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Nuclear Nightmare: Japan in Crisis' anchor Paula Zahn, producer Scott Weinberger seek human stories |
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Friday, 29 April 2011 23:46 |
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Nuclear Nightmare: Japan in Crisis' anchor Paula Zahn, producer Scott Weinberger seek human stories
BY RICHARD HUFF
DAILY NEWS TV EDITOR
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Paula Zahn and producer Scott Weinberger Monday were upstate in Tomkins Cove, overlooking the Hudson, grabbing final shots for a documentary on the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan.
The location, says Weinberger, worked because the Indian Point nuclear plant was in the background and fit the focus of "Nuclear Nightmare: Japan in Crisis," airing on Discovery April 28 at 10 p.m.
"Going to Japan wasn't in the cards," says Weinberger, a former TV news reporter. He got the call for the Japan project the morning after the earthquake hit.
"Old habits don't die," he says. "I wake up every morning and read the newspapers and saw some TV images coming from Japan - they were unbelievable."
The folks at Discovery asked if he wanted in and within hours the production was underway. The special is anchored by Zahn, who also hosts "On the Case With Paula Zahn," which airs Sundays at 10 on ID and is also produced by Weinberger.
"The main point for us wasn't just sort of doing the science and the nuclear story," he says. "The idea was to tell the story through other people's eyes. It wasn't just a matter of having the video, it was who could we get to be the storytellers."
So the search began. Weinberger and his Weinberger Media team were able to find an American who worked in the nuclear plant as well as a film crew that was shooting when the tsunami hit.
"It's a perspective never seen before," says Weinberger, who is producing partners with Scott Sternberg. "The interviews are riveting. Paula does an unbelievable job bringing the stories to life."
Producing specials tied to news events is how Weinberger keeps his hands in the game. He worked at WNBC/Ch. 4 before moving to WCBS/Ch. 2, where his job was cut in a downsizing that left him unemployed.
By then, though, he'd already started the groundwork for his production projects by creating "The Academy" a reality show set in a police academy.
In addition to the Japan special, he has two others in production for the Science network, both potential series. One gives viewers access to an intelligence agency - one so secret that Weinberger needed clearance for top-secret information, the other built around the FBI and local law enforcement's efforts to fight terrorism, He's also got another in the works for TruTV.
"I still love news, but I don't miss local TV," he says. "I don't miss pitching a story you believe will bring change and having it shot down because the competition has just shown up at a fire in the Bronx and we have to be competitive, knowing full well the average viewer doesn't have three TVs."
The only time he feels a twinge, he says, is during bad-weather stories, but not because he misses it.
"The first time I got to stay home with my family in a big snowstorm, I realized I had arrived," he says. "I didn't have to stand out there and have people bringing me hot cocoa because they felt bad for me."
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Friday, 29 April 2011 23:38 |
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Last Updated: 10:27 AM, April 28, 2011
Posted: 11:09 PM, April 27, 2011
 Linda Stasi TV Critic
"Nuclear Nightmare: Japan in Crisis" Tonight at 10 on Discovery
How could any government build a nuclear power plant in an area prone to earthquakes and tsunamis?
Good question in light of the horrific March 11 disaster in Japan, in which a horrifically powerful earthquake and resulting tsunami nearly took out the largest nuclear facility in the world.
After all, this is the country that invented the very word "tsunami!"
Tonight, Paula Zahn's special on Discovery, "Nuclear Nightmare: Japan in Crisis," does such a thorough, fair and unbiased account of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant disaster that you will come away understanding why -- and how -- it happened, and how much we are at risk as well.
EPA
GRIM SEARCH: Japanese police search for victims of the earthquake and tsunami. "Nuclear Nightmare" airs tonight on Discovery.
Yes, the Fukushima plant was built to withstand earthquakes -- it wasn't built to withstand Armageddon. This was the most powerful earthquake in one thousand years.
