Wilma Smith to Retire!

[CleveFan]

She's signing off at the end of May after 36 years in Cleveland TV - sixteen at WEWS Channel 5 and the past nineteen at WJW Channel 8. She'll be missed!

 

[vjm]

She's signing off at the end of May after 36 years in Cleveland TV - sixteen at WEWS Channel 5 and the past nineteen at WJW Channel 8. She'll be missed!

Outside of Dick Goddard, she's the last of the "old guard" of Cleveland TV that was around during the hey day of the 70s and 80s.

Yes Robin Swoboda is still around, but she has bounced around so much, it isn't the same as Wilma who made only 2 stops, and was an institution at both.

 

[Morpheux]

She's signing off at the end of May after 36 years in Cleveland TV - sixteen at WEWS Channel 5 and the past nineteen at WJW Channel 8. She'll be missed!

Outside of Dick Goddard, she's the last of the "old guard" of Cleveland TV that was around during the hey day of the 70s and 80s.

I remember Leon Bibb being on in the 80's. Was he on in the 70's also?

 

[Capulet]

She's signing off at the end of May after 36 years in Cleveland TV - sixteen at WEWS Channel 5 and the past nineteen at WJW Channel 8. She'll be missed!

She's older than Dorothy Fuldheim!

 

[SonoSational18]

Bibb came up from doing weekends at WCMH Columbus in the late '70's.

 

[CleveFan]

Bibb came up from doing weekends at WCMH Columbus in the late '70's.

Bibb came to WKYC in 1979. He would leave 3 in 1995 and would join WEWS shortly thereafter, and has been there since.

 

[vjm]

Bibb came up from doing weekends at WCMH Columbus in the late '70's.

Bibb came to WKYC in 1979. He would leave 3 in 1995 and would join WEWS shortly thereafter, and has been there since.

I'm at fault for forgeting about Leon...he too can be considered old guard.

Mr. Bibb though has never really had a fair shot to be THE GUY at a station...he did do the 6 and 11 newscasts at 3 on and off during the 80s, but because there was always so much turnover over there back then, he never really had a chance to really claim them as his own.

Since he's been at 5, he's settled in doing his "My Ohio" reports, hosting the long cancelled "Weekend Exchange" anchoring the noon and/or 5 p.m. newscasts, and held down the fort at 6 p.m. during the immediate post Ted Henry years until Chris Flanagan could get his feet wet in the market after coming in from Dallas

 

[vjm]

Excluding Wilma Smith, Here is a list of what can be considered "old guard" members of the Cleveland TV media, meaning they've been in the market a minimum of 20 years.

Dick Goddard - KYW 3 '61-'65; WJW 8 '66-present
Leon Bibb - WKYC 3 '79-'95; WEWS 5 '95-present
Wayne Dawson - WJW '79-present
Carl Monday - WJW '79-'01; WKYC '01-08; WOIO 19 '08-present
Tom Meyer - WJW '79-'97; WOIO '97-'08; WKYC '08-present
John Telich - WJW 8 '80-present
Tom Beres - WKYC '81-present
Lou Maglio - WEWS '81-94; WJW '94-present
Paul Orlousky - WEWS '81-'85; WKYC '85-97; WOIO '97-present
Jim Donovan - WKYC '84-present
Robin Swoboda - too many stops to mention '86-present
Denise Dufala - WJW '86-'94; WOIO '94-present
Lee Jordan - WEWS '87-present
David "Mossman" Moss - WEWS '87-'94; WJW '94-present
Andre Bernier - WJW '88-present
Romona Robinson - WUAB 43 '88-'97; WKYC '97-'11; WOIO '12-present
Jeff Phelps - WUAB/WOIO '88-'03; Cavs TV pregame host '03-present
Deborah Lee - WEWS '89-present
Rick Manning - Indians TV analyst '90-present
Bill Martin - WUAB '91-'94; WJW '94-present
Stefani Schaffer - WJW '92-'01; WEWS '02-'07; WJW '07-present
Harry Boomer - WUAB/WOIO '92-present

 

[CleveFan]

Excluding Wilma Smith, Here is a list of what can be considered "old guard" members of the Cleveland TV media, meaning they've been in the market a minimum of 20 years.

