Former WMFE chief launches non-profit media venture

ttt-towerSome say the future of journalism will be in non-profit groups. One Central Florida media executive is going see if that’s true.

Former longtime WMFE TV and radio president and CEO Stephen McKenney Steck has announced the formation of the Carroll McKenney Foundation for Public Media.

“Carroll McKenney Foundation for Public Media is a new Oviedo based non-profit public charity launching as a non-commercial and educational online public media program venture,” the group said in a news release. ”CMF will produce and distribute the programming via the Internet in the form of short audio segments of features and full length sound-rich audio programs and documentaries all available online via on-demand audio streaming and downloadable audio podcasts.”

After the jump, what local anchor is involved with this project …

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WESH anchors keep rolling in Celebrity Smackdown game

smack3The WESH duo of Jim Payne and Martha Sugalski dispatched WKMG’s main anchors to move into the third round of OrlandoSentinel.com’s Celebrity Smackdown game. Also advancing to face the Channel 2 Cinderellas — the anchors of WFTV’s top-rated Daybreak show, Greg Warmoth and Vanessa Echols. Earlier, Payne and Sugalski upset WFTV evening anchors Bob Opsahl and Martie Salt.

More on the other big O-Town TV matchup after the jump …

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One small step for man, one giant ratings leap for Channel 9

ttt-wftvWFTV’s Monday night special, recalling the Apollo moon landing 40 years ago, proved very popluar.

According to WFTV news director Bob Jordan, the space special drew a 3.7 rating and 14 share in the coveted 25-54 demo. “That’s more than ANY newscast Tuesday on WESH, WKMG or WOFL. Kudos to EP Craing Patrick and Bob Opsahl,” Jordan wrote on his Twitter feed.

Jordan also noted that the Apollo show went head-to-head with the CBS Evening News on WKMG. “It isn’t close: a 14-share A25-54 for ‘FTV, a 3-share for ‘KMG,” he Tweeted.

(If you missed it, the WFTV show can be viewed on WFTV.com)

And just to rub it in, Jordan notes that WFTV’s top-rated Eyewitness News drew more 25-54 demo viewers than WESH-2, Local 6 and Fox 35 combined on Monday. Very impressive.

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WFTV analog signoff was the cat’s meow

I’m still catching up on all the stuff I missed while I was occupied elsewhere.

So, what about that analog switch off?

Again, I missed it, but there was a nice touch with WFTV-Channel 9′s signoff. Included with the current WFTV logo was a version of the station’s first logo — the cattail 9 that was the moniker of WLOF-TV. The cat, whose tail formed the station’s channel number, was the symbol of WLOF when it signed on the air — with an analog signal — on Feb. 1, 1958. There were several versions of the cat, including a kitten for launch, a sort of tough tom cat that appears in the station logo at the top left, and the more cute, cartoon cat featured in WFTV’s signoff.

Eyewitness News anchor Bob Opshal gave a brief history of the station before the analog signal was pulled for good, and the TV screen when to “snow.”

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Video vault: Eyewitness News from 1984

As any avid visitor to this site knows, I love news and old news video. I came across some new “old” video that I hope you’ll enjoy too. Here’s a WFTV Eyewitness News promo from nearly 25 years ago — 1984. It features then-Channel 9 anchor Bob Jordan (now the station’s news director — again), anchor Martie Salt (before she left Channel 9 to go to Tampa), iconic weatherman Danny Treanor and anchor Bob Opsahl. Just after the promo is another with Salt, then a middle-of-the-night news update from anchor Ted Russell.

 

 

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Too many hugs for Casey Anthony? That’s what local stations say

Orlando’s local TV stations are so obsessed over Casey Anthony – especially now that it’s sweeps – maybe they just all need a hug? Sentinel TV Guy Hal Boedeker takes the local stations to task for overplaying a story about Anthony attorney Jose Baez hugging Casey twice while in jail.

Boedeker wrote: “No way, Jose,” WFTV-Channel 9 anchor Bob Opsahl said in opening the 5 p.m. Friday news. “Now hugs have him in trouble.” Anchor Martie Salt added: “Lawyers are never supposed to touch their clients, especially like this.” It was all rather breathless.

Meanwhile, WKMG’s Tony Pipitone has been trying to trace Anthony’s movements via her cell phone records and checking into movies she rented before Casey disappeared.

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