tvpirate05 1 Posted May 11, 2008 Author Share Posted May 11, 2008 They dropped the lawsuit. http://hamptonroads.com/2008/05/wtkr-drops-lawsuit-against-suffolk-over-access Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newsie 11 Posted May 17, 2008 Share Posted May 17, 2008 Now, their GM has been ousted. http://hamptonroads.com/2008/05/general-manager-gone-after-year-wtkr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAVY 10 Fan 232 Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 Now, their GM has been ousted. http://hamptonroads.com/2008/05/general-manager-gone-after-year-wtkr And another 'TKR GM bites the dust. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HamptonRoadsNews 0 Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Looks like Les Smith's tenure might have been short lived at WTKR. Less than two months after joining WTKR on the 5:30pm show, Les has not been on the air all week and his bio/photo has been removed from the WTKR website. No word on air about this, but generally when they pull you from the website, that's it. Anyone hear anything about this? I find it really strange. Wonder if the new GM had anything to do with this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAVY 10 Fan 232 Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Looks like Les Smith's tenure might have been short lived at WTKR. Less than two months after joining WTKR on the 5:30pm show, Les has not been on the air all week and his bio/photo has been removed from the WTKR website. No word on air about this, but generally when they pull you from the website, that's it. Anyone hear anything about this? I find it really strange. Wonder if the new GM had anything to do with this. Uh oh...this can't be good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HamptonRoadsNews 0 Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 As of the 5:30 newscast, no changes in Smith's status. VARTV.com reported exactly what I wrote earlier, so clearly no one is speaking at WTKR. Interestingly enough, Stacy Davis is anchoring tonight with Bianca Martinez (for both the 5:00 and 5:30 shows and presumably at 6:00 as well) as Smith has apparently left and Pat McReynolds is off. Also of note is that Domonique Benn has been off the air the entire week as well (coinciding with Les Smith being off) though her bio/photo is still up. I say its interesting that Davis is anchoring because they had weekend evening anchor Sara Morris out in the field doing a live report in Suffolk rather than filling in at the anchor desk. Personally, I am extremely glad to see Davis anchoring becuase I have always thought she was a great anchor and got shafted after being the weekend morning and weekend evening anchor for a few years. I hope to see Davis anchoring more in the future. Just when WTKR was starting to stabilize it's anchor line-up after months, really a year of instability, this happens. What a shame. Smith was a great catch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ntropolis 593 Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 I miss Karen May Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HamptonRoadsNews 0 Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Karen May was ok, but I didn't like that she replaced Brian Farrell on the WTKR weekend morning newscast in 2002. Farrell is by far the best reporter in the area and WVEC needs to make him the weekend evening anchor now that Vanessa Coria has moved to the morning show. But that's another topic for another day. (Just lord, please don't make Wayne Carter the anchor for that show!) Also unrelated, but Tom Schaad was off tonight at WAVY but instead of using Eric Harryman (who reported during the 5:30 show) like they had in the past, Stephanie Harris and Alveta Ewell filled in at 6:00 and 5:00 respectively. Very odd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HamptonRoadsNews 0 Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 This just in from The Virginian-Pilot... The news director and assistant news director at WTKR NewsChannel 3 are “no longer employed at WTKR effective immediately,” the station’s general manager said Thursday in a staff memo. Jeff Hoffman, the general manager, declined to say what led to the change. But he confirmed that news director Shane Moreland and assistant director Melissa Klinzing are gone. But nothing about Les Smith in the article, which can be found here: http://hamptonroads.com/2008/06/two-wtkr-managers-depart-amid-lagging-news-ratings Moreland did not last even one year at WTKR. And the revolving door spins yet again... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ntropolis 593 Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 Someone in the TVSpy Watercooler thread says Les is out too... just a rumor though. Outing the ND... good thing. Les... bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tvpirate05 1 Posted June 20, 2008 Author Share Posted June 20, 2008 I'm interested to see what kind of visual changes the brass has in mind for 'TKR, esp. with this "Taking Action" crap they force down viewers' throats. Wouldn't hurt to bring a little ethics back to their newscasts. Or a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newsie 11 Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 WTKR is just on a downward spiral and it continues to get worse. I was hoping that Moreland would help the station, but we get this "Taking Action" crap, where you couldn't go a single newscast without hearing it every five minutes. Oh, and this VIPIR Weather Call, we don't need to be reminded of it after every single weather segment. The only thing they have going for them (maybe) is the graphics, they were actually outsourced. If this new GM got rid of Les (God, I hope not), 'TKR is in some deep shit. I feel sorry for the Daily Press. They sign this new content sharing agreement with the worst station in the market. They did have WAVY, and had a great relationship with them for 12 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HamptonRoadsNews 0 Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-now-wtkrpurge.jn20,0,3265302.story He confirmed that Smith was no longer with the station, but he would not provide details other than saying that Smith "was not fired." There is no way Smith will be hired over at WVEC, they are already #1 and have no vacancies. So, it looks like this is the end of the road for Les Smith in Hampton Roads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtmclaug 43 Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 WTKR just doesn't get it, do they? Practically nothing they try works. It's a shame that Les is gone. I'm a huge fan of his work, but I don't understand it. How come he left after arriving so suddenly? It doesn't make sense. (sigh) I just hope he finds work soon, if not in Hampton Roads, then in a larger market. