Ken Watts Info.....

[intouch]

From News Blues today....

Ken Watts, who was unceremoniously dumped last month by Atlanta WXIA-11-NBC after nearly eight years as an anchor, says he was given the bad news after the noon newscast on Sept. 29. "It was very abrupt," he tells the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I wasn't able to say goodbye to the audience."

Although he admits he was warned a month earlier that WXIA was seeking his replacement, Watts kept the news to himself. Watts, who also spent 16 years across the street at WAGA-5-Fox and is now in his mid-50s, says he wasn't sure why WXIA no longer wanted him and he doesn't know if it had to do with his age.

 

[Twitch]

> From News Blues today....
>
> Ken Watts, who was unceremoniously dumped last month by
> Atlanta WXIA-11-NBC after nearly eight years as an anchor,
> says he was given the bad news after the noon newscast on
> Sept. 29. "It was very abrupt," he tells the Atlanta
> Journal-Constitution. "I wasn't able to say goodbye to the
> audience."
>
> Although he admits he was warned a month earlier that WXIA
> was seeking his replacement, Watts kept the news to himself.
> Watts, who also spent 16 years across the street at
> WAGA-5-Fox and is now in his mid-50s, says he wasn't sure
> why WXIA no longer wanted him and he doesn't know if it had
> to do with his age.
>

Thanks for the info! We're actually discussing this in the Atlanta TV section of radio-info. I'm sure one of the moderators will be moving it shortly. <P ID="signature">______________
WWJD
(for a Klondike bar)</P>

 

[Twitch]

> > From News Blues today....
> >
> > Ken Watts, who was unceremoniously dumped last month by
> > Atlanta WXIA-11-NBC after nearly eight years as an
> anchor,
> > says he was given the bad news after the noon newscast on
> > Sept. 29. "It was very abrupt," he tells the Atlanta
> > Journal-Constitution. "I wasn't able to say goodbye to the
>
> > audience."
> >
> > Although he admits he was warned a month earlier that WXIA
>
> > was seeking his replacement, Watts kept the news to
> himself.
> > Watts, who also spent 16 years across the street at
> > WAGA-5-Fox and is now in his mid-50s, says he wasn't sure
> > why WXIA no longer wanted him and he doesn't know if it
> had
> > to do with his age.
> >
>
> Thanks for the info! We're actually discussing this in the
> Atlanta TV section of radio-info. I'm sure one of the
> moderators will be moving it shortly.

....and there it goes!! =)<P ID="signature">______________
WWJD(for a Klondike bar)?</P>

 

[RickRose]

I have to say that Ken was about one of 5 local personalities that remember on TV my entire life of keeping up with local tv. I am 32 but was 6 when Ken Watts started at channel 5.

I wonder if he will get another local opportunity. I am glad to see that he is hinting at age instead of race over his dismissal. Because no tv station in this town would dare get rid of a black tv personality based on race. Ken and Jill use to compete on the weekends back in the 80s while he was at 5 and she was at channel 2. This move was not the stupidest move by channel 11, that award goes to the attempted demotion of John Pruitt that led him to jump ship and return to channel 2. Running Johnny Beckman off was pretty dumb as well so 11 does have a history of getting rid of quality people.

Hopefully Ken will find another opportunity here in Atlanta

 

[d-ray]

Ken is a great reporter / anchor.. I met him back in the 80's at lunch while he was doing a story near Lithonia GA. Class act. Hope he remains in Atlanta