Melanie Hebert made her debut anchoring WWL‘s early-morning newscast today, ten months after the announcement of her hire at the New Orleans CBS-affiliate.

Hebert was sitting out a non-compete clause in her contract with NBC-affiliate WDSU, where she worked until last September. She has worked at WWL for the past several months as an off-camera reporter and digital media correspondent.

“Because I knew I had a job waiting for me I was able to enjoy my time off, then I enjoyed different roles of working in news over the past six months,” she told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. “But I am definitely ready to go back on-air now.” Read more

New Orleans CBS-affiliate WWL is welcoming David Hammer and saying goodbye to Jill Hezeau.

Hammer comes to WWL from the New Orleans Times-Picayune, where he has been a reporter since 2006. He will join the station as an investigative reporter later this year.

“David’s record of breaking big stories and producing award-winning work is no secret to anyone to pays attention to the news in New Orleans,” news director Bill Siegel said in a statement. “He will bring groundbreaking long-form journalism to our website, while providing informative and innovative reports on our newscasts.” Read more

WWL anchor Sally-Ann Roberts is preparing to donate bone marrow to her sister, “Good Morning America” anchor Robin Roberts, who was recently diagnosed with MDS. The Roberts sisters are working to raise awareness of the need for bone marrow donors, and the pair has received a lot of support along the way, Sally-Ann tells the New Orleans Times-Picayune:

I am just amazed at the outpouring of affection everywhere I go. People say to me, “Tell your sister I’m praying for her.” If I’ve heard that once, I’ve heard it 1,000 times in just the span of the news breaking about this. Just this past Sunday, I was at the National Association of Black Journalists gospel brunch and a woman came up to me and she told me, “My 16-year-old son is an MDS survivor. He had a bone marrow transplant and he’s doing well.” I just hugged her and thanked her for sharing. I’m just so very grateful for the good news that I’m hearing, that this tunnel does have light at the end of it.

Belo today announced the appointments of two new general managers at its stations in St. Louis and New Orleans.

Mark Pimentel has been named president and general manager of KMOV, Belo’s St. Louis CBS-affiliate, and Tod Smith has been tapped as president and GM of WWL in New Orleans, as well as MyNetworkTV sister station WUPL.

“Both Mark Pimentel and Tod Smith are outstanding leaders and have delivered noteworthy results throughout their careers,” said Peter Diaz, Belo’s president of media operations, announcing the hires. Read more

WWL has named Doug Mouton sports director.  Mouton has worked as a reporter for the New Orleans CBS-affiliate since 2006, serving as the station’s Northshore Bureau Chief.

“Doug’s knowledge of sports, his contacts, and experience give our organization a great individual to lead our coverage in this area,” WWL news director Bill Siegel said, announcing the appointment.

Joining Mouton in the WWL sports department will be former Saints player Darren Sharper.  Sharper, who spent 15 years in the NFL and was a member of the Saints’ 2010 Super Bowl championship team, will provide weekly Saints analysis during the football season. Read more

Beginning Monday, the morning newscast on New Orleans CBS-affiliate WWL will begin at 4:30 a.m.

“We know there is an audience that wants information earlier in the morning, and we felt this was the right time to start serving that group of viewers,” news director Bill Siegel told the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

The extra half-hour will be anchored by Mike Hoss, with meteorologist Laura Buchtel and traffic reporter Christina Leavenworth. Melanie Hebert will co-anchor when she joins the station this Summer.

After 21 years at New Orleans ABC-affiliate WGNO, outdoors reporter Don Dubuc is joining rival WWL, the market’s CBS-affiliate, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

Dubuc, who worked without a contract at WGNO, told the Times-Picayune the move is “a natural fit for several reasons.”

“I want to concentrate on the culture of fishing and hunting here,” he said. “It’s very much a part of our ingrained heritage and culture down here.”

Dubuc will make his WWL debut tomorrow. He will be joined for his first report on the 6 p.m. newscast by the reporter he is replacing: Frank Davis, who retired from WWL last year.

When he announced his plans to retire as WWL sports director earlier this month, Jim Henderson said that he would retire following a Super Bowl appearance this year by his beloved Saints.

With the Saints out of Sunday’s Super Bowl game, Henderson is bidding farewell to WWL today.

Henderson, who has been with the CBS-affiliate since 1978, will work the station’s 5, 6, and 10 p.m. newscasts this evening, before heading off into semi-retirement (he will continue working as the Saints play-by-play radio announcer).

WWL will honor Henderson tonight, taking a look back at his long tenure at the station. Read more

Jim Henderson is retiring as sports director at WWL after a nearly 34-year career covering Louisiana sports.

“All good things must come to an end, and for me, that’s my career here at Channel 4,” Henderson wrote in an email to WWL staff this week. “If the Saints go to the Super Bowl, I will make that my last assignment here. Otherwise it’s time to turn the page on the next chapter of life.”

Henderson plans to retire from WWL in February.  He will continue as the radio play-by-play announcer for the Saints.

Henderson began his sportscasting career in Panama City, FL. After a stop in Atlanta, he joined the WWL in 1978. He has been the radio voice of the Saints since 1986. Read more

After 30 years as the lifestyle correspondent for WWL, the CBS-affiliate in New Orleans, Frank Davis announced his retirement yesterday.

“This will be the last morning I get up at three o’clock,” Davis jokingly said as he announced his retirement (video inside).

WWL news director Bill Siegel told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that Davis, who specializes in fishing and cooking, would continue to contribute to the morning show and to the station’s website.

“Frank is a wonderful person to be around,” Siegel said. “He’s a unique and creative guy, and generous enough to share his retirement with us and the viewers.” Read more