AS KO predicted, today's Page Six tidbit:

[Patsy Stone]

August 6, 2009 --

KATY Tur's star keeps rising at NBC Universal, causing some media watchers to ask whether her fatherly boyfriend, MSNBC blabbermouth Keith Olbermann, 50, could be boosting the news cutie's ascension. Tur, 25, who was hired earlier this year by the NBC-owned Weather Channel to chase storms, has started freelancing as a WNBC/Ch. 4 reporter. An MSNBC rep insisted, "Keith has not spoken to anyone about a job at WNBC since 1980. He is delighted that Katy is also working for the Weather Channel." A WNBC flack called Tur "an experienced reporter."

http://www.nypost.com/seven/08062009/gossip/pagesix/is_turs_rise_olbermanns_doing__183162.htm

[Berry Cool]

1. Ahem, ahem, ahem.

Well, I fail to see how this piece of news constitutes a lie...unless WNBC really didn't hire her.

From fresh-out-of-college with a BA in philosophy in 2005, to the #1 TV news market in 2009 at a major network affiliate, in one of the worst economies if not THE worst ever in America...

Yeah, she got there because she's "an experienced reporter," all right. Experienced at what, we won't say.

[Patsy Stone]

3. I think

it was the "blabbermouth" part with which he took issue. :)

Actually, I don't think he called someone to get her a job as much as he enabled her to be at the right parties and events with the right people to get offered the job. But then they take the denial and make it the story as they have a habit of doing, allowing their insinuation to hang out there, like, "I wonder..."

[Berry Cool]

4. Well, I always take issue with it when they call him "blabbermouth," but it's expected.

Oh, I don't doubt you're right...and thus my point is made. Much as I might like to, and I know what their motivations are here, I can't call Page Six as wrong on this one. Maybe Keith made no calls. But when you're barely out of college, and you have snagged a live-in boyfriend who moves in the very highest circles of the national TV media, and you go with him to events and whatnot, and his agent agrees to take you on (something I doubt she did because the young lady possessed any exceptional talent, but most likely in the name of keeping one of her biggest and most successful clients happy), well, then you move up in the world, whether by merit or not.

My point is, in early 2006, Katy Tur still had a boyfriend she had acquired in college, who at about that time (and this is according to the Web site he and his buddies run) had just lost a remunerative job and was spending a lot of his time couch-surfing with friends and trying to figure out what to do with his life. For her part, she had what appears to have been nothing more than an entry-level production assistant job at the TV station that made her parents famous. Maybe she was more than a little pissed that she couldn't jump right into a glamorous job in the business merely on the basis of being "the daughter of legendary LA helicopter journalists Bob and Marika Tur." I mean, when you grow up in the Pacific Palisades amongst the homes of the stars, it must be tough to start from the bottom and work your way back up.

The girl was going nowhere fast until, halfway through the year, she dumped her boyfriend, decided that a successful cable newscaster twice her age was the handsomest, most desirable, most lovable man on the face of the earth, packed her bags and moved across the country to be with him. Then, all of a sudden, she became a hot young talent who deserved to leapfrog over all the competition to become the amazing new find of, first, New York and then, national TV.

How long before she wrests the weekend anchor desk at NBC away from Lester Holt? Give her a few years, that's all. And it won't be because she has spectacular skills. At least not in front of a TV camera. But that's what everyone will say. Yeah, and Katie Lee Joel spent a year on "Top Chef" because of her exceptional cooking skills. And she married Billy Joel only because she was truly, madly, deeply in love with him. You betcha.

[SharonRB]

8. Let's not forget that her father could have helped her

with his connections.

[Gogi]

2. I watched one of her Weather Channel reports...

she has the on air personality, talent and looks that the network's want. If she got a boost from KO, so what? Just ask yourself if Luke Russert was'nt employed by NBC right out of the box because of who his father was. Don't hear criticism over that!

[Berry Cool]

5. Actually, I do hear criticism of that...a lot of it.

At least Luke had a job with XM Radio before his father died. I don't know how he got it, but he was, and is, cohost of a show on Sirius XM called "60/20 Sports" with James Carville, of all people. Carville supposedly gives the older man's view of sports and Luke gives the younger guy's view. I don't know how he got that gig to begin with, but he did have it before anyone had a reason to feel sorry for him and start handing him plum NBC network jobs.

Katy Tur, on the other hand, was nothing but the "daughter of" when she and Keith hooked up. Yeah, she must've done some work with them and gotten some hands-on experience that way. But it wasn't as if she had a lengthy resume in the TV world, and her degree is in philosophy (go figure). Obviously her parents couldn't pull many strings for her straight out of college, nor did she get hired on her own merits into a big job right away--which is part for the course in the competitive TV business, where most people pay their dues for years just to get out of Saginaw, Michigan or whatever.

