Florida News Center

NOTE: On Monday FNC reported that Lanee worked at the station for only six months. She in fact has been with the station for two years. Please excuse the error.

Sources tell Florida News Center that WCJB reporter Jamel Lanee is leaving the Gainesville station. She is headed to WAFF-TV in Huntsville, AL. She has worked at WCJB for the past two years. So far no one has been named as her replacement. She will remain at the station until the end of September.

Lanee joins a growing list of staffers who are fleeing WCJB, including another producer who insiders tell us quit without notice last week. Other sources say that the station has recently brought on two new unnamed reporters. Stay tuned for further updates.

Sources tell Florida News Center that sports director Hank Astengo is leaving Gainesville’s WCJB. Astengo joined WCJB out of the University of Florida as a reporter in 1999. He took over as sports director in 2007. He will officially leave the station in September. So far there is no word on where Astengo will end up or who will take over the sports director position at WCJB.

As Florida News Center reported a week ago, Astengo joins a growing list of WCJB staffers fleeing the station. Staffers tell us that the morale is completely gone at the station. From our story last week…

One e-mailer says, “no one wants to work for News Director Brett Buell. He’s impossible to work work with. It’s all quantity and no quality.” Another writes, “most of those departing the station, do not even have jobs lined up yet. They can’t even hold on to job-less UF grads.”

Stay tuned for further changes as WCJB turns into a ghost town, while the competition Gainesville Television Network debuts a new newscast for the Gainesville market coming this September.

Despite the recent (and possible future) loss of staff, WCJB GM Carolyn Barrett tells The Gainesville Sun that she welcomes the competition from GTN.

“(WCJB) has been on the air for almost 40 years, and people depend on (WCJB’s) local news and identify with its long-term anchors. And even though the newscast always strives to improve, competition will bring out the best. We’re going to keep doing what we’re doing and hopefully do it better and better and better. We serve the community, and that’s what we’re here for.”

Sources tell Florida News Center that reporter Josh Rosenthal is leaving Gainesville’s WCJB. He’s headed to Little Rock, AR (a 104 market jump!). Rosenthal is the third reporter in the past few weeks to leave the station. As Florida News Center reported on Monday, reporters Robert Bradfield and Jordan Smith are leaving the station as well.

Our story on Monday inspired (what’s left of) WCJB staff to come out of the woodwork….

Sources tell Florida News Center that with the departure of Rosenthal, Bradfield and Smith, WCJB is left with three reporters. Two of those reporters are new grads hired from the Univ of Florida. The third is weekend meteorologist Aaron Boll. Reporters are made to work six day work weeks and vacation time has been denied, because the station is so short staffed.

As Florida News Center reported on Monday, a producer and photographer have also put in notice to leave the station. Now, we learn that they aren’t the only technical staff to leave. Other producers, as well as most of the photographers and ENG/sat truck staff have also left the station. No new hires have been made. One source says, “the place is a ghost town.”

Out of the MANY e-mails that we have received over the past week, the one comment that you hear most is that morale is completely gone as the station. One e-mailer says, “no one wants to work for News Director Brett Buell. He’s impossible to work work with. It’s all quantity and no quality.” Another writes, “most of those departing the station, do not even have jobs lined up yet. They can’t even hold on to job-less UF grads.”

So, where are all of these staffers going you may ask? The answer – across the street to triopoly WGFL/WNBW/WMYG, who is currently building their news department for an October premiere. Stay tuned for further information.

Sources tell Florida News Center that staff are bailing out at Gainesville’s WCJB. Two on air reporters, Robert Bradfield (right #1) and Jordan Smith (right #2), are leaving the station. Bradfield is headed to Paducah, KY’s WPSD NBC 6. His last day at the station is July 30th. Smith is headed to Charleston, SC’s WCSC CBS 5. Her last day at the station is July 23rd. Sources also confirm that a producer and photographer are leaving and are not expected to be the last ones out of the door. Stay tuned…

Sources also confirm rumors that Joe Girvan has been hired to anchor/report for the developing news operation at Gainesville triopoly WGFL/WNBW/WMYG. As Florida News Center reported two weeks ago, the triopoly is expected to started broadcasting news on all three stations coming this October. Girvan, as you may remember was let go by Tampa’s cable only Bay News 9 back in January. Girvan is no stranger to Gainesville; he use to work in the sports department at WCJB. Stay tuned..

(from Gainesville.com) – Ocala’s WCJB-TV 20’s local newscasts start broadcasting in high definition on Sat 01/09/10. The station has been providing ABC programming in HD for a number of years, according to Chief Engineer Steve Ingram. Newscasts on WCJB’s CW will continue to broadcast in standard definition. WCJB-TV’s HD signal is available free over the air on channel 20.1 and CW is on 20.2.