Statement: CBS's 'The Talk' Reveals Series Finale Date, Craig Melvin To Replace Hoda Kotb on ‘Today’
Dhanusha Sivajee
Broadcast: After 15 seasons, The Talk will wrap up, with its final episodes airing from Monday, December 16th through Friday, December 20th (the finale). It has not yet been announced which celebs will be present during the last episodes, but fans can expect a variety of guests and prize giveaways. In December alone, The Talk will contribute over $2.5 million in giveaways to its audience. After the final episodes conclude, The Talk will have had 2,993 aired episodes in its 15-year history with over 70 awards and nominations. The series will have promoted more than 10,800 guests, gifted $103 million in giveaways, and held over 250,000 fans in its audience. Catch the final discussion, The Talk, on December 20th at 2 PM EST on CBS or stream it live on Paramount+.
NBC News has announced Craig Melvin will take over Hoda Kotb’s position on NBC’s Today following her 2025 departure. Melvin served as Today’s third co-anchor for several years, joining co-anchors, Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie, at the anchor desk after the first half hour. Melvin will anchor the broadcast's 7 to 8 AM hour and is expected to remain on the third-hour segment of the broadcast Today 3rd Hour. Additionally, the fourth-hour segment of the broadcast, Today with Hoda and Jenna, will be renamed Today with Jenna and Friends. Craig Melvin will take over on January 13th, 2025, following Hoda Kotb’s last day on January 10th.
Lyle Banks, vice president and general manager of Morgan Murphy Media’s CBS-MNT affiliate WISC Madison (based in Wisconsin), announced his plans to retire at the end of the year. Banks has had a successful career as a broadcasting executive, entrepreneur, interim executive, and board member for major media, health care, and digital for-profit (and nonprofit) organizations. He’s previously served on the board of directors for the National Association of Broadcasters TV. In 2020, he joined WISC as a general manager and shared he’d aspired to work for Morgan Murphy Media.
“I knew they provided a work culture that would be very compatible with my values,” Banks said. “Joining the company did not disappoint and I’ve met so many colleagues that I now consider friends for life.”
“Lyle Banks brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to Madison and Morgan Murphy,” said Brian Burns, Morgan Murphy Media executive vice president and chief operating officer. “Joining our company in the middle of a pandemic and leading through that tumultuous time was not easy. It was clear from day one he cared deeply for our staff and company.”
“Lyle has been a friend for decades and it was so exciting to be able to work with him directly for the past four years,” said Elizabeth Murphy Burns, Morgan Murphy Media president-CEO. “We wish him the very best in retirement.”
Telemundo Las Vegas welcomes Daniel Ramírez to its news team. The multimedia journalist made his debut on November 18th. Ramírez previously worked as a multimedia journalist for KCSO 33 Sacramento and KNSO 51 Fresno’s Noticiero Telemundo California.
WAVY News 10 Today welcomes Aesia Toliver as a weekday morning anchor. Toliver joins anchor Katie Collett, meteorologist Jeremy Wheeler, and traffic reporter Madison Pearman. She will also appear on weekdays anchoring WAVY News 10 Midday.
WAVY-TV 10 News Director Sarah Zak said, “Aesia is an award-winning journalist with endless energy. She’s exactly the kind of person you want to help you start your day. Behind the scenes, she is constantly digging for new information and building connections within our community to make sure we have the perspective that matters.”
“I’m honored to have this great opportunity to continue meaningful work alongside my WAVY family,” said Aesia. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without the mentorship of my colleagues and the guidance of management. I’ve dreamed of this moment since I was 15 years old. I’m excited to be able to continue telling the stories of the people within the Hampton Roads community.”
WAVY-TV 10 and WVBT FOX43 Vice President and General Manager Carol Ward added, “The best news anchors are always focused on the community. Whether Aesia is waking you up from the anchor desk, on the scene of breaking news or celebrating the good in our neighborhoods, you can see the commitment she brings to every story. We’re so fortunate to have such a talented journalist on the anchor desk.”
News4JAX reporter Briana Brownlee has made her debut on the WJXT Jacksonville broadcast The Morning Show. Brownlee worked at WFXT Fort Meyers before joining the Jacksonville station.
“I am excited to call Jacksonville home while working at such an amazing news station with an amazing team of journalists,” Brownlee wrote on social media. “I look forward to telling the stories that matter to you.
Former Milwaukee Channel 4 anchor, Symone Woolridge, will join Minneapolis Fox affiliate KMSP-TV in December. Woolridge will anchor KMSP-TV’s 5:30 and 6:30 PM newscasts.
"I’ve worked mornings for years now and let me tell you … it’ll be an adjustment being at work past 2 PM!" Woolridge stated. "But I’m so excited to be able to sleep past 3 AM and I really hope y’all can join me on the air! … Whew. What do I do with my morning time now?!"
NBC-owned New York station WNBC welcomes Charles Watson as a general assignment reporter. Watson previously worked for WPVI (Philadelphia-owned station). He also worked as a correspondent and multimedia reporter for Fox News Media, covering eight southern states. Watson began his career as a reporter, morning anchor, and producer for WRDE in Rehoboth, Delaware.
WMAR Baltimore welcomes Abigail Degler as a weekday meteorologist. Degler comes from WJZ (CBS) Baltimore where she worked as a meteorologist for the past two years. She began her career in meteorology at WTWO (NBC) Indiana and later worked as a weekend morning meteorologist at WAFF (NBC) Huntsville. Degler graduated from Eastern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Science with a concentration in Meteorology and Atmospheric Science. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication with a concentration in Mass Communication and Broadcast. While studying at Eastern Illinois University, Degler was a meteorologist for WEIU (PBS).
