News Anchor: Online Posts By VA Shooter Show Alarming Trend

WDBJ7 News Anchor Chris Hurst

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Social media posts by the man suspected of brazenly shooting two television journalists during a live broadcast in Virginia show a disturbing trend of unashamed exhibition of his crimes on the Internet, the partner of one of the victims said on Thursday.

Chris Hurst told NBC on Thursday that the suspect, 41-year-old Vester Flanagan, "obviously was in a state of mind that was not reasonable or rational."

"What we are starting to see is continued boldness from people who want to commit murders in cold blood for notoriety," said Hurst, who was a news anchor at WDBJ7 and was dating one of the slain journalists, Alison Parker. "I have no words for him. I have no thoughts for him."

Parker, 24, and cameraman Adam Ward, 27, were shot dead on Wednesday during a live segment for the CBS affiliate in Roanoke, Virginia, at a local recreation site about 200 miles (320 km) southwest of Washington. Another woman was wounded.

Alison Parker, Chris Hurst

Someone who appeared to be Flanagan, a former reporter at the station, then posted video to Facebook and Twitter that showed the attack from the gunman's vantage point as well as comments indicating he had grievances against WDBJ7, which fired him in 2013.

The video was quickly removed from social media sites but not before being saved and posted elsewhere. One U.S. newspaper, the N.Y. Daily News, drew criticism for using pictures from that video on its Thursday front page.

The woman being interviewed, Vicki Gardner, head of the Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce, was wounded in the attack and is likely to make a full recovery, her husband said on Thursday.

"I'm told she's doing better," Tim Gardner told NBC, adding that she faces more surgery later Thursday. His voice trembled as he recounted witnessing the horror live on television. "It was a pretty bad few minutes."

Flanagan later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said. He sent ABC News a 23-page statement after the shooting, saying his attack was triggered by the June 17 mass shooting at a black church in Charleston, South Carolina, the network said. A white man has been charged in that rampage.

Flanagan, who is black, cited anger over what he saw as racial discrimination at work and elsewhere, ABC said. His three victims were white.

Hurst told CBS that Flanagan's discrimination claims against WDBJ7 were unfounded: "We need to figure out if there’s anything that can be done in the future to help these people who want to harbor hate in their heart."

Earlier on Thursday, WDBJ held a moment of silence to remember the two, according to media reports.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)

Westwood One News Hits 750+ Affiliates

• Adds Veteran Anchor/Reporter Chas Henry

Since its launch in January, Westwood One News has now affiliated more than 750 radio stations nationwide; nine of them in the top 10 markets, including WABC-AM and WINS-AM/New York, KABC-AM/Los Angeles, WLS-AM Chicago, WBAP-AM and KLIF-AM/Dallas, WMAL-AM/Washington, D.C, WNEW-FM/DC, KGO-AM and KSFO/San Francisco, KYW-AM in Philadelphia, and WBZ-AM/Boston.

Westwood One News, powered by CNN, was created to fill a need in the marketplace and the industry has voted yes, with wide acceptance and praise. The news network provides stations superior coverage with flexibility and local branding that includes newscasts, correspondent two-ways, newsmaker sound bites, live breaking news, and other elements that all integrate seamlessly into local newscasts.

Chas Henry

In continuing its effort to provide top, full-service news coverage to affiliated stations, Westwood One News has just added another well respected anchor and correspondent--veteran and award-winning newsman Chas Henry. A familiar voice in Washington, D.C., Henry has been an anchor at all news WTOP and a reporter for NewsChannel 8 and ABC7.  Most recently, he was anchor and national security correspondent at WNEW-FM.

A combat-decorated veteran of the 1991 Gulf War, Henry came up in the U. S. Marine Corps – rising in rank from private to captain. In 2015 he was selected for induction into the Marine Corps Marathon Hall of Fame for his 20+ years’ coverage of the event. He has reported from Iraq, Afghanistan and Qatar; been frequently heard nationwide on the CBS Radio Network; and was selected for national security related fellowships by the Council on Foreign Relations, the Radio-Television News Directors Foundation, and the Western Knight Center for Specialized Journalism. In addition to anchoring newscasts, Henry will report on national security issues for Westwood One News and will fill in next month on “Something to Think About with Mike Rogers” from September 8-14.

