While the rest of the East Coast was focused on Hurricane Sandy last Monday, a Providence, RI prankster snuck a couple past the censors at WJAR.  During the NBC affiliate’s regular “First Birthdays” segment anchor Frank Coletta breezed right through the first two names before turning his attention back to the lead of the day, Hurricane Sandy’s approach.

Of course, we don’t know for sure those were fake names, but the 13-year-old boy in me guesses they’re not real.  Late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel agreed.  He pointed out the prank on his show.  You can watch that video after the jump. Read more

WJAR, the NBC-affiliate serving Providence and Bristol, is set to start the weekday morning newscasts at 4:30 a.m. beginning November 28.

“We’re keeping up with the changing times,” WJAR general manager Vic Vetters said in a statement. “As more of our viewers start their day earlier, WJAR will provide them with the news and weather they need.”

The WJAR morning team is anchors Barbara Silver Morse and Frank Coletta (pictured), along with Mario Hilario, reporters Audrey Washington and Tom Stewart, and meteorologists Gary Ley and Kelly Bates.

Starting Monday, Barbara Morse Silva will co-anchor the WJAR morning newscast, according to the Providence Business-News. She will be paired with longtime morning anchor Frank Coletta, who has not had a co-anchor on the program for more than 15 years.

Coletta has anchored the morning show since 1985. Throughout his tenure, he has had only one other co-anchor: Karen Reed, who worked for the station from 1994-95. There are always weather updates from a meteorologist — currently Gary Ley — but Coletta has spent the majority of his time as solo anchor.

Morse Silva joined the Providence NBC-affiliate in 1995 as a health reporter and has anchored the weekend evening newscasts for the past three years.

WJAR became the first station in the Providence-New Bedford market to make the switch to HD on Monday, when the NBC-affiliate debuted a brand-new set and weather graphics during the morning newscast at 6:30 a.m.

“Our in-house set designer, Wally Franco, and his team worked tirelessly to create and build [a] news desk that showcases our video, our newsroom and our anchors’ keen interviewing skills,” WJAR news director Chris Lanni said of the new, HD-optimized set. “We’re looking forward to exploring all of the facets that this set has to offer in order to improve the viewer experience.”

WJAR put together a send-off for its old set as anchor Frank Coletta unveiled the new, HD studio (video above).

Last week general manager Lisa Churchville announced that the station would be broadcasting in HD by the end of the month. Read more