CLETVFan

Tia Ewing and a producer are both out at WOIO/WUAB. There's rumors of an ND change as well.

http://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2017/6/14/out-the-door-in-cleveland

Chuck Bell, Sheena Parveen, Doug Kammerer, Amelia Draper, Lauryn Ricketts, and a new lady named Somara Theodore. So right now, if you include Tom, they have 7 meteorologists, compared to WJLA's team of 8, WTTG's team of 6, and WUSA's team of 4

That's the same Somara who got fired along with Jackie Fernandez from WEWS for that political post on their social media pages back in November. Glad she found a new gig.

WKYC in Cleveland adds Matt Wintz as the station's new weekend evening meteorologist. He comes from WLTZ in Columbus, Georgia.

http://wkycdirectorscut.blogspot.com/2017/05/wkyc-adds-meteorologist-matt-wintz-to.html

WKYC has also made current reporter Andrew Horansky co-anchor on the Saturday evening newscasts with Hillary Golston. Chris Tye continues to anchor solo on Sunday nights.

Jamie Sullivan has been named co-anchor of the 4:30am newscast on WOIO in Cleveland. She'll be joined by Nichole Vrsansky at the anchor desk. Sullivan will also continue to handle traffic anchor duties for the rest of the morning newscast.

WEWS in Cleveland has hired Katie Ussin as the new co-anchor of "Good Morning Cleveland." She starts in June, and comes from WDTN in Dayton.

http://www.cleveland.com/tv-blog/index.ssf/2017/05/channel_5_hires_katie_ussin_as_new_morning_anchor.html#incart_river_index

She'll be paired with Terrence Lee, but no word on what Corrina Pysa's role will be after Ussin arrives. Pysa filled in after Jackie Fernandez was let go late last year.

trouble/drama at WGCL

 

http://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2017/5/9/troubled-times-at-merediths-atlanta-station

 

 

Meredith's complete lack of patience at WGCL is annoying. Just when it seems WGCL is showing some signs of life corporate decides to clean house. It doesn't help that (in my opinion) they are showing way too much news. There is no point for a station dead last in the market to air news a 4,5, and 6; especially when powerhouse WSB has news in those same timeslots. Also not helping things is the fact that WGCL's syndication lineup is garbage. 700 club at 9am; infomercial at 1pm; Inside Edition at 7pm; and Insider (soon to be cancelled) at 7:30pm, that's it. Why they don't move some programming (like Hot Bench and Crime Watch Daily) from WPCH to WGCL is beyond me.

WGCL should've gotten rid of Swann when they had the chance. That has made the station even more of a laughing stock. Plus, that article has mentioned of how planned afternoon/evening coverage was scrapped after the weeknight anchors sent an e-mail.

If Scripps bought WBNS, it would the company a huge hold along I-71 along with WEWS and WCPO.

Scripps is adding a new talk show in most of its TV stations for this fall:

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/distribution/scripps-launch-kellie-pickler-ben-aaron-talker-fall/165133

Laura DeMaria has announced on her Facebook page that she's left WOIO and WUAB in Cleveland after her husband got relocated to another state. She was supposed to anchor on weekends after returning from maternity leave.

Rev. Ernest Angley is in trouble AGAIN for not paying his employees.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/index.ssf/2017/03/televangelist_ernest_angley_or.html#incart_river_mobileshort_home_pop

 

Makes me wonder how WBNX is staying afloat. Could the "volunteerism" bug be rampant there? Or are they the cash cow of the whole ministry, along with the gullible folks who write them a check once a month...

 

Or maybe they're waiting on that spectrum money. One things for sure, don't count on Tribune owning them at this rate. It may be Sinclair's bidding IF they get a hold of Tribune and/or WJW.

WBNX is actually moving from RF 30 to RF 17 (WKYC, which is currently on RF 17, is shifting to RF 19), so they're not likely to have its transmitter/frequency sold.

I think WBNX will survive the latest press for Angley. They must be profitable with the programs they're airing.

Speaking of Cleveland, other forums have mentioned that WEWS is replacing Cozi with Grit on 5.2 as WUAB is preparing to potentially (and reportedly) move to 19.2.

Catherine Bosley is returning to WOIO/WUAB in Cleveland. She made the announcement on her Facebook page earlier today.

