Local NBC affiliate WTHR losing news director
The departure of Keith Connors from WTHR-TV Channel 13 will leave three out of the four local network television stations without a news director.
The departure of Keith Connors from WTHR-TV Channel 13 will leave three out of the four local network television stations without a news director.
Stacia Matthews said she is quitting the station to become public relations manager for the Indiana Spine Group. Matthews joined WRTV in 1989.
Two of the four Indianapolis television stations are without news directors after WRTV-TV Channel 6 parted ways with industry veteran Kevin Finch, less than two years after hiring him.
“Drinking Made Easy” traveled to Indianapolis to sample several of the city’s hotspots and their cocktails. The episode airs Wednesday night on cable network AXS TV.
The hotly contested race for U.S. Senate between Joe Donnelly and Richard Mourdock, in addition to the governor’s contest, has netted four local television stations millions in advertising dollars, according to FCC filings.
Virginia-based strategist has been involved in high-profile races across the country.
Grace Trahan, who has anchored the Indianapolis TV station’s weekday morning and noon newscasts for the past 14 years, said she was resigning to spend more time with her family.
The NBA asked a Manhattan judge on Thursday to side with the league in a legal dispute that stems from a sweetheart deal enjoyed by the former owners of a defunct American Basketball Association team — and despised by current owners of four NBA franchises, including the Indiana Pacers.
The Fox affiliate will go head to head with rivals at prime news hour as it continues to increase local programming.
Several industry sources say Patti McGettigan was escorted from the WISH-TV Channel 8 building Friday after a three-year run as the local CBS affiliate's news director. The station isn't commenting on what led to her abrupt departure.
Popular meteorologist Angela Buchman has left WISH-TV Channel 8 as expected and is likely to be off the air for a year until she joins competitor WTHR-TV Channel 13, according to several local broadcast television sources.
Emmis Communications Corp. told a U.S. judge it will delay a scheduled Aug. 14 shareholder vote that could wipe out $34 million in unpaid preferred stockholder dividends until after she rules on a bid to block the balloting.
The webcast will be recorded in the Channel 13 studios and will provide news updates, weather and sports in Spanish each weekday. It will be co-anchored by Marco Dominguez and Rossina Lazaneo.
WTHR led in the ratings for its nightly newscasts during the May sweeps in the key 25-to-54-year-old demographic, but TV stations are rapidly losing these coveted viewers. The addition of popular meteorologist Angela Buchman could help Channel 13 staunch further losses.
Several local broadcast television sources say Angela Buchman will leave Channel 8 when her contract expires this summer. A non-compete clause likely would keep her from appearing on-air for Channel 13 until next year.
On Sunday, the Indiana Pacers grabbed the attention of a big chunk of the local market, drawing nearly 10 times the television audience they did for their regular-season games.
The Indianapolis-based media company lost $18.2 million in its fiscal fourth quarter but reported a profit of $79.5 million for the fiscal year largely due to the repurchase of company preferred stock.
The Indianapolis TV station will occasionally broadcast live from the WIBC-FM 93.1 studio as part of an agreement with the radio station’s parent company, Emmis Communications Corp. WRTV is hoping to gain more exposure from the deal.
With the additional five hours of news, Fox 59 plans to add six employees at the television station, which will produce 60 hours of news programming each week.
The Indianapolis media company is on track to have less than $75 million in debt by this summer—down from $1.6 billion before it launched the divestiture of its TV stations seven years ago.