Florida News Center

(from FirstCoastNews.com) – There is change is in the air, and on-the-air, at First Coast News. And in this case, change is a good thing.As of Monday, July 6, 2009, First Coast News anchor Joy Purdy brings her energetic personality to Good Morning Jacksonville as the new co-anchor alongside veteran morning anchor Phil Amato.Joy has been with FCN for more than two years as the co-anchor of First Coast News at 7:00 p.m.With regard to this move, Joy says, “I’m a very upbeat person by nature. I look forward to working with Phil to help First Coast viewers wake up and start their day on a positive note. And,” she adds, “I also hope to bring a little fun to their mornings!”What about Patty? Fans of longtime GMJ anchor Patty Crosby need not despair.Patty is moving to Joy’s former slot, as the new anchor for First Coast News at 7:00 p.m., while Deanna Fene’ shifts her job title to weekend anchor. For the first time in 14 years, Patty will be able to get her kids ready for school in the morning. More family time was the big reason behind Patty’s decision to make this switch. “My boys are growing up so fast. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to wake up and cook breakfast for them!” she says.On First Coast News at 7:00, Patty will team up once again with meteorologist Steve Smith, her former Good Morning Jacksonville colleague. A great team in the morning will now be a great team in the evenings.As with Patty, spending more time with family was a key reason Deanna Fene’ chose to make the transition to weekends. No more missed school plays, little league games or recitals; this mom can now be there for her kids. There is a lot going on here at First Coast News. But the most important thing for you, the viewer, is this: though some things have changed, one thing remains the same. First Coast News is the place to turn for the people you know and the news you can trust.

After much lazyness on my part, FNC version 5.0 is now online. FNC now comes to you in blog format, so you can comment on stories as I post them on the main page. There are still a few bugs that need to be worked out and a couple a links, buttons, tabs…etc may change in the next couple days. Also look for a new color scheme and format for FNC Forum as well.

If you come across issues, find any problems or just plain old grammar/spelling mistakes, please email me.  You can do so at the standard  FLNewsCenter@FLNewsCenter.com or if there’s a problem that needs to be addressed faster email my BlackBerry at FNCMobile@gmail.com.

For now though, enjoy the site!

– FNC Webmaster

(from WESH.com) – WESH 2 News anchor Scott Walker is leaving to take a position with WDSU-TV in New Orleans. Walker will anchor WDSU’s 5 p.m. news and report for other newscasts, WDSU said in a news release on Wednesday. WDSU and WESH are part of Hearst Television Inc. Walker starts his new job in August. “The opportunity to return home to work in New Orleans at an institution like WDSU is an exciting one for me professionally and personally,” Walker said. “I’ve covered everything from Super Bowls to hurricanes, but I’ve never done it in front of family, friends and the incredibly news-savvy viewers of South Louisiana and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. I’m looking forward to that — and finally using my Saints season tickets –more than words can express.” According to WESH/WKCF President and General Manager Jim Carter in Orlando, “This is a great opportunity for Scott to return to his hometown and yet stay within the company. Scott has been a valuable member of the ‘Sunrise’ team for almost two years. We appreciate his hard work and wish him the best in this new position.” For the past two years, Walker has served as an anchor for WESH 2 Sunrise on WESH and CW18 as well as for WESH 2 at noon. Walker was born and raised in Metairie, La., and is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi. “During the past 15 years, I’ve covered news and sports at TV stations in Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. My wife, son and I are grateful to the management of Hearst Television, WESH and WDSU for the opportunity to bring that experience back home to New Orleans,” Walker said. Walker’s wife grew up in Labadieville, La., outside Thibodaux. The couple has a 4-year-old son and a second child is due this fall. WDSU and WESH are owned and operated by Hearst Television Inc. Hearst Television Inc., formerly known as Hearst-Argyle Television, Inc., is a leading local media company that owns 26 television stations, and manages an additional three television and two radio stations. The company’s television stations reach approximately 18 percent of U.S. TV households, making it one of America’s largest television station groups. It also owns 37 websites and 20 digital multicast channels providing news, weather and entertainment programming.

(from SPTimes.com) – Morning television anchor Russell Rhodes will serve 50 hours of community service and six months of probation after a judge approved his plea agreement Wednesday for obstructing an officer without violence in January. Rhodes, 50, pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor as part of an agreement with the Hillsborough State Attorney’s Office. Adjudication was withheld, meaning he will not have a conviction on his record.Defense attorney Jeff Brown told the court Wednesday there was concern over a morality clause in Rhodes’ contract with WTVT-Ch. 13, prompting the court to withhold adjudication. Rhodes can have his probation terminated once the 50 hours have been served.Rhodes declined to comment.The state initially planned to pursue a charge of driving under the influence, but County Judge Cheryl Thomas tossed blood evidence last week. She found that the results, which showed Rhodes’ blood-alcohol level was more than twice Florida’s allowable limit, had been improperly obtained.An off-duty deputy stopped Rhodes in a Channelside parking garage Jan. 16 because he suspected Rhodes was driving while impaired. Rhodes twice tried to walk away after being told to stay put. He then attempted to run out of the garage.The officer knocked Rhodes to the ground and arrested him. A jail mug shot shows injuries to his face.Brown said the arresting officer gave two different accounts of the incident, raising questions about the accuracy of his testimony. Brown said he suspected he had tailored his account to support the state’s case.When asked if celebrity justice influenced the court, Brown acknowledged there had been a lot of talk, but said none of it was true.Rhodes resumed his on-air duties in mid February. He has not selected where he will perform the community service, but Brown said Rhodes might work at an animal shelter.

