WBZ-4 News Director Matt Ellis Out

[Joseph_Gallant]

WBZ-4 has fired news director Matt Ellis after one year on the job (and a year prior to that as WBZ's assistant news director).

The Boston Herald is reporting that longtime WBZ news producer Jennifer Street has been named interim news director, and that she is considered a candidate to succeed Ellis.

Interestingly enough, WHDH-7 news director Ed Kosowki resigned from his position there a couple of weeks back. Although it was speculated that he was leaving Boston, given the termination of Matt Ellis, might Kosowski stay in Boston, just moving down the dial??

One other thought: Given WBZ's news ratings problems of late, and now that a new news director is coming, could there soon be wholesale changes at the anchor desk?? Might WBZ start the new Fall season in September with an all-new (or mostly-new) "lead" (read: weeknights at 6 and 11 P.M.) anchor team (read: news, weather, and sports)??

 

[BostonNews]

I would bet the farm on it. It won't be new faces, though.

> One other thought: Given WBZ's news ratings problems of
> late, and now that a new news director is coming, could
> there soon be wholesale changes at the anchor desk?? Might
> WBZ start the new Fall season in September with an all-new
> (or mostly-new) "lead" (read: weeknights at 6 and 11 P.M.)
> anchor team (read: news, weather, and sports)??
>

 

[fnxfan]

Are you thinking Jack Williams might regain the 6 and 11 spots? I have to admit, I was quite impressed with his fill-in performance over the past week or so. It seems Julio Marenghi is a big fan of Jack, given all the promotion he has had since Marenghi's arrival.

> I would bet the farm on it. It won't be new faces, though.
>
> > One other thought: Given WBZ's news ratings problems of
> > late, and now that a new news director is coming, could
> > there soon be wholesale changes at the anchor desk?? Might
>
> > WBZ start the new Fall season in September with an all-new
>
> > (or mostly-new) "lead" (read: weeknights at 6 and 11 P.M.)
>
> > anchor team (read: news, weather, and sports)??
> >
>

 

[BostonNews]

I think Marenghi is a fan of the old regime. I think management was too quick to change the anchors around over the past decade, instead of realizing it was their programming that was the problem. The station was the last to introduce a 5pm newscast in the market and had "Maury" as a lead-in for years. Their syndicated fare has improved greatly and the content of the broadcasts are quite good. The problem that remains is the lack of promotion and their relatively unknown personalities. The station has been far too quick in naming nobodies as their principal anchors. You don't need to search far for the whole Sean Mooney fiasco of the late '90s.

> Are you thinking Jack Williams might regain the 6 and 11
> spots? I have to admit, I was quite impressed with his
> fill-in performance over the past week or so. It seems Julio
> Marenghi is a big fan of Jack, given all the promotion he
> has had since Marenghi's arrival.
>
> > I would bet the farm on it. It won't be new faces, though.
>
> >
> > > One other thought: Given WBZ's news ratings problems of
> > > late, and now that a new news director is coming, could
> > > there soon be wholesale changes at the anchor desk??
> Might
> >
> > > WBZ start the new Fall season in September with an
> all-new
> >
> > > (or mostly-new) "lead" (read: weeknights at 6 and 11
> P.M.)
> >
> > > anchor team (read: news, weather, and sports)??
> > >
> >
>

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

Jack Williams (Was: Re: WBZ-4 News Director Matt Ellis Out)

Actually, I think that WBZ-4 should pull Jack Williams off the 12 Noon and 4 P.M. newscasts, give him the 6 and 11 P.M. weeknight newscasts, and move Lisa Hughes and Josh Binswanger off to the Noon newscast.

I feel Williams should be WBZ's solo news anchor at 6 and 11 (along with, of course, sports and weather anchors). He's probably the best anchor they've got (and one of the two or three best news anchors in Boston), and I think his "soloing" at 6 and 11 would bring WBZ's ratings up substantially.

"When You Need To Know What's News, Turn To The Anchor Who's Been Covering New England For Over Three Decades......Jack Williams, On WBZ/CBS-4 News, Weeknights at 6 and 11".

 

[BostonNews]

Re: Jack Williams (Was: Re: WBZ-4 News Director Matt Ellis Out)

It's actually a great idea. Jack Williams, Barry Burbank, and Bob Lobel. All 'names' in New England news. If only they would revert back to "Eyewitness News."

> Actually, I think that WBZ-4 should pull Jack Williams off
> the 12 Noon and 4 P.M. newscasts, give him the 6 and 11 P.M.
> weeknight newscasts, and move Lisa Hughes and Josh
> Binswanger off to the Noon newscast.
>
> I feel Williams should be WBZ's solo news anchor at 6 and 11
> (along with, of course, sports and weather anchors). He's
> probably the best anchor they've got (and one of the two or
> three best news anchors in Boston), and I think his
> "soloing" at 6 and 11 would bring WBZ's ratings up
> substantially.
>
> "When You Need To Know What's News, Turn To The Anchor Who's
> Been Covering New England For Over Three Decades......Jack
> Williams, On WBZ/CBS-4 News, Weeknights at 6 and 11".
>

 

[JustinT]

Re: Jack Williams (Was: Re: WBZ-4 News Director Matt Ellis Out)

> If only they would revert back to "Eyewitness News."

I'd think that that would work, or at least help. They were known for their news coverage back when Eyewitness News was the slogan, but over "News 4 New England", "WBZ News 4", "WBZ 4 News", and now "CBS4 News", they've lost their glory. They've changed their graphics and name so many times that they really have no image to lose. I just don't think that Viacom or CBS Corp. or whoever is getting WBZ-TV when the company splits is wise enough to think to do this.

But is Boston too close to Providence, where Eyewitness News is used on WPRI 12 as well as Fox Providence (WNAC 64)?