Cincinnati-Dayton Media Center

Blotter

2010-01-11T21:43:00.003-05:00

Here's a round-up of some recent stories about the local media scene:

WHIO-TV and Cox Radio to Relocate Under One Roof
Cox Media Group will unite WHIO-TV as well as local Cox radio stations — WHIO, WHKO and WZLR — under one roof at the Cox Ohio Publishing Media Center by 2011. The new offices and studios will be located at 1611 South Main Street.

WLWT's Eric Green to KOAT
More changes in the weather at WLWT this week as chief meteorologist Kevin Robinson gets ready to debut on News 5 this week. Eric Green, meteorologist at WLWT for three years, is heading to Hearst sister station KOAT to forecast weather the morning weather on Action 7 News. This departure allow Valerie Abati to cover the entire weekend shift beginning this coming weekend. Randi Rico will continue on mornings as previously reported.

Layoffs at WDTN
WDTN is letting four staff members go as a result of the economy. Station veteran Sharon Howard, director of community and public relations, was one of the victims.

Carl Day back on Dayton TV
Veteran Dayton broadcaster Carl Day is going back to his broadcast roots as he prepares to launch commentaries on WKEF and WRGT, just in time for birthday number 72. The commentaries will air twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays on the Sinclair duopoly.

Anchor Changes at WKRC

2010-01-04T20:43:00.003-05:00

It's official - Cammy Dierking and Kit Andrews are switching places at WKRC. Here is the new weekday anchor line-up at Local 12:

Good Morning Cincinnati: John Lomax and Liz Bonis
Local 12 at Noon: John Lomax and Kit Andrews
Local 12 First at Four: Kit Andrews
Local 12 at 5: Rob Braun and Cammy Dierking
Local 12 at 5:30: Dave Burchell and Kit Andrews
Local 12 at 6: Rob Braun and Cammy Dierking
Local 12 at 10 on CinCW: Dave Burchell
Local 12 at 11: Rob Braun and Cammy Dierking

According to WKRC president and general manager Les Vann, the move was made because Andrews expressed an interest in a lifestyle change. The move also will allow Andrews to work on additional projects.

Blotter

2010-01-03T18:22:00.002-05:00

Broo has Heart Attack
If you caught Ken Broo and George Vogel on 700WLW today from 12-3, you probably heard why Broo has been absent for several days from both News 5 and 700WLW. Just days after eye surgery and what Broo referred to as "his best day in the studio in years" due to his new and improved vision, he suffered a heart attack on Christmas Eve day. He caught the heart attack early, and little damage was done. Just a year ago, WLWT sports anchor George Vogel experienced similar heart problems.

Rico Inks Three Year Deal
Sources inside WLWT are telling us that News 5 Meteorologist has inked a three year deal with the station to continue doing weekday morning weathercasts. With the arrival of new chief meteorologist Kevin Robinson, questions still remain as to what will happen with Valerie Abati and Eric Green's placement on the WLWT weather roster.

WLWT Hires New Chief

2009-12-07T21:11:00.002-05:00

A former Cincinnatian and Princeton High School graduate is about to take the reigns as WLWT's Chief Meteorologist. Kevin Robinson will hit the Cincinnati airwaves on January 11th. Robinson comes to Cincinnati from The Weather Channel, where he has served as a meteorologist on Evening Edition. Prior to working at the Weather Channel, Robinson worked at Hearst-owned WAPT. WLWT plans to make announcements on the redeployment of its weather staff in the coming weeks.

Cincinnati Ratings Round-Up

2009-12-06T11:45:00.003-05:00

There were some surprises in Cincinnati's local news race during November sweeps. Most notably, WLWT saw audience growth, despite being a struggling NBC affiliate. WLWT was the only tri-state station to see growth in the evening news block (5-6:30) and they also saw increased numbers at 11. However, this was not enough to get them out of third place. The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that WLWT's number bump could be coming from a couple places. The first variable is the revamped anchor team of Jack Atherton and Sheree Paolello is catching on in the tri-state, while the other variable is WLWT's 5PM lead-in, Judge Judy, saw a ratings increase of 30%, while WCPO's Oprah lead-in saw a 17% decrease.

Here are a look at the general ratings trends:
Early Mornings (5-7a): 1st: WKRC; 2nd: WCPO; 3rd: WLWT; 4th: WXIX
Mornings (7-9a): 1st: Good Morning America; 2nd: Today; 3rd: FOX 19 Morning News; 4th: The Early Show
Evenings (5-6:30p): 1st: WCPO; 2nd: WKRC; 3rd: WLWT
Late News (10 or 11p): 1st: WKRC; 2nd: WCPO; 3rd: WXIX; 4th: WLWT

Anchor Leaving WDTN

2009-11-28T11:59:00.002-05:00

From the "Old News" file, WDTN anchor Libby Kirsch will be leaving the station and heading to Southeastern Michigan. Kirsch's husband, Tom Wamsley, recently took a job at the University of Michigan and both will be moving to Ann Arbor. Kirsch has been a fixture at WDTN since 2002, when she joined the station as a general assignment reporter. She also has served as the station's weekend anchor and morning anchor before becoming the anchor of 2 News at 5:30.

Ali Not Returning to WLWT

2009-11-26T11:04:00.003-05:00

Announced Wednesday, WLWT anchor Sandra Ali will not be returning to the station following her maternity leave after her five years with the station. According to WLWT general manager Richard Dyer, "After 5 years with WLWT, Sandra Ali has decided, with the recent birth of her first child, to take this rare opportunity as a first time mom to focus on her family beyond her official maternity leave period and then move on to another opportunity that you will hear about soon."

Ali arrived at WLWT in 2004 from the FOX affiliate in Detroit where she had been a weekend anchor and reporter. She replaced Anne Marie Tiernon as one of WLWT's primary anchors. She and husband Shawn Ley of WKRC had their first child this past summer.

Where Are They Now?

2009-11-14T10:36:00.003-05:00

Former WHIO-TV morning meteorologist Jeff Porter has resurfaced in Western Michigan. Porter is now the morning and noon meteorologist at WWMT, the CBS affiliate in Kalamazoo.

WCPO Launches New Look

2009-10-23T19:08:00.002-04:00

If you caught 9 News this evening, things probably looked and sounded a little different. That's because the station launched new graphics and music in preparation for sweeps. The graphics are part of the Scripps corporate package. Similar graphics can be seen at other ABC affiliates owned by Scripps, such as WFTS in Tampa where the Scripps graphics hub is actually based. Do you like the new look? Do you think it fits WCPO's image?

Blotter

2009-09-30T18:37:00.003-04:00

Atherton to Start at WLWT
One of the worst-kept secrets in Cincinnati television is about to hit the airwaves, as Jack Atherton takes the anchor chair this coming Monday at WLWT. Atherton departed WXIX this past winter after being the anchor of the FOX19 Ten O'Clock News since 1993. Expect to see Atherton anchoring News 5 at 5, 5:30, 6, and 11 alongside Sheree Paolello until Sandra Ali returns from maternity leave. News director Stacey Owen also told the Cincinnati Enquirer that Atherton may stop and say hello on News 5 Today this week.

Where Are They Now?
If you were watching WDTN, you may have seen former WHIO reporter and HighQ host Randy McIlwain in a syndicated about homeless veterans. If you were curious, tipster H D let us know that McIlwain is now a repoter at the NBC affiliate in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Also, former WHIO news director Julie Weindel is now the news director at KBCI, the CBS affiliate in Boise. Thanks to tipster Donald, who let us know that Weindel is KBCI's sixth news director in seven years at the Fisher-owned station.

Local12 HD

2009-09-28T18:17:00.003-04:00

Starting this past Sunday, WKRC began airing newscasts in high definition. As a part of the changeover, the station also launched a new graphics package and revised logo. The graphics package is a tweaked version of the set Newport sister-station WOAI launched last week when they flipped to HD. What do you think of the new look?

Blotter

2009-09-20T21:45:00.002-04:00

WKRC To Begin HD News in One Week
WKRC will begin broadcasting high definition local newscasts on September 28th. The station had originally planned to launch the HD newscasts September 21st, but unmentioned reasons have pushed that date back a week.

WSTR Changes On-Air Branding
The My64 branding on WSTR is officially gone. The station has picked up its former branding STAR64. Along with the new branding comes a new primetime lineup. On Mondays, expect 2 hours of Law and Order: Criminal Intent. On Tuesdays, you can catch Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader, followed by Deal or No Deal. Wednesdays will feature 2 hours of The Unit, and Thursdays will feature a two hour weekly movie with the WWE on Friday nights.

WXIX's Expanded Newscast Launch
Cincinnati viewers have a new choice for a 6pm newscast starting Monday September 21. The FOX19 Evening News expands from 6:30-7 to 6-7 pm Monday through Friday. Viewers will continue to see news anchors Dan Carroll and Tricia Macke at the news desk. How do you think the FOX19 Evening News will stack up against 5, 9, and 12?

WLWT Expands Weekend News

2009-09-03T18:54:00.002-04:00

Expect more weekend news from Young Street later this month, as News 5 will expand its 6 pm newscast from a half hour to a full hour. NBC Nightly News gets bumped to 7pm, followed by American Health Journal at 7:30. The expanded News 5 at Six Saturday launches on September 12th.

2009-2010 DMAs Released

2009-08-31T19:47:00.002-04:00

The Nielsen DMAs for the 2009-2010 year were released today. The Cincinnati market gained a position and moved to number 33 (previously no. 34), while Dayton fell a spot to number 65 (previously no. 64).

