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WCVB's GM to retire

F

fatbastard

Guest
After 33 years at WCVB/Channel 5, Paul La Camera is retiring from as GM on July 31 and Station President on December 31st. Bill Fine from WBAL-TV will take over.

Official H-A release : http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050615/nyw089.html?.v=10
<P ID="signature">______________
"I am walkin' here!!!"

Yes, I am a radio sales weasel but there would
be no programming if it wasn't for loooong commercial breaks. Remmeber that!</P>
 
> After 33 years at WCVB/Channel 5, Paul La Camera is retiring
> from as GM on July 31 and Station President on December
> 31st. Bill Fine from WBAL-TV will take over.
>
> Official H-A release :
> http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050615/nyw089.html?.v=10
>
Bill Fine is the SALES manager of that Baltimore station, He is a BU graduate but I hope he knows more about local television than selling Budweiser and Bufferin.
H-A killed "Five on Five" . Lets hope this time salesman doesn't kill Chronicle.
How about hiring someone to run the station from the production department of H-A instead of sales.

Will WCVB become the Glenn Gary/ Glenn Ross of local television?
 
WCVB is losing some good talent this year as reporter Steve Sbraccia is leaving this week and Peter Meheghan is retiring from Chronicle later this year.

I'm willing to bet that Natalie Jacobson is the next to go. Has anyone noticed she hasnt really been around that much?? And doesnt her contract expire either this month or next month or very very soon?? With Paul LaCamera, her long time boss and ally retiring, chances are excellent that she wont get the same superstar privileges and treatment that she is used to getting despite the fact that 5's 6pm news has high ratings.

Oh my God, I sound exactly like Joe Gallant! What am I doing!!!!!

;o)
 
> WCVB is losing some good talent this year as reporter Steve
> Sbraccia is leaving this week and Peter Meheghan is retiring
> from Chronicle later this year.

Yea, Sbraccia is a loss to them but WCVB doesn't lack
superb seasoned beat reporters(Jack Harper, David Boeri,
Jim Boyd, Gail Huff). They probably have the best in the
Boston market right now. The departure of Meheghan won't
be a huge impact. People won't stop watching Chronical just
because the longtime co-host is a leaving. The show is local
appointment TV.

I think WCVB's only weak spot is their Noon news. If anything
you'll see a change or two there.

> I'm willing to bet that Natalie Jacobson is the next to go.
> Has anyone noticed she hasnt really been around that much??
> And doesnt her contract expire either this month or next
> month or very very soon??

Her contract is not up for another 10 months. I am sure
the time will come when Jacobson will step down from the
6o'clock throne. I'd think Harding-Unruh would be the logical
choice for today's version of Chet and Nat for 6 and 11, at least
that's why WCVB is grooming both for bigger roles. but then again
who knows. Local TV news is a funny biz.

With Paul LaCamera, her long
> time boss and ally retiring, chances are excellent that she
> wont get the same superstar privileges and treatment that
> she is used to getting despite the fact that 5's 6pm news
> has high ratings.

Jacobson is a local news diva. Her privileges won't expire
with the changes in upper management. Plus, Bill Fine is a
former WCVB employee(twice) and went to grad school(BU)
here, so he's pretty familiar with most of the veteran
staff which has been there for years.

> Oh my God, I sound exactly like Joe Gallant! What am I
> doing!!!!!
>
> ;o)
 
well, glad to read that Bill Fine the new GM is originally from Needam and his wife is from Sharon. Hope is local instincts carry forth in his new position at Ch.5.

> WCVB is losing some good talent this year as reporter Steve
> Sbraccia is leaving this week and Peter Meheghan is retiring
> from Chronicle later this year.
>
> I'm willing to bet that Natalie Jacobson is the next to go.
> Has anyone noticed she hasnt really been around that much??
> And doesnt her contract expire either this month or next
> month or very very soon?? With Paul LaCamera, her long
> time boss and ally retiring, chances are excellent that she
> wont get the same superstar privileges and treatment that
> she is used to getting despite the fact that 5's 6pm news
> has high ratings.
>
> Oh my God, I sound exactly like Joe Gallant! What am I
> doing!!!!!
>
> ;o)
>
 
>
> Her contract is not up for another 10 months. I am sure
> the time will come when Jacobson will step down from the
> 6o'clock throne. I'd think Harding-Unruh would be the
> logical
> choice for today's version of Chet and Nat for 6 and 11, at
> least
> that's why WCVB is grooming both for bigger roles.

I would much prefer to see Heather Unruh on the late news rather than Liz Brunner. I cant take Liz seriously has a "hard news" anchor. She is always cheery, always smiling, always laughing, always joking (or trying to) and is much better suited for the early morning news (where she came from before being moved to evenings/nighttime).

Last year, when WCVB was looking for someone to replace Anthony Everett, they should have been looking to replace Liz Brunner.
 
For new WCVB-5 general manager Bill Fine, his biggest problem is going to be local news anchor teams.

He won't have problems with ABC's schedule: Thanks to "Lost, "Desperate Housewives", "Greyt's Anatomy", and "Dancing With The Stars" (I feel the latter will no longer be a Summer show after this year, but instead, air during the "regular" September-to-May television season), ABC's in a lot better shape than a year ago. ABC might even win the primetime ratings race for 2005/2006 in overall viewers, especially if they can get "one more hit show".

He won't have problems with the station's syndicated shows: I think his predesescor (Paul LaCamera) got the Boston rights for Martha Stewart's comeback and supposedely swiped Ellen DeGeneres' talk show away from WHDH-7. And even with Peter Mehegan leaving, I don't think Fine will have any problems with "Chronicle", either.

Local news, especially if Natalie Jacobson retires next year (I have heard that when her contract with WCVB expires next year, she will either be about to hit or will have just celebrated her 65th birthday), could be a problem.

Jacobson is perhaps the best local television news anchor in Boston history. She'd be tough to replace.

If Natalie does retire, I think WCVB may end up raiding the competition for a replacement. I could see them making a run at WBZ-4's Joe Shortsleeve (who I feel was unjustly demoted from the anchor desk) and/or WHDH's Randy Price (at present, WHDH has the top-rated 11 P.M. news in the market). With WCVB owner Hearst/Argyle also owning TV stations in Manchester (WMUR-9) and Portland/Poland Spring (WMTW-8), I wonder if WCVB may look to either of those two stations for anchors with potential to make it in Boston.

My guess is that during his first year on the job at WCVB, Bill Fine will spend most of his time on local news. Everything else there seems to be in great shape.
 
With
> WCVB owner Hearst/Argyle also owning TV stations in
> Manchester (WMUR-9) and Portland/Poland Spring (WMTW-8), I
> wonder if WCVB may look to either of those two stations for
> anchors with potential to make it in Boston.

Hearst has only had WMTW for a year, I would think their priority would be to try and improve their product in Maine and settle on consistent anchor teams instead of just "plumping" them for Boston! Not to mention, I believe Tory Ryden was once in Boston?

I will always have a special place in my heart for WMTW, ever since Norm Karkos threw me two quarters. Portland can be a cruel place for us bums, y'know.
 
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