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Click on a location below for details on the local stations serving that area: Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas Bermuda California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Guam Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas U.S. Virgin Islands Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington, D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

ALABAMA Birmingham area EABM 800 Concourse Pkwy, Suite 200 Birmingham, Alabama 35244-1889 (205) 403-3340 www.abc3340.com

Huntsville-Decatur area WAAY 1000 Monte Sano Blvd. SE Huntsville, Alabama 35801-6137 (256) 533-3131 www.waaytv.com

Montgomery-Selma area WNCF 4001 Carmichael Rd Suite 100 Montgomery, Alabama 36106 (334) 271-8888 http://www.wncftv.com/

Dothan area WDHN 5274 State Highway 52 East Webb, Alabama 36376 (334) 793-1818 www.dothanfirst.com

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Anchorage area KYUR 2700 E. Tudor Anchorage, Alaska 99507 (907) 561-1313 youralaskalink.com

Phoenix (Prescott) area KNXV 515 N 44th St Phoenix, Arizona 85258 (602) 273-1500 www.abc15.com

Tucson (Sierra Vista) area KGUN 7280 E. Rosewood Street Tucson, Arizona 85710 (520) 722-5486 kgun9.com

Yuma-El Centro area NECY 1965 S. Fourth Ave. Yuma, Arizona 85364 (928) 539-9990

Little Rock-Pine Bluff area KATV 401 South Main Street MAIN LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas 72203 (501) 324-4777 http://www.katv.com/

Ft. Smith area KHBS 2809 Ajax Avenue, Suite 200 Rogers, Arkansas 72758 (479) 631-4029 http://www.4029tv.com

Jonesboro area KAIT 472 CR 766 Jonesboro, Arkansas 72401 (870) 931-8888 www.kait8.com

BERMUDA HAMILTON - BERMUDA area ZFB 4 Fort Hill Rd. Prospect, Devonshire DV 02 (441) 295-2828

Los Angeles area KABC 500 Circle 7 Drive Glendale, California 91201 (818) 863-7777 abc7.com

San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose area KGO 900 Front Street San Francisco, California 94111-1450 (415) 954-7777 http://abc7news.com/

Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto area KXTV 400 Broadway Sacramento, California 95818 (916) 441-2345 http://www.news10.net/

San Diego area KGTV 4600 Air Way San Diego, California 92102 (619) 237-1010 www.10news.com

Fresno-Visalia area KFSN 1777 G. Street Fresno, California 93706 (559) 442-1170 ABC30.com

Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-San Luis Obispo area KEYT 730 Miramonte Dr Santa Barbara, California 93109 (805) 882-3933 www.keyt.com

Monterey-Salinas area NSBW 238 John Street Salinas, California 93901 (831) 758-8888

Bakersfield area KERO 321 21st St Bakersfield, California 93301 (661) 637-2323 turnto23.com

Chico-Redding area KRCR 755 Auditorium Drive Redding, California 96001 (530) 243-7777 krcrtv.com

Palm Springs area KESQ 31276 Dunham Way Thousand Palms, California 92276 (760) 773-0342 www.kesq.com

Denver area KMGH 123 E. Speer Boulevard Denver, Colorado 80203 (303) 832-7777 www.thedenverchannel.com

Colorado Springs-Pueblo area KRDO 399 S. 8th Street Colorado Springs, Colorado 80905 (719) 632-1515 www.krdo.com

Grand Junction-Montrose area KJCT 2531 Blichman Avenue Grand Junction, Colorado 81505 (970) 245-8880 www.kjct8.com

CONNECTICUT

Hartford & New Haven area WTNH 8 Elm Street New Haven, Connecticut 06511 (203) 784-8888 www.wtnh.com

DELAWARE Served by  Pennsylvania and Maryland

Tampa-St. Petersburg (Sarasota) area WFTS 4045 N. Himes Avenue Tampa, Florida 33607 (813) 354-2828 www.abcactionnews.com

Tampa-St. Petersburg (Sarasota) area WWSB 1477 Tenth Street Sarasota, Florida 34236 (941) 552-0777 www.mysuncoast.com

Miami-Ft. Lauderdale area WPLG 3401 West Hallandale Beach Blvd Pembroke Park, Florida 33023 (954) 364-2500 www.local10.com

Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne area WFTV 490 E. South Street Orlando, Florida 32801 (407) 841-9000 www.wftv.com

West Palm Beach-Ft. Pierce area WPBF 3970 RCA Blvd Ste 7007 Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33410 (561) 694-2525 www.wpbf.com

Jacksonville, Brunswick area WJXX 1070 E Adams Street Jacksonville, Florida 32202 (904) 354-1212 firstcoastnews.com

Mobile-Pensacola (Ft. Walton) area WEAR 4990 Mobile Hwy. Pensacola, Florida 32506 (850) 456-3333 www.weartv.com

Ft. Myers-Naples area WZVN 3719 Central Avenue Fort Myers, Florida 33901 (239) 939-2020 abc-7.com

Tallahassee-Thomasville area WTXL 1620 Commerce Blvd. Midway, Florida 32343 (850) 893-3127 http://www.wtxl.tv

Panama City area WMBB 613 Harrison Avenue Panama City, Florida 32401 (850) 769-2313 http://www.wmbb.com/

Gainesville area WCJB 6220 NW 43rd St Gainesville, Florida 32653 (352) 377-2020 http://www.wcjb.com/

Atlanta area WSB 1601 W. Peachtree Street Atlanta, Georgia 30309 (404) 897-7000 www.wsbtv.com

Savannah area WJCL 1375 Chatham Pkwy 3rd Fl Savannah, Georgia 31405 (912) 925-0022 www.thecoastalsource.com

Augusta area WJBF 1336 Augusta West Parkway Augusta, Georgia 30909 (706) 722-6664 WJBF.com

Macon area EGXA 599 Martin Luther King Jr, Blvd. Macon, Georgia 31201-3364 (478) 745-2424 http://www.newscentralga.com/

Columbus, GA area WTVM 1909 Wynnton Rd Columbus, Georgia 31906 (706) 494-5400 wtvm.com

Albany, GA area WALB 1709 Stuart Avenue Albany, Georgia 31707 (229) 446-1010 http://www.walb.com/

Honolulu area KITV 801 South King Street Honolulu, Hawaii 96813-3000 (808) 535-0400 kitv.com

Boise area KIVI 1866 E Chisholm Dr Nampa, Idaho 83687 (208) 336-0500 idahoonyourside.com

Idaho Falls-Pocatello area KIFI 1915 N. Yellowstone Hwy Idaho Falls, Idaho 83401 (208) 525-8888 www.localnews8.com

Chicago area WLS 190 N. State Street Chicago, Illinois 60601 (312) 750-7777 www.abc7chicago.com

Paducah-Cape Girardeau-Harrisburg-Mt. Vernon area WSIL 1416 Country Aire Drive Carterville, Illinois 62918 (618) 985-2333 www.wsiltv.com

Champaign & Springfield-Decatur area WICS 2680 East Cook Street Springfield, Illinois 62703 (217) 753-5620 www.wics.com www.wicd.com