Here's a look at some other regional cities and their new market designations:
Charleston-Huntington: 63 (+2)
Cincinnati: 33 (+1)
Cleveland: 18 (-1)
Columbus: 34 (-2)
Dayton: 65 (-1)
Detroit: 11 (unchanged)
Indianapolis: 25 (unchanged)
Lexington: 62 (+1)
Lima: 185 (unchanged)
Louisville: 49 (+1)
Pittsburgh: 23 (unchanged)
Toledo: 73 (unchanged)

Channel 2's Howard Inducted into Hall of Fame

2009-08-26T22:31:00.002-04:00

WDTN's Sharon Howard, executive director of community and public relations at the station, was one of twelve women inducted into Ohio's Women's Hall of Fame today. Howard has been very active in the Dayton community and has won numerous awards, including the James E. Stamps Communication Award, the National Urban League's Central Region Volunteer of the Year Award, and multiple National Communicator and Telly Awards for her work in the Miami Valley.

Baldridge Prepares for Retirement

2009-08-26T17:57:00.002-04:00

After 37 years anchoring the news in Dayton, WHIO anchor Jim Baldridge will sign off this Friday. Baldridge, who is 61, recently told the Dayton Daily News that his emotions will be churning during his final broadcast. For more on this story, check out the Dayton Daily News article.

How do you think Jim's retirement from WHIO will change the Dayton TV news landscape?

It's a Boy

2009-08-21T19:30:00.002-04:00

It's a boy for WLWT anchor Sandra Ali and husband Shawn Ley, a reporter at WKRC. Roman Alexander Ley and his mother are "doing just fine" according to an e-mail Ley sent to staffers at WKRC late Thursday night. Congratulations to both Sandra and Shawn.

Welcome Back, John Bateman

2009-08-20T18:33:00.000-04:00

In a matter of months, WLWT went from five meteorologists to only three. John Bateman, the most tenured meteorologist at the station and the first to leave a few months back, will temporarily be back on the WLWT airwaves until the station hires a new chief meteorologist. Bateman was on the air today filling in for Valerie Abati and he will be seen filling in again in the future as well.

WLWT Inks News Director

2009-08-17T16:26:00.002-04:00

The changes continue at channel 5 today as WLWT signed Stacy Owen as the station's new news director. Owen comes to Cincinnati from Sacramento, where she has been news director at KXTV, the market's second highest rated station (behind Hearst's KCRA-TV). She is credited with transforming Gannett's KXTV from a traditional television station into a "multimedia information center," in addition to launching an all weather and traffic digital station. Prior to working at KXTV, Owen spent thirteen years at KRON-TV, an current independent station and former NBC affiliate in San Francisco, where she worked as an assistant news director, producer, executive producer, and news director. One of Owen's first priorities at WLWT will be hiring a new chief meteorologist.

Beasley Update

2009-08-17T09:29:00.002-04:00

It's official...Derek Beasley has accepted a chief meteorologist position in Mobile, Alabama. Beasley has accepted a job with WPMI-TV, the NBC affiliate. WPMI is owned by Newport Television, the same company that owns WKRC in Cincinnati.

The Power of 5...Minus 2.

2009-08-14T16:58:00.003-04:00

Nearly a month ago, meteorologist John Bateman left WLWT. Only a few weeks later, WLWT is down yet another meteorologist as Derek Beasley made his last broadcast on the station's airwaves today. Beasley, whose destination is unknown, has been with the station for four years. He started as WLWT's morning meteorologist following Susanne Horgan's departure to Cleveland, and quickly became chief meteorologist after Jim O'Brien's contract was not renewed. WLWT General Manager Richard Dyer announced today the station was coming up with a temporary meteorologist line-up. Don't expect a new chief meteorologist on channel 5 right away - Dyer commented it will be the priority of the next news director to hire the position.

So this leads to a few opinion questions from you. Are you sad to see Derek go? How do you think WLWT should staff their weather department now? Do you see any former 5'ers such as Susanne Horgan (currently at Hearst affiliate WLKY in Louisville) or John Bateman returning to the station?

Townsend Out, Bonis In

2009-08-13T18:48:00.002-04:00

Major changes to the number one morning show in Cincinnati. Effective immediately, WKRC has let go of morning anchor Anna Townsend. Townsend came to Local12 nearly four years ago from Missouri, and while Townsend confirmed to the Cincinnati Enquirer she was fired, she nor station will comment on the events that led to today's dismissal. Starting Monday, viewers will see Liz Bonis with John Lomax. Bonis has been the station's health reporter and most recently, morning news reporter. Bonis came to WKRC from the morning show on MIX 94.1 FM. What do you think of the changes? Will this hurt WKRC's morning ratings?

Layoffs Hit WCPO

2009-07-10T18:55:00.005-04:00

WCPO will be laying off five employees starting this September as WCPO's parent company centralizes two departments. The company is consolidating the commercial sales and scheduling department, in addition to the graphics department. Two people in commercial sales and scheduling will be let go by September and three in the graphics department will be let go by November. Station general manager Bill Fee told the Cincinnati Enquirer that "it's not a response to the economy. If we weren't in this recession, we'd be making this same move anyway." The jobs will be moving to Scripps stations in Tampa and Phoenix. A result of the graphics department changes may be a new standardized Scripps on-air look at WCPO, similar to what has happened with FOX O&O and Gannett graphics centralizations.

Russo Re-Ups at FOX19

2009-07-07T12:41:00.003-04:00

After anchoring the FOX19 Ten O'clock News weekend editions for the past ten years, it looks like Regina Russo will be sticking around a while longer. Russo has signed a new three-year deal with the station, where she has built successful franchises such as "What's Hot with Regina" and "Making the Grade." She has been with the station for thirteen years, after stints in Michigan in both radio and television.

Donnellan Out at WLWT

2009-07-07T12:37:00.003-04:00

In the news gathering business, change is constant, and change is once again coming to WLWT. After a six year run with the station, Brennan Donnellan is out of the news director position as of this Friday. Credited with bringing ideas such as the Top 5, The Power of 5, and Sports Rock to the station, Donnellan was unable to bring the WLWT news department out of the slump it has faced since the early 90's despite slight improvements in ratings in recent years. A new news director will be in place at the station by September, the month before Jack Atherton takes the anchor chair at channel 5.

What changes do you think a new news director would make to the station?

WHIO Anchor Faces Wrongful Death Lawsuit

2009-07-01T21:16:00.001-04:00

WHIO-TV news anchor Natasha Williams is facing a wrongful death civil lawsuit filed by the mother of a Moraine man who was killed in March 2007 in Harrison Twp. after his car collided with Williams’ SUV.

For further details, click here for the Dayton Daily News article.

FOX19 Expands Evening News

2009-07-01T19:13:00.002-04:00

While many television stations across the country continue to lay off news staffers and shut down newscasts, WXIX is doing the exact opposite. On Monday September 21, FOX19 will launch a six o'clock newscast that will go head-to-head with the other three tri-state stations. Anchors Tricia Macke, Dan Carroll, and chief meteorologist Steve Horstmeyer will provide viewers with an hour of news from 6-7 pm. FOX19 promises a fast-paced newscast, with a mix of local, national, and international news with "the personality that is expected from FOX19." The decision to expand the evening news block at WXIX was based on the success the station has had in the mornings, where they have been #2 at 6 AM and often #1 from 7-9 AM. The station plans to hire at least one reporter and potentially other personnel as well.

The station will also tweek it's evening program line-up. A full hour of America's Funniest Home Videos will air from 3-4 PM, followed by a sitcom block from 4-5:30 PM. At 5:30, the syndicated version of Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader will lead into the new FOX19 newscast, followed by Family Guy and the Simpsons at 7 and 7:30 PM resepectively.

Do you think the new FOX19 newscast will be a success? Will you watch?

Another #1 Affiliate in Dayton...

2009-06-28T18:22:00.004-04:00

Congratulations to WBDT, Dayton's CW, as they continue their streak of being the number one CW affiliate in the US for the third year in a row. In the eleven demographics tested, WBDT was the number one station in the country in each demo out of the 209 CW affiliates. In the Dayton market, WBDT was either number one or number two in Dayton households between 6 and 8 pm weekdays, in addition to being number 2 at 11 pm weekdays in specific demos. WBDT also won the network's Model for Success award, which recognizes excellence in station branding, programming, community partnerships, and promotions. As a reminder, WBDT viewers may need to rescan for the channel, as it jumped from digital channel 18 to digial channel 26.

Blotter

2009-06-08T22:47:00.003-04:00

May Ratings News
Number for May sweeps in both Cincinnati and Dayton are in.

In Cincinnati, WKRC continued to dominate mornings and at 11pm, though WXIX and WCPO were close behind in the morning news race. WCPO continued its lead during the 5-6:30 evening news race. WXIX continued to win the 10pm news race as well. WLWT was third or fourth in most news time slots, though it did see growth in the morning and at 11.

Here's a quick look at the numbers in Dayton for May sweeps, per Nielsen:
6AM: WHIO - 10; WDTN -4; WKEF - 1
Noon: WHIO - 12; WDTN - 2
5PM: WHIO - 11; WDTN - 5;
6PM: WHIO - 13; WDTN - 6; WKEF - 3; WRGT - 2 (6:30 News)
Late News: WHIO - 16; WRGT - 6 (10PM); WDTN - 5; WKEF - 3; WBDT - 3 (10PM)

WHIO Number One CBS Affiliate
WHIO can claim another major victory in this down economy - they were the number one CBS affiliate in the nation this past May. WHIO was the number one CBS affiliate in all dayparts, all seven days of the week.

Analog Broadcasting Comes to a Close
The analog shut will be upon us this Friday, June 12th. In the Cincinnati market, all stations have announced their shutdown times. WCPO will shut down first at 12:01 AM, followed by WKRC at 2 AM, WXIX at 6 AM, and WLWT at 11:59 PM. If you haven't been getting a strong DTV signal from WCPO, don't fret. The station promises the new DTV tower, which should be much stronger, will be fully operational by June 26 - until then, the signal will be at a reduced strength while upgrades are made. Also, don't forget to rescan for channel 12, which moves its digital channel from channel 31 to channel 12.

