Statement: WTKR Norfolk Anchor Barbara Ciara Stepped Down, CNN’s ‘King Charles’ Premiered Nov. 29
Simone Aponte
Broadcast: Stephen Graddick, a former anchor and national correspondent at Scripps News in Atlanta, joined WTTG Washington (Fox 5 DC) in November. Graddick previously co-anchored Fox 5 Morning News at 4 a.m. on weekdays with Holly Morris and the 5 a.m. with Marissa Mitchell. He also was a reporter for the 6 to 9 a.m. hours of the morning program and co-anchored Good Day DC from 9 to 11 a.m. with Morris, Mitchell, Jeannette Reyes, and Steve Chenevey. Previously, Graddick worked at Discovery Channel, as well as later serving as a media production coordinator for Food Network and an associate producer and talent coordinator at HBO.
“Joining the legendary Fox 5 DC team is a moment I used to only dream about, and now it is real,” Graddick said. “I can't wait to bring my personality and unwavering passion to this incredible journey as the trusted source to bring DMV viewers the stories that truly matter to us all." WTTG VP and news director Paul McGonagle said, "Stephen is going to fit right in with our talented morning team and our DMV [DC, Maryland, Virginia] viewers are going to love his energy and quick wit.”
Experienced reporter and former Actum media consultant Kenneth Moton also joined Fox 5 DC as an evening and late-night news anchor on September 25th. He anchors the 6 p.m. weekday newscast with Angie Goff and 11 p.m. news with Marina Marraco. Additionally, he reports for other Fox 5 newscasts. Morton began his career at WLTX in Columbia, South Carolina, later working as a reporter for WPVI Philadelphia, WFTV Orlando, Florida, and News 14 Carolina (now Spectrum News 1 North Carolina); he also served as an ABC News anchor and correspondent in Washington.
“There’s no place like the DMV [DC, Maryland, Virginia] and there’s no station like Fox 5,” said Moton. “Joining their diverse and talented team allows me to continue my dedication to telling people’s stories, reporting on what is happening in the community, and being a trustworthy voice for viewers. This is going to be fun.”
CBS Stations named Elita Fielder Adjei as VP of communications. She will support leadership across the company’s 27 owned television stations in 17 markets, working closely with CBS Station’s president, senior VP of communications, general managers, news directors, and on-air talent. Prior to this, Adjei served as VP of corporate communications for Disney General Entertainment and the director of publicity and communications for ABC Owned Television Stations.
“Elita is a proven communicator and strategist who is perfectly suited to help us shine a light on the exceptional work being done by CBS Stations,” said Christa Robinson, executive VP of communications at CBS News and Stations. “We’re thrilled to welcome Elita to our team, where the breadth of her experience will be an asset to the entire CBS News and Stations organization.”
On December 1st, WTKR Norfolk veteran anchor Barbara Ciara officially left the Virginia-based news station. She joined News 3 in 2000 and spent over 40 years in the No. 44 market known as Hampton Roads, including time at WVEC and WAVY. During her 43-year career, she covered the terrorist attack of 9/11, Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm, and Operation Enduring Freedom in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. She also interviewed multiple presidents including Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. Ciara was president of the National Association of Black Journalists from 2007 to 22009 andwas the president of Unity Journalists of Color.
“Barbara’s leadership, presence and legacy will impact our community commitment for years to come,” said Adam Chase, WTKR VP and general manager. “Her panache, sharp wit and contagious laugh will be missed in our newsroom.”
South Florida native Miguel Fernandez became the VP and news director at WFOR-WBFS Miami, along with the CBS News Miami streaming channel and CBSNewsMiami.com. The move follows the resignation of former news director Kerri Cavanaugh in August. Fernandez started as a writer, transitioning to producing and executive producing roles throughout his 29-year career. Prior to this position, he served as the assistant news director at Univision station WLTV Miami.
“I am deeply honored to have this opportunity to return to CBS Miami,” Fernandez said. “It will be wonderful to reunite with my many longtime colleagues and also work alongside the members of our team who have come on board while I have been across the street. I am especially excited to be able to work for and learn from Kim Voet, who has long had a tremendous reputation in our industry.”
KTVU San Francisco announced Simone Aponte to assume the role of VP and news director, replacing Amber Eikel who was named senior VP and general manager at Fox’s KCPQ-KZJO Seattle. She will start immediately at the Fox Television Stations outlet and report to Mellynda Hartel, senior VP and general manager at KTVU-KCIU. Before joining KTVU in 2014 as an assistant news director, Aponte started her career at KUSI San Diego after which she served as managing editor and executive producer.
“Simone has been a key contributor to our newsroom’s success for nearly a decade,” Hartel said. “Her strong news judgment and management style will enable KTVU to continue to deliver the high-quality news and information our viewers expect from us each day.”
Alan Sealls, a beloved chief meteorologist for NBC affiliate WPMI Mobile, will retire in January 2024 after 24 years of covering weather in the Alabama market. Before joining WPMI Mobile in 2020, Sealls worked for WALB in Albany, Georgia, WTMJ Milwaukee, and WGN Chicago. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in meteorology from Cornell University and Florida State University respectively. Author Ruel Lee even wrote a children's book about Sealls, titled Capturing the Sky: The True Story of How Alan Sealls Became the Best Weatherman Ever.
