Statement: Tony Valdez Passes Away At 78 And Giselle Fernandez Named 2023 Woman of Influence
Sherri Shepherd show
Broadcast: Sherri Shepherd just cleared her whole roster. The daytime talk show host has axed top producers from the Wendy Williams Show for Season 2. Shepherd inherited William’s longtime executive producers David Perler and Suzanne Bass when she took over Williams’ show. Perler and Williams were known to appear on camera daily giving their personal opinions and thoughts for daily hot topics. According to sources, Shepherd wanted “fresh energy” for her new season. Jawn Murray, Shepherd’s new producer, was hired to take on the role of executive producer after launching her show.
A spokesperson for Debmar-Mercury — the production company behind both the Williams and Shepherd shows came out with a statement stating, “we will announce a new executive producer for the second season to serve alongside [Murray].” Furthermore, Perler and Bass “have been integral to Debmar-Mercury’s success in daytime syndication for many years and have helped launch ‘Sherri’… Debmar Mercury wishes them all the best on future endeavors and hopes to work with them in the future.”
Newzroom Africa (DStv 405) will have two new co-anchors during primetime, Cathy Mohlahlana and Thembekile Mrototo. Mohlahlana is set to return in June from maternity leave resuming her co-anchoring role of The Pulse with Stephen Grootes in the 17:00 to 18:00 timeslot (5 – 6 P.M.) Afterwards, Mohlahlana will join Mrototo for the 18:00 to 20:00 (6 – 8 P.M.) timeslot as co-anchors. Mrototo will anchor solo during the 20:00 to 21:00 timeslot (8 – 9 P.M.) Thabo Mdluli will take over as the sole anchor of In Focus till midnight. Additionally, the South African new channel will be adding a new documentary hour slot on Saturdays at 19:00 (7 P.M.)
CEO Thabile Ngwato said in a statement, "These changes reflect the continued evolution of Newzroom Afrika to grow with viewers, remain fresh and always a step ahead, building on the enthusiasm shown for our new Nguni news service on Mzansi Wethu (DStv 163), Newzroom Afrika is innovating and developing as we mark four phenomenal years since launch."
eNCA has unveiled their latest rebranding starting off with their latest schedule and programming changes, just in time for the South African TV news channel’s 15th anniversary in June. Launching on MultiChoice’s DStv in June 2008 as the eNews Channel has gone through a myriad of anchor, schedule, programming, logo and on-air looks over the past decade and a half. Recently, they adapted its logo and on-air look again while announcing they have cancelled it’s The South African Morning programming block in favor of simulcasting free-to-air sister channel e.tv’s The Morning Show.
eNCA managing director, John Bailey, stated “that while eNCA will remain true to its business of news and content creation, what we are offering our viewers is really looking at how we can enlighten our viewers, especially in the morning… That's why we are bringing our hard-hitting news that we have become known for over all these past years, but also just give you a different sense of let's talk about spirituality that The Morning Show has become so famous for - but also issues around lifestyle".
e.TV has relaunched The Morning Show as of May 1 – it will be simulcasting on eNCA (DStv 403) in replacement of The South African Morning; featuring presenter Faith Mangope and Brighton Mhlongo as the sports presenter. e.TV has yet to issue a press release regarding The Morning Show, which launched five years ago. The South African Morning, a bigger focus on news and current affairs, was cancelled and substituted for with The Morning Show; more edutainment-centric, will be with frontrunner Morning Live on SABC2 also simulcast on SABC News (DStv 404), SABC3's Expresso, as well as Newzroom Afrika's (DStv 405) A.M. Report. Joining the current set of presenters will be, Faith Magope and Brighton Mhlongo, who will be working alongside Nelisiwe Mmape, Kgosi Rankhumise, Bolele Polisa and Obakeng Obakeng "OB Knows" Ngobeni.
Faith Mangope stated it’s, “about working with a team that wants to help you out, want to make you feel welcome - that's what it is. It's about us being a family but a family mindful that it's not about us. It's not about Faith, it's not about Faith's glory, it's about the people - it's about South Africans who really want good quality content."
Veteran reporter, Tony Valdez, has died at 78. His son confirmed the news of his death stating his father had been battling end-stage kidney failure before he passed. Valdez covered news for the city of Los Angeles working at Fox 11 for more than 30 years. Starting his career in 1981, he became one of the very few Latino reporters on television, at the time, working for Fox until retiring in 2016. During his time at FOX, he was the host of Midday Sunday and crime series LA’s Most Wanted whilst co-anchoring weekends with Christine Devine in the 1990s.
