This is a bit out of order, but you can compare these September numbers to August and October. All locally produced weekday programs are ranked, and major national morning and evening news programs are included for comparison. There's a significant distance between first and second place, while all other rankings are fairly close.

  = Morning and midday news
  = Evening news
  = Late news

This chart is based on data copyright Nielsen Media Research. In cases of ratings ties, programs are ranked by share.

As always, if you have access to television or radio ratings in Portland, Eugene, Medford or Bend, please contact me. I always need new sources. Thank you!

Compare against September. All locally produced weekday programs are ranked, and major national morning and evening news programs are included for comparison.

  = Morning and midday news
  = Evening news
  = Late news

This chart is based on data copyright Nielsen Media Research. In cases of ratings ties, programs are ranked by share.

As always, if you have access to television or radio ratings in Portland, Eugene, Medford or Bend, please contact me. I always need new sources. Thank you!

Over a month ago, Byron Beck reported that AM Northwest, KATU's morning lifestyles program of over three decades, would shrink to 30 minutes at 9 am, but get a full hour at 7 pm on channel 2.2.

The morning broadcast was halved less than two weeks later, but the evening edition didn't appear until today. The show will preempt programming from This TV, the network currently on KATU's digital subchannel. Following it will be a repeat of Dr. Oz at 8 pm.

The moves for AMNW were caused by KATU picking up Dr. Oz for its 3 pm news lead-in, but still needing to keep Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? on its daytime lineup for contractual reasons.

(Thank you to OMC volunteer Jordan J. Frasier for the lead on this story.)

One man has been arrested after attacking KATU photographer Bob Bullock in an incident that was caught on camera. Bullock was injured while shooting weather video outside Laurelhurst School in Southeast Portland.

In video clips cut by KATU, a man later identified as Peter Fournier is seen approaching Bullock and pressing his back against the camera, blocking its view. Fournier calls Bullock a "loser reporter," preceded by expletives deleted by KATU. Fournier then takes a couple of swipes at the camera. The video jumps to a brief scene of struggle as Fournier looks down, appearing to have his hands on the camera and possibly the photographer, accompanied by sounds of distress.

In KATU's report, Bullock says the man initially told him that he shouldn't be shooting video of children. Later, he ripped the camera's viewfinder off. Fournier was arrested for assault, malicious mischief and impersonating an officer, according to KATU. Bullock reported bruised ribs and a cut up hand.

Fournier had previously been excluded from Laurelhurst Park for using a stun gun on a minor, according to police records obtained by KATU. Fournier admitted at the time that "there was a question as to whether I had exceeded my authority."

We've asked KATU if they will release more video of the incident. The clips posted online come with a disclosure that they were edited for brevity.

Watch KATU's on-air report after the jump:

It's official this time: Kerry Tomlinson is moving to KATU. I reported that earlier, but walked it back after having been told that no deal had been reached. Yesterday, however, News Director Don Pratt sent out this email:

Please welcome reporter Kerry Tomlinson to KATU. Many of you are familiar with Kerry from her years of experience at KPTV as an investigative reporter exposing scams, rip-offs, cyber crimes (and bad places to eat). Her experience is exactly in line with our “On Your Side” brand and I am confident she’ll be a strong addition to our Problem Solvers team.

Kerry starts on Monday.

It was also noted yesterday that the bio of reporter Jeff Jaeger, whom Tomlinson replaces, was scrubbed from KATU's website.

KATU and KVAL launched 38 community-focused websites in the Portland and Eugene areas today as Fisher Communications expands on a project that began in Seattle this summer. Among the areas of focus are locations such as Southeast Portland; Camas, Washington; Downtown Eugene and Springfield.

The sites feature content the stations were already receiving but had no outlet for, and provide a new opportunity to establish advertising relationships with local businesses. Fisher is also seeking user-generated content and is partnering with Windermere real estate agents to provide stories on non-real estate issues.

In August, Fisher Interactive manager Troy McGuire told OMC that user content would largely be unpaid, though there would be freelance funds to go to specific content areas, such as restaurants in Seattle. "We could actually help grow traffic for other neighborhood blogs by providing links and creating partnerships," McGuire said. "Not everyone is seeing that opportunity."

