Another TV station in the San Francisco-Oakland TV market has ended up on the wrong side of the story while working across the bay in Oakland. This time it was a KGO crew that was targeted by thieves while outside of an art gallery and boutique in Jack London Square.

According to SFGate, Nick Smith, a reporter for the San Francisco ABC owned station, chased the suspected thieves as they sped off in a green Jaguar.

While the crew was inside the store, thieves broke windows of the news van and the guard’s Chevrolet Cobalt parked across the street. No cameras or expensive gear was taken, just personal items including an iPhone.

This is the latest in a string of attacks on local media in Oakland. Last November, a cameraman for CBS owned station KPIX was beaten a robbed of his camera during a live shot.

TVSpy has asked KGO for comment.  We will update when we hear back.

The National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians has announced it has reached a tentative four year labor agreement with ABC, inc.

“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.” Read more

A former web producer at KTXL, Tribune’s Fox affiliate in Sacramento, has been charged with helping the group Anoymous hack into Tribune websites. Matthew Keys, who is currently a social media editor at Reuters, is accused of providing credentials for the group to gain access to the KTXL computer server in 2010, according to the Tribune-owned Los Angeles Times:

The indictment says Keys provided members of the hacker group Anonymous with log-in credentials for a computer server belonging to KTXL FOX 40’s corporate parent, the Tribune Co.

According to the indictment, Keys identified himself on an Internet chat forum as a former Tribune Co. employee.

After providing log-in credentials, Keys allegedly encouraged the Anonymous members to disrupt the website.  According to the indictment, at least one of the computer hackers used the credentials provided by Keys to log into the Tribune Co. server, and ultimately that hacker made changes to the web version of a Los Angeles Times news feature.

Keys, who has been suspended by Reuters, is also a former producer at KGO in San Francisco. Last year, he broke the news that the ABC O&O would be canceling “7 Live,” an interactive local talk show.

Keys faces up to 10 years in prison if he is convicted. “I am fine. I found out the same way most of you did: From Twitter,” Keys tweeted Thursday evening. “Tonight I’m going to take a break. Tomorrow, business as usual.”

KGO reporter Dan Ashley is traveling from San Francisco to Washington this week to interview President Obama, according to the ABC O&O.

The interview comes in the middle of rising tensions between the White House and the White House Correspondents Association over the level of access the press has to the President. Ashley’s reports will begin airing on KGO Wednesday evening.

The President has no interviews on his public schedule Tuesday, although he often does a handful of local interviews at once. Know of any other stations with the White House granted interviews to? Let us know: tvspy@mediabistro.com.

>Update: At least four more local interviews for the President tomorrow. Obama will be sitting down with Debi Chard of WCSC in Charleston, S.C., Kevin Ogle of KFOR in Oklahoma City, Yunji de Nies of KITV in Honolulu, Hawaii and Liz Brunner of WCVB in Boston.

After five years at KGO, the ABC O&O in San Francisco, Terry McSweeney is joining rival KNTV, the NBC O&O in the Bay Area.

At KNTV, McSweeney will anchor the weekend evening newscasts alongside Diane Dwyer. He will also work as a general assignment reporter during the week. McSweeney worked at KNTV as a general assignment reporter from 1987-95.

“Terry has distinguished himself as an enterprising reporter in this market and we’re excited to welcome him back to the KNTV newsroom as part of our anchor team,” KNTV vice president of news Jonathan Mitchell said in a statement.

McSweeney was also a weekend anchor and weekday reporter at KGO. He has also worked at KTXL in Sacramento, WPBF in Palm Beach, KSAZ in Phoenix and WTEN in Albany.

After an oil tanker recently ran into the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, all eyes turned to the Bar Pilot who was guiding the vessel out of the bay.  Dan Noyes, investigative reporter for the San Francisco ABC owned station KGO, got a bit of a rude hello when he showed up at the Bar Pilots office in San Francisco yesterday looking for answers.

Noyes told TVSpy, “This was a total surprise, especially because I was not there to interview this particular bar pilot. As I was heading into their offices, I saw a man getting out of a car with a “ship pilot” license plate, figured he might be someone important, so I introduced myself. That’s when the profanity began. He was upset at past investigations I’ve done into bar pilots, and another ship accident that spilled oil into the bay.”

Noyes is no stranger to conflicts while on a story. “Dealing with confrontations is part of the job, but rarely does it turn physical,” added Noyes. “I’ve had maybe a dozen incidents over the years, been shot at, punched, pushed. I think the actions speak volumes about the person we’re interviewing — why would they be so upset at simple questions? Read more

Don Sanchez, veteran anchor and reporter for KGO, the San Francisco ABC owned station, is calling it quits after 49 years in television.

“It has been quite a ride,” Sanchez told Bay Area media blogger Rich Lieberman.  “I have several things I want to do, but nothing concrete yet. Just a little ‘r and r’ to start.

Sanchez joined KGO in 1972 as a general assignment reporter.  His tenure includes covering the Patty Hearst kidnapping and subsequent trial and being part of the station’s heyday during the 1970s and 80s.  Recently, Sanchez had been working as KGO’s Arts and Entertainment reporter.

Known for his eternally youthful look, Sanchez began his television career at KSBY the San Luis Obispo NBC affiliate.

For those in the San Francisco Bay Area market, the station will air a tribute to Don in tonight’s 6 p.m. show.

Last week, a KPIX photographer was beaten and robbed of his camera while reporting from Oakland, the eighth violent incident involving a member of the media since April. The San Francisco Chronicle reports some stations are now taking precautions to protect crews in the field:

Several stations used private security after being harassed and attacked during Occupy demonstrations late last year in downtown Oakland. Ed Chapuis, news director at KTVU, said guards are now hired on a case-by-case basis, depending on the situation and whether a crew requests one.

Tracey Watkowski, vice president of news for KGO-TV, said her station is looking at private security and “evaluating it as an option.”

One reporter at a Bay Area television station, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said some videographers are refusing to do stories in Oakland. “It’s scary, there’s no doubt about it,” she said. “But we’re not going to stop covering news in Oakland.” Read more

Sara Bueno has been named Director of Integrated Media for KNTV, the San Francisco NBC owned station.

“Sara joins our digital team with a wealth of experience having worked in this market for more than 12 years,” Jonathan Mitchell, vice president of news said in a statement. “I am confident that she will continue our commitment of providing the Bay Area with the go-to source for continuous, in-depth coverage of local news.”

Bueno comes to KNTV from KGO where she led the editorial direction of the San Francisco ABC O&O’s website and digital platforms.

KGO has signed on to air internet celebrity Shira Lazar’s “What’s Trending” segments during its 4 p.m. newscast.  Lazar is host and executive producer of the “WhatsTrending” blog and live interactive news talk show.

“What’s Trending” is a great way for our ABC7 News viewers to sample some of the most viral news and videos of the day, said the San Francisco ABC O&O’s president and general manager William Burton.  “KGO-TV is glad to bring this interesting new segment to our 4pm news viewers.

“KGO-TV consistently embodies the innovative spirit of the Bay Area in their approach to programming and leadership in news,” said Lazar.  “We are excited to take a step in bringing What’s Trending to a new level in multi-platform entertainment. KGO-TV is a great partner in that evolution.”

The first episode (watch the video after the jump) featured flying kittens dressed in capes.

Read more