Skip to content
Roger Simmons Roger Simmons

Birds, Words, Pics + TV

  • Home
  • All Posts
    • Orlando Wetlands
    • Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
    • Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive
    • Joe Overstreet Road
    • UCF Arboretum
    • Fort DeSoto Park
  • My Bird Catalog
    • All Birds Catalog
    • American Flamingos
    • Bald Eagles
    • Barred Owls
    • Belted Kingfishers
    • Black-and-White Warblers
    • Eastern Bluebirds
    • Florida Scrub-Jays
    • Green Herons
    • Little Blue Herons
    • Northern Parulas
    • Ospreys
    • Reddish Egrets
    • Red-Shouldered Hawks
    • Roseate Spoonbills
    • Sandhill Cranes
    • Whooping Crane
  • Orlando TV News/History
    • Orlando TV Schedules
    • Florida TV History
  • About this Site
Roger Simmons
Roger Simmons

Birds, Words, Pics + TV

Orlando TV news covers final space shuttle launch

Roger Simmons, July 9, 2011

The final launch of the space shuttle on Friday capped what arguably has been one of the busiest news weeks ever for Orlando TV news. Like the shuttle program, the Casey Anthony story is starting to wind down. But if the launch of Atlantis was any indication, some of the local TV innovations from the Casey saga will stay with us for awhile.

WFTV-9 moved its mobile courthouse studio over to the Kennedy Space Center, where Bob Opsahl anchored the final shuttle launch. WKMG-6 can’t seem to break out of wall-to-wall coverage — pre-empting CBS’ Early Show and other daytime programming to provide non-stop shuttle launch coverage all Friday morning. In another holdover of the Casey Anthony trial, Local 6 displayed online blog comments during the shuttle launch — the same thing it did during the trial.

Here’s a quick look at how Orlando TV news covered the final space shuttle launch:

Channel 6 displays comments from its live blog during the shuttle Atlantis launch.
WFTV's mobile courthouse studio (left) becomes its space center studio for Atlantis.
Axia Diaz and veteran space reporter Dan Billow anchor coverage on WESH.
Fox 35 had anchor Cale Ramaker on site for the launch of Atlantis.
Share on Social Media
x facebook reddit email
Orlando TV WESH-2WFTV-9WKMG-6WOFL-35

Post navigation

Previous post
Next post

Related Posts

WOFL hires Pittsburgh anchor for evening newscasts

July 9, 2009

WOFL has found a replacement for anchor Corrina Sullivan, who decided not to return to the station after her maternity leave. The newcomer is Sonni Abatta, currently the morning anchor at Pittsburgh CBS O&O KDKA. Sentinel TV Guy Hal Boedeker says she will start at the station on July 20, and…

Read More
Orlando TV

It’s official: WUCF TV to be Orlando’s main PBS station

June 2, 2011

PBS fans in Orlando can breathe easier. On July 1, WUCF TV will officially take over as the main PBS affiliate in Central Florida when public broadcasting leaves longtime home WMFE-TV. Though reported earlier, the deal was officially announced today. The University of Central Florida said in a news release…

Read More

Television in Florida turns 60

April 1, 2009

Although I missed it by a couple of weeks, I couldn’t let an important milestone in Florida television history go unnoted. Miami’s WTVJ celebrated its 60th anniversary on March 21. WTVJ, originally broadcasting on Channel 4, was the first television station in Florida — and just the 16th in the…

Read More

Latest Posts

  • Merritt Island birds back in May
  • Barn Swallows return to Lake Apopka for summer
  • Black-neck Stilts bring babies, summer fun
  • Important anniversary for Indian River flamingos
  • Enjoying a quiet morning at Orlando Wetlands

Top Locations

Orlando Wetlands

Posts about visits to Orlando Wetlands


UCF Arboretum

Posts about visits to UCF Arboretum


Merritt Island

Posts about visits to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge


Lake Apopka

Posts about visits to Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive


Fort DeSoto

Posts about visits to Fort DeSoto Park


Galleries

Roger's Favorites

An ever-changing collection of my favorite pictures


American Flamingos

Photos of American Flamingos in Indian River


Belted Kingfishers

Photos of Belted Kingfishers across Central Florida.


Oystercatchers

Pictures of American Oystercatchers at Fort DeSoto Park


Spoonbills

Pictures of Roseate Spoonbills in Central Florida


Whooping Crane

Pictures of one of the last Whooping Cranes in Florida


MORE GALLERIES


Topics

American Kestrel Anhinga Awards Bald Eagles Barn Swallow Barred Owl Belted Kingfisher Black-and-White Warbler Black-Crowned Night-Heron Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Common Gallinule Common Yellowthroat Digital TV Eastern Bluebird Great Blue Heron Great Egret Green Heron Limpkin Little Blue Heron Northern Cardinal Northern Mockingbird Northern Parula Orlando Wetlands Park Osprey Palm Warbler Prairie Warbler Red-bellied Woodpecker Red-shouldered Hawk Red-Winged Blackbird Reddish Egret Roseate Spoonbills Sandhill Crane Savannah Sparrow Snowy Egret Tricolored Heron Tufted Titmouse WESH-2 WFTV-9 White Ibis WKCF-18 WKMG-6 WMFE-24 WOFL-35 Wood Stork WRDQ-27

©2025 Roger Simmons | All Rights Reserved