Down Another Meteorologist...

2009-05-10T17:41:00.002-04:00

After only being at the station for roughly a year, Lindsey Kurtz of WKEF/WRGT is leaving the station to become a full time Christian missionary. Kurtz will be leaving the Miami Valley for Atlanta, where she plans to get married before heading off to Haiti.

New Meteorologist at Dayton's News Source

2009-05-06T18:08:00.003-04:00

WKEF and WRGT have finally filled the void in the weather department that was left with the departure of meteorologist Greg Dixon. The station has hired Jeff Booth from KGMB in Hawaii, where he was their morning meteorologist. Booth will be covering weekday evenings and is no stranger to the Miami Valley - he had his first weather gig at WLIO in Lima, after working as a news reporter in West Virginia. Expect to see Booth hit the airwaves beginning next week.

The Power of Four

2009-05-04T18:37:00.004-04:00

WLWT's weather team is losing its "veteran" member. John Bateman, the station's weekend meteorologist since 2004, is leaving to pursue other local interests. Bateman has been working at WLWT since October without an extended contract. According to the station's news director, his position will not be filled. Bateman is looking for public relations work, possibly including the vacant emergency management position in Butler County.

Weekend Update

2009-05-03T12:36:00.003-04:00

New Opens for WCPO
Have you caught the new opens for Good Morning Tri-State on WCPO? The new opens push the station's breaking news coverage and their WeatheRate "most accurate forecast." The opens also now emphasize the show is built around Katherine Nero.

Susanne Horgan Resurfaces
Many of you remember Susanne Horgan, the former morning meteorologist on WLWT prior to Derek Beasley and Eric Green. Horgan left the tri-state for a morning meteorologist gig at Cleveland's WEWS, where her contract was not renewed a couple of years later. Horgan has now found a new job at Louisville's Hearst-Argyle affiliate WLKY as a weekend and fill-in meteorologist. She and her husband are also expecting their second child.

Enjoy Sweeps...
The last sweeps period for the non-digital era is in full force. What have been your favorite or least favorite stories on local stations? Do you think the transition to digital television will have any effect on local news ratings?

Watson Out at WCPO

2009-04-23T18:47:00.003-04:00

After two years in various roles at WCPO, Bernard Watson quietly left the station this past Friday. Watson originally came to channel 9 from the FOX O&O in Memphis - he was signed to anchor Good Morning Tri-State alongside Katherine Nero. After WCPO tweeked their morning show to focus around Katherine Nero, Watson performed other various roles at the station.

Weekend Update...

2009-04-18T08:00:00.002-04:00

Baldridge Out
The big story this week, as Harv noted yesterday - after several decades at WHIO-TV, Jim Baldridge will be retiring from NewsCenter 7 effective this August. Baldridge has been anchoring alongside Cheryl McHenry for the past 20 years of his career at WHIO, and has covered many big local stories including the Xenia tornado and the Dayton Air Show. James Brown, the current anchor at 5:30 and 11pm, will be taking over the anchor chair at 5 and 6 upon Baldridge's retirement.

Set Tweek
What do you think of the latest tweek to WLWT's set? For the past several years, a floating, glossy NBC logo moved around behind the anchors. This week, the station changed the projection screen to a skyline shot with moving clouds. WLWT has had the current set since it moved into 1700 Young Street in 1999, though it was overhauled in 2004 when the station dropped the Eyewitness News 5 Branding.

Asa George Out

2009-04-08T18:20:00.003-04:00

In a move that has surprised many of our readers, WKEF/WRGT and Asa George have parted ways. Dean Ditmer, the general manager of Sinclair's Dayton stations stated that George was let go as a result of the current economic downturn. George was taken off the air this past Friday and was told her contract would not be renewed. Upon the news, George declined to finish off the two remaining months in her contract. George had been a five year station veteran and is now working with her New York-based agents to find new employment, while she continues to do charity work for the Humane Society locally in Dayton.

George has been replaced with Kylie Conway, a reporter/anchor that has been with WKEF/WRGT for only a few months. Conway's last stop was in Toledo, where she started as a general assignment reporter, quickly became the weekend anchor, and finally the weekday morning anchor at Barrington's struggling NBC affiliate WNWO.

New Look for WXIX

2009-04-06T08:33:00.002-04:00

A new look for a new Reds season - this morning FOX19 launched a new logo and graphics package for their newscast. The previous version of the logo had been used in modified forms for the past 15 years, or since the launch of the FOX19 morning news. The station also revised its branding slogan, and now is "your home for news." While for years WXIX has had graphics in blue, the new look is a dark red. If you haven't caught the new logo, here's a quick look:

So what do you think of the new look? Do you like the logo and the graphics?

WDTN Back on Time Warner

2009-03-31T18:14:00.002-04:00

If you've been living in the Southern Miami Valley, you probably haven't seen WDTN on Time Warner in a while. This was due to an agreement WCPO-TV had with Time Warner to allow the cable provider to block WDTN in an effort to boost WCPO's ratings, as both were ABC affiliates at the time the agreement was made. Nearly five years after WDTN became an NBC affiliate, Time Warner will be bringing the station back to its digital subscribers. Now most Time Warner viewers will once again be able to watch Dayton's NBC in Butler and Warren counties.

More WDTN Anchor Changes

2009-03-10T18:28:00.003-04:00

Fresh off the news that Carl Day would no longer be anchoring at WDTN, channel 2 made more changes to their anchor lineup. Effective immediately, Libby Kirsch will now anchor the 5:30pm edition of 2 News alongside Marsha Bonhart. Replacing Kirsch in the morning is Pam Elliot, a native of Columbus that was most recently an anchor/reporter for WISH-TV in Indianapolis, also a LIN TV station.

Veteran Dayton Anchor Out at WDTN

2009-03-05T10:57:00.005-05:00

Carl Day, at Dayton television fixture for decades, is officially off the payroll at WDTN. Day, 71, left the station for a medical leave this past summer, as he was fighting cancer a fourth time, in addition to overcoming injuries sustained in a fall. Tipster H D says the Dayton Daily News reports that Day's one-year contract with WDTN had expired in December, and due to the economy, the station opted not to renew. However, WDTN did continue to pay Day for eight weeks following the contract expiration, in addition to paying medical benefits.

Day continues to do therapy three times a week from his Centerville home with the help of his wife and eighteen year-old grandson for his injuries, but he has thankfully beat cancer for a fourth time. While Day is currently limited to a wheelchair and walker, he still has his eyes on returning to television in the future - in fact, Day was recently awarded the Golden Circle of Fame award - the highest possible emmy honor a broadcaster can receive. In addition, Day was been awarded seven emmys over the years, including two for Ohio's best news anchor, and has more awards than any other Ohio broadcaster.

Best wishes to Carl as he continues to recover, and we hope to see you back on the air soon in Dayton.

Former I-Team Reporter Sues WCPO For Discrimination

2009-02-12T19:22:00.003-05:00

Longtime former WCPO I-Team reporter Laure Quinlivan is suing WCPO-TV in U.S. District Court, accusing the Scripps station of gender, age, and pregnancy discrimination. Quinlivan returned from maternity leave in 2006, when she claims WCPO took her off the I-Team and refused to create a more flexible schedule for her. Quinlivan won two Peabody's and eighteen Emmy Awards in her twelve years at WCPO. WCPO officials claim that their move to reduce the I-Team was a "business decision."

Williams to Stay at WXIX

2009-02-11T18:33:00.004-05:00

Call off the search party, Rob Williams has renewed his contract with FOX19. For months, the rumor mill in the city has been saying Williams was heading off to anchor in Detroit to take an evening anchor gig, however Williams is now locked in as channel 19's morning anchor. Rob Williams and his co-anchor, Sheila Gray, have been together on the Fox19 Morning News for nearly ten years. In a side note, Meghan Mongillo is now taking Dan Carroll's former chair anchoring the 4:30 edition of the Fox19 Morning News.

WSTR Drops Affiliation

2009-02-10T18:34:00.002-05:00

Not only is WSTR going to be the first station to go all-digital in Cincinnati, it's also going to be the only major tri-state station without an affiliation. WSTR-64 plans to drop its MyNetwork TV affiliation this fall which will include all primetime programming, with the exception of Friday night wrestling. This comes as MyNetwork TV announced it will turn into more of a syndication service this fall, offering only a small number of programs and an evening movie for its stations. What do you think WSTR should do to fill the void?

Carroll New Lead Anchor; DTV Updates

2009-02-07T15:45:00.002-05:00

Lots of news this week, let's get to it.

Dan Carroll has been named the new lead anchor at WXIX. Carroll replaces FOX19 veteran Jack Atherton, who is headed across town to WLWT. Carroll has been with the station since the launch of the morning news, where he first started as the station's helicopter traffic reporter. He quickly became a reporter in the Northern Kentucky news bureau, and also launched the 4:30 A.M. edition of the FOX19 Morning News.

With Congress moving the DTV switch to June, local stations in both Cincinnati and Dayton are having to decide what to do about switching their signals. Many local stations had already factored in running one transmitter for the majority of 2009, as opposed to two - throwing off many of their budgets. At this point, WSTR, WDTN, WHIO, WKEF, and WRGT are all planning to shut down analog broadcasting on February 17th. WLWT plans to stay on the air with an analog signal until the June deadline. Do you agree with stations killing the analog signal in February?

It's Official...

2009-02-01T23:51:00.002-05:00

It's official - Jack Atherton has been named the new co-anchor at WLWT News 5. Atherton's first day on air at WLWT is October 1st. The station made the announcement following the Superbowl. Still no word on which newscasts Atherton will be anchoring, or how this affects Sandra Ali and Sheree Paolello.

