Category Archives: WOFL-35

WKMG’s summit and other news to note

Posted on by
Reply

Here’s the latest Orlando TV News …

WKMG’s much-discussed mandatory “newsroom summit” is now history … but what happened? According to some folks who were there, it wasn’t nearly as draconian as anticipated. “It was a lot of uproar over nothing,” a Local 6  staffer told the Orlando Sentinel. “It was really fun, helpful. Everyone walked out feeling better about their jobs. It was a positive thing. People left with an appreciation for what others do.” Basically, as I predicted, it was more of a corporate team-building exercise. The staff met to discuss ways to improve improve TV news, and workers switched duties to experience how others do their jobs. Did you attend and have a different view? Then email me by clicking the “Contact Us” link at the top of the page. …

Speaking of the summit, remember last week when MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann named WKMG news director Steve Hyvonen one of his “Worst Persons in the World”? Turns out there may be more of a backstory there. According to TVNewser.com, Hyvonen used to work as a news manager at MSNBC dayside in the early 2000s, but not with Olbermann. As Olbermann ended his segment by telling Local 6 staffers to write down Hyvonen’s name as a newsroom “battery drainer,” he added cryptically, “That was for the staff here.” Click here to watch the segment again. …

Switching over to Fox 35:  Saturday’s Fox 35 News at 10 started about an hour late — due to Fox’s 4 p.m. baseball game going into the 20th inning! Yes, the game lasted nearly 7 hours, with the New York Mets finally beating the host St. Louis Cardinals 2-1. Imagine if the game had started in prime time? Also, I noticed that in place of usual weekend anchors Keith Landry and Talitha Vickers, WOFL had Tom Johnson and Tracy Jacim anchoring on Saturday and Sunday. Is that something new, or were they just filling in? …

Finally, former WOFL reporter Erin Logan has been fired from her anchor-reporter job at WNDU-NBC 16 in South Bend, Ind. She was dismissed after being arrested following a domestic dispute involving a former NFL player. Click here to read more from the South Bend Tribune. She was at Fox 35 in 2005-06.

Not a fan of WFTV’s new weather channel

Posted on by
Reply

Some quick thoughts on recent Orlando TV News:

Put me down as not a fan of  WFTV’s revamped weather channel, 9.2. Sure, Severe Weather Center 9 has forecasts, temperatures and a radar — but just give me the radar. The former 9.2 had the live WFTV radar almost 24-7 — and in HD — making it convenient to check anytime (especially during storms). It also ran the audio from whatever was running on the main WFTV channel, so when you flipped over for a minute, you didn’t missing anything. Now, the station is streaming audio from Cox radio station WMMO. Sorry, I liked the old channel better. …

Speaking of WFTV’s digital channels, I suspect part of the reason behind the change on 9.2 has to do with what’s coming on 9.3 — the future home of Spanish-language station WAWA. There’s likely not enough bandwidth for two HD channels and a third.  WKMG (LATV) and WESH/WKCF (Esteralla) already have deals for Hispanic programming on their sub-channels, so it only seemed like a matter of time and company for WFTV to add one. Still, the FCC lists WAWA has being assigned Channel 47 in the Orlando market. Is there really a WAWA on channel 47?  …

One question. All the local stations have multiple digital channels — except’s Fox’s duopoly of WOFL-Fox 35 and WRBW-My 65. What’s the deal there? …

WESH debuted its new HD camera on Chopper 2. Very cool. …

WKMG anchor Jacqueline London was married over the weekend to former NFL player Tony McGee. Saw a couple of folks Tweet about the wedding and reception — sounds like it was quite the bash. Best of luck to the new couple. …

Former WFTV sports anchor Zach Kline was also Tweeting some important news on Sunday. Kline, now at Cox mothership WSB in Atlanta, was among the lucky few media members to win the Masters lottery and earn the opportunity to play the Augusta National course on Monday. He Tweeted: “Who says dreams do not come true. Just found out I’m playing Augusta National tomorrow at 11:10 am. Anyone know the course record?”

On Fox 35: ‘Former Vice President’ Sarah Palin

Posted on by
Reply

Came across this on YouTube. It’s a report that aired on Fox 35 News at 10 over the weekend — an account from the Tea Party tour out West.

In it, the reporter refers to former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as “former vice president Sarah Palin.” Of course, he meant to say, “former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.”

Now, from what I can tell, this was a report fed to WOFL by Fox — not national video with a local voice over.

