Former Local 6 reporter Todd Jurkowski has been hired as Channel 6’s new weekend anchor. Jurkowski currently is the 4 p.m. anchor/reporter for his hometown NBC affiliate, WBBH in Fort Myers. He’s a Lee County native and worked at the station before he came to Orlando the first time, then…
Prank or Sweeps Story in the Making?
I received an e-mail late last week saying to check out two postings on the popular site MySpace.com. The first link was to a 15-year-old girl named Jessica (top left) who lives in Orlando. The second link was to another girl named "Lady J" (top right), this one saying she…
First on Fox! Super Sweeps Exaggeration
Sweeps are a time when some stations try to grab viewers by, well, stretching the truth a bit to pass off old news as "breaking news" or by labeling widely reported stories as "exclusives." Some like, Fox 35, try both — to con viewers into thinking they’re breaking an exclusive…
Hijacking in Orlando? Hmmm, Maybe
I’m not sure if it was a terrorist group — or more likely some bored loner kid in a basement somewhere — but the RogerSimmons.com Orlando TV Talk Forum message board was hacked on Friday morning. (And when I say "hacked," basically that means they were able to overwrite some…
It’s CW Decision Time for WKCF, WRDQ
TVWeek reports that more than 200 TV station owners and executives received their first communications from the new CW Network on Tuesday — starting the process for affiliate selection. In Orlando, that affiliation choice comes down to two stations: WKCF-Channel 18, the current WB affiliate and one of the strongest…
Changes at WFTV
WFTV weekend anchor Jorge Estevez is leaving Channel 9 to become the weekday morning anchor at CBS O&O WFOR in Miami, according to NewsBlues.com. Estevez has been with WFTV since 2001. Also, former WFTV general assignment reporter Jamison Uhler has moved to the Philadelphia area and joined NBC O&O WCAU…
NBC Turns to Orlando Sentinel for Help
Colleague David Whitley, sports columnist for the Orlando Sentinel and quite literally the funniest man on the planet, was the subject of a report on NBC Nightly News on Monday night. Whitley wrote a column last week trying to figure out why NBC was referring to Turin, Italy as Torino,…
Fox 35 Airs Video of Cheney Shooting
Fox 35 News at Ten had video last night of Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shooting someone while quail hunting. Here’s a link to the video. (Oh, did I mention it was from a video game?)
News That Won’t Slow You Down
Some quick hits for you today: >> WESH starts its Olympic coverage tonight with the debut of its nightly preview show, The O-Zone. News anchor Wendy Chioji and sports director Pat Clarke host the show from Universal Orlando. It airs at 7:30 p.m. >> In the past week, KABC in…
Fox to Launch 5 p.m. News on March 6
Hal Boedeker of the Orlando Sentinel broke the story today that Fox 35 will start its new evening newscast one month from today, on March 6. Morning anchor Amy Kaufeldt will be moving to the new 5 p.m. newscast, which will also feature chief meteorologist Glenn Richards. Other details, such…