WDTN Gets HD Syndicated Programming

2009-01-29T18:57:00.003-05:00

For those of you wondering when WDTN is going to broadcast news in high definition, your time might be coming faster than you think. WDTN has begun broadcasting syndicated programming such as Jeopardy in high definition (according to our tipster Fritter) showing the transition is coming slightly closer. Channel 2 has also created an HD weather bug and HD school closing banner. Are you enjoying the changes?

Winter Storm Coverage

2009-01-28T16:31:00.003-05:00

Well, the winter storm has passed through the tri-state and the Miami Valley. Now, it's time to reflect and see how the stations did. Stations such as WLWT launched new technology - web cams mounted in news vehicles that could show real-time road conditions. WCPO launched similar technology last year, but by comparison, it seems WLWT's cameras had clearer images. WCPO and WLWT also used Twitter to pass along quick information posts. On air, all local stations added extra live coverage, but it seemed WLWT and WXIX added the most compared to their usual product. Kudos also go to WLWT, who completed 9 hours of live coverage on backup generators after an accident knocked out power to their Mount Auburn studios.

So how do you think local stations did? Did you watch Bob Herzog's 6 monitors of Artimis cameras? Did you watch Pat Barry on Dayton's News Source? What did you think about Sheree Paolello anchoring the 11pm newscast from outside? How did Brian Davis do with his first winter storm as chief meteorologist? What did you think about WCPO opting to show Regis and Kelly over local weather coverage like the other stations? Let's hear some feedback.

Number One Again

2009-01-28T16:26:00.003-05:00

WBDT has once again been named the nation's number one CW affiliateout of the 209 existing affiliates nationwide. Dayton's CW was also number one in all measured CW demos. On the local scene, WBDT has also seen increases in key demographics (adults 25 to 54) with their evening news product, 2 News at 10 on Dayton's CW, where they have grown 14%. At the same time, their competitor, FOX45, was down 37% in the same category.

Blotter - 1/22/09

2009-01-22T13:02:00.003-05:00

FOX19 recently launched a new digital sub-channel. THIS takes the place of The Tube music channel, which left the airwaves roughly a year ago. THIS is already seen in Dayton on Sinclair's 45.2. The new network features movies from the MGM movie library and can also be used for local programming.

Thanks to Tipster Debbie, we now know where former Sinclair News Source weather guesser Greg Dixon has landed. Dixon is now chief meteorologist at Beckley's NBC affiliate WVVA.

We are still getting e-mails tipping us that former WXIX anchorman Jack Atherton is headed to WLWT. We have not posted this as fact at this point because we have had no solid information to back these claims. However, should Atherton land at WLWT, you will not see him on the air until at least September 1st due to his no-compete contract with FOX19. WLWT would seem a likely place for Atherton to reappear, considering WCPO and WKRC have stated on the record they have had no interest in Atherton, while WLWT will not comment. As for Atherton's replacement, Dan Carroll is currently filling in for the evening news. FOX19 currently has a job posting on station owner Raycom's website for an anchor/reporter, but it is not k

Finally, we'd like to announce we've added WBDT to our coverage here. Dayton's CW now has an information link on the right, as well as a link to their website. Remember, if you have information you'd like posted on the blog, send CDMC an e-mail at the address listed in the header.

Macke ReUps with WXIX

2009-01-08T12:44:00.003-05:00

It's official, Tricia Macke is staying put at FOX19. She has inked a deal with the station to keep her at the anchor desk for a few more years. Also announced today, she will begin a new feature this fall called "Dish with Trish," where she will hit the streets to ask viewers what they think of the week's events.

More WDTN Departures

2009-01-08T00:21:00.004-05:00

Many of you have commented on Mandi Sheridan disappearing from WDTN. In addition, Mike Schell has also vanished from the Dayton airwaves. We have learned that both reporters' contracts were up with the station at the end of 2008 and they were not renewed. The station has no plans to fill the positions due to the current economic climate.

Carl Nichols Retiring

2009-01-02T18:18:00.003-05:00

WDTN Chief Meteorologist Carl Nichols is retiring after nearly 40 years as a TV meteorologist. The 66-year-old is leaving the business to spend more time with his family. Nichols has been with WDTN since 1977 and has seen the Miami Valley through many severe weather events such as the Xenia tornado. Also active in the community, Carl has helped collect over 400,000 coats in his "Coats for Kids" campaign. His last day is next Friday, though he may be back at the station when he is needed to fill in. Best of luck, Carl.

The Changing Face of FOX19

2008-12-30T16:50:00.003-05:00

First, the rumors flew that Rob Williams was leaving WXIX to head to Detroit. Now, another major anchor at the station is pulling up roots. Evening anchor Jack Atherton will sign off WXIX on December 30th after celebrating fifteen years with the station. FOX19 has announced it has already begun a search for Atherton's replacement, but in the meantime Dan Carroll will be sitting alongside Tricia Macke at 6:30 and 10.

Who do you think WXIX will tap to replace Atherton? Do you see any Cincinnati broadcasters like Brian Patrick or Terry Daniels jumping to FOX19?

2008-12-25T22:36:00.003-05:00

Pompilio out at Dayton's News Source

Chalk up another layoff at WKEF and WRGT as the duopoly and primary anchor Mark Pompilio part ways. Pompilio has been with the stations for ten years as an anchor, coming to Dayton from the Asheville market. According to station GM Dean Ditmer, Pompilio's departure is just the latest in a series of layoffs that have hit the stations as a result of the current economic climate. No immediate word on Pompilio's replacement, but Ditmer did say it will come from current staff. Pompilio plans to scout opportunities at other Dayton stations and has no immediate plans to leave the Miami Valley. His last broadcast is New Years Eve.

2008-12-24T11:33:00.001-05:00

Answering Oprah Questions

We've had a couple e-mails about schedule changes as a result of the Oprah swap in Dayton. While WDTN has not released what they plan to do, WKEF has announced it will move Judge Judy to the 4 o'clock hour and Oprah will air at 5, just before Dayton's News Source at Six.

2008-12-20T16:43:00.002-05:00

WDTN Assignment Editor Busted

A former assignment editor for WDTN was busted in West Chester for paying a fourteen year old boy for sex. Anthony J. Heitmeyer, 31, who recently resigned from his job at WDTN-TV, faces a felony charge of compelling prostitution stemming from an incident in his vehicle roughly two weeks ago. West Chester Police say the boy's parents went to police after seeing text messages between Heitmeyer and fourteen year old son. The boy was introduced to Heitmeyer through a mutual friend. WDTN did not want to comment on Heitmeyer's employment. He goes to court in Butler County January 6.

Did You Pass the DTV Test?

Southwest Ohio apparently had problems passing the DTV test compared to other parts of the state of Ohio. Southwest Ohio logged nearly four times the number of calls about DTV during the DTV test than Columbus and Cleveland markets combined, though the Ohio Broadcasters Association which conducted the test, wonders if Columbus and Cleveland had problems with their phone banks. Some stations even caused more confusion - WLWT sent the wrong feed to Time Warner Cable, causing subscribers to believe they were in fact not ready for the DTV switch. The station later ran a crawl notifying subscribers of the error.

Oprah Jumps to ABC22

Hoping for a ratings jump, WKEF has snagged Oprah from WDTN. Broadcasting is to begin Monday December 29 at 5, just before the six o'clock news on ABC22. Do you think this will help ABC22's numbers jump, or will it hurt WDTN not having the Oprah lead-in? No word yet as to what programming shifts will occur as a result of this change.

2008-12-09T19:17:00.005-05:00

DTV Test, Cincy Ratings News

-All of Ohio will be involved in a digital TV test on December 17th. This includes all stations in the Cincinnati and Dayton DMAs. Only analog over-the-air viewers -- not those with cable or satellite service -- will see a five-minute message at 7:30 PM alerting them they must make changes to continue watching TV on Feb. 17. The test, to be done throughout Ohio, is being organized by the Ohio Association of Broadcasters. Stations in Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo, and Youngstown will also participate.

-Cincinnati's November sweeps numbers are in. The big news is that WLWT saw large gains in every newscast except for News 5 at 6, which lost 15% of its viewers compared to November of last year. Here's the breakdown:

6-7 AM:
WKRC: 5.1
WXIX: 4.7
WCPO: 4.3
WLWT: 3.0

Noon:
WKRC: 6.5
WCPO: 6.1
WLWT: 2.0

5-6:30 PM:
WCPO: 8.6
WKRC: 7.4
WLWT: 3.6
WXIX: 2.7 (6:30 news)

10 PM:
WXIX: 6.3
WKRC: 1.0 (on CinCW)

11 PM:
WKRC: 11.2
WCPO: 7.5
WLWT: 4.6
Simpsons: 4.4

2008-11-27T12:12:00.002-05:00

WLWT Turkey Day Lineup

With George Vogel in the hospital, here is how WLWT plans to tweek their holiday evening talent lineup:

Thanksgiving:
5-6:30: Ken Broo & Michelle Hopkins
11: Ken Broo (news and sports)

Friday:
5-6: Ken Broo & Sheree Paolello
6-6:30: Ken Broo (news and sports)
11: Sheree Paolello, Ken Broo with sports

2008-11-26T11:05:00.002-05:00

Vogel Hospitalized

Don't count on seeing George Vogel in the anchor chair Thursday as we had previously reported. Vogel, 51, unexpectedly had two stents put in Tuesday after a routine angiogram showed a partially-blocked artery. Vogel will be off work for about a week, but he is still hopeful he will anchor the news down the road on a substitute basis. Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

2008-11-25T19:30:00.002-05:00

Cincinnati Blotter

-Kiese has the word on Cincinnati sweeps with two days left in the race, and things look similar to how they looked in the last ratings book. WKRC wins the early morning race, WXIX wins the 7-9a race, WCPO wins early evenings, WXIX wins at ten, and WKRC wins at 11. WLWT was 4th in all time slots, except 11, where they currently tie with The Simpsons.

