Orlando Sentinel TV Guy Hal Boedeker has more on the July ratings races in O-Town TV, including WKMG’s fourth-place showing in the evening in the 25-54 demo. “We were No. 4 before we made the changes,” WKMG General Manager Skip Valet told Boedeker. “I think I’m better serving the audience. We’re in the summertime, and…
Month: July 2009
WESH moves ahead of WFTV in the morning
For the first time in five years, WESH 2 Sunrise at 6 a.m. finished July ahead of WFTV’s Eyewitness News Daybreak in the adults 25-54 demo, WESH reports. The station also notes that it is closing in on WFTV’s top-rated Eyewitness News in the evening — trailing now by 9,600 adults in the demo. In…
Kaufeldt to head up new 9 a.m. show on Fox 35
With Sonni Abatta’s arrival as the new evening anchor for WOFL, you might have been wondering what will happen to Amy Kaufeldt. Fear not, Amy fans. Napoli Management says the station has re-upped Kaufeldt, and she will be heading back to mornings — where she started at Fox 35 before leaving to launch the 5…
WKMG’s Tom Sorrells and ‘the most important story I’ve ever done’
WKMG is living up to its “Local” 6 moniker Wednesday night, taking an hour of prime time to focus on something that impacts Central Floridians nearly every day: Lightning. “Lightning Strikes,” which airs at 8 p.m., is a program that looks how we cope with living in one of the world’s lightning hot spots. “We do stories…
New reporter for WFTV; departure for Fox 35
Some comings and goings in O-Town TV news: Emily Turner is joining WFTV-Channel 9 as a general assignment reporter, beginning in September. Turner is currently at WPMI-NBC 15 in Mobile. She’s originally from Jacksonville, and she attended the University of Florida. WOFL morning traffic reporter and weather guy Cris Martinez is leaving Fox 35 to become weekend weathercaster…
WESH anchors keep rolling in Celebrity Smackdown game
The WESH duo of Jim Payne and Martha Sugalski dispatched WKMG’s main anchors to move into the third round of OrlandoSentinel.com’s Celebrity Smackdown game. Also advancing to face the Channel 2 Cinderellas — the anchors of WFTV’s top-rated Daybreak show, Greg Warmoth and Vanessa Echols. Earlier, Payne and Sugalski upset WFTV evening anchors Bob Opsahl…
Whoa! Something’s changed about RogerSimmons.com
If you’re a regular visitor to RogerSimmons.com, you may notice things are a little different. In a good news-bad news situation, traffic to RogerSimmons.com has been great — so great that the site was putting too much of a load on my Web host. I was told I needed to sign up for a somewhat…
One small step for man, one giant ratings leap for Channel 9
WFTV’s Monday night special, recalling the Apollo moon landing 40 years ago, proved very popluar. According to WFTV news director Bob Jordan, the space special drew a 3.7 rating and 14 share in the coveted 25-54 demo. “That’s more than ANY newscast Tuesday on WESH, WKMG or WOFL. Kudos to EP Craing Patrick and Bob…
WESH duo move on; Can Mainolfi knock off Terry?
WESH’s Jim Payne and Martha Sugalski knocked off top-rated WFTV anchors Bob Opsahl and Martie Salt. Not in the Nielsens, but in the first round of the Orlando Sentinel’s Celebrity Smackdown game. Payne and Sugalski scored a first-round upset over the Channel 9 duo in voting on OrlandoSentinel.com. Payne and Sugalski advanced to the game’s…
Man suspected of shooting officer confesses to WFTV
You probably saw or read coverage about the massive manhunt in Brevard County for Christopher Eddy. He was accused of shooting a wildlife officer. The prosecutor’s job in the case got a lot easier after Eddy confessed … on camera to WFTV-Channel 9. “Why did I shoot the person? Because I felt my freedom was being…