Dick Goddard - KYW 3 '61-'65; WJW 8 '66-present
Leon Bibb - WKYC 3 '79-'95; WEWS 5 '95-present
Wayne Dawson - WJW '79-present
Carl Monday - WJW '79-'01; WKYC '01-08; WOIO 19 '08-present
Tom Meyer - WJW '79-'97; WOIO '97-'08; WKYC '08-present
John Telich - WJW 8 '80-present
Tom Beres - WKYC '81-present
Lou Maglio - WEWS '81-94; WJW '94-present
Paul Orlousky - WEWS '81-'85; WKYC '85-97; WOIO '97-present
Jim Donovan - WKYC '84-present
Robin Swoboda - too many stops to mention '86-present
Denise Dufala - WJW '86-'94; WOIO '94-present
Lee Jordan - WEWS '87-present
David "Mossman" Moss - WEWS '87-'94; WJW '94-present
Andre Bernier - WJW '88-present
Romona Robinson - WUAB 43 '88-'97; WKYC '97-'11; WOIO '12-present
Jeff Phelps - WUAB/WOIO '88-'03; Cavs TV pregame host '03-present
Deborah Lee - WEWS '89-present
Rick Manning - Indians TV analyst '90-present
Bill Martin - WUAB '91-'94; WJW '94-present
Stefani Schaffer - WJW '92-'01; WEWS '02-'07; WJW '07-present
Harry Boomer - WUAB/WOIO '92-present

You forgot to mention that David Moss was also at WKYC before he went to WEWS, and he even was at the old WJKW beforehand if I am not mistaken.

As for Robin Swoboda, here are all the stops: WJW '86-'91, '95-'98, '07-'11; WEWS '98-'00; WKYC '11-present. If you want to count WFHM 95.5 ('02-'05), feel free.

 

[vjm]

Truthfully, I had no recollection of Mossman over at 3...not saying he wasn't there, I just don't remember it.

CleveFan...you're a better man than I for remembering all of Robin's stops.

I'll count The Fish in there, because even though this is all about TV, at least she stayed in the area during her TV hiatus.

 

[CleveFan]

There's now a date as to when Wilma is signing off, and it's on May 22.

http://www.cleveland.com/tv-blog/in...st_career_on_may_22.html#incart_river_default

She's also getting a half-hour special looking back at her career. With all the time she's spent in Cleveland television, she deserves an hour or more.

 

[CleveRadioInsider]

When Dick Goddard retires(if he ever does) they will devote a whole weekend to him.

 

[Jim4Rock]

Dick Goddard deserves more than a weekend and a putsy street called South Marginal renamed for him. It's a dead end for God's sakes.

 

[CleveRadioInsider]

Well hopefully Channel 8 will do something nice for Goddard when he retires.

 

[CleveFan]

FOX 8 has been hyping the heck of Wilma leaving. She's signing off after tonight's 6pm newscast. The PD mentioned Tracy McCool is rumored to be taking over the 6pm chair. We have to see.

Also, CBS 19 went to FOX 8 today and gave Wilma a cake, only for 8 to give 19 a cake promoting 8's new 4pm newscast coming soon.

 

[vjm]

FOX 8 has been hyping the heck of Wilma leaving. She's signing off after tonight's 6pm newscast. The PD mentioned Tracy McCool is rumored to be taking over the 6pm chair. We have to see.

Also, CBS 19 went to FOX 8 today and gave Wilma a cake, only for 8 to give 19 a cake promoting 8's new 4pm newscast coming soon.

WJW is promoting a "major announcement" for tomorrow's 5 p.m. news.

My best guess...Martin/McCool to 6 p.m., with Maglio and either Mack or Jordan at 5.

Martin/McCool should be at 6, as they are undoubtedly Fox 8's "A" anchor team, and should get the prime slot.

