Allyson Meyers has been named vice president and general manager of WOFL, the Fox O&O in Orlando.

In her new role, Meyers will oversee WOFL as well as WRBW, the MyNetworkTV affiliate in Orlando, and WOGX, the Fox affiliate in Ocala. She begins at the stations on January 17.

“Allyson’s tenure with FOX has proven she has what it takes to think differently, produce results and be an effective leader. I am confident she is the ideal person to take on this expanded role within our group and lead these stations,” Fox Television Stations CEO Jack Abernethy said in a statement.

Meyers moves to Orlando from Philadelphia, where she is the vice president and general sales manager for Fox O&O WTXF. She replaces Dennis Welsh, who recently took over as VP-GM of WFLD, the Fox O&O in Chicago.

FOX Television Stations has announced “TMZ Live,” a one hour show that takes viewers inside the TMZ newsroom, will now air on all of its FOX stations.

FOX has been slowly adding the show to its station group since March 2012.  After a test run in the Los Angeles market on KTTV, it soon expanded into Phoenix (KSAZ), Boston (WFXT) Chicago (WFLD), Dallas (KDFW), Detroit (WJBK) and Minneapolis (KMSP). Beginning next Fall, FOX will air the show on its remaining stations including New York (WNYW), Philadelphia (WTXF), Washington, D.C (WTTG), Atlanta (WAGA), Houston (KRIV), Tampa (WTVT) and Orlando (WOFL).

“The distribution roll-out of “TMZ Live” is as unconventional and unique as the show itself,” said Ken Werner, president of Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. “This slow approach has translated into a strong and loyal daily audience, time period increases and younger demos.  It’s also created a demand in the markets where the series does not yet air.” Read more

Fox Television Stations has named Dennis Welsh the vice president and general manager of WFLD-WPWR, the Fox-owned stations in Chicago.

Welsh is a longtime Fox executive who has been general manager of WOFL-WOGX, the Fox-owned stations in Orlando, since 2010. He replaces Mike Renda, who has been named general manager of WJBK in Detroit.

After announcing Renda’s appointment in Detroit Friday morning, Renda returned to Chicago with Fox Television Stations CEO Jack Abernethy. The pair are announcing Welsh’s WFLD appointment to members of the station at 2:30pmET/1:30CT and are expected to address the newsroom later this afternoon.

“It’s a privilege to join a FOX duopoly that is home to top-rated syndicated brands, the Chicago Bears and an aggressive news team,” Welsh said in a statement. “The station has accomplished a great deal over the last few years but there is still much we can achieve and I can’t wait to get started.”

Before working in Orlando, Welsh spent eight years as vice president and director of sales for Dallas Fox O&O KDFW. He has also worked as vice president and director of sales for Fox Station Sales in New York and as VP-GM of WJW in Cleveland, which was owned by Fox when he worked there.

“Dennis brings an impressive range of sales and local news experience,” Abernethy said. “He has done a tremendous job in Orlando and I am confident his leadership will elevate FOX Chicago to the next level.”

Welsh will begin at WFLD on January 7. The release from Fox is after the jump. Read more

Emily Wood will be jumping FOX affiliates, going from WXIX in Cincinnati to WDAF in Kansas City, the Cincinnati Enquirer is reporting.

The Cincinnati native, who will be leaving WXIX next Friday, is the second reporter to announce her departure from WXIX in recent days.  Kimberly Holmes Wiggins announced she will be leaving the Cincinnati FOX station for a new job with Orlando’s FOX affiliate, WOFL, November 30.

Wood began her broadcast career at KDRV-KDKF in Medford OR.

Orlando local stations have had some trouble with bears recently. A few weeks ago, a bear found its way into WOFL reporter Holly Bristow‘s stand-up location (while she was reporting on, yes, bears) and this week, a bear broke into WESH anchor Martha Sugalski‘s house.

WESH reporter Dave McDaniel reported on the incident at Sugalski’s house last night (video above). “When I saw it, I yelled at it, and it did turn and run the other direction,” Sugalski’s husband said.

WOFL reporter Holly Bristow and photojournalist Marcel McSwain were reporting a story about bears in residential neighborhoods recently when a large bear came out of the woods just behind their stand-up location (video above).

“We’re doing a story on a bear and just so happened to have stumbled upon one in this Longwood neighborhood,” Bristow said. “This guy obviously just wandered out of the forest right back there.”

Gavin Maliska has been named news director at WGXA in Macon, GA.

Maliska comes to WGXA, a Fox-affiliate owned by Frontier Broadcast Holdings that also broadcasts ABC programming on a digital subchannel, from WJHG in Panama City Beach, FL, where he has served as news director since last summer.

Maliska began his TV career at WFLD in Chicago and since then he has been news director at WXIN in Indianapolis, WOFL in Orlando, and KECI in Missoula, MT. Read more

Las Vegas CBS-affiliate KLAS is set to debut a new morning anchor team.

Beginning July 30th, the KLAS morning newscast will be anchored by Cale Ramaker and Shauna Khorrami (right).

Ramaker comes to KLAS after seven years at WOFL in Orlando, where he anchored the station’s 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts.  Khorrami joins the station after anchoring the morning news at KSTU in Salt Lake City. Read more

Broadcasting & Cable reports on a new partnership between Fox Television Stations and AccuWeather that will launch this summer:

Fox said its stations “will offer their local viewers a 24/7 live streaming video weather channel provided by AccuWeather,” while jointly produced and branded content will extend across “virtually all of the stations’ media platforms,” including mobile.

“Weather is one of the most important services our stations provide to their communities and has long been a major focus for FTS,” said Ron Stitt, the group’s vice president of digital media and internet operations. Read more

Evening anchor Cale Ramaker is out the door after seven years with WOFL. A spokesperson for the Orlando Fox O&O confirmed to TVSpy that his contract was not renewed.

“We wish Cale the best of luck,” WOFL general manager Dennis Welsh told TVSpy.

Ramaker anchored the 6 p.m. newscast with Sonni Abatta and the 11 p.m. newscast solo. His last day at WOFL was Thursday, which also marked the conclusion of the May sweeps period.

The station is reportedly considering both internal and external candidates for Ramaker’s permanent replacement. In the interim, rotating WOFL anchors and reporters will fill in on the 6 and 11 p.m. newscast.