Davenport-Rhode Island-Moline area WQAD 3003 Park 16th Street Moline, Illinois 61265 (309) 764-8888 WQAD.COM

Peoria-Bloomington area EEEK 2907 Springfield Rd East Peoria, Illinois 61611 (309) 698-2525 cinewsnow.com

Rockford area WTVO 1917 N. Meridian Rd. Rockford, Illinois 61101 (815) 963-5413 www.mystateline.com

Quincy-Hannibal-Keokuk area NHQA 301 South 36th Street Quincy, Illinois 62301 (217) 222-6200 www.connectTriStates.com

Indianapolis area WRTV 1330 North Meridian Street Indianapolis, Indiana 46202 (317) 635-9788 www.theindychannel.com

South Bend-Elkhart area WBND 53550 Generations Drive, Suite 200 South Bend, Indiana 46635 (574) 344-5500 www.abc57.com

Ft. Wayne area WPTA 3401 Butler Road Ft. Wayne, Indiana 46808-3811 (260) 483-0584 http://www.indianasnewscenter.com/

Terre Haute area WAWV 10849 N. US Highway 41 Farmersburg, Indiana 47850 (812) 696-2121 www.mywabashvalley.com

Des Moines-Ames area WOI 3903 Westown Parkway West Des Moines, Iowa 50266 (515) 457-9645 www.weareiowa.com

Cedar Rapids-Waterloo & Dubuque area KCRG 501 2nd Ave SE Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401 (319) 398-8422 www.kcrg.com

Sioux City area KCAU 5993 Gordon Drive Sioux City, Iowa 51106 (712) 277-2345 www.kcautv.com

Wichita-Hutchinson Plus area KAKE 1500 N. West Street Wichita, Kansas 67203 (316) 943-4221 http://www.kake.com

Topeka area KTKA 6635 NW US Hwy. 24 Topeka, Kansas 66618 (785) 582-4000 www.ktka.com

Louisville area WHAS 520 West Chestnut Street Louisville, Kentucky 40202 (502) 582-7711 http://www.whas11.com/

Lexington area WTVQ 6940 Man O War Blvd. Lexington, Kentucky 40509 (859) 294-3636 www.wtvq.com

Evansville area WEHT 800 Marywood Drive Henderson, Kentucky 42420 (800) 879-8542 www.news25.us

Bowling Green area WBKO 2727 Russellville Road Bowling Green, Kentucky 42101-3976 (270) 781-1313 www.wbko.com

New Orleans area WGNO 1 Galleria Blvd., Suite 850, Ste 850 Metairie, Louisiana 70001 (504) 525-3838 www.wgno.com

Shreveport area KTBS 312 East Kings Hwy. Shreveport, Louisiana 71104 (318) 861-5800 www.ktbs.com

Baton Rouge area WBRZ 1650 Highland Road Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802-7018 (225) 387-2222 www.wbrz.com

Lafayette, LA area KATC 1103 Eraste Landry Road Lafayette, Louisiana 70506 (337) 235-3333 www.katc.com

Monroe-El Dorado area MNOE 1400 Oliver Road Monroe, Louisiana 71201 (318) 388-8888 www.knoe.com

Alexandria, LA area

KLAX 1811 England Dr. Alexandria, Louisiana 71303 (318) 473-0031 www.klax-tv.com

Lake Charles area MVHP 129 W Prien Lake Rd. Lake Charles, Louisiana 70601 (337) 474-1316 http://www.watchfox29.com

Portland-Auburn area WMTW 4 Ledgeview Drive Westbrook, Maine 04092 (207) 782-1800 www.wmtw.com

Bangor area WVII 371 Target Industrial Circle Bangor, Maine 04401 (207) 945-6457 www.wvii.com

Baltimore area WMAR 6400 York Road Baltimore, Maryland 21212 (410) 377-2222 abc2news.com

Salisbury area WMDT 202 Downtown Plaza Saslisbury, Maryland 21801 (410) 742-4747 wmdt.com

MASSACHUSETTS

Boston area WCVB 5 TV Place Needham, Massachusetts 02494 (781) 449-0400 www.wcvb.com

Springfield-Holyoke area WGGB 1300 Liberty St Springfield, Massachusetts 01104 (413) 733-4040 http://www.wggb.com

Detroit area WXYZ 20777 West Ten Mile Road Southfield, Michigan 48037 (248) 827-7777 www.wxyz.com

Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo-Battle Creek area WZZM 645 3 Mile Rd NW Grand Rapids, Michigan 49544 (616) 785-1313 www.wzzm13.com

Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo-Battle Creek area WOTV 120 College SE Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503 (616) 771-9688 http://woodtv.com/

Flint-Saginaw-Bay City area WJRT 2302 Lapeer Road Flint, Michigan 48503-4281 (810) 233-3130 www.abc12.com

Lansing area WLAJ 2820 E Saginaw Street Lansing, Michigan 48912 (517) 367-2123 http://www.wlns.com/category/254337/wlaj

Traverse City-Cadillac area WGTU 8513 M-72 West Traverse City, Michigan 49684 (231) 946-2900 http://www.upnorthlive.com/

Marquette area WBUP 1705 Ash Street Ishpeming, Michigan 49849 (906) 204-2436 http://tv5and10.com

Alpena area GBKB 1390 N. Bagley St Alpena, Michigan 49707 (989) 356-3434

Minneapolis-St. Paul area KSTP 3415 University Avenue W. Saint Paul, Minnesota 55114-2099 (651) 646-5555 www.kstp.com

La Crosse-Eau Claire area WXOW 3705 Country Road 25 La Crescent, Minnesota 55947 (507) 895-9969 http://www.wxow.com/

Duluth-Superior area WDIO 10 Observation Rd Duluth, Minnesota 55811 (218) 727-6864 www.wdio.com

Rochester-Mason City-Austin area KAAL 1320 Salem Road SW Rochester, Minnesota 55902 (507) 288-7555 www.kaaltv.com

MISSISSIPPI

Jackson, MS area WAPT 7616 Channel 16 Way, Maddox Road Jackson, Mississippi 39209 (601) 922-1607 wapt.com

Columbus-Tupelo-West Point area ETVA 1359 Beach Springs Road Satillo, Mississippi 38801 (662) 842-7620 http://www.wtva.com/default.aspx

Biloxi-Gulfport area WLOX 208 Debuys Road Biloxi, Mississippi 39531 (228) 896-1313 wlox.com

Hattiesburg-Laurel area HDAM 2362 Highway 11 Moselle Moselle, Mississippi 39459 (601) 544-4730 http://www.wdam.com/

Meridian area WTOK 815 23rd Ave Meridian, Mississippi 39301 (601)693-1441 www.wtok.com

Meridian area WPBY 1151 Crestview Circle Meridian, Mississippi 39301 (765)474-1410 www.starcitytv.com

Greenwood-Greenville area WABG 849 Washington Ave. Greenville, Mississippi 38701 (662) 332-0949 wabg.com

St. Louis area KDNL 1034 South Brentwood St. Louis, Missouri 63117 (314) 436-3030 abcstlouis.com

