Monthly Archive for January, 2008Page 2 of 3

Rumor: Vanessa Ruiz to Leave WSVN

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on 1/16/2008
in Local Media and departures
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Two insiders say 7’s Vanessa Ruiz is leaving WSVN in two weeks. She has a year left to complete her college degree so she’s decided to go back and finish.

update: confirmed. A rumor floating around is that she’s leaving because 7 didn’t renew her contract but that’s probably just a “dirty rumor” according to the tipster.

Someone else who left a message quoted the email sent to everyone at 7, which I presume is authentic, and it sounded like she just made up her mind to finish that last year of school left.

/image WSVN/

WTVX, WTCN, WWHB With New Owner

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on 1/16/2008
in Local Media
. 3 Comments

Viacom went on a buying spree in late 2004 snatching up low-power stations WTCN and WWHB with grand plans to enter the Spanish language market by way of WWHB’s affiliation with Azteca America.

They already owned WFOR and WBFS-33 (UPN affiliate at that time) in Miami, and WTVX-34 a WB/UPN affiliate and the plan was to have WFOR be the hub that ran all 5 stations plus the cost savings, syngery, serving the growing Spanish language market, … yada yada …

Well it looks like things didn’t pan out as planned. In early February of 2007 CBS announced it’s for sale signs on WTVX, WTCN and WWHB.

After clearing some hurdles with the FCC in October CBS just announced Four Points Media Group, a television station holding group funded by Cerberus Capital (yes the Cerberus that owns Chrysler) finally bought the stations last week for $185 million in cash. KUTV and KUSG in Utah, KEYE in Austin, Texas and WLWC in Providence, Rhode Island were part of the deal.

WWHB remains an Azteca America affiliate. WTCN picked up MyNetworkTV and other than that it has no other programming such as news and/or weather.

Naturally CW affiliation went to WTVX who used to have Bob Soper, and other CBS4 weather talent, give short weather updates every once in a while along with a news section on their website provided by CBS4/WBFS which is also no more.

Broadcasting and Cable - CBS Sells Four Stations to Four Points Media Group
CBS PR Release - CBS Corporation Completes Sale of Local TV Stations to Cerberus

WPTV Weatherman Resigns, leaves TV Biz

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on 1/16/2008
in Local Media and departures
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Dean Tendrich, WPTV’s morning meteorologist, is leaving the station and the TV business to join his father’s company. Tendrich Companies is a development firm specializing in building senior life care communities.

“I could sit here for 10 or 15 more years and ride into the sunset, but I have a desire to do something else,” he said. “And I felt like maybe this was the time to do it.”

Tendrich has been at WPTV since 1997. His last day is February 27.

TCPalm.com - Dean Tendrich announces resignation from WPTV
Bio at wptv.com
PalmBeachPost.com - Forecaster leaving rainy days for real estate
SunSentinel - Weatherman Dean Tendrich leaving Ch.5 in West Palm

/img tcpalm.com/wptv/

New Main Anchor for CBS4 News; newscast changes

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on 1/14/2008
in Local Media and arrivals
. 10 Comments

Antonio Mora is the new co-anchor of CBS4 News at 5, 6 and 11pm. He comes from WBBM, the CBS owned station in Chicago, where he fronted that station’s 6pm newscast and worked as the special projects reporter.

Mora, born in Cuba, is no stranger to South Florida, he worked at WTVJ from 1992-93. And from 1994 until 2002 he was at ABC News reporting for World News Tonight, Nightline, serving as substitute anchor for Good Morning America.

In addtion WFOR is splitting the 5pm newscast back to two-half hour editions. Eliott Rodriguez will anchor noon and 5:30pm

SunSentinel TV Plus Blog - WFOR hires new main male anchor
Antonio Mora bio on CBS2Chicago.com
Miami Herald - WFOR-CBS 4 gets new evening anchor

Tom Haynes on WAGA

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on 1/14/2008
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Tom Haynes left WSVN at the end of the 2007 November sweeps to head WAGA’s new 11pm newscast ‘News Edge’ which premiers tonight.

/hat tip to whoever left this link in the chat box/

Back To Florida

Published
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on 1/14/2008
in Local Media and come backs
. 5 Comments

Remember this guy? Former WSVN reporter Juan Carlos Fanjul left 7 in 2002 for a reporting job at WGN is now coming back. At WPEC as an anchor of the station’s 7pm newscast.

Plus, he’s no stranger to the Palm Beach market. Fanjul has worked as a reporter at WPBF and WPTV.

His first day on the air at WPEC is January 23.

Chicago Sun-Times - Reporter goes home

/img Juan Carlos Fanjul Bio on WGN/

Jeff Weinsier Sues 3 Police Officers, School Board

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on 1/11/2008
in Jeff Weinsier Arrest and Local Media
. 7 Comments

WPLG investigative reporter Jeff Weinsier is suing Miami-Dade school board and the three Dade county police officers who arrested him for “false arrest, emotional distress and malicious persecution”.

The cops were sent by Miami-Dade School Board to make Weinsier leave the public sidewalk next to Miami Central High School and go across the street. After Weinsier repeatedly refused to comply one of the officers cuffed him while he was standing on the public road near the sidewalk. After the arrest they found a loaded concealed weapon for which Weinsier had a permit.

Later all charges were dropped by the state attorney’s office because the video tape from incident showed Weinsier was on public property and has a constitutional right to be there.

Now let’s see if the idiots in the media who reported that he was arrested because of the gun would correct themselves!

Local10.com - Local 10 Reporter Suing School Police, Board

Video from the incident:

Rick Sanchez Saying Goodbye

Published
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on 1/10/2008
in Videos and WSVN
. 9 Comments

I have this on tape somewhere but someone not as lazy (ha!) put it up on YouTube.

