Florida News Center

(from TVNewsCheck.com) – The Washington Post Co. today reported that revenue for its television broadcasting division increased 28% in the fourth quarter of 2010 to $102.9 million, from $80.2 million in 2009. Television broadcasting division operating income increased 56% to $45.3 million, from $29 million for the fourth quarter of 2009.

The company said the increases in revenue and operating income were due to improved advertising demand in all markets and most product categories, particularly automotive. The increased revenue and operating income also includes $17.6 million increase in political advertising revenue in the fourth quarter of 2010….Cont….

Viewers on the First Coast tell Florida News Center that Jacksonville duopoly WTLV/WJXX has some new faces.

Lewis Turner (right) has joined Jacksonville duopoly WTLV/WJXX. He is the station’s new reporter. Turner comes from Columbia, SC’s WLTX CBS 19.

Claire Simms (left) jons the station a reporter their southern county bureau. She comes from Wilmington, NC’s WECT CBS 6.

Amanda Zitzman (right) has joined the station as the new traffic reporter/anchor. She was most recently a fill-in traffic reporter/anchor across the street at WJXT. She was also a former Miss Gainesville.

Our friends at NewsBlues.com report that WFLA assistant news director Kathryn Bonfield is headed to the First Coast to become news director at WJXT. She fills the seat left open by former news director Mo Ruddy, who resigned in November.

Bonfield is not new to the job. She was previously news director at Charleston, SC’s WCBD (Media General sister station to WFLA). She left WCBD in 2007 for the assistant ND job at WFLA. Stay tuned for further updates.

Sources tell Florida News Center that WJXT reporter, Jennifer Bauer is leaving the First Coast. She is headed to Houston, TX to join WJXT Post-Newsweek sister station, KPRC-TV.

While at WJXT, she won an Emmy for her coverage of Jacksonville tornados. During that tornado coverage, lightning hit her live truck, trapping herself and a photog inside until fire department could arrive and free them.

Bauer writes on her Facebook page:  THANK YOU all for the wonderful, kind messages. YES, today is my last day at Ch. 4. I am going to work for our sister station at KPRC in Houston. I will miss Jacksonville and all of you SO much.

(edited from Jacksonville.com) - State Sen. John Thrasher easily held onto his seat Tuesday, prevailing in what was considered the most closely watched legislative race this campaign season.

Thrasher handily defeated Democrat Deborah Gianoulis, the retired WJXT television anchor who was making her first attempt at elected office.

He said voters expressed confidence in his desire to keep taxes low, help small businesses and put people back to work.

“I think experience and the ability to get things done in Tallahassee; my leadership in the past” contributed to the win, he said.

Thrasher said his focus for the upcoming legislative session this spring will be to stimulate job growth.

“Everybody — the new Senate, the new House and the new governor — we’re going to go over there and work on the economy,” he said.

Gianoulis had hoped to cash in on the anti-incumbent sentiment expressed by many voters. Thrasher, who has a long history as both an elected official and lobbyist, has been accused of contributing to a much more partisan tone in the Legislature….Cont….

Kent Justice joins Jacksonville’s WJXT as the station’s new weekend evening anchor and weekday evening reporter. He joins WJXT from WSYX ABC 6 in Columbus, OH. Read more below…

(from WJXT.com) - Kent Justice has a passion for sharing the important stories in each person’s life, through any medium available.

“I would describe myself as a serial storyteller,” he said. “To my kids, that’s painful, and they think sometimes it’s embarrassing. But I love to talk with people, and I love to both hear and tell a great story — whether that’s in person, writing an article or blog or creating compelling TV.” Kent has a passion for sharing the important stories in each person’s life, through any medium available.

“I would describe myself as a serial storyteller,” he said. “To my kids, that’s painful, and they think sometimes it’s embarrassing. But I love to talk with people, and I love to both hear and tell a great story — whether that’s in person, writing an article or blog or creating compelling TV.”….Cont….

Sources tell Florida News Center that former WTLV/WJXX meteorologist Mark Collins, has found work just up the road at indy station, WJXT. He is working in the weather production office and will fill in on air as needed. As Florida News Center reported in July, Collins and WTLV/WJXX parted ways this past July.

Viewers on the First Coast tell Florida News Center that duopoly WTLV/WJXX have started broadcasting news at the ridiculously early time of 4:30am.

WTLV/WJXX follow in the foot steps of competitors indepdent WJXT and duopoly WTEV/WAWS. WJXT was the first to start the 4:30am trend earlier this past April, followed by WTEV/WAWS at the end of July.

The new 4:30am newscast is anchored by Corinne Hautala and is only broadcast on WTLV NBC 12 for now. WJXX ABC 25 still broadcasts “ABC World News News” at the 4:30am time slot, for the time being.

(from Sunshinestatenews.com) – Emmy award-winning journalist Deborah Gianoulis, a fixture on Jacksonville television as an evening news anchor for almost 25 years, announced Tuesday that she was running as a Democrat against Sen. John Thrasher of Jacksonville, chairman of the Republican Party of Florida. Thrasher’s district stretches from Nassau County, through Jacksonville and Duval County, and includes parts of St. Johns and Flagler counties before ending in Volusia County. 

Winning both Emmy awards and a Peabody award during her career, Gianoulis was the co-anchor of WJXT’s evening newscast. Since 2004, she has served as chairwoman of Save Duval Schools, an educational advocacy group.

Through Save Duval Schools, Gianoulis opposed SB 6, a bill to reform teacher performance pay that was sponsored in the Legislature by Thrasher. She hinted in her announcement that she was going to make Thrasher’s advocacy of the measure, which was vetoed by Gov. Charlie Crist, an issue in her challenge to the Republican.….Cont….

(from StAugustine.com) – Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine, may have a high-profile opponent for his district 8 seat if former Jacksonville news anchor Deborah Gianoulis commits to running as a Democrat.

Gianoulis said Friday that she is seriously considering running against Thrasher.

“Students and business leaders have urged me to consider running,” said Gianoulis in a statement released Friday to her former station, WJXT TV-4.

“We need change in education and I am seriously considering running,” she said….Cont….