Kansas City area KMBC 6455 Winchester Avenue Kansas City, Missouri 64133 (816) 221-9999 www.kmbc.com

Springfield, MO area KSPR 999 West Sunshine Street Springfield, Missouri 65807 (417) 268-3000 http://www.kspr.com/

Columbia-Jefferson City area KMIZ 501 Business Loop 70 East Columbia, Missouri 65201 (573) 449-0917 www.abc17news.com

Joplin-Pittsburg area KODE 1502 S. Cleveland Avenue Joplin, Missouri 64801 (417) 781-2345 fourstateshomepage.com

St. Joseph area KQTV 4000 Faraon Street St. Joseph, Missouri 64506 (816) 364-2222 www.stjoechannel.com

Ottumwa-Kirksville area KTVO 15518 US Highway 63 North Kirksville, Missouri 63501 (660) 627-3333 www.ktvotv3.com

Missoula area KTMF 2200 Stephens Avenue Missoula, Montana 59801 (406) 542-8900 http://www.abcfoxmontana.com/

Billings area KSVI 445 S 24th Street W Billings, Montana 59102 (406) 652-4743 YourBigSky.com

Butte-Bozeman, MT area KWYB 3825 Harrison Ave., Ste. B Butte, Montana 59701 (406) 782-7185 www.kwyb.com

Great Falls area KFBB 3200 Old Havre HWY Black Eagle, Montana 59414 (406) 453-4377 www.kfbb.com

Omaha area KETV 1001 S. 10th St. Omaha, Nebraska 68108 (402) 345-7777 KETV.com

Lincoln & Hastings-Krny area KLKN 3240 South 10th Street Lincoln, Nebraska 68502 (402) 434-8000 klkntv.com

Lincoln & Hstngs-Kearney Plus area KHGI 1078 25 Road Axtell, Nebraska 68924 (308) 743-2494 www.nebraska.tv

Las Vegas area KTNV 3355 S Valley View Blvd. Las Vegas, Nevada 89102 (702) 876-1313 www.jrn.com/ktnv

Reno area KOLO 4850 Ampere Dr. Reno, Nevada 89502 (775) 858-8888 WWW.KOLOTV.COM

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Manchester area WMUR 100 S. Commercial St. Manchester, New Hampshire 03108 (603) 669-9999 www.wmur.com

NEW JERSEY Served by  Pennsylvania and New York

NEW MEXICO Albuquerque-Santa Fe area KOAT 3801 Carlisle Blvd. NE Albuquerque, New Mexico 87107-4530 (505) 884-7777 www.koat.com

New York area WABC 7 Lincoln Square New York, New York 10023 (917) 260-7131 www.wabc.com

Buffalo area WKBW 7 Broadcast Plaza Buffalo, New York 14202 (716) 845-6100 www.wkbw.com

Albany-Schenectady-Troy area WTEN 341 Northern Blvd. Albany, New York 12204 (518) 436-4822 www.news10.com

Rochester, NY area WHAM 4225 W. Henrietta Road Rochester, New York 14623 (585) 334-8700 13wham.com

Syracuse area WSYR 5904 Bridge Street East Syracuse, New York 13057-2947 (315) 446-9999 www.9wsyr.com

Binghamton area WIVT 203 INGRAHAM HILL RD BINGHAMTON, New York 13903 (607) 771-3434 NEWSCHANNEL34.COM

Utica area WUTR 5956 Smith Hill Road Utica, New York 13502 (315) 797-7220 http://www.cnyhomepage.com/home

Elmira area WENY 474 Old Ithaca Road Horseheads, New York 14845 (607) 739-3636 www.weny.com

Watertown area WWTI 105-107 Court Street Watertown, New York 13601 (315) 785-8850 www.newswatch50.com

NORTH CAROLINA

Raleigh-Durham (Fayetteville) area WTVD 411 Liberty Street Durham, North Carolina 27701 (919) 683-1111 http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/index

Charlotte area

WSOC 235 West 23rd Street Charlotte, North Carolina 28206 (704) 338-9999 www.wsoctv.com

Greenville-Spartanburg-Asheville-Anderson area WLOS 110 Technology Drive Asheville, North Carolina 28803 (828) 684-1340 wlos.com

Greensboro-High Point-Winston-Salem area WXLV 3500 Myer Lee Dr Winston Salem, North Carolina 27101 (336) 722-4545 abc45.com

Greenville-New Bern-Washington area WCTI 225 Glenburnie Drive New Bern, North Carolina 28560 (252) 636-1212 www.wcti12.com

Wilmington area WWAY 1224 Magnolia Village Way Leland, North Carolina 28451 (910) 762-8581 wwaytv3.com

NORTH DAKOTA

Fargo-Valley City area WDAY 301 South 8th Street Fargo, North Dakota 58103 (701) 235-5700 wday.com

Minot-Bismarck-Dickinson area KBMY 1811 North 15th Street Bismarck, North Dakota 58501 (701) 223-1700

Cleveland-Akron (Canton) area WEWS 3001 Euclid Ave Cleveland, Ohio 44115 (216) 431-3400 newsnet5.com

Columbus, OH area WSYX 1261 Dublin Road Columbus, Ohio 43215 (614) 481-6666 www.abc6onyourside.com

Cincinnati area WCPO 1720 Gilbert Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 (513) 721-9900 wcpo.com

Dayton area WKEF 2589 Corporate Place Miamisburg, Ohio 45342 (937) 263-4500 www.abc22now.com

Toledo area WTVG 4247 Dorr Street Toledo, Ohio 43607 (419) 531-1313 http://www.13abc.com/

Youngstown area WYTV 3930 Sunset Boulevard Youngstown, Ohio 44512 (330) 782-1144 wytv.com

Lima area WOHL 1424 Rice Ave. Lima, Ohio 45805 (419) 228-8835 hometownstations.com

Oklahoma City area KOCO 1300 East Britton Road Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73131 (405) 478-3000 www.koco.com

Tulsa area KTUL 3333 South 29th West Ave. Tulsa, Oklahoma 74107 (918) 445-8888 http://www.ktul.com

Wichita Falls & Lawton area KSWO 1401 SE 60th Street Lawton, Oklahoma 73501 (580) 355-7000 kswo.com

Portland, OR area KATU 2153 NE Sandy Blvd Portland, Oregon 97232 (503) 231-4222 www.katu.com

Eugene area KEZI 2975 Chad Drive Eugene, Oregon 97408 (541) 486-5611 www.kezi.com

Medford-Klamath Falls area KDRV 1090 Knutson Avenue Medford, Oregon 97504-4164 (541) 773-1212 www.kdrv.com

Bend, OR area KOHD 63090 Sherman Rd. Bend, Oregon 97701 (541) 749-5151 www.kohd.com

PENNSYLVANIA

Philadelphia area WPVI 4100 City Avenue Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19131 (215) 581-4550 www.6abc.com

Pittsburgh area WTAE 400 Ardmore Boulevard Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15221 (412) 242-4300 www.thepittsburghchannel.com

Harrisburg-Lancaster-Lebanon-York area WHTM 3235 Hoffman Street Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17110 (717) 236-2727 www.abc27.com