-George Vogel gets the center seat for a night at WLWT. He will anchor the 5-6:30 and 11 pm newscasts on Thanksgiving while Sandra and Sheree are off. This is the first time Vogel has ever anchored news in his many years at the station. Vogel was also set to anchor the Friday newscasts, but due to high school sports playoffs, he will be on the road for High School Playbook.

-We have a new feature coming at the end of the week that we think you will enjoy. We have a guest critic that has been looking at the Cincinnati stations throughout this sweeps period and he will be posting his two cents on each station. We're looking forward to what he has to say and what you have to say as well.

2008-11-14T10:17:00.000-05:00

Where's Derek?

We've had a couple e-mails asking where Derek Beasley has been this week since Valerie Abati has been doing News 5 at 5 and 5:30. News 5 Management says that Derek is working on a special assignment and should return to the early evening news next week.

2008-11-13T11:34:00.002-05:00

Carl Day Fights Leukemia a 4th Time

Veteran Dayton news anchor Carl Day is fighting leukemia for fourth time. Day, who is 70 and has a 50 year broadcast history in the Miami Valley, has been hospitalized and is receiving similar treatment to what he received the previous three times. To make matters worse, Day is also facing problems associated with a fall he took a few weeks back, where he sustained nerve damage that is limiting his ability to use his right leg.

In a quote to the Dayton Daily News, the WDTN noon anchor said, "I have been there, done that three times, and I will beat it this time as well. ...I honestly feel I am going to survive it all. I am facing this challenge with the same strong feelings that I can beat it, just as I did before. I am not down and I don't plan to hit the mat."

Those wishing to send a note or card to Day can address it to: Carl Day, WDTN-TV, 4595 S. Dixie Highway, Dayton, OH, 45439.

2008-11-10T16:05:00.004-05:00

Remembering Heather Pick

While we don't typically report on the Columbus, Ohio market, we decided this story was worth mentioning. Morning anchor Heather Pick at the Columbus CBS-affiliate, WBNS 10TV, passed away Friday morning after a ten year battle with breast cancer. Pick joined WBNS in 2004, quickly becoming a popular morning anchor at the station. Many Cincinnati and Dayton viewers may recognize Heather from reports on the Ohio News Network.

Heather learned in 2004 that the breast cancer she had beaten once in 1999 had returned. Since then, Heather had fought a very public battle with the disease, promoting breast cancer education among Ohio women. Recently, Heather had hosted an event for the Columbus Cancer Clinic that raised over $500,000, just a one example of her enormous charitable spirit. In a 2004 article in The Columbus Dispatch, Heather said, "I don't want people looking at me with puppy dog eyes. People have explained to us it could be a chronic condition. I don't want to make this a 'Woe is me' thing."

Heather is survived by her husband, Joe Cygan, and their children, Julia and Jack.

2008-11-07T17:25:00.002-05:00

Morning Anchor Out at FOX19?

Rob Williams, morning anchor at WXIX since 1998, may soon be headed to the motor city. Williams has been in talks with WDIV in detroit for an early evening anchor position at the station which would begin when Williams' current contract is up with WXIX in March 2009. This comes as a small blow to WXIX - the station currently has the longest tenured morning team in Cincinnati and is frequently number one from 7-9 a.m. It is important to note that no deal has been inked by Williams at this point, and the announcement may not come immediately simply because the stations are in sweeps periods. WXIX has not announced how they will find Williams' replacement should he leave the station.

2008-10-30T09:36:00.002-04:00

WDTN Changes

Expect to see WDTN back on Time Warner in time for sweeps. Time Warner Cable and Lin TV have reached a mutual deal to put WDTN, along with numerous other Lin stations, back on the air immediately.

WDTN also is testing a new Beta website made by the creators of the FOX O&O websites.

2008-10-29T20:19:00.002-04:00

Cincinnati Roundup

-Get ready for a couple new sets in Cincinnati. WKRC and WXIX are ready to launch their sets Thursday morning for November sweeps.

WKRC has been conducting practice runs on their set for a week. The new set is HD ready, but the station still has to upgrade equipment in order to flip to HD newscasts. Don't expect that to happen for at least a month. The new news and weather set should air Thursday morning for Good Morning Tri-State. The biggest change will be the weather office which will also be used for traffic reports. Also, expect to see roughly three dozen plasma screens on the set.

WXIX completed their set this past Sunday. The station has been running rehearsals on the set since then. FOX19 will also be switching to HD within the next week, but it could happen as early as Thursday as well (with the launch of the set).

-WLWT is sending out the pink slips to a couple workers due to the poor economic conditions. WLWT GM Richard Dyer told employees today that a production supervisor and an assignment editor were let go.

2008-10-24T14:25:00.002-04:00

Carl Day Update

Many of you have noticed that Carl Day has been frequently missing from the noon news on WDTN. Thanks to Harv, we found out that Carl is off due to a strained back. No word on when he'll return to the noon news permanently.

2008-10-24T10:59:00.006-04:00

WHIO Rumblings

Weekend sports anchor Margaret Brosko is leaving WHIO-TV, as this weekend's newscasts will be her last. Brosko declined to comment on where she is headed, but she did say she enjoyed her time in the Miami Valley, according to the Dayton Daily News. Brosko's contract was up, and according to station officials, WHIO did try to renew. Until a replacement is found, Don Brown will be covering the weekend shift.

Been wondering what happened to WHIO's Andrew Douglas? The former emmy nominated weekend anchor is now a general assignment reporter at Raycom's Memphis station WMC-TV.

WLWT Changes Now in Place

The staff changes have been in place at WLWT for nearly four days, which leads us to ask, how do you think it's working? The biggest change was in the morning, where WLWT reunited Lisa Cooney, Todd Dykes, and Derek Beasley along with new traffic reporter Brandon Hamilton. The move seemed natural, considering Cooney, Dykes, and Beasley had decent numbers a couple years ago, compared to the current morning ratings. Other changes at the station included splitting Sandra Ali and Sheree Paolello at 6 and 11, along with adding meteorologist Valerie Abati, who seems to have progressed quite a bit since her last stint in Cincinnati at WXIX. Quite possibly the largest change at WLWT is the change in format - newscasts are now fast paced, include little to no chit-chat, and have a more "straight to the point" feel. Weather has obviously been chopped down time-wise, and the station has added the Top 5 segment to the 6pm newscast in addition to adding other countdown-like segments in all newscasts.

So what do you think of the changes, and more importantly, will they last?

2008-10-18T23:48:00.003-04:00

New Anchor at Sinclair Dayton
WKEF and WRGT have added a new anchor. Malcolm Maddox has joined the station, and is currently working as the station's weekend anchor. Maddox comes to Dayton from Birmingham where he worked as a reporter/photographer at WIAT, CBS-42.

2008-10-18T09:34:00.002-04:00

WXIX Morning Set Auction

Want a piece of FOX19 history? Here's your chance. On Monday October 20, the station will begin auctioning off pieces of its morning set in preparation for the building of the station's new HD set. Items available for purchase will begin showing up on FOX19.com Monday morning. Money raised from the auction will go to support the Adopt-a-Class program.

2008-10-09T19:11:00.002-04:00

More Changes at the Power of 5

More changes coming to WLWT. We had previously mentioned that Derek Beasley and Todd Dykes would return to the morning shift, and Valerie Abati would be working nights. Today, WLWT announced more changes to the evening shift. Sandra Ali will begin anchoring the 6pm newscast solo and Sheree Paolello will begin anchoring the 11pm newscast solo beginning October 20. Sandra will also have a regular "straight to the point" interview during the 6pm news. Other changes are being seen during the morning newscast already, with Brandon Hamilton becoming the main traffic reporter from 5-7 am. Randi Lynn Robison is only covering the Today Show cut-ins.

With another round of changes at the Power of 5, will this finally be the change that works and brings in viewers? What do you think?

2008-10-02T08:44:00.000-04:00

Thursday Update

-Local Lin television stations could soon be off the air on some cable networks. Lin has been trying to reach a deal with cable networks such as Time Warner and Brighthouse Networks for the past two months over the amount of money to be paid by the cable networks for the Lin stations' signals. If no deal is reached by midnight tonight, stations such as Dayton's WDTN, Toledo's WUPW, or Lin's Indy flagship WISH could be pulled from the cable networks in question. Other companies, such as Barrington Broadcasting, have encountered the same problems in recent months with cable networks. In many cases, such as with WNWO in Toledo, Barrington and Time Warner reached a deal to continue carrying the WNWO signal as negotiations continued.

-WXIX named a new general manager this past Tuesday. William Lanesey was named GM of the station by Raycom officials. Lanesey has a rich history in Ohio television markets. He has previously worked at Columbus' WCMH and Toledo's WTOL. He most recently worked at St. Louis' CW affiliate KPLR.

2008-10-01T18:58:00.002-04:00

More WLWT Changes

More changes headed to the Power of 5. Morning anchors Todd Dykes and Jonathan Hawgood will once again swap chairs on October 20. The 2004-2007 anchor team of Lisa Cooney, Todd Dykes, Derek Beasley, and Pete Scalia saw fairly high ratings compared to the current morning anchor team, so the goal is to bring those viewers back by swapping Hawgood and Dykes. Also on the plus side, Hawgood's weekend morning newscasts were consistantly number one in the market, granted they still were with Dykes.

WLWT continues to push its "straight to the point" feel. Many viewers have noticed full weather reports have been sliced down to between 2 and 3 minutes, and the Futurecast system isn't used as much as it used to be. The station also appears to be pushing stories happening "right now," similar to rival WXIX.

Expect more changes by October 20th.

