Rumors flying around that NBC suits may be planning to give Joel Connable more airtime.
It’s all speculation for now but supposedly the suits may be looking to replace either Bob Mayer or Tony Segreto with Joel Connable.
Connable’s contract with WTVJ is said to be expiring very soon so it won’t be long before we know for sure
Although I am not looking forward to seeing Bob or Tony get “pushed out” to accommodate Joel, I think Joel is their best choice to bring WTVJ’s ratings up. He is the best member of their news team, yet they do not use his abilities wisely.
When DeMarco recently got promoted to the 7 pm newscast, I thought that was another dumb move in their part. They needed to put Joel in the lead anchor role as he will be the person that will carry them into better ratings, as he has done on the weekend newscast.
Hopefully they do the right thing and offer Joel a great deal, before he decides to pack his bags and get out of town to a better market or the networks. I personally would like to see Joel anchoring the 6, 7 and 11 pm daily newscasts.
Good luck to Joel!!!
I think you know more about Joel than we do at the station. We’ve all been asking him what he plans to do and he just tells us that he would be happy to stay at NBC6 and he is talking with management. I know his family is up in New York, but based on what’s happening in the job market, Joel may want to stay in MIami. As for DeMarco, he’s been telling the photogs that his contract required that he be made a full time anchor within a certain amount of time, so that is why I think he was pu ton the 7pm so quickly. It’s not like he’s ready though.. He did breaking news the other night and it.. well didn’t fly. I don’t think they are pushing Bob or Tony out. I think everyone knows both of them plan to retire soon.
Personally, I think that they should of put Joel on the 7 P.M. Newscast, and put DeMarco on weekends. They shouldn’t push Bob or Tony out, they are landmarks at WTVJ.
WTVJ is like the Dolphins. They have won in the past but right now they are rudderless and lost at sea. At least the Dolphins have Parcels and there is some hope for a rebuild.
WTVJ has had a string of bad managers and bad management decisions. Horrible decisions. They need to find a Parcels type to come rebuild the franchise.
Joel is a guy you can build something around. The DeMarco guy is a little green. He needs some help and is far in over his head. Joel would of plugged in that spot well. DeMarco needed a few years anchoring in a smaller market before making this leap. (Maybe he has done that, I don’t know)
Yes, Tony and Bob have been around and are somewhat institutions in the market, but the fact is no one is watching them. They don’t bring in the numbers and in TV if you aren’t bringing in the numbers, your days are usually numbered. TV news does not care about your dedication or loyalty to the company. They don’t hand out too many gold watches at retirement. It’s a tough business. Big anchors don’t retire on their own. They usually are put to pasture against their will.
At this point WTVJ is like the Dolphins in that they have nothing to lose in changing things. What’s the worst that could happen, they could drop to the bottom in the ratings?
I have worked at WTVJ for more than 20 years. I was there when we were Channel 4 and a powerhouse in the Miami TV market. Everyone is right that the management has run this station into the ground. In the old days, we were the station that everone followed. We were leaders. What happened? Who allowed tis to happen. Dom’t blamed it on money. Blame it on bad management. here is the view from someone who has been in this market for this long:
Joel Connable should be a main anchor. If anyone paid attention, they would see that he has helped make the weekends number one consistantly. Weekends don’t matter according to managers, but wouldn’t this make you think about where Joel should be?
DeMarco is a good guy. He has talent and just needs some time to get comfortable in the market. But why is DeMarco anchoring the 7pm? Simple answer.. He is black and our news director is black a lesbian and has said publically that she wants African Americans to be in charge. That is fine and dandy, but you need to put qualified African American at the healm. Tisha Lewis, Gray Hall and Demarco are not ready to lead. Tihsa and Gray shouldn’t even be in Miami.
Tony Segreto and BOb should be cherished and allowed to contribute to WTVJ in som eway if they would like. They do bring in viewers, but when you put them with Trina and this Roxanne girl in the mornings, everyone sees that inexperience and a black woman who loves herself are in the forefront.