Rick Sanchez saying goodbye in May of 2001.

WPTV’s Laurel Sauer Might do More Than Just Trade Timeslots

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on 1/10/2008
in Local Media
. 6 Comments

The Palm Beach Post’s Page Two claims WPTV anchor veteran Laurel Sauer is headed for the exits.
Sauer allegedly inquired about a teaching job at Lynn University in Boca Raton. She, allegedly, told friends that WPTV might not renew her contract when it comes up for renewal later this year. Ouch!

WPEC can always coax her to come back and stay for a few years with them and kick WPTV while they’re down a bit?!

In October 2007 WPTV bounced Sauer from the 11pm slot after 18 years together with Jim Sackett, and then ended up losing said 11pm slot to WPEC in the 2007 November sweeps!

Is WPTV’s fizz running out?

Palm Beach Post - Page Two - Broadcasters face bad news to start year

WPEC to go HD This Year

Published
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on 1/9/2008
in HD Transition and Local Media
. 9 Comments

TCPalm entertainment reporter Melissa Holsman mentions in an article from December 2007 that WPEC is going HiDef sometime in 2008.

MockTV mentioned in the comments of another post that Channel 12 is working on a new studio for the HD transition.

WPEC will be the second Palm Beach station to transition to HD after WPTV.

TCPalm.com - Wrapping things up /middle of the page/

/logo img WPEC News 12/

WSVN Still Undecided on Tom Haynes Replacement

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on 1/9/2008
in Local Media
. 7 Comments

Tom Haynes has been gone from WSVN since what, a month? He probably doesn’t even miss Lynn Martinez anymore but the suits at 7 have yet to make a decision who’ll take his place.
The job opening, as of 11/30/2007, is still on the site and they’re still bouncing Charles Billi and Reed Cowan back and forth on the afternoons.

What’s taking hem so long? Even the crusty old bishops at the Vatican didn’t take this long to pick a Pope.

Unless of course there are candidates from outside the station?

Update: Anon tipster says Charles Billi is replacing Tom Haynes. And ‘tiny meenie‘ in the comments adds that last minute negotiations between Billi’s agent and the station are taking place.

Christina Loren Joins WFOR

Published
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on 1/8/2008
in Local Media and arrivals
. 16 Comments

Update 01/10: anon tipster claims Loren auditioned for Elita Loresca’s job at 7News but they passed on her!

New (weather?) (traffic?) girl on WFOR.
Christina Loren just came from KERO-TV in Bakersfield, California where she was that station’s morning meteorologist and back up traffic anchor.

A tipster says she replaces Erin Coakley who was the weekend meteorologist but the CBS4 bio says Loren is doing traffic.

Check out her profile and videos on MySpace

Christina Loren Thursday Weather Forecast

Add to My Profile | More VideosCBS4 Christina Loren bio

WNBC Reinstates 5pm Newscast

Published
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on 1/7/2008
in Local Media
. 1 Comment

It was September 2007 when NBC ditched their 5pm newscast in favor of Extra TV due to “changing consumer habits”. Apparently our habits must not have changed that much (or people just didn’t care for Extra?) so NBC suits were forced to undo themselves. “We tried something different, but found that the available audience
had a habit for news at 5 p.m., and we’re going to serve that need,” says one of the WNBC suits. So now they have to undo themselves.

As of January 2nd WNBC is back to 30 minutes of news at 5pm followed by Extra TV until 6pm.

What will NBC6 do? Will they do anything at all? Clearly Ellen isn’t Dr. Phil and people are eating up what Channel 7 has to offer at 4pm and 5pm. Is WPLG banking too much on Dr. Phil once he goes would they have to do resets?

NY Times - TV Decoder - 5 O’Clock News back on WNBC

First Day for Michael Williams on CBS4 News

Published
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on 1/7/2008
in Local Media and come backs
. 5 Comments

Former WSVN-er and most recently WTVJ anchor Michael Williams is back on the local airwaves as a CBS4 News member. His first day on CBS4 News is today.

WFOR has been running promos about this for a while now touting Williams’ as one of the “best known and most respected” and his experience.

According to his bio on CBS4.com he is a reporter and backup anchor for CBS4 News.

WTSP Tampa Goes HD This Month

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on 1/6/2008
in Local Media
. 5 Comments

In time for February sweeps WTSP Channel 10 in Tampa will launch their newscast in HD. The station will debut a brand new studio and a graphics package similar to that of WUSA in D.C. and WIXA in Atlanta.

via FloridaNewsCenter

CBS4 News in HD Monday?

Published
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on 1/6/2008
in HD Transition and Local Media
. 9 Comments

This is a friend of a friend type rumor so take it with a bag of salt! But, allegedly, the new and improved CBS Early Show which on Monday January 7th will be in HD. And also allegedly CBS4 News will use the moment to go HD as well.

The Early Show’s Wikipedia page notes that it isn’t known if high definition is in the cards.

There is (or was, I haven’t checked lately) promo that was rather cryptic if I remember correctly, insinuating that there is a new way to watch your morning news or something along those lines. Unfortunately my important my hard drive crashed so I can’t go back and replay video.

Either way the time for Miami to have HD news has long passed. We need to see those gashing wounds zoom-ins in HD! Talk about engagement and emotional connection with viewers!

Someone left a tip about this several times - I wasn’t ignoring you, just been busy - so thank you for the persistent effort :)

Update: just saw the promo on 4 and it said at the start of it “Begining Monday there is a smart new way to start your day in South Florida” … I doubt it’s anything to do with HD :)