Alexis Smith‘s first day on-air as KIRO morning traffic reporter was informally announced on twitter by meteorologist Brian Monahan.

Monahan tweeted a shot of Smith (pictured right) practicing for her Monday morning debut. “Well welcome @AlexisASmith to our team on Monday.. Rehearsing this morning! #goteam @KIRO7Seattle.”

KIRO news director Bob Jordan confirmed the move with TVSpy. Smith joined the Seattle CBS affiliate from Dallas ABC affiliate WFAA.

After three years at WITI in Milwaukee, Henry Rosoff is joining KIRO in Seattle, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel‘s Duane Dudek.

“I don’t want this to be seen as me fleeing Milwaukee,” Rosoff told Dudek. “I would have been happy to stay. Since the beginning, (WITI) put me on out front . . . in so many big stories. I would have had no fears about staying. It would have been the safe move.”

Rosoff starts today at CBS-affiliated KIRO, where he will be a general assignment reporter.

The corporate owners of several Seattle stations have sued Click Cable TV to keep the terms of their retransmission agreements with the Tacoma city-owned cable company away from the Tacoma News Tribune.

The broadcasters have said disclosure of the terms would undermine their negotiating positions with the cable company and would eventually result in consumers paying more to watch their stations.

The Bellingham Herald reported the issue over whether the records are public or private came up after Click Cable and Fisher owned station KOMO settled a contentious dispute over retransmission fees.  After the agreement was reached, the News Tribune asked for details, including just how much the new fees were. Read more

The long running internet meme based off the movie “Downfall” has turned its attention to local news.

For those unfamiliar with the set up, Hitler is with his generals and his staff in his bunker when something — an iPad, a soccer team losing, Justin Bieber, you name it, sets him off.

This time, Gary Horcher, reporter for Seattle CBS affiliate KIRO, is stuck in Enumclaw, WA without a working satellite truck. Will this be the meme where Hitler stays calm and lets everyone stick around instead of forcing his field staff to sweat it out alone while he rants away?  Doubtful.

[NewsLab]

Jenni Hogan, morning traffic anchor for KIRO in Seattle has announced she will be leaving the CBS affiliate on Friday.

Hogan posted the news to her blog, jennihogan.com under the heading, “2013 Let’s Make Dreams Happen!”

“It’s time for me to listen to my own advice,” Hogan said on her blog. “I’m going for it and it’s important to me that I share this news with all of you and bring you along for the ride. Friday, December 28^th will be my last day on KIRO-TV and I’m excited about the future.” Read more

Meteorologist Rebecca Stevenson has parted ways with Seattle CBS affiliate KIRO.

Stevenson, who had been KIRO’s chief meteorologist since 2008, announced the news last week on Twitter. “Dry stretch now begins for Rebecca at Kiro7 too,” she tweeted along with a graphic showing Seattle’s recent record lack of rainfall. “I’ll be here on Twitter, but not at Kiro.”

Stevenson also announced the news on her Facebook page last week, writing, “Moving On! Not quite sure where yet but it’s going to be good.” In the wake of her exit, a Facebook group called “We want Rebecca Stevenson back as Chief Meteorologist on Seattle TV” has been formed.

KIRO has yet to respond to TVSpy’s requests for comment.

Bob Jordan has been named news director at KIRO, the CBS-affiliate in Seattle. He will begin his new role in August.

Jordan comes from WFTV in Orlando, where he has been the news director for the last decade. It was Jordan’s second stint as WFTV news director. Both WFTV and KIRO are both owned by Cox Media Group. The move is a return to Seattle for Jordan, who is a former news director at NBC-affiliate KING.

“Great things have followed Bob wherever he’s gone through his successful career,”  general manager Jay O’Connor said in a statement announcing the hire. “KIRO 7 Eyewitness News has incredible momentum and we know Bob Jordan is the right individual to lead our great news staff.” Read more

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

Jay O’Connor is the new general manager at Seattle CBS-affiliate KIRO, the station announced today. His appointment is effective immediately.

O’Connor is currently a group vice president for Cox Media Group, KIRO’s parent company. In his new role, he will continue to oversee CMG’s radio and television operations in Seattle, El Paso, Hawaii, Oakland and Reno.

In a statement announcing the hire, CMG executive vice president Bill Hoffman said the station considered both internal and external candidates for the general manager position, which has been open since Eric Lerner joined Philadelphia’s WCAU in March. Read more