We told you yesterday about Good Morning America weatherman Sam Champion’s plans to give his forecast underwater at Epcot for Earth Day. And that’s just what he did. It’s one part cool, one part distracting. Until you have to listen to someone giving a weather forecast in scuba suit, you don’t realize how much a person has to breath when they talk. If you missed it, here’s video from ABC News.
Good Morning America’s Sam Champion was Tweeting Wednesday about his arrival in Orlando and visit to Walt Disney World’s Epcot. The ABC News morning weatherman is at the theme park for Earth Day, and he’s taking a dive in the Living Seas exhibit. (That’s a Twitpic he posted Wednesday afternoon.)
If you tune in Thursday morning on WFTV-Channel 9, you just might see Champion do the weather underwater, he tells Orlando Sentinel TV Guy Hal Boedeker.
Despite that silly gimmick, Champion said he takes the 40th anniversary of Earth Day very seriously.
“Our passion about environmentalism can come and go,” Champion told Boedeker. “You can’t be Mr. or Ms. Planet 24 hours a day, but deep down, we care about the world around us. We care about clean water, clean air, clean beaches.”
Champion calls Earth Day “a reminder to take care of the place we live — it’s like a reminder that pops up on your BlackBerry.”
Some new and familiar faces in new places on TV …
Nancy Alvarez, former member of the Problem Solvers investigations unit at WKMG-Local 6, is returning to Central Florida. She’s the new weekend anchor at WFTV, according to Sentinel TV Guy Hal Boedeker. She left Local 6 in 2007 to work at WBBH-NBC 2 in Fort Myers. …
Scott Rates, WKMG’s top news photog, is heading to WFTV-Channel 9, reports NewsBlues.com. Rates, who also reports, edits, and runs the live truck, starts at Eyewitness News next week. …
Former WFTV reporter Jamison Uhler is heading back to the Sunshine State — to become an anchor at WFTS-ABC 26 in Tampa. According to the Tampa Tribune, Uhler, 34, currently an anchor/reporter at NBC O&O WCAU-10 in Philadelphia, has been hired to co-anchor WFTS’ 5 and 11 p.m. newscasts. …
And finally, Nicole Pesecky has joined WKMG as a GA. She previously was at KCBD-NBC 11 in Lubbock, Texas.
Bob Opsahl
WFTV Eyewitness News anchorman Bob Ospahl opens up about his long career in Orlando in an interview with Sentinel TV Guy Hal Boedeker.
For example, has Opsahl ever considered leaving Channel 9 and Orlando for a job in a larger market?
Said Opsahl, “Like most folks in TV news, I had early visions of advancing to the so-called ‘Big Time,’ moving to larger markets, and possibly even the network someday. And I did have some offers over the years. But a few things kept me from making those moves. First, I love Orlando. It’s been home base for me since 1968. And most of my family members live here, too. Second, I wasn’t convinced that any success here would necessarily translate to another market. And third, I grew up in an Air Force family, where moving was a way of life. Many times when my Dad got transferred I would have to leave all my friends behind and start over again in another state. So, the opportunity to finally put down roots, and stay in one place was very appealing to me.
“And here’s a fun fact: When I started at Channel 9, in 1978, the Orlando market was the 43rd largest in the country. Now, it’s 19th. So, I did move to a much bigger market, and I didn’t have to leave town.”
Bob Opsahl
There’s been a lot of speculation about vetran anchor Bob Opsahl’s future at WFTV. News director Bob Jordan has hinted at pending retirement for his star newsman, and that talk ramped up after new weekend anchor Josh Benson was hired.
Well, what about Bob? He set the record straight on Monday with Orlando Sentinel TV Guy Hal Boedeker. Asked about talk that he may retire next year, Opsahl said, “For now, I can take that only one step further: I won’t be retiring next year either.”
So, that would keep Central Florida’s longest tenured anchor on Eyewitness News through 2011. Opsahl started at Channel 9 back in 1978. Wow — that’s a looong time.
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?”