Posts Tagged ‘KSDK’

When former KSDK, Channel 5 reporter/anchor Jasmine Huda told her bosses that she has made “other arrangements” when her contract expired last month, could she have been referring to arch-rival KMOV, Channel 4?  Huda ankled the Gannett station shortly after bosses tried to sweeten their original “best and final offer.”  Local newsrooms are nattering that Channel 4′s canny Allen Cohen plans to add the personable Huda to a new lineup that will eventually be shared with news-less KDNL-TV, Channel 30. Meanwhile, the bean counters at 5 are looking for ways to replace video shot from their now-grounded chopper.

Contracts have expired at KSDK, Channel 5 with news reporters Ann Rubin and Mike Garrity. Hot and heavy negotiations are underway as we chat.  BTW, that reminds us that before television, nobody knew what a headache, colon or sinus looked  like.  Also, no one could fathom that some day on the tube we’d see how hemorrhoids or yeast infections could be treated or that a gecko and cavemen would tell us how to save money on insurance.

Rumors that Dr. Henry Givens may step down as chief of Harris-Stowe State University were in abundance at the Missouri MLK Statewide Celebration Kick-Off Program the other night on the campus. However, Givens was in full command as an audience of 2,000 gave enthusastic hosanahs for the Rev. Al Sharpton.  The civil rights leader, who filled his keynote with humor, biblical tales and blunt street-talk, was caught twittering in Givens’ office, while Cong. Lacy Clay, Jr. and Cong. Russ Carnahan chowed-down.  KSDK, Channel 5′s most-watched education reporter and the station’s young, news/weather anchor Anthony Slaughter kept the program moving in a timely and pleasant pace. InBev AB’s John Furr and honorary chair of the event introduced Rev. Sharpton as “a transformational leader, a man who has challenged the American social and political establishment.”President Obama calls Rev. Sharpton ‘the voice of the voiceless and a champion for the downtrodden,”  said Furr. Rev. Sharpton mused, “You know, it’s amazing how many people marched with Dr. King.  They will tell you they marched with him and they are probably lying.”  Sharpton began his ministry at the age of  four.  Others getting their time in the spotlight were Robin Wright-Jones, Tishaura Jones, Mayor Slay, Charlie Dooley and Percy Green, who was heckled by an attendee, who was ejected from the room.  MIA was Gov. Jay Nixon, who only did a brief drive-by at a private pouring and then blew the Hood. On Sunday, just getting warmed-up from his Saturday night bombastic and poignant keynote, Rev. Sharpton accepted an invite to deliver a sermon to an SRO crowd at the Friendly Temple Baptist Church on Martin Luther King Drive. Faces in the crowd: the Rev. Earl Nance, Jr., James and Susan Buford, Merdean Gales, Ruth Smith, Gwen Packnett, Betty Thompson, Anita Banks, Frankie Muse Freeman, Stacy and Judge Jimmie Edwards, Judge Charles Shaw and wife, Kay, Argus publisher Yaphett El-Amin, Joe Keaveny and Lou Brock. (See photos taken by the Metro Evening Whirl).

The columnist has made hundreds of New Year’s resolutions over the years – for himself and on behalf of many of you.  Some have taken: some have not.  For himself, the columnist vows better attention to health; more acceptance of the limits of medicine; greater patience with the pace of healing; and a more heartfelt gratitude to doctors, nurses, billing clerks, insurance companies, and (especially) to well-wishers.  He also vows greater attention to correct spelling, accurate timing, complete quoting, standard punctuation, organized note-taking, credible attribution, flattering photography, and graceful corrections.  Of course, that is an annual resolution, made with little real intention of doing anything about the habits of a lifetime gossipist. On your behalf, the columnist attributes (with no foundation and with relatively little malice) the following fantasy resolutions:

• From President Barack Obama: I’ll do my Christmas vacation next year with Claire, Joe, and their family in St. Louis, as long as Claire promises not to Tweet about it and Joe pays for the Pi.
• From Governor Jay Nixon:  I’ll ask Peter Kinder, who practically lives there, to tell Georganne the best places to eat, shop, and stay in St. Louis.
• From Archbishop Robert Carlson:  I’ll make more good news with Catholic Charities than bad.
• From SLU president the Rev. Larry Biondi:  I’ll commission a statue of a naked Rick Majerus for Bannister House if the Billikens make the NCAA Tournament.
• From Sen. Kit Bond:  I’ll use my final year to find jobs for all my staff.
• From County Executive Charlie Dooley:  I’ll ask the nice Greg Boyce for a couple of lumps of clean coal to put into a certain former staffer’s Christmas stocking.
• From Mayor Francis Slay:  I’ll give a Key to the City to Lady GaGa.
• From KMOV GM Alan Cohen:  I’ll do infomercials 24/7.
• From “Donnybrook” founder Martin Duggan:  I’ll start a blog. What’s a blog?
• From Emerson CEO David Farr and celebrated attorney Linda Martinez:  We had no idea we were named “man and woman of the year” by the Variety Club until we read it in Berger’s column. We hope he’ll be seated with us at the April 24th dinner.
• From Congressman Lacy Clay:  I’ll check “finally single”  on my Census form next year.
• From former GOP consultant Rod Jetton: I’ll use the hot air
• From the Robin  Carnahan campaign to fill a bouquet of green balloons.
• From Gateway Foundation donor M. Peter Fischer:  I think I’ll do another two blocks.
• From Build-A-Bear boss Maxine Clark:  I’ll stuff the first marketing person who suggests a children’s video on national health care reform, immigration, or gun control.
• From former Engineered Air’s Mike Shanahan:  Since that fancy country club in Naples, Fla., has blackballed me and sent me a check that bounced, I think I’ll remain at Old Warson.
• From the St. Louis Beacon’s Bob Duffy:  We now have our own space in the KETC-TV offices and hope we’ll open an Illinois bureau in Pontoon Beach.
• From television reporter Alex Fees:  Maybe I can get Donna Wilkinson to follow Steve Schankman on my “Conversations with. . .” in January on HEC-TV – if her stockings aren’t falling.
• From Congressman Russ Carnahan:  I’ll use my frequent flier miles to send mouthy Ed Martin on a long trip to country without the Internet.
• From Blues owner Dave Checketts:  I’ll play Ed Goltermann in goal for home games.
• From Gerard Craft:  I’ll open a Niche on every corner.
• From WashU chancellor Mark Wrighton:  I’ll get that Top 10 ranking back.
• From Chief Tim Fitch:  I’ll find a new badge for Floyd Warmann.
• From KSDK GM Lynn Beall:  I’ll retire or replace any face viewers might conceivably recognize.
• From Rams owner Chip Rosenbloom:  I’ll fire the coach if he blows our number one draft choice by actually winning another game.
• From Bob Baer:  I’ll ride the last Metro bus to Chesterfield if the County tax campaign fails in April.
• From would-be Rams owner Rush Limbaugh:  I’ll buy the Arch Rival Roller Girls instead.
• From north St. Louis developer Paul McKee:  I’ll mow all my yards and rake yours too.
• From entrepreneurs Mike and Steve Roberts: We’ll suggest changing the name of St. Louis City to Roberts St. Louis City.
• From Symphony music director David Robertson:  I’ll buy KFUO and program it with hip-hop, uh. . .classical music.
• From Cardinals president Bill DeWitt III:  I’ll change the name of Ballpark Village to Holliday Haven.
• From the Loop’s Joe Edwards:  I’ll open a successful venue on the actual Moon.
• From Lee CEO Mary Junck:  I’ll improve morale by signing a good contract with the Newspaper Guild.
• From AmerenUe officials:  I’ll use the phrase “a warm holiday glow” in our next filing with the Public Service Commission to soften them up on a nuclear power rate increase.
• From Art Museum honcho Brent Benjamin:  I’ll expand.
• From AB Inbev boss Carlos Britto: I’ll find out if Clydesdales go better with a little lime.
• From grocer Greg Dierberg:  I’ll open the most popular grocery in a decade and call it. . .Culinaria Too.
• From the Caseyville and Collinsville police:  Next time we hope we’ll get it right. (At Teezers Bar in Collinsville, a guy walked in with a silver handgun over the holidays and fired off a few rounds and marched out.  Police began looking for a 70 year-old man known to them and after much searching, they decided that the gunman they really needed to look for had the same name but was just 52.  Then, the Caseyville police gave their Collinsville counterparts an entirely different suspect’s name. The guy, who allegedly committed the explosive act, was none of the above: he had been hiding out all that time at Jessi’s Hideout in Collinsville.)
• From restaurateur Sam Kacar: I hope to open a third Trattoria Branica in Chesterfield Valley by mid-January and then focus on a fourth in the CWE or Webster Groves.
• From former airport director Dick Hrabko: I’m going to get those slots installed at the Spirit of St. Louis Airport.
• From Wind Capital exec Tom Carnahan:  I’ll use the hot air
• From the Roy Blunt campaign to generate electricity.
• From uber-flack Joan Quicksilver:  I’ll nominate Jerry Berger as Media Person of the Year.
• From affable CVC’s Kitty Ratcliffe:  I resolve I’ll ask for another convention center. (The woman has garnered kudos for signing such major confabs as the Church of God in Christ, that brought 40,000 here and has inked its convention for St. Louis in 2011 and 2012 – away From Memphis.
• From all of this column’s many sources: We’ll not turn a blind eye to any item that might amuse St. Louis in Jerry Berger’s website.

