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Romona Robinson out at WKYC

V

vjm

Well it's officially official...

Romona Robinson is out at channel 3 as of 12/16/11.

Ouch!

That hurts WKYC big time, as she was the face of the station since 1997.

So here's a coupla questions:

1. Who replaces her?
2. Where does she go from here?

One thing to consider...her contract is expiring on 12/16, so I don't think there'd be any non-compete clauses to worry about.

My best guesses...

1. Chris Tye gets the 6 and 11 chair with more than likely a co-anchor (Robin Swoboda perhaps)
2. I think channel 8 could make a run at her to fill the void left by Stacey Bell
 
As I noted in the 2012 Predictions thread...Robin is indeed there.

But has she been sitting there at 7 PM all this time just waiting for Romona's contract to end? How much are they paying her to do one show a night?

Would she ask for more money, and is there any scenario where WKYC is willing to pay her more money - just after they can't come to terms with Romona, the face of their news? I don't get the idea that they wouldn't have kept Romona if they were able to work out the money issues.

In 2012, being the "face of the news" is obviously no guarantee that they're going to pay to hang onto you. But I have no idea that WKYC had any itch to swap Romona out with Robin.

Family issues are always a consideration for Robin. Will she "be able" to work the 11 in her mind?

A lot of questions...and very few answers.

Romona could well scoot over to WJW to replace Stacey at some point, but I'm not hearing ANY of this in the local TV rumormill right now.

The presumptions we've had in the past, "replace one big name anchor with another", have gone away, though. They'll still do it if possible, but at the right PRICE.
 
OhioMediaWatch said:
As I noted in the 2012 Predictions thread...Robin is indeed there.

But has she been sitting there at 7 PM all this time just waiting for Romona's contract to end? How much are they paying her to do one show a night?

Would she ask for more money, and is there any scenario where WKYC is willing to pay her more money - just after they can't come to terms with Romona, the face of their news? I don't get the idea that they wouldn't have kept Romona if they were able to work out the money issues.

In 2012, being the "face of the news" is obviously no guarantee that they're going to pay to hang onto you. But I have no idea that WKYC had any itch to swap Romona out with Robin.

Family issues are always a consideration for Robin. Will she "be able" to work the 11 in her mind?

A lot of questions...and very few answers.

Romona could well scoot over to WJW to replace Stacey at some point, but I'm not hearing ANY of this in the local TV rumormill right now.

The presumptions we've had in the past, "replace one big name anchor with another", have gone away, though. They'll still do it if possible, but at the right PRICE.
Click to expand...

They could very easily have Tye/Swoboda do 6 and 7, and Tye fly solo at 11 (or maybe have Monica Robbins/Kim Wheeler as co-anchor)

I'd put that scenario as the clubhouse leader.

I still say Tracy McCool is the favorite to go to PM to replace Bell on 8 at 5 and 10p.
 
Channel 8 should just move either Tracy or Stefanie to the evenings. There is no need for 3 anchors in the morning. This isn't the Morning Exchange. As far as Romona leaving her salary was too high to justify keeping on. Is it really necessary to pay such a high salary to someone simply reading off a teleprompter? ::)
 
It looks like 8 is rotating people around in the Stacey Bell slot...and yes, Tracy got her first crack at it last week.

It makes you wonder if they are hedging their bets, as just about everyone in the market knew that Romona was leaving 3...and she may well get in touch with 8.

(Note: This is pure speculation...I am not even hearing this in the rumor mill at this point.)
 
FM 100 Means Music said:
She should have never left Channel 43 "News at Ten"
Click to expand...

What?

You can't be serious.

Romona had a chance to become a #1 anchor doing the 6 and 11p newscast on a major network affiliate...of course she was gonna take it.

In 1997, WOIO was 3 years into their CBS affiliation, had already absorbed WUAB, and established their newscasts at 6 and 11p (though it was still about 5 years out from morphing into the 19 Action News we know and--ahem--love).

Denise Dufala was the #1 anchor, paired with former Miss America and future Fox News star Gretchen Carlson at 6 and 11p, and Romona was stuck at 10p.

You get a chance to be the "queen bee", you take it.

And a 14 year (and change) run at one station (being "the face" of the station) is nothing to sneeze at.

She made the right choice in jumping to 3, and if she eventually goes to 8, then the rich would be getting richer.
 
CleveRadioInsider said:
Channel 8 is not going to pay Romona that huge salary (figures ranging from 500,000 to 750,000).
Click to expand...

I would be willing to bet her salary was closer to $500,000.

