John Houseman, the veteran director at WPIX/Channel 11, is leaving. Tuned In reports that Houseman’s departure, according to a WPIX spokesperson, was “amicable.”
Houseman had been with WPIX for 31 years. He took over as news director following the departure of Bill Carey last year.
For more on this story, head over to Tuned In.
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WPIX has been without a news director since October. But the station isn’t exactly driving into the darkness alone. Veteran Channel 11 manager John Houseman was named interim news director when Bill Carey stepped down after three years.
Parent company Tribune exited bankruptcy recently with Peter Liquori as the new CEO.
Also new is Larry Wert, Tribune’s head of local broadcasting for the company’s 23 stations. Sister site TVSpy reports Wert has made hiring a PIX news director his main objective.
FishbowlNY attempted to reach a WPIX spokesperson for comment.
Here’s a look at what FishbowlNY stories made the most buzz this week.
1. Rob Morrison Denies Report of “Comeback” Via Tell-All Book, March 11
2. Jodi Applegate “Lost Sleep for Seven Months” Deciding to Leave WPIX to Have a Baby, March 8
3. Reporter Sean Hennessey Leaves WCBS-TV for Teaching Job in Boston, March 11
4. WSJ. Money Debuts Saturday, March 7
5. Meteorologist Domenica Davis (left) “Surprised How Long [She] Stayed” at WNBC, March 7
6. No Women Among the “Most Powerful” in Sports Media, March 7
7. Exclusive: Don Dahler Leaving Channel 2 for CBS News, March 7
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Mayor Bloomberg’s soda ban was scheduled to go into effect tomorrow, meaning no more “gulps” larger than 16 ounces, or two-liters with a pizza. But a judge has invalidated the ban of sugary, super-sized drinks.
WPIX reporter Greg Mocker made his first CNN appearance yesterday to discuss the latest attempt by Bloomberg to get, if not force, the city to be healthy.
‘I just always talk from my point of view as a guy who lives in the city, is amazed by it, and confused by it at times.” Mocker tells FishbowlNY.
His connection to the cable news network is the weekend executive producer, who had been producing Dr. Steve on WPIX and other Tribune stations.
“Maybe I can do some more of those,” Mocker says. ”I think anytime we can talk about New York City is good.”
During the week, of course, viewers can find Mocker on the PIX News at Ten, tracking down an MTA official, or perhaps getting to the bottom of potholes.
“We have momentum at Channel 11,” Mocker says. “I like what we’re doing. There is a sense there that people are turning to us.”
Here’s a look at what FishbowlNY stories made the most buzz this week.
1. Time Inc. and Meredith Talks Stall Because No One Likes Iowa, March 6
2. Freelance Journalism’s Downside Perfectly Captured, March 5
3. Cablevision Lays Off Dozens in MSG Varsity Restructuring, February 27
4. WNBC’s Scott Stanford (left) Makes News Anchoring Debut, March 4
5. Ashley Morrison Returns to WCBS as MoneyWatch Anchor, February 27
6. WPIX Falls in February Sweeps; ‘Expect Changes Everywhere’: Source, March 1
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Jodi Applegate left WPIX to start her family. The former WPIX anchor and her husband YES announcer Michael Kay have their first child, a two-month old girl. Applegate was a guest with WOR’s Joan Hamburg yesterday. She talked about the surrogacy route that was taken to pregnancy and her difficult decision to walk away from WPIX in December.
“I was thrilled to have [5 and 10 p.m. newscasts] and I really enjoyed working at PIX,” Applegate says. “But that’s a pretty hard schedule to do with an infant [and] a husband who travels.”
Related: FishbowlNY, Applegate To Step Down From PIX11
Once her gestational carrier was chosen and the pregnancy was realized, Applegate admitted being torn between family and career.
“I lost sleep for seven months,” Applegate says. “I am not exaggerating when I say I tossed and turned about for seven solid months, right up until the moment.”
A view of Davis from her Twitter page.
It was a short stint, but Domenica Davis built her TV brand with two years as weekend meteorologist at WNBC. In August, FishbowlNY learned first that Davis’ contract would not be renewed. She left Channel 4 in October.
Davis also spent three years as weather anchor on Fox News Channel.
Although the camera and Davis mesh beautifully, the WNBC gig many times didn’t appear to be her best fit. Now Davis tells FishbowlNY, in her first interview since leaving Channel 4, she is exploring a slightly altered career path.
“I’ve always been a feature reporter and hosted special event coverage prior to working at FNC and WNBC. It’s something I really love and have a lot of fun doing,” Davis says.
Davis holds a special place for weather, but the outlook for a return in the near future is unlikely.
“I love being a meteorologist but it was getting to be too much of the same thing every day and I feel I have a lot more to offer,” Davis says.
We asked you to take part in our poll to decide who should be named WCBS/Channel 2 new morning co-anchor.
This was becoming a landslide win for Chris Wragge. Readers were in agreement with this reporter’s assessment that the evening anchor should set his alarm clock for pre-dawn. At the time of this writing, Wragge secured 28 percent of the vote. However, that’s down from more than 40 percent.
Former WPIX anchor Jim Watkins has caught fire as a write-in, putting him second on viewers’ wish list. Watkins, now at RNN’s FiOS1, previously worked for PIX GM Betty Ellen Barlamino, who runs WCBS sister site WLNY.
Also getting some write-in support, the legendary WNBC anchor Sue Simmons, and current Channel 4 anchor David Ushery.
Alice Gainer, who made her WCBS anchoring debut yesterday, got someone’s write-in vote. Gainer did weekend anchoring at News 12 New Jersey. She joined Channel 2 as a reporter in January.
Don Dahler picked up 17 percent of the vote. Cindy Hsu settled for less than 9 percent of the vote.
We told you about WABC having another successful ratings period.
That’s not the case on East 42nd Street.
WPIX was handed a gift last summer when WNYW made abrupt changes. With Greg Kelly off the mornings, WPIX had a chance to make headway against its rival.
However, Channel 5 hit the “re-do” button last month putting Kelly back on Good Day New York. Not only did the show put a dent in any Channel 11 traction, it clipped NBC’s Today show for the February sweeps.
So with that backdrop, we explore WPIX’s efforts in the period.
All the channels broke in this morning for extended coverage of Pope Benedict’s farewell. However, the stations were all taking network special reports. Not so at WPIX/Channel 11.
WPIX, which could have provided the “counterprogramming” by keeping Jerry Springer on the air, made a good choice. Channel 11, recognizing the historic nature of the pope’s resignation (first time is almost 600 years), had its own coverage.
Morning anchors Sukanya Krishnan and Frances Rivera led the special programming. They were joined on the couch by reporters Mary Murphy and Dan Mannarino, both of whom are headed to Rome for the Conclave of Cardinals next week to select the next pope.
Krishnan did make a faux pas as they came on the air just before 11 a.m. She said the pope was set to leave the Vatican at 5 p.m. Italian time and “11 p.m. our time.” Seconds later, the graphic on the screen made the correction.
Rivera also had hands in the blooper jar by saying, “Certainly, a monumentous day here. Historical day, unprecendented.”
Adding insight to the proceedings was Monsignor Kieran Harrington of the Diocese of Brooklyn.
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