Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Wicked weather for Christmas
Several tornadoes touched down across Central Florida on Christmas Day. During its coverage today, a Fox News Channel anchor asked a Volusia County official why the public wasn't alerted to the bad weather.
The answer, of course, is that the public was alerted -- but many people weren't listening or watching. WESH, WFTV, WKMG and CFN 13 were all providing continuing storm coverage. WFTV chief meteorologist Tom Terry even came in on Christmas Day to help his station's efforts, with Brian Shields and Julie Watkins. WESH relied on Ivan Cabrera and Amy Sweezey while Larry Mowry held down the fort at WKMG.
From what little I did see, WFTV did the best job with coverage -- switching between Terry, his Doppler 9 HD and DOT cameras across the region, while Greg Warmoth manned the anchor desk.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Did Fox 35 get a new anchor?
It's kind of busy with Christmas fast approaching, so that's why I haven't been posting much. But here are some quick items to fill your TV news stockings with until the Big Man hopefully shows up at your home on Dec. 24 ...
I have NOT confirmed this, but a tipster says that Corrina Sullivan from Fox O&O KTVI in St. Louis is likely Cale Ramaker's new co-anchor at WOFL. She'd take the seat left vacant by Shelly Ribando. Stay tuned. ...
Central Florida News 13 has launched its new Spanish-language news channel, News 13 En Espanol. You can see it on Bright House digital channel 613. "News 13 En Espanol combines the power of News 13's Weather On the 1's with local news content that impacts the Hispanic community, 24 hours a day, seven days a week," CFN 13 VP and GM Robin Smythe said in a prepared statement to OBJ. Read the full story. ...
Is there life after TV news? You bettcha. Former WESH meteorologist Mike O'Lenick wrote an article for Orlando Magazine to catch up with what former on-air talent is doing today. Included are Bud Hedinger, Josh Wilson, Ed Heiland, Leslye Gale and Richard Frohlich. Read it here.
Thursday, December 7, 2006
New Sports 'Guy' for WESH
 WESH has hired Guy Rawlings from NBC O&O WTVJ as a new sports anchor -- which leaves some folks wondering what's happening to O-Town veteran Pat Clarke.
Rawlings, we're told, will be the main sports guy at WESH -- where Clarke has been holding down the fort as sports director and the lone member of the on-air sports team since the departure of Buddy Pittman over the summer. In fact, rumors have been making their way around town that WESH was preparing to shutter it Sports department -- rumors fueled in part, no doubt, by the long lag time in hiring a second person for the Sports staff.
Rawlings, a 13-year vet, will join WESH's staff on Jan. 4 and help with coverage of the Florida Gators' national championship game with the Ohio State Buckeyes in Arizona. Rawlings, who has been with WTVJ-NBC 6 since December 1996, has most recently been the station's weekend sports anchor. He previously worked in Charleston, S.C., Baltimore, Jacksonville and Gainesville.
"You'll see Guy in a traditional sports anchor role, but he will also be reporting from the field and breaking big sports stories," WESH GM Bill Bauman said in the news release. "We couldn't be more pleased to have him join us in time for our extensive coverage of the Gators' title bid."
Said Rawlings: "I'm thrilled to be coming back to this part of the state, and couldn't be more excited to arrive in time to cover my alma mater's shot at the BCS title in Glendale, Ariz."
This is the second high-profile hire by WESH from SoFla's WTVJ. Channel 2 anchor Martha Sugalski is a WTVJ alum.
Wednesday, December 6, 2006
Channel 9 expanding A.M. news to 27
 WFTV-Channel 9 will expand Eyewitness News Daybreak to sister station WRDQ-Channel 27 starting next month.
Orlando Sentinel TV Guy Hal Boedeker reports that the Greg Warmoth- and Vanessa Echols-anchored morning show will air from 5-7 a.m. on WFTV, then from 7 to 8:30 a.m. on WDRQ beginning Jan. 15. This will put the WFTV-produced newscast in direct competition with WOFL-Fox 35's local morning news.
"We've done some research that shows there is a hunger for local news," said Shawn Bartelt, general manager of both stations. "We're coming from a position of strength. Viewers want an option that will give them local news, weather and traffic."