What I'm saying is that she must have seen Keith as her express elevator to the big time...and she stepped right into the car and pressed "Penthouse." And I have yet to see any evidence to the contrary. From what I see of her, she doesn't have anything going for her that I couldn't find here on a local channel any day of the week. She isn't any perkier, her hair isn't any blonder or her teeth any whiter. The only thing that seems to be the difference between her and the chipper little local newscasters on 3, 5, 8 or 19 is the choice of boyfriend.

Sorry, but that's the way I see it.

Edit: Oh, and you wanna see something real sad? Check out this page:

http://www.medialine.com/

Medialine is a Web site where people in the TV business post resumes and videos of themselves when looking for jobs, as well as discussing the business. Look who's up there (or at least was when I looked): Cheryl Lemke. Remember Cheryl Lemke? She was a star on The Weather Channel until NBC took over and dumped a bunch of people. Now she's out there looking for a job.

20-plus years of experience and she's going begging for a job, while TV is welcoming Katy Tur with open arms. You do the math.

[CC]

6. I just don't see it as Katy is sleeping with the old guy for

a job. You don't sleep with the same old guy and move in with him for 3 f'ing years just for a job.She would of moved on to a more powerful, faster working old guy already. Now does she maybe have the job she has because of who she knows? Most likely just like Luke has the job he has (and the Sirius XM job) because of who he knows. It is TV, most people have the jobs they have because of who they know along with their talent. Talent alone doesn't get you there.

Now is it more wrong, bad, evil that Katy is using the connections she has made through her relationship to Keith to further her career than for Luke or any young male to use theirs?


I know you do not like that KO is with a younger woman or that Katy is with an older Keith. That comes through pretty strong but HE did not leave a wife and kids for her, SHE did not leave a husband and kids for him. They aren't hurting anyone by caring for each other. Somehow in spite of that yawning chasm of age difference they seem to be building a life together and working it out. It has been 3 years hasn't it? Hell that's longer than some celebrity marriages. Maybe little Katy is emotionally mature for her age and just maybe Keith a emotionally immature for his so they are a good match. Or just maybe in spite of the age difference they like a lot of the same things, care about the same things and found a connection that is real. Would that be so bad?


:hi: Berry. :loveya:

[Berry Cool]

7. Ferretessa darling, I'm a purist.

You don't shit where you eat. You don't curry work favors from your SO or spouse. And you certainly don't take up with someone just to establish yourself in a career.

You say "You don't sleep with the same old guy and move in with him for 3 f'ing years just for a job." Well, maybe YOU don't. Then again, you're considering this from the viewpoint of getting a single job, rather than the opportunity to embark on a career. I doubt Katy does. And why should she change horses right now, when he's helping her out so well? She's never had to stay at a job more than a year before moving onward and upward to bigger and better things. In the meantime, look at the unemployment rate in this country.

I think people should get their jobs based on talent, not just connections. Connections are fine, but they should not land people jobs over talent. I've always believed that.

There are a million Katy Unconnecteds out in the naked city of TV news, working away to get ahead. (No, I'm not one of them, but I'm well aware of what their career struggles are like.) Some of them have been at it for decades, and they're still in Saginaw. Why should Katy Tur jump the queue ahead of them just because of who she's sleeping with?

How I feel about KO with a younger woman is beside the point; she could be 30 or 40 or 50 (say, a previously stagnated TV reporter in Saginaw) and the amazingly sudden trajectory of her career post-Keith-hookup would still be questionable. How long their relationship has lasted is also beside the point. After all, as I said, it takes time to build a career...and why should she leave when things are going so well?

The real issue is, I can't help but feel that someone is using someone here, in a sexual way, to get ahead in the working world. And that's dirty pool.

Just my opinion. If it makes you uncomfortable, sorry. I will try not to beat the horse in future.

[CC]

10. I understand where you are coming from

Berry and you have valid viewpoints. Don't ever stop stating them please. Then you are a pretty good writer on top of that so would really miss your feelings and opinions if you stopped. Even on the age difference.

It doesn't even really make me feel uncomfortable just ventured in with my viewpoint. I still love ya even if I don't always agree and am hardly ever around. :hug: I hope my typing didn't come across as harsh since it wasn't meant to be. You are the one that knows how to use words well, me I am a picture type person and my words can be severely lacking.



Edited to add- If I was listening to idiots talk about Obama being a failure because his polls numbers are below 60 fucking percent I probably did sound harsh. I am so sick of listening to idiots that let bush tear this country down nit pick on every move or thought Obama has. :grr: MSM builds up repukes and tears down Dems every time.:nuke:

[SharonRB]

9. I agree with everything you've said here. n/t