Fox25 has brought in another fresh face to report from the field. Catherine Parrotta, currently at Portland, Maine-CBS affil WGME, will be joining the owned-and-operated station as a general assignment reporter.
Parrotta, a native of Saugus, spent five years in Maine as a reporter and anchor. No word yet on her arrival in Dedham. She joins a host of new hires at the station, who has spent the last eighteen months on a hiring spree, and sending multiple staffers out the door.
The final installment of the award-winning series “Kelley’s Story” airs next week, and one Haverhill woman is thanking the eponymous NewsCenter5 reporter. “She saved my life,” retired Haverhill teacher Shirley Sokol told the Herald today, adding, “She made me realize that a self-exam was very important.”
“Kelley’s Story” has been an ongoing project by Tuthill since her diagnosis in 2006. Throughout its five years, it has been the recipient of several awards for broadcast excellence. There will be an update on her story tonight on NewsCenter5, with the full installment appearing sometime next week.
Ousted 7News weekender Larry Ridley has landed in central Florida. According to multiple sources, Ridley will be signing a contract with NewsCenter5 sister-station WESH 2 News in Orlando, where he will become sports director.
Ridley is excited about his new job, remarking, “I’m looking forward to it.” He also told TVSpy, “I’m definitely looking forward to the warmer temperatures.”
According to the report, final details are still being ironed out, but Ridley is expected to be appearing on the weeknight shows.
As you may remember, btvn first broke the news that Ridley left channel 7 following a non-renewal. He had held the weekend sports anchor position since 2006.
Brittany Decker, the 2011 Miss Connecticut winner and winner of the MyTV9 Star contest, is going to be taking a crack at meteorology. As mentioned in a staff memo posted by our friends at The Laurel, Decker will begin the learning process to become a weather presenter with News8 and MyTV9. Check out the memo below:
As I mentioned earlier this week, we have an AM Weather vacancy. I have already reached out to agents and the position will be posted shortly.
Meanwhile, our own Brittany Decker has quietly been interested in pursuing a weather career – and a meteorology degree – for the past few months. With that in mind – and with us looking for someone – Brittany will begin working with our Meteorology team to “learn the ropes” of weather. At some point in the coming weeks, we’ll look at how she is progressing and weigh her potential to join the News8 team. I bring this up because you will be seeing her working with Gil, SteveM & Erica in the studio quite a bit over the next few weeks, and figured you might get curious J
We’ll continue to look at other applicants even as we monitor Brittany’s progress. Meteorology is a very involved science, and the ability to tell a good weather story is something only a precious few can do well. My goal here is to find the person who can best be a part of our newsroom and weather team, both now and down the road, and I think we’ll do that.
After a controversial job posting was reported on News8′s website nearly two weeks ago, news has emerged from WTNH that main anchor Sonia Baghdady and the station have signed a new contract.
According to TVSpy, the station’s main anchor signed a new contract following lengthy negotiations and swirling rumors about her departure, fueled in part by a job posting on the station’s website.
General Manager Mark Higgins told the New Haven Register that, “There was a rumor out there that the main anchors were going to leave,” adding, “it’s standard to post for a position… but it all worked out.” The job posting has since been removed.
NewsCenter5 has been lambasted by Maine State Police for what they call an “unattributed, irresponsible, and inaccurate” report about missing Maine toddler Ayla Renolds.
The story in question, reported by ex-WTKKer Michelle McPhee, alleged that “several law enforcement sources” had told that Reynolds’ father had fled a police interview when confronted by a photo of the blood stains found in the home, as well as an assertion that the blood had been “cleaned up.”
The full story can be found in today’s edition of the Herald.
NBC’s owned-and-operated station in Connecticut has invested in a new investigative team. Among the additions are reporters Chris Coffey and Sabina Kuriakose.
According to TVSpy, the ten-person unit will be helmed by former WVIT managing editor Sharon Butterworth, with support from current NBC Connecticut reporters Monica Buchanan and Jeff Stoecker.
Coffey joins channel 30 from KEYE in Austin, and Kuriakose comes to WVIT from YNN in New York.
In a statement, NBC heralded the creation of the unit as one that will be “focused on tracking down answers to issues and concerns for viewers of the state.” NBC has been investing heavily in their owned-and-operated stations since their acquisition by Comcast. Previously, NBC O&Os were among the first to make cuts and frequently let stations languish.
Coming off the heels of news that the New England Sports Network had hired former ESPN reporter Jenny Dell to replace Heidi Watney, news has surfaced that another addition to the NESN staff has been made.
Matt Stairs, the now retired pinch hitter most recently with the Washington Nationals, has joined NESN as an in-studio analyst for Red Sox coverage. He joins Tom Caron, Peter Gammons, Dennis Eckersley, and Jim Rice.
Sean McGrail, president of the regional sports net, remarked on the addition of Stairs, saying, “Matt brings incredible passion for the game of baseball and a great sense of humor.” In addition, he also remarked, “He adds a unique perspective since he has played with or against most of the current major league players, including one year with Adrian Gonzalez in San Diego.”
Since the majority of stories that made news this week regarding Boston television were about either Fox25 or 7News, btvn decided to post a video from 1997 for this week’s Weekend Video. Fox News Boston had a lot of familiar faces on the payroll, most of whom eventually left the station for others in the market. Sports guy Bob Halloran is now at WCVB, while Pete Bouchard left Dedham for 7News a few years after this ad was aired.
Fox25 has named Sarah Wroblewski to the position of weekend meteorologist. According to TVSpy, the former weekender at WBZ was promoted this morning, officially replacing A.J. Burnett.
In a statement, News Director Paul McGonagle remarked that Wroblewski is, “a strong addition to our weather team.”
Sarah Wroblewski will begin presenting the weather on Fox25 News on the 28th at 10p.m.
Prior to joining Fox25 last year as a fill-in met and environmental reporter, Wroblewski worked at WBZ from 2005 until 2010, first as a weather producer, graduating to weekend morning met for the final part of her tenure. She joined the CBS O&O from WSI, where she produced weather graphics and reported on several weather networks.
Photo credit to harkinsphoto.wordpress.com
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