TheRob

Former KCTV anchor Kelly Jones is the new morning anchor at WPMI in Mobile. The GM there is Bobby Totsch, who was the GM at KCTV when KCTV hired Kelly Jones.

Two former KCTV employees got new jobs. Cynee Simpson is mentioned above; she's joining WAGA in Atlanta. Ash-Har Quaraishi will become a Chicago-based correspondent for al Jazeera TV.

The one time I was in southern Oregon, in 2005, KOBI's logo was an interstate highway shield. I thought KDRV had the best product, but that wasn't saying much. They all looked outstanding compared to what I saw from KIEM in Eureka a few days later.

 

MidwestTV, can you describe what KCTV is like under Blaise Labbe since he will be coming to WOAI/KABB on Aug 12?

 

 

I've heard that he can be somewhat arrogant and dismissive, but then again, those things are probably said about any news director or general manager at a television station. However he really did help to take KCTV away from their infamous days of in-you-face reporting and harassing, almost stalking like investigations. Not to mention that their news product was near TMZ-like and there was so much death on their newscasts you would've sworn it was a cop show and severe weather coverage of storms outside the viewing area. First on, last off. That was KCTV's philosophy.

 

However once Labbe took over, all of that stopped. They still have that stigma with them, but it's more or less faded now. He managed to calm the station down (significantly to say the least), build up its actual journalistic qualities and bring the station to a respectable position, both ratings and reputation wise.

 

I'm more interested in why Labbe is leaving a station on the rise, in market 32, for a non-winning duopoly in market 37. Family considerations?

 

KSHB has hired Matt Brown as their assistant news director. He comes from KOKI in Tulsa, OK where he was their full news director.

 

Anyone know what he was like and how he did over at KOKI?

 

Oh wait now...upon further research I've discovered that Brown was fired after not even 2 years along with their general manager? I'm also getting implications that their news quality isn't the best. This seems to indicate that he didn't do a good job...makes me wonder now KSHB would have hired him.

 

Cox Media bought the station from Newport and decided to install their own people. I don't know if it's truly a reflection on the job Brown did as the ND. As I can attest, being the FOX affiliate is a tough road at times, and probably moreso in a medium market like Tulsa.

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