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leach 0 Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-now-wtkrpurge.jn20,0,3265302.story So, it looks like this is the end of the road for Les Smith in Hampton Roads. well..maybe not. Over the years there was a rumor that WTVZ 33 was going to start a local newscast but that never happened. Then there is WSKY channel 4. Perhaps news could be in their future as well. I do doubt WGNT channel 27 would be doing any news in the future despite being owned by CBS. But then again, with WTKR doing so badly..they just might. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAVY 10 Fan 232 Posted June 22, 2008 Share Posted June 22, 2008 WTKR is just on a downward spiral and it continues to get worse. I was hoping that Moreland would help the station, but we get this "Taking Action" crap, where you couldn't go a single newscast without hearing it every five minutes. Oh, and this VIPIR Weather Call, we don't need to be reminded of it after every single weather segment. The only thing they have going for them (maybe) is the graphics, they were actually outsourced. If this new GM got rid of Les (God, I hope not), 'TKR is in some deep shit. I feel sorry for the Daily Press. They sign this new content sharing agreement with the worst station in the market. They did have WAVY, and had a great relationship with them for 12 years. Actually, the Daily Press was with WAVY for 16 1/2 years. I have a promo announcing WAVY's partnership with that paper from 1991 (never got a chance to upload that onto my original WVECSpirit channel). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newsie 11 Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 ^I knew the number of years was in the teens, I was guestimating as I didn't know off the top of my head. Thanks for the correction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newsie 11 Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 Now this is the WTKR that I remember... [YT]afEfZY7gjIQ[/YT] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HamptonRoadsNews 0 Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 The housecleaning at WTKR continues as the assignment director David Craft was canned on Monday. How scary it must be to be an employee at WTKR where people keep disappearing and you have no idea if you might be next. Hopefully they will start clearing out some of the useless, airhead on-air talent next. http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-now-wtkrout.jn24,0,2137301.story Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAVY 10 Fan 232 Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 The housecleaning at WTKR continues as the assignment director David Craft was canned on Monday. How scary it must be to be an employee at WTKR where people keep disappearing and you have no idea if you might be next. Hopefully they will start clearing out some of the useless, airhead on-air talent next. http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-now-wtkrout.jn24,0,2137301.story Here's two that I'm predicting should be safe...for now 1. Barbara Ciara. Like it or not, she's a Hampton Roads TV icon. Also, as president of the National Association of Black Journalists, if 'TKR cans her, they risk a PR nightmare they may NEVER recover from. 2. Kurt Williams. I think he may be safe because he's probably the last guy remaining from when WTKR was consistently #1 (think he arrived about 1987-ish) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HamptonRoadsNews 0 Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 Web content manager Kelly Gray was also let go this week. And looks like weekend sports anchor/reporter Jason Barr has accepted a gig in South Carolina so he will be leaving as well (unrelated to the current housecleaning going on at WTKR) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ntropolis 593 Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 Jason Barr is heading to WMBF to be the morning anchor there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newsie 11 Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 The housecleaning continues... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtmclaug 43 Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 The news just keeps getting worse for WTKR, doesn't it? They used to be the 800 pound gorilla, didn't they? It's kind of sad. Such great talent going to other stations, sometimes out of state. You think it's possible that WTKR could have their newscasts outsourced to another station since their ratings are so low? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAVY 10 Fan 232 Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 Web content manager Kelly Gray was also let go this week. And looks like weekend sports anchor/reporter Jason Barr has accepted a gig in South Carolina so he will be leaving as well (unrelated to the current housecleaning going on at WTKR) Now it looks like 'TKR doesn't have a sports guy of ANY sort (unless they put Ted Alexander back on that beat). Ridiculous how that station has been hemorrhaging personnel (on-air/management) in the span of about a week and a half. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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