The move may be a pre-emptive strike to counter rumored plans by WESH-Channel 2 to expand its morning newscast to sister station WKCF-Channel 18 once the CW affiliate's deal with the syndicated Daily Buzz expires next year. Both WFTV and WESH switch to national programming -- Good Morning America and Today, respectively -- at 7 a.m now.
WFTV has good reason to expand its morning franchise. It's the No. 1 morning show in Central Florida -- and in the nation. NewsBlues.com reports that the WFTV show had the highest ratings among all ABC affiliates in metered markets in the just completed November sweeps.
NewsBlues says that WFTV ND Bob Jordan had promised Daybreak producer Chandra Taylor a "purse of her choice" if she achieved a 25-share for the show. Well, she did just that, and Jordan recently took her to Mall at Millenia where Taylor selected a Prada purse valued at $1,500.
Tuesday, December 5, 2006
Dancing in with some news
The Orlando Sentinel has a Q&A with WFTV-Channel 9 GM Shawn Bartelt in Tuesday's paper. One question, Why is Dancing with the Stars so popular in Central Florida? Bartelt: "I think we have a big entertainment culture here because of the theme parks. As a Florida market, we tend to be younger. I think having Emmitt Smith in there didn't hurt. But Dancing did great numbers here before Emmitt; that was kind of like the cherry on top." Read the full Q&A here. ...
It just wouldn't be the holidays without a local TV anchor helping light up a Christmas tree. WKMG-Local 6's Bob Frier will be playing the piano and leading sing-alongs today at the City of Orlando's tree lighting ceremony downtown starting at 5:15 p.m. WFTV's Bob Opshal turned on Winter Park's tree last week. ...
And speaking of Christmas, there's still time to help WESH's annual Share Your Christmas food drive. It all starts next week, with Channel 2 broadcasting live from various drop-off sites across Central Florida. For more information, click here.
Monday, December 4, 2006
Dr. Phil won't replace news in O-Town
 Despite the ratings magic that Dr. Phil has worked at its Post-Newsweek sister station in Miami, WKMG-Local 6 won't be replacing its early evening news with the good doctor anytime soon.
First, some background. WPLG-ABC 10 in Miami acquired the rights to the Dr. Phil show from CBS O&O WFOR-4 in September. The once dominant Local 10, struggling in the South Florida news ratings, made a bold move with the talk show. The station opted to kill its 5-6 p.m. news hour and replace it with Dr. Phil.
The programming switch vaulted Local 10 from No. 3 in the 5-6 p.m. hour to No. 1, beating the news shows on the other local stations. And having Dr. Phil as its lead-in lifted Local 10 News to a No. 1 finish at 6 p.m. in the November sweeps, making it the first English-language newscast to claim the No. 1 crown in South Florida in more than five years.
WKMG GM Henry Maldonado said the Dr. Phil success in Miami is great, but he's happy having the show at 7 p.m. here in O-Town. "Dr Phil is doing better than ever here at 7," he wrote in an e-mail. "We were the first major market station to put Dr Phil in the evening, and now others are following our lead."
As for any thought to duplicating WPLG's South Florida strategy here in Central Florida, Maldonado said, "Our news is doing just fine, we are No. 2 in those time periods, and looking to keep moving up."
"But," he added, " it's good to know that there's a strategy out there in case this town runs out of news."
And that will happen about the same time Dr. Phil runs out of patients needing help.
Sunday, December 3, 2006
iVillage Live begins at Universal
 Orlando becomes home to another national TV show on Monday. That's the day iVillage Live launches on 10 NBC O&O stations from Universal Orlando Resort.
The show, based on the iVillage.com Web site, will broadcast live at noon Monday-Friday from Islands of Adventure. A new set has been build in an open air theater at the park between Marvel Super Hero Island and Toon Lagoon. (I bet no other show in the history of television has ever been able to say that!)
