ttvn2000

The proportions are all wrong. Demanding the “dot” is 75% of the circle 7 basically has the two elements fighting for dominance. Maybe I’ll get used to it...but it’s awkward.

We're probably getting into speculatron territory, but I see Vladimir Duthiers as a potential co-anchor as well, as he has a higher profile at the network level.

WTOL meteorologist Robert Shiels is leaving after 27 years. https://www.wtol.com/article/about-us/wtol-11-chief-meteorologist-robert-shiels-leaving-station-weatherman/512-0dc6b4ed-8cbe-468a-9775-cb4272cfeda7 While WTOL hasn't had a deep bench in the news department and completely turned over its weekday anchor teams over the past year, WTOL meteorologists Chris Vickers and Ryan Wichman have been there for over a decade, so expect one of them to fill this spot.

I hope so...Diane singlehandedly adds some “gravitas” to Toledo TV. 2021 will be her 40th(!) year on Toledo television as she started at WDHO/WNWO before heading to WTVG in Dec. 1984. https://www.toledoblade.com/opinion/2007/05/11/WTVG-TV-s-Larson-named-to-hall-of-fame/stories/200705110049 Overall, I like this move for WTOL. I was hoping WTOL would make this move when Jerry Anderson retired - but it’s better late than never. It instantly adds some much needed longevity to WTOL, and likely increases morale for the station, since Jeff Smith has been in Toledo for 20+ years and doesn’t view the market as a stepping stone to something bigger.

In Toledo, anchor Jeff Smith crosses the street from WTVG (where he was morning anchor for at least 15 years) to WTOL, where he’ll join former WTVG reporter Mel Andrews as co-anchor at 5, 6 and 11pm. https://www.wtol.com/amp/article/about-us/anchor-jeff-smith-joins-wtol-11-evening-news-team/512-2db7900f-eef6-4659-a367-ceb6e4a3541b?__twitter_impression=true This, plus the addition of Tiffany Tarpley (from WKYC, but also of WUPW when it had its own operation) completes the anchor upheaval WTOL has had since Kristi Leigh left for KMPH in Feb 2020. Overall, solid hires...and folks with experience in NWO. Smith put WTVG on the map as the morning newscasts, led by him, were the first WTVG newscasts to lead the ratings. Now, 13abc is a dominant #1. We shall see if his move makes an impact on WTOL’s numbers. It could...as I would expect Diane Larson and/or Lee Conklin to retire in the next 3-5 years...

More upheaval at WBNS... morning anchor Pete Scalia left the station this morning after 3.5 years. Pete Scalia departs 10TV

It’s reassuring to see some sort of resistance at WKYC. But it is certainly not coming from the top, as GM Micki Byrnes nominated Adam Miller for a Crain’s “40 under 40 award.” https://www.crainscleveland.com/awards/adam-miller-forty-under-40-2020

Same for WKRC in Cincinnati. Lots of young Black guy/older woman anchor pairings in Ohio lately...

That’s what I would’ve thought as well, seeing that Mark had a pretty strong following in the market. Maybe, if they intend on filling the Scott Light slot, they could pursue Taylor for that? I am honestly surprised by this move - and think it would’ve went a different direction if Dispatch still owned 10TV. One thing jd clear - the days of superstars like Andrea Cambern are looooong gone. But, as an aside, I’ve been bewildered by many anchor assignments made in Ohio this year. (Inskeep over Johansen at WKRC, Johansen displacing Taylor at WCMH, Kerry replacing Mike Jackson at WCMH, Kristi Leigh leaving her home market and WTOL taking 7 months to fill that seat internally, Laura Caso/Sara Shookman swap at WKYC, etc...)

And now, Andrew Kinsey is leaving to replace Jerry Revish at WBNS. https://www.10tv.com/mobile/article/news/local/andrew-kinsey-joins-wbns-10tv-as-evening-news-co-anchor/530-5a9e8a19-7475-4ea5-a898-c55fd4f2a623 Lots of volatility at the WTOL anchor desk this year. To be expected since WTOL is firmly in second place and Toledo is shrinking from a DMA perspective. Maybe they’ll pick up Jeff Smith from WTVG? Doubtful...since he would likely cost $$.

Melissa Andrews has finally been named evening anchor at WTOL, reuniting with Andrew Kinsey. She replaces Kristi Leigh, now at KMPH. https://www.wtol.com/article/about-us/melissa-andrews-wtol-11-new-evening-anchor-toledo/512-b98c0b45-3585-43b0-955a-fc5808f91790

Yep! I always thought Ray was underrated when he was paired with Martha Weaver. They then tried that "Todd and Tricia" thing...and since then, RTV hasn't really had a notable team...

Yep. I don’t see Hogan leaving WRAL for TEGNA. They should’ve never botched the Revish transition by moving Hogan to weekends and bringing in Scalia. Hogan and Harris would have been a great pairing. I am speculating here, but I have a feeling we could see Mark Taylor pop up on 10TV. He gained a following at WCMH, and if he was planning a move to WBNS, it puts his weekend demotion and non-renewal into context. WBNS always poaches talent from the others. Even if Dispatch is no longer in control, this still seems like a possibility. https://mobile.twitter.com/MarkTaylor/status/1278013879067586561

WKRC announces its "B" team: https://local12.com/news/local/local-12-names-afternoon-co-anchors Adam Clements had been pushing hard for a promotion, serving this role in an interim capacity after Brad Johansen left and when Kyle Inskeep took a 6-week leave of absence last year (after Rob Braun left the station). He settled for a "breaking news anchor" role on Good Morning Cincinnati - so it's good to see him get a legit promotion.

