WESH reporter gets a surprise from Hurricane Irene

WESH reporter Dan Billow gets an unexpected visit from Hurricane Irene.

As Hurricane Irene passed by Central Florida, Orlando’s TV news crews were camped out along to coast to watch waves and report on beach erosion. WESH 2 reporter/meteorologist Dan Billow got an up-close-and-personal interaction with Irene — as he was drenched by a wave on Satellite Beach moments before a live shot.  He wasn’t injured — well, except for perhaps his pride as his crew broke out laughing at Billow’s misfortune. Click here to see the video on YouTube.com.

 

Fox 35 expands partnership with Mix 105.1 FM

Some quick notes as we await the results of the May sweeps…

It appears Fox 35 has expanded its partnership with CBS-owned Mix 105.1 FM (WOMX). WOFL’s meteorologists have been giving weather forecasts for awhile on WOMX’s Morning Mix show. But now Fox 35 morning anchors are also supplying the news updates for the radio show. …

A bit weird. While all the Orlando stations broke into regular programming on Wednesday morning to show the final return of space shuttle Atlantis, WESH stayed with the Today show until the very last seconds of the shuttle’s approach. Seemed like even before the spacecraft rolled to a stop, it was back to Today. Sure, folks interested in the shuttle’s return had plenty of places to watch (including WESH’s morning newscast on CW 18), but I expected  WESH — with top space report Dan Billow — would have given it more coverage. …

You’re going to see a lot coverage for the opening of Harry Potter’s world at Universal Orlando. According to Orlando Sentinel TV Guy Hal Boedeker, NBC will present a half-hour special on the attraction’s opening on Sunday, June 6 at at 7 p.m. And  NBC’s Today show will be at the park on June 18 for the opening.

Cabrera leaves WESH, Garofalo and Longo come to town

It’s been a good, long while since I’ve blogged about anything. Buy my resolution for 2009 is to write more — so I’m getting an early start. Here’s some of the stuff that’s been going on recently in O-Town’s TV Land …

Meteorologist Ivan Cabrera has left WESH. Cabrera’s agent, Rob Jordan, told Sentinel TV Guy Hal Boedeker, “He signed a confidentiality agreement and is not commenting. It was all very amicable.” According to Boedeker, WESH space reporter Dan Billow — who has a meteorology degree — may be helping out with the weather now that Channel 2 is down to just four mets. Cabrera had been with WESH since May 2006, but what’s next for him? Well, he is doing voiceover work. He has a Web site where you can hear some of his samples.

Is Bob Frier getting pushed out at WKMG? We hope not, but it sure looks suspicious over at Local 6. The station has brought in Mike Garofalo from KOAT in Albuquerque to anchor the 4 and 6 p.m. newscasts with Jacqueline London. Frier will now co-anchor the 5 and 11 p.m. shows with London, and Garofalo will report for the 11 p.m. show. There is an O-Town connection with Garofalo. Back in New Mexico, working with Garofalo at KOAT was former WOFL-Fox 35 anchor Shelly Ribando.

Do you realize that as we head into 2009, the only news director who started 2008 with an O-Town station and is finishing the year is WFTV’s Bob Jordan? Bob Longo at WESH is the newest ND in town, coming from WTAE in Pittsburgh to replace Barb Maushard, who took a corporate job with Hearst-Argyle. WOFL-Fox 35 brought in Gavin Maliska in November to replace Bob Clinkingbeard, and in February WKMG hired Steve Hyvonen from WEWS in Cleveland in replace Susan Forbes.

 

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