WPTV - TVSpy

Matt Horn Joins Capitol News Service

Merrill Knox — Wed, 01 May 2013 11:20:38 +0000

Matt Horn begins today at Capitol News Service, where he will cover political news for ten local stations in Florida.

Horn comes from Wichita, where he was Salina bureau chief and general assignment reporter at KSNW. In his new role, he will be based in Tallahassee.

Capitol News Service provides political reporting to several national outlets, as well as WFLA in Tampa, WTVJ in Miami, WFTV in Orlando, WINK in Fort Myers, WPTV in West Palm Beach, WCJB in Gainesville, WCTV in Tallahassee, WJHG in Panama City, WEAR in Pensacola and WJXT in Jacksonville.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

WPTV Chopper Pilot Flies Into the Sunset

Kevin Eck — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 17:55:00 +0000

WPTV helicopter pilot Julie Stevens signed off from the West Palm Beach NBC affiliate this morning.

“It’s been a really tough decision but I’m going to be taking a little bit of time off to relax and spend some time with my husband, our two boys and all our crazy animals,” Stevens said on air. “I also want to thank our viewers, of course, for allowing this little English girl with the funny accent onto your TVs and into your homes everyday. I will miss you all.”

Stevens had been flying Chopper 5 for WPTV since 2003.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

WABC’s Marci Gonzalez Joins ABC News

Merrill Knox — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 16:01:50 +0000

WABC reporter Marci Gonzalez is joining ABC News as a New York-based correspondent for NewsOne.

Gonzalez joined the New York City ABC O&O as a reporter in 2011. She has also worked at WPTV in West Palm Beach and News 12 The Bronx.

Related, TVNewser: ABC News Shifts Correspondents

“At Eyewitness News Marci has had a keen eye for important and informative stories, covering communities hit hardest by Superstorm Sandy, the tragic mass shootings in Aurora and Newtown and the Penn State scandal,” ABC News president Ben Sherwood wrote in an email to staffers Friday. “We’re very excited that she’ll now be part of the excellent team at NewsOne.”

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

NBC Affiliates Post Story About Ann Curry’s Struggles with the Mothership

Kevin Eck — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 17:36:53 +0000

In what may be more of a sign of the times than a break with protocol, at least two NBC affiliates have posted the recent story about former “Today Show” co-anchor Ann Curry allegedly begging to be let out of her NBC contract so she can work for her old boss Jeff Zucker at CNN.

Spokane NBC Affiliate KHQ posted a version of the story attributed to British publication the Daily Mail (click here to view). While the story on the website of West Palm Beach NBC affiliate WPTV (click here to view) has a byline from the station’s online content producer.

Steven Wasserman, vice president and general manager of WPTV told TVSpy, “I suspect this story will be on our air tonight on “ET” or “The Insider”. Why wouldn’t we put it on our website? I don’t think it’s a good idea to not run a legit, talk about story just because it has to do with our network.”

You can view screen grabs of the stories after the jump. continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Lloyd Bucher Named Station Manager at WPTV

Merrill Knox — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 10:02:36 +0000

Lloyd Bucher has been appointed station manager at WPTV, Scripps’ NBC-affiliate in West Palm Beach.

Bucher has been the director of sales at WPTV for more than five years. He steps into his new role after Steve Wasserman, WPTV’s general manager, was named as one of Scripps’ three divisional general managers. Wasserman will continue as the WPTV GM.

Wasserman said in a statement that Bucher will “help ensure that we stay focused on the station’s goals and strategic plan.” continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Meteorologist Bay Scroggins Joins WPTV

Merrill Knox — Tue, 15 May 2012 13:28:31 +0000

Meteorologist Bay Scroggins has joined WPTV, the NBC-affiliate in West Palm Beach.

Scroggins began his career at WNCT in Greenville, followed by WZVN in Fort Myers and KSTP in Minneapolis. He also worked briefly at WFOR, the CBS O&O in Miami, as an assignment editor. He most recently worked as a meteorologist at WeatherNation in Minneapolis.

Scroggins made his WPTV debut last week. He joins anchor Mike Trim on the station’s weekend morning newscasts.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

After 4 Years at WJZ, Weijia Jiang Joining WCBS

Merrill Knox — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:30:39 +0000

Weijia Jiang will join New York City CBS O&O WCBS in June, the Baltimore Sun‘s David Zurawik reports.