With footage taken by survivors and plant workers -- as well as Japanese news footage -- you will get a birds-eye view of the incomprehensible damage -- and the impossibility of cleaning up thousands of crushed homes surrounded by irradiated water.
While, for the most part, the plant's structure initially remained intact after the earthquake, it was the tsunami that caused the real damage. Fukushima was designed to withstand a tsunami two houses high. This wave was three houses high.
Zahn takes us through the horror of trying to contain the uncontainable as the "cooling" water on the rods reached 2,200 degrees and the plant experienced a series of explosions while the heroic workers lived on rationed food and water in a radioactive environment.
If nothing else, the Fukushima disaster put the world on alert, and governments now are scrambling in these tight economic times to shore up the 400 worldwide facilities.
Thank God we in the US don't have to worry. Right.
I learned in this special that one third of all Americans live within 50 miles of a nuclear power plant -- and a mere 20 million of us in this area live within 50 miles of the Indian Point Plant near Peekskill.
Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/tv/horror_march_nfG40vOTHCTavxEganMbLP#ixzz1KxVFaQJA |
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Life after journalism: It does exist |
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Wednesday, 14 July 2010 00:00 |
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Two years ago, amid cutbacks at CBS, Scott Weinberger found himself without a job. Rather than accept offers at other networks, the on-air investigative reporter, a three-time Emmy Award winner, struck out on his own.
In 2009, through a startup production company, Mr. Weinberger co-produced On the Case With Paula Zahn, a news magazine for the Investigation Discovery network. He drew on his experience co-producing a police reality series, The Academy, in 2005 and, before that, working as a sheriff in Broward County, Fla. Now ID’s highest-rated series, Ms. Zahn’s show was recently renewed for two more seasons. Meanwhile, Weinberger Media, which employs 30 people, is producing four other shows for various Discovery channels. Revenue has doubled in the past 12 months.
As traditional media models struggle and audiences look to alternative news sources, more reporters are entering the business world. Many have qualities that make them good entrepreneurs, say experts.
“They’re researchers,” says Ed Rogoff, director of the Field Center for Entrepreneurship at Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business. “And there is a lot of evidence that people who ask questions and wait for answers are good salespeople.”
Reflecting the trend, Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism now requires students to take a seven-week course in business skills. The City University of New York’s Graduate School of Journalism runs a joint project with the Field Center to help journalism students create thriving, profitable media ventures.
There is no denying that for professional journalists, the learning curve is steep. Joe Dolce, a former editor-in-chief of Star Magazine and Details, says he didn’t know the price of a stamp when he started a Manhattan public relations firm two years ago.
“Suddenly, I had to order office equipment and learn invoicing and spreadsheets,” says Mr. Dolce.
Networking, however, wasn’t a problem.
“I knew tons of people,” he says. That gave him an edge.
This year, Joe Dolce Communications is on track to double its revenue. Mr. Dolce is preparing to launch a new venture: a local marketing service for independent retailers, called Paper&String.com. For $2 per day, the service will enable them to advertise limited-time offers on Facebook, Twitter and mobile phones.
“We will work with retailers to say what they need in a specific way,” says Mr. Dolce. “Being an editor is fantastic training for that.”
Jay DeDapper was a TV reporter for two decades, most recently at WNBC, before setting up DeDapper Media, a multimedia production company near Gramercy Park. He, too, thinks his career training helped him get off to a strong start. His firm has generated revenue of $85,000 in its first six months of operation.
“The refusal to take ‘no’ for an answer that is necessary in journalism is critical as an entrepreneur,” Mr. DeDapper says.
There is a belief “ingrained in the journalism culture that as long as you work hard enough, you can make anything happen,” adds Bill McGowan, who created Clarity Media Group nine years ago after a 22-year TV career.
Mr. McGowan left his job as a producer for 20/20 in 2001 to create a TV production company that also trains people for media appearances, snaring a contract from MSNBC to produce news documentaries. When MSNBC shuttered its documentary unit after Sept. 11, Mr. McGowan suddenly had to turn media training from 15% of his business into 90%.