WKYC in Cleveland is adding Dorsena Drakeford to its news team. She comes from KGAN and KFXA in Cedar Rapids.

http://wkycdirectorscut.blogspot.com/2017/03/wkyc-adds-dorsena-drakeford-to-channel.html

WTSP in Tampa has hired a new team for its morning newscast:

Rob Finnerty, Courtney Curtis, and Jackie Fernandez

https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2017/3/16/the-tampa-revamp

Rob and Jackie both arrive with some baggage at their new home.

https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2017/3/17/wellim-sure-they-came-cheap

With all the news of WUAB, what other station in Cleveland could move or go off the air. Some viewers are worried about WVPX, WEAO, WBNX, and WQHS.

The "Deathstar" has it sights set on WIVB in Buffalo.....their target?

 

GM Rene LaSpina, according to FTVLive....

And this wouldn't be the first time Nexstar has sent her packing. She was the GM at the helm of WPTY in Memphis that hit rock bottom under her reign. The sale to Nexstar resulted in the relocation and relaunch as WATN Local 24.

 

While her time in Buffalo is debatable, she was responsible for a lot of layoffs and cost-cutting of the on-air talent during her time there driving morale into the toilet as Scripps was picking up the pieces over at WKBW...

 

And as long as this video is still on YouTube....here's how bad it was at WPTY back in the day....

 

UPDATE: Dominic Mancuso, former WOIO/WUAB GM has been named as the GM of WIVB...

http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/101659/mancuso-heads-buffalo-pair-for-nexstar

Should viewers get ready for Buffalo 24 News?

Raycom issues a statement on selling the WUAB frequency:

http://www.adweek.com/tvspy/raycom-issues-statement-about-sole-station-sold-in-spectrum-auction/186046

WUAB in Cleveland has sold its transmitter, but will remain on the air. The station will move to WOIO's transmitter.

http://www.cleveland.com/tv-blog/index.ssf/2017/02/channel_43_will_remain_on_the_air_only_its_transmitter_was_sold.html#incart_river_index

There have been rumors that 43 was going to go off the air. Not actually the case, but it will be interesting how the station will remain off the air.

BTW, 19 is now billing its 11pm newscast as "Tucker and Tanaka at 11" with its new team in that slot. There's a new opening too.

WXIX Fox 19 in Cincinnati is finding huge success in the late news slots as its #1 in the 25-54 demo.

http://wvxu.org/post/wxix-tv-entering-sweeps-roll

Fox 19 also has more viewers in both the 18-49 and 25-54 demos than any of the 11pm newscasts in Cincy.

Whatever they're doing at 10pm seems to be working.

Any word on how those "Franken-FM" stations (Analog TV-6/87.77 MHz FM) will or will not survive the auction? They were extended past 2015 because of the spectrum decision.

Some quick notes from Cleveland

• Amanda Berry will be hosting daily segments on missing people on WJW's various newscasts. (http://www.cleveland.com/tv-blog/index.ssf/2017/02/amanda_berry_will_report_on_missing_people_for_channel_8.html#incart_m-rpt-2)
  
• Chris Tanaka and Tiffani Tucker are the new 11pm anchors at WOIO. They will still co-anchor 19's 5pm newscast, along with the evening broadcasts on WUAB. (http://www.cleveland.com/tv-blog/index.ssf/2017/02/romona_robinson_no_longer_11_pm_achor_at_channel_19.html#comments)
  

And the "E" stands for?....

Exclusive, Enterprise, and Early

http://www.newsnet5.com/news/e-team/what-is-the-news-5-e-team

WEWS has retooled its morning newscast by adding more reporters and less repetition with their stories. They're calling their morning reporters the "E-Team."

WJW Fox 8 is adding Amanda Berry to its news team. They've been advertising her arrival all day during the big game.

Berry was one of the three women rescued from a Cleveland west side house after they have been kidnapped there and captured for over ten years until 2013.

Monday morning at 8am is when they'll reveal what she'll be doing at Fox 8.

Another change at Raycom's Cleveland 19 CBS (WOIO). First it was Denise Dufala who stepped down after 21 years at WOIO and now Romona Robinson is

taking a small step towards retirement. Robinson, who became the first african american woman to anchor a nightly newscast in Cleveland since 1987 is

leaving the 11PM late news this month, but will continue to anchor Cleveland 19 News at 4 & 6PM.

 

http://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2017/1/12/stepping-down-in-cleveland

I think WOIO should just have the team on at 5pm and on WUAB at 9 and 10pm to anchor the 11PM news. Or have one of their reporters anchor at 11.

Kristin Byrne has announced on her Facebook page that today was her last day at WEWS in Cleveland. Not known where she is going as of now.