Before joining KTTV, he worked at KCET, KTLA, and La Opiñion. Valdez covered huge stories the Watts Riots, the Hillside Strangler, and Night Stalker serial cases, the O.J. Simpson trial, and various political elections. He is survived by his son, Steve, and three grandchildren.
FOX 11 Acting News Director Pete Wilgoren stated, “Tony Valdez was a trailblazing reporter, advocate, and mentor. He was one of the first Latino journalists to break the color barrier in Los Angeles. And with pride, Tony said he spent 35 years, 5 months, and 4 days covering the stories of this city on KTTV. We are better journalists, and a better community, because of the coverage and compassion of Tony Valdez”.
Anthony Antoine will be joining KRIV Houston as an evening anchor. Antoine will be starting in July joining the evening team of Rashi Vats, Caroline Collins and meteorologist Remeisha Shade. Previously a morning anchor at WWBT and WRLH in Richmond Antoine spext six years at WCIA Champaign (IL) where he started a camera operator promoted to reporter and then anchor. “Anthony will be a perfect addition to the Fox 26 team as he shares our commitment to journalistic integrity and cares deeply about the communities he serves,” stated Susan Schiller, KRIV VP and news director.
“Since migrating to the United States from Trinidad and Tobago, I’ve always chased my version of the American dream,” Antoine stated. “Ascending to this position, in such an amazing and diverse city feels like a dream come true. For Houstonians, I hope to be a calming and reassuring voice during difficult times, and when appropriate, I look forward to laughing and enjoying the positive stories in this great community.”
Eva Pilgrim and DeMarco Morgan will become the new co-anchors of GMA3: What You Need to Know replacing Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes since their exit. Prior to, Pilgrim was the co-anchor of GMA on weekends along with Morgan filling in on GMA3 after benching Robach and Holmes amid the revelation of their scandalous affair. Kim Godwin, ABC News president released this memo:
Good morning, ABC News – I am pleased to announce that Eva Pilgrim and DeMarco Morgan will join “GMA3: What You Need to Know” as co-anchors of the program, with Dr. Jennifer Ashton as ABC News chief health and medical correspondent.
Eva Pilgrim joined ABC News in 2015 as a correspondent based in New York and has also served as co-anchor of “Good Morning America” Saturday and Sunday since 2018. While at ABC News, Eva has covered breaking news stories, including the recent mass shooting in Nashville, the Alex Murdaugh trial, the Charlottesville rally, the 2020 presidential election, the murder of George Floyd, and Hurricanes Matthew, Harvey, Irma, Maria and Michael. Prior to ABC News, Eva got her start in local news making stops in Bluefield, West Virginia; Columbia, South Carolina; Charlotte, North Carolina; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
DeMarco Morgan joined ABC News in 2022 as a correspondent based in Los Angeles. Since joining ABC News, DeMarco has covered a wide range of breaking news stories, including the recent severe weather in the West. Prior to ABC News, DeMarco was co-anchor of the weekday 4:30-7:00 a.m. and 11 a.m. newscasts at KCBS in Los Angeles where he also reported for all CBS News networks’ broadcasts and platforms. Before that, he was a CBS News correspondent. He covered stories ranging from destructive wildfires in California to the deadly Las Vegas mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest music festival. He also covered both RNC and DNC 2016 political conventions.
One of Gio Benitz’s wishes has just come true. The self-proclaimed space geek, who works for ABC as Disney’s unit transportation correspondent, has been staying up to date on recent movements for private space travel. Benitez has recently been named as co-anchor for the weekend edition of ABC’s “Good Morning America” covering stories that will draw out viewers’ emotions and attention. The countdown to a possible mission to Mars begins.
“I’m a space geek,” stated Benitez, “and I get to still keep on doing it…I’ll tell you what he’s pitching,” stated Simone Swink, the executive producer of ABC’s A.M. flagship. “He wants to be the first civilian and journalist on whatever the first mission to Mars is. That will be our ongoing conversation for the next five years.”
Travis Sattiewhite is the new director for KVUE Austin News. Previously, Sattiewhite worked at WVIT Hartford-New Haven; known as NBC Connecticut, as assistant news director. He was also a part of CNN’s editorial team covering the 2016 presidential election and more recently working as producer on the documentary Just Yesterday: Sandy Hook Ten Years Later. He will be starting in June.
