Out & About

[CircleSeven 1955]

Big departure in Central Florida.

 

Longtime WESH 2 anchor Jim Payne announced that he is retiring from the station this September.

[T.L. Hughes 881]

4 hours ago, TheRob said:

Donna Deegan, former WTLV anchor, won her mayoral runoff election. She will be the new Jacksonville, Fla., mayor this summer.

Important note, Deegan made history as the first woman to be elected as mayor of Jacksonville, which had been the most populous U.S. city with a Republican mayor (a status that will be assumed by Fort Worth and its mayor, Mattie Parker, once Deegan—who ran as a Democrat—is inaugurated).

 

Considering her husband, Tim, is still chief meteorologist at WTLV/WJXX, what will Donna's election mean for his status with First Coast News? He did cede his slot on the 11:00 p.m. newscast last June, which Lew Turner (who had been working and still works on Good Morning Jacksonville) was assigned to as Deegan chose to reduce his workload to the early evening newscasts. 

Edited May 17, 2023 by T.L. Hughes

[TexasTVNews 1377]

9 minutes ago, T.L. Hughes said:

Important note, Deegan made history as the first woman to be elected as mayor of Jacksonville, which had been the most populous U.S. city with a Republican mayor (a status that will be assumed by Fort Worth and its mayor, Mattie Parker, once Deegan is inaugurated).

 

Considering her husband, Tim, is still chief meteorologist at WTLV/WJXX, what will Donna's election mean for his status with First Coast News? He did cede his slot on the 11:00 p.m. newscast last June, which Lew Turner (who had been FCN's weekend morning meteorologist beforehand) was assigned to as Deegan chose to reduce his workload to the early evening newscasts. 

 

Let's not forget another former Jacksonville news anchor whose also been elected to public office. Former WJKS/WJXT Joyce Morgan been elected Duval County property appraiser.

[TheRob 937]

9 hours ago, T.L. Hughes said:

Important note, Deegan made history as the first woman to be elected as mayor of Jacksonville, which had been the most populous U.S. city with a Republican mayor (a status that will be assumed by Fort Worth and its mayor, Mattie Parker, once Deegan—who ran as a Democrat—is inaugurated).

 

Considering her husband, Tim, is still chief meteorologist at WTLV/WJXX, what will Donna's election mean for his status with First Coast News? He did cede his slot on the 11:00 p.m. newscast last June, which Lew Turner (who had been working and still works on Good Morning Jacksonville) was assigned to as Deegan chose to reduce his workload to the early evening newscasts. 

 

I don't see any conflict of interest. But I imagine he's close to retirement anyway.

[Payton39 25]

Watched NBC 7 (KNSD) news today and saw a farewell to Mari Payton, at times reporter/investigator/anchor, and she is leaving today. Not sure what is next for her. She was there 18 years.

[GoldenShine9 1512]

The former News Director and lead Anchor at KMEG/KPTM (Sioux City) was hired as the News Director at KTIV (the position was open at the time and Gray took advantage).

 

It's the first major pickup of someone laid off from Sinclair because of their cuts.

Edited May 23, 2023 by GoldenShine9

[MD TV 253]

WHDH's sports director is leaving:

 

 

[MorningNews 1437]

KTRK’s anchor line up is ridiculously chaotic and all over the place. Erica Simon is moving to 10pm M-F but Gina and Erik don’t seem to be moving off the 10pm show.

[24994J 5552]

3 hours ago, MorningNews said:

KTRK’s anchor line up is ridiculously chaotic and all over the place. Erica Simon is moving to 10pm M-F but Gina and Erik don’t seem to be moving off the 10pm show.

 

Really, what is their deal, over there? BY MY COUNT (let me know if anything has changed), KTRK puts out 9.5 hours of news, each weekday, as do KABC and WPVI, and yet they have way more anchors. Outside of the morning shows and whatever role Simon is taking on at 10pm on 13, note that 3rd anchors (looking at you, 6abc) are in contributing roles. The question mark count is also for where there are apparent vacancies. I know some of the KTRK folks have other on-air roles, like Winkler and Rivas, but goodness, they're an insanely bloated operation.

[nycnewsjunkie 1439]

18 hours ago, 24994J said:

 

Really, what is their deal, over there? BY MY COUNT (let me know if anything has changed), KTRK puts out 9.5 hours of news, each weekday, as do KABC and WPVI, and yet they have way more anchors. Outside of the morning shows and whatever role Simon is taking on at 10pm on 13, note that 3rd anchors (looking at you, 6abc) are in contributing roles. The question mark count is also for where there are apparent vacancies. I know some of the KTRK folks have other on-air roles, like Winkler and Rivas, but goodness, they're an insanely bloated operation.