“We are thrilled that we have the opportunity to bring aboard an anchor and reporter with the talent and reputation of Chas,” said Bart Tessler, Westwood One’s EVP, News & Talk. “Our affiliates and listeners will benefit from his anchoring afternoon drive newscasts, his national security sources, and his reporting. Westwood One News continues to add resources to the coverage and numerous live reports we provide directly to stations every day from across the country and around the world.”

With correspondents based in New York, LA, Washington, D.C. and now Dallas, and with the resources of CNN, Westwood One News offers 24/7 coverage from events happening around the world--from the already under way 2016 presidential campaign and rumblings in the economy and stock market, to reaction to the Iran nuclear deal from Tehran and live reports inside the secret walls of North Korea.

For more information about Westwood One News, contact Jim Jones at jimjones@westwoodone.com or (202) 895-2339.

Groups Push FCC on Multingual EAS

On the tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, more than 25 consumer and civil rights groups are pushing the Federal Communications Commission to require multilingual emergency alerts in markets where there are sizable populations that don’t speak English.

Katyonthehill.com reports a letter to the FCC isled by the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council, and the groups propose that the FCC tie station license renewals to providing alerts in multiple languages. The MMTC, along with three other groups filed the original “Katrina petition” with the FCC in 2005.

“It is profoundly unfortunate that the commission cannot rely on voluntary action to solve this problem. Since the Katrina Petition was filed, not a single state broadcast association – not one – has come up with a plan to ensure emergency service to non-English language minorities,” the groups wrote.

The original petition suggested the FCC adopt a “designated hitter” system, where in each radio market, the state EAS would designate which station or stations to provide multilingual information if there was no other station broadcasting in that language on the air.

Mickey D's Sez "McWhopper" Idea Isn't So Hot

McDonald’s executives woke up Wednesday morning to a temporary peace treaty from an unlikely source: Burger King. Now the company has responded, but it’s still unclear whether McDonald’s will agree to the King’s terms, according to The Wall Street Journal.

In full-page ads in two newspapers, Burger King proposed that the two fast-food companies meld their staple burgers — the Whopper and the Big Mac — to create the “McWhopper.”

On Wednesday morning, McDonald’s responded to the gimmick, which is aimed to commemorate Peace Day and raise awareness for non-violence. In a Facebook post, McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook said “we love the intention but think our two brands could do something bigger to make a difference.”

Mr. Easterbrook said Burger King should “join us in a meaningful global effort.”

“And every day, let’s acknowledge that between us there is simply a friendly business competition and certainly not the unequaled circumstances of the real pain and suffering of war,” he wrote.

As for next steps, Mr. Easterbrook said McDonald’s will “be in touch.”

Inspiration for a good cause @burgerking. Let’s do something to make a real difference. http://t.co/JjycHwwD5B

— McDonald's (@McDonaldsCorp) August 26, 2015

In a dig to Burger King’s grasp for attention and social media buzz, Mr. Easterbrook finished his note with, “P.S. A simple phone call will do next time.”

NYC Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM Inks Multi-Year Deal With Don LaGreca

WEPN ESPN 98.7 FM has reached a three-year extension with Don La Greca for the longtime radio host to remain with the station as co-host of The Michael Kay Show.

He and Kay, who also recently signed a three-year extension, have partnered on The Michael Kay Show since 2002. The program is broadcast from 3 – 7 p.m. ET weekdays and has been simulcast on the YES Network since February 2014.

La Greca is an ESPN New York original and was the first voice listeners heard when the station launched on September 3, 2001. He will continue to host 98.7FM’s Jets Gameday pregame show and The 5th Quarter postgame. La Greca will also retain his duties as studio host and occasional play-by-play commentator for New York Rangers broadcasts.

“Being the first voice of 98.7 ESPN radio, it became hard to imagine working anywhere else,” said La Greca. “I think Michael Kay and I have built something special.  He's the best in the business, and I can't wait for what the future brings.”

“Don has established himself as one of the most knowledgeable hosts in all of New York sports,” said Tim McCarthy, General Manager, ESPN New York 98.7FM. “He is a rare breed who can combine talk and play-by-play without missing a beat. Don and Michael are one of the longest-tenured and most entertaining sports talk teams in the country.”

