Pittsburgh - TVSpy

Michael Hayes Named SVP of Hearst Television

Merrill Knox — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:01:14 +0000

Michael J. Hayes has been named senior vice president and group head of Hearst Television.

Hayes comes from WTAE, Hearst’s ABC affiliate in Pittsburgh, where he has been president and general manager since 2011. Before that, he spent eight years as general manager of WYFF, Hearst’s NBC affiliate in Greenville, S.C.

“In every step of his career with Hearst Television he’s been a high performer, and we are delighted that he’ll be joining our talented management team in New York to work with our stations and help us compete at an even higher level in the years ahead,” Hearst Television CEO David J. Barrett said in a statement.

Hayes’ promotion is effective June 1. His replacement at WTAE will be named at a later date.

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Reporter Joe Holden to Join WPXI

Merrill Knox — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:47:28 +0000

After eight years at WBRE in Scranton, Joe Holden is joining WPXI in Pittsburgh, according to the Times Leader.

Holden, a member of WBRE’s investigative team, will sign off from the station on June 27. He begins in Pittsburgh July 1.

“I like talking with people. I love telling their stories, and I really have a special place in my heart for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area. … There’s something really unique about this place, and that’s what’s kept me here nearly eight years,” Holden told the Times Leader.

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Pittsburgh Watches the Most Live Television, Study Finds

Merrill Knox — Mon, 13 May 2013 14:57:03 +0000

According to a study of average daily viewing habits among adults 25-54 during the February sweep, Pittsburgh residents watched more live television than any other Nielsen market. St. Louis was tops for time-shifted viewing, according to MediaPost:

Pittsburghers in the segment watched an average of nearly five-and-a-half hours of live TV a day. The figure was five hours and 23 minutes in St. Louis, while Baltimore, Philadelphia and Detroit all had averages of five hours and 15 minutes or higher.

In time-shifted viewing, Clevelanders in the demo watched an average of 52 minutes a day, with Sacramento residents at 49 minutes. Those in Charlotte and Dallas residents were both at 47 minutes each. Orlando residents watched an average of 45 minutes to finish out the top five.

San Francisco residents watched the least amount of live television, averaging 2 hours and 57 minutes daily. Minneapolis residents watched the least amount of time-shifted television.

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Jackie Schafer Joins WTAE in Pittsburgh

Merrill Knox — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:37:13 +0000

Jackie Schafer is joining Pittsburgh ABC affiliate WTAE as a reporter and weekend morning anchor.

“Jackie has the experience and skill to accurately cover news for Pittsburgh and the region.” WTAE president and general manager Michael J. Hayes said in a statement. “We are pleased to have her officially join the WTAE family.”

Schafer worked as a reporter and anchor at WTOV in Steubenville, Ohio from 2006-10. Most recently, she was the media content director for 424 Media in Hoboken, N.J. She begins anchoring the weekend morning newscasts April 20.

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Matt Belanger Joins WTAE as Weekend Anchor

Merrill Knox — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 14:27:07 +0000

Matt Belanger is joining Pittsburgh ABC affiliate WTAE as a weekend anchor later this month.

Belanger, who begins April 24, will anchor the weekend evening newscasts alongside Shannon Perrine, meteorologist Ray Petelin and sports anchor Guy Junker.

“Matt is dedicated and very hard working and he will be a great fit for our team,” WTAE news director Justin Antoniotti said in a statement. “He understands what needs to be done to meet the high standards on WTAE Channel 4 Action News.”

Belanger comes to WTAE from WGAL in Lancaster, Pa., where he was a government and investigative reporter.

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Jim Parsons Promoted to Assistant News Director at WTAE

Merrill Knox — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 15:34:27 +0000

WTAE investigative reporter Jim Parsons has been promoted to assistant news director at the Pittsburgh ABC affiliate.

“We believe that in his new role as assistant news director, Jim will continue to build on our legacy of high quality reporting and investigations that Pittsburgh viewers expect from WTAE Channel 4 Action News,” WTAE general manager Michael J. Hayes said in a statement announcing the promotion.

Parsons, who joined WTAE in 1998, said he was “honored and humbled” by the opportunity. His appointment as assistant news director is effective immediately, and WTAE has announced a search for a new investigative reporter.

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A.J. Ross Joins WKYC in Cleveland

Merrill Knox — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 10:37:02 +0000

A.J. Ross is joining Cleveland NBC affiliate WKYC on April 15, according to the station’s Director’s Cut blog.

Ross will be a multimedia journalist at WKYC. She comes from Pittsburgh, where she was most recently a freelance reporter for ABC affiliate WTAE and the New Pittsburgh Courier.

Ross has also worked at WSYX in Columbus as a reporter for the evening newscasts and at WMBF in Myrtle Beach, S.C. as a reporter and anchor.

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Jennifer Tomazic Says Goodbye to WDJT

Merrill Knox — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 10:46:11 +0000

Morning anchor Jennifer Tomazic signed off Friday from WDJT, the CBS affiliate in Milwaukee (video above).

“Thank you so much everyone for watching us,” Tomazic said. “This is a great team. Don’t change the channel, because coming up on Monday you have a wonderful woman named Jessica and she’s going to pick up right where I left off.”

