Miami-Fort Lauderdale

Chad Matthews has been hired as assistant news director at WTVJ, a spokesperson for the station confirmed to TVSpy today.

Matthews joins the Miami NBC O&O from WABC, the ABC O&O in New York City, where he is a senior executive producer. WABC is a powerhouse in the New York City market: in the just-finished May sweeps period, the station’s newscasts won in every time slot but one, according to our sister site FishbowlNY.

“By recruiting someone with Chad Matthews’ skills and experience, we continue to position the NBC 6 News Team for growth,” WTVJ vice president of news Migdalia Figueroa told TVSpy. “Chad will work with us to continue improving our content and ratings performance and will play a key role in our all-new investigative unit.” Read more

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Veteran Florida anchor Charles Billi is returning to the television business, joining Tampa CBS-affiliate WTSP.

Billi left Miami’s WSVN in 2011 after 12 years behind the anchor desk. In a statement, he said that WTSP is “poised to become a powerhouse” in the Tampa market, adding, “I’m here to help.”

“Being a Tampa native and a USF grad, Charles knows the area well and the issues that impact our community,” WTSP news director Peter Roghaar said. “I am glad he chose to come home and I think viewers will find his style of reporting informative and entertaining.”

Billi starts at WTSP this week as a nightside reporter and fill-in anchor.

Miami NBC O&O WTVJ has announced plans to launch a daily lifestyle and entertainment show hosted by Roxanne Vargas.

“6 in the Mix” will air on weekdays at 11:30 a.m and will feature segments on restaurants, entertainment, fashion, nightlife and local events. It will air following WTVJ’s 11 a.m. newscast, anchored by Pam Giganti.

“The half hour is filled with the hot happenings going on around town,” WTVJ director of creative services Jose Suarez said in a statement. “It will offer viewers a great look at the day’s hottest headlines. If people are talking about it in the office, we’ll be talking about it on the show.”

A well-known Spanish language TV host accused of stealing his neighbor’s patio furniture was arrested yesterday in Miami.

Frank Cairo allegedly broke in to an apartment near his with Jorge Acuna Arias on April 29. The two men were caught on surveillance video, and the neighbors identified Cairo, whose real name is Ivan Valdes. Once the two were identified, police said Cairo left a note on the neighbors’ door saying he had the furniture.

As he was escorted into a police cruiser Thursday, Cairo paused to tell reporters that he has no need to steal “two chairs from Kmart” because he makes more than half a million dollars a year. Watch, via WSVN, after the jump… Read more

WTVJ announced today that Adam Kuperstein will join Jackie Nespral as anchor of the NBC station’s 5, 6, and 11 p.m. newscasts.

Kuperstein, who has been with WTVJ since 2005, has transitioned to the news desk over the last several months while serving as the station’s weekend sports anchor and weekday sports reporter.  For the past six years, he has also co-hosted WTVJ’s Sunday night sports show.

“This is an incredible honor for me,” Kuperstein said. “I am excited to have the opportunity to come into our viewers’ homes in this new role and look forward to informing and serving the South Florida community for many years.” Read more

As part of a multimillion dollar investment in its O&Os, the Telemundo station group has announced the appointment of new general managers in three markets: Los Angeles, Puerto Rico and Miami.

Celia Chavez will take the helm at KVEA in Los Angeles. Chavez comes from WSNS, the Telemundo station in Chicago, where she has been president and general manager since 2009.

At WKAQ in Puerto Rico, Jose Cancela will take over as president and general manager. Cancela comes from KVEA in Los Angeles, where he has been president for less than a year. Read more

Jeff Burnside, a special projects reporter at WTVJ, was fired from the South Florida NBC O&O last Friday after it was determined he selectively edited audio of George Zimmerman‘s 911 call in the Trayvon Martin case. Two weeks ago, a Miami-based NBC News producer lost her job in a similar situation, using an almost identical, sloppily-edited 911 call related to the Martin/Zimmerman case.

In a report on the 5pm newscast in mid-March, Burnside used the following audio of Zimmerman’s 911 call:

Zimmerman: This guy looks like he’s up to no good or he’s on drugs or something. He looks black. Read more

“Incredible comeback on the road for your Florida Panthers,” WSVN anchor Belkys Nerey told viewers during the Miami Fox-affiliate’s 10 p.m. newscast on Tuesday, speaking about the team’s Stanley Cup playoff win.  “Even if you’re not a huge hockey fan, you’re going to love the way they pounced tonight.”

Well, it appears like someone in the WSVN graphics department isn’t a huge hockey fan since the station displayed the logo of the Florida International University Golden Panthers instead of the NHL’s Florida Panthers.

After Nerey threw to him for details on the game, WSVN sports director Steve Shapiro quickly clarified that they were indeed talking about the professional hockey team. [h/t Deadspin]

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel profiles Shannon Hori, an anchor at Miami CBS O&O WFOR. The Asian-American Hori talks about how her background has impacted her career:

On camera, she is the Fort Lauderdale-Miami TV market’s first and only Asian-American primary TV news anchor, and one of the few nationwide in top TV markets. Off-camera, the third-generation Japanese-American shares stories about her bicultural upbringing at local and national events.

“It’s my way of giving back and being thankful,” Hori says during a recent weekday at WFOR in Doral. “Our world has become so much smaller because of the Internet.  Read more

Jorge Estevez is leaving Miami and going back to Orlando.

Estevez, who has worked as a reporter for Miami’s WFOR since 2006, is departing the CBS station to return to WFTV, the Orlando station where he worked prior to moving to South Florida.

“We are thrilled to be able to bring Jorge back to Central Florida,” WFTV-WRDQ vice president and general manager Shawn Bartelt said, announcing the move.  “I am sure that our viewers who remember Jorge will share our excitement when he is back on our air this summer.” Read more