Former WTIC morning anchor Sarah French (pictured, left) is headed for Boston’s WHDH as weekend anchor, and WTIC is using her departure as an opportunity to shuffle existing talent, The Hartford Courant reported today.

On September 18, Alison Morris — currently weekend evening anchor at the Hartford-New Haven Fox affiliate — will replace Erika Arias on the station’s 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday broadcasts. Morris will co-anchor with Brent Hardin, the current 10 p.m. anchor, for both broadcasts.

Arias, meanwhile, will be setting her alarm a little bit earlier: on September 19, she will replace French as Logan Byrnes‘ co-anchor on the morning show, from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. Read more

With Hurricane Irene barreling toward the east coast and expected to make landfall this weekend, we thought it was time to call on some experts — meteorologists from Miami, Charleston and Tampa — for their advice on what to do, and what not to do, when covering a hurricane. Here’s what they recommend. Read more

Irene Mahoney-Paige has been named news director of Providence’s WLNE. She is set to join the ABC-affiliate on July 15th.

“Irene brings years of experience along with fresh, innovative ideas,” said WLNE vice president and general manager Chris Tzianabos, who joined the station himself just two months ago. “We are thrilled to have her lead the team during this critical time.”

The hiring of Mahoney-Paige, who comes to WLNE after three years as executive producer at WTIC in Hartford, is seemingly the last piece of a dramatic overhaul at WLNE by the station’s new owner Citadel Communications. In addition to bringing Tzianabos on-board, WLNE introduced a new weekday evening anchor team and hired a new weekend evening anchor. The station also issued a significant round of layoffs in April.

In a press release, Mahoney-Paige said that she is “extremely excited” to be joining the WLNE news team. Read more

Meteorologist Garett Argianis, who left Fox-affiliate WTIC earlier this year, has joined crosstown rival WVIT.

Argianis worked at the NBC O&O before joining WTIC, where he was named chief meteorologist in 2008.

“Glad to have him back as part of the team,” WVIT news director Michael St. Peter told the New Haven Register.

Argianis will work for WVIT on a freelance basis. He left WTIC after losing his weeknight spot to Rachel Frank.

[h/t The Laurel]

Tribune announced this week that Larry Delia has been named vice president and general manager of WXIN-WTTV, the company’s Indianapolis duopoly.

Delia has been part of Tribune Broadcasting since 2002. He worked as VP-GM of the company’s New Orleans duopoly, WGNO-WNOL, from 2002-08, and has held the same position at Harrisburg’s WPMT since ’08.

“Larry is a talented, innovative executive who has great experience managing television duopolies,” said Jerry Kersting, Tribune Broadcasting’s president, in announcing the promotion.

Delia, who said that he’s “really proud of the success we’ve enjoyed in Harrisburg,” began his career as an account executive and gradually climbed the ranks of the sales team at Hartford’s WTIC. He served as general manager of WVNY in Burlington, VT for four years before becoming a station boss with Tribune.

In the same week that longtime WTNH meteorologist Geoff Fox joined rival station WTIC, the ABC-affiliate added Erica Grow to its weather team.

WTNH announced on Friday that Grow would be working the 6, 10, and 11 p.m. weekend evening newscasts alongside anchors Sara Welch and Don Lark.

“Erica is an experienced, respected and dynamic meteorologist and we’re excited to have her join Storm Team 8,” said John Bell, WTNH’s managing editor. In a possible allusion to Fox’s joining WTIC, Bell emphasized that, with the addition of Grow, the station has “the most talented collection of weather professionals in Connecticut broadcasting.”

Grow previously worked as a weekend meteorologist for Philadelphia’s WPVI. She left the ABC-affiliate at end of 2009 as her contract expired. Read more

Meteorologist Geoff Fox, who announced this morning via Twitter that he was joining WTIC, is now offering some details on his new job.

Fox’s first day with the Fox-affiliate is set for Monday in a position that, as he puts it, WTIC created “out of thin air.”

The veteran meteorologist will deliver technology and science reports for the station’s 4 p.m. newscast, working alongside Rachel Frank, who will continue to do the forecast at 4 and 10. He will then handle weather coverage for the 11 p.m. newscast.

It makes sense that WTIC would create a special position for Fox considering the outpouring of viewer support he received when it was leaked that ABC-affiliate WTNH was dumping him after 26 years. In announcing Fox’s hiring, WTIC emphasized the “social media firestorm” that occurred when WTNH showed him the door. Read more

After a 26-year run with Hartford-New Haven ABC-affiliate WTNH that recently ended in an abrupt dismissal, veteran meteorologist Geoff Fox has landed at rival station WTIC, a Fox-affiliate.

This morning Fox tweeted: “It’s official: Fox on FoxCT! Very excited. Will write more later.”

Earlier this week, Fox stoked speculation about the move when he was spotted meeting with WTIC staff on Tuesday. “I guess it’s tough to walk through a newsroom without making a little news!” he said at the time.

Now Fox will be a regular presence in the WTIC newsroom as part of the station’s weather team.

Geoff Fox to Fox?

That’s the question everyone is asking in the Hartford-New Haven market as the veteran meteorologist, who was unceremoniously dismissed earlier this year by WTNH after 26 years with the ABC-affiliate, was spotted making his third visit to Fox-affilate WTIC.

Fox confirmed the recent visit on his blog:

Back when I was gainfully employed I seldom visited other TV stations. Now it’s different. I drove up to Hartford to see some friends at the Courant and FoxCT. It’s a very impressive place!

I saw lots of old friends–all smiling… However, as of tonight I have nothing to report…

It’s a no-brainer that Fox would draw the attention of rival stations after being let go by WTNH. When news broke that the ABC-affiliate was showing Fox the door, local residents began “Save Geoff Fox” campaigns on Facebook and the meteorologist even received a commiserative phone call from Connecticut Senator Dick Blumenthal.

Hartford’s WTIC announced today that it will debut weekend morning newscasts later this month.  The newscasts, which will air from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m on Saturday and Sunday, will be anchored by Audrey Kuchen with meteorologist Dan Amarante providing forecasts and weather updates.

“It makes sense to add a Saturday and Sunday morning broadcast for our viewers to enjoy more local news during the weekend,” said Richard Graziano, the station’s vice president and general manager.  “We believe the additional newscast will serve the community well and positions the station for growth.”

Kuchen is a Connecticut native who joined WTIC in August after working as a reporter, producer, and anchor for Fox-affiliate KMVU in Medford, OR. When KMVU debuted a  new evening newscast in 2006 in partnership with Medford NBC-affiliate KOBI, Kuchen was the anchor.  She also served as a co-anchor for KOBI’s 6 p.m. newscast.

Amarante, who recently graduated with a BS in Meteorology from Western Connecticut State University, is also a Connecticut native.  He comes to WTIC from WGGB in Springfield, MA, where he served as a weekend meteorologist.

WTIC’s weekend newscast announcement comes on the heels of the station’s hiring of two reporters, Jeevan Vittal and Ayana Noni Harry.

Video of Kuchen and Amarante after the jump… Read more