La Greca began his radio career at Sports Phone, where he updated scores and covered all nine local New York pro teams before becoming a sports anchor at 1010 WINS. He also was a talk show host at eYada.com.  La Greca graduated from Ramapo College in 1992 with a degree in communications. In 2014, La Greca was honored by the College with its Distinguished Citizen Award, given for his “personal and professional commitment to advance higher education and for his significant service to the community.”

TV News Shootings: WDBJ-TV7 Remembers Alison, Adam

On Thursday, one day after the deaths shocked millions across the country, the grieving staff at WDBJ-TV7 in Roanoke, VA. came together for an emotional broadcast of its "Mornin' " show. At 6:45 a.m. — the time of the shooting that took the lives of reporter Alison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward — the station observed a moment of silence, showing the victim's photos on the screens.

Anchor Kim McBroom, who was on the anchor desk during Wednesday's shooting and tried to reassure viewers immediately after the attack was broadcast, joined hands with weatherman Leo Hirsbrunner and fellow anchor Steve Grant, who came in from sister station KYTV in Springfield, Missouri.

News Shooter Admits He Was A "Powder Keg"

Two television journalists were shot to death during a live broadcast in Virginia on Wednesday, slain by a former employee of the TV station and who called himself a "powder keg" of anger over what he saw as racial discrimination at work and elsewhere in the United States.

The suspect, 41-year-old Vester Flanagan, shot himself as police pursued him on a Virginia highway hours after the shooting. Flanagan, who was African-American, died later at a hospital, police said.

Reuters reports the journalists who were killed were reporter Alison Parker, 24, and cameraman Adam Ward, 27. Both journalists were white, as is a woman who they were interviewing. The woman was wounded and was in stable condition, a hospital spokesman said.

"Bryce Williams"

Social media postings by a person who appeared to be Flanagan indicated the suspect had grievances against the station, CBS affiliate WDBJ7 in Roanoke, Virginia, which let him go two years ago. The person also posted video that appeared to show the attack filmed from the gunman's vantage point.

Flanagan sent ABC News a 23-page fax about two hours after the shooting, saying his attack was triggered by the June 17 mass shooting at a black church in Charleston, South Carolina, the network said. Nine people were killed, and a white man has been charged in that rampage.

The network cited Flanagan as saying he had suffered racial discrimination, sexual harassment and bullying at work. He had been attacked by black men and white women, and for being a gay black man, he said.

"The church shooting was the tipping point ... but my anger has been building steadily," ABC News cited the fax as saying. "I've been a human powder keg for a while ... just waiting to go BOOM!"

Hours after the shooting, someone claiming to have filmed it posted video online. The videos were posted to a Twitter account and on Facebook by a man identifying himself as Bryce Williams, which was Flanagan's on-air name.

The videos were removed shortly afterward. In one video, a handgun was clearly visible as the person filming approached the female reporter.

Flanagan shot himself as Virginia State Police were closing in on a rental car on Interstate 66 in Fauquier County, WDBJ7 said. State police said the suspect refused to stop when spotted by troopers and sped away.

Minutes later, the suspect's vehicle ran off the road and crashed, police said in a statement, adding that troopers approached the vehicle to find the driver with a gunshot wound. He was taken to Inova Fairfax Hospital near Washington, where he died.


#WDBJ Tweets

Shooter Had Workplace Issues

Vester Flanagan, 41, who went on the air under the name Bryce Williams, was a former employee of WDBJ7 in Virginia, where both of the slain journalists worked. The journalists, who were both white, were killed during a live television broadcast earlier this morning.

Reuters report Bryce Williams, Flanagan's on-air name, accused one of the victims of "racist comments," and noted that a complaint had been filed with a government agency that enforces discrimination claims.

In a 23-page fax ABC News said was sent two hours after the shooting, he cited as his tipping point the racially motivated shooting that killed nine black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina, earlier this summer.

Saying he had suffered racial discrimination, sexual harassment and bullying at work, Flanagan described himself as "a human powder keg," the network said.

Flanagan aired similar grievances in a 2000 lawsuit filed in U.S. federal court against a Florida station, WTWC-TV in Tallahassee. In that suit, he said a producer had called him a "monkey," and he accused a supervisor of calling black people lazy for not taking advantage of college scholarship opportunities.

The Florida case was settled and dismissed the next year, court records show.

