Florida News Center

Mobile’s WALA will debut a new “local lifestyle and entertainment” show this fall, called “Studio 10.” Does this sound familiar? It should, WTSP produces (pretty much) the exact same show for the Tampa market, also called “Studio 10″ (logo right). More on WALA’s “new” show below…

(from RBR.com) - LIN Media’s WALA-TV (Fox) Mobile-Pensacola is set to debut a new, local lifestyle and entertainment program this fall. “Studio 10” will give viewers access to shopping, entertainment, cooking, fitness, bargain-hunting, home décor and an array of other topics of local interest.

Producers say the program will be hyper-local and focused on all the things that make life in the Gulf Coast area fabulous.

“This is a program unlike anything else on the air in this market,” said WALA/WFNA Vice President and General Manager Matt Pumo. “It’s energetic, fun, informative…and one hundred-eighty degrees from a local news show.”

Studio 10 will air weekdays at 8:00 am immediately after the “FOX10 News Morning Show.”  The program will be hosted by Cherish Lombard and Joe Emer and will feature segments produced by Chasity Byrd and Derica Williams….Cont….

(from RBR.com) – LIN TV’s WBPG-TV Mobile-Pensacola has changed call letters to WFNA, to denote its two states of Florida aNd Alabama. The station continues to be a CW affiliate in a duopoly with WALA-TV (Fox). “In addition to a whole new look and design, viewers and customers can expect a whole new attitude. Programming, web content, even contesting will be done with a completely new edge,” said WALA and WFNA President and General Manager Matt Pumo. “The ultimate objective is to create an exciting experience for the viewer,” said WALA and WFNA Director of Marketing Kyle Claude.  “We wanted a brand that is relevant, entertaining and memorable… to have everyone in the market saying FNA Baby.” WFNA’s product launch will take place on December 18, 2009.  Station management says viewers can expect new on-air and online content early next year….Cont….

(edited from FOX10TV.com) -?Mobile’s WALA and?sports anchor Rob Lehocky were honored Monday night as one of the elite in Journalism. He won an Edward R. Murrow award for sports reporting.?Rob was honored in New York City by the Radio Television and New Directors Association. The award was for his story about Challenger Field, a baseball league designed for kids with disabilities. “If you walk around Westside Baseball Park in west Mobile it looks like any other little league facility. But one field stands out, Challenger Field. It looks like a normal baseball field with dugouts, bases, and an outfield fence. But what happens inside that fence is truly amazing. One team is specially designed for children with disabilities.” RTNDA has honored outstanding achievements in electronic journalism with the Edward R. Murrow Awards since 1971. Murrow’s pursuit of excellence in journalism embodies the spirit of the awards that carry his name. See the whole list of winner’s here.

Watch the “Challenger Field” story here…

President Obama’s address to Congress tonight was ignored by most FOX network affiliates across the country, to play the scheduled premiere?episode of “So You Think You Can Dance.” All ten Florida FOX affiliates did not air the address for “Dance.”

I don’t often offer commentary on the main page, but your webmaster found this action, by FOX and their affiliates, truly insulting to America and it’s viewers, despite who the President is. This was a MAJOR address and should have been broadcast…FOX should be ashamed.

Below is a list of Florida FOX affiliates and their Obama address coverage:

• WTVT-13 (Tampa/St Petersburg) – Did NOT air, did simulcast on website
• WSVN-7 (Miami/Fort Lauderdale) – Did NOT air, did simulcast on website
• WOFL-35 (Orlando/Daytona Beach) – Did NOT air, did simulcast on sister station WRBW/website
• WFLX-29 (West Palm Beach) – Did NOT air
• WAWS-30 (Jacksonville/Brunswick,GA) – Did NOT air, aired on CBS sister station WTEV
• WALA-10 (Mobile,AL/Pensacola) – Did NOT air, did simulcast on website
• WFTX-36 (Fort Myers/Naples) – Did NOT air
• WTLH-49 (Tallahassee/Thomasville,GA) – Did NOT air
• WPGX-28 (Panama City/Ft Walton Beach) – Did NOT air
• WOGX-50 (Gainesville/Ocala/Lake City) – Did NOT air

And if you didn’t see the address, watch it below via CNN

(edited from FoxBuisness.com) – LIN TV has leveraged News Over Wireless’s (NOW) technology to develop custom BlackBerry smartphone applications for each of its 27 local television stations. Six LIN TV stations will launch service today, including WISH-TV, WAVY-TV, KRQE-TV, WANE-TV, WALA-TV and KXAN-TV. LIN TV is the first in its local markets to provide instantaneous and on-demand access to its local news, sports and entertainment, as well as video, weather forecasts and traffic reports to BlackBerry smartphone subscribers….Cont….

(edited from WPTV.com) – West Palm Beach’s WPTV launched its new iPhone application Friday.? It is available now in the iPhone App Store for free (search WPTV) . The app includes latest news headlines, news videos, weather videos, radar, forecasts and more.? Leave us a comment at the end of this story if you have any ways to improve the application.