WVUE lets go of its sportscasters

[PelicanGuy 117]

WVUE-TV replaces two sportscasters

 

By Dave Walker

TV columnist

 

WVUE-Channel 8 sportscasters Eric Clemons and Damon Darensburg have been informed by the station that their contracts will not be renewed.

 

Their replacements -- Eric Richey, most recently of Fox affiliate WALA-TV in Mobile, Ala., and, a little further back, WGNO-Channel 26; and Rob Ennis of Lafayette CBS affiliate KLFY-TV -- will take the air the week of June 18, WVUE General Manager Vanessa Oubre said.

 

Darensburg has already landed a new hybrid job -- news producing, with occasional on-camera work in news and sports -- at WGNO.

 

Clemons' contract runs through August, and he said he will hunt employment opportunities here and elsewhere while fulfilling the terms of his contract, perhaps as a general-assignment news reporter once Richey and Ennis arrive.

 

Clemons' time at WVUE coincided with a severe cutback in airtime given to sports, but he soldiered on.

 

"To say the least, it was a mild surprise," Clemons said of the news that the station was "going a different direction" with its sports coverage. "I didn't see any of that coming."

 

http://blog.nola.com/living/2007/06/wvuetv_replaces_two_sportscast.html

 

Personal note: I wish Eric and Damon well. They were two good people, but WVUE's boss heads - especially Mimi Strawn - didn't give a crap about sports...and it showed. Fox 8 is definitely in a downward spiral.