Wilkes Barre-Scranton area WNEP 16 Montage Mountain Road Moosic, Pennsylvania 18507 (570) 346-7474 www.wnep.com

Johnstown-Altoona-State College area WATM 90 Lulay Street, Suite 1 Johnstown, Pennsylvania 15904 (814) 266-8088 www.abc23.com

Erie area WJET 8455 Peach Street Erie, Pennsylvania 16509 (814) 864-2400 yourerie.com

PUERTO RICO

Puerto Rico area WORA 1519 Ponce de Leon Avenue Suite 1501

San Juan, Puerto Rico 00909 (787) 831-5555 www.woratv.com

RHODE ISLAND

Providence-New Bedford area WLNE 10 orms street Providence, Rhode Island 02904 (401) 453-8000 www.abc6.com

SOUTH CAROLINA

Columbia, SC area WOLO 5807 Shakespeare Road Columbia, South Carolina 29223 (803) 754-7525 www.abccolumbia.com

Charleston, SC area ECIV 888 Allbritton Blvd Mt Pleasant, South Carolina 29464 (843) 881-4444 www.wciv.com

Florence-Myrtle Beach area WPDE 10 University Boulevard Conway, South Carolina 29526 (843) 234-9733 carolinalive.com

SOUTH DAKOTA

Sioux Falls-Mitchell area KSFY 325 S 1st Ave. Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57104 (605) 336-1300 www.ksfy.com

Rapid City area KOTA 2001 Skyline Drive Rapid City, South Dakota 57701 (605) 342-2000 www.kotatv.com

Nashville area WKRN 441 Murfreesboro Road Nashville, Tennessee 37210 (615) 369-7222 http://www.wkrn.com

Memphis area WATN 1725 Shelby Oaks Dr., Ste. 101 Memphis, Tennessee 38134 (901) 323-2430 http://www.localmemphis.com/home

Knoxville area WATE 1306 North Broadway Street Knoxville, Tennessee 37917 (865) 637-6666 www.wate.com

Chattanooga area WTVC 4279 Benton Drive Chattanooga, Tennessee 37406 (423) 756-5500 www.newschannel9.com

Tri-Cities, TN-VA area WJHL 338 E. Main Street Kingsport, Tennessee 37660 (423) 926-2151 www.wjhl.com

Jackson, TN area WBBJ 346 Muse Street Jackson, Tennessee 38301 (731) 424-4515 www.wbbjtv.com

Dallas-Ft. Worth area WFAA 606 Young Street Dallas, Texas 75202 (214) 748-9631 www.wfaa.com

Houston area KTRK 3310 Bissonnet Street Houston, Texas 77005 (713) 666-0713 www.abc13.com

San Antonio area KSAT 1408 N. St. Mary's Street San Antonio, Texas 78215 (210) 351-1200 www.ksat.com

Austin area KVUE 3201 Steck Ave. Austin, Texas 78757 (512) 459-6521 www.kvue.com

Harlingen-Weslaco-Brownsville-McAllen area KRGV 900 East Expressway Weslaco, Texas 78596 (956) 968-5555 www.krgv.com

Waco-Temple-Bryan area KXXV 1909 S. New Road Waco, Texas 76711 (254) 754-2525 www.kxxv.com

El Paso area KVIA 4140 Rio Bravo St. El Paso, Texas 79902 (915) 496-7777 kvia.com

Tyler-Longview ( Lufkin & Nacogdoches ) area KLTV 105 West Ferguson Tyler, Texas 75702 (903) 597-5588 http://www.kltv.com/

Corpus Christi area KIII 5002 South Padre Island Dr. Corpus Christi, Texas 78411 (361) 986-8300 www.kiiitv.com

Amarillo area KVII One Broadcast Center Amarillo, Texas 79101 (806) 373-1787 Connectamarillo.com

Beaumont-Port Arthur area KBMT 525 IH-10 South Beaumont, Texas 77701 (409) 833-7512 12newsnow.com

Lubbock area KAMC 7403 University Avenue Lubbock, Texas 79423 (806) 745-2345 www.everythinglubbock.com

Odessa-Midland area KMID 1500 West IH-20 Odessa, TX 79763 (432) 563-2222 PermianBasin360.com

Laredo area   NGNS 120 W. Del Mar Blvd. Laredo, TX 78041

(956)727-8888

Sherman, TX-Ada, OK area OTEN 10 Highpoint Circle Dennison, Texas 75020 (903) 337-4000 http://www.kten.com

Abilene-Sweetwater area KTXS 4420 North Clack St Abilene, Texas 79604 (325) 677-2281 www.ktxs.com

Victoria area KAVU 3808 North Navarro Victoria, Texas 77901 (361) 575-2500 http://www.crossroadstoday.com

U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

ST. CROIX area USVI 11-A Princesse Hill St. Croix, US Virgin Islands (340) 718-9927 www.usvicbs.com

Salt Lake City area KTVX 2175 West 1700 South Salt Lake City, Utah 84104 (801) 975-4444 www.abc4.com

Burlington-Plattsburgh area WVNY 298 Mountain View Drive Colchester, Vermont 05446 (802) 660-9333 www.abc22.com

Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News area WVEC 613 Woodis Ave. Norfolk, Virginia 23510-1017 (757) 625-1313 www.wvec.com

Richmond-Petersburg area WRIC 301 Arboretum Place Richmond, Virginia 23236 (804) 330-8888 www.wric.com

Roanoke-Lynchburg area WSET 2320 Langhorne Road Lynchburg, Virginia 24501 (434) 528-1313 www.wset.com

Harrisonburg area WHSV 50 North Main St Harrisonburg, Virginia 22802 (540) 433-9191 www.whsv.com

Charlottesville area WVAW 3914 Wistar Road Richmond, Virginia 23228 (434) 220-1616 www.newsplex.com

Greenville-N. Bern-Washington area WCTI 101 Lee Street Winchester, Virginia 22601 (252) 638-1212 www.wcti12.com

Seattle-Tacoma area KOMO 140 - 4th Ave. No. Seattle, Washington 98109 (206) 404-4000 KOMONews.com

Spokane area KXLY 500 West Boone Ave Spokane, Washington 99201-2497 (509) 324-4000 www.kxly.com

Yakima-Pasco-Richland-Kennewick area KAPP 601 North Edison Kennewick, Washington 99336 (509) 453-0351 www.kapptv.com

WASHINGTON, D.C. Washington, DC (Hagerstown) area WJLA 1100 Wilson Boulevard Arlington, Virginia 22209 (703) 236-9552 www.wjla.com

WEST VIRGINIA

Charleston-Huntington area WCHS 1301 Piedmont Road Charleston, West Virginia 25301 (304) 346-5358 www.wchstv.com

Wheeling-Steubenville area GTRF 96 16th Street Wheeling, West Virginia 26003 (304) 232-7777 http://wtrfabcov.com

Bluefield-Beckley-Oak Hill area WOAY 7113 Legends Highway Oak Hill, West Virginia 25901 (304) 469-3361 woay.com

Clarksburg-Weston area EBOY 904 W. Pike Street Clarksburg, West Virginia 26301 (304) 326-6777 http://www.wboy.com/

Milwaukee area WISN 759 N. 19th Street Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53233 (414) 342-8812 www.wisn.com

Green Bay-Appleton area WBAY 115 S. Jefferson Green Bay, Wisconsin 54301 (920) 432-3331 http://www.wbay.com/

Madison area WKOW 5727 Tokay Blvd Madison, Wisconsin 53719 (608) 273-1234 www.wkow.com

Wausau-Rhinelander area WAOW 1908 Grand Avenue Wausau, Wisconsin 54403 (715) 842-2251 www.waow.com

Cheyenne-Scottsbluff-Sterling area KKTQ 2220 Dell Range Blvd. #101 Cheyenne, Wyoming 82009 (307) 237-3711 http://www.k2tv.com/

Casper-Riverton area KTWO 1896 Skyview Drive Casper, Wyoming 82601 (307) 237-3711 www.k2tv.com

Why does someone ‘steal’ a driveway? Contractor explains how scam works

Amanda Brochu never expected her missing driveway to capture the attention of Central Florida.

