Fort Myers-Naples

Len Jennings, who will join KMBC in Kansas City this summer, signed off from Fort Myers NBC-affiliate WBBH last night.

The station called on past and present staffers, as well as a few surprise guests from NBC News, for a final sendoff to Jennings, who has been with WBBH-WZVN since 2001.

“You’ve taught me so much about being a class act, a nice guy, humble. I haven’t actually tried any of those things for myself yet, but you did teach me,” WBBH anchor Patrick Nolan joked.

“From all of us here at the mother ship, NBC News headquarters in New York, we want to wish you all the best as you leave our Southwest Florida family,” “NBC Nightly News” anchor Brian Williams said. Video inside… Read more

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Reporter Stephanie Kolp will join Orlando NBC-affiliate WESH next month, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

Kolp comes from WBBH, the NBC-affiliate in Fort Myers. Prior to that, she was a reporter, anchor and producer at WLNS in Lansing, MI. She will begin at WESH on June 21.

“Stephanie is a strong storyteller and is exceptional at covering live, breaking news situations — which means she will fit right in here in our always changing news landscape,” WESH news director Bob Longo said in a staff memo obtained by the Sentinel.

Krista Fogelsong is leaving her anchor post at WBND in South Bend to return to Fort Myers.

Fogelsong, who worked at Fort Myers Fox-affiliate WFTX before heading north, is set to join WBBH, the market’s NBC-affiliate.  Her first day is June 4th.

“Krista brings 15 years of experience reporting, producing and anchoring,” the station said, announcing the move.  “We are very pleased that NBC2 was her station of choice upon returning to the area.”

Fogelsong was a main anchor at WFTX from 2002 to 2007.  Her return to Fort Myers has been rumored for the past few weeks. Read more

Three new reporters are joining the ranks at Fort Myers CBS-affiliate WINK, according to the News-Press.

Florida native Stephanie Susskind (pictured) began April 18. Susskind returns to her home state from WMAZ, the CBS-affiliate in Macon, GA, where she anchored the morning newscast.

Sarah Robarge will begin at WINK in mid-May. She has been a general assignment reporter at TV3, the ABC-affiliate in Winchester, VA, since 2010.

Kristen Skovira will also join WINK this Summer. She previously anchored and produced the morning newscast at KGWN, the CBS-affiliate in Cheyenne.

Jim Farrell, the chief meteorologist at WINK, is celebrating his 30th anniversary with the Fort Myers CBS-affiliate this month.

Farrell spent ten years at WBBH, the NBC-affiliate in Fort Myers, before joining WINK in April 1992. He is the meteorologist for the station’s weekday newscasts at 5, 6, 7 and 11 p.m.

He told the News-Press that the biggest change to the industry in 30 years has been technology.

“When I started in 1982, we used magnetic H’s and L’s (for “highs” and “lows”),” Farrell said. “Today, we have computer graphics, models and Doppler radar. The on-air presentation and the forecast accuracy have improved greatly.”

For the past few weeks, rumors have spread that anchor Krista Fogelsong is on her way out at WBND in South Bend, IN.  And now it appears that she will join WBBH in Fort Myers, FL.

Citing reliable sources, the Fort Myers News-Press reports that Fogelsong is staying at WBND until the end of the May ratings period, and then she will begin working at WBBH in early June.

Fogelsong’s agent, Mort Meisner, told TVSpy today that he can’t comment about the rumors, but added, “Any announcement should come from the Florida station.”

Fogelsong has not responded to requests for comment. Read more

Melissa Yeager (pictured), Erin Maloney and Lauren Pastrana are leaving WINK, the CBS-affiliate in Fort Myers, according to the News-Press.

Yeager, who is the station’s chief investigative reporter, is returning to her hometown of Kansas City as she joins KSHB, the NBC-affiliate. Her last day at WINK will be May 11.

Maloney, a weekend anchor and reporter at WINK, has also left the station.

Pastrana is leaving the television business altogether. She has moved to the Miami area for a job at a local radio station.

Pooja Lodhia is joining KTRK in Houston after three years at WFTX in Fort Myers.

Lodhia recently announced the news on her Facebook page. “I’ll be moving closer to my family and getting to experience so many new things,” she wrote. “I’m very excited, but I will miss y’all so much! Thanks for everything!”

Until last week, Lodhia was a morning reporter at WFTX. She will join KTRK later this month in the same role.

[Via MikeMcGuff.com]

Anchors Lindsay Liepman (pictured) and Jennifer Stacy are swapping newscasts at WINK in Fort Myers.

The changes were made because Liepman, the former morning anchor who recently returned from maternity leave, wanted to work more regular hours, according to the News-Press. She will anchor the noon newscast and report in the afternoons. Her husband, WINK reporter Nick Spinetto, will take paternity leave to be with the newborn.

Stacy, formerly the noon anchor, will handle the morning newscasts, anchoring from 5-7 a.m. on WINK and from 7-9 a.m. on sister station WXCW. Reporter Alissa Reitmeier has also joined the morning team as the traffic anchor.

Reporter Jeff Butera is leaving WFTS in Tampa to join WZVN in Fort Myers.

Butera, who has worked at WFTS since 2009, will anchor the 5, 6, 7 and 11 p.m. newscasts for WZVN, the Fort Myers ABC-affiliate.

“It’s tough to leave behind the great people I’ve worked with and met along the way in Tampa Bay, but I’m excited about a new challenge,” he wrote on Facebook.

Butera replaces Len Jennings, who is joining KMBC-KCWE in Kansas City.