Charles Billi Photo: WSVN.com
Just got news that WSVN anchor Charles Billi will be leaving the station in February 2011. A memo went out to everyone at WSVN today announcing his departure. I’m told he plans to focus on his net venture BigTampa.com.
Charles Billi joined WSVN as a reporter in 1998, they promoted him to an anchor of the weekend newscasts when Charles Perez left WSVN for the ABC affiliate in New York City. Billi got promoted again in 2008 to weekdays alongside Lynn Martinez when then WSVN anchor Tom Haynes left for the FOX affiliate in Atlanta, Georgia.
The internet tubes win again.
More as we get it
/hat tip to all who sent us the news/
memo sent to staff after the jumpAlice Jacobs, VP of News, Sunbeam TV
After 12 years together, Charles Billi and 7 News have decided to part ways. Charles is now going to devote his time to his new endeavor, BIGTAMPA.COM.Tampa’s first and only cosmopolitan flash website. Charles has been working on this for quite a while, and it’s his dream to promote Tampa and everything it has to offer. He will be moving to Tampa at some point, but will remain with 7 News until February. We wish Charles all the best – we know he’ll be successful in this new adventure.
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS I think REED will be joining Lynn at the desk !!!!!!!
REED will be filling in for Craig on his days off also
YESSSSSSSSSSS
REED and Belkys!!!!!
and
REED and LYNN !!!!!
Still love you Craig
Best of luck to you Charles and we will miss you
Diego……Calm done before your soil your pants.
There are MANY talented people inside and outside of 7 who could do very well next to lynn.
I think everyone should use this space to wish Charles well and stop trying to figure out his replacement.
If Reed replaces Charles, I hope Blake Burman replaces Reed on the weekend news.
Speculating on his replacement is very relevant, because if Reed is to be promoted, a decision on the weekend slot should be made concurrently or even before. Right now WSVN is the only station in the market even remotely concerned with putting on a competent newscast on the weekends. The others just trot out glorified interns(or worse: Jen Herrera). And Ch 6 has pulled off the impossilbe by making an Asian woman seem dumb.
Charles will be sorely missed. A BIG personality, a deft writer and overall good guy.
a reed will replace charles. but it’s not cowan.
look our for reid lamberty. he anchored in nyc and is currently just freelancing with 7 so he can devote more time to his family here in miami. would not be shocked if he gets a fulltime job as an anchor. he’s solid!
took me a while to get use to Lamberty. He has adjusted to Miami style since his arrive. Don’t think they’d pass everyone else and promote a freelancer.
that last post should’ve said “look ouT” not “look our.” apologies.
charles did his best to bad mouth WSVN whenever he could. I’m surprised they even made him an anchor. His paper flipping made me sick. drama queen. he invented the “in your face style” in another market, just ask him. reed lamberty is the man
Lamberty has gotten better. But he is dull and boring as a reporter. Send him back to NY
SVN power presence silenced. people bashing billi .. dont hate him cause you aint him.
7 needs to hire a minority anchor. Promote the black girl on the weekends. By the way I love 7 news – wish I worked there.
they have a minority anchor BELKYS she is CUBAN HELLO and Lynn is half Mexican and last I looked Craig is NOT WHITE
HELLO
REED Lamberty SUCKS
REED COWAN is getting the BUMP bet you all the money in the world
no you don’t. just trust me on that
The black girl?! She has a name ya’ know! Robbin Simmons and I agree, she’s great but I don’t know if WSVN will pair two women anchors in the evening. Lamberty and Cowan are two great options to have. Either choice would be brilliant.
No I dont see them doing 2 female anchors we can’t even get Belkys and Lynn together
Last time they had 2 female anchors was Lynn and Beatriz or was it Lynn and Marilyn ????
I get confused one which was last
I think they don’t like females with females or males with males
SHUT YOUR MOUTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Haven’t you seen WSVN in the morning?
i forgot about that I HAD a BLONDE MOMENT LOL LOL
Laberty, while a polished anchor, sucks on the street. He hasn’t had time to grow in the community. .
Billi is a clown. Riddens.
This should be VERY interesting. Because Cowen moved to weekends the same week Billi moved to weekdays from weekends, COWEN’s contract is also up very soon and I hear he has two major offers/stations on the west coast trying to get him. You may just see TWO anchor openings at SVN. Just sayin’ ballers. Could be good for both spermin bermin and that guy who was dumped by NYC and ended up chasin’ a girl all the way to Miami.
NO WSVN Don’t let REED COWAN go PROMOTE HIM ASAP PLEASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSE!!!!!!!
lol. I DO NOT want to see Lamberty in that chair. Hope Cowan stays in Miami. He’s a dynamite anchor/reporter.
Reid Lamberty would be a great addition to the WSVN anchor team, either week nights or weekends, I am fine with both.
Reed Cowan is a great anchor, but I can’t see him paired up with Lynn. The other Reid (Lamberty) fits the look.
Please no Blake Burman. He does not believe on the anchor desk. He should stay out on the field reporting on SoFLa stories.
I’m really sorry to see Charles Billi go. I’ve admired his work from the beginning and think he should stay in SoFLa with us. We’ll miss Charles!