▶ WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS

Thousands read about her situation : how shortly putting her house on the market, contractors began coming out to measure her driveway for a replacement project she never asked for.

Read: Single mother’s future in jeopardy after thief steals driveway

How a Tampa-area stranger named “Andre” was pretending to be the owner of the home, contacting the contractors and cutting off communication when they asked for proof of ownership.

And how – a week after Andre told deputies he made a mistake -- Brochu’s driveway was ripped up and removed while she was at work.

Read: Local woman urges people not to shoot guns on New Year’s Eve after stray bullet pulled from her face

Through the social media storm, readers wanted to know: who steals a driveway, and why?

One of those readers recognized what happened and called the WFTV assignment desk from his Seattle-area phone number.

Read: Seminole County Emergency Management activates extreme weather plan for cold temperatures

He asked us to identify him only by his first name, Jeff, and his occupation: a general contractor.

Jeff said this type of scheme, known as an overpayment scam, is pervasive in the industry.

“The scam targets contractors,” he explained, “And sometimes inadvertently affects homeowners in the process.”

In an overpayment scheme, a scammer will seek out homes listed for sale on sites like Zillow or Redfin. Typically, they’ll target vacant homes.

The scammer will pretend to be the home’s owner, and ask local contractors to provide an estimate for some exterior work like a roof, driveway or painting.

The scammer and the contractor will agree to a price, and the scammer will mail or otherwise provide a check for more than the agreed upon price.

“Instead of being $20,000, there’ll be $22,000,” Jeff said. “Then, they’ll get a call from the supposed homeowner saying ‘Oh my gosh, there was a mistake.’”

The scammer will ask that the extra money be refunded . Shortly after the contractor sends the cash and occasionally after work begins, the scammer’s original check will bounce from the contractor’s bank account.

Jeff said contractors who fall victim are typically inexperienced and often unlicensed.

He said the situation was unfortunate for everyone, but he took special issue with the fact that whoever tore up Brochu’s driveway didn’t own up to it.

“It would have been a bitter pill for them to swallow, but they needed to stay,” he said. “Try to work with their insurance or something like that.”

After weeks of wondering, Brochu said everything suddenly made sense.

“It’s crazy -- the schemes people come up with to get money out of people,” she said.

Deputies are still investigating the situation. Jeff said the scammer most likely used a burner phone and email account.

As for the contractor who did the digging, few solid leads have emerged.

When deputies called the scammer and asked him for the contractor’s phone number, he helpfully provided one – that belonged to the Orlando International Airport.

Brochu, meanwhile, is sleeping a little easier. The morning after her story was published, a Cox Media Group radio sponsor reached out and offered to install a new driveway for free.

Permits are still being filed, but if things work out, Brochu said she plans to donate money collected in her GoFundMe to a local nonprofit in conjunction with 9 Family Connection .

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

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Action News Jax Now

Why does someone ‘steal’ a driveway? Contractor explains how scam works

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Amanda Brochu never expected her missing driveway to capture the attention of Central Florida -- and beyond.

Thousands read about her situation , first reported by Action News Jax sister station WFTV: how shortly after putting her house on the market, contractors began coming out to measure her driveway for a replacement project she never asked for.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

How a Tampa-area stranger named “Andre” was pretending to be the owner of the home, contacting the contractors and cutting off communication when they asked for proof of ownership.

And how – a week after Andre told deputies he made a mistake – Brochu’s driveway was ripped up and removed while she was at work.

Through the social media storm, readers wanted to know: who steals a driveway, and why?

RELATED: Single mother’s future in jeopardy after thief steals driveway

One of those readers recognized what happened and called the WFTV assignment desk from his Seattle-area phone number.

He asked us to identify him only by his first name, Jeff, and his occupation: a general contractor.

Jeff said this type of scheme, known as an overpayment scam, is pervasive in the industry.

“The scam targets contractors,” he explained, “And sometimes inadvertently affects homeowners in the process.”

Read: Social Security checks are going up this month; see when you’re scheduled to get yours

In an overpayment scheme, a scammer will seek out homes listed for sale on sites like Zillow or Redfin. Typically, they’ll target vacant homes.

The scammer will pretend to be the home’s owner, and ask local contractors to provide an estimate for some exterior work like a roof, driveway, or painting.

The scammer and the contractor will agree to a price, and the scammer will mail or otherwise provide a check for more than the agreed-upon price.

Read: Olympic cyclist Melissa Hoskins hit by car, killed; husband Rohan Dennis arrested

“Instead of being $20,000, there’ll be $22,000,” Jeff said. “Then, they’ll get a call from the supposed homeowner saying, ‘Oh my gosh, there was a mistake.’”

The scammer will ask that the extra money be refunded. Shortly after the contractor sends the cash and occasionally after work begins, the scammer’s original check will bounce from the contractor’s bank account.

Jeff said contractors who fall victim are typically inexperienced and often unlicensed.

Read: Missing Orlando woman found 11 years later in Osceola County retention pond, family says

He said the situation was unfortunate for everyone, but he took special issue with the fact that whoever tore up Brochu’s driveway didn’t own up to it.

“It would have been a bitter pill for them to swallow, but they needed to stay,” he said. “Try to work with their insurance or something like that.”

After weeks of wondering, Brochu said everything suddenly made sense.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks ]

“It’s crazy -- the schemes people come up with to get money out of people,” she said.

Deputies are still investigating the situation. Jeff said the scammer most likely used a burner phone and email account.

As for the contractor who did the digging, few solid leads have emerged.

[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter ]

When deputies called the scammer and asked him for the contractor’s phone number, he helpfully provided one – that belonged to the Orlando International Airport.

Brochu, meanwhile, is sleeping a little easier. The morning after her story was published, a Cox Media Group radio sponsor reached out and offered to install a new driveway for free. Cox Media Group is the parent company of Action News Jax and WFTV.

Permits are still being filed, but if things work out, Brochu said she plans to donate money collected in her GoFundMe to a local nonprofit in conjunction with 9 Family Connection .

Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.

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Why does someone ‘steal’ a driveway? Contractor explains how scam works

Amanda Brochu never expected her missing driveway to capture the attention of Central Florida.

