Too many hugs for Casey Anthony? That’s what local stations say

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Orlando’s local TV stations are so obsessed over Casey Anthony – especially now that it’s sweeps – maybe they just all need a hug? Sentinel TV Guy Hal Boedeker takes the local stations to task for overplaying a story about Anthony attorney Jose Baez hugging Casey twice while in jail.

Boedeker wrote: “No way, Jose,” WFTV-Channel 9 anchor Bob Opsahl said in opening the 5 p.m. Friday news. “Now hugs have him in trouble.” Anchor Martie Salt added: “Lawyers are never supposed to touch their clients, especially like this.” It was all rather breathless.

Meanwhile, WKMG’s Tony Pipitone has been trying to trace Anthony’s movements via her cell phone records and checking into movies she rented before Casey disappeared.

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TV 27 to cover Obama; Good Morning America comes to Orlando

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 A couple of quick notes, the first two courtesy of Sentinel TV Guy Hal Boedeker …

WRDQ-Channel 27 will provide live coverage of the Central Florida speeches by former President Bill Clinton and Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama tonight. Clinton and Obama will be in Kissimme, making their first joint appearance on the campaign trail. The speeches aren’t expected until 11 p.m.

And, Good Morning America is coming to Orlando on Thursday. The ABC News morning show will broadcast from Church Street Station in downtown Orlando. Diane Sawyer and Chris Cuomo will be in town for the show, which will air from inside and outside the Cheyenne Saloon on Church Street. The public is invited – coffee and bagels will be available at 6:15 a.m. for early risers.

And finally …. Former WKMG anchor Mark McEwen will be the narrator for Lincoln’s Year, which will be performed Saturday at 8 p.m. by the Orlando Philharomic Orchestra. For more information, click here.

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Spotlight still on Barbara West after Joe Biden interview

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 The spotlight continues to shine on WFTV anchor Barbara West in the wake of her much-discussed interview with Joe Biden.

On Monday, West was on CNN and Bill O’Riley’s show on Fox News Channel to explain her oft-dowloaded interview with the Democrats’ vice presidential candidate. She also plans to be on more national shows Tuesday. (Here’s video of Fox News Channel coverage of the interview).

In a new follow-up story about the incident, West tells the Orlando Sentinel, “The thing that stuns me is that this has become about me. It’s not a good thing. I am not trying to seek the limelight in any way,” she said. “I did not do the interview to make headlines, but to get answers that people in the street want to know. When I’m doing fund-raisers, I see vast numbers …

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Former WESH anchor arrested on DUI charge

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Former WESH anchor John O’Connor was arrested early Sunday in Jacksonville on suspicion of driving under the influence.

O’Connor, now the main anchor for Jacksonville’s CBS 47, was pulled over after police said his car stopped beyond the pavement marker at a red light. Police said O’Connor’s eyes were watery, his breath smelled of alcohol and he kept leaning against his car to maintain his balance.

Police said O’Connor failed the field sobriety test, and they found a beer bottle in the car.

He has been suspended by his station. Read more from FirstCoastNews.com.

 

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WFTV goes from reporting news to becoming news

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In the past couple of weeks, WFTV has gone from reporting the news to becoming the news.

This past weekend brought national attention to Channel 9′s Eyewitness News for its Barbara West interview of Joe Biden. The anchor’s grilling of the veep candidate was the top story on DrudgeReport.com and FoxNews.com, and it was also picked up by many other media outlets — inside the mainstream and out.

This follows a news-making incident involving another WFTV reporter earlier this month. Steve Barrett and his videographer were thrown out of a news confernece by Casey Anthony attorney Jose Baez on Oct 14. The confrontation between the attorney and Barrett was caught on tape by other news outlets. Baez reportedly was upset with WFTV’s coverage of his client.

Being a news organization that becomes part of the news itself is never something easy to endure. To WFTV’s credit, I did not notice any attempt to play up the incident with Biden over the weekend. In fact, I had several people say they had trouble finding the video clip on WFTV’s Web site.

Meanwhile, OrlandoSentinel.com received record weekend traffic for TV columnist Hal Boedeker’s reporting of the West-Biden interview. The Sentinel may be the only local media outlet that’s actually reporting about the incident. I doubt we’ll see Local 6, WESH 2 News or Fox 35 promoting a WFTV interview — no matter how newsworthy — on their newscasts.

 

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Barbara West interview with Joe Biden getting national attention

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Barbara West’s interview with Joe Biden for Eyewitness News is now getting national attention.

The Orlando Sentinel blog post about the controversial interview is the No. 1 link on DrudgeReport.com right now on Saturday night. The Internet is abuzz about the interview.

“Barbara West” is the No. 7 most searched term on Google right now, too.

In case you’re catching up, Barbara West interviewed Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden via satellite this week. She asked tough questions — but where they too tough? Did they have the right tone? People have all sorts of opinions on that.

Here’s what Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Thomas has to say.

Here’s what Barbara West has to say.

And people from all over are having their say in our poll. (You can vote in it on the right side of this page.)

And if you haven’t seen the interview, check it out the video below:

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