No chance anyone in the Cleveland market will ever get close to that range again. I would be surprised anyone is even getting half (250K) that now.
 
Romona and other high profile anchors have to know by now that if they're gonna hop across town, they're gonna have to take a pay cut if they're well into six figures. Or even slightly into it.

If Fox 8 isn't willing to pony up the Big Bucks, Romona would probably have been better off staying at 3 for a pay cut.

5 doesn't have any need for her or interest in her (heck, 8 may not!) at any price, and Reserve Square is, well, Reserve Square. Her husband has money, no? Why play that game?

I'm hearing more and more that WKYC is looking outside the market for Romona's replacement. No names yet, tho. And WJW may well be happy to move Tracy McCool to nights.
 
Well, Tracy McCool is now offically offical as the new 5 and 10p anchor (and I still say Kristi Capel will then fill Tracy's spot at the desk/on the couch next to Wayne and Stefanie).

This makes Romona Robinson pretty much now persona non grata in Cleveland TV.

Obviously 3 is out of the question, 5 is set with the mix and match of Bibb/Jordan/Harris/Flanagan in the evenings, 8 is set with Martin/McCool (5 and 10p) and Maglio/Smith (6p), and 19/43 is crowded enough as it is with Wittman/Dufala/Joncich/Serino/Reed in various combos at 4, 5, 6, 10, and 11p.

Unless Romona wants to wait for Wilma Smith's eventual retirement, than she'll have to leave town for another gig.

And mornings/weekends are out of the question...Romona's gonna wanna be the star.
 
Romona will NOT go back to WOIO/WUAB. Don't know about WJW since there's a hole in the newsroom they need to fill unless they want to. WEWS is full with evening anchors.

I think Romona will probably do new things in Cleveland if she wants to stay in town (maybe freelancing) or anchor elsewhere.

Congrats though to Tracy for gettting evenings. It seems she was up for the position all along, though I'm wondering if WJW is still audition potential fill-ins from out-of-market.
 
vjm said:
Well, Tracy McCool is now offically offical as the new 5 and 10p anchor (and I still say Kristi Capel will then fill Tracy's spot at the desk/on the couch next to Wayne and Stefanie).
Click to expand...

Not sure. I'd have to assume Stacey Frey or Todd Meany will get a shot at the third chair first. Remember that Kristi still has that little thing called "New Day Cleveland..." ;)
 
What's going to happen is that Kristi will move out of SkyFOX, and onto the "Fox 8 News in the Morning" set. And I guess she'll continue with "New Day Cleveland".

Why?

A reader tells me that Patty Harken (ex-WEWS/5) going to Fox 8 as a traffic reporter "to replace Kristi Capel".

They've obviously tried to spotlight Kristi in SkyFOX due to her, uh, looks. They didn't light up the copter inside that brightly when Pat Brady was in it!

Anyway, I haven't confirmed the Patty Harken-to-Fox 8 thing yet, but she has been hinting at news in her Facebook status updates.
 
Glad to see Patty Harken possibly be back on the air. She's missed by a lot of WEWS viewers.

OMW, do you know if WKYC is looking to hire a solo anchor for 6PM and 11PM or an anchor team for those same slots. If WEWS can return to having two anchors at 11PM instead of one and WKYC also going back to two anchors in the AM, would 3 go back to two anchors at night outside of 7PM.

Do you also know if WJW is adding reporters since they're making in-house moves?
 
CleveRadioInsider said:
Goddard is probably the highest paid person in TV now is my bet.
Click to expand...

As anyone who has worked for both WJW and WEWS in the last six years would tell you, Leon Bibb's contract is right up there with Goddard's. He IS the "grand old man" of Cleveland news, after all.
 
FM 100 Means Music said:
CleveRadioInsider said:
Goddard is probably the highest paid person in TV now is my bet.
Click to expand...

As anyone who has worked for both WJW and WEWS in the last six years would tell you, Leon Bibb's contract is right up there with Goddard's. He IS the "grand old man" of Cleveland news, after all.
Click to expand...

I'm sure Wilma Smith's deal is nothing to sneeze at either.
 
I haven't heard anything concrete about WKYC's Replace Romona auditions.

My gut tells me that they'll hire one person, probably a woman, and keep the solo anchor spot..or at most, move in an existing male co-anchor (Chris Tye? Eric Mansfield?). But if I had to bet today, based on no knowledge of their plans, I'd say solo female anchor.

Haven't heard anything about more MMJ hires at 8. I do know that 5 hired another MMJ, a piece of news I haven't yet posted.
 
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