“Travis is a people-first leader who is passionate about telling stories that help diverse communities thrive,” stated KVUE President and General Manager Kristie Gonzales on KVUE.com. “His local and national news experience plus his drive to innovate make him the perfect fit to lead a newsroom in one of the fastest growing markets in the country. We’re excited to welcome him to the KVUE family!”
WSVN Miami and WHDH Boston, part of Sunbeam Television, are adding the 10-11 a.m. hour to their morning news block. Starting June 26, WSVN Miami and WHDH Boston will be broadcasting news from 5 to 11 a.m. Monday through Friday. Independent WHDH, Today in Egland, will be anchored by Amaka Ubaka, Brandon Gunnoe, Amanda Crawford and another TBA anchor. WSVN’s Today in Florida broadcast will be anchored by Vanessa Borge, Ethan Calloway, Alex De Armas, along with another TBA anchor. WSVN will air 12 hours of local news on weekdays in comparison to WHDH airing 12 ½ hours.
“Our loyal viewers continue to turn to 7 News as they start their day,” stated Paul Magnes, co-president and general manager, Sunbeam Television. “Our Today in Florida morning show consistently outdelivers the competition. Adding the extra hour builds on our success.”
Gilma Avalos, weekend anchor at WNBC has been promoted. Avalos has been moved from a weekend to weekday schedule to co-anchor the station’s 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. newscasts with Adam Kuperstein. She will also feature on the 1 p.m. weekday streaming program News 4 New York. Avalos starts her role sometime in June. Rana Novini, reporter, and substitute anchor will move into Avalos’ spot as solo weekend news anchor. She will head the 6 and 11 p.m. weekend newscasts while performing as general assignment reporter throughout the week.
“Gilma and Rana are terrific colleagues and have been great newsroom contributors for several years,” stated Amy Morris, senior VP of news for WNBC, known as NBC 4 New York, and WNJU, known as Telemundo 47. “They truly care about their communities and our viewers have become more familiar with them. This is a wonderful opportunity for everyone and I cannot wait to see them excel in these new roles.”
WJZ Baltimore has a new VP and news director, Tanya Black. Black has been the WJZ director of community impact since January 2022. Beforehand, Black started off as an assignment editor that was promoted to assignment manager before being serving as managing editor for 22 years in WJZ’s news department. She is responsible for ensuring that WJZ, also known as CBS News Baltimore, benefits the communities it serves and promoting change that market’s neighborhoods into better places to live all the while cultivating and strengthening the linkage between the station and community groups.
“Being able to promote someone like Tanya, a consummate professional who for more than three decades has represented everything that’s great about WJZ-TV, is one of the happiest moments in my career,” said Kathy Hostetter, president, and general manager of WJZ. “She has an incredible connection with her newsroom colleagues and people from all walks of life here in the town where she was born and raised. We are thrilled for her success and excited to have her leading our newsroom.”
Fox News is making some serious changes. After the departure of weekend opinion host Dan Bongino, Fox is looking to add a new panel show to its Saturday night lineup, while ending Steve Hilton’s Sunday night program, The Next Revolution. Hilton will take on a contributor role to focus on launching a non-partisan policy organization in California. Bongino and Fox parted ways in April after failing to come to an agreement on a new contract. Fox may take the same route in the wake of the recent ousting of Tucker Carlson, former 8 p.m. opinion host. The new schedule for Fox News will launch a new program, “Fox News Saturday Night”, at 10 p.m. on Saturdays “offering a lighter take on the news of the week,” whilst feature a rotating array of personalities. Another show airing at 7 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday is The Big Weekend Show. Brian Kilmeade’s and Lawrence Jones’ programs will remain in place airing on Saturday during the 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. slot. On Sunday’s following Big Weekend will be Life, Liberty and Levin at 8 p.m. and Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy at 9 p.m. At 10 p.m. the network will fill the time slot with rotations of topical specials.
“We are excited to launch a new dynamic weekend line-up that will further solidify our position as the number one cable news network for more than two decades,” stated Megan Albano, the Fox News senior vice president who oversees weekend programming and the weekday panel show “The Five,” in a statement. “We thank Steve Hilton for his show’s contributions and look forward to continuing to feature his valuable insights across our daytime and primetime programming.”
