Statement: Ashan Singh Promoted to Correspondent, Univision Acquires Indiana Stations
Anne-Marie Green - CBS
Broadcast: Anne-Marie Green has been hired as a correspondent for CBS News’ true-crime investigative program 48 Hours. Green’s hire comes shortly after a new FAST channel dedicated to 48 Hours was launched on CBSNews.com, the CBS News app, and Paramount+. She will not resume her position at the streaming outlet CBS News 24/7.
“Anne-Marie is already a big part of the 48 Hours family – she’s the host of our successful Post Mortem podcast, and has worked with us as a 48 Hours contributor. Anne-Marie’s episode ‘The Death of an Officer’s Wife’ was one of the top-rated shows of the last two seasons,” said Judy Tygard, an executive producer of 48 Hours in a memo to staffers. Tygard stated, “For those of you who have not yet had the pleasure of working with Anne-Marie, she’s an excellent interviewer, prepares for every case as if she were trying it in court, and is a true team player.”
Family Broadcasting Corporation revealed that stations WHMB Indianapolis and WHME South Bend have become Univision affiliates and have begun airing Spanish-language programming on their primary signals. Before the changes, Univision had no affiliates in Indiana, and WHMB and WHME operated as independent stations.
“This affiliation is an excellent addition to our portfolio of family-friendly networks and stations, and we’re very excited about this partnership and expanding our reach to new audiences,” Family Broadcasting CEO Drew Sumrall said.
“Univision brings news, entertainment, sports, and culture to our community, with new opportunities for our partners,” said WHMB’s incoming general manager Susan Buterbaugh. “I am honored to lead WHMB TV-40 into this new chapter.”
Kennan Oliphant has been appointed station manager at WWJ Detroit and vice president of news. Oliphant will report to Jennifer Lyons, who previously took on the regional general manager position that administers supervision of WWJ Detroit and CBS-owned station WWBM Chicago. In a staff memo, Lyons stated Oliphant takes over as the primary station manager whenever she is in Chicago directly overseeing WWBM. Oliphant previously worked as senior director of news at WXYZ-WMYD Detroit.
“One of the many things that stood out to me is that Kennan is a native, originally from Detroit, is highly knowledgeable, and understands the region and the communities,” Lyons told staff. “He is personable, has an infectious energy, and is thoughtful and passionate. His expertise and experience are key to our day-to-day newsroom operations as we reinvigorate our station, strategic direction, staff, and our pledge to be the digital newsroom of the future. He brings a wealth of experience to our team and has built a diverse career in journalism, living in multiple states and serving in various capacities.”
Tegna’s WOI and KCWI have welcomed Joseph Holloway as anchor and executive producer of Good Morning Iowa. Holloway had been an anchor and reporter at WNCN (CBS 17) in Raleigh, NC. Before his tenure at CBS 17, Holloway was an anchor and reporter at KOTV in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as well as a reporter and fill-in anchor at KNWA in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Holloway also engaged in freelance sports journalism for ESPN, CBS, and Cox Sports Television.
“We’re excited to have Joseph join our team,” says Local 5 news director Perry Pace. “With his extensive experience, he’s the perfect fit as both an anchor and a leader for Good Morning Iowa. I’m confident that his calm, thoughtful, and energetic style will inspire our team and connect with our viewers.”
Upon joining the Good Morning Iowa team, Holloway stated, “People have a right to know what’s going on in their neighborhoods.” He added, “I’m passionate about making sure they know the whole story so they can make their own decisions.”
CBS News and Station’s executives are developing plans for a third hour of the morning news show according to a staff memo issued by Shawna Thomas (executive producer of the weekday morning program anchored by Gayle King, Nate Burleson, and Tony Dokoupil). Thomas shared that the third hour of CBS Mornings may reach viewers by the end of September. The program is set to be broadcast on CBS-owned stations and simulcast on CBS News 24/7. The moves come as the news network’s parent company, Paramount, experienced significant financial pressure and recently revealed plans to cut $500 million in costs and 15% of its staff base.
Shawna Thomas shared that the third hour “won’t look or feel exactly like the first two hours. Yes, the talent will be a little different and the name will be a little different, but it will still be the smart and engaging content everyone expects from the CBS Mornings family.”
