Florida News Center

(from OrlandoSentinel.com) – April ratings underscore just how tight the race for Central Florida viewers has become and how the competition is challenging longtime leader WFTV-Ch 9.

The numbers in this story, unless otherwise noted, reflect viewers in the 25-to-54 age group, which is most important to news advertisers.

In the April ratings period that ended Wednesday, WESH-Channel 2 and WOFL-Channel 35 overtook WFTV in the 5 p.m. half-hour. (But WFTV was ahead of WOFL at 5:30.)

WESH was tops at 5 and 5:30 and came close to WFTV at 6. WESH was also reaching the most 25-to-54 viewers with its 4 p.m. newscast….Cont….

(from TVNewsCheck.com) – Orlando is a real Mickey Mouse place. Except when it comes to local TV news.

Then it’s a real dog-eat-dog fight for ratings supremacy between heavy hitters like Cox Media Group, Post-Newsweek, Hearst and Fox.

The top dog is Cox’s ABC affiliate WFTV. In November 2012, WFTV boasted a 40% share of the market’s news broadcasts (adults 25-54, Mon.-Sun., 5 a.m.-11:30 p.m.), says Bob St. Charles, who’s been the creative services director at the station since 2002. “It’s been the overall news leader … in every daypart since 2004,” St. Charles says.

Each station brings a distinctive marketing approach to the battle, says  Hal Boedeker, longtime TV writer for the Orlando Sentinel.

“WFTV stresses that it has connected with viewers by having everyday people on camera,” he says. “WESH [the Hearst-owned NBC affiliate] plays up a magazine poll as the market’s best….Cont….

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(from WESH.com) – WESH 2 anchor Martha Sugalski made a big announcement Monday: Sugalski and her husband, Rob Reich, are expecting triplets!

“I’m going to be leaving you guys this summer for a little bit,” she said on-air. She then placed three small pairs of shoes on the anchor desk for two boys and one girl.

“I don’t think I can hide it for too much longer,” she said.

As far as the names? ”You’ve got to give me a couple months,” she said….Cont….

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(from OrlandoSentinel.com) - WFTV-Channel 9 was easily the big winner in the November ratings race.

In December, WFTV was the main victor, but some contests were mighty tight. WESH-Channel 2 came on strong in the early evening, and WKMG-Channel 6 was right behind WFTV in the 5 a.m. half-hour.

The stations concentrate on the 25-to-54 age group, which is most important to news advertisers. In that count at 11 p.m. Monday-Friday, WFTV averaged 27,300 viewers to WKMG’s 23,700, WESH’s 22,900 and WOFL-Channel 35’s 12,800. In a Monday-Sunday count, WFTV was the leader, but WESH edged WKMG by just 100 viewers….Cont….

(from OrlandoSentinel.com) - The folks at WFTV-Channel 9 can start spreading the news:  They were the big winners in the November ratings period known as sweeps.

WFTV said it had won every news time slot in the 25-to-54 age group, which is most crucial to news advertisers. The ratings period ended Wednesday.

WFTV General Manager Shawn Bartelt said the November news competition was fierce because of Hurricane Sandy and tight election results in Florida. But she added, “Our news product is unequalled in Central Florida. That is our promise and we intend to keep it.”….Cont….

(from OrlandoSentinel.com) – How do you like it when reporters become part of the story?

Casey Anthony’s attorney, Charles Greene, has filed notice that he plans to depose WFTV-Channel 9’s Kathi Belich and WESH-Channel 2’s Michelle Meredith on Nov. 28 in the Zenaida Gonzalez civil suit.

Gonzalez is suing Anthony for defamation, saying her life was ruined when she was linked to the disappearance of Caylee Anthony.

According to Gonzalez’s witness list, she wants Belich to testify at trial on the “degree of media coverage surrounding the search for Zenaida Gonzalez.”….Cont….

(from WFSA.com) - WSFA 12 News is pleased to announce that John O’Connor is joining the WSFA 12 News Team in January. John comes to WSFA 12 News with over 25 years experience in broadcast journalism working in Orlando, Jacksonville and Louisville. He is excited about returning to live in Alabama. O’Connor lived in Mobile for several years as a teenager.

“I am very much looking forward to becoming a part of the WSFA 12 News team. They demonstrate day in and day out why they are a News leader in Montgomery,” O’Connor said….Cont….

O’Connor was slowly pushed out of Jacksonville’s WTEV/WAWS in 2010, after a DUI arrest. He joined the duopoly several years before to serve as lead anchor, when WTEV changed affiliation to CBS. Prior to WTEV/WAWS, O’Connor anchored at WESH in Orlando.

(from OrlandoSentinel.com) – Breaking news: WFTV-Channel 9 was the big winner in October news ratings.

The ABC affiliate won at 11 p.m., held off WESH-Channel 2 at 5 p.m. and emerged as the clear leader in the morning. The October ratings period ended Wednesday; the November sweeps started Thursday.

Fox-owned WOFL-Channel 35 was the winner in 10 p.m. news. WFTV was tops in other crucial time slots. The ratings race is measured on the 25-to-54 age group, which is most important to news advertisers.

At 11 p.m. weekdays, WFTV averaged 30,800 viewers. The rest: CBS affiliate WKMG-Channel 6 with 26,000, NBC affiliate WESH with 21,900 and WOFL with 13,200….Cont….

(from OrlandoSentinel.com) – Marina Marraco, a reporter/anchor for Spanish-language WVEN in Orlando, is moving over to WESH-Channel 2.

The Florida native, who grew up in the Miami area, will join the NBC affiliate on Oct. 22. She will work mornings for the “Sunrise” newscast.

Marraco has been with Univision affiliate WVEN since 2010. She also has worked as a Florida correspondent for Univision and reported on the Casey Anthony trial and George Zimmerman case….Cont….

(from OrlandoSentinel.com) – The latest hire at WESH-Channel 2: Reporter Travell Eiland, who will join the NBC affiliate on Oct. 22 and work the night shift.

He has been working at WAPT in Jackson, Miss. WAPT and WESH are both owned by Hearst Television.

Eiland also has worked at WWSB in Sarasota, WBBH in Fort Myers and KLAS in Las Vegas.

His WAPT bio says, “During his time in Las Vegas, Travell covered several high profile stories, such as the O.J. Simpson robbery and kidnapping case and magician David Copperfield’s rape investigation.”….Cont….