August 21st, 2009
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After an absence of nearly seven years, WKCF-CW 18 will resume a 10 p.m. newscast starting Aug. 31.
Hearst sister station WESH-2 will produce the 30-minute newscast, which will air seven days a week.
“WESH 2 News at 11 has developed a very strong following. We believe the time is right to offer a 10 p.m. newscast for Central Florida viewers who prefer an earlier news option,” Jim Carter, WESH/WKCF president and general manager, said in a news release.
Monday-Friday, the newscast will be anchored by WESH’s 11 p.m. anchor team: Martha Sugalski, Jim Payne, sports director Guy Rawlings and Chief Meteorologist Tony Mainolfi. The Saturday and Sunday news will feature Aixa Diaz and meteorologist Malachi Rodgers.
Bud Hedinger was the anchor on WKCF’s previous 10 p.m. news — the area’s first 10 o’clock newscast. It was very popular, often topping WOFL’s then-upstart 10 p.m. news. But WKCF’s owner at the time decided it was better to show sitcom reruns than to compete against Fox 35 and then-newcomer WRDQ (which started airing a WFTV-produced newscast).
“At a time when some news organizations are cutting back on their coverage, we’re excited to provide Central Florida news viewers with even more options at a time they may find more convenient,” Carter said.
Read more from WESH here.
August 18th, 2009
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With Vice President Joe Biden due to visit Orlando on Wednesday, Sentinel TV Guy Hal Boedeker revived the discussion about WFTV anchor Barbara West’s controversial interview with Biden during the 2008 campaign. Boedeker asked WFTV News Director Bob Jordan if West would cover Biden’s visit for Eyewitness News.
“Just for old time’s sake? That’s a great idea,” Jordan told Boedeker with a laugh. Turning serious, Jordan said, “I saw a brief e-mail that he’s coming. I haven’t discussed how we’ll cover him. We certainly will cover him.”
One of the issues that West sparred with Biden in her interview was health care. On Monday night at a town hall meeting by Rep. Alan Grayson to discuss President Obama’s hot-button health care plan, West’s husband was on hand. According to Orlando Sentinel columnist Scott Maxwell, who was live blogging from the event: “Wade West, husband of WFTV anchor Barbara West, just stormed out, yelling ‘Shame on all of us!’ at the entire room. West was reacting to Grayson saying he wasn’t going to be able to take questions from everyone – and complaining about the number of Democrats front-ended loaded into the forum.”
After the jump, why one local TV web site has closed, plus more notes
» Read more: WFTV’s West back in news with Biden visit
August 12th, 2009
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Wonder what’s been up with former WFTV and WKMG anchor Marla Weech?
Weech, who lost her job at Local 6 in the station’s first wave of layoffs in July 2008, was spotted back in the anchor chair on Tuesday – this time providing coverage of a satellite launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Yes, you read that correctly: Kazakhstan. Even though the launch was halfway around the world, Weech wasn’t.
She and launch expert Russ Prytula helmed coverage for International Launch Services from studios in Cape Canaveral. Tuesday’s launch, the 53rd of the Proton rocket, was for AsiaSat. Weech also anchored an earlier Proton launch that had a Sirius-FM satellite on board. The company’s next launch is set for mid-September.
Click here for video of Weech’s launch coverage.
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