Anchor promotion tagged "politically incorrect"

Mai Martinez, who just yesterday got promoted to weekend anchor, starts her new gig tomorrow at Chicago's CBS station WBBM. But columnist Robert Feder from the Sun Times sees the move as the station's way to appease Hispanic activists, who were upset with Antonio Mora's demotion from the 10 pm anchor slot.

In his column today, he questions whether "pressure to promote ethnic diversity" trumped "merit and experience in the naming of a weekend news anchor at WBBM-Channel 2," saying Martinez "was promoted over at least five other capable insiders," insinuating she got the spot because she was "the only Hispanic in the running."

"It's probably no coincidence that Channel 2 announced the move during Hispanic Heritage Month -- just two days before its broadcast of "Viva Mexico! From Little Village," the 26th Street Mexican Independence Parade."

Police question photographer's immigration status

Freelance photographer Geraldo Carlos was taking photos of a Newark alley for a newspaper story about illegal dumping when he discovered a dead body. When he reported it to police, they asked him if he had a green card.

According to a WABC story, Carlos says Newark Deputy Police Chief Samuel Demaio asked him if he was in this country legally and confiscated his camera when he told police his visa had expired. When editor Robert Lima went to the police station to object to the demand that the newspaper turn over all of the photos Carlos had taken, Lima claims he was handcuffed and detained.

A new directive, issued last month by the New Jersey attorney general, orders police to ask about immigration status of people arrested for serious crimes, but it specifically prohibits police from questioning victims or witnesses, like Carlos, about their immigration status.

New role for Gomez at Fox

Rebecca Gomez, founding Fox News Channel business correspondent will be part of the anchor team when the Fox Business Network debuts Oct. 15.

Gomez is a founding FNC business correspondent and contributor to Your World With Neil Cavuto as well as the Saturday Fox News Cost of Freedom business block.

Other familiar faces on FNC on the anchor lineup: David Asman, who hosts Forbes on Fox on Fox News weekends; FNC business unit correspondent Cheryl Casone; business news correspondent Dagen McDowell; and Stuart Varney, who substitutes on Your World for Mr. Cavuto.

The team will be doing double duty, as they will all continue with their Fox News roles.

Did Univision "stretch" its ratings?

The day after Univision aired the Democratic Presidential Candidate Forum, the Spanish-language network announced the event had gotten much better ratings than any other network on previous presidential debates. The press release, dated September 10, states 4.6 million viewers, according to Nielsen Fast National Ratings, watched the debate on Univision, "versus an average reach of 4.3 million viewers set by this year’s English-language debates on ABC, CNN, Fox News Channel, and MSNBC. "

But wait! That claim is now disputed... Michael Learmonth, from Variety, reports that Univision "overstated its case" in that press release:

"The trouble is that Univision's assertion was only half true. The 4.6 million was derived from an analysis of viewers who had tuned in for at least six minutes of the 90-minute forum.

The total average viewers for the debate came in at just 2.1 million, according to Nielsen Media Research, making it the sixth highest-rated debate behind two held by FNC, two by CNN and one by ABC."

Anchor jumps ship

Carlos Amezcua, who's been anchoring L.A.'s KTLA morning newscast for the past 16 years, will be KTTV's new 10 pm leading man. Amezcua has been the interim 10 pm anchor at KTLA- channel 5, since legendary newsman Hal Fishman died in early August.

He's due to start his new gig on October 1st. No word on what will happen to John Beard, who's been the Fox station's 10 pm anchor, along Christine Devine, for the past 14 years.