He tapped his journalism background, “and made the fact that I was a media coach the worst-kept secret,” he says. Today, midtown-based Clarity Media Group has 70 clients. The company charges $6,000 for a full-day media training session; revenue has quintupled since its inception and has exceeded seven figures. Mr. McGowan expects big growth this year from a new division that coaches people for job interviews.
“I am grateful that I got out of network television when I did, as there were early signs that things were going to get worse,” Mr. McGowan says. “I figured I was halfway through my career, and I didn’t want to turn 50 and be producing the same stories that I’d done for 20 years.”
By Diane Hess(original article here)
Two years ago, amid cutbacks at CBS, Scott Weinberger found himself without a job. Rather than accept offers at other networks, the on-air investigative reporter, a three-time Emmy Award winner, struck out on his own. In 2009, through a startup production company, Mr. Weinberger co-produced On the Case With Paula Zahn, a news magazine for the Investigation Discovery network. He drew on his experience co-producing a police reality series, The Academy, in 2005 and, before that, working as a sheriff in Broward County, Fla. Now ID’s highest-rated series, Ms. Zahn’s show was recently renewed for two more seasons. Meanwhile, Weinberger Media, which employs 30 people, is producing four other shows for various Discovery channels. Revenue has doubled in the past 12 months.
As traditional media models struggle and audiences look to alternative news sources, more reporters are entering the business world. Many have qualities that make them good entrepreneurs, say experts.
“They’re researchers,” says Ed Rogoff, director of the Field Center for Entrepreneurship at Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business. “And there is a lot of evidence that people who ask questions and wait for answers are good salespeople.”
Reflecting the trend, Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism now requires students to take a seven-week course in business skills. The City University of New York’s Graduate School of Journalism runs a joint project with the Field Center to help journalism students create thriving, profitable media ventures.
There is no denying that for professional journalists, the learning curve is steep. Joe Dolce, a former editor-in-chief of Star Magazine and Details, says he didn’t know the price of a stamp when he started a Manhattan public relations firm two years ago.
“Suddenly, I had to order office equipment and learn invoicing and spreadsheets,” says Mr. Dolce.
Networking, however, wasn’t a problem.
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Investigation Discovery's Most Successful Series, ON THE CASE WITH PAULA ZAHN, Returns for Second Season on Sunday, April 18 |
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Thursday, 25 March 2010 00:00 |
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- Paula Zahn Hosts and Executive Produces ON THE CASE WITH PAULA ZAHN, ID's First Original News Magazine -
SILVER SPRING, Md., March 25 /PRNewswire/ -- ON THE CASE WITH PAULA ZAHN comes back for a sophomore season on Investigation Discovery, America's leading investigation network and the fastest growing network in ad-supported cable for women 25-54.* ON THE CASE was not only the highest-rated original series debut** for Investigation Discovery in 2009, but rose to become the highest-rated series in the network's history.*** Profiling fascinating true stories and featuring gripping interviews conducted by Emmy Award-winning journalist Paula Zahn, ON THE CASE is a shining example of ID's core brand mission to investigate life's mysteries through riveting storytelling. Zahn's journalistic expertise and passion for the truth resonate as ON THE CASE unravels shocking investigations that have dominated headlines, and intriguing original stories uncovered exclusively for ID's audience. Zahn executive produces the series with Scott Sternberg, CEO of Scott Sternberg Productions, and Scott Weinberger, CEO of Weinberger Media. ON THE CASE WITH PAULA ZAHN returns with a 13-part second season beginning Sunday, April 18 at 10 PM ET.
"ON THE CASE has quickly established itself as the cornerstone of ID's unprecedented growth and success, reflecting the journalistic integrity that our audience has come to expect from the leading investigation network in television," said Henry Schleiff, president and general manager of Investigation Discovery. "Paula Zahn is more than just one of the executive producers and host of this series. As a result of her exclusive interviews in which she asks the questions viewers demand to have answered, Paula has become the very heart and soul of these incredibly compelling and emotional stories. Indeed, this unique combination of spellbinding stories and investigative journalism has created a second season of ON THE CASE, which will inform, entertain and, on occasion, even inspire our viewers."
