Archive for the ‘WFTV-9’ category

A Contest for Reporters and Photogs

April 6th, 2006

Reporting from the middle of a busy highway toll plaza, or reporting from down in a sinkhole. Those are two things that may have made you shake your head when watching Eyewitness News this past month. You may have asked yourself, "Are those reporters crazy?"

No, maybe they’re just trying to win a TV.

Since November, WFTV has been encouraging its reporters and photographers to liven up their live shots. The contest, we’re told, includes a grading system with the reporter and photog with the top scores winning plasma TVs at the end of May.

The station’s promotions department has been really pushing this contest, one that everyone is encouraged to take seriously. But one WFTV source told us that the emphasis is still on doing the best stories. Besides the stand-up contest, we’re told there is also an ongoing contest for who can break the biggest and best stories that the other stations don’t have.

The Orlando Sentinel has more on the stand-up contest.

» Read more: A Contest for Reporters and Photogs

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Smith Engineers Exit from Channel 9

March 31st, 2006

WFTV morning meteorologist Joe Smith is getting out of the weather biz … and the TV biz, too. According to NewsBlues.com, Smith has decided to enter the graduate engineering program at Cal-Berkeley this fall.

After graduating from the FSU meteorology program, he started out at Tallahassee’s ABC affiliate before jumping up to Channel 9 in May 2003.

» Read more: Smith Engineers Exit from Channel 9

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Going Out of the Biz, and Going Out of Town …

March 30th, 2006

WESH Sunrise reporter Shannon FitzPatrick signed off Wednesday morning. She’s leaving the TV biz to pursue a career in real estate and marketing. (I’d like to have a dollar for every TV person who has gone into real estate, but I digress.) FitzPatrick started at WESH in 1998 and moved to the Sunrise show in 2005. Little-known trivia about FitzPatrick: She’s the niece of 1980s WESH anchor Carol Granstrom.

Meanwhile, over at WFTV, I failed to note the departure of weekend anchor Jorge Estevez. His last day on the air was March 19. He’s heading to Miami’s CBS O&O, WFOR. No word on his replacement at Channel 9, although with Cynthia Demos also off this past Saturday-Sunday, it was Greg Warmoth and Chris Egert filling in on the weekend desk.

» Read more: Going Out of the Biz, and Going Out of Town …

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Doctor Files Suit Against WFTV

March 28th, 2006

Attorneys for a Winter Park plastic surgeon have filed a defamation suit against WFTV-Channel 9 for a series of reports the station ran about the doctor.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, the civil suit by Dr. Thomas Trevisani alleges that Channel 9 aired reports in 2002, 2003 and 2004 that contained false and defamatory statements. Reported the Sentinel: "The lawsuit cites examples of ‘defamatory statements’ in which WFTV reported that Trevisani knew and allowed ‘unscrupulous behavior’ by his clinic employees, and that a "felon" and "two ex-cons" were doing physical exams and prescribing surgery at his clinic."

WFTV Vice President and General Manager Shawn Bartelt issued a statement that said: "The news reports at issue regarding Dr. Trevisani were fair and accurate accounts of matters of public concern. WFTV stands behind the content of its stories."

» Read more: Doctor Files Suit Against WFTV

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Reporters Shouldn’t Play in Traffic

March 22nd, 2006

Some news nuggets for you …

>> While watching WFTV’s Eyewitness News on Monday night, I was more concerned about the safety of reporter Jodie Fleischer than what she was reporting. For a story about a plan to relieve traffic woes on the Turnpike and U.S. 192, Fleisher did a live shot sitting atop a concrete barrier in the middle of a toll lane. Sure, she had on one of those safety vests … but would that really protect her with all those cars whizzing by? Watching the report made me a little uncomfortable.

» Read more: Reporters Shouldn’t Play in Traffic

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