KPRC 2 News welcomed Mississippi native Joy Addison to its news team. Addison graduated from The University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) with a double major bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism and psychology. She later studied at The University of Houston-Clear Lake and earned her Master of Science in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Before joining KPRC 2 News, Addison was a multimedia reporter based in Houston for Fox News, traveling the country to report breaking news. One of her coverages included the Ulvade mass shooting where she was the first reporter to speak with a victim who was inside one of the classrooms. Addison also reported on the border, providing coverage of President Biden’s visit. Joy Addison is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists.
Cox Media Group has promoted Omesh Somaru to vice president and general manager of CMG-TV Jacksonville. He will leave his current position as the director of sales and succeed Bob Longo (retiring at the end of the year) on January 1st. Somaru has been in the industry for 25 years and served 17 years with CMG. Since joining CMG Jacksonville, he’s helped the CMG stations in the area achieve record revenue shares. Somaru played an essential role in launching Telemundo Jacksonville and Action Sports Jax.
“Jacksonville is an important market for CMG, and we were looking for a strong leader with deep local experience to continue our momentum there,” said Dan York, CMG President and CEO. “Omesh was the right choice, and under his leadership, I know our people, clients, and business will continue to thrive.”
Tegna Incorporated has named Dhanusha Sivajee as senior vice president and chief experience officer. Sivajee will oversee research, communications, brand, performance, and lifestyle marketing, and contribute to developing consumer digital products. She comes from Agni Incorporated where she served as chief marketing officer and was responsible for the company’s major rebrand.
Tegna stated that Sivajee will “lead the end-to-end journey of local community members across Tegna’s award-winning portfolio of linear, connected TV and digital experiences that reach approximately 100 million people every month.”
CEO Mike Steib stated, “Dhanusha is a mission-centric business leader who has a proven track record of building beloved brands and driving growth with a customer-first mindset. Her experience in leading high-performing teams and transforming brands and products will be critical as we enter the next era of Tegna.”
Jemele Hill - Leon Bennett/Stringer
Cable: MSNBC is facing significant business challenges and potential changes. Comcast has unveiled plans to create spin-off cable networks of NBCUniversal-owned channels (excluding Bravo).
President Mike Cavanagh stated that the moves put all of NBCUniversal “on a new growth trajectory.”
“As a standalone company with these outstanding assets, we will be better positioned to serve our audiences and drive shareholder returns in this incredibly dynamic media environment across news, sports, and entertainment,” said NBCUniversal Media Group’s Mark Lazarus. “We see a real opportunity to invest and build additional scale and I’m excited about the growth opportunities this transition will unlock. Our financial strength will also provide capacity for an attractive capital return policy while allowing for investment in the growth of these businesses.”
In response to the company's movements and changes, employees voiced their thoughts. One longtime employee stated, “I don’t think the general employee base, me included, are sold on the robustness of this as a publicly traded entity.”
Another employee said, even though “there’s a lot we’ll miss [about being part of NBCUniversal], there is excitement about the potential for further investment in our businesses.” This employee further stated they had “a lot of respect for, and belief, in Mark Lazarus and Anand Kini, so with the new company under their leadership there is a lot of optimism.” Anand Kini (CFO of NBCUniversal and EVP of corporate strategy at Comcast) is taking on the role of CFO and chief operating officer.
Former ESPN anchor and popular commentator Jemele Hill launched a sports newsmagazine program, Above the Fold. The TNT Sports program, hosted by Hill, debuted on October 22nd and has been marked as part of the evening lineup on TruTV. The 60-minute program features a rotating lineup of guest stars who Hill engages in discussions and debates on the latest news surrounding some of the biggest sports stories of the week. TNT Sports and Uninterrupted developed the program. Warner Brothers Discovery launched the programming block TNT Sports on TruTV in early October with plans to fill the schedule with live sports, movies, unscripted competition, and original series.
“I’m very excited to be working with TNT Sports and Uninterrupted on a project that centers sports journalism and compelling storytelling,” said Hill, in a statement. “The sports media landscape is constantly evolving, but there is always room for nuance, depth, and perspective.”
“Jemele is an influential voice within the sports community and has a unique lens,” said TNT Sports chief content officer Craig Barry. “We are looking forward to building a platform to share meaningful and compelling perspectives with our fans.”
allen media group
Streaming: NBC News Now (the NBC News 24/7 streaming platform) continues to expand around the world with recent launches in Mexico and Brazil. Since launching in 2019, the news service has expanded to the UK, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Austria, and Germany. The program became available in Europe via SamsungTV+, Freevee, and LG, prioritizing breaking stories and hard news over opinion or commentary-based programming. The program remains ad-supported across all platforms domestically and internationally.
Research organization Statista reported, “Despite some regional differences, news consumption in Latin America is pivoting to online sources, driven by the growing popularity of social media and accessibility of the internet.”
Allen Media Group (AMG) will shut down The Weather Channel en Español at the end of 2024. The move is reportedly a result of the need to cut costs. In early November, the company announced the end of Pattrn (a climate-themed FAST channel). AMG also experienced layoffs in October, affecting key members of its weather, news, and sports divisions.
Allen Media Group stated, “As part of Allen Media Group’s extensive cost-cutting measures, The Weather Channel en Español will cease operations on December 31st, 2024.”