I was out at Universal Orlando over the weekend, and hotel guests as well as park visitors are being encouraged to be part of the show's audience each day. You can call to get tickets to be in the audience, and you don't have to pay admission to the park. There will be a stand-by line too, around 11:30 a.m. each day, but only for those folks who are already paying guests in the park. (Would you choose to ride the Hulk Coaster or watch a TV show after paying $73 for a one-day, two-park ticket?)
The show has five hosts -- Sissy, who's the working mom; Guy, who's the single dad; Molly, who's an O-Town hometowner; Bob, who's the "wacky" one; and Naamua, who's single and from Britain. You can read more about all of them.
But just because WESH isn't carrying the show now, you can still see it by logging on to ivillage.com, which will stream the show each day.
Friday, December 1, 2006
Buzz is losing Morris to Philly
The Daily Buzz is losing a bit of its buzz. A tipster tells us that Clayton Morris is leaving the Orlando-based morning show and is moving to Philadelphia to be the morning anchor at WFTX-Fox 29.
Morris joined the Buzz after spending two years in Bluefield, W.V., where he was the main anchor. After John Brown departed awhile back, it was thought that perhaps Morris would be elevated to co-host of the show, but it didn't happen.
This is another big hit for the Buzz. Behind the scenes, show leader Troy McGuire is leaving to become VP of news and programming at Fisher Communications in Seattle.
WESH happy with November results
 WESH, the struggling station in town that had been switching anchor assignments left and right, looks to have taken a turn for the better when it comes to ratings.
The station reported that it was up in every news time period -- up 15 percent at 5 a.m., up 23 percent at 6 a.m., up 9 percent at noon, up 49 percent in the 4-5 p.m. hour with its new newscast, up 35 percent at 5 p.m., up 31 percent at 5:30 p.m., 23 percent at 6 p.m. and 7 percent at 11 p.m.
In that late news time, WESH says it was the only station in the market to show an increase in viewers at 11 p.m. from the May sweeps (based on seven-day averages).
"We are encouraged by the increases we have seen in our key time periods since making a number of strategic changes over the summer," WESH GM Bill Bauman said in a news release. "We have solidified our afternoons with a strong performance by The Ellen DeGeneres Show at 3 p.m. and a successful launch of our new newscast at 4 p.m. This strength has carried over into our evening newscasts, all of which have shown growth since May."
The most-watched show on WESH in November was Sunday Night Football, which has increased viewership nearly 90 percent from this time a year ago. Heroes was No. 2, followed by Deal or No Deal.
Sweeping up: Good news for everyone
It's the holiday season, so Nielsen is spreading some cheer with its November ratings report -- everyone has something to feel good about.
The 500-pound ratings gorilla that is WFTV continues to have its way with the market, winning all the news time periods except noon.
Top-rated Eyewitness News Daybreak now has more viewers than its competitors combined. According to a WFTV news release, from 5-7 a.m., Daybreak has 49 percent of the available news viewers in the market -- averaging 77,601 households to 37,660 for WESH, 26,900 for WKMG and 16,140 for WOFL.
The noon crown goes to WKMG again, which just edged past WFTV's hour-long show.
At 4 p.m., WESH's new hour-long newscast the topped WKMG's established half-hour show, pulling in 41,200 households. Orpah on WFTV wins the time period easily, but WESH reports its ratings for the hour are up 49 percent from a year ago when it ran Ellen opposite Oprah.
From 5-6:30 p.m., it's all WFTV. From 5-6 p.m. Channel 9 grew its audience for the third consecutive sweep and now gets 48 percent of the homes watching news -- and WFTV was ahead of No. 2-ranked WKMG by more than 80,000 households. At 6 p.m., Eyewitness News has 52 percent of the news viewers locked up, followed by WKMG and WESH.
WOFL's 10 p.m. news, which saw anchor Shelly Ribando leave, still grew audience for its 'cast, according to the Orlando Sentinel. And that's with Fox's weak prime-time line up. Once American Idol returns, who knows how many more viewers Fox's news might night.
At 11 p.m., thanks in part to strong ABC programming, WFTV won at 11 p.m. for the third time in four ratings periods. Channel 9 actually out-performed its network lead-in, growing its ratings 7 percent and share 20 percent.
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