Tipsters are saying more WFOR reporters are not being renewed or leaving the station.
One is Nefertiti Jaquez.
Another tipster says Brian Andrews hasn’t been to work in two weeks and that he left WFOR. Two other unnamed reporters have not had their contracts renewed.
You could say the new bosses are making changes
Update: Tipster says Brian Andrews may be headed to CNN.
Snap. WPLG just announced they hired former head of the National Hurricane Center Max Mayfield as the station’s hurricane specialist. However, he won’t be at the chroma wall forecasting the hurricane, instead he’ll do much the same he did while at the Hurricane Center – answer questions from the meteorologist and explain the weather data.
Mayfield says he chose WPLG because he believes in their no-hype approach to hurricane coverage!
He officially begins work at WPLG on April 1st.
Mayfield is recognized as one of the world’s most knowledgeable scientists with an expertise in forecasting the path and intensity of tropical storms.
From the Herald:
In a note to employees, Pohovey put it more bluntly: “Just imagine the coverage the next time a storm is heading this way. . . . I’d hate to be sitting in a competing newsroom in this market!”
Channel 10 and 4 will be duking it out this summer on who’s got more hurricane coverage power. Let the bragging begin.
Local10.com – Hurricane Coverage Gets ‘Maxxed’ At WPLG
Miami Herald – Max Mayfield to join WPLG-ABC 10
Sun Sentinel – May Mayfield ends retirement, joins Channel 10 as hurricane expert
They won last year, they won this year too. WFOR grabbed 3 Murrow awards, for Region 13, for overall excellence, investigative reporting for ‘Miami Law & Disorder’ and Newscast for ‘Miami Fidel Castro Transfers Power’.
Congrats
/via LostRemote/
TVNewser says Maggie Rodriguez will be co-hosting CBS’ Saturday Early Show. She’s sitting in for anchor James Brown
TVNewser -Rodriguez To Sub On Sat. Early Show
4’s new bosses are in and laying down the law. Miami Herald’s Joan Fleischman got her hands on the new dress code rules for everyone who’s face we see on the air at WFOR.
The gals are to have as little accessories as possible and no busy stripes, prints, lace, short sleeves, sleeveless (wah, No skin? Awww…), puffy shirts. Because viewers are to pay attention to the reporter and the story not the clothes! Oh yeah like covering their arms up would help. Good luck!
Men don’t need much of a wardrobe, of course. Instructions for them are to cover up with a dress shirt – pale blue or white, tie and sports jacket. How boring. Losing the jacket can happen but only with manager’s permission. And no jeans. Unless the story calls for them to walk in water in which case jeans are ok. Short shorts would’ve done it much better in my opinion.
And if you happen to see Jim Defede looking all tanned and sexy, fret not. He didn’t soak those harmful UV rays in the name of all that is news, his sexy bronze glow is from a bottle as per WFOR’s image consultant advice.
The new boss, Tom Doerr says the newsroom was too “laissez-faire”, hence the changes.
Miami Herald – Joan Fleschman/Talk of Our Town – No polka-dot coats on this TV station
Tipster says WFOR’s Mike Kirsch was fired. His bio has been pulled from CBS4.com
Update: Another tipster says Kirsch’s contract was not renewed.
Insiders say Pamela Wright is leaving WFOR and the TV biz. Jeff Beradelli from WCBS is taking her spot in the mornings.
Jennifer Santiago is heading off to LA soon. Not sure how soon
Dave Malkoff and his wife Angie, a photojournalist at WFOR, are also leaving. Dave will be reporting for KCBS
Thanks tipsters
Boston Herald: WHDH-TV’s ‘kid’s cast’
There’s a lot of talk lately how younger the news reporters and anchors are getting lately. Now the Boston Herald takes a shot at WSVN’s sister station in Boston, WHDH, for hiring Adam Williams, 26 and Brandon Rudat, 27 to anchor the weekend newscasts. The newspaper calling the move, via the anonymous industry insider, ‘ kid’s casts’.
Boston Herald – 7New: Fresh, young faces grace WHDH-TV’s ‘kid’s cast’
Of course by the end of the article the writer comes to the same conclusion all the rest of his colleagues did – young talent is cheap and the station is doing to get a younger demo.
Except that … we the young are not watching. At least not as much, and not as many of us, as the station suits want. I read somewhere recently that even though the cable nets are doing everything to attract demo viewers those viewers comprise barely 10% of the total audience. At most.
I don’t know how much it is for broadcast local news, but if I had to guess it’s not too different. There just isn’t much to see, and I find myself yelling out “Who the fuck cares about this” more and more often.