▶ WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS

Thousands read about her situation : how shortly putting her house on the market, contractors began coming out to measure her driveway for a replacement project she never asked for.

Read: Single mother’s future in jeopardy after thief steals driveway

How a Tampa-area stranger named “Andre” was pretending to be the owner of the home, contacting the contractors and cutting off communication when they asked for proof of ownership.

And how – a week after Andre told deputies he made a mistake -- Brochu’s driveway was ripped up and removed while she was at work.

Read: Local woman urges people not to shoot guns on New Year’s Eve after stray bullet pulled from her face

Through the social media storm, readers wanted to know: who steals a driveway, and why?

One of those readers recognized what happened and called the WFTV assignment desk from his Seattle-area phone number.

Read: Seminole County Emergency Management activates extreme weather plan for cold temperatures

He asked us to identify him only by his first name, Jeff, and his occupation: a general contractor.

Jeff said this type of scheme, known as an overpayment scam, is pervasive in the industry.

“The scam targets contractors,” he explained, “And sometimes inadvertently affects homeowners in the process.”

In an overpayment scheme, a scammer will seek out homes listed for sale on sites like Zillow or Redfin. Typically, they’ll target vacant homes.

The scammer will pretend to be the home’s owner, and ask local contractors to provide an estimate for some exterior work like a roof, driveway or painting.

The scammer and the contractor will agree to a price, and the scammer will mail or otherwise provide a check for more than the agreed upon price.

“Instead of being $20,000, there’ll be $22,000,” Jeff said. “Then, they’ll get a call from the supposed homeowner saying ‘Oh my gosh, there was a mistake.’”

The scammer will ask that the extra money be refunded . Shortly after the contractor sends the cash and occasionally after work begins, the scammer’s original check will bounce from the contractor’s bank account.

Jeff said contractors who fall victim are typically inexperienced and often unlicensed.

He said the situation was unfortunate for everyone, but he took special issue with the fact that whoever tore up Brochu’s driveway didn’t own up to it.

“It would have been a bitter pill for them to swallow, but they needed to stay,” he said. “Try to work with their insurance or something like that.”

After weeks of wondering, Brochu said everything suddenly made sense.

“It’s crazy -- the schemes people come up with to get money out of people,” she said.

Deputies are still investigating the situation. Jeff said the scammer most likely used a burner phone and email account.

As for the contractor who did the digging, few solid leads have emerged.

When deputies called the scammer and asked him for the contractor’s phone number, he helpfully provided one – that belonged to the Orlando International Airport.

Brochu, meanwhile, is sleeping a little easier. The morning after her story was published, a Cox Media Group radio sponsor reached out and offered to install a new driveway for free.

Permits are still being filed, but if things work out, Brochu said she plans to donate money collected in her GoFundMe to a local nonprofit in conjunction with 9 Family Connection .

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

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The Assignment Editor 2.0: More Collaboration, Newer Tools

Back in the late 1990s and early ’00s, when Cater Lee was a reporter for the likes of KNBC and KCAL in Los Angeles, the assignment desk was centrally located in the newsroom. Its editor likely spent extensive time across their day scrolling through police scanners, reading press releases and fielding tipster calls to identify news stories. From it emerged a dictation of Lee’s day.

Purveyors of the newsroom’s assignment desk today, however, are typically less head coach and more quarterback, fronting colorful offenses filled with audibles, option plays and other collaborative trickery that’s designed to always push the ball forward. In other words, story dispersal in a newsroom has increasingly become a team effort, with reporters and producers having more of a say in what makes it to broadcast. Digital technology has also chipped away at the relevance of many dinosaur-era tools assignment editors used to rely on so heavily.

But as the job changes, assignment editors remain a dedicated folk, dug into the frontlines of journalism’s war with mis- and disinformation, while doing their best to help generate broadcasts with wider-reaching community impact. Always, they’re relegated to behind-the-scenes grunt work, and rarely do they get their due.

Julie Wolfe

The capable assignment editor, she observes, will “know all the information”: facts to support a package’s viability, sources that a reporter can contact to round it out, and whether a story is worth any airtime to begin with.

A presence like that in a newsroom matches the significance of an engine in a car, as one assignment editor puts it. Wolfe says assignment editors are like “orchestral conductors,” while additional metaphors that float through interviews stem from human biology. One editor calls the assignment desk the newsroom’s brain; others liken the role’s import to that of the heart or central nervous system, for it’s the assignment editor who pumps data to the farthest reaches of the newsroom, which of course now stretches well beyond the walls of an office building.

Social’s Key Role

Along with an innate sense of what makes for a quality newscast, to effectively manage the assignment desk, editors need top-flight organizational and communication skills, just as they have for decades. These days, familiarity with the social media universe is of equal consequence.

“Twitter’s huge,” he says. “When it comes to breaking news, often we’ll see it on Twitter now before we hear it on police scanners, which is just incredible.”

Darren Whitehead, digital desk lead at another Tegna NBC affiliate, KUSA Denver, says Colorado police scanners are encrypted, but monitoring Twitter helps him pick up the slack.

“Most of the ways that the police departments and fire departments are communicating with us is they’re putting out [updates] on social media, and usually it’s not immediate, it’s well after something has happened,” Whitehead says. “We get calls from people in the community being, like, ‘What the hell is going on down the block from me?’ Then we have to call [the responsible agency], and then they tweet out to everyone — without calling us back — all the information.”

Assignment editors set up Tweet Deck channels, or Social News Desk dashboards, where they follow various government agencies, other news sources like the Associated Press and additional relevant accounts where prospective stories may pop up. Dataminr alerts help inform assignment editors, too; neighborhood-focused Reddit forums and community-based apps like Nextdoor can sometimes supply story ideas as well.

Then, there are community-related Facebook groups, which one assignment editor says she joins using a public profile associated with their news team position. Another longtime story assigner says she taps younger newsroom colleagues to examine Instagram, Snapchat and other social media platforms they might be more comfortable navigating through.

Scrutiny’s Imperative

Like in the past with press releases — though assignment editors still lift stories from those on occasion — they can’t take what’s written online at face value. The same can be said for what citizen tipsters tell the assignment editor over the phone or in emails, as well as what public information officers say.

“People ask me what the hell I do, and I always tell them, ‘Well, the assignment desk is usually ‘first response,’” Whitehead says. “You gotta sift through the bullshit.”

While they may have always prioritized backing up facts, with sources, data and other means, assignment editors in 2022 say there is an added emphasis on getting story facts unquestionably correct.

Jamila Elder

“There are some stations that report solely off of what they hear on the scanners. We are not that station,” says Jamila Elder, assignment editor at WRAL, Capitol Broadcasting’s NBC affiliate in Raleigh, N.C. “You dig deep, you reach out to your contacts and you wait until you get [your information] confirmed, even though your competition station may be reporting it. As an assignment editor that’s very frustrating because we’re very competitive; you want to get the information and you want to get it first, [but] we would rather wait and get it right, than to report it first and get it wrong.”

