WITI has tapped John LaPorte to lead its newsroom.  The Milwaukee Fox-affiliate announced today that LaPorte, the station’s news content manager, has been named vice president of news.

He replaces Jim Lemon, who left the station in December after six years as its news director.

Before joining WITI in 2010, LaPorte served as news director at WEAU in Eau Claire, WI.  He also spent several years at Milwaukee NBC-affiliate WTMJ, working as an executive producer and eventually serving for a year as the station’s news director.

“John has many years invested in the news business and the Milwaukee market,” WITI president and general manager Chuck Steinmetz said, in announcing LaPorte’s promotion, “and over the past several weeks I had the opportunity to see just how competitive and compassionate he is about this newsroom and his craft.”

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A charter bus collided with a WCPO news van during a live press conference about the collapse at the Horseshoe Casino construction site in Cincinnati this afternoon (watch above).

In the above video, which is from Cincinnati Fox-affiliate WXIX, the bus can be seen driving very close to where reporters were gathered for the press conference. Although the briefing continued after the collision, it was stopped when the bus driver got off the bus and began to address the crowd.

“If this group of people would have moved out of my way, I wouldn’t have ran into this truck,” she told the reporters gathered. Read more

Veteran WWLP anchor Barry Kriger is currently recovering from injuries he suffered in a recent car accident.

“22News has been receiving many calls and e-mails recently about where Barry Kriger has been,” the NBC-affiliate told viewers this week.  “Barry was recently in an automobile accident while on vacation. He sustained some extensive injuries.”

Kriger, who has been with WWLP for over 20 years and anchors the station’s 5:30, 6, and 11 p.m. weekday newscasts, is currently in the hospital.

“He will be out of work for an unknown period of time,” WWLP reported on Thursday, “but he is expected to fully recover.” Read more

News director Jim Hanchett is leaving WCAV-WVAW-WAHU for a communications position at Indiana University.

Hanchett, who anchors the 5 p.m. news in addition to serving as news director, has been at the Charlottesville triopoly for the past three years.  Assistant news director Griff Benner is taking over for Hanchett on an interim basis.

“My wife, a former NBC News Channel producer, and I have four young children and the IU position offers long-term stability and normalcy that’s hard to find in broadcasting,” Hanchett told TVSpy today via email.  “The IU position gives me a chance to use some of the communications and marketing skills I’ve learned in TV in a new way.” Read more

Just three weeks after denying reports that Joy Dumandan‘s contract at WISH had not been renewed, station management is now refusing to comment on the status of the morning anchor’s employment.

After investigative reporter Brad Edwards was fired from the Indianapolis CBS-affiliate, it was reported that Dumandan, who anchored the 5 to 8 a.m. newscast, had also been cut loose. WISH general manager Jeff White denied those reports, saying the morning anchor was just on vacation. Dumandan reported for the station after White’s denial, but has not been on the air at WISH since January 6.

Dumandan’s absence has been a topic of conversation on the station’s Facebook page, with several viewers inquiring about the morning anchor’s whereabouts. WISH has responded to each of the posts with a one-sentence statement that reads, “I understand you have questions, however it is our policy not to comment on personnel matters.” Read more

Popular KOMO anchor Kathi Goertzen is undergoing another round of surgery to reduce the size of a brain tumor she’s been battling for over a decade.

Goertzen recently underwent an MRI and doctors determined this week that surgery would be required.

“Doctor saw some tumor growth so wants to do surgery.. again!” Goertzen wrote on her Facebook page on Thursday.  “Will keep you posted when. Really appreciate your good thoughts and prayers. As one of my FB friends wrote, “There’s no room for fear and faith in this house!”. Dread, maybe. ”

Seattle viewers have been closely following Goertzen’s battle with the non-cancerous tumor as she has been in and out of the hospital several times over the past year.

KGUN chief meteorologist Erin Christiansen has been off the air this week due to an illness that doctors have now diagnosed as Valley Fever.

Christiansen originally thought she had a case of bronchitis but she’s actually suffering from something more serious, KGUN reports.  Valley Fever, or Coccidioidomycosis, is a fungal infection of the lungs that is endemic in arid parts of the country, especially Arizona.

KGUN expects Christiansen, who has been with the Tucson ABC-affiliate since 2006, to miss work for at least another week as she undergoes treatment.  She currently appears on the station’s 5, 6, and 10 p.m. weekday newscasts.

Sunbeam Television, which owns WSVN in Miami and WHDH in Boston, reached a new retrans agreement with DirecTV on Thursday.

The deal ends a weeks-long blackout and guarantees that DirecTV subscribers in Boston will be able to watch the Patriots play in the Super Bowl.

“We are pleased that we reached an agreement with DirecTV, and we appreciate our viewers’ patience during this tough negotiation,” WHDH general manager Chris Wayland said in a statement.

WSVN and WHDH, as well as Boston CW-affiliate WLVI, were pulled off the satellite TV service when the previous carriage agreement between the companies expired on January 13th. Read more

WFXT, the Fox O&O in Boston, has officially named Sarah Wroblewski to weekend meteorologist.

Wroblewski joined the station last year as a fill-in meteorologist and environmental reporter. In a statement, WFXT news director Paul McGonagle called Wroblewski “a strong addition to our weather team.”

Prior to joining WFXT, Wroblewski spent five years at rival station WBZ, the Boston CBS O&O, where she was a weather reporter and weekend morning meteorologist.

The woman accusing Greg Kelly of rape has told police her sexual encounter with the WNYW anchor resulted in a pregnancy, which she subsequently aborted, according to the New York Post.

The woman filed an official complaint Tuesday night. Because Kelly is the son of New York police commissioner Ray Kelly, the investigation is being handled by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. Through his attorney, Kelly has released a statement strongly denying the woman’s claim.

Kelly anchors the morning newscast on WNYW, the Fox O&O in New York City. He has taken an indefinite leave of absence from the station.