Birthday time for WESH, WRBW

Posted on June 13, 2010 by Roger

Some quick notes from the news that is television …

Happy birthday, WESH. Channel 2 turned 54 years old on Friday. The station went on the air June 11, 1956, from Daytona Beach. Some fun facts about WESH: It was the 19th television station in Florida. … It wasn’t the only NBC affiliate in Central Florida when it went on the air. It shared NBC with WDBO-Channel 6 because most folks outside of Volusia County could not receive WESH, which was broadcasting on a 300-foot tower in Daytona at the time. On November 5, 1957 — the day WESH activated a new 1,000-foot tower in Orange City — it got the NBC affiliation all to itself. … Of the Big 4 network affiliates in Orlando, WESH is the only station with its original call letters. Check out our WESH history page for more information. …

Fox-owned WRBW-My 65 celebrated its sweet 16 birthday on June 4. It went on the air as independent Rainbow 65 in 1994. …

I’ve been traveling a lot lately and came across some familiar faces on TV. In Chicago, former WKMG sports anchor Ryan Baker is now at WBBM-CBS 2 as the main sports guy at the CBS O&O. In Norfolk/Virginia Beach, former WESH morning anchor Tom Schaad is the main anchor at WAVY-NBC 10. …

Eboni Deon has joined WFTV as Channel 9′s new weekend meteorologist. She previously worked at CNN International and The Weather Channel — which could explain why she has admirers from across the globe on her Facebook Fan Page. She replaces Ben Smith, who moved from Channel 9 to WHNT-CBS 19 in Huntsville, Ala. (And WHNT is also the home of former WESH meteorologist Dan Sattefield.) …

I don’t write much about Central Florida News 13 — since I can’t get it on my home TV — but the cable station says it will launch a new website soon. “More video. Easier to Use. More of What YOU Want,” is how News 13 is describing its new cfnews13.com page. Stay turned.

May sweeps: WFTV, CBS big winners in Orlando

Posted on May 29, 2010 by Roger

Just as predictable as afternoon thunderstorms in the summer: WFTV and CBS were the big winners in Orlando in the just-completed May sweeps.

The juggernaut that is Channel 9′s Eyewitness News showed no signs of weakness. WFTV’s newscasts won in all time periods — morning, noon, evening and night.

According to results in the Orlando Sentinel, WFTV’s 6 p.m. newscast had more viewers (128,500 homes) than the combined audiences of WESH 2 News (68,300), WKMG’s Local 6 News (27,400) and WOFL’s Fox 35 News (23,900). The results were the same in the 25-to-54 demo: WFTV (40,100), WESH (15,700), WKMG (11,300) and WOFL (10,800).

Despite CBS’ popular prime-time lineup on WKMG finishing No. 1. locally, WFTV’s 11 p.m. news was tops — pulling 42,200 homes in the demo compared with 27,900 for WKMG, 21,200 for WESH and 15,500 for WOFL.

The only dent in WFTV’s armor? It’s 10 p.m. newscast on sister station WRDQ-TV 27 finished behind WOFL’s Fox 35 News at 10. Those 10 p.m. demo numbers: Fox 35 (27,000), WRDQ (16,500) and WESH’s news on WKCF (8,700).

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Fox 35 expands partnership with Mix 105.1 FM

Posted on May 27, 2010 by Roger

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.

Why Michelle Meredith is a great reporter

Posted on May 25, 2010 by Roger

Michelle Meredith

This happened a little more than a week ago, but I still wanted to mention it.

If there is an underrated reporter in Central Florida, I think ‘s WESH’s Michelle Meredith. The woman seems like a bulldog when she gets a story.

You may remember, it was Meredith with her little video cam that caught former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich vacationing at Disney World while awaiting word on his indictment by a grand jury. This was after nearly every reporter in town was looking for him across the Disney resort.

Last week, Meredith — again with her video camera — was able to grab a quick chat with Vice President Joe Biden. It came in Philadelphia, where Meredith’s daughter was competing in a crew competition that also included the veep’s granddaughter. And Biden looked just as happy as Blago to see Meredith and her camera.

Did she break news with Biden? No, but it did give us some insight into how he spends his weekends. And honestly, if you are at an event with the vice president, aren’t you going to try to get an interview?

Click here to see WESH’s story and Meredith’s video.

And I’m sure Biden is thinking the interview with Meredith went much better than his last one with an Orlando media member.

The Doctor is in: Dr. Oz visits WESH

Posted on May 24, 2010 by Roger

WESH's Jim Payne and Martha Sugalsky with Dr. Oz

WESH's Jim Payne and Martha Sugalski with Dr. Oz

The folks at WESH 2 received a house call from America’s favorite doctor last week.

Dr. Mehmet Oz, host of the syndicated Dr. Oz show, was at WESH on Thursday. While visiting the station, he talked about his show, his book and met with some local folks. He even took time to pose for photos in the newsroom and with WESH 2 News anchor Jim Payne and Martha Sugalski.

Hearst’s Orlando duopoly double-pumps Dr. Oz each week day, at 9 a.m. on CW 18 and at 3 p.m. on WESH.

Click here to see a slide show from his visit to the Orlando station.

Sabrina Fein leaves Fox 35; WESH adds more Aixa Diaz

Posted on May 23, 2010 by Roger

Sabrina Fine posing in Orlando Style magazine

A couple of changes to report on the local news scene…

WOFL-Fox 35 meteorologist/traffic reporter Sabrina Fein – declared by some to be the “hottest” woman on Orlando TV — has left O-Town. Posting on her Facebook fan page on May 19, Fein wrote, “For all of you that are wondering and asking, I have decided to take a short break from the news business and refocus my career in Los Angeles. Thank you all for participating in this page and I am hopeful that you will still follow me and my career. Take care for now. – Sabrina xoxo.” Reading more comments on the page, it appears that WOFL wanted to move her off the weather beat. …