Chris Ford has been named assistant news director at WTSP, the ABC-affiliate in Tampa, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Ford joins the station from WTMJ, the NBC-affiliate in Milwaukee, where he has been assistant news director since 2007. Ford began his career at WTSP and worked later for WTVT, the Tampa Fox O&O.

Before joining WTMJ, Ford worked at CLTV, the 24-hour cable network in Chicago. The Journal Sentinel reports Ford is a Tampa native with family in the area.

Lane Michaelsen, who until recently was vice president of news at Miami’s WTVJ, has been named news director at WCPO in Cincinnati.

Michaelsen replaces longtime WCPO news director Bob Morford, who announced his plans to leave the station at the beginning of the year.

“Lane is exactly the news director this market needs right now, and we’re very pleased to have his talent and experience in our newsroom,” WCPO vice president and general manager Steve Thaxton said, announcing the hiring. “His deep understanding of journalism and the tenets of serving communities will make a major impact on our team and the Tri-State.” Read more

After two years as vice president of news and content at WTVJ, Lane Michaelsen is leaving the Miami NBC O&O, an NBC spokesperson confirms t0 TVSpy.

Michaelsen told Rick Gevers & Associates he wanted to “see what else is out there.” His departure comes just three days after NBC named Manuel Martínez the new president and general manager of WTVJ.

Michaelsen joined WTVJ in 2009 from WUSA, where he was vice president in charge of the information center. He was previously news director at WTSP in Tampa and KTHV in Little Rock-Pine Bluff.

Local news veteran Mike Cavender has been named executive director of the Radio Television Digital News Association and Foundation.

Cavender is a former director of news and public affairs at WGCL in Atlanta, as well as vice president of news at WUSA in Washington, DC and WTSP in Tampa. Most recently, he was the vice president of client solutions for Synaptic Digital, a media creation and distribution platform.

“Throughout my news career, I’ve benefited greatly from the support and guidance of the RTDNA/F,” Cavender said in a statement. “It’s a tremendous honor to lead this great organization that has for decades been so important to me and thousands of electronic journalists.”

Meteorologist Jayme King is leaving KSAZ in Phoenix for Fox sister station WOFL in Orlando, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

A South Florida native, King has been with KSAZ since 2004 and currently serves as the station’s weekend meteorologist.

King will be replacing Jim Van Fleet, who recently left WOFL after 10 years with the station to become the chief meteorologist at WTSP in Tampa.

While Van Fleet started with his new station this week, WOFL has yet to designate a start date for King.

“A gunman opens fire at a school. Should kids hide or fight back?” That’s the premise of a WTSP special report from anchor Reginald Roundtree, which includes a simulated school invasion.

The dramatic promo for the report, featuring screaming students and a shot from the gunman’s point of view, has provoked angry calls and emails from Tampa Bay viewers, according to The Tampa Tribune. Video inside… Read more

After three years at Tampa’s WTSP, Chris Suchan is leaving to become chief meteorologist at KCTV, the CBS-affiliate in Kansas City.

Suchan replaces Katie Horner, who announced over the summer that she would step down, citing a desire to spend more time with her young daughters. Horner will reportedly exit in early November.

Blaise Labbe, the station’s news director, said in a statement that Suchan is in the process of moving to Kansas City. “His weather reports are calm and reassuring and watching him you feel as though he is just talking to friends or family,” Labbe said. “Chris doesn’t believe in hyping weather, or making more out of simple weather events. But if there is severe weather, he issues clear and precise warnings aimed directly at maintaining people’s safety.”

“I love covering the four seasons,” Suchan said. “Each represents different challenges, especially when it comes to severe weather.”

Sherry Ray Hughes, who until September 10 was a meteorologist and reporter at WTSP, is set to join Cincinnati ABC-affiliate WCPO as a meteorologist and multimedia journalist beginning October 1.

Hughes has been a meteorologist and reporter at WTSP, the Tampa-St. Petersburg CBS-affiliate, since 2005. She replaces Steve Norris, who is leaving WCPO, as weekend 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. meteorologist; during the week, she will contribute to the station’s reporting and newsgathering, and provide weather forecasts as needed.

Hughes has worked in dual roles for her entire career — prior to joining WTSP, she also held the position of meteorologist and reporter at WNCN in Raleigh, KSAZ in Phoenix and WCSC in Charleston.

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. Read more

Saying that he felt there was “an opportunity for growth” in the time period,  WTSP president and general manager Ken Tonning announced this week that the station will debut a new, half-hour newscast at 9 a.m.

“10 News at 9am” will be anchored by Keith Jones and Ginger Gadsden, with Bobby Deskins doing weather.

The new, weekday newscast will be feature-oriented, focusing on issues important to women.  It is set to premiere on Monday.

“I don’t think anyone owns the time period,” Tonning told the St. Petersburg Times. “And we know there’s a market for local programming in the mornings.”