On Monday, Jessica Tighe will take over as morning and noon co-anchor. Tighe joins the station from KWQC, the NBC affiliate in Davenport, Iowa. continued…

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Meteorologist Mike LaPoint Out at WPXI

Merrill Knox — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 10:53:03 +0000

Mike LaPoint, who joined WPXI in 2007 as chief meteorologist, is out at the Pittsburgh NBC affiliate. The Pittburgh Post-Gazette reports that LaPoint’s contract was not renewed.

“We met with Mike [in] late summer and told him we wouldn’t likely be renewing his contract at the end of the year,” WPXI GM Ray Carter told the Post-Gazette in an email. “He began a quiet search at that point and as I understand it, is in the running for a couple of different weather jobs. He was a terrific employee in terms of work ethic and how he carried himself. We will miss his energetic attitude and real love of weather forecasting.”

A search for LaPoint’s replacement is underway.

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WTAE Defamation Lawsuit Settled

Merrill Knox — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 10:27:29 +0000

WTAE, Hearst’s ABC affiliate in Pittsburgh, has settled a defamation lawsuit with a woman who accused the station of wrongly showing her photo during a report on a kidnapping case, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Kathy Bass claims the station used her photograph during a report on her daughter, kidnapping suspect Kathy Ann Bass. Kidnapping charges against the younger Bass were later dropped, according to the Post-Gazette; she pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and was sentenced to between one and two years in prison.

The lawsuit claimed defamation and invasion of privacy. WTAE filed a motion to dismiss the case in December. Terms of the settlement were not public.

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Jim Lapiana Named GM of Pittsburgh’s WPGH

Kevin Eck — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 11:22:44 +0000

Sinclair Broadcast Group has named Jim Lapiana general manager of Pittsburgh FOX affiliate WPGH and MyNetworkTV affiliate WPMY.

“I am thrilled and excited to lead the stations and serve in a higher capacity,” Lapiana said in a statement. “The stations are an integral part of the Pittsburgh community, and I look forward to continuing our focus of meeting viewers’ needs and helping our local businesses spread their messages.”

Lapiana, who succeeds group manager Alan Frank, was the director of sales for the two Pittsburgh stations. Before coming to WPGH in 2001, he served as general manager of WPXT in Portland, ME. From 1994 to 1998 , he was general manager of WRDC and WLFL in Raleigh-Durham, NC. continued…

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Mike Oliveira Promoted to News Director at WPXI

Merrill Knox — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 12:37:38 +0000

Mike Oliveira has been promoted to news director at Pittsburgh NBC affiliate WPXI, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Oliveira, the station’s managing editor, joined WPXI seven years ago as an executive producer. He has previously worked at WHDH in Boston and WTVH in Syracuse.

“Mike has been with us since 2005 and has had a dramatic impact on our product and people,” WPXI vice president and general manager Ray Cater said in a statement.

Oliveira replaces Michael Goldrick, who was recently named news director at WRC in Washington, DC.

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WTAE Wants Defamation Lawsuit Dismissed

Merrill Knox — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 10:28:34 +0000

WTAE is seeking to dismiss a defamation lawsuit against the Pittsburgh ABC affiliate that was transferred to federal court last week. Kathy Bass is suing the station over an August 2010 report, claiming WTAE used her photograph while reporting on a woman named Kathy Ann Bass who was accused of kidnapping.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has details on the station’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit:

Attorneys for Hearst wrote that the one-year statute of limitations on defamation claims expired. The delay, Hearst’s lawyers wrote in a brief, may stem from “misgivings about pursuing a claim alleging misidentification as an arrestee when she in fact has an arrest history of her own, the offending mug shot of plaintiff was provided to the press by authorities, and the arrestee alleged to be mistaken for plaintiff is … plaintiff’s daughter.”

A lawyer for Bass confirmed that his client was the mother of the accused kidnapper, but said it had no bearing over the case, according to the Post-Gazette.

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WTAE Sued for Defamation, Invasion of Privacy

Merrill Knox — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 10:44:09 +0000

A defamation lawsuit against Pittsburgh ABC affiliate WTAE was transferred into federal court last week, according to the Herald-Standard.

The station is being sued over the use of a photograph. Kathy Bass, 49, claims WTAE used a picture of her while reporting on a 21-year-old woman named Kathy Ann Bass who was arrested for kidnapping in 2010.

Bass claims she received several phone calls asking about her role in the kidnapping after the report was broadcast, the Herald-Standard reports. The suit claims defamation and invasion of privacy.

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Kelly Brennan Joins WTAE as Reporter

Kevin Eck — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 11:14:06 +0000

Kelly Brennan will join Pittsburgh’s ABC affiliate WTAE as a reporter.

Brennan, who is the sister of WPXI reporter Courtney Brennan, will begin reporting for the station Monday.

Kelly Brennan comes from WOWK in Charleston, WV.

Viewers may remember her sister Courtney for a near miss with Jerry Sandusky’s wife’s car while reporting on the Sandusky molestation trial. Click here to see the video.

[Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette]

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