 

Is it me or do they have trouble deciding what slots to give their meteorologists? Travis Herzog is their chief, yet he was working nights this past weekend. Not to mention, if you’ve never seen their mid-morning stream, it is not a well put together newscast at all imo.

[24994J 5552]

1 minute ago, nycnewsjunkie said:

Is it me or do they have trouble deciding what slots to give their meteorologists? Travis Herzog is their chief, yet he was working nights this past weekend. Not to mention, if you’ve never seen their mid-morning stream, it is not a well put together newscast at all imo.

 

I don't tune in often, but I do know that the 11am newscast seems to employ a very inconsistent weather rotation, for no good reason. I believe Travis does that shift one day a week, as well.

[MediaZone4K 2158]

21 hours ago, 24994J said:

 

Really, what is their deal, over there? BY MY COUNT (let me know if anything has changed), KTRK puts out 9.5 hours of news, each weekday, as do KABC and WPVI, and yet they have way more anchors. Outside of the morning shows and whatever role Simon is taking on at 10pm on 13, note that 3rd anchors (looking at you, 6abc) are in contributing roles. The question mark count is also for where there are apparent vacancies. I know some of the KTRK folks have other on-air roles, like Winkler and Rivas, but goodness, they're an insanely bloated operation.

 

Across-the-board in multiple markets, anchor lineups are getting very chaotic and confusing.

 

Back in the days it used to be Team A: Mornings & Noon. Team B 5pm. Team C, 6pm and Night. With the advent of excessive newscasts, lineups have gotten odd including switching every half hour.

 

Edited May 26, 2023 by MediaZone4K

[T.L. Hughes 881]

On 5/12/2023 at 4:43 PM, TheRob said:

Oklahoma's governor vetoed a bill funding OETA.

 

https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/12/media/oklahoma-pbs-oeta-reliable-sources/index.html

Just hours ago (on the penultimate day of its 2023 session), the Oklahoma Legislature overrode Stitt’s veto of H.B. 2820, the OETA authorization bill, with the necessary two-thirds votes in each chamber. The State House passed it, 73-23, and the State Senate passed it, 38-6, allowing OETA to continue operating through 2026. (It was among 13 bills among the so-called “tantrum 20” vetoed by Stitt that were overridden in today’s session.)

 

I should note that this is actually the second OETA-related bill that Stitt vetoed in the past year. He also vetoed H.B. 1009, which was passed by the legislature during the 2022 session and would have allocated $8.1 million in funding for upgrades to OETA’s Warning, Alert and Response Network (which relays EAS alerts statewide in the event of severe weather or endangered missing persons) in October 2022.

Edited May 26, 2023 by T.L. Hughes

[ScottSchell 352]

another Win for Ktiv as they have hired Cat Taylor where she will be meteorologist and storm chaser for the Gray Television station.
 

https://www.ktiv.com/2023/05/26/ktiv-storm-team-4-welcomes-meteorologist-storm-chaser-cat-taylor/

15 hours ago, T.L. Hughes said:

Just hours ago (on the penultimate day of its 2023 session), the Oklahoma Legislature overrode Stitt’s veto of H.B. 2820, the OETA authorization bill, with the necessary two-thirds votes in each chamber. The State House passed it, 73-23, and the State Senate passed it, 38-6, allowing OETA to continue operating through 2026. (It was among 13 bills among the so-called “tantrum 20” vetoed by Stitt that were overridden in today’s session.)

 

I should note that this is actually the second OETA-related bill that Stitt vetoed in the past year. He also vetoed H.B. 1009, which was passed by the legislature during the 2022 session and would have allocated $8.1 million in funding for upgrades to OETA’s Warning, Alert and Response Network (which relays EAS alerts statewide in the event of severe weather or endangered missing persons) in October 2022.

Yeah our idiot governor has it out for the senate and legislators at our capitol because some of them won’t do his education plan he wants passed.

[T.L. Hughes 881]

14 minutes ago, ScottSchell said:

another Win for Ktiv as they have hired Cat Taylor where she will be meteorologist and storm chaser for the Gray Television station.
 

https://www.ktiv.com/2023/05/26/ktiv-storm-team-4-welcomes-meteorologist-storm-chaser-cat-taylor/

Yeah our idiot governor has it out for the senate and legislators at our capitol because some of them won’t do his education plan he wants passed.

Technically, said education plan was signed into law the same day the OETA vetoed override happened. Unfortunately, in misusing his veto power the way he did, Stitt learned he can use these kinds of gambits against other bills the Legislature considers important as leverage for other proposals he and the Legislature disagree on.