Experience Matters

In many cases, as one assignment editor puts it, newsies “fall into” their positions at the assignment desk. The experience they bring with them, often as a reporter or anchor, serves them well in the role.

WXIN-WTTV Indianapolis assignment desk personnel (l-r): Adam Bartels, Ruthanne Gordon, Tim O’Brien and Sabrina Adams. (Greg Wilkerson photo)

Prior to Ruthanne Gordon becoming senior planning manager for Nexstar’s WXIN (Fox)-WTTV (CBS) Indianapolis, she was an assignment editor for 33 years. Before that, she was a reporter and anchor for more than five years, bringing with her to the assignment desk an assortment of connections from her front-of-the-camera days that she continues to call upon. Her phone book has only ballooned bigger throughout her 45 years in news.

“I have quite a Rolodex,” Gordon says, “I think that’s what they wanted when I came to this position as senior planning manager.” Cops she first met doing stand-ups, she says, “are now the commanders here in town, so I’ve kept those cell numbers, and that’s where I have an advantage.”

Working as a journalist before manning the assignment desk also helps cultivate that vital instinct of what makes for a compelling newscast. However, the assignment desk is also a prime location for industry newbies to break in and learn — a lot — on the fly.

“You gotta pay your dues by working the weekends,” Elder says. “That was where I learned the most because you don’t have a lot of managers, so you have to make those on-the-spot decisions. So, I was able to make those mistakes on that weekend shift, but I was also able to learn from those mistakes and learn how to make good news decisions.”

“This is a great way of starting and learning,” Gordon says of the assignment desk gig. Calling it a way to “fast-track” those new to the industry, she adds: “You can jump off of this and go produce a show [or] jump in a truck and go do an interview.”

Kendra Gilbert, senior assignment editor at KING, had no experience in a TV newsroom before hopping into the assignment desk chair at a station in her home market of Fresno, Calif. Fresh out of college, she struggled to find work in print journalism, her focus of study in school. But that degree still meant she could sniff out a good story and, combining that sense with strong organizational and communication skills, she was confident she could fill the seat just fine.

Kendra Gilbert

She’s held an assignment editor position at one West Coast station or another for nine years running. She says to excel in the role one has to be comfortable working in “a fast-paced environment,” and have the ability to “turn on a dime” and “focus on one thing and switch to another.”

Collaboration Grows

Elder statesman Gordon says of the assignment editor job demands: “It keeps me young.” Both she and the more youthful Gilbert say the position has also become more collaborative in recent years.

“We do sort of have that gatekeeper role,” Gilbert says. Still, she continues, “there’s always this two-way exchange of information between the desk and the reporters.”

Assignment editors consider reporter strengths, areas of interest and experience when deciding in whose hands a story will be entrusted. But they also field pitches from reporters and engage in broad conversations about the day’s items of interest with various members of the team.

“Nobody runs on their own in here; we have a tight-knit group [and] we back each other up,” Gordon says of the group at her Nexstar stations. “If we have spot news … we all jump in, and that’s the key to a really good assignment desk. You give and take, and you have that flexibility that at the end of the day, we’ve covered it, we’ve got it, we’ve got angles that nobody else has thought of.”

Not only does the team effort behind story assignment potentially add layers and depth to an eventual package, but it reinforces the integrity of the news it delivers across an entire broadcast, day in, day out.

In the constant struggle to identify mis- and disinformation, while also presenting stories in appropriate context, “that is where a collective, collaborative culture of a newsroom saves you,” KING’s Wolfe says. “If you are, as a team, having editorial checks, conversations, diverse viewpoints, bringing different people in, then you can catch those things and catch yourself and find the right story.

“That’s why I think having a diverse newsroom is so key, because different people are going to see different things and think about different questions and weigh that story against their own experience …. Whether it’s a big newsroom or a small newsroom, getting people together to talk about stories is just really, really important.” she says.

Decentralized Approach

One would be hard-pressed to find a more profound example of the increasingly collaborative nature the assignment editor’s job has assumed over the past handful of years than the organizational structure at Lee’s Southern California Spectrum News channel.

In an effort to cover the market’s five counties, across a sprawling megalopolis, her channel employs an assignment editor manager and four individual assignment editors, each of whom are primarily stationed in different parts of the region: north, south, east and west. They report to the station’s office in El Segundo once per week on a rotating basis, but otherwise they’re out in the field, working closely with reporters as they scour for stories and continually develop relationships with sources.

Lee says the more decentralized arrangement allows for her newsroom to be less “reactive” — as others have been historically — and more “proactive,” engaging in “enterprise storytelling.”

“Of course, we still react, because there’s breaking news,” Lee says, “but when there is real enterprise storytelling, you’re working in advance, working your sources and your community and really becoming experts on the ground, and it’s been an amazing collaboration.

“That’s what has gotten lost, is the idea that, really, journalists should have their ears on the ground, they should be developing beats and sources, and they should be working with assignment editors — story planners — to figure out the best way to tell those stories together,” she says. “It’s been a really exciting team approach to newsgathering.”

Seeking Deeper Impact

Whether they’ve been part of an experiment in cutting-edge structural invention or traditionally clock into the newsroom and sit at a stationary desk throughout their shift, assignment editors bear the brunt of the responsibility to shuttle broadcasts away from coverage of police blotter-discovered stories, such as shootings, robberies, and fires. Today’s consumers are craving more from their TV news, and stories with farther-reaching impact have to be sought out by those tasked with assigning them to reporters.

“We definitely are trying to be mindful of stories that are affecting more people in our community,” says WRAL’s Elder. “Gone are the days of ‘If it bleeds, it leads.’ That was old school.”

Still, it’s not entirely true that crime and property destruction should completely be dismissed. “When it comes to your family’s safety, the safety of your business, being able to walk down the sidewalk in your city, that is super-relevant to our viewers,” Wolfe says. “The idea that crime is not relevant is the wrong approach. The right approach is: How do we add information and context? How do we stand for truth and hold people accountable? What does the data tell us about that crime? That’s where the impactful stories are.”

Weighing all these factors in choosing stories, maintaining a constantly updated contact database with identifying tags, ensuring that reports are factually concrete and so many other responsibilities, the assignment editor job is certainly not for everybody. But those who do it well can honorably take tremendous pride in their work, which, if nothing else, is undeniably relentless.

“You should never be bored on the assignment desk,” KING’s Gilbert says. “It’s not a place where you can complete one task and then kick back and say, ‘I’ve done it for the day.’ You should always be busy.”

Comments (2)

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Corrie Harding says:

March 8, 2022 at 9:11 am

Great write up. I would add one piece of perspective on the ‘parts of the body’ metaphor. In my experience, the Assignment Desk can be the hands reaching out in the dark, or the ears listening for the important ‘sounds’ or the ‘eyes’ looking toward the horizon. All in addition to being part of ‘the brain.’ Ruthanne nailed it. The key is that a video based, broadcast/digital newsroom must have a desk, producers, reporters, and managers that act in a symbiotic relationship. Each must be able to quickly shift based on the news department’s overall vision, and always support each other.