2008-09-30T20:16:00.002-04:00

Overdue Update

In what is probably considered to be old news:

-WLWT is once again tweeking its on-air weather team. The biggest change will be the moving of chief meteorologist back to the morning newscasts, in addition to covering the 5 and 5:30 newscasts. This leaves vacancies at noon, 6, and 11 on weekdays. One or all of these vacancies may be filled by Valerie Abati, who was just hired by WLWT. No word from channel 5 on how the hiring of Abati or line-up change will effect Eric Green, Randi Rico, or John Bateman. It is quite possible WLWT may take the weather format WKRC once used, where three meteorologists were used weekdays and two on weekends. Abati has a couple weeks left at the Dayton Sinclair duopoly before she starts at WLWT. She has been freelancing in Dayton for her former WXIX news director Pat Casey.

-WKRC has begun set modifications, which are more than likely a part of helping the station transition to a high definition launch. The current set has been condensed, with weather teases being done from the weather office and sports being done in front of a green screen.

Updates:

-Been wondering what became of WXIX weather guesser Christie Dutton? She's freelancing in Lexington at her old station, WTVQ. The chief meteorologist at the station, Jon James, was a former meteorologist at WLWT.

-Former WHIO and WDTN reporter/anchor Jim Blue has applied for an anchor position in Toledo, this after not being renewed by Toledo's NBC affiliate WNWO. It is expected that he applied for the main anchor position at FOX affiliate WUPW.

-From the Eyewitness News days at WLWT, former traffic and general assignment reporter Anu Prakash moved from freelancer to permanent employee at Scripps' ABC affiliate in Detroit, WXYZ.

2008-08-24T22:52:00.004-04:00

Summer Round-Up

DAYTON RATINGS IN
Well, folks, Dayton July sweeps numbers are in, and as usual, WHIO swept the competition. Here's the breakdown per Nielsen.

Mornings - 6 AM hour
WHIO - 7.2
WDTN - 3.2
WKEF - 1.2

Noon
WHIO - 14.4
WDTN - 1.9

5:00
WHIO - 11.3
WDTN - 5.3

5:30
WHIO - 12.4
WDTN - 5.0

6:00
WHIO - 13.4
WDTN - 5.9
WKEF - 3.1
WRGT - 1.4 (6:30 news)

11:00
WHIO - 12.4
WRGT - 5.2 (10:00 news)
WDTN - 4.2
WKEF - 2.7

So what will it take for WDTN and Sinclair Dayton to catch up with WHIO? Let's hear some thoughts.

WHERE'S TIM?
Been wondering where WKRC's Tim Hedrick is? He's been on medical leave for prostate cancer treatment for roughly four weeks. In a statement released by Hedrick, he is said to be doing much better and he will return to the air when he feels he is up to it. No solid return-to-air date has been set. Best wishes to a speedy recovery, Tim.

FOX19 6:30 NEWS PICKING UP STEAM
So what have you thought of the FOX19 6:30 news? It's had a little trouble launching with the Olympics pulling big number on the Power of 5, but ratings have picked up a little in the two weeks the newscast has been on the air. WXIX is pulling in around a 2 for the half hour, compared to the 9.1 on WCPO and the 3.4 on WLWT at 6. WXIX executives say they are committed to the newscast for a year, hoping it will continue to pick up steam.

2008-08-12T23:16:00.002-04:00

Blotter

What did you think of the launch of the FOX19 six o'clock news? The station had several technical issues with the first newscast, which also suffered from low ratings. The new newscast came in 5th Monday night, just behind the network newscasts and Judge Mathis on WSTR. The new look and sound for the 6:30 newscast did not transfer over to the other newscasts either.
Changes for the Dayton Sinclair duopoly, as the weather department changes faces again. Say goodbye to Greg Dixon and hello to Lindsey Kurtz, who will be one of the station's new meteorologists. Former WXIX weather guesser Valerie Abati is also freelancing at the station, after she was contacted by WKEF/WRGT news director Pat Casey who initially hired her at WXIX a few years back.
WKRC's news at 10 has officially swapped channels. After a two year stint on WSTR, Local 12 News at 10 is now on WKRC's digital channel, the CinCW. CinCW now has Local 12 News from 7-8am and 10-10:30pm weekdays, and 10-10:30pm weekends.
What do you think of WDTN's new look? If you're wondering about the music choice, the In-Sink with Indiana package by 615 has basically become a standard package for many of Lin's stations...so the selection was not unexpected. Does anyone else find the lower-third banner graphic to be a bit large?

2008-08-10T21:48:00.002-04:00

SHhhh...Changes are Coming!

You may be noticing some changes at local stations this week.

Starting in Dayton, WDTN has launched a new image just in time for the Olympics. WDTN has new graphics similar to the Arthouse graphics on NBC O&O stations, which is a much brighter package than the previous look. They also dropped the Tower music package by 615 music for In-Sink, another package by 615.

Cincinnati will see changes tomorrow on WXIX. A new graphics package and updated music package are set to launch tomorrow, along with the new 6:30 newscast anchored by Jack Atherton and Tricia Macke. Chief Meteorologist Steve Horstmeyer also takes the reigns Sunday. The new graphics will be similar to those seen at other Raycom stations, including WFLX, and are an updated version of the current Raycom graphics.

And finally, a look at WLWT from the video vault:

2008-07-21T18:55:00.004-04:00

A Quick Update...

-GRAPHICS TWEEK: In time for sweeps, WLWT has tweeked their standard Hearst graphics once again. While the opens and full screens have not changed, the lower thirds and bugs have changed to a more glossy and animated look, similar to what other Hearst stations have done prior to going HD. A sign of things to come? Insiders at Hearst have mentioned that WLWT is the next station in their group to flip the switch to high definition, though a date has not been announced. Who do you think will be the next station to flip the switch in Cincinnati or Dayton?

-OUT OF A JOB UP RIVER: Former WXIX weather guesser Valerie Abati is out of a job, just more than a year after she left the station. You may remember that Abati left FOX19 to become the morning meteorologist at powerhouse CBS affiliate KDKA. The station has recently taken a ratings hit in the mornings, which possibly has something to do with KDKA and Abati parting ways.

-FROM THE "WHERE ARE THEY NOW" FILE: Former WHIO weather guesser Steve Prinzivalli has surfaced once again, but this time not on-air. Prinzivalli is now an internet meteorologist for WeatherBug, this after a recent stint in New York State.

2008-07-01T20:30:00.005-04:00

Mega Update

Sorry for the delay. Here's a re-cap of what's happened recently.

MAY SWEEPS: May sweeps have come and gone. Here are a look at the winners and losers in Cincinnati and Dayton according to Nielsen.

Cincinnati: (first place to last place)
6AM: WKRC, WXIX, WCPO, WLWT
Evenings: WCPO, WKRC, WLWT
10PM: WXIX, WSTR (WKRC)
Late News: WKRC, WCPO, WLWT
A couple Cincinnati notes: WCPO is closing the gap at 11, where WKRC has traditionally led the pack for the past decade. WLWT continues to struggle, but is still beating The Simpsons at 11.

Dayton:
6AM: WHIO (9), WDTN (4.3), WKEF (1.6)
Noon: WHIO (13.2), WDTN (2.5)
5PM: WHIO (11.6), WDTN (5.4)
5:30 PM: WHIO (12.6), WDTN (5.5)
6PM: WHIO (13.9), WDTN (5.9), WKEF (3.6)
11PM: WHIO (12.6), WDTN (4.7), WKEF (3.9)

NEW NEWSCASTS: FOX affiliates WXIX and WRGT are both adding 6:30pm newscasts. WRGT has already launched their product, with WXIX set to launch in mid-August. Rumor mill still has it that WXIX may go HD for the launch. The launch also coincides with Steve Horstmeyer's first appearance as chief meteorologist at FOX19.

FIREWORKS ON 5: WLWT is promising bigger and better fireworks than last year's dismal performance. Former WXIX producer David Ashbrock will be producing the fireworks on 5 this year Labor Day weekend, which he promises will have better camera angles and will be presented in HD.

COMINGS AND GOINGS:

A shakeup in the traffic department at WLWT, as Perry Schiable heads to 700WLW to be a reporter and weekend anchor when she was not given the morning traffic gig formerly held by Pete Scalia. WLWT hired Randi Lynn Robison as Scalia's replacement.

Christie Dutton is out at WXIX come the end of Summer. The station's 3 meteorologists will be Steve Horstmeyer (chief), Frank Marzullo (mornings), and Pat Barry (weekends).

FORMAT CHANGES ON GMTS: Changes at WCPO's morning show, as the format has been tweeked yet again. Katherine Nero now anchors the show solo. The program is now much faster paced, with sweeping shots of the sets and plasma screens. Viewers will also notice music changes and a reduced role for Bernard Watson.

ANCHOR CHANGES AT WHIO: Longtime anchor Jim Baldridge is officially reducing his hours at the station. With the station for 36 years, Baldridge, a Dayton media icon, now anchors the 5 and 6 pm editions of NewsCenter 7. James Brown now also works the evening shift, and former weekend anchor and NewsCenter 7 newbie John Paul anchors the morning editions of NewsCenter 7.

SAY GOODBYE TO LOCAL12 ON MY64: WKRC will pull the plug on its 10pm newscast on WSTR this August. Expect a 10pm show to pop up on the CinCW soon after, to go along with the 7-8am newscast. No other stations have contacted WSTR about starting a rival 10pm newscast to powerhouse WXIX.

LAYOFFS AT WKRC: 12 members of the WKRC staff were let go as the station reorganizes following its purchase by Newport. The only on-air position changed by this move was Dennison Keller, a part-time sports anchor who is also a full-time Lawyer for a firm in Kenwood. Other positions that were vacant as a result of staff departures will not be filled.

2008-05-05T09:40:00.002-04:00

Dayton Sports Legend Dies

Omar Williams, longtime sports director at WDTN, passed away in his sleep in his Southwest Florida home over the weekend. Williams joined WDTN in 1951 covering multiple beats after three years as a radio operator with the U.S. Navy and covering play-by-play for the Terre Haute Phillies on WBOW. Retiring from WDTN in 1996, Williams got his start at WDTN as the staff announcer before becoming the station's sports anchor. Most recently, Williams had just finished his second book about four golfing buddies. The 83-year-old's funeral services are expected to take place at the Gebhart-Schmidt-Parramore Funeral Home in Miamisburg.

