Wednesday, July 8, 2009

LOTS to catch up on

We told you via our Twitter (located to the right) that we had a LOT to cover - and seeing as yours truly has time to do so this morning, here we go:

WLWT News Director Gone: WLWT-TV 5/Cincinnati News Director Brennan Donnellan is gone after 6 years, reports John Kiesewetter at the Enquirer.

We have a feeling station GM Richard Dyer won't have anything to say beyond what he already told Kiese, so here's that statement:

"I have no comment on the internal conditions that led us to taking the road we're taking. It is what it is. We're looking at the road ahead, and we're going to make a change.... Of course you want to be first or second. You've got to be No. 1 or No. 2, and that continues to be our goal. We've had some peaks and some successes (second place in a couple of ratings periods for some newscasts), but we have a lot of work to do. It's a slow proceess. It's a hard processes. We have four very strong stations in Cincinnati."

Sounds to us as though they'll move the station in a new direction, without Donnellan.

FOX19 Re-signs Russo: Regina Russo, FOX19's weekend night anchor, re-signed with the station earlier this week, reports Kiese.

A station press release, which we just happened to find on the station's website, talks about Russo's history at the Fox affiliate, with which she signed in 1996, starting out as a general assignment reporter, then going on to be anchor of FOX19's first 6 AM news (First Look, which is now FOX19 Morning News at 6:00), then finally being promoted again the following year to her current position.

"Regina has been an integral member of the FOX19 news team for over a decade; we are extremely pleased that will continue into the future," FOX19 Vice President/General Manager Bill Lanesey is quoted as saying.

Russo of course is quoted in the release, saying, "There's a home you're born into which is by chance and a home you make which is by choice. I'm proud to have made my home, and now my family here in Cincinnati and look forward to bringing more positive stories to the community that I love so much."

WCPO Update: We told you we'd have more on this one.

WCPO has finally installed the digital antenna which will be the fully-authorized facility for the station's Post-DTV Transition Facility.

The station reports that they began the installation during the daytime hours yesterday. All that's left, now that it's been mounted to the top of the tower, is to connect the wires and turn it on, which they still expect to happen by Monday.

Former TV Director Dead: In the last piece from the Kiese Blog, Kiese says director Bob Wells, who was best known for directing programs like Midwestern Hayride, Ruty Lyons' 50-50 Club, Peter Grant's newscasts and Bob Braun's Bandstand show on WLWT-TV 5, died over the Fourth of July holiday weekend at age 76.

Before coming here, Wells' career began at KKTV 11 in Colorado Springs from 1953 to 1957. Wells also worked at WLWD-TV (now WDTN-TV) 2/Dayton, along with his duties at WLWT-TV, from 1957 to 1964, and helped to get WKEF-TV 22/Dayton on the air between 1964 and 1969. From there, he went on to end his career at WHIO-TV 7/Dayton, from which he retired in 1990 having served as marketing and promotions director for 14 years. His career overall spanned 38 years.

Here's a link to a very well-done obituary by Wilson Schramm Spaulding Funeral Home in Middletown.

Wells' visitation will be this evening from 5-8 PM, with a service at 10 AM tomorrow at the funeral home.

We think that covers the early half of the week. Whew. More later today, as we get it.

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