WBZ has added another reporter to their lineup. Bree Sison, formerly of WEAR-TV in Pensacola, arrived on Soldiers Field Drive yesterday.
Sisson issued a statement on her Facebook page, remarking, “I will forever be grateful to the viewers and coworkers who have been so good to me. It’s tough to leave a place that’s been your home for 6 years, but I’m looking forward to the adventures that await me in the Northeast.”
Jack Williams is leaving WBZ’s 11 p.m. newscast. According to the station, the longtime channel 4 anchorman will continue to anchor the 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. broadcasts on WBZ and myTV38, respectively. He is stepping aside on nightside anchoring to spend more time with his wife.
The 37 year veteran was adamant that he is not being forced out by oft-overbearing corporate overlords at the network. He says, “This was my idea,” adding, “They told me I can work as long as I want. They’ve been very gracious to me.”
To the surprise of nearly nobody, Jonathan Elias will take over the helm for Williams. This marks the first time in nearly a decade where Williams has not been seen at 11.
WBZ has finally replaced their “WBZ 4 News”-era set. Starting tonight at 5 p.m., a brand new, state-of-the-art news studio will debut.
News Director John Verilli, in an interview with the Herald, remarks “The new set is so much bigger and we have a lot more options.” The previous set was much smaller and was further divided when the Movie Loft set was constructed in the same area.
The highlights of the new set include high-efficiency LED lights, high-definition TV monitors, and a myriad of places to do stand-ups, sit-downs, and all of the hallmarks of a Channel 4 newscast.
The new set will also mark the debut of graphics and news music more in line with the other CBS owned-and-operated stations. This time, however, the WBZ brand name will continue to be used.
Photo from CBSBoston.com
btvn noticed this on tonight’s broadcast, but is it even worth mentioning or is it a sign of things to come?
It’s official, WSBK is no longer an independent station. According to today’s Globe, the former UPN owned and operated station will make the switch to News Corporation’s myNetworkTV programming service this fall. As a result, the 8-10 p.m. block will be set aside for shows such as reruns of “Law and Order,” “Burn Notice,” and “Without a Trace.”
In addition to picking up the new affiliation, WBZ News on TV38 will also move it’s 9pm newscast to 10 p.m. This marks an end of an era to the newscast with a cult following. It will continue to be anchored by Kate Merrill and Todd Gutner. No word yet on whether the newscast will continue to broadcast for thirty minutes or expand to a full hour as in previous iterations.
Rounding out the schedule changes comes with the announcement that the 7 p.m. block will be replaced by reruns of the popular CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory. This is the third major change at 7 p.m. since the switch to the general-entertainment format in late 2006.
This announcement comes after months of speculation. As you may remember, WBIN (formerly WZMY) dropped their affiliation with the network following an ownership change. Incidentally, the Derry, New Hampshire-based station was known on-air as MyTV for nearly two years prior to the creation of the network myNetworkTV.
Peg Rusconi, a fixture at WBZ and TV38 for fourteen years, will be leaving the duopoly this month. According to The Herald, her husband, sportscaster Dan Hoard, accepted a position as the play-by-play announcer for the Cincinnati Bengals. Rusconi has been with WBZ since 1997.
Prior to her tenure on Soldiers Field Road, Rusconi had been a reporter at WKRC-TV in Cincinnati. No word yet on her destination once she returns to the Buckeye State.
TV38 may soon be showing programming from MyNetworkTV. Broadcasting and Cable is reporting that WBIN, the station formerly known as WZMY, will be ending its four year relationship with the network in order to focus on locally produced programming. A possible replacement for the network appears to be WSBK. The results of this speculation will come to light in time.
If you recall, then-independent WZMY secured the MyNetworkTV affiliation because it had been branding itself as “MyTV” since 2004. No word on the fate of the TV38 News at 9pm if this change comes to fruition.
Image from NorthPine.com
Ron Sanders, a veteran reporter at WBZ and TV38, is out of a job after his contract was not renewed. According to The Boston Herald, Sanders’ contract was up for renewal this year. CBS brass wanted him to move to a rotating shift at 4′s bureau in Manchester, New Hampshire, but Sanders wanted no part of it.
Late last year, Sanders was inducted into the Silver Circle because of his journalism experience. Prior to his thirteen years at WBZ, Sanders was at WHDH.
Channel 4 has been somewhat of a revolving door as of late, sending scores of longtime reporters out the door. Most recently, the station has begun hiring less-experienced, less-expensive reporters, including now-former-Hartford reporter Diana Perez.
Ro Dooley Webster, spokeswoman for CBS’ Boston cluster, declined to comment, citing company policy not to comment on personnel changes.
WBZ has hired a new face from Connecticut. Diana Perez has been with Hartford’s WVIT for the past thirty months and will make the move up to Boston very soon. Her last day at NBC Connecticut was last week.
An email to her colleagues from March 3rd was obtained by btvn:
“My last day is tomorrow. So, it is with a heavy heart that I write this e-mail.
I’d like to start by thanking each and everyone of you for all of your help over the last 2 1/2 years. The stories just don’t get done unless I have great guys and gals like you in my corner.
I’m off to the CBS station in Boston WBZ-TV. I’m excited and nervous at the same time.
This business is funny and there’s no telling where I might end up in a few years… so dont forget about me!”
Perez’s first day at channel 4 has not been disclosed yet.
Eileen Curran, the former reporter/fill-in anchor at WBZ and TV38, has resurfaced down the street at NECN. Curran, whose contract was not renewed by CBS after around a decade long stint at the duopoly in November, began appearing on the rapidly expanding regional news net today. Her first story, pertaining to sick dogs being brought to New England illegally, aired today. According to her Facebook page, she is freelancing with the network for the time being. (Hat-tip to btvn reader mike)
The story of her non-renewal by the CBS affil had been broken on our forums back in November. Eileen Curran had been with WBZ for around a decade, and had been anchoring weekends at WFXT before that. Incidentally, her now-husband Bob Halloran was a sports anchor/reporter there during her tenure at channel 25.
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