Meteorologist Shay Ryan is joining WFTS, the ABC-affiliate in Tampa, next month.

Ryan, a Florida native, joins WFTS from WNYW in New York City. She will begin as the station’s morning meteorologist on August 13.

“Shay’s weather knowledge, combined with her great television and online skills, make her a perfect fit to forecast our unique weather patterns here in the Bay area and help people get started with their day,” general manager Rich Pegram said in a statement.

Tampa NBC-affiliate WFLA has announced the launch of a 7 p.m. newscast beginning July 30.

The newscast’s debut coincides with the start of the Olympics, which will air on NBC. It will be anchored by Jennifer Leigh, who currently anchors WFLA’s 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts, and one other person who has yet to be hired, according to the Tampa Tribune.

“There are plenty of options for news out there, but we don’t think there are people watching hour after hour of news,” WFLA news director Don North said. “We are looking at plenty of people who are not able to see the news before, because they were driving home.” Read more

Key markets in swing states, especially those with hotly-contested senate races, continue to be flooded with political ad money as the election draws closer. MediaPost’s David Goetzl has details:

Cleveland, the country’s 18th-largest market, has drawn $17.7 million through June 24, according to a Wells Fargo report. That places it just behind Los Angeles for the most political ad dollars this year.

Also in Ohio, the Columbus market, the 34th-largest, ranks 8th in most spending with $10.6 million. In Florida, Tampa, the 14-largest market, ranks 4th with $12.2 million and Orlando (market 19) comes in 9th with $10.4 million. Read more

Keith Jones, who was recently announced as the new morning anchor at WTVJ in Miami, said goodbye to WTSP in Tampa this morning (video above).

“This is honestly the most fun I’ve ever had in my career,” Jones said.  “All the places I’ve worked, all the crews that I’ve worked with, I’ve never had so much fun as I’ve had here.”

Doug Culver has been named vice president of news at WJLA, the ABC-affiliate in Washington, DC. His appointment is effective July 9.

Culver announced last week that he was leaving WFTS after four years as news director at the Tampa ABC-affiliate. He replaces Alex Likowski, who recently left WJLA after six years.

The move reunites Culver with Bill Lord, WJLA’s general manager. The pair has worked together at both KIRO in Seattle, where Culver was assistant news director from 1998-07, and KNBC in Los Angeles, where Culver was an executive producer from 1990-98.

“Doug has a great track record of success as a newsroom leader and as a journalist,” Lord said in a statement. “He will be a welcome addition to our strong management team.” Read more

Reporter Samara Sodos is leaving WFLA after 12 years at the Tampa NBC-affiliate to join the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s office as a public information officer.

“I was looking for a career that felt a little more stable,” Sodos told Eric Deggans of the Tampa Bay Times. “I feel like all the skills I learned in this job will help me there.”

Sodos joined the station in 2000 from WSLS in Roanoke, where she was a reporter, anchor and producer. She began her career as an associate producer for WTMJ in Milawaukee. Her last day at WFLA will be September 7. Read more

Doug Culver, who has been the news director at WFTS since 2008, is set to leave the Tampa ABC-affiliate.

In an email to staff this week, Culver announced that he would be departing in two weeks.

“Sometimes opportunity knocks at the most unexpected time,” Culver told his staff.  “That’s what has just happened to me.  As a result I will be leaving Action News.”

Before joining WFTS, Culver spent nine years at Seattle’s KIRO, serving as the station’s assistant news director and managing editor.  KIRO is currently looking for someone to replace Todd Mokhtari, who left his ND post last week to join KNBC. Read more

Ashley Glass has been promoted to weekend morning co-anchor at Tampa ABC-affiliate WFTS.

Glass, a Florida native, joined WFTS in 2010 as a weekday morning reporter and fill-in anchor. She has previously worked at WCJB in Gainsville, WICS in Springfield, IL and WPEC in West Palm Beach.

Glass will anchor alongside John Thomas and Bill Logan on Saturday and Sunday mornings. She replaces Ellen McNamara, who left WFTS to join KSTP earlier this year.

Investigative reporter Alan Cohn has parted ways with WFTS in Tampa, Eric Deggans of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

“I can’t say what happened,” Cohn said. “All I know is, I’m very proud of what I’ve done at Channel 28. I never broke as many big stories anywhere as I did at that station.”

Cohn joined the Tampa ABC-affiliate in 2009 from WTNH, the ABC-affiliate in New Haven. When contacted by Deggans, general manager Rick Pergram declined to comment on Cohn’s departure, citing “personnel issues.”

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.