Here’s your Monday memo — some quick hits to start the week …. > WKMG’s traffic reporter tryout stunt is today from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Local 6 studios on John Young Parkway. During First News, WKMG reported that one woman was already in line by 4…
WESH report spawns bill in Congress
A WESH 2 News report about how prison inmates file false tax returns for employment while serving long prison sentences has led to the creation of a bill in Congress to stop the practice. For years, law enforcement officials and the IRS were aware of the fraudulent practice yet did…
Angry worker confronts WFTV crew
WFTV Eyewitness News reporter Tim Wetzel and his cameraman got roughed up a little during a confrontation with a Marion County businessman on Thursday. The news crew was at Hercules Fence to do a story about what the company had on its sign outside. Every week, the fencing firm apparently…
Former Fox 35 reporter joins the DOD
Former Fox 35 reporter Beth Sherman checks in with news about her new job. "I’ll be leaving my Pinellas County PIO job for a civilian job with the Department of Defense this Friday," she wrote in an e-mail. "I will be moving to Arlington, Va., and will be doing public…
Mowry’s delivery leaves Weech all alone
The 5 a.m. hour of Tuesday’s Local 6 First News could have been renamed "The Marla Weech Show." The station’s traffic reporter position is vacant, co-anchor Lauren Rowe was out because she was ill, so it was supposed to be just Weech and meteorologist Larry Mowry on the show. But…
Former anchor Rondinaro back on air
Steve Rondinaro, who spent 10 years on the anchor desk in O-Town, is back reporting the news. He’s the new lead anchor and managing editor for WWAY-ABC 3 in Wilmington, N.C. Rondinaro was the main anchor at WESH from 1986 to 1995, when he stunned co-workers with a decision to…
Life’s a marathon for Sun Sports’ GM
Orlando’s Sun Sports and Fox Sports Net Florida GM Cathy Weeden did something crazy Monday. In near 40-degree weather, with it raining and the wind blowing so hard it was difficult to even stand up, she went running — for 26 miles and 385 yards. Weeden competed in the Boston…
WESH’s ‘bland newscasts’ cited
"Bland newscasts [that] lack a distinctive style." That’s how Orlando Sentinel TV Critic Hal Boedeker characterizes WESH 2 News. It was part of a Sunday feature on the state of the city’s newscasts. He says top-rated WFTV "delivers fast-paced Eyewitness News with businesslike determination," and WKMG "has hit on a…
‘Nappy Ho’ ad on Local 6 Web site
While cruising the Internet on Sunday night looking for items for this week, I came across a slideshow on Local6.com about the "world’s largest Great Dane." While viewing the photos, I noticed the "sponsored links" on the right side of the screen. Under the label "Ads by Google," the advertisement…
Wilson says goodbye on Local 6
WKMG traffic reporter Secily Wilson signed off Friday morning, acknowledging her three years at the station and also former co-worker Jacquie Sosa, who was also recently dropped from the morning show while on maternity leave. "Today is my last day after being here on the air with everyone here at…