NBC 6 needs to stay away from covering news that no one cares about. WTVJ needs to fire all the managers that are deciding on stories based on what they think the sales people and management in New York wants to see. We have managers who wouldn’t know a story if it hit them in the head.
Our sales department is deciding who appears on our morning show. Our web site is more confusing than any other web site in South Florida. NBC has lost its identity. It was our identity that made us the powerhouse that we were 15 years ago. Channel 7 and Channel 10 do good jobs, but they are nothing compared to what WTVJ once was. I guess we will never see that again since management is so weak and the experienced reporting staff and anchors are being run out. They will continue to promote what is cheap and easy. I think management is very threatened by smart people and in our station, the unqualified producers think they run the show and forget that many o the rphotogs and reporters have been doing this a lot longer than they have. We have 24 and 25 years old producing newscats and we have an assignment desk run by a fomer secretary. Do you think we would be number one???
Boy did youmail it. The main weak link at 6, other than the incompetent ND who wouldn’t know what news was if it bit her in her tush, is Jackie. She has never pulled a number, she comes across as empty and shallow, and the best comparison I can find here is that she’s another Kristy Krueger. Her only qualification seems to be the ability to breed. If you must keep her, put her on weekend mornings…she’ll look iike Barbara Walters going against Jen Herrera on 10. One other team they may want to consider for weekends when Joel assumes his proper place: Ari Odzer and Patricia Andreu. They clicked with each other last Christmas in the mornings. The raw pieces are there at 6, the leadership sucks. DeMarco may not be a #1 anchor yet, but he will be. One more thing…Willard Shepard should go fly jets fulltime. He only seems to land long enough to phone in a story for his buddies in real estate. That whole deal on foreclosures last nioght was drawn-out, tedious and dull. Much like Willard.
I think Jackie can be good for the station if she is paired with someone like Joel. DeMarco doesn’t have the personality and he anchors as if he is trying to be an anchor. Jackie has been there so long that many viewrs do identify with her but I think they see right through her once they watch for a while. Viewers know if news breaks, she won’t have a clue. That’s whwere someone like Joel comes in. As for Ari and Pstricia, Patricia is about to go on maternity leave, so who knows how long she will be around or even bck ever. Ari is a great reporter and anchoring may be good for him but they will never put two people on weekends. It’s better done with one anchor. Willard knows his stuff and is a good guy. His only problem is he is stuck in an investigative unit that is never promoted and no one knows about. He was once an anchor and pretty good at it if I remember correctly. Here’s my plan:
Joel Connable at 5am or 6pm with Julia.
Amara Sohn on the weekends or Demarco
Jackie stays at 7 and 11pm until the station figures out what thy should do and it will take new buyers to do that.
I really think Tony and Bob are retiring soon.
Fire that guy Ian, Tisha and Gray. Bring back the old days of competant reporters like David Bloom and Kerry Sanders.
20 yrs Plus at WTVJ
“our news director is black a lesbian and has said publically that she wants African Americans to be in charge.”
That is a blockbuster statement. That is racism if I have ever heard it. I am not surprised, because TV news has been over run by incompetent, self serving managers.
Can I ask where, when and who she said that too? She should be fired for that. That is real news and should be reported and made public if true.
Can you imagine if she said she wanted whites or hispanics in charge?
They would of run her out of there real quick.
That is not acceptable. Racism is racism no matter and hate is hate no matter what color you are. I guess it’s no surprise 6 in on the bottom. What do you expect when you hire people based on the skin tone and not their skills.
This what we get for buying into this nonsense of “diversity”. When you hear that term run, because when practiced it means oppression.
Please let us know the context in which it was said by the news director.
She said this several times casually in meetings with other department heads. i want to make sure I get it right. I think she said she wants to give African Americans as much opportunity as possible to help run the newsroom and be newsroom leaders. That may not be exact. It’s nor racism when it benefits minorities. That’s the general feeling in our shop. I know one example of how race is often used to make others feel uncomfortable is when the news director sent out an email saying that every employee was required to attend the Black History month celebration. It was not a request. It was an order.