ON THE CASE WITH PAULA ZAHN features interviews that leave audiences on the edge of their seats and craving more. While shooting the second season, Paula Zahn traveled the country to talk directly to the people touched by these fascinating cases, resulting in riveting interviews that reveal the raw emotions these tragedies have left behind. The first four episodes of ON THE CASE include:
Beauty And The Beast: Sunday, April 18 at 10 PM ET
In 2004, a Brigham Young University student, Brooke Wilberger, mysteriously vanished from a parking lot in Corvallis, OR and the case made national headlines. Zahn conducts interviews with Brooke's parents, Greg and Cammi Wilberger, who share their soul-testing journey as they rallied to find Brooke. Lead detective Sean Houck discusses the frustrating process of bringing Brooke's perpetrator, Joel Courtney, to justice and providing closure to the Wilberger family. Zahn also interviews Courtney's sister, who remembers her chilling suspicions of Courtney's involvement with Brooke's disappearance.
Murder In The Heartland: Sunday, April 25 at 10 PM ET
Held in Des Moines every August, the Iowa State Fair is a cherished tradition celebrating Midwest culture. But when Bobie and Marilyn Blewer, who for decades sold funnel cakes from their stagecoach wagon, were found dead, the crime shook the entire community. While Jerimy Sneed, who had been hired by the Blewers for the fair season, was convicted for the double homicide, the truth eventually became a family affair. In two separate trials nearly a year apart, both the Blewers' daughter Jamie Borushaski and her husband Rodney were convicted in connection to her parent's death in an apparent scheme to collect their insurance policy. Zahn examines this twisted story of deception and attempts to untangle the claims of innocence still professed by Rodney and Jamie.
A Killing In Canova Beach: Sunday, May 2 at 10 PM ET
Paula Zahn sits down with William Dillion, who was convicted of beating to death James Dvorak in Canova Beach, Florida in 1981. After an alleged jailhouse confession, questionable canine scent evidence and sexual misconduct between the star witness and lead investigator, Dillion was convicted of murder and sentenced to life without parole. Dillion shares with Zahn his odyssey of perseverance and personal redemption, including how he researched and wrote by hand his own motion for DNA testing, which was characterized by some as the ultimate legal "Hail Mary." Once granted, the DNA testing led to his release from prison after 27 years behind bars for a crime he did not commit.
A Lamb Amongst Wolves: Sunday, May 9 at 10 PM ET
College student Mark Fisher went out in Manhattan with friends one night and ended up shot to death outside a house party in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. The puzzle of what happened to Fisher left investigators at a loss when fellow partiers put up a wall of silence. Paula Zahn interviews investigators and prosecutors, who eventually secured a conviction against John Giuca, the host of the party. But one of the most spellbinding aspects of this case is unveiled in Zahn's interview with Doreen Giuliano, mother of Giuca, who believes her son was unjustly convicted. Giuliano went to extreme lengths including going undercover to expose what she considered possible juror misconduct at his trial. While controversial, Giuliano's unorthodox efforts might lead to a new trial for her son.
With ON THE CASE WITH PAULA ZAHN, ID and Paula Zahn joined forces to create Zahn's new primetime television home. A 30-year news veteran, Zahn formerly anchored for CNN, where she hosted the primetime show Paula Zahn Now. Before joining CNN, Zahn hosted The Edge with Paula Zahn and The Fox Report for Fox News Channel; co-hosted CBS Morning News and anchored the CBS Evening News Saturday Edition; and served as co-anchor of World News This Morning and anchored news segments of Good Morning America on ABC. Zahn has won seven Emmy Awards, the National Commission of Working Women Broadcasting Award and four Gracie Awards from AWRT for reporting on bias against women in education and the work force. Zahn also represents Investigation Discovery in the network's ongoing commitment to raising awareness around issues of domestic violence. As part of the Department of Justice's year-long effort to commemorate the 15th Anniversary of the signing of the Violence Against Women's Act, Zahn moderated the DOJ's Stalking Awareness Town Hall and has committed to helping the administration bring attention to all forms of violence against women.
