As I write this long-overdue update… hits on the website have jumped from 400,000 to 700,000, and I continue to be surprised and grateful.

I’ve been doing a lot of traveling and I’m working on a book (which has absolutely nothing to do with television news) more on that later. Now that I’m back in LA, I’m doing to be updating the website more frequently and making one change. So far, I’ve kept all your emails and comments private. The emails will remain private but messages will now be published on a separate page…the fact is many of them are just too good not to be seen. So after May 1st 2008, emails are private and messages are public.

As always, the most common question is “When and where will you be back on TV”? I honestly don’t know just yet, but when that happens I’ll let you know.

It's clear from your comments and emails that many people are just now realizing I'm no longer anchoring the 10 PM News on KTTV, Fox-11 in Los Angeles. If you're new to this site here's what happened. I was fired by KTTV effective Dec. 1st. despite the highest ratings in the station's history. They gave no reason.. but for the last few years it was clear we had vast editorial differences. I fought hard against increasing celebrity coverage at the expense of real news and simply put...I lost. One thing you may not know. KTTV and every other television station has a news room of professionals, most of whom would like to put a respected product on the air. But middle (and sometimes higher) management makes the editorial choices. Too often, they make management (frequently consultant-driven) choices, not journalistic choices, and the result has been the dumbing down of the product (this is not unique to LA). There's not one anchor in Los Angeles who has editorial control over the show they front. Hal Fishman was the last LA anchor with that power and for years KTLA had the best, most respected newscast in town. (It also did very well in the ratings, despite weak lead-ins). I believe every LA newscast would be better if the professionals were allowed to make professional decisions, and the audience would be better served. The job I want doesn't exist right now. When a local TV station realizes there's a huge audience for a newscast they can trust and believe in, with more depth and analysis, just let me know. Maybe I'm too idealistic, but I'm convinced a real news-hour with solid reporting and analysis would not be just competitive... but dominant. I'd love to find out wouldn't you?

Always grateful,

John