Jiang has been a general assignment reporter at Baltimore CBS O&O WJZ since 2008. Her last day at the station will be May 31.

She will be replaced at WJZ by Rochelle Ritchie, who makes the move to Baltimore from WPTV in West Palm Beach. Ritchie, a multimedia journalist, will begin at WJZ on June 11, according to the Sun.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Chris Hansen Says National Enquirer Reports of Affair Were ‘Full of Hurtful Lies’

Andrew Gauthier — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 16:48:39 +0000

Chris Hansen recently spoke about his alleged extramarital relationship with former WPTV reporter Kristyn Caddell with the “Mojo in the Morning” radio show, saying that the series of National Enquirer reports from last summer were “full of hurtful lies.”

“I understand the perceived irony of the, you know, so-called ‘gotcha guy’ getting gotcha-ed,” Hanson said. “But what the ‘gotcha guy’ got gotcha-ed doing was going out to dinner.” continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

3 Scripps General Managers Take On Expanded Roles

Merrill Knox — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 10:17:02 +0000

The Scripps station group has announced a restructuring in station leadership, with general managers Ed Fernandez, Sam Rosenwasser and Steve Wasserman taking on expanded roles.

Fernandez, currently the general manager of WXYZ in Detroit, will also oversee KSHB-KMCI in Kansas City and the Azteca America affiliates. Rossenwater, general manager of WEWS in Cleveland, will add KJRH in Tulsa, WMAR in Baltimore and the LiveWell affiliates. Wasserman, general manager at WPTV in West Palm Beach, will also oversee KNXV in Phoenix, WCPO in Cincinnati and WFTS in Tampa. continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Scripps Taps WPTV News Director Jeff Brogan to Oversee Content for All Stations

Andrew Gauthier — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 15:05:32 +0000

Jeff Brogan is leaving his post as news director at WPTV to oversee news strategy and content development for all of Scripps’ 19 stations.

Scripps announced today that Brogan has been named senior director of news strategy and operations. In the role, Brogan will work in tandem with Lana Durban Scott, Scripps’ current senior director of news strategy and operations, on helping the company’s stations develop their content and strategic plans.

Brogan joined WPTV, Scripps’ NBC-affiliate in West Palm Beach, in 2010. The station is now searching for his replacement as news director. continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

KHOU Reporter Alex Sanz Set to Join WPTV

Merrill Knox — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:37:46 +0000

After five years at Houston CBS-affiliate KHOU, reporter Alex Sanz is leaving the station for WPTV in West Palm Beach.

Sanz, a South Florida native, will join the NBC-affiliate as a reporter, focusing on government and politics.

In a memo announcing the departure to KHOU staffers today, news director Philip Bruce touted Sanz’s accomplishments, calling the reporter “a human being of the highest quality.” His last day at KHOU will be December 9.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

After 33 Years, Jim Sackett Will Retire from WPTV

Merrill Knox — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 10:29:54 +0000

After 33 years at WPTV, Jim Sackett will anchor his last broadcast at the West Palm Beach NBC-affiliate on Wednesday.

“I came up when the anchors just gave the news of the day, with no bells and whistles,” Sackett told the Palm Beach Post. “I just don’t care if Lindsay Lohan is in or out of jail.”

The longtime anchor’s contract expired in May, but the station asked him to stay on through the end of the year to train Michael Williams, who will take the evening anchor spot over beginning Thursday night.

“I’m honored to be part of the tradition that Jim started,” Williams said. “He’s a legend who spent years being plugged into the heart and rhythm of this community.”

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

WPTV Story Puts Focus on Reporter’s Wife

Andrew Gauthier — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 13:32:19 +0000

This week WPTV aired a story that hit close to home for reporter Jon Shainman. Actually, it hit inside his home.

Shainman calls his wife “a previvor.” With a long history of breast cancer in her family, Shainman’s wife Amy decided to undergo a test to find out her chances of getting cancer. The results showed that she had a 50% chance of developing ovarian cancer and a 87% chance of breast cancer.

“I just didn’t feel like those odds were very good for me,” Amy said in an interview with her husband. “So I wanted to cure myself.” continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

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…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

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.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.