Ashan Singh - ABC/Lorenzo Bevilaqua
Cable: Ashan Singh has announced his promotion from Nightline multi-platform reporter to correspondent and has stated the new contract was signed in January. Singh recently received his second consecutive nomination for Outstanding Emerging Journalist at the 45th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards. The award show will be in New York on September 25th and 26th. Singh began his endeavor to rise through the ranks in 2018 when he contributed intriguing plans to his executive producer and pitched an idea to create content for Facebook. With producer Meredith Frost, he went to the Brooklyn Museum to shoot a social video report focused on their David Bowie exhibit; the report was posted on Nightline’s Facebook page and was later featured on the program’s July 4th airing. Singh has reported topics of opioid death investigations in Philadelphia, in-depth coverage of ‘90s rapper icon Tupac Shakur, and Saudi Arabia’s ‘sportswashing’ incursions into global games. Singh observed that upcoming generational audiences are becoming more accustomed to global stories than previous generations.
“Kids are exposed to so much of the globalized world at a young age just by having access to their phones.” He said, “What I really want is to make the world even smaller for them—to recognize that things we might be afraid of are actually a lot more similar to us… They’re already so lucid and open-minded when it comes to discussing differences; they care for one another at a very basic level.”
ABC News vice president of global newsgathering Katie DenDaas and Nightline executive producer Eman Varoqua wrote in a memo to staff: “Ashan is a talented journalist, continuously demonstrating his versatility and invaluable insight while covering a variety of stories across programs and platforms. We look forward to seeing what he and our incredible team at Nightline create and deliver together in this exciting new chapter.”
NBCUniversal has promoted Jeanne Mau to executive vice president of TV programming diversity, equity, and inclusion. She continues to report to Pearlena Igbokwe, Universal Studio Group chairman, and Frances Berwick, NBCU Entertainment chairman. Since joining NBCU in 2021, Mau has been senior vice president of the same position. Mau has contributed to refreshing NBCUniversal’s talent development programs (such as its writing and episodic directing programs). Her success pulled 33 qualified mid-level producers through the company’s Unscripted Producers Initiative where they were placed to gain on-the-job experience and mentorship while subsequently working on 26 NBCUniversal unscripted series.
“Over the past three years, Jeanne has systematically expanded and elevated our inclusion efforts in television. She has introduced us to new voices in front of and behind the camera and become an invaluable resource to our showrunners and internal creative teams,” said Igbokwe and Berwick, in a statement. “We remain committed to our principles and, as we look to the future, Jeanne will continue to serve a critical role in our business by supporting our goal of producing compelling content that appeals to global audiences.”
On August 26th, Chattin’ With Chelsea! debuted on KRIV Houston (Fox 26) and will continue to be broadcast on weekdays at 12:30 P.M. The new program, hosted by Chelsea Edwards, celebrates women’s empowerment and resilience, highlighting how women navigate life’s complexities, including family, careers, relationships, health, beauty, wellness, and social issues. Each episode features special guests such as experts, celebrities, and local women.
“Unveiling a show dedicated to the celebration and empowerment of women is an absolute dream realized,” said Edwards. “It fills me with an indescribable joy to transition from reporting news to creating content that is not only enjoyable but insightful too. This isn't just a program; it's a movement where every woman's voice is heard and cherished.”
“Chelsea is a native Houstonian who has spent years earning the trust of our viewers by diving into the issues that affect our communities,” said D’Artagnan Bebel, KRIV-KTXH senior VP and general manager. “With her vibrant and charismatic personality, she is perfectly suited to provide humor and levity while amplifying diverse perspectives and sharing stories that matter.”
Deep Bagchee has been appointed president of CNBC International. He succeeds John Casey, who stepped down from the position last year after almost three decades at the network. Bagchee will report to CNBC president KC Sullivan. With his work based in London and Singapore, he will oversee CNBC’s business operations in Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. Bagchee returns to the company following his stint as chief product officer at ITV. Before his time at ITV, he was senior vice president of product and technology and oversaw CNBC’s technology, product, and design teams.
“I’m thrilled to return to CNBC at what is an exciting and transformative time for the media industry,” Bagchee said. “I’m looking forward to working with the talented international team as we innovate to become increasingly essential to our audiences and serve those interested in markets and global business news as well as financial well-being content.”
“Deep’s experience and expertise in news media combined with his ability to strategically identify and grow new audiences while maintaining brand identity, will be a huge asset to our international business,” KC Sullivan said in a statement. “I’m pleased to welcome Deep back and look forward to working with him to further cement CNBC’s position as the global leader in business news.”