Oops… I meant to say “Please no Blake Burman. He does not BELONG…”
Agreed. Good riddance Billi
You were awful and I’m glad you are disappearing into obscurity.
Cowen is a class act. Wherever he goes it’s well deserved.
I doubt you know anything about tv news
Charles Bili:
If you read this site, I’m a big fan of your work. like Rosh, Reed, and Derrick you are one of the dynamite reporters of the station. You really know how to bring it home and you break all your stories down so even a toddler can understand. You will be missed. Well done.
On to his replacement…
Reid Lamberty : Although he is polished, he does nothing for WSVN’s “show me” style. Dull and boring as a reporter. He doesn’t deserve the anchor chair. He hasn’t had time to grow in the community and doesn’t quite fit Miami yet.
Cowan: Dynamite Anchor/reporter. Although that would mean less street time which he,Rosh and Billi are known for rocking every story.
Burman: HELL NO! ratings would drop BIG TIME. He and Lynn wouldn’t complement in looks or personality. Keep him on the street, better as a reporter
I would even suggest Andre Hepkins instead who is the WORST REPORTER/PERSONALITY i’ve EVER seen in news. (I switch channels everytime he comes on.) But I’ve seen him fill in anchor and he’s not half bad. The other stations have a black anchor….
I love all the “insiders” with all these supposed 7 scoops… Notice they can’t even spell the names right? Ha.
It is:
Reed Cowan .. Not cowen
Reid Lamberty .. Not reed
Blake Burman .. Not berman
Derek Hayward .. Not Derrick
These “insiders” must all work in chryon!
So it’s good bye Billi…looked at that BigTampa website, not very good, limited content, info just photos. A bunch of photos of gay bodybuilders and strippers called hotties . Doesn’t look like Tampa is very “hot” by looks of those folks. And “hotties” love that word –very 80′s.
Charles Billi ia a class act & a wonderful anchor, he will be sorely missed.
so Ivan…since you’ve bashed Billi’s website, yours must be better. Where is it?
I have to disagree Ivan–I think the BigTampa website is new and innovative. It’s visual and creative. not sure those”hot” people are representative of people in Tampa but beauty has many faces. I am sure Charles Billi will be successful with that website.
Only Good Luck to Charles Billi and I love BigTampa.com– makes me want to visit Tampa. I am sure he will be missed in Miami.
I have watched Charles Billi for years on Channel 7 and have always thought he is very professional and interesting. He will be missed. I have also seen BigTampa.com and think it is great!! Best of luck to Charles!!!
I HAVE FOLLOWED CHARLES BILLI ON CHANNEL 7 EVER SINCE HE HAS BEEN WITH THEM HE WILL BE GREATLY MISSED. I WISH HIM ALL THE BEST AND HOPE WSVN REALIZES WHAT AN ASSET THEY ARE LOOSING…….
I just heard from a friend Charles Billi is leaving. Our loss is Tampa’s gain.
WHO CARE’S????? don’t let the door knob hit you on your wAy out……
Charles bad mouthed SVN, Miami, and the people he worked with. These people who say he is going to be missed are wrong. He got what was coming to him. And his website–a bad joke.
Agreed Charles burned more than a few bridges. A clown with a tendency to self dustruct. Not going to be missed at all.
LOL. Look at all the different first time names on here talking shit about everyone. Looks like only a few with a vested interest in Billi’s job are at play here. Good luck, Chuck. You’ve got balls.
Why all this negative stuff? TV people are the worst. Wish the guy luck, he’s going after something new and taking a jump into a new field. Good for him. Easy to sit back and criticize him.. It has no merit. Feeling that Charles may prove all his critics wrong
Marcus — wiem, kim jeste?. Wiem, ?e to czytasz. Wyci?gnij kie?basa z ty?ek i powiedzie?, ?e jeste? przepraszam.
wesolych swiat
Love your website Charles. Check out mine, greggwatsontv.com, I applied and hope I get your old job at ‘svn. May I rent your house after you move out?
REED IS BURNING UP THAT SCREEN NOW—REALLY MAKING BILLI LOOK WORSE THAN BEFORE–A PERFECT MATCH WITH LYNN. AND THAT BILLI WEBSITE I FINALLY TOOK A LOOK, C- AT BEST
If WSVN overlooks Reed Cowan for Reid Laberty, I will discontinue watching WSVN.
Reed Cowan is a well-seasoned anchor. He has looks & also ads a bit of flair to the set.
Reid Lamberty, though he has looks, is boring as hell. That’s NOT the WSVN way.
Good Riddance Chuck Billy! What a tool. Pompous and stiff. He was the main reason (and Belkys) I couldn’t watch channel 7 anymore. Lynn is great. Serious when necessary, but much more interesting and fun to watch. But hey, that’s just me.
Won’t miss him one bit! He’s so full of himself. Hopefully this “venture” will give him a much needed reality check and he will come down to earth. If Yahoo! can’t make money what makes Chucky think that his swampy website is going to pay the light bill.
WOuldn’t wanna be ya!
Hey Truth, what TV station do you work for or are you just a wannabee that criticizes people in positions that you will never attain? Wanker.