You may have heard about the latest blowup between O-Town stations. This one involved WFTV’s video inteview with religious runaway Fathima Rafqa Bary. Channel 9’s exclusive video was posted on YouTube.com — then WESH and WOFL broadcast portions of the clip obtained from the video-sharing Web site. Neither station credited…
Category: WFTV-9
Without American Idol, Fox 35 falls behind WRDQ
Catching up on some Orlando TV News after taking a short blogging break… Yes, it’s really true. For the first time since its launch in 2002, WRDQ’s 10 p.m. newscast knocked off the No. 1 early-late news in town: Fox 35 News at 10. According to a WRDQ news release,…
WFTV’s West back in news with Biden visit
With Vice President Joe Biden due to visit Orlando on Wednesday, Sentinel TV Guy Hal Boedeker revived the discussion about WFTV anchor Barbara West’s controversial interview with Biden during the 2008 campaign. Boedeker asked WFTV News Director Bob Jordan if West would cover Biden’s visit for Eyewitness News. “Just for…
Orlando Magazine readers pick TV favorites
The fine readers of Orlando Magazine have once again selected the choices for “Best of Orlando” in a number of categories. Alas, RogerSimmons.com didn’t place among best local Web sites this time, but here are the results for the television categories: Best Local TV Station: (1) WFTV-Channel 9, (2) WESH-Channel 2, (3)…
Local 6 News finishes July in 4th place
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….
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…