Some notes to start the week …
ABC’s World News with Charles Gibson will air from Orlando on Thursday night. His visit to the Sunshine State is part of ABC’s “Battleground Bus Tour,” which will take Gibson to key areas around the country that could decide the presidential election. Other stops after Orlando, according to ABC: Valdosta, Ga., on Friday; Dayton, Ohio, on Monday, Oct. 6; Bowling Green, Ohio, on Tuesday, Oct. 7; Kalamazoo, Mich., on Wednesday, Oct. 8; Racine, Wisc., on Thursday, Oct. 9; and Davenport, Iowa, on Friday, Oct. 10. In addition to anchoring World News from Orlando, Gibson will also remain in Orlando to anchor the Vice Presidential Debate that will be taking place Thursday night in St. Louis.
More politics: Orlando’s TV stations are enjoying the political season and the infusion of cash those annoying political ads bring. According to the Orlando Sentinel, since the Aug. 26 primary, candidates and parties have spent nearly $3.5 million on O-Town’s local TV stations and Bright House cable. The Sentinel says the Democrats are outspending the Republicans locally by a 2-to-1 margin. To give you an idea of how the money piles up, a 30-second spot on WFTV’s top-rated Eyewitness News at 6 p.m. costs $1,650 — and Barack Obama has been buying 2-minute blocks for some of his ads.
Help wanted: Want to be the news director at Fox 35? Just click here. The job is the one formerly help by Bob Clinkingbeard (great name for a pirate ). He left WOFL earlier this month after about three years at the station. Jeff Zeller, assistant ND, is running the newsroom until a replacement is found.