Broadcasting & Cable chronicles television news’ latest fad — the 4:30 a.m. newscast. Early, early birds in Orlando have two choices for their news that hour — WESH 2 and Fox 35. B&C quotes WESH’s GM about the new show: While some may wonder who besides Red Bull-fueled nightcrawlers and…
Why meteorologists shouldn’t have telestrators
This picture (pointed out by former O-Town anchor Scott Walker on his Twitter feed) is from Nashville’s WTVF-CBS 5. It was snapped by a viewer during the station’s coverage of severe weather on Saturday and posted on the Facebook group, “I survived the Great Nashville Monsoon of May 1st.” I…
What Magic’s Dwight Howard cannot do
I don’t usually highlight video except from the Orlando TV stations, but I got a chuckle out of this one from Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi and his new “BSPN” service. Here’s what Mike says the NBA has decided will result in a foul being called on Dwight Howard…
Who’s calling people, asking them to watch WFTV?
Interesting item posted on WFTV.com this morning… “WFTV has received several reports of Lake County residents receiving automated phone calls encouraging them to watch a story that aired Thursday night on Eyewitness News. “The story involved a Mount Dora doctor who posted signs on his office door asking people who…
WFTV’s Eyewitness News tops April’s ratings race
April’s ratings are over. The May sweeps have begun. And Orlando TV stations are searching (and researching) for viewers. First, back to April. WFTV-Channel 9’s Eyewitness News was once again the king of the hill in the morning, at noon, in the evening and at night. WESH 2 News was…
Former Orlando anchor Rondinaro: ‘I’m a budget cut’
Former longtime Orlando anchor Steve Rondinaro has a new assignment: finding a job. Rondinaro, the former WESH and WFTV anchor who in 2007 became the lead anchor and managing editor for WWAY-ABC 3 in Wilmington, N.C., was dropped by the station earlier this month. “By now you may have noticed that…
Sam Champion’s underwater forecast at Epcot
We told you yesterday about Good Morning America weatherman Sam Champion’s plans to give his forecast underwater at Epcot for Earth Day. And that’s just what he did. It’s one part cool, one part distracting. Until you have to listen to someone giving a weather forecast in scuba suit, you…
GMA’s Sam Champion at Epcot for Earth Day
Good Morning America’s Sam Champion was Tweeting Wednesday about his arrival in Orlando and visit to Walt Disney World’s Epcot. The ABC News morning weatherman is at the theme park for Earth Day, and he’s taking a dive in the Living Seas exhibit. (That’s a Twitpic he posted Wednesday afternoon.)…
Fox 35 also adds 4:30 a.m. newscast
Just two weeks after WESH 2 launched the first 4:30 a.m. newscast in Orlando, it already has some early, early morning competition. With little fanfare, WOFL-Fox 35 has expanded its morning newscast, now starting at 4:30 a.m. too. The Fox O&O now produces FIVE-AND-A-HALF hours of local news each morning….
Switching channels: New faces on TV
Some new and familiar faces in new places on TV … Nancy Alvarez, former member of the Problem Solvers investigations unit at WKMG-Local 6, is returning to Central Florida. She’s the new weekend anchor at WFTV, according to Sentinel TV Guy Hal Boedeker. She left Local 6 in 2007 to…