LeCouteur says:

June 13, 2022 at 9:24 am

I never knew how to write beautifully when I needed it, I spent Sleepless nights to write At least a more or less beautiful text, but as a result, I began to turn to similar writing services and my life became much easier and the texts are much better, because on such services the text professionals write, you just have to learn the text

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In the aftermath of the Moscow concert hall attack, is a harsher era under Putin in the works?

Russia New Brutality FILE - Saidakrami Murodali Rachabalizoda, a suspect in the Crocus City Hall shootings, is escorted by police and FSB officers in Basmanny District Court in Moscow, Russia, on March 24, 2024. The attack on the Moscow concert hall, the bloodiest assault on Russian soil in two decades, appears to be setting the stage for an increasingly harsh response by President Vladimir Putin. Four suspects in the attack appeared in court showing signs of brutal treatment while in custody. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File) (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP)

Video and photos of suspects in a mass shooting show them apparently being brutalized by Russian security forces — without any rebuke from authorities. A top Kremlin official urges that hit squads be sent to assassinate Ukrainian officials. Senior lawmakers call for restoring capital punishment, abolished decades ago.

The aftermath of the Moscow concert hall attack that killed 145 people in the bloodiest assault in Russia in two decades seems to be setting the stage for even harsher rule by President Vladimir Putin following his highly orchestrated electoral landslide last month.

Putin vowed to hunt down the masterminds of the March 22 attack that he linked to Ukraine despite Kyiv's vehement denials and a claim of responsibility by an offshoot of the Islamic State group. He warned ominously that terrorism is a "double-edged weapon."

Putin lieutenant Dmitry Medvedev declared that if Ukrainian involvement is proven, Moscow should respond by deploying hit men to kill the country's leaders “in Kyiv or any other convenient place.”

The attack dealt a heavy blow to Putin less than a week after the vote that extended his rule for another six-years. It marked a major failure by his security agencies that were given an advance warning by the U.S. that extremists were planning an imminent attack.

Critics of the Kremlin argue that security forces are so focused on conducting the harshest crackdown on dissent since Soviet times that they are distracted from tackling real threats.

In an apparent attempt to divert attention from the security lapse and rally support for the war in Ukraine, Putin and his lieutenants alleged — without evidence — that the arrest of the four suspects near Ukraine indicated Kyiv's likely involvement.

The four, all citizens of Tajikistan, were detained by security forces in a forest about 140 kilometers (86 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

Video confessions of their involvement in the attack were released by Russian news outlets, but the veracity of those statements has been called into question because the men seemed to have been severely beaten and bore other signs of brutality when they appeared in court.

One had a heavily bandaged ear -– reportedly cut off during interrogation. Another had pieces of a plastic bag on his neck, a possible sign of attempts at suffocation. A third was in a wheelchair, barely conscious, accompanied by medical personnel.

Russian police and other security agencies have long been accused of torture, but many incidents also brought official condemnation, dismissals of those involved and criminal prosecutions.

In stark contrast, authorities refused to comment on the grisly video that emerged or the signs of maltreatment seen in court.

One video showed a man in combat fatigues cutting off part of one of the suspects' ear and forcing it into his mouth while threatening to do the same with his genitals. Another suspect was seen with his trousers pulled down and wires attached to his genitals.

The Associated Press was unable to verify the authenticity of the images, but Human Rights Watch said it determined the men in the photos and videos were the same as those in court for their pretrial hearings.

“The rapid and widespread sharing of these videos appears to be no accident but rather some kind of appalling boast by the Putin government of its brazen disregard for basic rights, fundamental humanity, and the rule of law,” said Tanya Lokshina, HRW's associate director for Europe and Central Asia.

Kremlin propagandists sought to cast their treatment as a proper response to the massacre.

Margarita Simonyan, head of state-funded broadcaster RT, dismissed criticism and said the law enforcement personnel involved shouldn’t face any punishment.

“Imagine yourself in place of our guys who were chasing those ghouls who just mowed down many, many of our fellow citizens,” Simonyan said. “What were they supposed to do? Serve them some warm porridge and yogurt?”

Many observers saw the tacit endorsement of such brutality as an ominous sign of more to come.

“All that serves a double function -– a show of terror as a mechanism of intimidation and rallying hatred,” political analyst Kirill Rogov said in a commentary. “It normalizes hatred as a response, including to those who have questions and disagreements.”

Medvedev, deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, who served as liberal-minded placeholder president in 2008-12, when term limits forced Putin to shift to the premier's seat, has turned recently into one of the harsher voices from the Kremlin.

In a commentary on his messaging app channel this week, he called for the extrajudicial killings of Ukrainian officials, arguing Russia should follow in the Soviet practice in the last century of assassinations, like those of Ukrainian nationalists Yevhen Konovalets and Stepan Bandera.

“What should we do? Simply crush the Banderite swine as the Soviet MGB did after the war," Medvedev wrote, referring to a forerunner of the KGB, "and liquidate their leaders on convenient occasions -- like Konovalets and Bandera -– in Kyiv or any other convenient places.”

The concert hall attack also brought demands from hawks and some senior lawmakers to reinstate the death penalty, which has been suspended since 1996 when Russia joined the Council of Europe, the continent’s leading human rights organization.

Calls for its restoration have circulated often, particularly after attacks blamed on insurgents from the region of Chechnya and other militant extremists. They increased after Moscow left the Council of Europe after its invasion of Ukraine.

Vladimir Vasilyev, head of the parliamentary faction of United Russia, the main Kremlin party, said the lower house would review restoring the death penalty, taking into account "society’s mood and expectations.”

Some Kremlin-connected lawmakers and others oppose the move, in an apparent sign of Putin's hesitation.

Andrei Klishas, the influential head of the constitutional affairs committee in the upper house of parliament, argued its restoration is impossible unless Russia approves a new constitution.

Andrei Medvedev, the deputy speaker of the Moscow City Council, said Russia should never bring back capital punishment because of its troubled history in the Soviet era.

“Regrettably, our judicial system isn’t ideal and isn’t immune from mistakes,” he wrote in a commentary. “The country that saw repressions, Red Terror ... and executions of those who believed in God must forget about the death penalty once and for all.”

Lidiya Mikheyeva, the secretary of the Public Chamber, a Kremlin-controlled advisory board, also spoke against reinstatement and reverting "to the times of savagery and barbarity.”

“The abolition of the death penalty is one of our country’s major historic achievements,” she added.

Dmitry Kiselyov, a Russian state TV commentator, also hinted that Putin doesn’t support its reinstatement. “It’s good that Russia is led by Putin, for whom the life of each of our citizens is priceless,” he said.

Despite those apparent doubts, many observers say the official tolerance of the harsh treatment of the suspects and calls for killing Russia's enemies herald an even more ruthless era.

Net Freedoms, a Russian group focusing on freedom of speech, noted that harsh statements from Putin and Medvedev coming amid “the backdrop of demonstrative torture effectively sanction extrajudicial executions and give law enforcement agencies a directive on how to treat the enemies.”

“We are seeing the possible beginning of the new Great Terror,” the group said, referring to the purges by Soviet dictator Josef Stalin of the 1930s. “There must be no illusions — the developments follow a very bad scenario and the slide is rapidly accelerating.”

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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