meteorologist Maria Quiban and Pablo Pereira handled the weather reports, and reporters were live across Los Angeles, including Bob DeCastro and Gigi Graciette at LAX, Mar Yvette at a restaurant near LAX and Gina Silva at Griffith Observatory. Hal Eisner and Tshaka Armstrong also contributed. continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

All the local stations in Los Angeles devoted special coverage to a high-speed pursuit in Los Angeles this morning. Four men who held up a bank in the Santa Clarita Valley led police through the streets of downtown LA, throwing fistfuls of cash out the window of the moving vehicle as they tried to evade capture.

KTLA morning anchor Frank Buckley was the first to report the news at 10:34amPT, breaking in to “Who Wants to be a Millionare?”

KNBC interrupted the fourth hour of “Today” with the news at 10:40amPT, with Kathy Vara anchoring. KCAL noon anchors David Gonzales and Sandra Mitchell were next at 10:42amPT.

KABC followed the news for the entirety of its regularly-scheduled 11 a.m. newscast, anchored by Phillip Palmer and Leslie Sykes. KTTV anchors Jeff Michael and Lisa Breckenridge first reported the news at at 11:42amPT, shortly after the chase came to an end with an arrest. Raw video of the chase, via KNBC, is after the jump… continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

“Katie” will air at 3 p.m. in all but two of the top 10 markets. The exceptions are Dallas and Washington, DC,  where ABC affiliates WFAA and WJLA will run “Katie” in the 4 p.m. timeslot, which was vacated by daytime fixture Oprah Winfrey last June.

• Related, TVNewser: Katie Couric, Anderson Cooper Facing Serious Challenges in Crowded Syndie Marketplace
  

The eight ABC O&Os — WABC in New York, KABC in Los Angeles, WLS in Chicago, WPVI in Philadelphia, KGO in San Francisco, KTRK in Houston, WTVD in Raleigh-Durham and KFSN in Fresno — are sticking with a commitment to local newscasts, some of which launched in the wake of Winfrey’s departure, in the 4 p.m. time slot.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Yesterday, ABC News reported Scott, who jumped off a bridge in Los Angeles Harbor, had inoperable brain cancer. ABC has now retreated from that statement after additional reporting from Los Angeles ABC O&O KABC:

The family of director Tony Scott, who died Sunday after jumping off a Los Angeles bridge, was not aware Scott had cancer, Los Angeles County Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter told ABC News station KABC in Los Angeles. continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Jennifer Robbins

Robbins comes from KABC in Los Angeles, where she was a weather producer for chief meteorologist Dallas Raines. Prior to that, she was an on-air meteorologist and environmental reporter at KBOI in Boise.

Robbins will be a reporter on the morning newscast and a meteorologist on the weekends.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Bob Banfield, who retired from KABC in 2010 after 43 years at the Los Angeles ABC O&O, died this morning after a long struggle with cancer. He was 82.

The station ran a tribute to Banfield on its 11 a.m. newscast this morning, featuring an interview he did with reporter Marc Brown (video above). continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

As a news organization, we see social media as a way for our viewers to talk to us, and not just as a way for us to talk to them. Listening is important. Since starting our Twitter feed in 2008, we have made it a commitment to reply to comments and questions as often as we can. People will frequently Tweet us to let us know about what’s happening near them and to ask us for details. That carried over to our relationship with our viewers on our Facebook page.  continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

This week KCBS and KCAL reported on the arrests, which were based on a range of offenses, including engaging in lewd conduct in a public place and  indecent exposure, and aired the Manhattan Beach Police Department’s collection of mugshots and personal information of the men arrested.  The images, names, and birthdates were then posted on the stations’ website. continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.