It is official. Michael Williams is now part for the WFOR team. He starts in January 7 2008.
Williams left WTVJ a year ago and before that worked at WSVN.
Some tipsters say he’s replacing Brian Andrews so he will report and work with the investigative team and also fill-in anchor as needed.
Thanks to everyone for the flood of tips 🙂
Certainly an intelligent move at WFOR. You wonder if this will lead to a 5 & 11pm or 6 & 10pm anchor spot in the not-too-distant future.
Michael Williams is solid.
if they had an brains over there he’d be named the 6 and 11 anchor. cefelo vs williams? williams hands down.
The LAST thing WFOR needs is an achor as boring as Michael Williams. He’s a VERY good reporter, and I think hiring him as a reporter was a good move, but he was completely forgettable as an anchor. Whoever gets hired at WFOR will be the main anchor doing the 5 and 11. Eliott will move to 6 and 10.
Elliot’s the on who needs to go. How much longer til his contract’s up. He just comes across as so old on the air.
murrow has it right. He’s is not good as an anchor. He’s not awful, but he just has no life on the set, it’s not his thing.
He is however a different animal as a reporter. He’ll be an asset to the reporting staff and it won’t be hard for him to stand out against the current crop of forgettable, know nothings they have now. Put him on investigations and big stories. Don’t waste in on the everyday tripe.
Geraldo Rivera
“Geraldo Rivera” you really need to change your “screen name.” I don’t think the real Geraldo Rivera on FOX news would appreciate you using his name and giving opinions about local news in South Florida.
Eliott is awesome and WFOR’s ratings are improving. Look at the numbers from the Nov. book and compare them to May and July.
Dear The Gables,
Maybe you should change your screen name. Not sure if all the good people in the Gables share your views here either.
I find it amusing. So many were ready to count WFOR down and out. All I see is improvement and finally a positive direction. What once was a WSVN wannabe has become a legit news operation with honest to goodness professionals.
Hiring Michael Williams is the best move that station has made yet. He’s gong to go places and WFOR along with him!
I don’t know about Elliot. He does a good job. Adding Williams to the mix just gives them a higher class level of people who actually know Miami. Not only know Miami. They are real journalists too!
Well done WFOR. You are getting better by the day!
Poser.
Did we all look at the same numbers? WFOR use to be the number one and now they are trying to play catch up? They are improving? Not according to the numbers.
Numbers? Number one?
Oh, you must mean that brief blip during the last ND’s time here.
That has long since past. Even then, one or two books so long ago don’t mean much. It takes time to turn around a disabled ship. That’s what’s being done now. Much to the chagrin of some who used to march in lock step with the past and who were hoping things would crumble after “she” left.
What is being required now at WFOR is to have employees who can actually think. People who know how to do a story and don’t take fifteen minutes to tell the story.
That is tough for some who are so used to safely waiting for orders and never having to think for themselves. Or for those who have days to produce a story…from home.
Having Michael Williams in the mix will keep WFOR headed in the right direction.
The last thing they need is some re-tread sports guy playing anchorman.
Something tells me Sombra is the inside man there at 4. He’s right on the money, 4 was never number one. They had a few brushes with it in certain shows, but it was never sustained. Note to producers/wanna be news directors: Don’t try to out 7, 7. Copying WSVN news is a losing idea. Many a news manager has tried and all get shown the door eventually. Ask the one who just canned and left the building in tears.
The previous news director was a dictator who surrounded herself with malleable people and managers. If you questioned her you were on the weekend shift or terminated. She never had an original idea in her life. Her whole philosophy was to copy what she leaned at 7 and that has always been a losing proposition for those that tried. To interns, producers and other recent high school grads, this may have appeared to be brilliant strategy. Viewers and intelligent people, as we know, thought otherwise.
If 4’s management is looking for smart people Williams is a good start. If they start getting rid of the people who can’t think there will be a long line out to the parking lot.
All i have to say is that they should keep Michael Williams in the feild. He is not going to live their newscast by anchoring.
While WTVJ should have axed Jackie Nespral when they axed Michael, let’s not forget why he is no longer at WTVJ. He lacked life, energy and connection. He just sat there. I agree, completely different animal in the feild.
Jamboi, he is no longer at TVJ because of NBC 2.0 budget cuts. Believe me, TVJ did not want to let him go. It was mandated by the higher-ups at NBC Universal.
They wouldnt have let him go if he did a good job as anchor. It is harder replacing a good anchor than it is a good reporter.
Jamboi. You seem very jealous of Mr. Williams. He obviously has done something right. He continues to achieve and obtain high paying contracts, while you anonymously criticize him. Get a life.
I am making an “Insider” prediction..Michael Williams will replace Elliot Rodriguez as main anchor after the end of the next book.
Who wants to make a bet?? Jamboii?
Geraldo Rivera-
you are obviously referring to Shannon High-Bassalick, formerly of WFOR. You sound as if you are a disgruntled employee who was perhaps..(terminated?) under Shannon’s watch? Shannon was well liked by her team and well respected amongst her peers.
I know many at FOR who were very sorry to see her leave.
Replacing Rodriguez with Williams is not a good move. They have two very young looking anchor women as it is. Why put someone who doesn’t have much left in the field? They will keep Rodriguez till he retires. They will probably look for another anchor in the future. I doubt Williams will replace Rodriguez, those two girls have life unlike these older professional men.
Annonym – what r u talking about??? Michael Williams would replace Elliot Rodrigues, what does that have to dowith the two female anchors????
Gables,
You seem jealous of my opinion and is opting to be an asshole about it. Giving an opinion does not translate to being jealous. This BLOG is here for others to place their opinion. As much as I have disagreed with other opinions on here, I have accepted them in the spirit of whats makes blog what they are: different of opinions, but similarity in sibject matters.
You are also so commenting anonymously. Once again, its a blog.
I have also credited Michael Williams for being a good feild reporter, but not a good anchor. Apart the life that you telling to get includes having studied mass comm/journalism and currently working in broadcast journalism.
Sean,
As for the bet, I wouldnt put it pass WFOR. They have been making unfavorable decision of late. Should that happen, I dont see it falling in the ‘good move’ category.
To those who believe Michael Williams is boring, maybe the problem was the co-anchor pairing and the content of the programs. If ‘firing’ Williams was the way to improve NBC6, take a look at the last few ratings reports and ask “how’s that working out for ya?”
Piece by piece, WFOR is building a strong bench, talented people behind the scenes, and a community based direction based on substance. Williams will add to that.
Prediction: WFOR has the pieces in place to really shine in 2008.