2008-04-13T09:32:00.003-04:00

Comings and Goings
Here's a quick catch-up on comings and going in the Cincinnati and Dayton area. Some of you may need a score card to keep up.

-WKRC morning meteorologist Steve Horstmeyer jumps across I-75 to FOX19, where he will become chief meteorologist. Horstmeyer will not be seen on-air until mid-August due to his no-compete clause with WKRC.
-Sticking with goings at WKRC, local Spanish reporter Sasha Rionda is heading south. She leaves WKRC to pursue opportunities in the Atlanta area.
-Also leaving WKRC, reporter Richard Jordan is heading back to his roots at Miami FOX affiliate WSVN.
-WLWT loses a big name, former primary anchor Dave Wagner is heading to Charlotte's NBC affiliate where he will become primary anchor at the third placed Belo-owned station.
-WCPO is down a reporter as Good Morning Tri-State reporter Becky Freemal heads to Roanoke to anchor at the FOX affiliate.
-Former WLWT traffic reporter Pete Scalia has debuted on ABC22 and FOX45 as the morning anchor.
-Dayton native Don Brown has resurfaced, this time on the airwaves of WHIO. Brown works at the station as a part-time anchor and sports reporter so he can continue coaching at Stebbins High School. Brown's wife, Traci Hale-Brown, is a weather freelancer also occasionally seen on WHIO and stations in Cincinnati.
-Holly Samuels joined WDTN this past March from KVRR Fargo. Samuels serves as a general assignment reporter at the station.

60 Years of NBC: This week celebrates 60 years of the NBC affiliation at WLWT. WLWT is the second oldest NBC affiliate in the US, behind flagship WNBC in New York City. According to the station's general manager, WLWT will have historic reports in each newscast on the 60 year joining of NBC and WLWT.

No More Sports? According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, a local station is considering the idea of axing the sports report in their newscasts. No word what station is considering the idea, but the idea has been brought up in various viewer panels. This idea has been attempted in other markets, and generally has not panned out well.

2008-03-18T20:43:00.002-04:00

Blotter
-Congratulations to Steve Horstmeyer, who has been named chief meterologist at WXIX. Horstmeyer, a Cincinnati fixture since the late 1970s, has been with WKRC for the past several years as the morning meteorologist, after a stint at WLWT. Horstmeyer will not appear on-air at FOX19 until August due to his non-compete clause in his WKRC contract.
-In the old news category, WHIO has a new reporter - John Paul. More on this to come.
-WKRC has a new general manager. Les Vann comes to WKRC from Syracuse where he was the GM at WTVH, the CBS affiliate. In a side note, the sale of WKRC from Clear Channel to Newport Television has been completed.

2008-03-02T15:01:00.002-05:00

A Quick Update...

-WLWT Traffic Reporter Jumps to Dayton: Get the car pool ready, WLWT's Pete Scalia can now ride up I-75 to Dayton with Candice Hunter every day. Scalia is moving to ABC22/FOX45 to co-anchor the morning news. Scalia follows the footsteps of Candice Hunter, who left WLWT this past fall to become a primary co-anchor at the Sinclair duopoly.

-Cincinnati Sweeps Numbers are in: While overall viewing trends were down, the Cincinnati Enquirer is reporting that WKRC overall did very well during this February sweeps period. Here's the breakdown:

Mornings:
WKRC
WXIX
WCPO
WLWT

Noon:
WKRC
WCPO
WLWT

Evenings:
WCPO
WKRC
WLWT

10 PM:
WXIX
WSTR/WKRC

11 PM:
WKRC
WCPO
WLWT
The Simpsons

2008-02-24T19:35:00.002-05:00

A Quick Update

WCPO's Lisa Cornwell will be leaving the 9 News Breaking News Center to head to WBIR in Knoxville to become a morning anchor. Cornwell joined WCPO nearly 2 years ago as a weekend sports anchor and was moved to the news department this past August.
Happy birthday, WLWT. The station recently celebrated its 60th birthday. While the milestone didn't get much fanfare on air, the station says it will heavily promote its mid-April 60th anniversary of its affiliation with NBC. WLWT is the oldest NBC affiliate in the nation.
In what is probably considered old news, WHIO welcomed Kathryn Burcham as a general assignment reporter. Burcham comes to Dayton from Illinois where she was the Twin Cities bureau chief at WMBD.

2008-01-25T17:19:00.000-05:00

Blotter

Going Green
Technical problems at WHIO on Wednesday night had the anchors going green during the 5:30 newscast. According to tipsters, the picture turned an "alien green color" about five minutes into the newscast. Anchors Cheryl McHenry and James Brown apologized numerous times for the problem, which lasted for about ten minutes.

New Look Coming to FOX19?
If you've caught WXIX lately, you may have noticed a few changes in the station's promotions. FOX19 has been using the FOX owned and operated graphics in some of their promos, which may be a sign of things to come at the station. Other non-FOX O&O stations, such as WXIN in Indianapolis and WUPW in Toledo, have converted to the FOX graphics completely despite being owned by other companies. WXIX is one of Raycom's highest rated stations.

Dance Party Friday
Chances are if you watch Local12 in the mornings, you've probably caught wind of this - WKRC has decided to spice up its Friday morning traffic reports by allowing Bob Herzog to convert his traffic report into "Dance Party Friday" at 5:45 am. A few weeks ago, it even made the national airwaves when Anderson Cooper ran the video on AC360 on CNN. To see for yourself, click here.

2007-12-31T18:49:00.001-05:00

New Reporter at Dayton's News Source

WKEF and WRGT welcome a new reporter as 2007 came to a close. Mia McCormick joins the Sinclair duopoly from the Sunshine state where she worked at Six News Now, a 24/7 cable news station out of Sarasota owned by the New York Times Company that covered Charlotte, Sarasota, and Manatee counties. McCormick also has history working in print journalism. She will be covering the northern Miami Valley counties for WKEF/WRGT.

2007-12-31T18:32:00.000-05:00

Shaw Out at WXIX

Reporter Chris Shaw has left FOX19. Shaw, who had been acting as the station's lead reporter had been with WXIX since 2004, when he joined FOX19 from KTHV in Little Rock. Shaw is a St. Louis native. The station is advertising for his replacement.

2007-12-29T12:22:00.000-05:00

Veteran Cincy Photog Calls it Quits

WCPO photographer Chic Poppe is calling it quits. For 37 years, Poppe has been lugging around his 35 pound camera chasing Cincinnati-area stories. In recent years, Poppe has found the job more and more difficult as he suffered from prostate cancer in addition to recovering from knee surgery. Often times covering breaking news over the phone for WCPO or being the first photographer at the big story, Poppe is known throughout the market for being a "nice guy," often bringing his friends in the fire and police departments coffee as they worked cases he was covering. The Mason resident's last day at WCPO is December 31.

2007-12-23T16:17:00.000-05:00

Pre-Christmas Blotter

Another Reporter Leaves WDTN: Reporter Myrt Price has left WDTN. Price came to WDTN from Lin-owned WUPW in Toledo. It is rumored he is heading to WOIO's 19 Action News in Cleveland as a reporter.

Weather Swap at FOX19: It's officially set in stone. As of the end of the year, current morning meteorologist Christie Dutton will be the primetime meteorologist at WXIX. Frank Marzullo will be moving to mornings. As for weekends, the station has hired former Cincinnati-area weathercaster (not meteorologist) Pat Barry. The station concluded a nation-wide search for a new chief meteorologist without naming an official chief meteorologist for the station.

WKRC Changes Morning Line-up: If you're used to watching Local 12's Good Morning Cincinnati with John, Anna, Steve, and Bob from 7-8 a.m., you'll soon notice they're in a new home for the time slot. WKRC will begin running the CBS Early Show from 7-9 a.m. to compete with Good Morning America and the Today Show while the third hour of GMC will be moved to the CinCW (12-2, Time Warner 20, Insight 25).

2007-12-14T18:53:00.000-05:00

Dayton's November Sweeps Released

WHIO-TV continues to dominate the Dayton airwaves, winning nearly every time slot, though WKEF and WRGT are showing some positive movement. Here's the breakdown for weekdays:

5 AM:
WHIO 5.6
WDTN 2.3
WKEF 1.1

6 AM:
WHIO 9.1
WDTN 4.6
WKEF 1.6

Noon:
WHIO 13.2
WDTN 2.2

5 PM:
WHIO 11.8
WDTN 6.6

5:30 PM:
WHIO 12.9
WDTN 6.5

6 PM:
WHIO 14.8
WDTN 8.0
WKEF 3.0

Late Evenings
WHIO 13.1
WRGT 5.5 (ten o'clock news)
WDTN 5.2
WKEF 5.1

WHIO was also number one with the following shows and time slots:
-The Early Show, Mon-Fri 7-9 am
-Regis and Kelly, Mon-Fri 9-10 am
-Dr. Phil, Mon-Fri 10-11 am
-The Price is Right, Mon-Fri 11-12 pm
-CBS Daytime, Mon-Fri 12:30-4 pm
-Ellen, Mon-Fri 4-5 pm
-CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, Mon-Fri 6:30-7 pm
-Wheel of Fortune, Mon-Fri 7-7:30 pm
-Entertainment Tonight, Mon-Fri 7:30-8 pm
-The Late Show, Mon-Fri 11:35-12:35 am
-The Late Late Show, Tue-Sat 12:35-1:35 am
-NewsCenter 7 Saturday Morning, Sat 6-7 am
-NewsCenter 7 Sunday Morning, Sun 8-10 am

2007-12-13T17:14:00.000-05:00

Former WDTN Anchor Demoted
Many of you may remember Molly Hughes, the former WDTN primary anchor of the 90's who left the station to head to KCNC in Denver. Hughes, who has been the primary anchor at the top-rated CBS affiliate since 1998, is being demoted to a "special projects corroespondent" and is to be replaced by a new female anchor selected from a nation-wide search. The CBS affiliate's GM was quoted saying, "Jim and Molly were a good team, and we're looking for a great team.”