ON THE CASE WITH PAULA ZAHN is produced by Scott Sternberg Productions and Weinberger Media for Investigation Discovery. Executive producers include Scott Sternberg, CEO and Founder of Scott Sternberg Productions; Scott Weinberger, investigative journalist and CEO of Weinberger Media; and Paula Zahn. For Investigation Discovery, Diana Sperrazza is executive producer, Sara Kozak is vice president of production and Henry Schleiff is president and general manager.
About Investigation Discovery
Investigation Discovery (ID), America's leading investigation network, is the source for fact-based investigative content about culture, history and the human condition. Providing the highest quality investigative programming focused on fascinating stories of human nature from the past to the present, Investigation Discovery's in-depth documentaries and series challenge viewers on important issues shaping our culture and defining our world. As the premier authority in real investigations, ID is expanding partnerships with established news organizations and production companies to bring the strongest analytic, factual investigative and current affairs programming to over 55.7 million U.S. households. For more information, please visit investigationdiscovery.com
* ID is the fastest growing cable network among W25-54 year-to-date. Source: The Nielsen Company, NHI Calendar, Live +SD data, Prime (M-Sun 8-11p), W25-54 delivery, 12/28/09-03/07/10 vs. 12/29/08-03/08/09
** ON THE CASE WITH PAULA ZAHN was ID's best original series debut in 2009 with record P2+ delivery. Source: The Nielsen Company, NHI Calendar, Live + SD data, Mon-Sun 8P-11P, 01/27/08-12/27/09, P2+ (000)
*** ON THE CASE WITH PAULA ZAHN had the best season ever for an ID original series in P2+ (397k), P25-54 (207k) and HH (314k) delivery. Source: The Nielsen Company, NHI Calendar, Live + SD data, Mon-Sun 8P-11P, 01/27/08-1/31/10, premieres only.
SOURCE Investigation Discovery
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- Paula Zahn Hosts and Executive Produces ON THE CASE WITH PAULA ZAHN, ID's First Original News Magazine -
 SILVER SPRING, Md., March 25 /PRNewswire/ -- ON THE CASE WITH PAULA ZAHN comes back for a sophomore season on Investigation Discovery, America's leading investigation network and the fastest growing network in ad-supported cable for women 25-54.* ON THE CASE was not only the highest-rated original series debut** for Investigation Discovery in 2009, but rose to become the highest-rated series in the network's history.*** Profiling fascinating true stories and featuring gripping interviews conducted by Emmy Award-winning journalist Paula Zahn, ON THE CASE is a shining example of ID's core brand mission to investigate life's mysteries through riveting storytelling. Zahn's journalistic expertise and passion for the truth resonate as ON THE CASE unravels shocking investigations that have dominated headlines, and intriguing original stories uncovered exclusively for ID's audience. Zahn executive produces the series with Scott Sternberg, CEO of Scott Sternberg Productions, and Scott Weinberger, CEO of Weinberger Media. ON THE CASE WITH PAULA ZAHN returns with a 13-part second season beginning Sunday, April 18 at 10 PM ET.
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Paula Zahn's Show Closes Season Strong at ID |
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Sunday, 17 January 2010 00:00 |
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By Kevin Allocca on Jan 17, 2010 03:39 PM
Tonight, Investigation Discovery airs the first season finale of Paula Zahn's "On the Case" series. Last week's show drew the network's largest total viewer (557,000) and demo audience. The show's 340,000 A25-54 demo total last Sunday was higher than than those of CNN, Fox News, HLN, and MSNBC during the same time slot (10pmET).
The program's premiere in October was the most-watched premiere in the short history of the network and in December, Discovery decided to greenlit a second season of the show.
