Nancy Shafran Out as KPRC News Director

[HouMediadog]

DING DONG THE WITCH IS DEAD!!

 

[TXNews]

Oh happy day (oh happy day)Oh happy day (oh happy day)When Jesus washed (when Jesus washed)When Jesus washed (when Jesus washed)Jesus washed (when Jesus washed)Washed my sins away (oh happy day)Oh happy day (oh happy day)(La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la)La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la(La, la, la, la, la)La, la, la, la, la(La, la, la, la, la, la, la)La, la, la, la, la, la, la(La, la, la, la, la)La, la, la, la, laOh happy day (oh happy day)Oh happy day (oh happy day)When Jesus washed (when Jesus washed)When Jesus washed (when Jesus washed)When my Jesus washed (when Jesus washed)He washed my sins away(La, la, la, la, la, la, la)La, la, la, la, la, la, la(La, la, la, la, la)La, la, la, la, laHe taught me how (oh, He taught me how)To wash (to wash, to wash)Fight and pray (to fight and pray)Fight and prayAnd he taught me how to live rejoicingyes, He did (and live rejoicing)Oh yeah, every, every day (every, every day)(oh yeah) Every day!Oh happy day (oh happy day)Oh happy day, yeah (oh happy day)When Jesus washed (when Jesus washed)When my Jesus washed (when Jesus washed)When Jesus washed [hits high note] (when Jesus washed)My sins away (oh happy day)I'm talking about that happy day (oh happy day)He taught me how (oh yeah, how)To wash (to wash)Fight and pray (sing it, sing it, c'mon and sing it)Fight and prayAnd to liveyeah, yeah, c'mon everybody (and live rejoicing every, every day)Sing it like you mean it, oh....Oh happy day (oh happy day)I'm talking about the happy days (oh happy day)C'mon and talk about the happy days (oh happy day)Oh, oh, oh happy days (oh happy day)Ooh talking about happy day (oh happy day)Oh yeah, I know I'm talking about happy days (oh happy day)Oh yeah, sing it, sing it, sing it, yeah, yeah (oh happy day)Oh, oh, ohOh happy day.....

 

[hot_mic]

From the KPRC GM:["] I wanted everyone to know that Nancy Shafran has been replaced as News Director of KPRC-TV effective immediately. I am pleased to announce that the new News Director at KPRC will be Skip Valet. Skip is currently the Vice President & News Director at WKMG-TV, the Post Newsweek station in Orlando, Florida. He has been in that position since June of 2001. Skip and his team has taken WKMG from a distant number 3 rated news or less to the number one station in late news, a very competitive number 2 in early news and substantial increases in the morning news. Before becoming the news director at WKMG, Skip was the news director at WJXT the Post Newsweek station in Jacksonville, Florida. He has been with Post Newsweek since 1982 and has done almost every job in the newsroom. Skip will be visiting the station next week and his exact start date is still to be determined. In the interim Rick McFarland will be the acting news director. ["][quotation marks added for attribution]

 

[Local First]

Thank god she is gone. She has no people skills and very low self-esteem.Skip will be an energizer for KPRC. He was beloved at WJXT and again at WKMG. When the news directors traded spots, Valet went to WDIV and introduced 20 minutes of non-stop news in the first block of the 5:00 newscast. He is a journalist's journalist. I can't wait for him to take the helm at KPRC.

 

[Tim-In-Houston]

Thank god she is gone. She has no people skills and very low self-esteem.Skip will be an energizer for KPRC. He was beloved at WJXT and again at WKMG. When the news directors traded spots, Valet went to WDIV and introduced 20 minutes of non-stop news in the first block of the 5:00 newscast. He is a journalist's journalist. I can't wait for him to take the helm at KPRC.

Thank god....I've been wondering why it took so long for her get the boot. Almost 10 years of leading the city's cellar dweller station, in a business that is not known for being kind to those who do, is almost unheard of.Houston is a market in flux, definately, with KHOU taking the reigns for the third straight book from KTRK and now with a possibly re-energized KPRC it should be interesting in a couple years when things shake out.Maybe KPRC will also finally get rid of the garish newsroom or at least tone it down a bit further (and i've noticed, as of late, when watching online video of their news reports that they have cut the lighting over the newsroom considerably - which is a HUGE improvement).

 

[stdjsb25]

How long has she been the ND at KPRC? I'm thinking she hasn't been there but for a couple of years....

 

[Tim-In-Houston]

How long has she been the ND at KPRC? I'm thinking she hasn't been there but for a couple of years....

She came in about the same time former-GM Steve Wasserman (now at PNS' WDIV-Detroit) joined the station, which is to say about the time PNS purchased KPRC from the Hobby family (1994 or 1995, iirc).

 

[Local First]

Shafran was ND for about 11 years. Before that, she was at WJXT with Wasserman.I was hugely surprised when Wasserman left for WDIV, she didn't go. Word was that she would be groomed to be GM at WJXT. Now she is gone.

 

[adguy]

Granted, the move was long overdue, but cut her some slack. She has overcome some life threatening health issues over the last few years while continuing to do her job as Wasserman wanted her to do. The anchor decisions (Dominique Sachsa and the Linda Lorelle demotion) were all Wasserman decisions. She, along with Wasserman, were responsible for the crappy sets, tabloid news format and the very questionable weather dog institution. All of this is very small market. The new GM, Larry Blackerby is all business, unlike Wasserman. He knows what needs to be done to get the ratings back to where they should be for that station. KTRK should be on notice. KHOU has already caught them and a revitalized KPRC could give this market a real 3 way news race. Now if KRIV ever gets a real GM who will bring on a real News Director then you could have a 4 station race with quality local news befitting of a top 10 TV market. The prime time ratings Fox now delivers to its local stations makes every local Fox affiliate in the country a candidate for top news position in its market. In Houston, it's a Fox owned and operated and could be the top station in the market with the right leadership. As for KPRC, they now have Jerome Gray on deck as an anchor. With a real ND coming, we should see a great news race soon.

 

[Local First]

The anchor decisions (Dominique Sachs(e) and the Linda Lorelle demotion) were all Wasserman decisions.

If memory serves me right, Lorelle wanted out of the 10:00 newscast but was still anchoring the early evening newscasts. However, internim GM Jim Joselyn put Lorelle at the 11am and 4pm newscast and caused her ultimately to resign.

 

[TXNews]

From the Houston Chronicle...June 8, 2006Channel 2 fires news directorBy MIKE M C DANIELNancy Shafran has been fired as Channel 2 news director. She will be replaced by Skip Valet, the current vice president and news director of the CBS affiliate in Orlando, Fla."It was time to make a change," said KPRC general manager Larry Blackerby. "Nancy's done many good things at this station over the years, and I congratulate her on the work that she's done. I think it was time to make a change, to move forward and get this station back to a leadership position."Valet's work history parallels Shafran's. Both once served as news director at WJXT, the Post-Newsweek station in Jacksonsville, Fla.When Shafran came to Houston in 1994, she left a No. 1 station for a No. 3. KPRC flirted with being the city's No. 2 station early during her tenure but never higher. Today it continues to be No. 3 in the ratings.Valet leaves an Orlando station that recently finished No. 1."I have not worked with him before," said Blackerby, who left WJXT in February to join Channel 2. "He has a good track record. He really turned around the station in Orlando."Rick McFarland will serve as interim news director until Valet officially takes over sometime near the end of the month.Shafran's last day was Wednesday. Efforts to reach her were [email protected]Announced today Shara Fryer is departing KTRK after a 26-year career there. Wonder how this will affect channel 2 and the entire market.