Former Orlando anchor Rondinaro: ‘I’m a budget cut’

Posted on April 27, 2010 by Roger

Steve Rondinaro

Former longtime Orlando anchor Steve Rondinaro has a new assignment: finding a job.

Rondinaro, the former WESH and WFTV anchor who in 2007 became the lead anchor and managing editor for WWAY-ABC 3 in Wilmington, N.C., was dropped by the station earlier this month.

“By now you may have noticed that I’m no longer doing the evening news on WWAY. April 8 was my last night on television. I’m a budget cut,” Rondinaro wrote in an article for the Wilmington Star News. “It’s business. I’m simply another in an ongoing series of budget cuts at Channel 3. Like our local governments and about every other media business, revenue is down at WWAY, too. My contract was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“The writing was on the wall several months ago. With the ax having officially fallen, I’m now part of a huge news story that I had been reporting on. I’ll be in the next round of unemployment numbers. I’m not happy about that, but I’m not ashamed either. I’m now in the same boat as a lot of you. It’s one scary boat.”

Read his full story here.

Check out his RondoWorks.com website here.

Not a fan of WFTV’s new weather channel

Posted on April 11, 2010 by Roger

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?”

Former WESH reporter: Don’t kill investigations

Posted on September 7, 2009 by Roger

Stephen Stock

Times are tough for all media — particularly newspapers and television. And both mediums are cutting journalists left and right. But former WESH reporter Stephen Stock — now at CBS O&O WFOR in Miami — makes a case for keeping investigative journalism alive.

In the latest edition of its “From the Field” segment on TVSpy.com, Stock says, “serious journalists who exist to break significant enterprise news, who dig up truth to hold the powerful accountable, who write stories that those in power don’t want the public to know, those investigative and value added journalists must fight the perception that we are expendable. We need more investigative journalists, not fewer. Without independent, aggressive journalists to set independent outlets apart, the media merely become the acquiescent mouthpiece for those with the power to feed us press releases and spin.”

Stock explains how investigative reporters have been among the groups targeted when stations make cuts. “When I first wrote about this issue for Electronic News early this year I knew of a half dozen investigative journalists who’d lost their jobs. Now, I know of more than two dozen who’ve been laid off or had their units dissolved. What does that mean to those of us who are left?”

His suggestions for investigative reporters:

Think like a bean counter as well as an investigator.
Learn to promote how much investigative journalism contributes to rather than takes away from the bottom line.
Learn to work across media platforms, even if that means giving up old prejudices about what “the guys in the newspaper” or “on the web team” do which, in the past, we couldn’t be bothered with doing.

Read Stephen’s full account here (scroll to the bottom).

Marla Weech is back in the anchor chair

Posted on August 12, 2009 by Roger

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.

WKMG looking for new traffic anchor

Posted on August 4, 2009 by Roger

ttt-notes3 WKMG traffic anchor Kim Sanders is leaving the station. Mike James’ O-Town TV quotes Channel 6 GM Skip Valet as saying, “We are going to make a change in our morning traffic.” James says that change comes Aug. 21.

You may recall that Sanders was the winner of WKMG’s search for a morning traffic reporter back in 2007 — a sort of American Idol-type competition. Sanders was working in voice-over production when selected for the Local 6 traffic gig. You can watch her original audition tape here. …

Big news from Kendra Oestreich, Carole Nelson and Scott Walker after the jump

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Hori welcomes twins; see WFTV video from 1978

Posted on January 2, 2009 by Roger

A couple of quick items to start off the new year …

Congrats to former WESH anchor Shannon Hori, now at WFOR-CBS 4 in Miami. Last week she welcomed twin boys, Colt and Cade. “The best Christmas present ever,” Hori told the Miami Herald. The boys are the first children for Hori, 36, and husband Kendall Cogan, 42. who owns Firehouse Subs franchises. Click here to read more. …

Believe it or not, apparently it wasn’t “all Caylee coverage, all the time” for at least one local station in 2008. WOFL’s Web site, MyFoxOrlando.com, listed its top 10 stories on the site for 2008. Here are the top five:

Girl called racist for wearing Palin T-shirt;
City vehicles painted with anti-Obama sayings;
Student who took religious icon getting death threats;
Florida teens confront Fox 35 after mom’s arrest;
Car wash mom pleads no contest.

Not sure what that lists says about MyFoxOrlando’s visitors. You can see the full list by clicking here. …

And finally, here’s a trip down video lane: Part of WFTV’s Eyewitness News from 1978, complete with anchor Bob Jordan, weatherman Burd Bullock and sports with Mike James (now of NewsBlues.com fame.) There’s also a credit roll at the end of the show … see if you recognize any of the names.