Assuming Maglio and Mack get the 5 p.m slot, this may mean that Martin and McCool would get the brand new 4 p.m. slot...giving the "A" team 4, 6, and 10 p.m.

 

[CleveFan]

FOX 8 has been hyping the heck of Wilma leaving. She's signing off after tonight's 6pm newscast. The PD mentioned Tracy McCool is rumored to be taking over the 6pm chair. We have to see.

Also, CBS 19 went to FOX 8 today and gave Wilma a cake, only for 8 to give 19 a cake promoting 8's new 4pm newscast coming soon.

WJW is promoting a "major announcement" for tomorrow's 5 p.m. news.

My best guess...Martin/McCool to 6 p.m., with Maglio and either Mack or Jordan at 5.

Martin/McCool should be at 6, as they are undoubtedly Fox 8's "A" anchor team, and should get the prime slot.

Assuming Maglio and Mack get the 5 p.m slot, this may mean that Martin and McCool would get the brand new 4 p.m. slot...giving the "A" team 4, 6, and 10 p.m.

What was the announcement? I missed it. I did see on 8's website that Melissa Mack will be joined by Gabe Spiegel on the new 4pm newscast. Sounds like Mark Zinni is staying put on weekend mornings, but you never know. I would love to see Jennifer Jordan take the 6pm co-anchor spot instead of having Tracy McCool spread so thin in that slot in addition to 5pm and 10pm.

 

[vjm]

FOX 8 has been hyping the heck of Wilma leaving. She's signing off after tonight's 6pm newscast. The PD mentioned Tracy McCool is rumored to be taking over the 6pm chair. We have to see.

Also, CBS 19 went to FOX 8 today and gave Wilma a cake, only for 8 to give 19 a cake promoting 8's new 4pm newscast coming soon.

WJW is promoting a "major announcement" for tomorrow's 5 p.m. news.

My best guess...Martin/McCool to 6 p.m., with Maglio and either Mack or Jordan at 5.

Martin/McCool should be at 6, as they are undoubtedly Fox 8's "A" anchor team, and should get the prime slot.

Assuming Maglio and Mack get the 5 p.m slot, this may mean that Martin and McCool would get the brand new 4 p.m. slot...giving the "A" team 4, 6, and 10 p.m.

What was the announcement? I missed it. I did see on 8's website that Melissa Mack will be joined by Gabe Spiegel on the new 4pm newscast. Sounds like Mark Zinni is staying put on weekend mornings, but you never know. I would love to see Jennifer Jordan take the 6pm co-anchor spot instead of having Tracy McCool spread so thin in that slot in addition to 5pm and 10pm.

Fox 8 was smart to put McCool at 6. McCool's been on WJW for over a decade, she's popular, and it takes the sting of losing Wilma down a couple of notches. If Jordan had been plugged in right away, she'd be seen as the "girl who replaced Wilma", and wouldn't have a prayer.

It's the same thing like with Chris Flanagan over at WEWS...if he came in right on the heels of Ted Henry's retirement, it would have been hopeless for him. They did right by easing him in, and WJW is right for not throwing Jordan to the wolves...let Tracy work the 6 p.m. news for awhile, create some distance from Smith's retirement, then bring Jordan in to do the 6 (or have Jordan do the 5 p.m. news and leave McCool at 6).

 

[vjm]

Oh...BTW, the "big announcemnt" was a charity 5K run called the "Fox 8 Fox Trot".

Also Channel 8 very quietly named Natalie Hebrick as David Noss' new co-host for "New Day Cleveland" in the last couple of weeks.

Obviously this was due to Kristi Capel now being such a huge part of the morning show.

 

[CleveFan]

Congrats to Natalie on the "New Day" gig. She's a good addition with David. Nice that Kristi is just on the morning show. The travel segments for "NDC" must have been tiring. She's also having a baby with her husband, so some time away from the road is needed.

I do agree now on Tracy at 6pm. She'll do well with Lou.

As for the "Fox Trot," that's a good cause they're doing, though I'm not sure it was worthy of a "major announcement." They could've announced it with that hype. It made it sound like it was about a personality or a program on 8.