Roanoke-Lynchburg - TVSpy

Meteorologist Jay Webb Set to Join WHSV From WDBJ

Merrill Knox — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 17:40:29 +0000

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]

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Anchor Jay Warren Signing Off From WSLS

Merrill Knox — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 09:24:56 +0000

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.

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Frankie Jupiter Joins WDBJ From WCAV

Merrill Knox — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 11:31:40 +0000

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.

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WSET Meteorologist Facing Charges for Head-On Collision

Kevin Eck — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 14:54:47 +0000

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]

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Dish Network Pulls Plug on Grant Stations Over Retrans Deal

Kevin Eck — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 16:38:32 +0000

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. continued…

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WSET Meteorologist ‘Alert and Communicating’ After Car Wreck

Kevin Eck — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 12:20:51 +0000

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. continued…

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Roanoke Stations May Have Too Much of Good Thing

Kevin Eck — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 11:21:49 +0000

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.

continued…

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Political Ad Spending Up In Roanoke-Lynchburg

Merrill Knox — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 11:52:00 +0000

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. continued…

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WDBJ Urges Viewers to Look Up Porn Online

Andrew Gauthier — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 14:10:42 +0000

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.” continued…

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WDBJ Weathercaster Robin Reed: ‘When I Started, All They Wanted Was a Smooth Presentation that Was Somewhat Accurate’

Andrew Gauthier — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 15:05:23 +0000

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]

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WDBJ Adds Two Veteran Reporters

Andrew Gauthier — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 10:29:32 +0000

WDBJ is welcoming two new reporters to its news team.

The Roanoke CBS-affiliate this week announced the additions of Bryce Williams (far left) and Orlando Salinas (near left).

Williams joins WDBJ as a multimedia journalist and general assignment reporter. He has worked as a reporter at a number of stations throughout the South, including WNCT in Greenville, NC, WTWC in Tallahassee, and WTOC in Savannah.

Salinas will work as a reporter at WDBJ’s New River Valley newsroom, based in Blacksburg, VA. Most recently, Salinas served as a national news correspondent for Fox News, based in Miami, where he covered domestic and international stories for over 12 years. continued…

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Bob Grebe Leaves WDBJ to Anchor at Rival WFXR

Merrill Knox — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:52:00 +0000

Bob Grebe, a morning reporter for WDBJ in Roanoke, is leaving the station to join crosstown rival WFXR.

Grebe will anchor the morning newscast on Fox-affiliate WFXR , the Roanoke Times reports. The new show, which will be produced in conjunction with the news department at NBC-affiliate WSLS, will launch March 12.

“A few years ago I set goals of anchoring a morning newscast and staying in Roanoke,” Grebe wrote on Facebook. “With this new opportunity I was able to achieve both.”

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Roanoke Stations Go Live with Breaking Coverage of Virginia Tech Shooting

Andrew Gauthier — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:46:56 +0000

Following a deadly shooting on the Virginia Tech campus that sparked memories of the massacre there in 2007, all of the news stations in Roanoke went live on Thursday afternoon.

As police continue to hunt down a gunman who killed two people, WDBJ, WSET, and WSLS have preempted their regularly scheduled programming to provide ongoing breaking news coverage. Fox-affiliate WFXR has been carrying coverage from its sister station, WSLS. continued…

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Former WDBJ Anchor-Reporter Joy Sutton to Launch Talk Show

Andrew Gauthier — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 15:34:20 +0000

Former WDBJ anchor and health reporter Joy Sutton is launching a new lifestyle show in Roanoke. Filmed before a live studio audience, “Hour of Joy” will focus on positive news and inspirational stories.

“Ever since I was 13 years old, I always wanted to have my own talk show,” Sutton told WDBJ recently (video above). continued…

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WSLS Will Replace Social-Media Driven Newscast with More Traditional Format

Merrill Knox — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 14:44:29 +0000

WSLS, the NBC affiliate in Roanoke, will replace their 7 p.m. social-media driven newscast with a more traditional broadcast this fall. Meagan Farley (pictured), who joined the station to anchor the broadcast when it was launched in 2009, will be replaced as the anchor and has left the station, according to The Roanoke Times.

“We listened to what the viewers really want,” news director Melissa Preas told The Roanoke Times. “And traditional news is what they want.”

The 7 p.m. newscast was launched two years ago as a way to engage viewers with the WSLS news via Twitter, Facebook and live-chat discussions. WSLS described the broadcast as “a new way to see news.”

Local stations are still figuring out how and where to fit social media into their reporting and broadcasting techniques. Phoenix’s KTVK recently launched a similar social-media driven newscast, while other stations — like WESH in Orlando and WDSU in New Orleans — have developed apps for viewers to use on their smartphones.

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