“Alan is an incredibly accomplished, well-respected meteorologist and a beloved member of the community in Mobile,” WPMI VP, associate group manager Cory Culleton said. “His contributions to the market, and to the industry as a whole, are legendary and he will be greatly missed. We wish him the very best in his next chapter.”
On October 2nd, Fox-owned KSAZ Phoenix (Fox 10)’s new AZAM morning team added Desiree Fluellen, a weekday morning reporter, and Anita Roman, a weekend morning anchor and weekday reporter. They join Ron Hoon and weather anchor Ty Brennan from 4:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. on weekdays. For the next three hours, Fluellen, who joined KSAZ in 2021, will provide field reports.
“It’s a privilege to serve this community by sharing stories and information that impact our daily lives. I embrace this opportunity wholeheartedly and look forward to being a part of viewers’ morning routine,” Fluellen said.
At the same time, ABC-owned KTRK Houston’s former anchor Chauncy Glover joined KCAL News on CBS Los Angeles at 5 p.m. and 11 p.m., co-anchoring with Pat Harvey since October 2nd. Glover will also co-anchor the 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts on KCAL. He reported for WDIV Detroit and anchored at KTRK Houston for eight years. While in Detroit, Glover also founded the Chauncy Glover Project, a nonprofit organization that supports the development of Black and Latino male youth in education, manhood, and self-empowerment.
“As I have had the pleasure of getting to know Chauncy Glover, it quickly became obvious that he has the heart of someone who passionately embraces the KCAL News mission of making our communities better places to live,” said Joel Vilmenay, president and general manager of KCBS-KCAL. “Chauncy is already missed in Houston and fondly remembered in Detroit as well as the other communities where he has worked and lived. We look forward to having him join us and become part of the fabric of the Southland.”
WGN Chicago, a division of Nexstar Media Group, announced that Brhett Vickery will begin as a traffic reporter on WGN's morning news on December 11th. Previously, Vickery interned at NBC Sports Chicago, worked as a multimedia journalist at WSET Lynchburg, Virginia, and most recently reported for WITI Milwaukee.
“With her background in morning news and versatility in reporting, we’re excited to welcome Brhett to our ‘must watch’ WGN Morning News,” news director Dominick Stasi said. “Brhett has a passion for helping others and will help our morning viewers as they get out the door.”
Victor Blackwell - CNN
Cable: CNN premiered First of All with Victor Blackwell on November 4th, live from Atlanta at 8 a.m. EST on Saturdays. With an Atlanta-inspired look, the show’s set, originally built for CNN International, remains at the former CNN Center. The graphics feature glimpses of the Atlanta skyline along with a reflective glass building facade used extensively in the open and on-set graphics.
North One Television’s The NFL Show, which airs on ITV in the United Kingdom, moved into a virtual new home at MOOV. Hosted by Craig Doyle, Jason Bell, and Osi Umenyiora, the new home replicates the feel of a loft-style hangout space packed with football memorabilia. Inside this virtual space are walls of exposed brick, industrial-style windows, open shelving, glass display cases, and wall-mounted installations of items like jerseys, team helmets, trophies, banners, and framed photos. In addition to the 3D environment, Moov also created the show’s graphics package, which includes rectangular insert graphics with angled edges.
Also, CNN’s primetime limited series King Charles, hosted by Gayle King and Charles Barkley, premiered on November 29rd and will air at 10 p.m. ET on Wednesdays. Since the GOP debate will be held on December 6th, the show’s second week will start an hour earlier. King will continue to be the co-host of CBS Mornings, as well as her SiriusXM show, while Barkley continues as an analyst for Inside the NBA on TNT.
In a promo, King called the show “our unfiltered take on the biggest stories of the day.”
Beginning January 13th, MSNBC's new show The Weekend will air Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. ET, hosted by Alicia Menendez, Symone Sanders-Townsend and Michael Steele. This follows the network's decision to cancel Mehdi Hasan's hour-long Sunday show and his Peacock streaming series. Considered one of MSNBC’s progressive voices, Hasan recently received significant attention and controversy for his outspoken anti-Israel views. Before joining the network in 2021, Hasan worked as a presenter on Al Jazeera’s English channel and a podcast host for the Intercept.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) criticized MSNBC’s move, calling it “bad optics” for the network “right at a time when he is vocal for human rights in Gaza with the war ongoing.” Khanna wrote on X/Twitter, “As a strong supporter of free speech, MSNBC owes the public an explanation for this decision. Why would they choose to do this now?”
Debuting only a year ago to replace the long-running soap opera Days of Our Lives, NBC News Daily is proving to be a good collaboration between the station and their affiliates. It streams live on both the NBC News Now streaming channel and all of NBC’s affiliates from noon to 4 p.m. ET. Morgan Radford and Vicky Nguyen anchor for the first two hours while Kate Snow and Zinhle Essamuah host for the remaining hours. So far, NBC News Daily has averaged 1.15 million total viewers, including 254,000 in the 25-54 age bracket. In five of the last eight weeks, it has beaten its main competitor, ABC's GMA3.
“We were grateful we were consulted and happy to be a part of the show,” Tanya Vea, president and chief operating officer for station group Bonneville International, told Broadcasting+Cable. “It’s an example of how you would want a network and affiliate relationship to be working, frankly.”
