There are leadership changes coming to Hearst stations in Cincinnati and Louisville. WLKY news director Mike Neelly will move to WLWT, and assistant news director Andrea Stahlman will replace him at WLKY.

Neelly joined WLKY in 1997 and was named news director three years later. During his time at the station, the CBS affiliate expanded its news operation and became the market’s ratings leader. At WLWT, Cincinnati’s NBC affiliate, he replaces Stacy Owen, who is joining KNBC in Los Angeles.

“WLWT News 5 is fortunate to welcome a news director with Mike’s extensive experience and outstanding track record of success,” general manager Richard Dyer said in a statement. “With his exceptional leadership skills and strong news instincts, Mike is perfectly suited to build on the foundation of ratings growth and momentum for WLWT News 5.”

Stahlman will step into the news director role at WLKY on November 12. She has spent 12 years as the station’s assistant news director. Read more

Stacy Owen, news director at WLWT in Cincinnati is heading west.  NBC has confirmed Owen will join KNBC, the NBC owned station in Los Angeles, as assistant news director.

Owen, who led the news effort for the Cincinnati NBC affiliate, came to the station three years ago from KXTV in Sacramento.  Cincinnati.com said that Owen’s main goal was to stop the high turnover rate at the station,

“She’s done a great job for us. She’s been a great  manager. She’s really smart and a great competitor,” says General Manager Richard Dyer.

Owen plans to stay at WLWT until one day after the election.  Her last day will be November 7.

[cincinnati.com]

>Update: Stacy told TVSpy, “I am proud of my team at WLWT and what we are accomplishing here, and at the same time excited about building a winning team at KNBC.  I have long respected [news director] Todd Mokhtari for both his news sense and management style, and the opportunity to work with him and [general manager] Steve Carlston was one I could not pass up.  At the same time, it’s a new challenge for me, and a homecoming to L.A., where I grew up.  The best of both worlds.”

A short-staffed weather team has brought Pat Barry back to WLWT, the station where he began his career as a weathercaster, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Barry is a veteran Cincinnati weathercaster who left Fox-affiliated WXIX last year. He began his career at WLWT, the NBC-affiliate, in 1984. He appeared on the Sunday morning newscasts last weekend and will continue to fill-in occasionally going forward, the Enquirer reports.

“It was fun to have Pat back on the WLWT airwaves,” news director Stacy Owen said. “Yes he’s going to be helping us out on the weekend mornings while Randi (Rico) remains on maternity leave, and we continue our search for Valerie’s (Abati) replacement. Steve Norris is still in the wings as well.”

Sheree Paolello is getting a new co-anchor on WLWT‘s 11 p.m. newscast. Mike Dardis will join her on the anchor desk beginning tonight.

Stacy Owen, the news director at the Cincinnati NBC-affiliate, announced the news in an email to staffers that was obtained by the Cincinnati Enquirer.

“As part of our efforts to defend and extend our multi-platform momentum, Mike Dardis will join Sheree on News 5 at 11,” Owen wrote. “In addition to adding new feel to the show, this will enable both Mike and Sheree to work on special reports. The lineup of the 5, 530 and 6 stays the same. Here’s to our own strong summer season!”

Dardis has been anchoring the 5 p.m. newscast and reporting for the 11 p.m. since he joined WLWT from KOMO in April. Paolello was previously the solo anchor of the 11 p.m. newscast.

After four years at WLWT, meteorologist Valerie Abati will sign off from the Cincinnati NBC-affiliate this summer.

Abati is moving to California for personal reasons, according to a memo sent to WLWT staffers obtained by the Cincinnatti Enquirer. News director Stacy Owen said in the memo station management is “working with Valerie to explore every opportunity to keep her within the Hearst Television family.”

“While no final departure date has been set, she plans to be with WLWT through the summer,” Owen wrote. “We will share more once her plans become more firm. Please join us in thanking Valerie for four great years as part of the News 5 team and the Cincinnati community, and in wishing her much happiness moving forward.”

Cincinnatti NBC-affiliate WLWT has moved veteran anchor Jack Atherton off its 11 p.m. newscast, leaving Sheree Paolello to anchor solo.

Atherton, who has been Paolello’s co-anchor since 2009, will continue appearing alongside Paolello during the station’s 5:30 and 6:00 p.m. newscasts.

WLWT news director Stacy Owen said that the move was made so that Atherton could focus more time on reporting as the 2012 election approaches.

“It gives us the opportunity to have Jack dig into the elections during this critical political year, elevating Jack’s role in an area of passion for him,” Owen said in a statement, posted by Cincinnati.com.  “Sheree has proven with the 5 p.m. that she can deftly handle a high-paced, high content show at 11 p.m.”