WPBF - TVSpy

Stephanie Gailhard Joins KMSP From WINK

Merrill Knox — Mon, 13 May 2013 11:42:05 +0000

Stephanie Gailhard is joining KMSP, the Fox O&O in Minneapolis, as a general assignment reporter for the morning newscasts.

“Stephanie knows how to work a story and get the very best information for the viewers. She will be a great addition providing constant updates on the biggest local stories of the morning,” KMSP vice president and news director Bill Dallman said in a statement.

Most recently, Gailhard was a reporter at WINK, the CBS affiliate in Fort Myers. She has previously worked at WPEC and WPBF in West Palm Beach and WTIC in Hartford.

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Meteorologist Justin Mosely Joining WPBF

Merrill Knox — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 10:22:53 +0000

Meteorologist Justin Mosely is joining West Palm Beach ABC affiliate WPBF, the Sarasota Herald Tribune reports.

Mosely will sign off from SNN, the cable news channel in Sarasota, on February 6. He has worked there as chief meteorologist since 2004.

“He has grown his skills and talent year after year, and has been very important to the success of the station,” SNN executive vice president and general manager Linda DesMarais said. “Justin is an exceptional team player, and I know everyone here will miss him.”

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Terry McSweeney Joins KNTV From Rival KGO

Merrill Knox — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 14:29:59 +0000

After five years at KGO, the ABC O&O in San Francisco, Terry McSweeney is joining rival KNTV, the NBC O&O in the Bay Area.

At KNTV, McSweeney will anchor the weekend evening newscasts alongside Diane Dwyer. He will also work as a general assignment reporter during the week. McSweeney worked at KNTV as a general assignment reporter from 1987-95.

“Terry has distinguished himself as an enterprising reporter in this market and we’re excited to welcome him back to the KNTV newsroom as part of our anchor team,” KNTV vice president of news Jonathan Mitchell said in a statement.

McSweeney was also a weekend anchor and weekday reporter at KGO. He has also worked at KTXL in Sacramento, WPBF in Palm Beach, KSAZ in Phoenix and WTEN in Albany.

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Viki Regan Named VP-GM at WRIC in Richmond

Merrill Knox — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 17:40:02 +0000

Viki Regan has been named vice president and general manager of WRIC, Young Broadcasting’s ABC affiliate in Richmond.

Regan has worked as the VP-GM of WPBF in West Palm Beach and WEWS in Cleveland. She left WEWS in 2010 and has worked since then as a multimedia consultant, developing content, revenue and profit growth initiatives for television and mobile applications.

“We expect Young and WRIC will greatly benefit from her extraordinary station and social media leadership skills, demonstrated history of generating local news growth and proven ability to effectively program and monetize across platforms,” Young Broadcasting president Deborah McDermott said in a statement. continued…

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Triston Sanders Named Assistant ND at WWL

Merrill Knox — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 13:06:37 +0000

Triston Sanders is joining WWL, the CBS affiliate in New Orleans, as assistant news director next month.

Sanders joins WWL from WCTV in Tallahassee, where she has been the news director since 2010. She has also worked at WINK in Fort Myers, WWSB in Sarasota, WFLA in Tampa, WSVN in Miami and WPBF in West Palm Beach.

In a memo to WWL staffers, executive news director Bill Siegel praised Sanders’ leadership at WCTV, noting “her experience with social media and emerging technologies fits perfectly with the direction we are moving as a digital news organization.” continued…

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Paige Harrison Named News Director at WPBF

Kevin Eck — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 15:28:56 +0000

Paige Harrison is joining WPBF as news director. Harrison comes to the West Palm Beach ABC affiliate from WTAE in Pittsburgh where she was assistant news director.

“It’s a tremendous opportunity to return to Florida and join the area’s most talented and hard-working local news team,” said Harrison. “WPBF 25 has seen historic ratings growth, and I look forward to further strengthening our commitment to the South Florida viewers.”

Harrison, who moves from one Hearst station to another, fills the empty chair vacated by Kyle Grimes’ promotion to president and general manager of Hearst Stations WPTZ-WNNE in Plattsburgh-Burlington.

continued…

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WPBF’s Victor Blackwell Named Weekend Morning Anchor at CNN

Merrill Knox — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 15:30:20 +0000

Victor Blackwell is joining CNN as an Atlanta-based anchor and correspondent, the network’s executive vice president Ken Jautz announced today. Blackwell will co-host “CNN Newsroom” on Saturday mornings alongside Randi Kaye.

Blackwell joins CNN from WPBF, the ABC-affiliate for West Palm Beach, where he anchors the 5, 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts alongside Tiffany Kenney. Prior to that, he worked at WLTV-WJXX in Jacksonville.

Related, TVNewser: CNN Hires New Anchor for Weekend Mornings

“Victor is a passionate and committed journalist,” Jautz said in a statement announcing the hire. “He will be a strong addition to our weekend morning team and in the field.”

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GM Paul Sands to Retire From WPTZ-WNNE; WPBF News Director Tapped as Replacement

Merrill Knox — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 16:11:13 +0000

Paul Sands, president and general manager of Hearst Television’s WPTZ-WNNE in Plattsburgh-Burlington, has announced his retirement.

Sands will be succeeded by Kyle Grimes, who is currently the news director at another Hearst station, WPBF in Palm beach. The move is return to WPTZ-WNNE for Grimes, who was news director at the stations from 2005-08.

In a statement announcing the moves, Hearst president and CEO David Barrett said the management transition “takes on special significance, with Kyle Grimes succeeding his one-time mentor Paul Sands at the helm of our stations.”

