Young Broadcasting to sell KRON-TV

  by Christian Grantham - January 10th, 2008 - 12:20 pm| WKRN | no comments

Good news for WKRN and our parent company.

KRON-TV, a multi-award winning station, is one of the most prestigious broadcasting properties in the country. Until 2006 when it became an affiliate of MyNetwork TV, KRON-TV was the largest independent station in the United States and the only independent VHF station in its market. KRON-TV is a unique station with an important position in the market as the television news source for San Francisco. The station, due to its many hours of local programming, is benefiting from the industry trend towards increased localism.

Young Broadcasting stated that its goal was to conclude an agreement for the sale of KRON-TV before the end of the first quarter. In addition to the station’s considerable assets the buyer will benefit from certain favorable tax attributes.

“When we purchased KRON-TV in 2000 we believed we had acquired a jewel and we still feel that is the case today. KRON-TV is one of the most valuable television stations in the country”, stated Vincent Young, Chairman of Young Broadcasting. “Our decision to sell is based on the high level of interest in the property that we have received. It is purely a strategic economic decision, allowing us to benefit from the proceeds of the sale to further our future corporate initiatives.”
[Young Broadcasting Inc. to Sell KRON-TV in San Francisco - Business Wire - 01-10-08]

Bell Buckle seeks repeal of brown bagging ordinance

  by Christian Grantham - January 10th, 2008 - 9:45 am| City Government, Consumer Alert, Weirdness | 3 comments

Bell Buckle residents may soon be allowed to bring their own liquor or wine to restaurants that want to allow it. Here are more details on the story we reported this morning.

Bell Buckle’s board passed the first reading of an ordinance that would make “brown bagging” legal again.

“Brown bagging” is the practice of a customer bringing his own bottle of wine or liquor to a restaurant to consume with a meal.

The repeal was introduced by Alderman Mark Felices, who stated that he did not want to “change the character of the town,” but that it was a bad law because there was no way to enforce it.
[Bell Buckle may allow brown-bagging - Shelbyville Times-Gazette - 01-09-08]

Lawmaker misses work for rehab

  by Christian Grantham - January 10th, 2008 - 6:35 am| EXCLUSIVE, Politics, Public Safety | no comments

Rep. Rob Briley took an excused absence from work at the state capitol to finish up a 30 day rehabilitation at a substance abuse treatment facility. Briley checked himself in to the retreat for “struggling alcoholics and addicts” after pleading guilty to DUI in December. Watch the police dash cam of the entire incident.

The program, based upon the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, is minimum of 30 day residential program. The program costs $5,200 payable in advance by check, cash, or credit card. Discovery Place provides a regular aftercare program for both alumni and family.
[A Place Of Discovery: Rob Briley’s Absence Explained - VolunteerVoters - 01-09-08]

More on Discovery Place:

Located on 17 acres of rolling farmland just west of Nashville, Tennessee, Discovery Place was established and opened its doors in June, 1997 as a spiritual retreat for men, a home away from home where struggling alcoholics and addicts find the time and surroundings to begin their discovery of recovery.

Our program is based upon the twelve steps suggested in the book of Alcoholics Anonymous. It is our goal that guests will discover enough about the twelve step program to take a positive interest in ongoing recovery and to carry this interest into active participation in their daily lives.

Bad hairdo gets woman shot

  by Christian Grantham - January 9th, 2008 - 2:32 pm| Crime, Weirdness | one comment

Her hair doesn’t like that bad.

Authorities said Nikeya Alston, 26, shot 25-year-old Tiffany Jackson Friday night after Jackson’s roommate refused to redo her hair. The initial styling took place on Thursday and Alston apparently did not like the do. Early Friday morning, Jackson discovered her car tires had been flattened.  She suspected Alston.  Later Friday evening, police said Alston approached Jackson and shot her in the leg.
[Woman Arrested For Shooting Another Over Hairdo - WKRN - 01-09-07]

Programming Change: New Hampshire Primary

  by Christian Grantham - January 8th, 2008 - 8:40 am| Politics, Programming, WKRN | no comments

Tune in tonight for a special look at the New Hampshire Primary live at 7:30pm CT.

Due to the increasing amount of political news on the eve of the New Hampshire Primary, we have scheduled “ABC News Special 2008: The New Hampshire Primary,” tomorrow night (Tuesday, 1/8/08).  The ABC News special will air live in the 8:30 - 9:00 PM ET time period, replacing “Just for Laughs” in the Eastern and Central time zones.  Stations in the Mountain regions may carry the ABC News Special live in local time if they choose. The disposition of this ABC News Special in the Pacific Time Zone will be advised.

UPDATE 6:37 p.m. - ABC has changed the schedule for the program to 8-8:30 p.m.

Top 10 most read stories of 2007 on WKRN and WATE

  by Christian Grantham - January 2nd, 2008 - 12:50 pm| New Media | 2 comments

Here’s a look at the top 10 most read stories on WKRN.com for 2007. 80% are entertainment related.

