Florida News Center

(from GossipExtra.com) - WPBF-Channel 25 may have violated its contract with ABC last night when the West Palm Beach/Treasure Coast station cut out of the live broadscast of the Oscars a tad early!

By some accounts, the station shaved off up to two minutes from the show’s credits and last commercials — a definite no-no in the television world, especially when it involves high-audience broadcasts like the Academy Awards.

Fines could end up being leveled against the area’s No. 2 station….Cont….

(from Herald-Tribune.com) - Justin Mosely, chief meteorologist at SNN Local News, is leaving Southwest Florida to broadcast the weather on Florida’s east coast, at an ABC TV affiliate in West Palm Beach.

His last day in front of the Sarasota weather map will be Feb. 6. His first day at his new broadcast home, WPBF-Channel 25, where he will also be a meteorologist on staff, will be Thursday.

Mosely is SNN’s longest-tenured employee, said Linda DesMarais, SNN’s executive vice president and general manager.

“He has grown his skills and talent year after year, and has been very important to the success of the station,” DesMarais told staffers. “Justin is an exceptional team player, and I know everyone here will miss him.”….Cont….

(edited from SacBee.com) – Todd McDermott, a morning news co-anchor on the NBC affiliate in Pittsburgh, is leaving to take a job with a station in West Palm Beach,Fla.

McDermott is leaving to anchor the evening broadcasts at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. for WPBF-TV in Florida, which is owned by Hearst Television….Cont….

(from OrlandoSentinel.com) – Coming aboard at WESH-Channel 2: Eric Burris as weekend meteorologist.

He starts the week of Oct. 22. “Orlando is his home, and he’s happy to move back close to family and friends,” WESH news director Bob Longo said in announcing the hire.

Burris has a seal from the American Meteorological Society and earned a degree in geosciences from Mississippi State University….Cont….

(from TVSpy.com) – Paige Harrison is joining WPBF as news director.  Harrison comes to the West Palm Beach ABC affiliate from WTAEin Pittsburgh where she was assistant news director.

“It’s a tremendous opportunity to return to Florida and join the area’s most talented and hard-working local news team,” said Harrison. “WPBF 25 has seen historic ratings growth, and I look forward to further strengthening our commitment to the South Florida viewers.”

Harrison, who moves from one Hearst station to another, fills the empty chair vacated by Kyle Grimes’ promotion to president and general manager of Hearst Stations WPTZ-WNNE in Plattsburgh-Burlington….Cont….

(from SFLTV.com) – A bit of excitement in Palm Beach as GossipExtra reports their spies observed former WPEC anchor Curt Fonger having a “long lunch” with WPBF general manager Caroline Taplett at TooJays recently. GossipExtra also says Fonger was seen visiting the WPBF studios in Palm Beach Gardens. WPBF are looking to fill the main co-anchor chair next to Tiffany Kenney after Victor Blackwell left to anchor weekends at CNN HQ in Atlanta.

Curt Fonger left WPEC in August 2011 after 22 years at the station. SFLTV sources at the time claimed he was offered a new contract but for “significantly less” money….Cont….

(from GossipExtra.com) – Big changes in store for WPBF-Channel 25.

Gossip Extra hears that prime-time anchor Victor Blackwell is so desperate to exit the West Palm Beach/Treasure Coast ABC affiliate that he didn’t renew his contract.

What’s more, News Director Kyle Grimes is expected to be gone by mid-August.

Several newsroom sources confirm Blackwell is so public about his fleeing that he’s even put in his few cents about a replacement alongside Tiffany Kenney at 5, 6 and 11 p.m.

One of the few black anchors in the market, Victor Blackwell has been looking to move to a large market, particularly Atlanta….Cont….

With less than a week until the 2012 Ölympics (in London this year, for those who might be in a coma) begin, Florida NBC affiliates have dusted off and polished their own gold. Check out the NBC Ölympic custom affiliate logos below.

WFLA – Tampa	WTVJ – Miami	WESH – Orlando
WPTV – West Palm Beach	WTLV – Jacksonville	WPMI – Pensacola
WBBH – Fort Myers	WJHG – Panama City	WNBW – Gainesville
WTWC – Tallahassee

 ***This post is for educational, informational and archival purposes only. Florida News Center does not intend to infringe on any copyrights claimed by the International Olympic Committee, NBCUniversal/Comcast or NBC affiliates. This post is for educational, informational an archival purposes only.***

(from OrlandoSentinel.com) – There’s a new face at WESH-Channel 2: Meredith McDonough joined the station today as a reporter and weekend evening anchor.

She had anchored and reported at WPBF in West Palm Beach since 2007. Both stations are owned by Hearst Television. McDonough also worked as a reporter and anchor at WWCP/WATM in Johnstown, Pa..

In a memo to his staff, WESH news director Bob Longo wrote, “Meredith graduated Cum Laude from Allegheny College with a BA in Communications….Cont….

(from TVSpy.com) – WPBF reporter Tory Dunnan has been hired as a political correspondent for CNN Newsource, a syndicated news service for CNN’s 800 affiliates, the network announced today.

Dunnan, who joined the West Palm Beach ABC-affiliate in 2009, will report from the campaign trail for “RunningMate 2012,” the political component of CNN Newsource.

“Tory is a driven communicator with a passion for politics,”  CNN vice president of news operations, administration and affiliate services Paul Crum said in a statement. “She will help us continue to give our affiliate news partners and their viewers distinctive, first-class coverage of the politics behind the election cycle….Cont….