Continue reading →

It’s spring, so time for Fox 35′s hawk

Posted on by
Reply

Fox 35's unwelcome annual visitor

While not quite as famous as the swallows returning  to San Juan Capistrano, the folks at WOFL-Fox 35 have their own spring tradition: the return of the big, bad mama hawk.

It started several years ago, when the mama hawk decided to take up residence in a tree outside the station’s Lake Mary studios. Being protective of her young, the hawk became aggressive and started swooping down on Fox 35 employees outside the building. Last year, it actually attacked then-sports guy Kevin Holden.

The bird’s return this year has the Fox folks buzzing again. Anchor Heidi Hatch posted an update on her blog, “We have a hawk that lives our News station- but only in Spring. She’s not very nice. In fact she attacks people she doesn’t like. She’s officially back and attacked her first victim today. We’ve been told to wear a hard hat or always walk with an umbrella because it’s illegal to kill it. I’m not one to kill… but what about bird nap ….”

Anchor Sonni Abatta even Tweeted about the big bird: “I find this picture in our work cafeteria to be simultaneously entertaining and terrifying.” She attached the picture below:

I find this picture in our work cafeteria to be simultaneousl... on Twitpic

Nancy Grace is coming to Orlando

Posted on by
Reply

Nancy Grace

Nancy Grace, the caustic and controversial HLN talk show host, will be coming to Orlando … in the fall of 2010.

Her new syndicated show, “Swift Justice with Nancy Grace,” has been cleared for 90 percent of the country, including O-Town. The show is being distributed by CBS Television Distribution. Here’s what one salesman for CBS said about the show: “Nancy is a powerful force in television with a built-in audience that tunes in to hear her point of view. We’re thrilled to have gotten such an immediate response from all of these groups, and their enthusiasm proves we’ve got the right show for them at the right time.”

Orlando must certainly hold special meaning for Grace. Her nightly coverage of the Casey Anthony-Caylee Anthony case helped make her the top-rated talker on HLN. Her interview with Melinda Duckett, the Lake County mom of another missing toddler, gained national  attention when Duckett killed herself shortly after an interrogation by Grace. That incident has landed Grace in a legal fight where she’s trying to avoid publicity.

Since CBS has signed national deals with both the Fox and Cox station groups to carry the show, my only question is which Orlando station(s) gets Miss Nancy? The Fox-owned duopoly of WOFL-Fox 35 and WRBW-My 65 or the Cox-owned duo of WFTV-Channel 9 and WRDQ-Channel 27? Any guesses?

Lose Fox on Bright House Networks? There are alternatives

Posted on by
4

The clock is ticking, and Fox is ready to pull the plug on its channels on Bright House Networks at the stroke of midnight tomorrow.

Orlando attorney John Morgan took the mammoth media company to court today to try to stop it from cutting off its signals for the cable system. But, according to the Orlando Sentinel, Fox countered that a Florida court was not the right one to hear this issue since some of Fox’s channels are under the jurisdiction of the Federal Communications Commission. Therefore, the media company’s attorney argued, this issue should be taken up in federal court. Morgan countered that this was just a stall tactic by Fox. Read the full story here.

Assuming the two sides do no reach agreement on retransmission compensation, Bright House customers may be without Fox 35, MyNetwork 65, Sun Sports, Fox Sports Florida and other Fox-owned channels as early as New Year’s Day. So, if you have Bright House, what should you do? Here are some tips on how to get Fox channels and programming:

First, if you have a digital television — one that gets HD signals — relax. You can easily pick up WOFL-Fox 35 and WRBW-My 65 with an indoor rabbit-ears antenna.

If you have an old analog TV, don’t panic. All you need is a digital converter box. These will run you between $40 and $55. Click here to see examples from Best Buy. With one of these boxes, you can pull in all the local stations — including Fox — with an indoor rabbit-ears antenna.

OK, so you’re set for all the BCS bowl games — including Tim Tebow’s finale as the Florida Gators face the Cincinnati Bearcats in the Sugar Bowl. What about those Orlando Magic games on Sun Sports and Fox Sports Florida?

To get them, you’re going to either (a) have to find someone who has a television provider other than Bright House, (b) sign up with one of those providers or (c) find a sports bar that doesn’t use Bright House.

For you home programming, choices include Dish Network and DirecTV for satellite. (By the way, Fox and DirecTV are owned by the same company, so chances are you will never lose any Fox programming on DirecTV). In some areas of Central Florida, there is another option: AT&T’ U-verse service.

Like all disagreements, this one will come to an end at somepoint. Hopefully, you won’t miss to many of your favorite shows or sports events.