Rick Mecklenburg has joined WXMI, the Fox-affiliate in Grand Rapids, as chief meteorologist.

Mecklenburg officially joined the station on May 1. He made his on-air debut last week.

Mecklenberg is a former chief meteorologist at WSBT, the CBS-affiliate in South Bend. He filled in on WXMI after the departure of chief meteorologist Peter Chan last year. [via NewsBlues]

Author and journalist Susan Orlean (left) has written two nonfiction pieces that have been turned into films. She’ll discuss her new book, Rin Tin Tin, in Mediabistro’s first online Literary Festival & Workshops starting July 16. Other speakers include Rebecca Skloot, Jason Boog, and Jason Allen Ashlock. Register now.

WFAA evening anchor Gloria Campos has signed a new contract that will take her off the 6 p.m. newscast beginning this fall, Dallas media blogger Ed Bark reports.

Campos has worked at the Dallas ABC-affiliate since 1984. She currently anchors the 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts with John McCaa. Under the terms of her new contract, which continues through February 14, she will anchor only the 10 p.m. newscast, along with “filling in where needed and doing special reports,” according to Bark.

WFAA has not announced yet announced Campos’ replacement anchor at 6 p.m. The changes will take place in September.

Los Angeles currently has three professional sports teams playing in the postseason but, according to a recent KNBC graphic (above), the city only has two.

During KNBC’s 6 p.m. newscast on Monday, as anchor Chuck Henry introduced a story about the Lakers and Clippers competing in the NBA playoffs and the Los Angeles Kings playing in the NHL postseason, the station ran a graphic that included the logo of the Sacramento Kings, instead of the LA Kings. Read more

Meteorologist Bay Scroggins has joined WPTV, the NBC-affiliate in West Palm Beach.

Scroggins began his career at WNCT in Greenville, followed by WZVN in Fort Myers and KSTP in Minneapolis. He also worked briefly at WFOR, the CBS O&O in Miami, as an assignment editor. He most recently worked as a meteorologist at WeatherNation in Minneapolis.

Scroggins made his WPTV debut last week. He joins anchor Mike Trim on the station’s weekend morning newscasts.

Having just passed a motorcycle safety course, WXII reporter Stephanie Berzinski was showing off her biker skills on a shiny new Harley during the NBC-affiliate’s 5 p.m. newscast on Monday, when it became clear that she needed a bit more practice (video above).

“I have to laugh this one off,” Berzinski wrote on her Facebook page following the incident. “Yes, I am forever embarrassed and yes I was totally mad at myself, but hey–that’s live TV for you.  Mistakes happen.  Obviously.  Either way I still passed and have my motorcycle endorsement.  I think I’m gonna start off with a Vespa.”

On Susan Koeppen‘s first day back at the KDKA anchor desk, the Pittsburgh CBS O&O aired a long segment documenting her recovery from heart surgery.

“I’ll never forget the past, I’ll never forget what happened,” she said in the interview. “But I’ve got to go back to life, and living. I can’t worry about it.”

Koeppen’s life expectancy has returned to normal, according to KDKA. She expects to be back anchoring both the 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts by the end of the month. Video of the segment inside… Read more

Sinclair Broadcast Group announced today that it has reached a new, long-term deal with Fox to renew the affiliation agreements for 19 stations that Sinclair owns and/or programs.

The new agreements go into effect at the beginning of next year and run through 2017.

“We are very pleased to have reached agreement to renew all of our affiliations with Fox Broadcasting, allowing us to continue as the largest Fox affiliate group,” Sinclair CEO David Smith said in a statement. Read more

WRDW morning anchor Lynnsey Gardner is leaving after six years with the Augusta CBS-affiliate. Her final day is set for May 25.

Jessica Dill, who joined the WRDW morning team two months ago, will replace Gardner at the anchor desk, alongside meteorologist Tim Strong.

“Becoming the new morning anchor in two weeks is very bittersweet,” Dill wrote on her Facebook page this week. “I’ve grown so close to Lynnsey Gardner over the past few months and I can’t imagine work without her. I’m very honored to take her place and I realize I have some big shoes to fill!”

In an email exchange with TVSpy about her next career move, Gardner said that she is currently “entertaining some possibilities and deciding on the right fit.” Read more

A video camera and tripod were stolen from a KNTV reporter and photographer in broad daylight yesterday afternoon, the Oakland Tribune reports.

Reporter Jodi Hernandez and photographer Rich Goudeau were reporting a story on state budget cuts for the San Francisco NBC O&O when a man ran up to the pair, grabbed the equipment, and ran away.

All of the interviews and footage Hernandez and Godeau had collected were gone with the stolen camera. With less than two hours before the evening newscast, KNTV sent a replacement photographer to shoot replacement interviews. The segment aired on the 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts yesterday. Watch inside… Read more

Diana Perez joins ABC News as a New York-based NewsOne correspondent. She previously was a reporter and anchor at WBZ in Boston.

WNYW reporter Katherine Creag joins rival WNBC in New York City.

MLB Network host Lisa Kerney joins WCBS in New York City as a sportscaster and feature reporter.

Araksya Karapetyan joins KTTV in Los Angeles as a reporter. She previously worked at KOIN in Portland. Read more