Edited May 26, 2023 by T.L. Hughes

[GoldenShine9 1512]

It seems Gray has been hiring quite a few of the best people let go as Sinclair made the big cuts. I know KTIV had quite a few openings though, so this is a good time to pick them up. I wouldn't be surprised if they added additional newscasts (do they do morning news on weekends, for example?)

[ScottSchell 352]

41 minutes ago, GoldenShine9 said:

It seems Gray has been hiring quite a few of the best people let go as Sinclair made the big cuts. I know KTIV had quite a few openings though, so this is a good time to pick them up. I wouldn't be surprised if they added additional newscasts (do they do morning news on weekends, for example?)

No they don’t do a weekend morning newscast at the moment.

[tyrannical bastard 3931]

1 hour ago, GoldenShine9 said:

It seems Gray has been hiring quite a few of the best people let go as Sinclair made the big cuts. I know KTIV had quite a few openings though, so this is a good time to pick them up. I wouldn't be surprised if they added additional newscasts (do they do morning news on weekends, for example?)

They compete side-by-side in a lot of markets where Sinclair made cuts (Mobile, Gainesville, Toledo, Columbia, Macon...now that they have WPGA) and some staffers may have simply crossed the street if they had an opening.

 

I know that one of the departed meteorologists from Mobile got a chief job at WGXA in Macon.

[GoldenShine9 1512]

10 minutes ago, tyrannical bastard said:

They compete side-by-side in a lot of markets where Sinclair made cuts (Mobile, Gainesville, Toledo, Columbia, Macon...now that they have WPGA) and some staffers may have simply crossed the street if they had an opening.

 

I know that one of the departed meteorologists from Mobile got a chief job at WGXA in Macon.

 

If they can snag network affiliations from the Sinclair zombie stations, they would gain further revenue and likely add more staff and newscasts.

[GoldenShine9 1512]

In those markets mentioned, Gray should take a stab at the network affiliations of the Sinclair zombie stations. Having a Fox and a Big Three affiliation would be especially beneficial, as it expands their newscast options. WALA, for example, could add additional evening newscasts and a 10 pm newscast to compete with WKRG if they took the NBC affiliation away. On the flip side, in Columbia and Sioux City, extended morning newscasts and 9/10 pm newscasts could be added with the Fox affiliation on their DT2.

[tyrannical bastard 3931]

7 minutes ago, GoldenShine9 said:

In those markets mentioned, Gray should take a stab at the network affiliations of the Sinclair zombie stations. Having a Fox and a Big Three affiliation would be especially beneficial, as it expands their newscast options. WALA, for example, could add additional evening newscasts and a 10 pm newscast to compete with WKRG if they took the NBC affiliation away. On the flip side, in Columbia and Sioux City, extended morning newscasts and 9/10 pm newscasts could be added with the Fox affiliation on their DT2.

WALA already has a 10:00 p.m. newscast five nights a week, but they don't have a 6pm.  If they landed NBC, they could add a noon and a 6:00 p.m., and simulcast the rest from Fox 10 outside of network programming.

[CircleSeven 1955]

Follow up regarding KTRK. It's Gina that's leaving the 10. She staying on the 6.

 

She made the announcement earlier tonight.

 

[24994J 5552]

8 minutes ago, CircleSeven said:

Follow up regarding KTRK. It's Gina that's leaving the 10. She staying on the 6.

 

She made the announcement earlier tonight.

 

Does this mean Tillman is the 10pm guy, now? Almost sounds like it.

[atlnews2 590]

WAGA investigative reporter Dale Russell retired this week after 38 years at the station.

 

https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/dale-russell-senior-i-team-reporter-retires

[MorningNews 1437]

7 hours ago, CircleSeven said:

Follow up regarding KTRK. It's Gina that's leaving the 10. She staying on the 6.

 

She made the announcement earlier tonight.

 

There’s some clarity but then not really. Why Erica Simon and not one of the 4 anchors you already have in the afternoon block? Melanie, Elissa, Mayra and Briana are all right there and instead you’re bringing in a 5th anchor. I’m not understanding management at KTRK. The weekend evenings slots are the only ones that make sense, everything else from mornings to night are in chaos.
 

7 hours ago, 24994J said:

 

Does this mean Tillman is the 10pm guy, now? Almost sounds like it.

Travis is advertised as part of the 10pm team but it’s anyone guess what they’re doing up there these days. Nearly every time I’ve been home to see 13 there’s an anchor / weather person out of place and on another newscast than the one they’re formally assigned.