E.W. Scripps Company named Jeff Mulligan station manager for its Kansas City stations, NBC affiliate KSHB and independent KMCI. Mulligan will move into the position on September 9th, returning to the stations where he worked as executive producer from 2017 to 2019. He will succeed Matt Waggoner who is leaving Scripps.
“Jeff’s leadership, experience, and previous tenure with Scripps stations make him a great fit for KSHB/KMCI,” said Kathleen Choal, regional VP and general manager for Scripps. “At WSIL-TV, he fostered a culture of innovation and helped transform news coverage from a strictly linear focus to multiplatform coverage. We look forward to having Jeff rejoin our team.”
Maurice DuBois will anchor CBS Evening News alongside John Dickerson following Norah O’Donnell’s position change (from anchor to senior correspondent) which will take place after the election. The broadcast will move back to New York from Washington. In turn, Margaret Brennan, CBS News chief foreign affairs correspondent and moderator of Face the Nation, will lead coverage from Washington. DuBois joined the station in 2004 and anchors WCBS New York on weekdays at 5, 6, and 11 P.M.
Charles Barkley reaffirmed his commitment to his extended broadcasting agreement with TNT Sports (the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned sports division). Barkley will enter his 25th year with the company and previously signed a 10-year broadcasting agreement with TNT Sports in 2022. He has hosted Inside the NBA since joining TNT in 2000, though it hasn’t been announced what programming Barkley will be assigned to cover. If the NBA’s deal with NBC, Disney, and Amazon proceeds, TNT will lose NBA rights once the 2025-2026 season begins.
“I love my TNT Sports family. My #1 priority has been and always will be our people and keeping everyone together for as long as possible. We have the most amazing people, and they are the best at what they do,” Barkley stated. “I’m looking forward to continuing to work with them both on the shows we currently have and new ones we develop together in the future. This is the only place for me. I have to say… I’ve been impressed by the leadership team who is fighting hard and have been aggressive in adding new properties to TNT Sports, which I am very excited about. I appreciate them and all of my colleagues for their continued support, and most importantly our fans. I’m going to give my all as we keep them entertained for years to come.”
Former Daily Show correspondent Roy Wood Jr. has been named to host the Saturday night comedy series Have I Got News For You (U.S. version). The ten-episode season will debut on Saturday, September 14th at 9 P.M. EST. The series will air its full season on CNN before becoming available on the streaming service Max. Have I Got News For You will be broadcast alongside re-runs of Bill Maher’s HBO roundtable program Real Time as CNN branches out into a night of news-driven comedy. The original BBC program Have I Got News For You has been produced by Hat Trick Productions since 1990, showcasing two teams discussing various news stories from the week. Discussions from the BBC original program have been criticized to the extent that some of its content has ended up in court for comments about news subjects. Roy Wood Jr. left Daily Show in 2023 and following his departure, shared his interest in finding new ways to engage audiences no longer attracted to traditional late-night programs. Captains for each team of panelists are expected to be named soon. Amy Entelis (CNN’s executive vice president of talent and content) expressed that weekend viewers may appreciate a break from the news week’s intensity with lifestyle or comedy programs.
Entelis said viewers can “have a laugh about something and maybe be able to connect to a personality who wouldn’t necessarily be anchoring a show on CNN or even an original series… We will be exploring that going forward.”
ESPN has laid off Robert Griffin III and Sam Ponder. Griffin worked as an analyst on Monday Night Countdown. He was also an analyst on the pregame show of ESPN’s Monday Night Football and several college football games. Ponder worked on ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown. Both will be paid off for the time remaining on their contracts. The moves were stated to be a financial and business decision.
Errol Taylor - brANCHLAB
Streaming: BranchLab welcomes Errol Taylor to its board of advisors. BranchLab is an ad-tech startup that uses artificial intelligence to assist pharmaceutical marketers with targeting appropriate consumers by using ID-less data. Errol Taylor is the former head of the BioPharma Practice and brings to the BranchLab advisory board an understanding of the evolving landscape of healthcare advertising. He joins his new team amid regulation changes in 10 states that make it harder to use patient information for targeted advertising.
“This is moving through state legislatures. We don’t think it’s going to stop and it’s impacting pharmaceutical companies’ ability to reach their customers and their patients,” Taylor told Broadcasting+Cable.