Fox News isn’t the only one shaking the table. NBC’s Chuck Todd will no longer be the moderator of Meet the Press; instead, Kristen Welker will succeed him beginning in September. Todd will become chief political analyst for NBC News. There he will be working on long-form journalism and producing the Chuck Toddcast and Meet the Press Reports. Todd announced the news towards the ending of his Sunday morning program.
“The key to the survival of any of these media entities, including here at Meet the Press, is for leaders to not overstay their welcome. I’d rather leave a little bit too soon than stay a tad too long,” Todd stated. “I’m also ready to take a step back because I know the person whom I’m passing the baton to is somebody who’s been ready for this for a while: Kristen Welker,” he added. “I’ve had the privilege of working with her from essentially her first day and let me just say she’s the right person in the right moment. And for what it’s worth, this is exactly how I always hoped this would end, that I’d be passing the baton to her, which I’ll officially do in September. “
Giselle Fernandez - Spectrum News 1
Cable: Paramount Global Network has canceled the animated series Tooning Out the News and Hell of a Week with Charlamagne Tha God. Both shows were executively produced by Stephen Colbert. Hell of a Week with Charlamagne Tha God ran for two seasons, initially called Tha God’s Honest Truth before it was rebranded for season two. The second season of the weekly series changed into a panel format premiering last July. The half-hour series featured influencers, comedians, outspoken celebrities, and leaders from various political backgrounds that debated political hot topics, current events permeating politics, and culture building on Charlamagne’s unfiltered takes. Charlamagne even scored an interview with Vice President Kamala Harris along with a nomination for a WGA Award.
“We will not be resuming production on another season of Hell of A Week,” stated a Comedy Central spokesperson. “We thank Charlamagne and the amazing team behind the show for its impactful conversations and the incredible collaboration as we look ahead to our future partnership with Charlamagne.”
CNN will be shifting operations and efforts to Mexico City; scaling back production of content for linear television aiming to reach a younger audience that prefers to use their mobile device. This move might mean the elimination of jobs in Miami and Atlanta, but on the other hand ramp-up jobs in Mexico and Los Angeles ‘where CNN will aim to add more than staffers’, according to a person familiar with the plans, which were disclosed to employees Thursday afternoon. Chris Licht, CNN CEO, hinted at the move towards the future of Spanish-language networks back in November at a town-hall meeting. The issue however stems over how to maintain Spanish-speaking outreach with the economics of big media companies are facing intense scrutiny. CNN and parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, has already cut operations which leaves the question of how they plan to keep CNN en Espanol under such conditions; especially when discussions were previously underway to shut down the cable network.
In a memo Cynthia Darr Hudson, senior vice president, stated CNN en Espanol “will be streamlining our linear news output, shifting production to our Mexico City bureau and introducing new cross-platform programming. We will also be investing in CNNE’s digital platform, safeguarding CNNE’s newsgathering strength in the U.S. and utilizing our network-wide investments in content management to create a greatly enhanced digital user experience. This afternoon I informed the CNN en Español team about these changes, which will impact some of our colleagues.”
Giselle Fernandez, Spectrum News 1 anchor in Southern California, has been named 2023 Woman of Influence by Multichannel News. She will be celebrated Tuesday, June 20 at the Wonder Women of Los Angeles breakfast event hosted by Sofitel Hotel Los Angeles. Formerly, Fernandez was a former correspondent and anchor for national CBS News and NBC News programs. She has since been an anchor at Charter Communication’s Spectrum News 1 in Southern California since the launching of the channel in 2018. Many of her achievements include interviewing Fidel Castro, Henry Kissinger, and presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush; and being a seven-time Emmy winner.
Sage Steele’s words may have been a little too tough for Disney’s skin. During the height if the Covid pandemic, September 2021 to be exact, ESPN’s Sage Steele appeared on the podcast Uncut with Jay Cutler expressing her views and opinions on Disney’s compliance policy with Covid protocols. She explained that she had just been given a shot due to Disney requiring salaried and non-union workers to be fully vaccinated. Steele slammed the corporate mandate as “sick” and “scary” after noting that she “didn’t want to” get the vaccine only complying to keep her job and support her family.
