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….

UPDATE: Check out the video below…

(from OrlandoSentinel.com) – Traffic reporter Jessica Sanchez, who is battling cancer, will share shaving her head on WKMG-Channel 6′s morning news this Monday.

On March 16, the station announced that Sanchez has non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

“She’s in good spirits and she’s staying positive,” WKMG news director Steve Hyvonen said Friday. “She’s going through an ordeal that anyone who has been through chemotherapy knows. Her hair is falling out.”

So she plans to shave her head Saturday, and WKMG will share the update on the morning news, which usually features Sanchez….Cont….

(edited from OrlandoSentinel.com) – Traffic reporter Jessica Sanchez has non-Hodgkin lymphoma, WKMG-Channel 6 announced Saturday night.

“In the nine years I’ve been in Central Florida, the community and the people have become my home, my family, and I’m feeling that more than ever,” Sanchez said. “The thoughts, prayers and support I have received so far have been amazing!  While this is tough news to take, I plan to turn it into an experience from which I can learn, grow and share.”

“WKMG’s  thoughts and prayers are focused on Jessica’s health and recovery,” said Skip Valet, the station’s general manager….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….

Read the rest of this entry →

(from OrlandoSentinel.com) – When WKMG-Channel 6 says journalism runs in the genes of its latest hire, the station is not exaggerating. Justin Warmoth (right #1) is the son of WFTV-Channel 9 anchor Greg Warmoth (right #2).

Starting Monday, Justin will be the newest reporter/mobile journalist at WKMG.

“I have great respect for Greg Warmoth,” WKMG General Manager Skip Valet said. “Clearly Justin has grown up with a solid broadcaster as a role model. Justin’s intelligence, energy and ability earned him this opportunity.”

Greg Warmoth said he has trained and coached Justin, 22, about the TV business. “I’ve worked at WFTV 27 years,” Greg said. “He’s grown up in the business. He was a sports intern at WFTV.”….Cont….

(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….

Sources tell Florida News Center that Sheli Muniz will be joining Orlando’s WKMG as a general assignment reporter.

She comes to Orlando from WRDW-TV in Augusta, GA, where she was a weekend anchor and weeknight reporter. Her last day at WRDW was this past Sunday.

There is no word on when she will make her debut at WKMG.

(from OrlandoSentinel.com) – Say goodbye to reporter Cortney Hall.

Her last day at WKMG-Channel 6 will be Friday.

“I’m moving back to Chicago to be closer to my family,” Hall said in an email Thursday. “I have a job lined up at WGN and CLTV. I will be anchoring CLTV’s morning news Monday through Friday, filling in on WGN.”….Cont….

//hattip to NewsBlues.com

(from OrlandoSentinel.com) - Former WESH-Channel 2 anchor Wendy Chioji is coming back to Orlando television in a big way later this month. She will start co-anchoring a series of specials on WKMG-Channel 6 that pay tribute to survivors of health crises and personal battles.

The specials will be called “Surviving & Thriving,” and the first will air at 9 p.m. Dec. 21. A new special will air each quarter next year.

Chioji will anchor with WKMG’s Lauren Rowe and Gaard Swanson.

The specials are produced by Bolder Broadcasting, which is behind the syndicated series “Growing Bolder.” Chioji works on that series with her former WESH colleagues Marc Middleton and Bill Shafer. The two men will be correspondents on the “Surviving & Thriving” specials….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….