The news team at KETV got an early Halloween fright when a wayward bat flew through the newsroom and studio this weekend.

In the video (watch after the jump), employees of the Omaha ABC affiliate try out various implements to wrangle the bat, even calling in the professionals. The bat was eventually subdued with a well-placed box top. Video of the incident inside… Read more

Despite extending talks for more than a week past the original expiration of their retransmission consent contract, Time Warner Cable and Hearst were unable to come to an agreement by midnight yesterday, leaving 13 stations unavailable on the cable provider today.

“Time Warner Cable has reached hundreds of agreements with other broadcasters without broadcaster blackouts, but Hearst’s demand for a nearly 300% increase is way out of line,” a Time Warner statement released last night reads. “That kind of outrageous increase is unfair to our customers and unsustainable for our business.”

Hearst has statements informing viewers on each respective station’s website. Read more

“I made a mistake, a huge mistake, and it nearly cost me everything,” KETV anchor-reporter Adrian Whitsett said in a recent interview with the station’s senior anchor, Rob McCartney, speaking about his DUI conviction.

After an unpaid leave of absence following his arrest in January, Whitsett returned to work last month and returned to the air this week. The Omaha ABC-affiliate cleared the way for his on-air return by airing a story on Sunday in which Whitsett asks viewers for forgiveness. Read more

KETV anchor Adrian Whitsett is back at work, after serving time for his third DUI.

KETV general manager Ariel Roblin confirmed today that Whitsett has returned to work, although she said that his return to the air has not yet been determined.

In an email, Whitsett told TVSpy that he hopes to be back on air “within a few weeks.”  Before going on unpaid leave following his arrest, Whitsett anchored KETV’s weekday 5 p.m. newscast.

Whitsett’s Twitter account went dark following his DUI arrest in January but he started tweeting again on Thursday.  “Good to be back at it!” reads one message.

KETV anchor Adrian Whitsett was sentenced Monday morning to 30 days in jail, following his recent DUI arrest.

The Omaha ABC-affiliate reports that Whitsett pleaded guilty to one count of third-offense misdemeanor DUI.  In addition to 30 days in jail, which can be served as house arrest, Whitsett received two years supervised probation.

Whitsett is currently on a leave of absence from KETV.  He remains an employee of the station.

“I shouldn’t have been doing this. It almost cost me my job,” Whitsett told the judge in the case. “I don’t plan on doing this again.”

KETV has been forthcoming about the recent arrest of anchor Adrian Whitsett. The Omaha ABC-affiliate reported during its 10 p.m. newscast on Wednesday that Whitsett was arrested over the weekend and charged with driving under the influence, as well as driving the wrong way down a one-way street.

Whitsett, who anchors KETV’s 5 p.m newscast, is currently on “an extended leave of absence” from the station.

Omaha CBS-affiliate KMTV also reported on Whitsett’s arrest this week.

Whitsett joined KETV in 2008, shortly after he graduated from the University of Nebraska. According to the Omaha World-Herald, he was arrested around 2:30 a.m. on Saturday with a blood-alcohol level of .262.

Ariel Roblin was named president and general manager of KETV, the ABC-affiliate in Omaha, Hearst Television announced today.

Roblin joined KETV in May 2010 from KRCR-KAEF in Redding, CA. Her appointment, a promotion from general sales manager, is effective immediately.

“Her appreciation for localism and the importance of a quality news service, along with her solid business credentials, will make her an effective leader of KETV as it serves the Omaha community on-air, online and on-the-go,” Hearst president and CEO David Barrett said in a statement.

Roblin replaces Sarah Smith, who took over as president and general manager of KMBC-KCWE in Kansas City on September 6.

Anchors from nine stations were in Washington, DC yesterday for a local press blitz that included interviews with President Obama and unprecedented access to the White House.

Most of the stations, which were largely located in swing states, billed the Presidential interview as an “exclusive.” Norfolk’s WAVY went one step further: anchors in the studio tossed to live shots with Tom Schaad by calling him “the only local anchor in the nation’s capital today.”

The biggest star for the visitors, however, wasn’t on the schedule: first dog Bo Obama trotted out to the South Lawn unannounced. “That’s the only time I saw things get really ugly with the reporters,” KGW‘s Tracy Barry (pictured) said. “They were practically pushing each other out of the way to get to the dog.”

Watch the reports filed from the White House, after the jump. Read more

The White House is welcoming nine anchors today for a local round of press that will include interviews with President Obama and comprehensive behind-the-scenes access to the White House.

In addition to their “brief” individual interviews with the President, the participating anchors will broadcast evening newscasts (during sweeps-month, as Politico’s Mike Allen points out) from the South Lawn of the White House, on special risers built for the occasion. The anchors will also have lunch with David Plouffe, interview a White House staffer from the station’s home market and get an on-camera tour of the building with a curator. Finally, they will ask one question each of Jay Carney at the daily press briefing.

The latest local push is significantly more involved than past interviews Obama has done on the local level, which have been limited to seven-minute sit-downs with the President on one predetermined topic. Read more

Sarah Smith will take over as president and general manager of Hearst-owned duopoly KMBC-KCWE — the Kansas City ABC and CW affiliates, respectively — on September 6. She replaces Wayne Godsey, who announced his retirement in June after more than 40 years in the business.

Smith stays within Hearst even as she changes jobs — she has been president and general manager of Hearst-owned KETV, the ABC affiliate in Omaha, since 2007. Under Smith’s leadership, KETV has excelled, leading its competitors across every newscast.

“The station is Omaha’s local news leader, with an outstanding reputation for journalism excellence and service to the community,” Hearst president and CEO David Barrett said in a statement. “And KETV’s consistently strong revenue and profit performance attests to her impressive business credentials.”

Smith has worked at eight stations nationwide, including as the VP-GM of both KRCR in Chico, CA and KAEF in Eureka, CA. Hearst has not yet announced a replacement for her at KETV.