Posts Tagged ‘Mike Jacobs’

WTMJ-TV Expected To Name George Mallet Anchor

Posted by Duane Dudek
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The longest job search in Milwaukee media is now its worst kept secret.

After almost a year of deliberation, WTMJ-TV (Channel 4) is expected to name former WTMJ reporter George Mallet as anchor of its 5 and 10 p.m. newscasts later this week.

He will most likely start during the May sweeps period, a year after the retirement of veteran anchor Mike Jacobs last May.

Mallet left WTMJ in 2010 to anchor the news at WPTZ-TV in New York state.

Mallet, a native of Philadelphia, was previously afternoon co-anchor and reporter at WTMJ.

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Set Your DVR! It’s Finally Time For WTMJ’s “The Now”

Posted by Duane Dudek
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My DVR is telling me it’s finally time for “The Now.”

It wouldn’t be the first time a robot lied to me.

But the evidence suggests that “The Now,” a syndicated news-lite-infotainment format with contributions from E.W. Scripps stations, finally premieres on WTMJ-TV (Channel 4) Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

It will replace the “Wisconsin Tonight” news package weeknights. The show is also listed on WTMJ’s website schedule, so I guess its official.

It was originally scheduled to debut earlier this month.

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Milwaukee Media Notes: WTMJ Anchors, Radio Vet Un-Retires, Ratings

Posted by Duane Dudek
Photo credit AllAccess.com

Bill Hurwitz photo credit AllAccess.com

So much for retirement.

After 40 years in Milwaukee Bill Hurwitz, who brought Martini Radio is mixing drinks in another market.

Just weeks after retiring as vice president and general manager of Milwaukee Radio Alliance stations WLUM, WLDB and WZTI, Hurwitz has joined KCXX in San Bernadino as GM.

According to Radio Insight the station switched formats Tuesday from alternative music to Rhythmic Hot AC.

It is also switching call letters as well to KHTI.

The station is owned by Former Green Bay Packer Willie Davis and Duane Davis’ All Pro Broadcasting.

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WTMJ-AM hires morning show news anchor

Posted by Duane Dudek
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Unlike its television station sibling, E.W. Scripps Company owned WTMJ-AM (620) has acted relatively quickly to fill the anchor seat on “Wisconsin’s Morning News with Gene Mueller.”

The station has named Bonnie Petrie to fill the position vacated by Jodi Becker in May.

Petrie is a native of Upstate new York, and recently worked at news / talk station KROI  in Houston the nation’s sixth biggest market.

In October that station flipped to a classic hip hop format.

Petrie, who has more than 20 years of broadcast experience, also worked at KRLD in Dallas, and WGY in Albany.

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Exodus begins at Scripps owned WTMJ-TV

Posted by Duane Dudek
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E.W. Scripps Company has begun shuffling the deck chairs at its recently acquired Milwaukee NBC afiliate WTMJ-TV (Channel 4), and a number of on-air people are among the key departures.

They include:

— Sportscaster Jessie Garcia, a Madison native who joined the station in 1994 and is author of “My Life with the Green and Gold.” Her husband is a photographer at the station;

—Meteorologist Michael Fish, a Fond du Lac native who got his master’s degree in meteorology at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. He worked at the station part time.

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WDJT, WTMJ and the battle for third place

Posted by Duane Dudek
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It’s no coincidence the most watched newscasts in Milwaukee have the strongest brand identity.

While the stories all four local newscasts cover nightly are broadly similar, WITI-TV (Channel 6) serves them with gemutlichkeit informality while WISN-TV (Channel 12) takes a no-nonsense approach.

Both additionally have deep benches filled with veteran personnel.

And while the recent May ratings sweeps found the stations virtually tied at the top, WITI claimed victory because it, um, won … by the ratings equivalent of one vote in an election.

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The big goodbye: Letterman sendoff gets huge local ratings

Posted by Duane Dudek

David Letterman went out with a bang Wednesday night. And it paid off in huge local ratings.

There were celebrity guests and clips from past shows. He thanked his huge staff and his wife and son who were in the audience looking a little like deer in the headlights; wished his successor Stephen Colbert “nothing but success”; and was humble and self-deprecating throughout.

Noting that the praise he received over the past few weeks was “crazy .. over the top, flattering and embarrassing” he asked viewers to “save a little for my funeral.” And he called his musical sidekick Paul Shaffer  “as good a friend as you can have on television … and in life.”

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WISN, WTMJ anchor moves a study in contrasts

Posted by Duane Dudek
WISN 12 Anchor Team 6 and 10pm

Who will replace Mike Jacobs as WTMJ-TV (Channel 4) 10 p.m. anchor? Who knows?

Jacobs last day is Wednesday and the fact that no one has yet been named suggests there is uncertainty on how to proceed. Kind of like NBC and the Conan O’Brien “Tonight Show” fiasco.

Complicating the decision of course is new ownership, which will be making its first imprint on what the station will look like moving ahead.  Rest assured someone will be sitting in his chair by September.

Compare that to the swift and assured anchor switch at WISN-TV (Channel 12).

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Milwaukee media notes: WISN’s McKee starts post-sweeps exodus

Posted by Duane Dudek

The Milwaukee news scene is experiencing its most high profile personnel churn in years.

The latest change is the news that Craig McKee is leaving WISN-TV (Channel 12) to join WCPO-TV in Cincinnati, the station confirmed Tuesday. He starts June 8.

Also Tuesday, the station announced that Joyce Garbaciak will replace McKee at 10 p.m., and Patrick Paolantonio will join the 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts in an “expanded role” and will co-anchor at 5 p.m. with Toya Washington.

McKee joined WISN in 2012 to replace Washington when she went part time and co-anchor the station’s 10 p.m. newscast with Kathy Mykleby. His serious demeanor added to the station’s no-nonsense news image and to Mykleby’s affable familiarity.

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Who will replace WTMJ-TV anchor Mike Jacobs?

Posted by Duane Dudek
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Who will replace WTMJ-TV (Channel 4) anchor Mike Jacobs?

Let me state the obvious: it will either be someone you never heard of or someone from within.

Jacobs was the longest-serving anchor in the Milwaukee market; he joined WTMJ in 1977. He announced his retirement last week.

Several factors suggest the station could go off campus to replace him.

And clearly there is precedent for doing so.

On Wednesday the station’s ownership the Journal Broadcast Group will merge with E. W. Scripps, making it the fifth largest independent TV station group in the US, with 34 stations in 24 markets, covering 18% of households.

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