Fox 35 sportscaster Thomas Forester may be having second thoughts about seeking the arrest of his boss, news director Bob Clinkingbeard on battery charges.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, Lake Mary police did not finish their investigation Tuesday into a complaint by Forester that his boss pushed him. “That’s because Forester postponed his interview with the police detective who’s handling the investigation,” the paper reported.
We could know later today if WOFL-Fox 35 news director Bob Clinkingbeard will face any charges for bumping sportscaster Thomas Forester during a heated dispute at the station. The Orlando Sentinel reports that Lake Mary police expect to wrap up their investigation today into the complaint by Forester, who called police to the station after the incident on Thursday.
So, what happened? NewsBlues.com reported that "Clinkingbeard, 47, became so enraged with Forester’s reluctance to carry out an assignment, he confronted him in a hallway and shoved Forester against a wall. Angry and shaken, Forester retreated to his desk and telephoned Lake Mary police. When they arrived, he insisted on filing assault and battery charges against his boss."
WOFL will start a 6 p.m. newscast beginning Monday. The Fox 35 10 p.m. anchors — Cale Ramaker, Corrina Sullivan and Glenn Richards — will be at the helm of the new newscast.
The station launched its hourlong 5 p.m. newscast, Fox at 5 , in March 2006. It added weekend editions of Fox at 5 last fall.
Back in January, the station announced plans for an 11 p.m. newscast, which was supposed to start in April. That show never materialized. No word of if those plans are scrapped, if they’re still being considered or if perhaps if the 11 p.m. show might appear on sister station WRBW-My 65.
With Fox 35′s new show, there will now be seven — seven! — 6 p.m. newscasts in the Orlando market. The others: WKMG-Channel 6, WESH-Channel 2, WFTV-Channel 9, WTMO-Telemundo, WVEN-Univision, Central Florida News 13.
There are a lot of re-runs in the summer … and also in the O-Town ratings competition. WFTV-Channel 9′s Eyewitness News was again the top choice for Central Floridians. WFTV was No. 1 from 5-7 a.m., from 5-6:30 p.m. and at 11 p.m., according to the Orlando Sentinel’s TV Guy.
All the stations in town picked up on the story about a 9-year-old boy who called 911 when his mother fell unconscious on the floor. But when area stations showed the "first meeting" between the Alex Swee and 911 dispatcher Matt Nicotra — it was actually staged for two local stations who showed up late.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, "crews from WESH-Channel 2 and WFTV-Channel 9 were on time to film the exchange of hugs when Alex and his mom met Nicotra for the first time. But WOFL-Channel 35 showed up late and asked the three to do it all over again so they could tape it. Then in the middle of the second ‘first’ meeting, a WKMG-Channel 6 crew arrived and asked the three, ‘Can you do it one more time?’ "
The paper wryly pointed out, "The ‘first’ meeting ended up taking almost as long as the six-minute 911 call between Alex and Nicotra."
Some quick notes to start off your week …
Kim Sanders, who works at a voice-over production company, was introduced as the new WKMG traffic reporter on the Local 6 Morning News on Monday. Click here to see her audition tape. …
Central Floridians think WKMG has the hunkiest hunks in local TV. That’s the message from the Scott and Erica Show’s Orlando TV’s Hunkiest Hunk contest. Local 6 weekend anchor Todd Jurkowski edged out main anchor Bob Frier for the award, given by Mix 105.1 (WOMX-FM). Others in the top 5: WOFL’s Jim Van Fleet, WFTV’s Brian Shields, WESH’s Tom Schaad. The Sentinel’s Scott Maxwell has more info, including how the silly contest actually turned into a way to benefit local charities. …