Florida News Center

Here are some of the stories that we missed during vacation:

(from WPLG.com) - 05/08/13 – On Tuesday night, police responded to reports of an armed man who was threatening a television news crew in the roadway in front of a home located at 2626 Delmar Place.

According to the arrest report, Local 10′s Ross Palombo and photographer Shane Walker were preparing for a live shot on a public street, when the suspect, Louis Dominic Paolino III, came out of his house and began yelling at them.

The incident was all caught on camera. (below)….Cont….

(from TVSpy.com) - Julie Durda (right #1), who signed off in September from Miami’s WSVN, is joining rival WPLG.

Bill Pohovey, the news director of the Miami ABC affiliate, announced the news in an email to WPLG staffers Tuesday morning.

In his note, Pohovey also said Michael Smith (right#2), who is the weekend evening meteorologist, will be leaving the station.

“We want to thank Michael for his dedication and wish him continued success,” Pohovey wrote….Cont….

//hattip to SFLTV.com

(from MediaLife.com) – As one of the largest cities in the swing state of Florida, Miami is seeing a huge amount of political advertising. It is sold out on TV and radio ahead of the Nov. 6 election.

Even after the election the market will remain strong throughout the remainder of 2012 and into next year as advertisers who have been shut out of the cluttered and expensive political landscape return to the market

“This amount of political has caused many advertisers to look at inventory post-election, so demand will continue to be strong afterwards as well,” says Caitlin Zellmann, broadcast buyer at Haworth Marketing + Media…..Cont….

Florida News Center has been on vacation for the past ten days….here is some of what we missed…

Entravision Revenue up 8% in 1Q – (including Tampa’s WVEA and Orlando’s WVEN)

LIN 1Q Revenue Climbs 15% – (including Mobile/Pesacola’s WALA)

Scripps 1Q Same-Station TV Revenue up 12% – (including West Palm Beach’s WPTV and Tampa’s WFTS)

Post-Newsweek Stations 1Q Revenue up 13% – (including Orlando’s WKMG, Miami’s WPLG, Jacksonville’s WJXT)

CBS TV Stations Post 2% 1Q Revenue Gain – (including Miami’s WFOR)

Sinclair Revenue Rises 23% in 1Q – (including West Palm Beach’s WPEC/WTVX/WWHB/MyTV 15, Tampa’s WTTA, Tallahassee’s WTWC and Pensacola’s WEAR/WFGX)

Comcast’s NBC Broadcast TV Revenue Up 37% – (including Miami’s WTVJ)

Gray Reports 16% Boost In 1Q Revenue – (including Panama City’s WJHG and Tallahassee’s WCTV)

(from WPLG.com) – A Local 10 crew has gained permission to travel to Cuba later this week for Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the island nation.

Local 10′s Calvin Hughes and Jen Herrera will travel to Cuba for extensive coverage of the Pope’s visit beginning Friday.

The Local 10 crew is making the trip after a months-long process to obtain permission and visas, which most other stations in the market were refused.

Among the various angles Local 10 will explore are South Florida residents’ pilgrimages to Cuba for the Pope’s visit….Cont….

(from Sun-Sentinel.com) – Today’s forecast calls for heat and humidity, but look closer, there’s another weather trend developing: the rise of morning women meteorologists.

Of the six network-affiliated, English- and Spanish-language TV stations in the Fort Lauderdale-Miami market, five feature women meteorologists who design and deliver weather forecasts from predawn through noon in the country’s 16th largest market. WPLG-Ch. 10 has the lone male on the morning weather shift: Scott Padgett.

Although men still hold the key evening weather slots, the local morning dominance of female meteorologists reflects a steady increase in the number of women studying atmospheric sciences nationally….Cont….

(from TVSpy.com) – Reporter Christina Boomer Vazquez isn’t set to begin her new job at WPLG until October but Miami viewers are getting a chance to know her well before then.

The Post-Newsweek station recently launched a blog for Boomer Vazquez on its website, in which she is currently writing about her cross-country move from Phoenix, where she worked as a reporter and MMJ for KNXV, to South Florida.  Accompanying her on the trip are her husband, Mark, and their three-month-old daughter….Cont….

(from TVSpy.com) – Miami ABC-affiliate WPLGis returning local news to its 5 p.m. time slot.

After scrapping its 5 o’clock newscast in favor of “Dr. Phil” a few years ago, the Post-Newsweek station is set to debut a new 5 p.m. show on August 22nd.

Calvin Hughes and Laurie Jennings (right), WPLG’s team at 6 and 11, will be behind the anchor desk from 5:00 to 5:30, with Jen Herrerra subbing for Jennings during the last half-hour….Cont….

(from TVSpy.com) – Washington Post Co. (owner of WKMG-TV, WJXT-TV, WPLG-TV) reported its second quarter earnings today and revenue from Post-Newsweek stations was up 3% for the period, compared to last year.

Post-Newsweek stations brought in $84.9 million during the second quarter, compared to $82.6 million from the same period in 2010. For the first half of this year, revenue increased 1% to $157.1 million, from $156.1 million in 2010….Cont….

(from TVNewsCheck.com) – The Washington Post Co (owners of FL’s WPLG, WJXT, WKMG). today reported financial results for the first quarter of 2011 that included a 2% decrease in revenue for its broadcast division to $72.2 million, from $73.5 million in 2010, while operating income for the first quarter decreased 6% to $19.6 million, from $20.9 million in the first quarter of 2010.

The company said the decline in revenue and operating income is due to the absence of $4.7 million in incremental winter Olympics-related advertising at the company’s NBC affiliates in the first quarter of 2010, and a $1.8 million decrease in political advertising revenue, offset by increases in other categories….Cont….