After the interview aired, Twitter had a swift reaction to her comments calling her “appalling”, “awful”, “bonkers”, and “nasty”. ESPN’s leadership in response forced Steele to apologize in a formal statement and suspend her back in 2021. Following the suspension, Steele no longer covered high-profile assignments that were given to her prior to her Covid comments. In April 2022, Steele, whose contract was set to expire the following year (2023), filed a lawsuit against ESPN and Disney. Fast forwarding, the battle is heating up now in superior court in Connecticut where ESPN is located. Steele is arguing that laws in Connecticut prohibits private employers from disciplining their employees for engaging in constitutionally protected free speech regardless of whether it takes place in or outside of the workplace. Additionally, her comments were made “on her own time and on matters of significant public interest,” and are protected under both the U.S. and Connecticut Constitutions. Furthermore, ESPN [her employer] “illegally subjected her to substantial workplace penalties” and “retaliatory actions” despite the network admitting that the network did not promptly review Steele’s comments or the context in which it was made, according to the lawsuit.
Steele’s refused to comment on the case, but instead commented on Disney’s legal fight with Florida, “I wholeheartedly agree with Disney’s position that in America, the government cannot punish you for speaking your mind,” Steele says. “In my opinion, it begins and ends with diversity of thought. We must fight to preserve that fundamental constitutional right.”
Disney and ESPN have declined to comment. Stay tuned…
Lisa Ling, veteran journalist and producer, has been hired as a contributor to CBS News network. Ling will report and produce pieces for all CBS News programs and platforms according to Neeraj Khemlani, the president and co-head of CBS News and Stations. She will bring her previous experience in hosting and producing the CNN original series This is Life with Lisa Ling and HBO Max docuseries Take Out along with working as a correspondent for ABC News on Nightline and as a co-host for The View. She will be based in Los Angeles.
“Lisa delivers some of the most authentic, human and revealing interviews because of how she embeds with communities and the people she covers. It gives her and us a chance to communicate the pulse of the country and the world in a more experiential way,” stated Khemlani in a statement. “From war coverage at Channel One News to the anchor table at The View to numerous cable series that showcase her immersive journalism, Lisa Ling is a multi-talented reporter and storyteller that we are thrilled to add to our roster of world-class Network talent.”
Trevor Noah - Jeff Kravitz
Streaming: Mock the Week is coming to the U.S. The late-night comedy series was picked up by Amazon’s Freevee for a 2024 debut. Mock the Week U.K. was a long-running series on BBC Two that was canceled last year after 17 years on air. Trevor Noah, former Daily Show host, will be the executive producer of the U.S. series through his Day Zero Productions alongside creators of the show Dan Patterson and Mark Leveson. Mock the Week is a mixture of improv, stand-up comedy, and panel shows into an arrangement of two teams of comedians aiming at news and world events.
“For years, Mock the Week delivered a witty spin on the news—entertaining a broad cross-section of the UK audience through funny conversations, one-liners, and improv comedy. In one episode, you can catch up on weekly headlines, hear multiple points of view on a topic, and find your next favorite stand-up comedian,” stated Lauren Anderson, head of AVOD Originals, unscripted, and targeted programming for Amazon Studios. “We are thrilled to expand our comedic slate on Amazon Freevee, with this much- needed series from Dan Patterson and Trevor Noah, two enormously talented producers with the exceptional ability to marry laughter and learning.”
NBC News is heading towards a new direction for its NBC News Now streaming offer. Launched four years ago, NBC News executive VP Janelle Rodriguez – who oversees News Now, believes there’s still more to do to perfect the free, ad-supported streaming service. The company will continue its campaign to rebrand News Now, featuring its stable of anchors and correspondents highlighting the tagline “news for the generation now”.
“NBC News now is meant to be a 24/7 expression of NBC News, right? So when you turn it on, you should see at any given moment the very best of our reporting, and all of the correspondents that we have both around the country and around the world,” Rodriguez stated. “Unlike the direction of cable, we don’t go heavy on guests and talking heads. I think there’s a lot of fatigue in the audience out there with the talking head format, and so we’re really leaning into what is our strength, which is the fact that we do have correspondents around the country, and around the world at any given hour on any given day.”
Adrienne Banfield-Norris has signed with A3 Artists Agency for representation. Norris, also known as Jada Pinkett Smith’s mother or “Gammy” is known for her five seasons talk show Red Table Talk featuring her daughter and granddaughter, Willow Smith. These three women were on the list of names on TIME 100’s Most Influential People of 2021. Red Table Talk was the last of the FB Watch originals after being canceled in April. Regardless, Norris was nominated in 2023 for two NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Host in a Talk or News/Information (Series or Special) and Outstanding Talk Series.