The local ABC affiliate named Terri Cope-Walton to fill the position that’s been open since November. The station veteran had served as interim news director and previously was assistant news director.
Marc Mullins and Beth Vaughn, who come from NBC affiliates in Eugene, Ore., and Kansas City, Mo., respectively, will begin anchoring WRTV’s morning newscasts in January.
Steve Bray, who started at WISH-TV Channel 8 as a weatherman in 1995, has been promoted to news director. He replaces Patti McGettigan, who was ousted in August.
Three of Indianapolis’ four local TV news providers—WTHR-TV Channel 13, WISH-TV Channel 8 and WRTV-TV Channel 6—are looking for news directors.
WXIN-TV Fox 59 anchor and reporter Eva Pilgrim is leaving the local station for a similar position at the ABC affiliate in Philadelphia.
The departure of Keith Connors from WTHR-TV Channel 13 will leave three out of the four local network television stations without a news director.
Stacia Matthews said she is quitting the station to become public relations manager for the Indiana Spine Group. Matthews joined WRTV in 1989.
Two of the four Indianapolis television stations are without news directors after WRTV-TV Channel 6 parted ways with industry veteran Kevin Finch, less than two years after hiring him.
Grace Trahan, who has anchored the Indianapolis TV station’s weekday morning and noon newscasts for the past 14 years, said she was resigning to spend more time with her family.
The Fox affiliate will go head to head with rivals at prime news hour as it continues to increase local programming.
Several industry sources say Patti McGettigan was escorted from the WISH-TV Channel 8 building Friday after a three-year run as the local CBS affiliate's news director. The station isn't commenting on what led to her abrupt departure.
Popular meteorologist Angela Buchman has left WISH-TV Channel 8 as expected and is likely to be off the air for a year until she joins competitor WTHR-TV Channel 13, according to several local broadcast television sources.
Emmis Communications Corp. told a U.S. judge it will delay a scheduled Aug. 14 shareholder vote that could wipe out $34 million in unpaid preferred stockholder dividends until after she rules on a bid to block the balloting.
The webcast will be recorded in the Channel 13 studios and will provide news updates, weather and sports in Spanish each weekday. It will be co-anchored by Marco Dominguez and Rossina Lazaneo.
WTHR led in the ratings for its nightly newscasts during the May sweeps in the key 25-to-54-year-old demographic, but TV stations are rapidly losing these coveted viewers. The addition of popular meteorologist Angela Buchman could help Channel 13 staunch further losses.
Several local broadcast television sources say Angela Buchman will leave Channel 8 when her contract expires this summer. A non-compete clause likely would keep her from appearing on-air for Channel 13 until next year.
On Sunday, the Indiana Pacers grabbed the attention of a big chunk of the local market, drawing nearly 10 times the television audience they did for their regular-season games.
The Indianapolis TV station will occasionally broadcast live from the WIBC-FM 93.1 studio as part of an agreement with the radio station’s parent company, Emmis Communications Corp. WRTV is hoping to gain more exposure from the deal.
With the additional five hours of news, Fox 59 plans to add six employees at the television station, which will produce 60 hours of news programming each week.
The city’s public radio and television stations are more than holding their own, even as their commercial brethren continue to suffer from a now-5-year-old economic swoon.