Off topic, but I wish Pizza Hut pizza still looked (and tasted) like it did in those commercials...

I know! I'd sent him a tip on the 11 Alive logo when it was updated, but he didn't use it.

UnderConsideration Brand New - a site that review logos from a true "identity/graphic design" standpoint -reviewed the WTSP logo. https://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/new_logo_and_identity_for_10_tampa_bay_by_matchstic.php Apparently, the design crowd loves it...

WKRC’s John Lomax going part-time after 30 years anchoring the morning newscast: https://www.wvxu.org/post/wkrc-tvs-john-lomax-finally-gets-sleep I imagine management is breathing a sigh of relief after losing their primary anchor (each there for at least 30 years before leaving) team last year.

If you go to her page and click “Page Transparency” - you can see that one FB account is running her page, and there are several ads running. Looks like she may be doing it? Fox 8 ran some sponsored ads last year, featuring a contest to have lunch with Kenny Crumpton. The comments were interesting...

From Robin Swoboda:

WTOL’s Robert Shiels is doing the same: Facebook post

Be careful what you ask for....here's my essay on why this is "bewildering" Here's some context: these two are replacing longtime anchor team Cammy Dierking and Rob Braun. Both are considered "Cincinnati royalty" as they're the children of well-known Cincinnati figures. Things were going well for them until they were forced to read Sinclair-mandated copy and they both opted to leave when their contracts were up. For me, the Toti/Inskeep pairing one of those "huh?" kind of moves - similar to the original trio of Charlie Rose, Gayle King and Erica Hill for CBS This Morning back in 2012.... So maybe it will work out for them in the long run. Maybe I'm too harsh or judgemental, but to put it simply, these two just don't have the "look" of a primary anchor team in a top 40 market. But...times are a'changin', apparently. This was an opportunity to set the course for the next 10-15 years, and in my opinion, this wasn't a decision that was made with the long-term in mind. It would've been a chance to revamp their newscasts in a more impactful way. Here are my thoughts on why (IMO) this wasn't the right decision: Timing. Braun left in June. Dierking notified management she was leaving in April. The station had time to find options beyond their "B" team to test on air. Age. He's in his 20s, she's in her 50s or 60s. They have on-air chemistry, but in a weird aunt-nephew kind of way. She has worked her way up at WKRC over the last 20+ years...he's been there since 2018 and before that was a morning reporter in Indianapolis. He has a personality that is a better fit for mornings. She is very strident and not exactly pleasant to watch. Lack of Foresight. It feels like these two just "fell into" their positions, due to departures of other talent (and their shrinking bench of anchor talent). Toti replaced Cincinnati native Sydney Benter in 2017. Inskeep replaced LONGTIME anchor Brad Johansen in 2018. It is even noted here that the primary anchor slot was "out of reach" at that time, which is why he left for WRAL (more on that below). Availability of Other Talent. There is plenty of well-seasoned talent to pair up and experiment with, both inside and outside the station: Brad Johansen: Inskeep replaced Brad Johansen, who fizzled at WRAL (due to an anchor who refuses to retire). Johansen's family never actually moved to Raleigh, so when he left WRAL, he came back to the Cincinnati area. Assuming Johansen wanted a job - WKRC could've (and should've) invited him back. Adam Clements: Clements publicly tried out for Johansen's open position and lost it to Inskeep. As a 'make good' - they moved Clements from morning reporter to "breaking news anchor" - which basically means he reports wire stories from a tiny room, operates his own camera and has multiple "hits" during the morning news. Literally a month after Rob Braun left, Inskeep disappeared (due to personal reasons) for a month. During that 5-week period, they pulled Clements off the morning news and had him anchoring the evening broadcasts. He has been subtly noting that he prefers that slot. Plus, he's from the area. Sheila Gray: In 2013/2014, Sheila Gray made a highly publicized move from WXIX to WKRC to anchor their morning news. Surely, she was a costly hire, and she has the gravitas to handle the evening slots. I'm sure they wanted to keep that broadcast stable, and she probably prefers the morning slot - but she should have been considered. Tiffany Wilson: Former WKRC anchor (who filled the morning seat before Sheila Gray arrived) had recently returned to the area after a stint at KGO in San Francisco. This is just a missed opportunity, in my opinion. BUT - if the ratings are saying something else, then I guess I'm wrong and this was a smart decision.

We'll have to grab some popcorn for the "Talkback 16" that happens as a result of this....

WKRC names Paula Toti and Kyle Inskeep main anchors. https://local12.com/news/local/local-12-announces-new-station-anchor-team Bewildering. Apparently all the data pointed in this direction...but still....bewildering.

I don't see that happening. Harris is 100% claiming this is a decision that enables her to be a better mom to her school-aged child...which makes a ton of sense. Unless they throw $$ at him (which is not happening in 2020) it isn't a logical move for Mark Johnson. I do believe Harris alone will help elevate the profile of GMC again...which is needed since WKYC is a trainwreck and WOIO blew up their somewhat successful morning team (Duffy/Bosley/McLeod) for a revolving door of unknowns in the "Cleveland 19" debacle. In Cleveland, mornings are a fight for second. I always delve into Speculatron territory here - but I do wonder who they'll get to replace Danita. They lost their bench of female anchors over the past few years (Dhominque Ricks, Corinna Pysa) and never technically replaced Lee Jordan. Though there always is Tracy Carloss, who has been on weekends forever. Or Homa Bash, who left and came back to Cleveland.