Portland-area bloggers we spoke with this summer were mostly positive on the new sites. Silicon Florist author Rick Turoczy echoed the sentiments of many, saying, "I'm a big proponent of any hyper-local, micro-local, or whatever-the-heck-you-want-to-call-it local coverage. Seeing established old school media companies gravitating toward this space is great validation for publications and blogs that have gone before them."

A directory of Portland-area sites can be found here, Eugene sites are listed here.

You can read from today's press release after the break:

Dave Salesky will deliver his first forecast with the KATU Storm Team during today's 4pm newscast, but he already made an appearance on KATU a few mornings ago. "He's a familiar face to many of you," AM Northwest host Helen Raptis says, "but new to Channel 2 viewers." Asked if he was ready for his debut, Salesky replied, "I'm scared."

Salesky went on to talk about his 30 years in Alaska, where he still visits often, and his hobby of flying planes, among other stories:

Salesky debuts on KATU after 20 years as morning meteorologist across town at KGW. He'll be partnered with 16-year KATU veteran Rhonda Shelby at the weather center.

Dave Salesky's bio has been added to KATU.com, and promos for the station's new weather anchor are now on the air.

Salesky, alongside Storm Team partner Rhonda Shelby, explains in one video that the main selling point will be that "we have the most experienced weather team in town, right now."

KATU hired Salesky from KGW to replace Rod Hill, their chief meteorologist, in May.

In a memo to KGW staff at the time, General Manager DJ Wilson wrote that "Dave will be the Chief Meteorologist and for the first time in two decades, have the opportunity to work evenings on a permanent basis now that his daughter is grown and that is a more desirable schedule for him and his family."

Since then, Salesky has been waiting out his non-compete agreement. His first day on KATU is Monday, October 5.

KGW viewers woke up with Salesky's weather forecasts starting in 1988. Before then, Salesky was a part of KREM Spokane and another K2: KTUU Anchorage.

See additional promos below the break:

Rod Hill explains his skin cancer
in an online video

Meteorologist Rod Hill is explaining to viewers in online forecast videos that the red spots developing on his face are, in fact, skin cancer.

But "it's no big deal," he assures. He's had skin cancer for years due to sun damage, and the condition is "tame and fairly common," he tells OMC. The reason the red marks are developing now is because he's treating his face with a cream that brings his cancers to the surface.

Hill says he delayed treating his face because of his TV job with KATU, which he lost in May. His doctor told him there was "no risk in delaying," he says. "The only reason I have put off the treatment is that I don't feel right about asking for 2-3 weeks of sick time."

So what's health care like without an employer? "My health insurance through COBRA has been seamless," Hill says. "Same policy I had with KATU and KATU is obligated to pay most of the premium for roughly one year."

Since leaving Portland's ABC affiliate, Hill has created Rod Hill's Forecast Check, an online subscription forecasting service, which is where he shared his news. "Obviously, now is a perfect time to go through the treatment."

"After 2-3 weeks, my skin will clear and hopefully stay healthy with most of the cancer gone," he says. "I did the same treatment on my chest a few years back and my chest healed nicely and has been well ever since!"

And if you're wondering about his online venture, Hill says, "My web site is doing well. The main challenge is simply getting the word out."

KPTV in Beaverton is seeking a new executive producer, but insiders at the station alternately do not know and cannot say why. A recent flurry of job listings from the Portland Fox affiliate could suggest a new show if it weren't for the fact that all of the postings appear to be replacements for people who have left. Is an executive producer leaving as well?

If so, they may want to apply for a producer job at another Portland station, as long as they like surprises. The employer is not identified in this listing from WorkSource Oregon, which is pre-screening applicants. Clues to the station's identity include preferred knowledge of the Ignite automated control room, the Associated Press' ENPS workflow management system, and Sony MOS servers. Both KATU and KOIN use Ignite and ENPS, while KOIN uses a Sony video server. It's unclear whether KATU uses Sony servers as well.

While the Sony item might point toward KOIN, it appears KATU may have used WorkSource Oregon listings before. This news reporter position bears a resemblance to one posted on Fisher's KATU job listings page.

Management at KATU and KOIN have yet to claim or disclaim the producer listing.

UPDATE (2/23, 7:56pm): I'm told KATU uses Bitcentral Precis servers for news gathering storage and Grass Valley/Canopus Edius for news editing. Does that then point to KOIN?

UPDATE (2/25, 2:48pm): A job seeker who qualified for the WorkSource Oregon position has forwarded the complete listing to OMC. The position is at KOIN TV.