One of his former Florida colleagues remembered Flanagan as "quirky," but said he never displayed behavior suggesting he would be capable of such a violent crime.

"He had his idiosyncrasies, a little quirky sometimes," said Michael Walker, the weekend producer at the Tallahassee station when Flanagan was working as a weekend anchor. "It probably wasn't any different than any other on-air personality."

Walker, who is also black, noted that he had not experienced discrimination at the station.

Flanagan, who accused the station of terminating his contract because he had filed a report of racism with a state agency, said in the lawsuit he suffered emotional distress and financial losses as a result of his treatment at the station.

The NBC affiliate, which stopped broadcasting newscasts in late 2000, said at the time of the lawsuit that his contract was not renewed due to "corporate belt-tightening," according to an article in the Tallahassee Democrat at that time.

Flanagan's 20-year career in journalism included stints at local news stations in San Francisco; Savannah, Georgia; and Midland, Texas, according to his LinkedIn profile. It said he also worked briefly outside of journalism as a customer service representative.

He graduated from San Francisco State University in 1995 with a degree in radio and television, the school confirmed.

At WDBJ-TV7, he gained a reputation as someone who was difficult to work with because of his anger, station manager Jeff Marks said during a live broadcast.

"Vester was an unhappy man," Marks said, adding that he had to be escorted out of the building by police after he was terminated from the station in 2013.

Donald Trump Insists Ramos 'Out of Line'

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump booted Univision anchor Jorge Ramos from a press conference in Dubuque, Iowa, on Tuesday, leading to the veteran journalist's temporary ouster from the event.

On Wednesday morning, Trump said on NBC's TODAY that Ramos was "totally, absolutely out of line."
The confrontation began when Ramos tried to ask a question out of turn while another reporter spoke.

"Sit down, you weren't called," Trump snapped at Ramos. "Go back to Univision."

The real estate mogul continued to shut down the Mexican-American journalist, leading Ramos to be escorted out of the room by security. But Ramos was eventually allowed back in to ask two questions.

"He was totally out of line last night," Trump told TODAY's Matt Lauer. "I was asking and being asked a question from another reporter. I would have gotten to (Ramos) very quickly. He stood up and started ranting and raving like a madman."

Lauer then asked Trump why he lets people get under his skin, and suggested that a renewed feud with another journalist — Fox News host Megyn Kelly — has put him in an unfavorable light.

"I'm not a bully," he said about public perceptions. "In fact, I think it's just the opposite way."

He claims he proved that point while interacting with Ramos on Tuesday night.

When the journalist returned to the room, Trump took a question from him, adding, "It's good to have you back."

As the candidate answered Ramos' question on immigration policy and recent controversy around the term "anchor babies," Trump stood by the remarks from his presidential announcement, in which he said that Mexico was sending criminals and rapists across the border.

"I have a bigger heart than you do," Trump insisted, referring to his plan to increase security at the border.

After discussing immigration and taking questions from other reporters, Trump returned to Ramos, and their second exchange quickly turned to the $500 million lawsuit Trump filed against Univision, which canceled its contract with the businessman to air the Miss Universe beauty pageant. Trump then reiterated that he has the support of the Latino community

O'Reilly Says News Anchor Ramos Was 'Grandstanding'

Bill O'Reilly on his Fox News Channel Show 'The Factor' Wednesday evening weighed-in on the Donald Trump-Jorge Ramos news conference confrontation.  O'Reilly claims Ramos has become an advocate on immigration.

Ramos Tells Kelly: Trump Has Obligation To Provide Answers

Jorge Ramos and Megyn Kelly––two journalists who have both been the subject of Donald Trump‘s ire recently––faced off on Fox News last night, where Kelly asked him about his confrontation with Donald Trump last night, according to Mediaite.

Tuesday night, Ramos was kicked out of Trump’s presser when he tried to jump in to ask about immigration. He was eventually let back in and had a contentious back-and-forth with The Donald over his immigration plan.

Kelly very knowingly asked him, “What is it like to be caught in the crosshairs of a billionaire presidential runner?” Ramos answered, “Well, you know exactly how it feels.” Kelly did acknowledge “it’s not unusual” for reporters to do what he did, but asked Ramos why Trump would want to engage with him when he has repeatedly referred to Trump as a voice of extreme hate.

