Meteorologist Jay Webb is signing off from WDBJ in Roanoke to join WHSV in Harrisonburg, Va., he announced on Facebook.

It is a return to Harrisonburg for Webb, who worked there for six years before joining WDBJ in 2006. He will be WHSV’s weather director and weekday morning and noon meteorologist after he signs off from WDBJ on May 22.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for me to grow in this industry that’s been so good to me, plus I get to do it in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, a place my wife Sarah and I called home from 2000-2006,” Webb wrote. “I will miss my WDBJ family. I have been exposed to a talented team of broadcasters and meteorologists … I look forward to what the future holds in JMU country, but I will always be rooted here.” [h/t The Roanoke Star]

Jay Warren is leaving WSLS to “pursue other career opportunities,” the Roanoke NBC affiliate announced Monday. His last day will be April 19.

Warren began his WSLS career in 1998 as a reporter. Since 2008, he has anchored the station’s evening newscasts. He is also the senior political reporter at WSLS. He has covered every congressional, presidential and statewide election for WSLS since 1998.

“He has been a great mentor to reporters, and a great leader to those who have been in the television industry for many years,” the station said in a statement.

Frankie Jupiter has joined WDBJ, the CBS affiliate in Roanoke-Lynchburg, Va.

Jupiter joined the station this month after two years at WCAV, the CBS affiliate in Charlottesville. He has previously worked as a production assistant at WVUE, the Fox affiliate in New Orleans.

Jupiter is a graduate of Columbia College Chicago. He won an Emmy in the student category for the 2008 presidential campaign.

Police have charged WSET meteorologist Jamey Singleton with reckless driving after his Tuesday morning accident.

According to police, Singleton was eating his breakfast when he drove his 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse into the oncoming lane of Route 122 in Bedford County, VA, and hit a delivery truck head-on.

The driver and passenger of the delivery truck told WSET they are “pretty sore and bruised up.” Singleton remains in the hospital in serious condition.

[WFIR]

Dish Network subscribers won’t be able watch their favorite shows on stations owned by Grant Communications until the two settle their dispute over retransmission fees.

On Saturday February 16, Grant’s four FOX affiliates, WZDX in Huntsville, AL, WFXR, Roanoke,VA, KLJB in Quad Cities and WLAX-WEUX in La Crosse, WI, as well as two CW stations and one MyNetworkTV station went dark as part of the dispute.

WZDX, the FOX affiliate in Huntsville posted a statement about the dispute on its website saying,

Contrary to what you may have been told or read, FOX 54 has asked Dish to pay rates comparable to those being paid by your local cable systems now. That is fair and equitable, as already determined by the marketplace. We understand the public’s frustration with this situation, and we remain committed to reaching a solution with Dish without disrupting FOX 54′s programming. Read more

WSET, the Roanoke-Lynchburg, VA, ABC affiliate, has been keeping viewers updated all morning on the condition of meteorologist Jamey Singleton after a car accident yesterday morning left him in serious condition at a local hospital.

WSET lead off its Noon newscast yesterday with news of the accident. Singleton needed to be cut out of his vehicle and airlifted to the hospital after his car crossed the center line of Route 122 and hit a delivery truck going the other direction. You can watch video of the story after the jump.

This morning at 11:00 a.m., WSET told viewers on its web page,

Family members say Jamey Singleton had a good night after being in surgery. He will undergo more surgeries Wednesday. State police officials say the cause of the accident was lack of attention from the driver, Jamey Singleton. They say he was eating breakfast at the time of the crash. Read more

Cheap airtime and undecided voters are making Roanoke, VA the belle of the ball for political campaigns looking to get their messages out to local viewers, according to a report by the Associated Press.

The AP report contrasts the size of the market with the appetite for airtime, noting the Virginia city may be market 68,

But the Roanoke market has consistently been number one in the country for the number of political ads aired. This is good news for top-rated station WDBJ-TV, a CBS affiliate. Its ad haul could top $5 million. Around the country, local stations could rake in more than $3 billion from political advertising.

Read more

The Roanoke Times looks at political ad spending in the Roanoke-Lynchburg market, where political advertisers have allocated or spent $6.5 million on the four local stations there:

For proper context, consider this: In 2008, which was a record year for campaign spending in this market according to information provided by the stations, political advertising totaled nearly $5.6 million.

Welcome to the swing-state spending spree. “Virginia is white-hot,” said Leesa Wilcher, general manager of WSLS.

And few places have sizzled like the Roanoke-Lynchburg market, which has been ranked in MSNBC’s top 10 “hottest advertising markets” for three months.  Read more

For a story about a former porn star who is now volunteering as a local EMT, Roanoke CBS-affiliate WDBJ urged viewers to check out her adult films online.

“The Cave Spring Rescue Squad has been around for more than 60 years. In that time, it’s probably never had a volunteer like Harmony Rose,” WDBJ reporter Justin McLeod told viewers on Thursday. “She’s a former porn star.   Just Google her name and you’ll find hundreds of pornographic videos of hers.” Read more

WDBJ Robin Reed is celebrating 30 years on Roanoke TV and during his tenure he’s experienced some major changes in the way weather is reported.

“Back when I started, all they wanted was a smooth presentation that was somewhat accurate,” Reed told The Roanoke Times recently. “The bar was pretty low. ‘Have a good voice. Don’t embarrass the station.’”

When he began in TV news, Reed didn’t set out to be a weathercaster. He was working as a sports anchor and reporter at WHSV in the early 80s when the station’s regular weathercaster didn’t show up for the 6 p.m. newscast. Reed filled in and the rest is history. [Roanoke Times]