Report: Tampa ABC Affiliate Fires Morning Meteorologist

Stephanie Roberts (Courtesy: Tampa Bay Times)

It’s a “personnel matter.”

That’s what WFTS-TV general manager Rich Pegram called last week’s firing of morning meteorologist Stephanie Roberts.

TV Reporter’s Cause of Death Revealed

Ken Ward (Courtesy: Facebook)

Authorities have now released the cause of death for Ken Ward, the former morning reporter for WSOC-TV in Charlotte, N.C., who was found dead in his home Jan. 4.

As South TV News reported earlier this year, 44-year-old Ward had been gearing up to start in Tampa, Fla., the next week for ABC affiliate WFTS-TV.

CNN Digital Producer Hired As Orlando Weekend Anchor

Mark Joyella (Courtesy: standupkid.com)

Until June, Mark Joyella will continue to work as a digital producer for CNN’s Erin Burnett OutFront in New York.

But once that’s over, he’s trading the Big Apple for sunshine and hurricanes.

Longest-Tenured Reporter at Tampa Station to Retire

Don Germaise (Courtesy: WFTS)

Don Germaise, reporter for Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla., ABC affiliate WFTS, has announced he will retire from the station after 18 years.

The Tampa Bay Times reports Germaise was the first reporter hired at WFTS in 1994, shortly after the news department debuted there.

Tampa Morning Anchor Moves to Minnesota

Ellen McNamara (Courtesy: Twitter)

Weekend morning anchor Ellen McNamara left Tampa ABC affiliate WFTS after three years at the station.

She’ll be taking a job with KSTP-TV in the Minneapolis-St. Paul market, starting April 23.

New Anchors for Florida Stations Decided While Miami Reporter Gets Big Apple Commitment

Peter Busch (Courtesy: KPHO)

Current Phoenix, Ariz., weekend anchor Peter Busch will soon be moving to the Sunshine State.

TVNewser reports Busch starts as primary anchor for Ft. Myers NBC affiliate WBBH in May.

He will remain on the air at KPHO until then, but that’s not all.

Dropping From Tampa to Ft. Myers: New Job Gives Florida Reporter More Airtime

Jeff Butera (Courtesy: WFTS)

Jeff Butera, a general assignment reporter at Tampa ABC affiliateWTFS-TV, is leaving the station because he’s gotten a promotion of sorts.

TVNewser reports Butera will be the new primary anchor at WZVN in Ft. Myers.

That higher-profile job comes at a price, though.

Memorial Fund Established for TV Reporter Ken Ward

Ken Ward (Courtesy: Facebook)

For the last six days, people have had the chance to donate to a memorial fund in honor of former WSOC-TV reporter Ken Ward, whose sudden death earlier this month still raises questions from authorities.

Ward would have started at the Tampa, Fla., ABC affiliate WFTS-TV just days later.

Qcitymetro reports Ward’s family set up the fund at Wells Fargo Bank. The money raised will go toward paying funeral expenses and memorial fees, among other things.

Cause of Death Undetermined for Reporter Between Jobs

Ken Ward (Courtesy: Facebook)

Four days before reporter Ken Ward was scheduled to start a job in Tampa, Fla,, his body was found by authorities in his apartment, according to the International Business Times.

Ward had just finished his contract with the Charlotte, N.C.-based ABC affiliate WSOC-TV, and was scheduled to drive to Tampa and start his job at another ABC affiliate, WFTS-TV, last week.

But what caused his abrupt death?

Everything You Wanted To Know About Florida’s Broadcast Television Markets

The Sunshine State certainly has its share of TV stations/personnel. Along with California and Texas, it has more media markets than any other state in the U.S.: ten in all.

• At the top of the list, Tampa-St. Petersburg (Sarasota), ranked #13 from this year’s Nielsen compilation. Stations include:  WFLA (NBC), WTSP (CBS), WTVT (FOX), WFTS (ABC) and Bay News 9 (IND). Both WTVT and WFLA compete heavily for the number one newscast in the Tampa market. All major affiliates have high-definition newscasts.
• Second in line: Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, at 16th. Stations include: WFOR (CBS), WTVJ (NBC), WSVN (FOX), WPLG (ABC) and WSFL (CW). All major affiliates’ newscasts are broadcast in high definition.
• The state’s third Top 25-rated market is Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne, at #18. Stations in this market include: WESH (NBC), WKMG (CBS), WFTV (ABC), WRDQ (IND), WOFL (FOX) and Central Florida News 13 (IND). Though heated, WFTV typically wins the ratings war in central Florida. Only WKMG’s newscasts are not in high definition, instead broadcasting in 16:9 standard definition.
• West Palm Beach-Ft. Pierce is #38 on the list, according to Nielsen. Stations in this market include: WPTV (NBC), WPEC (CBS), WPBF (ABC), WFLX (FOX), WTVX (CW) and WTCN (MyTV). WPTV regularly wins the ratings war as the highest-rated station in the market.  All stations air newscasts in high definition.
• Jacksonville follows the list at #48, the fifth Top 50 market in the state of Florida. Stations here include: WJXT (independent), WTLV (NBC), WCWJ (CW), WJXX (ABC), WAWS (FOX) and WTEV (CBS).  WJXT has consistently been first in the ratings war since 2008. All stations have newscasts in high definition.
• Next on the list is a market that is shared with south Alabama: Mobile-Pensacola (Ft. Walton Beach). The hyphenated market ranks 59th among Nielsen markets nationwide. Stations include: WEAR (ABC), WKRG (CBS), WALA (FOX), WPMI (NBC) WFGX (MyTV) and WFNA (CW). All stations air newscasts in high definition.
• Slide down three spots, and you come to Ft. Myers-Naples, #62. Stations in this market include: WINK (CBS), WBBH (NBC), WZVN (ABC), WFTX (FOX) and WXCW (CW). WINK has been the dominant ratings leader in the area for decades. Only WFTX does not air newscasts in high definition.
• Tallahassee-Thomasville shares its market with southeastern Georgia. It’s market No. 106, according to Nielsen statistics. Stations in this market include: WCTV (CBS), WSWG (MyTV), WTLF (CW), WTXL (ABC), WTWC (NBC) and WTLH (FOX). WCTV, WSWG and WTXL broadcast newscasts in high definition.
• Panama City comes in at No. 154 in the Nielsen rankings. Stations here include: WTVY (CBS), WJHG (NBC), WMBB (ABC) and WPGX (FOX). WTVY leads the ratings war because of a larger coverage area. None of the stations in this market airs high-definition newscasts; WJHG airs newscasts in 16:9 enhanced standard definition.
• Gainesville is the last market in Florida, at #162. Stations include: WNBW (NBC), WCJB (ABC), WMYG (MyTV), WOGX (FOX) and WGFL (CBS). WCJB leads the market in ratings. WCJB, WNBW, WGFL and WMYG have newscasts airing in high-definition; all of the newscasts are produced by the Independent News Network based in Davenport, Iowa.

(Above updated February 1, 2015)

That covers another one of several states we’ll be covering. If you work for one of these affiliates and have news about new hires, on-air graphic updates, HD overhauls, or anything that would be of interest to this local news blog, please let us know.. I’m not necessarily talking about station gossip, but that works, too. If someone uttered a profane word on-air, for example, that’d be something. Station sales, downsizing, things like that are also newsworthy. You can do so anonymously, of course, but have to prove you work for the station in question for credibility purposes by sending us an email to southtvnewser@gmail.com.