Kyla Igoe

Igoe, who has worked at WKBW since 2007, has opted out of her contract to spend more time with her family and to help her husband with his videography business.

“We appreciate her efforts and wish her well in her new ventures,” Mike Nurse, who will officially take over next month as the station’s general manager, told Pergament.

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LIN Media has announced

“I am excited about joining one of the most respected and forward-thinking multimedia companies in the country that has a long history of investing in its products people and communities,” said LaSpina in a statement. “I am very fond of Buffalo, having lived in New York state for five years, and I am eager to work with the talented staff and management at WIVB-TV and WNLO-TV and achieve new levels of success.”

LaSpina takes over for Chris Musial who retired recently. She last worked as vice president and general manager for Nexstar’s Memphis and Jackson, TN, stations WPTY (now WATN), WLMT and WJKT. She has also managed stations in Albany, NY, Minneapolis, MN and Wilkes-Barre, PA.

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Granite Broadcasting

“For nearly 30 years, Michael has proven himself to be an experienced manager and industry leader,” said Duane Lammers, Granite’s chief operating officer. “He is a seasoned broadcast executive that embodies Granite’s commitment to the communities we serve.  With a deep knowledge of the greater Buffalo market and our operations, he is the ideal person to lead WKBW.”

The move is effective July 1. Nurse has been WKBW’s station manager and vice president of sales for the last 11 years. He succeeds Bill Ransom who announced his retirement earlier this month.

Nurse started his career at WRKO radio in Boston and has served as GM at TV stations in Boston and Washington, D.C.

[TVNewsCheck]

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“He has been a positive voice for our company, the broadcasting profession and Buffalo, and will be truly missed,” Granite COO Duane Lammers said in a statement. “We wish him all the best in the next chapter of his life.”

Ransom has been general manager of the Buffalo ABC affiliate since 1995. Prior to that, he was the general sales manager of WPTA, Granite’s ABC affiliate in Fort Wayne, Ind.

“I am truly grateful to have had the privilege of working with Granite’s talented and committed team members, and am honored to have led our Buffalo station, WKBW, for the last 18 years,” Ransom said in a statement.

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Demler, who co-anchors WGRZ’s evening newscasts, did a commentary segment on Jason Collins being the first openly gay NBA player last week. In a blog post, Pergament called Demler’s commentary “obvious and unnecessary,” saying the anchor should “stick to reading and reporting the news and stay away from commentaries that don’t say much.”

In her commentary this week, Demler delivered a lengthy response to Pergament’s criticism, saying the segments are the sign of an evolved newsroom. “What you see before you is a 21st century news anchor,” Demler said. “My job — like our newsroom — has evolved over the past 30 years.” Watch:

In a column published Wednesday, Pergament called Demler’s response a “unnecessary, inappropriate, hilarious waste of news time,” saying he hasn’t “laughed out loud so much about local TV news since watching ‘Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.’” continued…

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But those plans changed Saturday after Kilgore hosted a news conference for the HARBORcenter that veered into conflict of interest territory for the sports director when the Sabres got involved. Jim Toellner WGRZ president and general manager said, “The event became as much a Sabres event as it was a downtown development event.”

So Toellner announced a new plan for Kilgore saying, “Although we have complete faith in Ed’s objectivity we see from Saturday’s events that perceptions might not go that way for all. We will continue to pay Ed through the end of his originally scheduled end date but he will no longer be working at the station after Wednesday.” continued…

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Ed Kilgore

“Channel 2 has been a huge part of my life,” said Kilgore. “The station is in better shape now than it has ever been. That’s why it’s bittersweet to walk away. But, it’s also okay to walk away now, knowing I was a part of that recent growth.”

According to the station, Kilgore is not retiring, but will go to work for East Resources, a company run by Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula. continued…

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“I don’t want to give too many details,” Paul told the News. “I’m pretty pleased. It’s for three years, with their options each year. I found out LIN isn’t doing any no-cut deals. The last deal was three no-cut years. This one doesn’t…. It had a happy ending. In a lot of ways, I’m pretty pleased.”

Paul originally joined WIVB in 1984 and left for rival WGRZ in 1988. He re-joined WIVB in 1991. He appears on the 5, 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts.

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Effective April 8, [WGRZ]’s 10 p.m. newscast will switch from little-watched WNYO-TV to local Fox affiliate WUTV and it will expand from five nights a week to seven nights a week with the addition of weekend newscasts. Both stations are owned by Sinclair Broadcasting.

That will mean a few weeks before the start of the May sweeps, [WGRZ]’s newscast on WUTV will be getting stronger lead-ins than [WIVB]’s 10 O’Clock News gets on sister station WNLO from little-watched CW programming here.

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“I’m 47,” Gallivan told the News. “I wasn’t looking for an opportunity and they reached out to me. I thought if I was going to try something new, now was the time to do it.”

Gallivan informed the station of his departure on Tuesday. Because his new role is a potential conflict of interest, station management informed him he had to leave the station immediately.

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Previously, WIVB’s weekend morning newscast was one hour long, airing at 7 a.m. Saturdays and 8 a.m. Sundays. The expanded newscasts, anchored by Nalina Shapiro (pictured) with meteorologist Bryan Shaw, run from 7 to 9 a.m. both days.

“Our viewers asked for more news and ‘4-Warn’ weather coverage on the weekend,” news director Joseph Schlaerth said.

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Kelly Dudzik

“Kelly is an anchor and reporter who understands what journalism is about – holding people accountable and being a voice for the voiceless,” WGRZ news director Jeff Woodard told TVSpy. “She brings experience in the field and in the studio that will fit into our team perfectly.”

Dudzik began working for KLRT in 2007.  She previously worked at KFBB In Great Falls, MT.  Before that she was a producer at WXIX in Cincinnati and WBRE in Wilkes-Barre, PA.

Her first day at WGRZ will be Monday, March 4.

[Arkansas TV News]

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Diana Fairbanks

Fairbanks has solo anchored the 5:30 p.m. newscast on WIVB and the 10 p.m. newscast on WNLO since joining the station last year. In her new role, she will co-anchor the morning newscast alongside Jordan Williams, who joins the station this week. She will also anchor the noon newscast.

“It is something we’re going to try. I was asked if I would like to give it a shot,” Fairbanks told Pergament.

Fairbanks’ replacement in the evenings not yet been announced, but Pergament notes Dan Postles and Jacquie Walker, who co-anchor the 5, 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts, may trade off as solo anchors at 5:30 and 10 p.m.

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Melissa Holmes

Holmes, who joined WGRZ at the beginning of this year, has been filling in on the morning newscast since Jodi Johnston signed off in November. She will officially take over as the program’s co-anchor alongside John Beard on January 3.

“Her professionalism, strong journalistic background, and her engaging personality are the perfect match for our talented morning team,” WGRZ news director Jeff Woodard said in announcing the promotion. “She has quickly become a favorite among our fans, and we look forward to her continued growth in this new role.”

Since joining the station, Holmes has been anchoring the 10 p.m. newscast on WGRZ’s sister station, WNYO.

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Jordan Williams

Williams will join the station after four years at KRGV in Rio Grande Valley, Tx., where he also anchors the morning show. He will begin in Buffalo in January.

Williams replaces Joe Arena, who departed for Pittsburgh in October. Ed Drantch, who is currently filling in on the morning newscast, will return to his reporting duties, according to Pergament.

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