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Posts Tagged ‘Marla Weech’

Marla Weech is back in the anchor chair

August 12th, 2009

marlaweech 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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Posted in Orlando TV

Tags: Marla Weech O-Town Alumni

Weech out as anchor at WKMG

July 1st, 2008

Longtime O-Town anchor Marla Weech is being laid off from WKMG as the slowing economy starts to takes its toll at Local 6.

“I’m being laid off,” she told Orlando Sentinel TV Guy Hal Boedeker on Friday. “It’s tough economic times. My position is being eliminated. My heart goes out to anyone who’s losing a job.”

Weech has been an anchor on Orlando TV since the early 1980s, first at Channel 6, then for more than 20 years at WFTV-Channel 9. She left WFTV in Sept. 2005 after being bumped to the 10 p.m. newscast on sister station WRDQ-Channel 27. She returned to Channel 6 in 2006.

Weech is the latest high-profile anchor to leave the air. Wendy Chioji departed WESH-Channel 2 in May after more than 20 years.

Chioji decided to leave the business, which — like all media — is facing a tough economic climate. In a memo to the Channel 6 staff explaining Weech’s anchor position being eliminated, GM Henry Maldonado warned, “The position being eliminated will not be the only measure we will have to take. But for now, everyone affected by these changes has already been informed.”

Weech’s last newscast will be tonight. Read the full Orlando Sentinel story here.
» Read more: Weech out as anchor at WKMG

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Posted in Orlando TV, WFTV-9, WKMG-6, WRDQ-27

Tags: Marla Weech Wendy Chioji WFTV-9 WKMG-6 WRDQ-27

Mowry’s delivery leaves Weech all alone

April 18th, 2007

The 5 a.m. hour of Tuesday’s Local 6 First News could have been renamed "The Marla Weech Show."

The station’s traffic reporter position is vacant, co-anchor Lauren Rowe was out because she was ill, so it was supposed to be just Weech and meteorologist Larry Mowry on the show. But Florida Today reports that just about 15 minutes before going on the air, Mowry received a call that his pregnant wife was about to give birth. Station management gave him to OK to rush to the hospital, so Weech handled the news, traffic and weather on the show until fill-in weatherman Jerry Steffen was able to arrive about 30 minutes after being called for emergency duty.

But who had the tougher day, Weech or Mowry’s wife? Rowe said this morning that Mowry’s wife gave birth around 7:30 p.m.! But Mom, dad and their new daughter are doing fine, Rowe reported.