2007-12-08T19:26:00.000-05:00

Ladies Leaving TV-2
WDTN has a few vacancies thanks to a few recent departures.

We have unconfirmed reports that general assignment reporter and fill-in anchor Laura Borchers is headed to the Queen City to report at WLWT, where she reportedly started this week.

We have confirmed that WDTN traffic reporter Jessica Moore is on her way to Lexington, Kentucky where she will be a general assignment reporter at NBC affiliate WLEX.

Reporter/fill-in anchor/sports reporter Kris O'Donnell has also left the station, and is apparently headed to UCF to be a professor. O'Donnell has a rich broadcast history. She came to WDTN from the WB affiliate in Buffalo, New York and has had sports radio shows in Washington DC, Houston, and Dallas.

2007-11-29T17:41:00.000-05:00

End of November Update

CANNED: Award-winning investigative reporter Laure Quinlivan is out at WCPO-TV. The station announced this week that her contract would not be removed. Quinlivan is most known for her "Visions of Vine Street" series on the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. Quinlivan plans to stay in Cincinnati for the time being, but there hasn't been a mention of her popping up at another local station at this point. This leaves the WCPO I-Team with just one member, Hagit Limor.

RATINGS IN: The numbers for November sweeps in Cincinnati are in. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, number one is split between WKRC and WCPO, while WLWT appears to be slowly working out of its hole, nearly reaching 2nd place at 5pm and inching back into third at 11pm. Here are the numbers per Nielsen:

Mornings:
WKRC: 5.6, 20%
WCPO: 3.6 13%
WXIX: 3.2 12%
WLWT: 2.5, 9%

Noon:
WCPO: 5.0, 17%
WKRC: 4.2, 14%
WLWT: 2.0, 7%

5 p.m.:
WCPO: 8.4, 20%
WKRC: 5.5, 13%
WLWT: 5.0, 12%

5:30 p.m.:
WCPO: 8.1, 17%
WKRC: 7.0, 15%
WLWT: 4.2, 9%

6 p.m.:
WCPO: 9.2, 19%
WKRC: 8.0, 16%
WLWT: 4.5, 9%

10 p.m.:
WXIX: 5.5, 9%
WSTR: 2.2, 3%

11 p.m.:
WKRC: 10.6, 21%
WCPO: 8.2, 16%
WLWT: 4.3, 9%
WXIX (Simpsons): 4.2, 8%

MIA: Been missing Meredith Taylor on WHIO? It appears she has left the station. A couple weeks back the station was advertising for a weekend anchor and reporter, Taylor's position. Her bio has been pulled from the website. Sources are telling us Taylor has left the business completely.

ABC22/FOX45 Reporter Resurfaces: Sources are telling us that Elizabeth Cowart, the former reporter at Dayton's Sinclair stations, has resurfaced at WSPA in Greenville, South Carolina.

2007-11-12T12:57:00.000-05:00

WKRC Sale a Bust?
Clear Channel, the owners of WKRC-TV, said today that the sale of its television stations may fall through. Private equity firm Providence Equity Partners Inc. agreed in April to buy Clear Channel's group of 56 television stations in 24 markets for $1.2 billion. But in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing today, Clear Channel said Providence informed the company that it is "considering its options." Those options could include "not closing the acquisition on the terms and conditions in the agreement," it said. In addition to the television station sale, San Antonio-based Clear Channel has also agreed to sell its entire company to private investors. The sale of the television stations is not a condition of that buyout.

2007-11-11T09:31:00.000-05:00

Where Are They Now?
Have you been wondering where a few of your favorite local personailities have landed since leaving the local airwaves? Here are some updates:

Former WHIO meteorologist Scott Dean is now working at the ABC affiliate, WTVD, in Raleigh, North Carolina as the weekend evening meteorologist.
Kristen Cornett, the former WLWT meteorologist who left the station to head to NBC's Weather Plus, is now the weekend meteorologist at KMOV in St. Louis. Cornett, who is adopted, also recently found her biological family and has been spending a lot of time reconnecting with them.
Anu Prakash, the former WLWT traffic and general assignment reporter, is now a general assignment reporter at the ABC affiliate, WXYZ, in Detroit.
Jennifer Carmack, the former 700WLW reporter, is working as a general assignment reporter at WRTV in Indianapolis.
Rodney Dunnigan, the former reporter and fill-in anchor at WDTN, has landed himself a gig at CBS affiliate WTVF in Nashville, where he works alongside former WDTN alum Scott Arnold.
Former WSTR weekend anchor and reporter Kristan Thorne, now Kristan Getty, has started her own video production business in Northern Kentucky called Life's Eyes Media, where she serves as CEO. To see her company's website, click here.
Former anchor and reporter at WKRC, Denae D'Arcy, left for Europe nearly 2 years ago. She is still traveling around the continent, working as a freelance travel reporter. To see more about her travels, check out her blog.
Susanne Horgan, the former WLWT meteorologist, is still the morning meteorologist at WEWS. She is about ready to give birth to her first child.
Terry Daniels, the former WLWT anchor/reporter and most recently the WCPO fill-in morning anchor, continues freelancing across the state. Daniels was last seen this past week on WTOL in Toledo, anchoring the coverage for the trial of accused cop-killer Robert Jobe. Daniels, known as Terry Thill in Toledo, previously worked at WTOL as the station's primary anchor.

2007-11-11T09:28:00.000-05:00

WDTN's New Reporter
WDTN welcomes Jordan Burgess to the news team where he will be a general assignment reporter for 2 News Sunrise. Burgess comes to Dayton from just an hour north up 75, where he was an award-winning reporter at the FOX affiliate in Lima. Dave D'Marko, former Sunrise reporter, has since moved to evenings.

2007-11-04T11:07:00.000-05:00

Blotter

Broadcasting and Cable Write-Up
Broadcasting and Cable recently published an article on the Dayton market. If you've ever wondered about the revenue the Dayton stations bring in, here's a snapshot from the article:

"The market took in $81.4 million in 2006, according to BIA Financial, up from $75.3 million the year before. WHIO, Cox's CBS affiliate, won easily with $33.2 million, ahead of LIN's NBC outlet WDTN ($16.13 million), Cunningham's Fox outlet WRGT ($13.75 million) and Sinclair's ABC affiliate WKEF ($11.33 million)."

The article also mentions the 10 o'clock news race in Dayton. WDTN's newscast on WBDT is apparently doing quite well according the WDTN news director Steve Diorio, as the newscast has beaten the 10 p.m. newscast on WRGT on numerous occasions. WDTN is also expanding their internet options, by adding a YouTube channel, more frequent news and weather updates to WDTN.com, and a cell phone service.

Jarosik On Leave
WDTN weekend evening meteorologist left for her maternity leave a few days early according to the station's weather blog. Jarosik had a high fever, but is doing well. She is expecting sometime in the middle of the month. Best wishes from CDMC to the mother-to-be!

It's That Time...
Sweeps are here. Get ready for 4 weeks of solid promos from your local stations. What do you expect the big gimmicks to be this month?

2007-10-17T12:41:00.001-04:00

Anchor Swaps at the Power of 5
Expect some changes if you watch News 5 Today. Starting tomorrow, anchor Lisa Cooney will be taking a medical leave from the station to take her eleven year old daughter to the Middle East for a psoriasis treatment. Cooney and her daughter will be in Jordan for a 4-week treatment. While Cooney is on leave, newcomer Kristina Cruise will be filling in for Cooney. Cruise arrives at WLWT from WRIV in Virginia.

Come October 27, expect even more changes. Todd Dykes, anchor of News 5 Today since 2004, will be moving to weekend mornings with Randi Rico. Replacing Dykes on weekday mornings is current weekend morning anchor Jonathan Hawgood, who has been with WLWT since 2003 and quietly replaced Evelyn Robertson as WLWT's weekend anchor shortly after arriving at the station. Expect to see Dykes reporting three days a week in addition to anchoring weekend mornings.

Do you agree with the changes? What would you have done?

2007-10-16T23:46:00.000-04:00

A general note to people posting comments - from here on we will be taking down comments that we consider to have "excessive language" in them. While we do respect all of your views, we feel that they can be posted without using intense displays of vocabulary. Try to tone it down a bit, folks...we want anyone to feel comfortable commenting on here. Thanks!

2007-10-15T12:36:00.000-04:00

WHIO Brings Home Awards
WHIO-TV and NewsCenter 7 brought home 12 awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, more than double the number of awards of the next closest Ohio station.

Awards include:
-Best News Operation in Ohio (tie)
-Best Reporter in Ohio: Sallie Taylor
-Best Videographer in Ohio: Jeff Guerini
-Best Coverage of Children’s Issues, 2nd Place: Sallie Taylor, Jill Del Greco, Gabrielle Enright
-Best Coverage of the Environment: Sallie Taylor, “Hidden Contamination”
-Best Coverage of the Environment, 2nd Place: Cheryl McHenry “E-Waste at the Landfill”
-Best Consumer Reporting, 2nd Place: Becky Grimes, “The Germ Test”
-Best Criminal Justice Reporting: Caryn Golden
-Best Social Justice Reporting: Amy Coveno, “Homelessness”
-Best Government Coverage, 2nd Place: Jim Otte
-Best Documentary, 2nd Place: Jim Baldridge, “Hanoi Hilton: Flight to Freedom”
-Best Human Interest Report, 2nd Place: Cathy Stelzer, “Reform Farm”

Our congratulations to WHIO.