Ramos said it shouldn’t matter if Trump is a fan of his or Univision’s or not, he has an obligation as a presidential candidate to answer reporters’ questions. Ramos did add, though, that Trump clearly can’t deal with questions that make him “uncomfortable.”

The Donald Dictates His Tweets

NBC News' Katy Tur reports from the campaign trail on some new information about Donald Trump, including the tidbit that he does not write out his tweets.

Pollster On Trump: "This Is Real"

Frank Luntz

A focus group of Donald Trump supporters left Republican pollster Frank Luntz stunned. "This is real," said Luntz after the group of 29 people was undeterred by a series of unflattering clips of Trump.

"I'm having trouble processing it. Like, my legs are shaking."

Time reports the videos Luntz showed the group were supposed to damage their view of him, packed with clips of his apparent flip-flops, "sexism," and narcissism. Instead of diminishing the supporters' opinion on the Republican frontrunner, however, a strong majority of them said they only liked him more after the smear attempt.

Quote from Focus Group Participant

 This 29-person focus group, conducted by Luntz and observed by a group of national press reporters from behind a pane of one-way glass, had gathered to explain the phenomenon of Trump. Why is a billionaire real estate mogul, TV celebrity and oft-accused demagogue who has never held office leading the Republican field with some 22% support in the polls?

One Word Descriptions of Republican Party

"You guys understand how significant this is?" Luntz exlaimed to the press after his exchange with the Trump supporters. "This is real. I'm having trouble processing it. Like, my legs are shaking."

"I want to put the Republican leadership behind this mirror and let them see," said Luntz. "They need to wake up. They don’t realize how the grassroots have abandoned them. Donald Trump is punishment to a Republican elite that wasn't listening to their grassroots."

One Word Descriptions of Donald Trump

The group of 29 pro-Trump voters consisted of 23 Caucasions, 3 African Americans and 3 Hispanics. Perhaps the most revealing moment was when Luntz asked the group to give one-word descriptions of the Republican party and Donald Trump.

H/T: Truth Revolt.org

SiriusXM Adds A Further Stock Repurchase Program

Sirius XM Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI) Wednesday announced that its Board of Directors has approved an additional $2 billion of common stock repurchases.  Shares of common stock may be purchased from time to time on the open market and in privately negotiated transactions, including in accelerated stock repurchase transactions and transactions with Liberty Media and its affiliates.  The Company will fund the repurchases through cash on hand, future cash flow from operations and future borrowings.

SiriusXM's Board of Directors approved a $2 billion common stock repurchase program in December 2012 and supplemented that authorization with the approval of an additional $2 billion common stock repurchase program in October 2013 and July 2014.  The new approval increases to an aggregate of $8 billion the amount of common stock SiriusXM has been authorized to repurchase.

The announcement of the extension of the repurchase program reflects the Board's desire to continue to return value to stockholders and its confidence in the long-term growth prospects of the Company's business.  SiriusXM retains sufficient capital capacity to continue making long-term investments in its programming, research and development initiatives and overall operations, as well as to pursue strategic opportunities that may arise.

Repurchases will be made in compliance with all SEC rules and other legal requirements and may be made in part under a Rule 10b5-1 plan, which permits stock repurchases when the Company might otherwise be precluded from doing so.

Media Stocks Are Lagging

 Wall Street's six-day losing streak was broken in a big way on Wednesday when the Dow Jones Industrial Average soared 619 points and notched its biggest one-day gain in four years. Once again, though, media stocks lagged behind.

The Dow's gain amounted to 4 percent, but Walt Disney only rose 3 percent. Disney's cautious comments about growth in its cable networks division on Aug. 4 have been blamed for a massive decline in the sector, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Other laggards included Viacom (up less than 1 percent); 21st Century Fox (up 2 percent); and Comcast, Time Warner and CBS (each up 3 percent).

Sony, though, managed to outperform with a 5 percent gain, perhaps because it doesn't own cable channels, assets that some investors are fleeing from as competition from Internet streaming intensifies.

Probably for the same reason, shares of Netflix rose more than 8 percent on Wednesday, while YouTube parent Google rose 8 percent and online retailer and video streamer Amazon.com was up 7 percent.

Despite Wednesday's rally, media-entertainment stocks remain crushed since Aug. 4. Viacom, for example, is still off 31 percent and Disney is still down 18 percent.