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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowWISH-TV Channel 8 this month has lost two regular on-air news staffers.
Weekday evening meteorologist Robb Ellis has departed to become chief meteorologist for WIS-TV Channel 10, the NBC affiliate in Columbia, South Carolina.
Sports anchor and reporter Amanda Maynard also has left the station. Though it’s not clear where Maynard’s next job will be, a source close to the former WISH staffer said she is relocating to Oregon for personal reasons.
Ellis joined WISH in March 2013 and quickly became a regular member on the Indianapolis station’s nightly newscast. He came to WISH from WECT-TV/WSFX-TV in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Before working in television, Ellis was a scientist and researcher for the State Climate Offices in North Carolina and South Carolina.
“We’re excited to have Robb join WIS and head up the First Alert Team,” WIS News Director Bryan Queen said in a written statement. “From hurricanes, tornadoes and thunderstorms, he’s tracked them all and is passionate about giving viewers the information they need to prepare.”
On his Facebook page, Ellis said: “I’m looking forward to getting back home.”
Maynard, a University of Southern California graduate, joined WISH in July 2012 and regularly covered the Indianapolis Colts, Indiana Pacers as well as the races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. She also was a regular on WISH’s sports programs “Countdown to Kickoff” and “SportsLocker Sunday.”
Maynard came to WISH from ABC affiliate KIVI-TV Channel 6 in Boise, Idaho, where she was sports director. Before that she served as sports director at KBZK-TV Channel 7, an independent station in Bozeman, Montana.
WISH has dealt with a string of departures since it announced in August 2014 that CBS would move its affiliation from WISH to WTTV starting in 2015. But these two departures, industry sources said, appear unrelated to affiliation change.
Despite losing its national network affiliation, WISH has remained competitive in the city's ultra-competitive TV news ratings war, holding onto third place in many local news slots in the five-station local TV news market.
More changes could be coming to WISH.
Earlier this month, Media General, the Richmond, Virginia-based company that owns the station, completed negotiations to be acquired by Irving, Texas-based Nexstar Broadcasting Group after Nexstar raised its offer price to about $2.3 billion.
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