WTVM - TVSpy

GM Lee Brantley to Retire From WTVM

Merrill Knox — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 17:21:35 +0000

Lee Brantley will retire in July after 18 years as general manager of WTVM, Raycom Media’s ABC affiliate in Columbus, Ga.

“Lee has built a team on respect and candor – not to mention building WTVM as the market leader. We at Raycom are grateful to Lee for everything he has done to make WTVM a success,” Raycom VP of television Brad Streit said in a statement.

Brantley said he and his wife “have truly been blessed and are thankful for the support of great co-workers over the years.”

Raycom will undergo an “extensive search” for WTVM’s next general manager. Brantley’s last day is July 31.

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Eric Ludgood Joins WAGA as Assistant ND

Merrill Knox — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 15:37:31 +0000

Two months after his departure from Atlanta’s WGCL, Eric Ludgood has been named assistant news director at rival WAGA.

During his time at WGCL, Ludgood served as news director and as executive producer. He is a former vice president of CNN International who has also worked at WNCN in Raleigh, WXIA in Atlanta and WTVM in Columbus, Ga.

Ludgood begins Tuesday at the Fox O&O.

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Arkansas Native Laura Huckabee Joins KHBS-KHOG as Morning Meteorologist

Andrew Gauthier — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:00:27 +0000

Laura Huckabee, an Arkansas native and cousin of Mike Huckabee, is joining KHBS-KHOG in Fort Smith-Fayetteville, where she’ll anchor the Hearst station’s weekday morning newscast.

Huckabee has over two decades of forecasting experience, including ten years at WGCL in Atlanta.

“Laura understands weather is the most important element in our morning newscast,” said Brian Sather, KHBS-KHOG’s president and general manager, announcing the move. “I’m confident from day one viewers will enjoy her comfortable delivery and informative local forecasts.” continued…

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Meteorologist Kurt Schmitz Settles Lawsuit With WTVM, Joins Rival WRBL

Merrill Knox — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 11:30:56 +0000

Veteran meteorologist Kurt Schmitz has settled his lawsuit with WTVM, the ABC-affiliate in Columbus, GA, and is set to resume forecasting this weekend for rival station WRBL, the CBS-affiliate in the market.

Schmitz was cut loose at WTVM in April after 22 years. He called his departure “sudden and unexpected” at the time, noting he had recently signed a contract renewal that lasted through 2014. In June, Schmitz filed a lawsuit against WTVM, accusing the station, and general manager Lee Brantley, of terminating him with the knowledge that his opportunities in Columbus “would be very limited due to several factors,” according to the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer.

The terms of the settlement are protected by a confidentiality agreement, but Schmitz has been released from his non-compete clause — he will be permitted to join WRBL, where he will work Sunday nights and occasional other shifts. continued…

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Veteran Meteorologist Kurt Schmitz Explains Why He’s Suing WTVM

Andrew Gauthier — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 11:59:22 +0000

Veteran meteorologist Kurt Schmitz has filed a lawsuit against WTVM, his former employer, for breach of contract. Schmitz, 55, was fired in March after serving as the ABC-affiliate’s chief meteorologist for 22 years.

“A contract is a contract and I was executing my part in good faith throughout,” Schmitz explained on Saturday to his Facebook fans, who have started a “Bring Back Kurt Schmitz to WTVM” campaign. “I’d be happy just to be back in my office again making and delivering forecasts, but if that doesn’t happen there are other ways to make good. And that’s what I hope to achieve.”

Schmitz has been outspoken about his dismissal since it occurred. In March, he told the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer that WTVM was trying to position his departure as a resignation but said emphatically that “that is not the case.”

The lawsuit hinges on whether Schmitz resigned or was fired and also on the contract renewal that he says he signed in September, which would extend his employment until February 2014. continued…

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WTVM Shows Chief Meteorologist the Door

Andrew Gauthier — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 16:02:51 +0000

WTVM, an ABC-affiliate based in Columbus, GA, has let go of its chief meteorologist. After more than two decades covering the weather in the Chattahoochee Valley, Kurt Schmitz has left the station.

“Their official line was that I did quit,” Schmitz told the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer recently, “but that is not the case.”

Calling the move “sudden and unexpected,” Schmitz, 55, says that he recently signed a contract renewal and had planned to finish out his career with WTVM. Now he’s left looking for work, hoping to stay in the Columbus market.

WTVM hired Schmitz as its chief meteorologist in 1989. The station has so far remained mum on the details surrounding Schmitz’s dismissal.

As ALNewsWatch points out, Schmitz’s is just the latest high-profile departure in the last couple of years. WTVM cut veteran anchor Dee Armstrong in 2008 after twenty years with the station and Wayne Bennett, another longtime WTVM anchor, retired in 2009.

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