WTVT is finally broadcasting it’s newscasts in HD (first newscast intro seen in first YouTube clip below).  Along HD, WTVT is now sporting the FOX Corp graphic package (other examples of this graphic package in the second YouTube clip below).

Frank Robertson anchored his last newscast on WTVT today. He is retiring from WTVT and from news all together. Video of his sign off and station memorium below.

(edited from our friends at SFLTV.com) – Breaking news now confirmed by SFLTV.com: Major talent layoffs at WTVJ NBC6 today. Shocked tipsters are telling SFLTV.com that longtime anchor and South Florida icon/news legend Kelly Craig (top right) was laid off from the station early Monday afternoon. You heard right. The anchor that has been there since April of 1990 was laid off. Joining in this major round of lay-offs are weekday morning reporter Joe Carter, and Andrea Brody, the only female sports anchor at WTVJ. SFLTV is told that these layoffs were all most likely due to the economy. Talent wasn’t the only cost-cutting item to go.  SFLTV.com has confirmed that  WTVJ has canceled the NBC6 weekend morning newscast. We observed this “Tweet” by WTVJ executive producer Tammy Delgado, which seemed to originally confirm the suspicion of the layoffs: “I hate today.. hate it.. hate it.. hate it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Tammy would be the producer in charge of both Kelly Craig and Joe Carter. As of 3:30 PM on 6/29, their bios have been removed.

SFLTV.com contacted Ms. Craig and received this response:  “From the bottom of my heart, I thank South Florida for 19 years of support and viewership.  I am truly blessed to have worked at a station where I was surrounded by dedicated professionals who I am honored to call my friends.  I will dearly miss them all.”

SFLTV.com insiders are also telling our staff that several production employees were ALSO let go today from WTVJ. We’re told some layoffs include a floor manager, and possibly a steady camera operator.  Stay tuned…….

(from SPTimes.com) - The Hillsborough State Attorney’s Office will drop a driving under the influence charge against WTVT-Ch. 13 morning anchor Russell Rhodes, five months after he was stopped in a Channelside parking garage, his attorney said today. Rhodes, 50, was supposed to be tried today on charges tied to his Jan. 16 arrest. But the trial was continued until Wednesday because his attorney was awaiting transcripts from a previous hearing. Now, instead of going to trial, Rhodes will plead no contest on Wednesday to a misdemeanor obstruction charge, defense attorney Jeff Brown said. As part of the plea deal, Rhodes will serve 50 hours of community service. Adjudication will be withheld, meaning he will not have a conviction on his record. “The 50 hours of community service are appropriate based on the way he handled himself that night,” Brown said. “I think Russell has already acknowledged he didn’t handle it in the most professional manner.” Rhodes, who lives in Tampa, was arrested after an off-duty deputy stopped him in the public parking garage at Channelside on suspicion that he was driving under the influence. The deputy said the morning news anchor tried to walk away twice after being ordered to stay put and surrender his car keys. When the news anchor tried to run out of the garage, authorities said, the deputy took him to the ground and arrested him on a charge of obstructing or opposing an officer without violence. Rhodes’ jail mug shot showed severe injuries to his face. Authorities said he had a blood-alcohol level of 0.179 and 0.178, more than twice the limit at which Florida considers a driver to be impaired. However, a judge last week threw out blood evidence, saying it was improperly obtained. Earlier today, Brown said he was frustrated that prosecutors were not offering a reasonable plea given that they had no other evidence of Rhodes’ blood-alcohol level. The attorney called it “reverse celebrity justice.” Brown had kinder words after prosecutors agreed to drop the DUI charge. “Dropping the DUI is clearly the right thing to do,” he said. “I hope people don’t think he’s being treated differently than anybody else.”

Tampa’s WTVT was at the right place, at the right time to land an interview with TV salesman Billy Mays. Mays had been aboard a US Airways flight from Philadelphia that blew a tire upon landing at Tampa International Airport. He gave an interview to WTVT, telling what happened when the made a hard landing. He recounted that objects had fallen out of the bins overhead, actually hitting him in the head. Less than 24hours later,he was found dead in his Tampa home. The statement Mays made about having been hit in the head is now very important as investigators try and determine what caused Mays’ unexpected death. An autopsy is scheduled for Monday morning. Watch the interview below.