Florida News Center

(from Herald-Tribune.com) - Justin Mosely, chief meteorologist at SNN Local News, is leaving Southwest Florida to broadcast the weather on Florida’s east coast, at an ABC TV affiliate in West Palm Beach.

His last day in front of the Sarasota weather map will be Feb. 6. His first day at his new broadcast home, WPBF-Channel 25, where he will also be a meteorologist on staff, will be Thursday.

Mosely is SNN’s longest-tenured employee, said Linda DesMarais, SNN’s executive vice president and general manager.

“He has grown his skills and talent year after year, and has been very important to the success of the station,” DesMarais told staffers. “Justin is an exceptional team player, and I know everyone here will miss him.”….Cont….

As Florida News Center reported earlier this summer, SNN Sarasota’s cable-only 24hr news channel announced a deal to be carried on Verizon’s FiOS cable system. SNN premiered on FiOS this past Friday. Prior to FiOS, SNN was only available on local Comcast cable systems.

The station also chose its FiOS cable debut to introduce a new logo (left top) and a slightly tweaked graphics package.

Sources tell Florida News Center that huge changes are looming for Sarasota’s 24hour cable-only news outlet, SNN6. The channel has been exclusively carried on Comcast cable systems since its inception. That exclusivity with Comcast will change, as Verizon’s FiOS cable will begin offering SNN6 to its local customers.

Sources go on to tell Florida News Center that with the carriage of FiOS, expect to see changes at channel itself. Look for a rebranding from the current “SNN6″ to “SNN Local News.”

So far there is no word on if Verizon will offer SNN to the rest of the FiOS Tampa-St. Petersburg-Sarasota media market. Currently SNN is only seen on Comcast in Sarasota & Charlotte counties. Stay tuned for further information…

(from Review.net) – As a result of a lawsuit filed by Gravitas Leasing LLC against the owner of SNN, LDB Media LLC, 12th Judicial Circuit Judge Lee Haworth has awarded Gravitas the right to sell off the TV station’s equipment to cover a debt of more than $400,000.

Gravitas Leasing, which is controlled by retired Illinois attorney and Palm Tower owner Randall Bono; Alton, Ill.-based CPA Michael Fitzgerald and Dunlap; and Sarasota attorney Johnson Savary Jr., says in its civil case against LDB Media that the TV station owner stopped paying its note in July.

However, Doug Barker, a partner in LDB Media, says the sell-off is not going to happen.

“This is an internal deal with one of our partners that he did for some reasons we don’t necessarily want to get into,” Barker said, adding that he was not at liberty to discuss more of the situation….Cont….

Sources tell Florida News Center that SNN 6 morning anchor and executive producer, Adrienne Stein is leaving the Sarasota 24hr news channel. She has accepted the job as evening anchor at at WGME-TV in Portland, ME.

Stein has been with SNN for the past five years. Her last day will be April 15th. SNN is actively looking for a new morning anchor. Stay tuned for further information.

//HT to Anon

(from News-Press.com) - WINK-TV has hired a trio of new reporters for the station’s newscasts.

Amber Lindke is a new Web editor and reporter, recently graduating with a master’s degree from Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism. While she is already on the job here in sunny Southwest Florida, at last check, her car was still stuck in Chicago, frozen in ice. (No joke!)

Howie Grace (left) is the new Charlotte County bureau chief for WINK, coming to the station from just up the road at the Sarasota News Network. Grace previously worked as a longtime photographer at WBBH NBC2.

Finally, Genevieve Judge (right)will be joining WINK later this month as a reporter. The Bradenton native is coming back to Florida from chilly KIFI-TV, the ABC affiliate in Idaho Falls, Idaho where she was an anchor and reporter.

Meanwhile, a couple of WINK-TV stalwarts left the station during the holiday bustle.

Longtime features reporter Judd Cribbs (left) left for a new position teaching TV production, journalism and writing to students at Cape Coral High School. And reporter Nicole Papageorge has jumped to WFTV-TV, the ABC station in Orlando….Cont….

Sources tell Florida News Center that Sarasota’s cable-only SNN6 has parted ways with Charlotte County bureau reporter Howie Grace and an unnamed photographer and producer. Grace joined SNN in 2009 from Fort Myers’ WBBH.

No word was given for firings. Stay tuned for further information.

(from HeraldTribune.com) – A massive computer server failure forced SNN Local News 6 off the air early Wednesday.

Sources tell Florida News Center that Charles Brown, reporter for Sarasota’s 24hr (Comcast cable-only) SNN Local 6 is set to retire from the station this week. His last day at SNN is tomorrow Dec 30th. Kudos and congrats!

Viewers in Sarasota tell Florida News Center that Grant Boxleitner has joined Sarasota’s Six News Now. Boxleitner previously worked down the coast as a reporter for Fort Myer’s WBBH. Video of Boxleitner reporting here.

Also, now reporting at Six News Now, Howie Grace. He also comes from Fort Myers’ WBBH, where he was a staff photog. See Grace report here.