Category Archives: Orlando TV

The latest news on Orlando television from RogerSimmons.com | Orlando TV News

September ratings: Most Orlando news down year-over-year

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So much for keeping the audience that was glued to Orlando TV news stations during the Casey Anthony trial. In the just completed September ratings period, most of the O-Town stations saw year-over-year declines in household and demo numbers for nearly every newscast. One of the few bright spots was WOFL-Fox 35 — which increased its 5, 10 and 11 p.m. news audiences over the same period from 2010. Read the full ratings report from TV Guy Hal Boedeker. And read the 2010 September ratings here.

5 p.m. weeknights (households):

  • WFTV with 77,700 (86,800 in 2010)
  • WESH with 51,000 (66,700 in 2010)
  • WOFL with 31,000 (27,000 in 2010)
  • WKMG with 18,600 (no 5 p.m. news in 2010)

5 p.m. weekdays (25-54 demo):

  • WFTV with 19,400 (31,400 in 2010)
  • WESH with 18,800 (27,300 in 2010),
  • WOFL with 12,900 (11,900 in 2010),
  • WKMG with 7,000 (no 5 p.m news in 2010)

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Republicans come to town, and Fox 35 will be there

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The latest in the series of debates for the Republican candidates seeking to oust President Obama takes place in Orlando on Thursday night.

The Presidency 5 debate will be televised by Fox News Channel from 8-11 p.m. In a bit of corporate synergy, Fox 35 will air part of its 11 p.m. newscast from the debate.

“Late assignment. Will anchor live from ‘Presidency 5′ at the OC Convention Center Thursday. Every GOP Presidential candidate will be there,” WOFL anchor Cale Ramaker tweeted on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, if you missed it, there’s a great Orlando Sentinel Q&A with Fox 35 GM Dennis Welsh, who discussed what he’s doing to make WOFL’s newscasts stand out in crowded Orlando TV news scene. Check it out here.

While No. 1 in our hearts, Orlando is still No. 19 with Nielsen

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Some quick takes on Orlando TV news before the holiday weekend …

The Nielsen market rankings for the 2011-2012 TV season have been released, and Orlando remained No. 19 in the nation. Nielsen estimated the Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne market grew from 1,453,120 TV homes in 2010 to 1,465,460 this year. We continue to gain ground on No. 18 Cleveland-Akron, which Nielsen said lost about 12,000 TV homes. See the full Nielsen list here. …

The Orlando Sentinel reports that memorial services for longtime Orlando TV anchor Scott Harris have been set for Sept. 8 at Bourne Chapel at Lake Highland Prep Middle School, 741 N. Mills Ave., Orlando. The service will start at 7 p.m. Sentinel colleague Scott Maxwell had another great column on Harris, who died earlier this week at age 64. …

Former WFTV-Channel 9 anchor Robert Maxwell, who left Orlando for a gig at KTVX-ABC 4 in Salt Lake City two years ago, has been taken off the 4, 5, 6, 9 and 10 p.m. news shows. NewsBlues.com says he’s been told his contact is not being renewed. …

Former WESH 2 News reporter Jeff Lennox, who left the station and the TV biz in April for a job with AAA in Tampa, is coming back to TV. NewsBlues reports that Lennox announced on his Facebook page that he would start at WSVN-Fox 7 in Miami later this month. …

The great FLNewscenter.com site reports that former WFTV meteorologist Tom Johnston will be forecasting again in the Sunshine State, taking the morning gig at Jacksonville dupopoly WAWS-Fox 30 / WTEV-CBS 47. …

And, finally, thanks to all of you who emailed comments about our new galleries showcasing newspaper ads from TV stations in Orlando and South Florida. I am excited to say that I have already added about 50 more images to the South Florida gallery, including ads for long-gone TV stations WFTL/WGBS-Channel 23 (Florida’s third TV station) and and WITV-Channel 17 (the state’s seventh TV station). See the South Florida gallery here.

Orlando TV news history chronicled in new galleries

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Channel 9's news team in 1978

Bob Jordan never looked so young. Same with Danny Treanor.

And remember Dave Walker from CNN’s early days? Before he went to cable, he was on the anchor desk at WESH-Channel 2, reporting “Newscope” each evening.

Those are just a few of the many images you can view in three new galleries being posted on RogerSimmons.com today. We’ve spent the past several months going through thousands of pages of online archives of several area newspapers to create galleries of advertisements promoting Orlando TV news. We have compiled advertisements from the 1950s, ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. And we’re only getting started. So click around and take a look back at Orlando TV history.

Orlando TV news anchor Scott Harris passes away

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Scott Harris helped get News 13 on the air when he joined the news station in 1997. Photo courtesy of CFNews 13

Word came this morning that longtime Orlando TV news anchor Scott Harris had passed away. He was 64 and had been battling kidney cancer.

“Scott died peacefully this morning at Hospice of the Comforter,” News 13 General Manager Robin Smythe told the Orlando Sentinel.

Harris, whose real name was Vincent McGough, started at WESH-Channel 2 in 1977 and spent time at WCPX-Channel 6 and WDBO-AM 580 before moving to Central Florida News 13 for the past 13 years.

In addition to the Orlando Sentinel article, here are other remembrances of Harris…

 

Veteran Orlando TV news anchor Scott Harris in hospice care

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Scott HarrisAnchor/reporter Scott Harris, a familiar face to Orlando TV news watchers since the 1970s, is now in hospice care.

David Waters, Harris’ former colleague at Central Florida News 13, posted this update Saturday on Facebook: “For friends of Scott Harris, stop by if you are up to it. His family is moved by all the people who love him. It is time to mention it like this since a few people hadn’t heard he was in hospice, and have raced to be with him.”

Orlando Sentinel TV Guy Hal Boedeker reports that Harris has been battling kidney cancer.

Harris spent his entire career in Florida and is widely regarded for his political knowledge, coverage of the space program and great sense of humor. In the 1970s and ’80s at WESH 2, he co-anchored the evening news with Wayne Bennett and later Carol Granstrom. He also worked as a reporter for WCPX-Channel 6 before joining Central Florida News 13 for its launch in 1997. He was at News 13 until March of this year, when he stopped anchoring. Sentinel columnist Scott Maxwell had a great post in March about Harris’ changing role.

Our thoughts — and those of countless others — are with Harris and his family.

Scott Harris from his anchoring day at WESH -- with Wayne Bennett in this 1978 advertisement, then with Dave Marsh, Don Gould and Carol Granstrom in 1982.