• In the fall, TVNewser spoke to Zahn -- who's the host and EP of "On the Case" -- as well as ID president and general manager Henry Schleiff ahead of the program's launch.
By Kevin Allocca
(original article from TVNEWSER)
 Tonight, Investigation Discovery airs the first season finale of Paula Zahn's "On the Case" series. Last week's show drew the network's largest total viewer (557,000) and demo audience. The show's 340,000 A25-54 demo total last Sunday was higher than than those of CNN, Fox News, HLN, and MSNBC during the same time slot (10pmET).
The program's premiere in October was the most-watched premiere in the short history of the network and in December, Discovery decided to greenlit a second season of the show.
• In the fall, TVNewser spoke to Zahn -- who's the host and EP of "On the Case" -- as well as ID president and general manager Henry Schleiff ahead of the program's launch.
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ID staying 'On the Case': Zahn newsmagazine renewed for second season |
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Wednesday, 02 December 2009 00:00 |
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By Jon Weisman
(Original article from Variety.com)
Scott Sternberg and Scott Weinberger exec produce the series with Zahn.
The most-watched series in the history of Investigation Discovery, "On the Case With Paula Zahn," has received a second-season renewal from the cabler.The newsmagazine, whose murder and mystery investigations are highlighted by field interviews by former ABC, CBS, CNN and Fox anchor Zahn, will return with 13 episodes in the spring. The series' initial 13-episode order runs through mid-January.
"On the Case" premiered Oct. 18 to record numbers for an ID series debut and achieved an all-time ID high with its Nov. 15 airing. Airing at 10 p.m. Sundays, the program averages about 400,000 viewers per episode.
Scott Sternberg and Scott Weinberger exec produce the series with Zahn.
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Tuesday, 01 December 2009 00:00 |
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by Kathy Heintzelman
(Original article at more.com)
 After leaving CNN in 2007, Paula Zahn has made a welcome return to prime time--she's now anchoring a weekly series on the Investigation Discovery (ID) channel, called On the Case With Paula Zahn. The series looks at 13 true-crime cases, showing the drama from the various perspectives involved and landing some exclusive interviews with the principals. Zahn talked with MORE about "the totally different set of muscles" she's using on the show.
MORE: What's been exciting about doing On the Case?
PAULA ZAHN: The great delight for me is to be able to immerse myself in a story for, in some cases, several weeks to a month at a time. In my old life, I would parachute in and out of key interviews and I would get that piece on the air in a day or two. The pieces wouldn’t be an hour long, as they are in this format. I’m enjoying the process of being able to dig deeper, to test my skills, not only as a journalist but maybe as a prosecutor-slash-defense attorney wannabe, as I’m reviewing these explosive cases. I’ve found it really interesting intellectually. And at their core, these are just really great stories. They have everything—drama, DNA evidence, deceit, jealousy. They have conflicting legal accounts of what happened. And some really extraordinary characters driving the stories.
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Paula Zahn Re-Ups With Investigation Discovery |
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Tuesday, 01 December 2009 00:00 |
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By Alex Weprin
(Original article from Broadcasting & Cable)
Network orders second season of ‘On The Case with Paula Zahn'
Discovery has ordered a second season of On The Case with Paula Zahn, the newsmagazine hosted by the former CNN anchor. Only six episodes into its first season, the series has become the highest rated in network history, averaging 402,000 total viewers.
"After the premieres of only half of the original thirteen episodes of On The Case with Paula Zahn, it is apparent that ID's audience is flocking to the fascinating stories and gripping interviews that Paula and the stellar production team Scott Sternberg and Scott Weinberger have secured," said Henry Schleiff, president and general manager of Investigation Discovery, announcing the pickup. "I could not be more thrilled to greenlight another season of this brand-defining series for ID and expect further triumphs for On The Case as premieres continue through the summer of 2010."
Zahn signed a development deal with Investigation Discovery in January 2009; On The Case was the first project to come out of it.
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Catch an All-New Season of On the Case November 7th!
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