There are some changes in roles taking place at market-leader WFTV-Channel 9. First, longtime morning traffic guy Bob Baxa is no longer reporting for the station. He’s been replaced by Racquel Asa. “He did a good job for us. I was very happy with Bob’s performance,” WFTV news director Bob Jordan…
Reporter Patrick Pegues no longer with Fox 35 following arrest
Patrick Pegues and WOFL-Fox 35 have parted ways following the reporter’s arrest Monday night for allegedly firing a gun while walking a dog in Orlando. MyFoxOrlando.com reported: According to the incident report, witnesses observed the suspect walking a dog along East Michigan Street. Witnesses told deputies they saw another dog in…
Area TV station asks if its anchor smokes pot
Is your anchorman high while giving you the latest news at 6 and 11? No. Well, probably no. But back in the ’70s … In compiling our ever growing collection of Florida TV newspaper ads, we came across this, uh, unusual one for Tampa station WLCY-Channel 10 (now WTSP-CBS 10). It’s…
Former WKMG anchor now working for QVC
You never know what — or who — you may find when channel surfing on a Sunday evening. Switching between the NFL Sunday night game and the 10 p.m. news, I came across shopping channel QVC — and former WKMG-Local 6 anchor Shawn Killinger. The former morning show host, who…
WFTV’s Daralene Jones grills Magic’s Bob Vander Weide over fake report
It was a bit bizarre and a little awkward during the Orlando Magic’s news conference on Wednesday as Bob Vander Weide announced his retirement as the team’s CEO. His sudden departure has rumors flying on the Internet — but it’s facts we’re after. Unfortunately, WFTV-Channel 9 news reporter Daralene Jones aggressively…
Was Jim Van Fleet criticizing Orlando, Fox 35 in interview?
I guess this one depends on your point of view. You can take some comments made by former WOFL-Fox 35 morning meteorologist Jim Van Fleet as either a diss at Orlando TV news or someone who’s just telling it like it is. In an interview with St. Petersburg Times TV writer…
Lisa Bell joins WKMG, Jayme King to Fox 35 and Jim Van Fleet starts job
Some personnel moves for a couple of Orlando TV news stations … Former News 13 morning anchor Lisa Bell is coming back to Orlando TV news. In January, she’ll be a reporter and occasional anchor on WKMG-Local 6. “She will report for the 5, 6 and 7 p.m. news and…
Orlando TV news pioneer Frank Vaught, 81, dies
Frank Vaught, an Orlando TV news pioneer who began broadcasting here in 1958, has passed way. Vaught, 81, died Nov. 29 of complications related to esophageal cancer. Vaught is likely remembered mostly for his sports reporting — which he did at WDBO-Channel 6 and later on radio stations WKIS-740 AM and…
‘Casey Anthony trial’ is top searched news term of 2011
To even the most casual Orlando TV news watcher, this will come as no surprise: Search engine Bing on Tuesday listed the top searches for 2011 — and Orlando’s own Casey Anthony topped the list as the most searched news term. The Casey Anthony-Caylee Anthony saga played out over several…
WKMG’s election coverage plans include free airtime for candidates
It’s almost 2012, and WKMG-Local 6 join its fellow Post-Newsweek stations in offering free airtime to candidates in the upcoming election. In a news release out Monday, Post-Newsweek said its six stations would offer “free airtime and free web time opportunities to candidates in the 30 days preceding the general…