RogerSimmons.com Orlando TV News » Tony Mainolfi

WESH sends Mainolfi to beach for May

Roger — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 17:25:29 +0000

Here’s an update on two of WESH’s May sweeps projects:

Starting Thursday, meteorologist Tony Mainolfi will forecast the weather from a different location along the Brevard, Volusia and Flagler county coasts during a 20-day, 20-location event. In his live broadcasts in WESH’s 4-6:30 p.m. newscasts, Mainolfi will feature stories on the people and places he visits in addition to providing the daily forecasts.

"It’s important for us to get out of the studio and explore how our communities are impacted by weather, as we prepare for the upcoming hurricane season," WESH News Director Barbara Maushard said.

Starting Monday, a monthlong weight-loss series is the feature its WESH’s Sunrise and CW18 morning shows. Dieters will be split into two teams and will follow either South Beach or Atkins weight-loss programs. Participants will be monitored by WESH 2 News medical reporter Dr. Todd Husty, who will also provide helpful and healthful information.

Viewers can follow each dieter’s progress throughout May. The dieters will share their stories, their frustrations and their secrets to success. Viewers will also learn how men and women respond differently to South Beach and Atkins diets.

According to Maushard, "these are real people with real stories. Viewers will be able to relate to these folks, cheer them on, and hopefully learn something about how to best lose weight."

Assessing WESH’s changes

Roger — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 08:37:15 +0000

This week began with the anchors and weather personnel at WESH taking on their new news assignments. So far: Wendy Chioji is walking a lot, Tony Mainolfi isn’t sleeping a lot but the ratings look good.

The re-named, solo-anchored "WESH 2 News at 6 with Wendy Chioji" is definitely different from the other early-evening newscasts on the station — and the ones on the other stations, too. (Watch a clip of the first show here) The stories are a bit longer, and nightly interview segment with Chijoi is something that seems worthwhile. Chioji also is now standing while delivering the news, walking about the studio for the weather segment with Mainolfi and the sports segment with newcomer Guy Rawlings. If WESH was going for distinguishing this newscast from its others, it’s succeeded.

Mainolfi, though, is losing sleep over the changes. He’s been reassigned from the morning newscasts to the 6 and 11 p.m. shows — but his morning replacement hasn’t arrived yet. So, when Mainolfi finishes the 11 p.m. show, he basically takes a nap at a nearby hotel then returns to the studio for the 5-7 a.m. morning news and then the 7-9 shift on CW 18 . Fortunately for Mainolfi, new morning weather guy Jason Brewer starts on Feb. 12.

WESH insiders have been happy with the ratings for the revamped shows so far this week. The station says this is its long-term plan, so we’ll see how things fare during the sweeps.

And, speaking of WESH, former assistant ND Anzio Williams has been bumped up the Hearst-Argyle chain. After WESH, Williams became the news director at H-A’s WDSU in New Orleans — leading the station’s Hurricane Katrina coverage there and later in Orlando when the station temporarily moved its ops here. Now, Williams is going to be the ND at KCRA-NBC 3 in Sacramento.

Changes also in weather at WESH

Roger — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 08:32:37 +0000

Perhaps overlooked in the shakeup of WESH’s anchors are the changes taking place in the WESH WeatherPlus storm center.

Morning vet Tony Mainolfi is getting the prime evening newscasts, with Amy Sweezey shifting to the noon and 4 p.m. shows. Since longtime chief meteorologist Dave Marsh left in 2006, no one on WESH’s weather team was given his former title. Could this be a sign that Mainolfi will get Marsh’s old title now that he has Marsh’s old shows?

And, the WESH has added a fifth meteorologist to its staff to replace Mainolfi in the morning. The new met is Jason Brewer (right), who comes to WESH from Houston’s KPRC-NBC 2. Brewer has been doing the weekend weather at the Houston station since May 2006. Previous to that he was the chief met at KOSA in Odessa, Texas, and also worked at WTVD-ABC 11 in Raleigh-Durham, N.C.

"Weather is one of the biggest reasons why our viewers watch local news. Therefore, our commitment to weather coverage will continue to expand," said WESH ND Barbara Maushard. "By adding Jason to our team, we will be able to offer our viewers even more team coverage of Central Florida weather on-air, on-line and on our digital weather channel, WESH 2 Weather Plus."

WESH prepares to swap anchors

Roger — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 08:25:10 +0000

Expect a complete makeover of Channel 2’s anchor assignments shortly, according to a WESH insider. Included will be a solo anchor shift at 6 p.m. for Wendy Chioji, a return to the 11 p.m. show by Jim Payne and a more prominent evening role for morning weather guy Tony Mainolfi.

I haven’t received confirmation yet, but here’s what the insider says the new assignments are:

4-5 p.m. — Martha Sugalski and Chioji anchor
5-6 p.m. — Payne and Sugalski anchor
6-6:30 p.m. — Chioji anchors solo
11-11:35 p.m. — Payne and Sugalski anchor

Payne and Sugalski have been anchoring the 4 p.m. show, Chioji and Raoul Martinez have been doing the the 5 p.m. with Payne and Chioji at 6 p.m. and Sugalski and Chioji at 11.

The anchor reassignments are due in some part to the hasty assignment of Martinez to anchor WESH’s new 7-9 a.m. newscast on CW18 with Eryka Washington.

What Mainolfi’s move to evenings mean for meteorologist Amy Sweezey remains to be seen.