Caveat lector and Happy New Year!

Among the holiday shoppers seen ’round town were Elizabeth and Steve Jankowski, tee-vee reporter-turned director of alum affairs at SIU-E. Congrats to them on heading for their 35th wedding anniversary.  Over 35 years, Steve’s reporting was seen and heard over KSDK, Channel 5, KMOV, Channel 4 and KMOX radio. Elizabeth is a fifth-grade teacher at Albert Cassens Elementary School. . . One of the most revered antique galleries around is the Hanon-Ziern operation on Clayton Road. But, alas, Joe Hanon tipped that the Ziern collection is now being fed to the Ladue Galleries, including furniture and paintings. “Dorothy’s antique carpet collection is to be sold during the winter auction at Ivey-Selkirk,” said Joe, who stands vigil over his beloved wife these days. ” . . .it’s now time to get rid of the bulk of the inventory.”

Tensions between the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Dept. and KSDK (Channel 5) eased a little Friday.  Station sources aver that the parent company forked over $3,000 to settle fines and penalties assessed on several vehicles.  Unpaid parking tickets had grounded some of the station’s vans and attracted the attention of the city’s boot crew.  Soreheads on both sides of the simmering dispute point to a story by newsie Leisa Zigman detailing overtime parking around Police HQ with setting off a flurry of ticketing to the station vehicles parked illegally.  Bosses at both the Police Dept. and Channel 5 have been mum about the situation. . . Catherine Werner, widow of former Post-Dispatch editor and former dean of the U of Nevada’s J School’s Cole Campbell, will join Mayor Francis Slay’s administration next month as an advisor on sustainability issues… Five and three.  Those are the numbers of new charter school proposals that Slay has accepted and rejected since asking for proposals for “best practices” charter schools from around the country. That was a factoid offered up by hizzoner at a State of the City meeting last week in WashU’s Fall Assembly Speaker’s Series. . .The campaign to make emergency radio communications in St. Louis county more reliable has received an infusion of cash from a predictable donor.  The Missouri Ethics Commission reports that Motorola Corp. a maker of two-way radios, has sent a last-minute contribution of $15,000 to Citizens in Support of E-911. Crepes in the City and Espresso Mod, two downtown stores popular with the sometimes fickle tight jeans crowd, have shuttered in the last week or so.  The Crepes folks blamed slow weekday business; the coffee people cited competition from the immensely popular Culinaria.  Meanwhile, rumors continue to swirl that south St. Louis landmark Chris’s Pancake and Dining is scouting for a downtown satellite location, most likely near Police HQ. (insert joke here!)… And St. Louis author and N.Y. Times best-seller) Laurell K. Hamilton is a very busy woman. Her latest, “Divine Misdemeanors” (8th in her Merry Gentry series), is due to hit the bookstalls in early December, and she has promised publishers (and, according to her fan blog, is toiling away on ) two new books (18th and 19th in her Anita Blake series) next year.

On the CWE hundreds were cheering and giggled to the humor of standup Peter Vacarro‘s jokes. Ringside seaters included Judge Marvin Teer, Jr., with Tamara Jordan, and their Milwaukee guests Leslie and Edward Sherard. Others were John and Ann Roach, John and Allison Ferring, Howard Glickman and Steve Beimdiek. Channel 5′s Ryan Dean was dressed as a Facebook page, which was designed by Dana Hendrickson. Also spotted were Mike Garriet and Ann Rubin, decked out as weather prognosticator Cindy Preszler.

St. Louis remains on the semi-final list of possible venues for World Cup soccer matches should the U.S. win its bid to host the globe’s most popular sporting event.  Convention and Visitors’ prez Kitty Ratcliff will be flying out of town in mid-November to attend a seminar for tournament host cities… Have you heard anything about singer Denise Thimes being detained by the cops?  According to her pals, she was dining at Culpepper’s in the CWE with friends.  She complained about something (nuts and bolts?)  in her friend’s meal.  The conversation with management went badly.  Police were called.  Chief Dan Isom, we’ve heard, interviewed to cool the situation down… For the “setting it straight dept”. KSDK, Channel 5 anchor/producer Art Holliday disputes an account here that his bosses sent him home to cool off  (and miss a consultant’s briefing attended by other members of the morning news team) following an off-air studio outburst about a reporting error.  Says Holliday (via Facebook) “I took a personal day to clear my head and de-stress.”  Would that be tomato or tomahto?