Our friends at FTV Live report that sources at CBS say that WFOR News Director Adrienne Roark has been hired as the new News Director for Dallas’ KTVT CBS 11. Roark will be placed by Cesar Aldama, who is currently the Assistant News Director at Philadelphia’s KYW CBS 3. Aldama is no newbie to Miami TV, as he has worked at many of the stations in the market. FTV says the official announcement should be made soon. Stay tuned…
(from OrlandoSentinel.com) – Might local television stations use tape of a SeaWorld trainer’s death?
The issue was a top story on local stations at noon today. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office says video of trainer Dawn Brancheau’s death could be public record under Florida law, WFTV-Channel 9 anchor Vanessa Echols reported at noon today. But Brancheau’s family could file an injunction to keep the video out of the press, WFTV added. WESH-Channel 2 quoted an attorney, Jon Mills, who could soon represent the family: “I have talked with them and am consulting with them about what their options are to try to avoid what they view as a serious trauma being released.”
Would stations use the tape? Stations offered a range of opinions.…Cont….
Click here to read WFOR reporter David Sutta blog about being attacked by Africanized bees. The news crew was out in the Everglades covering a story on the opening day of python hunting season. Read a sample below…
One of the hunters looked into a ditch looking for snakes only to be surprised by a bee hive. He walked away and we thought nothing of it. Two minutes later the first bee went over my ear. 10 seconds later the swarm was around me. I took off running. One of the hunters said I had no less than 50 surrounding my head. As I swung rapidly at my skull knocking off bees left and right, I yelled at my photographer Doug to open the car. About 50 yards out I ditched the camera. The shades came flying off along with my wedding band. The car doors unlocked. I swooped in and closed the door. I knocked off another three or four bees who followed me in. Gasping for air I looked up and see Doug and another hunter running full steam out West. The bees were on his tail and he too had ditched his camera….Cont….
(from TampaBay.com) – Tampa’s Fox station WTVT-Ch. 13 did well in most news time periods among viewers aged 25 to 54, winning early morning hours, beating the Today show at 7 a.m., tying with Oprah Winfrey at 4 p.m. and beating rival WFLA-Ch. 8 in the 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. hours….Cont….
The winners!
AM: WTVT, 5pm-6:30pm: WTVT, 11pm: WFLA
(from OrlandoSentinel.com) - Reporter Jamie Guirola is departing WKMG-Channel 6. His last day will be Friday. “I’ve been saving up some money so I can take a little break and catch up on some personal matters,” he says. “After that, I plan on exploring other career opportunities within the business.” He was at the CBS affiliate almost a year and a half. J.R. Stone will join WKMG on Jan. 28 as a reporter/photographer, news director Susan Forbes says…Cont…
Sources on the First Coast give Florida News Center the following winners of the latest February 2010 ratings period. WTLV/WJXX take the biggest prizes, but share competitors WJXT and WTEV/WAWS.
Morning: WJXT, Noon: WTEV/WAWS, 5pm: WJXT, 5:30pm: WTLV/WJXX, 6: WTLV/WJXX, 7: WTLV/WJXX, 10: WAWS/WTEV, 11: WTLV/WJXX
//hat tip to Anonymous!
(from MediaWeek.com) – Sunbeam Television’s antitrust claims against Nielsen will get their day in Court. The U.S. District Court for the District of Florida Friday (March 5) denied Nielsen’s third attempt to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Sunbeam, owner of WSVN, the Fox affiliate in Miami.
In its filing, Sunbeam claims that Nielsen’s rollout of its local people meter service has produced inaccurate ratings and under represents segments of Miami’s diverse population. The broadcaster further argues that Nielsen knew its LPM service in Miami had problems.
“We are very pleased with the Court’s decision. We feel this is an important case not only for WSVN, but also for those members of the Miami-Fort Lauderdale community whose television viewing is not accurately reflected in Nielsen’s television ratings for South Florida, as well as for other television stations throughout the country,” said Ed Ansin, president of WSVN. WSVN said that Nielsen’s inaccurate ratings have cost the station $1 million per month in ad revenue….Cont….
(from OrlandoSentinel.com) - WFTV-Channel 9 claimed victory in many news time slots for the February ratings period, which ended Wednesday. But WESH-Channel 2 owned bragging rights to most popular late news, even though the Winter Olympics delayed the NBC affiliate’s 11 p.m. telecast many nights.
“This is a big win for the station,” WESH General Manager Jim Carter said. In January, WESH had placed third at 11 o’clock and aired after the low-rated “Jay Leno Show,” now gone. CBS affiliate WKMG-Channel 6 won in January, and ABC affiliate WFTV placed second. Why the lead changes? “This is a market with good news product,” Carter said.
He had reason to crow about February late news. WESH had the edge in the 25-to-54 age group, which is most important to news advertisers. (The 25-to-54 stats are cited in this blog post, unless otherwise noted.) WESH averaged 46,500 viewers to WFTV’s 42,100, WKMG’s 35,400 and WOFL-Channel 35’s 18,500….Cont….
(edited from WPBF press release) – West Palm Beach’s WPBF, posted significant audience growth in nearly every program between 7AM and 8PM weekdays when compared to November 2009. This according to preliminary audience estimates from the recently completed February 2010 Nielsen Ratings survey. Leading WPBF 25’s growth was the 40% increase posted by WPBF 25 News at 6PM from November 2009. WPBF 25’s growth was the largest among ALL television stations in the market at 6PM.
“WPBF 25 and wpbf.com continue to grow and gain new attention in the market. Both through our day-in, day-out news coverage and our special reports, WPBF 25’s commitment to our viewers has never been stronger or more well-received,” said WPBF 25 Vice President and General Manager, Caroline Taplett. “We are pleased to see such significant growth in such a short period of time and this growth is proof our aggressive coverage of local news on-air and online is what local viewers want,” added WPBF 25 News Director Kyle Grimes.
(from BroadcastingCable.com) – Sinclair Broadcast Group and ABC have extended negotiations over affiliate agreements once again, pushing the would-be deadline back to March 31. The two parties continue to negotiate the terms of the agreements, which were set to expire Dec. 31, 2009, and have been extended several times. ABC has been pushing its affiliates to share programming costs as part of their agreements with the networks. Some station groups have chafed, and some deem it reasonable.
