Notes from the Newsroom: 12/28/09

By Frank Macek

After two weeks of quiet time with the family, your blogger has returned to the WKYC Digital Broadcast Center with plenty of news for this edition of "Notes from the Newsroom."
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First the good news - Darrielle Snipes is joining the Channel 3 News family starting on January 4th. She comes to us from KOCO in Oklahoma City where she was most recently as weekday reporter and weekend anchor. Before that, she worked at television stations in Baltimore, Detroit, Indianapolis and Fort Wayne. Darrielle is originally from Chicago and will join Channel 3 News Today as a morning reporter.

Now the bad news - former WKYC Director Anthony Harris passed away last week after a heart attack he suffered while driving home after work. After leaving WKYC in January 2006, Anthony headed to Houston where he was most recently a beloved Director at KPRC, our NBC sister station. While at WKYC, Anthony directed many of the shows you saw on WKYC and the Akron Canton News including newscasts and our Browns programming. He was one of the most positive people we have ever met and will miss his huge smile and outstanding directing skills immensely. Click to watch KPRC's video tribute to Anthony | Read WUSA's Scott Rubens thoughts on working with Anthony

NATAS reminds us to make sure you submit those Emmy Entries for 2009 by midnight on Wednesday, January 20th, to be eligible for the 41st Annual Emmy Awards. The eligibility period for entries is from January 1st through December 31st, 2009. All DVD's must be received by 5 pm on Friday, January 22nd. For more information, please visit them at http://www.nataslgl.org/. The awards ceremony is set for Saturday, June 19th, 2010, at the Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Cleveland.

And on a personal note, your blogger is saddened and angered by the format change of "The Wave" here in Cleveland which occurred earlier today, Monday, December 28th, after 22 years. The station moved their format to their HD-2 channel and on-line to make way for a new AAA format (Adult Album Alternative) that is being billed as Boom! 107.3.

The introduction of PPMs (or Portable People Meters) to the Cleveland radio market on December 31st has scared stations around the country to drop the format after ratings take a nose dive because of "methodology." WNWV was no exception and succumbed to their own fears. Remember, your blogger spent 9 years at WNWV as a weekend and on-air host of the Smooth Jazz format from 1995 to 2004 and was honored to work with the entire staff of the station.

Among those who put their hearts and souls in the station include retired GM Gary Kneisley; Program Directors Steve Hibbard, Bernie Kimble and most recently Angie Handa; and the entire on-air staff of more than 20 different people I worked with and love - YOU made the station THE best Smooth Jazz outlet in the nation. Your blogger with other former Wave personalities have started a new Facebook page called Smooth Jazz Cleveland to provide a voice for those dissatisfied with the change. Plus we are featuring the live stream of Broadcast Architecture's outstanding SJ format we hope comes to Cleveland soon. You may complain directly to Wave GM Lonnie Gronek at lgronek@elbc.net or call the station directly.

Although we absolutely hate the new format, we wish new Program Director Ric Bennett and staff well in their endeavours.

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Photos Courtesy of KOCO-TV & KPRC-TV

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are those of the blogger and do not necessarily reflect those of WKYC-TV or Gannett.

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