Sands will stay on for the next few months during the transitional period, according to the statement. continued…

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Meteorologist Leslie Hudson Returning to Florida TV

Merrill Knox — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:09:29 +0000

Leslie Hudson, a former meteorologist at Orlando NBC-affiliate WESH, is returning to Florida television on a freelance basis at rival station WOFL, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

“It’s very part time, but I am very excited,” she wrote. “Can’t wait to track the radar again! Thanks for all your prayers and well wishes, they worked!”

Hudson worked at WPBF in West Palm Beach and WSVN in Miami before joining Orlando’s Central Florida News 13 in 1998. She joined WESH in 2001, spending six years at the station. Most recently, she has worked as the weekend meteorologist for a local radio in Orlando.

Hudson will handle the weekend forecasts for WOFL beginning in December.

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Meredith McDonough Joins WESH in Orlando

Merrill Knox — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 10:41:10 +0000

Meredith McDonough has joined WESH, the NBC-affiliate in Orlando, as a reporter and weekend evening anchor, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

Since 2007, McDonough has been a reporter and weekend morning anchor at WPBF, the ABC-affiliate in West Palm Beach. Before joining WPBF, she was a weekend anchor and meteorologist at WATM-WWCP in Johnstown, PA.

McDonough is a permanent replacement to Craig Lucie, who left WESH for Atlanta’s WSB in July. Her first day is today.

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WPBF Captures Mother’s First Phone Call with Missing Daughter Connected to Philadelphia Dungeon

Andrew Gauthier — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 12:52:34 +0000

WPBF cameras were rolling when the mother of a missing West Palm Beach teenager spoke to her daughter on the phone for the first time since the 15-year-old disappeared three months ago.

Benita Rodriguez was found in Philadelphia this week in connection with the rescue of four mentally handicapped adults from a basement dungeon. She was apparently dating the son of one of the accused captors, who had lived in the West Palm Beach area before moving to Philadelphia.

“I can breathe,” Benita’s mother Juana said following the phone call. “I can breathe now because she’s doing good. I can breathe. She’s okay.” continued…

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Tampa Bay’s WTSP Adds Meteorologist Kate Wentzel to Revamped Weather Team

Andrew Gauthier — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 14:07:09 +0000

After a string of defections, WTSP has rounded out its revamped weather team with the addition of meteorologist Kate Wentzel this week. Wentzel comes to WTSP after working as a weekend weathercaster for West Palm Beach ABC-affiliate WPBF–a post that she departed in April.

“Kate is going to be another great addition to the team,” WTSP news director Peter Roghaar said, in announcing the move. “She brings almost ten years of experience forecasting Florida weather and is hurricane-tested.”

Wentzel, who is set to begin on September 26th, is the third meteorologist to join WTSP in the past two months. The CBS-affiliate recently named Orlando veteran Jim Van Fleet chief meteorologist and added Mark Collins, a native of St. Petersburg. continued…

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West Palm Beach Stations Gear Up for Hurricane Irene With Smartphone Apps

Merrill Knox — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 17:33:05 +0000

This year’s hurricane season has officially begun: Hurricane Irene, which was upgraded from a tropical storm overnight, is projected to hit southern Florida on Thursday and make its way up the east coast. Three stations in West Palm Beach — which is directly in Irene’s projected path — are using smartphone applications to help deliver southern Florida residents up-to-date information.

WPBF, WPEC and WPTV are all using slightly different versions of the smartphone technology to keep viewers informed. WPBF, the market ABC affiliate, has a hurricane tracker app (pictured) that follows the standard — and increasingly popular — model for local hurricane apps: it features interactive maps, information about evacuation zones and the Twitter feeds of WPBF meteorologists.

WPTV has a slightly different forum: the NBC affiliate is using their standard weather app, which is always active and features updates on daily weather without being restricted to hurricanes, to deliver hurricane-related updates.

CBS affiliate WPEC is offering weather updates on their standard station app, which is available across every smartphone platform and delivers daily news on weather and traffic, as well as breaking headlines.

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Lester Holt’s Son Set to Join NBC O&O

Andrew Gauthier — Mon, 09 May 2011 11:59:16 +0000

Stefan Holt, the son of NBC’s Lester Holt, is returning to the city where he grew up and joining Chicago’s WMAQ, an NBC O&O.

The junior Holt has been a reporter-anchor for WPBF in West Palm Beach, FL since 2009. He is set to join WMAQ as a reporter and weekend morning anchor beginning in June.

“We are happy to bring Stefan home,” Frank Whittaker, WMAQ’s station manager and vice president, said in announcing the move. “He spent most of his childhood growing up in Lincoln Park.”

Lester Holt worked in Chicago for 14 years as an anchor for CBS O&O WBBM in the 80s and 90s.

The Chicago Tribune‘s Phil Rosenthal points out that Stefan is joining other WMAQ staffers with Chicago broadcasting lineage, including Anthony Ponce (the son of Phil Ponce), Lauren Jiggetts (the daughter of Dan Jiggetts), and Christian Farr (the son-in-law of WGN’s Robert Jordan). continued…

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Longtime WPTV Anchor Laurel Sauer Returns to Air with Rival Station WPBF

Andrew Gauthier — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 11:39:03 +0000

Laurel Sauer, who was a fixture on South Florida TVs for 28 years before being let go by West Palm Beach’s WPTV in 2009, is returning to TV.

Sauer has joined WPBF, WPTV’s crosstown rival, where she is providing special reports for the February sweeps period. Sauer, 55, did a similar run with the ABC-affiliate during the November sweeps.

“It’s been fun,” Sauer told The Palm Beach Post in a recent interview. “I get my hands back in, certainly show my face back on TV.”

It’s certainly a familiar face for West Palm Beach viewers. Along with Jim Sackett, Sauer co-anchored WPTV’s top-rated newscast for decades before being unceremoniously let go.

The abrupt exit from WPTV still rankles Sauer. continued…

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