1. Overnight Chase Ends With Suspect In Custody - 2 Apr 2007 8:06 am
2. Playboy Causes Controversy On Vanderbilt’s Campus - 21 Mar 2007 5:15 pm
3. Faith Hill Reprimands Fan At Louisiana Show - 31 Jul 2007 10:55 am
4. Backstreet Boys Recording New Album In Nashville - 22 Jan 2007 9:31 pm
5. Titans Pacman Talks Back - 14 Apr 2006 6:09 pm
6. ‘Oops She Did It Again’ Spears Shaves Her Head - 17 Feb 2007 6:07 pm
7. Tammy Faye To Appear On ‘Larry King Live’ - 19 Jul 2007 3:17 pm
8. Up And Coming Country Singer Killed By Drunk Driver - 18 Mar 2007 11:09 pm
9. Extended Bon Jovi Interview - 18 Mar 2007
10. Woman Involved With THP Suspension Speaks Out - 21 May 2007 9:10 pm

Our sister station in Knoxville, WATE, posted their top 10 most read stories of 2007. 100% are crime related.

1. Porn actress blogs about sex with on-duty THP trooper - May 18, 2007
2. Knoxville father makes boy wear sign as punishment for using drugs -April 18, 2007
3. Four suspects charged with murder in Knoxville double slaying - February 1, 2007
4. 5 Jehovah’s Witness ministers killed in plane crash - September 2, 2007
5. Murder suspect’s wife put on leave from teaching internship - March 12, 2007
6. Four men charged in Knoxville double murder investigation - January 12, 2007
7. Union Co. students caught making porn movie between classes - February 28, 2007
8. Two men in custody in Knoxville double murder investigation  - January 11, 2007
9. Dilapidated warehouses in downtown Knoxville go up in flames - February 7, 2007
10. Suspect shot during LaFollette home invasion - January 11, 2007

Top 10 stories in Tennessee for 2007

  by Christian Grantham - December 28th, 2007 - 6:39 am| Uncategorized | no comments

The Associated Press poured over the stories, and here’s their list of the top 10 stories in Tennessee for 2007. Do you think they got it right?

1. A drought grips Tennessee while a heat wave kills more than a dozen people in the state.
2. Mary Winkler being convicted of voluntary manslaughter for killing her preacher husband.
3. John Ford being found guilty in the Tennessee Waltz corruption case.
4. Al Gore winning the Nobel Peace Prize, an Emmy and an Oscar.
5. Workplace smoking ban and tripling the cigarette tax.
6. Fred Thompson declaring his candidacy for President.
7. The fall of Titans cornerback Adam Pacman Jones.
8. Ron Ramsey becoming the first republican since the Civil War to serve as speaker of the state Senate.
9. The brutal murder of a young Knoxville couple Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom.
10. The future of the death penalty is on holdwhile the U.S. Supreme Court decides on the constitutionality of lethal injections.

WKRN 2007 online traffic growth

  by Christian Grantham - December 27th, 2007 - 1:25 pm| New Media, WKRN | no comments

Thank you for making 2007 a year of growth for WKRN’s online presence. This past year, our online audience grew 58% over 2006. Our blog audience grew 83%, and WKRN.com’s audience grew 45%. 

The New Year will bring more change here at WKRN and more opportunities to provide you compelling content and tools that help make your online experience better.

“Please help me” - pit bulls viciously attack two women

  by Christian Grantham - December 27th, 2007 - 6:32 am| Animals, City Government, County Government, Crime, EXCLUSIVE, Public Safety | 2 comments

WKRN EXCLUSIVE: Animal control says there will likely be “vicious dog” charges in connection with two pit bulls who attacked 80 year old Miriam Coes and her neighbor Patricia Martin.

“I fell on the ground and when I fell on the ground one dog went behind me and grabbed the back of my coat and I said I’ve got to get up from here because if I don’t get up these dogs are going to kill me. I got down, I grabbed my food and I threw it to the dog and said take this, take this.  So the dog grabbed the food and he ran with the food and the other dog ran behind. That gave me enough time to get to my car and close my door before one of the dogs came back after me again,” Martin said.
[Women Recover From Neighborhood Pit Bull Attack - WKRN - 12-26-07]

“On time and on budget” give or take $90,000,000

  by Christian Grantham - December 17th, 2007 - 10:48 am| Energy, Finance, Taxes | 2 comments

TVA is doing ”a heck of a job” restarting our nation’s nuclear energy infrastructure at Browns Ferry.

“The restart of Browns Ferry Unit Number 1 represents the first nuclear reactor to come online in the United States in more than a decade. (Applause.) This is a demonstration that one is capable of doing a job on time and on budget. And I congratulate you all for your hard work, and thank you for the contribution you’re making to the United States of America.”
[text of President Bush’s speech at Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant - Hunstville Times - 06-21-07]

short cuts

An investigation by the Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS) has found that the recently-restarted Browns Ferry-1 reactor still does not comply with federal fire protection regulations put into place because of a near-catastrophic fire at the reactor in 1975.
[NIRS Investigation Finds That “New” Browns Ferry-1 Reactor Still Doesn’t Meet Fire Protection Regulations Its 1975 Fire Caused - NIRS - 6-20-07]

budget

The Tennessee Valley Authority’s says the restart of the Unit 1 reactor at Browns Ferry nuclear plant cost about $90 million more than its original $1.8 billion budget.
[Browns Ferry Unit 1 reactor over budget - Tennessean - 12-17-07]

history

“The Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant has a dubious history and can hardly be held up as a model for the industry,” said Michele Boyd, legislative director of Public Citizen’s energy program. “Instead of representing the future of nuclear power, it stands as the premier example of why we stopped ordering new reactors in the first place.”
[Some Find Bush’s Choice of Browns Ferry Puzzling - WSJ - 6-21-07]