Florida News Center

17:45 UPDATE CORRECTION: We mistakenly reported at the time of story publication, that Tenikka Smith was joining WTEV/WAWS as the station’s new morning anchor, replacing Lynnsey Gardner. However, she will be the duopoly’s new evening anchor. The story has been corrected below.

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TVSpy.com reports that Tenikka Smith is leaving Charlotte, NC’s WSOC-TV. She will join Jacksonville duopoly WTEV/WAWS as the new week day evening anchor.

“I am very excited to join the CBS47 and FOX30 Action News family as we continue our mission to provide viewers quality coverage and original content,” Smith said in a statement.

Smith replaces former morning anchor Paige Kelton, who as Florida News Center reported, was told that her contract was not being renewed. Kelton was one of five anchors at the duopoly of WTEV/WAWS that was given this news, The station made the changes because it was “starting over from scratch.”

In early July John Bachman was named as replacement #1 at the stations and now Smith has been named as replacement #2. Who will take the 3rd, 4th, and 5th spots? Stay tuned to Florida News Center for the latest.

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(from TVSpy.com) – Post-Newsweek Stations announced today the company would now be known as Graham Media Group, effective immediately. The name change comes after the sale of The Washington Post to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. The company owns five television stations, WJXT in Jacksonville, WDIV in Detroit, KPRC in Houston, KSAT in San Antonio, and WKMG in Orlando.

In a statement, Emily Barr, president and CEO of Graham Media Group, said the new name was a better fit for the company….Cont…..

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(from Jacksonville.com) – Phil Amato, anchor of two morning shows at First Coast News, has left the station.

Eric Land, president and general manager of First Coast News on WJXX TV-25 and WTLV TV-12, would say only that Amato resigned on Monday. Although Amato had been on the air in the past week, Land said that Amato was not on the air during several newscasts last week.

Amato co-anchored “First Coast News” at 4 a.m. on WTLV and “Good Morning Jacksonville Sunrise” at 5 a.m. and “Good Morning Jacksonville” at 6 a.m. on both stations. At one point, he returned to co-anchor the 5:30 p.m. newscast as well, but was not doing the afternoon newcast any more….Cont….

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Check out this cute video from WTVT, as the “Good Day” AM crew shows off their best friends.

Yes, indeed these are the dog days of summer…..

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Multiple sources tell Florida News Center that WTXL morning meteorologist Michelle Rotella has been let go from the Tallahassee station. Her departure comes just short of her one year anniversary at the station.

Recent posts on Rotella’s Facebook page state that she is “headed north for some family time” and that she will “be back on the airwaves soon.” However, sources say that she is done, at least at WTXL. Her bio was removed from the station’s website earlier this week.

Rotella joined WTXL in September 2013, coming from Scranton, PA’s WNEP-TV.

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