Last week, former NBC News correspondent Ed Rabel excoriated local news, saying the industry is “populated by bubble-heads and glib, young, sometimes pretty know-nothings.” WXII president and general manager Hank Price disagrees, making the case in TVNewsCheck that “leading stations with strong newscasts find themselves offering more services to more people than ever before”:

With the unfortunate weakening of local newspapers, television news has also taken the lead in “accountability journalism,” the investigative, political and consumer journalism that holds government, institutions and businesses accountable to the public.

Perhaps most important, the people who work at television stations live in and are part of their communities.

That sense of community is the reason … North Carolina’s television and radio stations, working together in our state association, the NCAB, [last year] decided to create the largest Vietnam veterans’ “welcome home” celebration ever held.

More than 70,000 people attended. Every television news station in North Carolina produced stories leading up to the event. Stations donated more than $1.5 million in public service announcements, and they jointly aired the event live, all at no charge and with no advertising. No other medium could have pulled it off.

Jane Harrington-Smith, a former reporter for WXII in Greensboro and WTHR in Indianapolis, has died of heart failure, according to the Winston-Salem Journal. She was 62.

Harrington-Smith was the first black female reporter at WXII, where she worked for six years. At WTHR, she was the lead reporter on the Mike Tyson rape trial in 1992.

“She was a great lady and very gracious,” WXII anchor Cameron Kent told the Journal. “Our profession will really miss her. She was a great reporter; one of the best that I have ever been around.”

Kim Chappell begins next month at WBND, the ABC affiliate in South Bend. She will anchor the station’s evening newscasts alongside Brian Dorman.

Chappell comes to WBND from WTVF in Nashville, where she used her maiden name, Kim Gebbia. She has previously worked for WXII in Winston-Salem and WECT in Wilmington, N.C.

“Kim has spent her career digging up stories that impact the communities where people live,” news director Aaron Ramey said in a statement. “She has a passion for one-on-one interaction with the folks who are affected by the news. I think that shows in her compassionate approach to story-telling.”

Chappell replaces Krista Fogelsong, who left WBND for WBBH in May.

Morning anchor Bill Burr signed off from WCSC this morning after seven years at the Charleston CBS-affiliate. Burr revealed on Twitter that his contract was not renewed.

“Thanks to everyone for your kind words and well wishes,” he wrote after his final broadcast. “I’m humbled by your compliments.”

Prior to joining WCSC, Burr worked at WXII in Winston-Salem, WFMY in Greensboro and WBTW in Myrtle Beach. [h/t NewsBlues]

Despite extending talks for more than a week past the original expiration of their retransmission consent contract, Time Warner Cable and Hearst were unable to come to an agreement by midnight yesterday, leaving 13 stations unavailable on the cable provider today.

“Time Warner Cable has reached hundreds of agreements with other broadcasters without broadcaster blackouts, but Hearst’s demand for a nearly 300% increase is way out of line,” a Time Warner statement released last night reads. “That kind of outrageous increase is unfair to our customers and unsustainable for our business.”

Hearst has statements informing viewers on each respective station’s website. Read more

Having just passed a motorcycle safety course, WXII reporter Stephanie Berzinski was showing off her biker skills on a shiny new Harley during the NBC-affiliate’s 5 p.m. newscast on Monday, when it became clear that she needed a bit more practice (video above).

“I have to laugh this one off,” Berzinski wrote on her Facebook page following the incident. “Yes, I am forever embarrassed and yes I was totally mad at myself, but hey–that’s live TV for you.  Mistakes happen.  Obviously.  Either way I still passed and have my motorcycle endorsement.  I think I’m gonna start off with a Vespa.”

WXII‘s Bill O’Neil was reporting live from a sidewalk cafe when a woman walked into the shot.  Conscious that the WXII crew was filming, the woman attempted to duck out of the frame, but didn’t have much luck.  [Via BuzzFeed]

(Note: You can also watch the video on WXII’s YouTube channel here).

There will soon be a three-way race at 4:30 a.m. in the Greensboro–High Point–Winston-Salem market.

This week CBS-affiliate WFMY added an extra half-hour to its “Good Morning Show” and Fox-affiliate WGHP is set to expand its morning newscast to 4:30 on Monday.  NBC-affiliate WXII has been starting at 4:30 since 2010.

In addition to expanding to 4:30 this week, WFMY added a new face to its morning team.  Reporter Meghan Packer has joined the established crew of Ed Matthews, Rosemary Plybon, and Tracey McCain, kicking off the show at 4:30.

WGHP’s expanded newscast will continue to be helmed by the longtime anchor duo of Brad Jones and Cindy Farmer.

President Obama sat down with anchors from WTVF, WXII, and WESH on Thursday, trying to sell his new jobs bill.

WTVF’s Vicki Yates, WXII’s Cameron Kent, and WESH’s Jim Payne all got seven minutes with the President and, even though each interview had a local focus, Obama’s message appeared to be the same throughout all of them: things are bad but will get better, as long as my jobs bill is passed.

One notable exchange, though, came when Payne wondered whether his children would have the same opportunities as generations past. Obama responded by saying he feels that America has gotten “a little soft.” Read more

President Obama invited contingents from three local stations to the White House today for interviews focusing on his new jobs bill.

This morning the President sat down with Vicki Yates of WTVF in Nashville; Cameron Kent of WXII in Greensboro-Winston-Salem, NC; and Jim Payne of WESH in Orlando.

According to the White House, Obama wants to communicate “the need for Congress to pass the American Jobs Act now to put more people back to work and more money in the pockets of working Americans.”

WTVF, WXII, and WESH will begin airing portions of their interviews, which were limited to seven minutes, this evening. Read more