WTAE Pittsburgh

In newsrooms across the country, Facebook’s instant video option might be changing the way we consume social media. Reporters need only a smartphone camera and Facebook account to capture live, unedited video that can be viewed on their personal or station’s pages and websites. Consider it the visual equivalent of listening to the police scanner. Above, Kristine Sorensen, host of KDKA’s Pittsburgh Today Live, points out items for the upcoming show as she does a Facebook Live intro before broadcasting starts. (Darrell Sapp photo)

WTAE Pittsburgh, WXIA Atlanta and WMAQ Chicago are the station winners included in the first batch of 10 winners from its inaugural Peabody 30 winners for 2016.

According to some legal experts, this week’s firing of WTAE Pittsburgh anchor Wendy Bell over her Facebook posting does not violate her right to freedom of speech. According to attorney Sam Cordes,  the First Amendment forbids the government to infringe on individuals’ free speech rights, with limited exceptions. “But it says nothing about a private employer.”

WTAE Pittsburgh anchor Wendy Bell has been fired after a recent public apology from the station regarding a post on her Facebook page. A statement made Wednesday by Hearst Television, the station’s parent, reads: “WTAE has ended its relationship with anchor Wendy Bell. Wendy’s recent comments on a WTAE Facebook page were inconsistent with the company’s ethics and journalistic standards.”

Following last week’s Facebook by WTAE anchor Wendy Bell that many found racist, she and the station apologized. She hasn’t been see on-air since and today WTAE News Director Justin Antoniotti announced to the staff that Bell was no longer with the station. 

Wendy Bell, an anchor and reporter at the Hearst-owned ABC affiliate, says she “regrets” a Facebook post on shooting suspects that sparked an online firestorm after being read as racist. 

Hearst-owned ABC affiliate WTAE Pittsburgh (DMA 23) has promoted Action News Investigates reporter Bofta Yimam to weekend morning anchor beginning Saturday, Jan. 30. Bofta replaces Jackie Cain, who will anchor […]

The half-hour weekday newscast will air on the Hearst ABC affiliate’s ThisTV subchannel beginning Feb. 1.

Monday morning’s implosion of a Pittsburgh area 94-year-old bridge was the perfect TV news storm. The logistics of covering this blink-or-you’ll-miss-it event involved reporters and cameras from three stations in pretty much the same locations, but what viewers saw on TV and on the stations’ websites was surprisingly varied.

Anchor Sally Wiggin of Hearst-owned ABC affiliate WTAE Pittsburgh (DMA 22) has been inducted into the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in honor of her positive impact on audiences […]

Stations started dabbling with inserting newscasts into their diginet subchannels about five years ago and they say they expect the practice to become more pervasive as more stations recognize the revenue and promotional potential. Among the experiments is producing newscasts that air at non-traditional times — 7-9 a.m. or 9 p.m. — when primary channels are airing network programming.

Hearst promotes the ABC affiliate’s general sales manager to succeed Michael Hayes who moves to a corporate post at the station group.

Some say the Steel City is the most competitive news market in the country. Three stations — WTAE, KDKA and WPXI — are serious competitors that fight hard for stories and viewers. WPXI’s Ray Carter: “It’s a roller coaster ride here,” he says. “You can be No. 1 at 5 p.m. in November and No. 3 by February. Every daypart is close, and it’s never dull.”

A woman whose photo was mistakenly used in a WTAE newscast is suing the Pittsburgh ABC affiliate.