20 Years Plus At WTVJ
It’s not racism when it benefits minorities? Man, that is the statement of an elitist. You need to rethink that one sir.
So, there are now two definitions for racism, one for whites and one for blacks and minorities? That doesn’t sound like equality to me. Last time I checked racism and bigotry had one meaning in the dictionary.
I love it when white people assign two meanings for things. One for them and a lesser standard for others because they’re black and consider them automatic victims. It is a way that white people unknowingly elevate themselves above others by assuming others are victims just because they are not white. That to me is latent racism.
I am sorry, but telling you to attend a Black History celebration is injecting race into the workplace. Why doesn’t she tell you to go to Hispanic events? Why doesn’t she tell you to go to Asian events? Because she doesn’t care about those events or those people as much apparently.
If what you are saying correct, than your news director has real issues. Ordering you to attend a black history month celebration? That is over the top.
I thought equality meant we were supposed to judge and treat each based on the content of our character and not the color of our skin. Perhaps you should tell your news director that. I think somme guy named King said that.
20 Years Plus At WTVJ
Just want to say I am speaking out more about things like what you are talking about that happen in the work place these days regarding race. I re-read my post and I sort of accuse you of being something you are not. I should of not of used you as the example. But I have been in many work situations where I have heard high level managers say the same things. That is what I should of referenced and not you specifically.
We have advanced far in this society when we can say Ardy Diercks is not incompetent because of her race, but because she stinks at her job. Unless she is claiming some sort of affirmative action exemption, the on-air product speaks for itself. She is a lousy ND.
Ardy is not the news director. Yvette Miley is the news director. Ardy is the GM and she is white. I don’t agree with what our news director said. I am just reiterating the overall feeling amognst African Americans in our news room, that what we may perceive as racism is only affirmative action.
Understood, but forcing you people to attend Black History celebrations is not affirmative action.
Just curious, not trying to start an uproar here, but was that required Black History celebration on or off hours an did they pay overtime to the staff? If I were there I would have found that so out of line. It has nothing to do with your work. What’s next required yoga classes? Transexual sensitivity training? On your off time?
I am not a lawyer looking for a case, just curious how that would actually happen!
Post that email from the news director. That would be huge. Maybe if it was made public abusive managers would stop doing things like that to staff.
20 plus at TVJ maybe somebody should fire you. Dont’ be upset at the new kids on the block for taking advantage of a great opportunity. Tisha and Gray are fine. Ian does mostly internet stories.
The news director sent out an email saying, “all employees are expected tp attend.” I don’t know is mandatory was used. Tisha and Gray are fine? They are, but not for a major market like Miami. Miami needs to realize that reporters like Tisha, Gray, Q McRay are all over the heads here. It’s about time someone look at the content and not who fronts the stories. Tisha has pissed off every photog at WTVj for being a B**ch. Gray is a really nice guy, but if you watch him, you will see that he is nervous and has this broadcast news voice. Where is the real human being telling me a story?
Did anyone see the postings on TV Spy? It said today that Joel Connable has signed with a new agent and signed a new deal with WTVJ. I did not specify what he would do, it just said “Anchor.”
20 Years Plus At WTVJ
Ignore VW. If the new kids were so great maybe viewers would know who they are. I don’t know who those people are. But I now who Joel,Bob and Tony are.
There are so many reporters in Miami and most are so dopey and they get rotated in and out so often there is no way any one could keep up with who they are. They flash by and go away.
I know who Ari is too. He’s good, seasoned. Let the ND know he is a minority too so he doesn’t get canned.
I just wish these managers knew what a good story was. The other day NBC6 did a story with Amara Sohn about how you can get Madonna’s body. Why do we care and, by the way, they didn’t tell me any secrets of how she does it. I think it’s something called exercise. Anyway, I know who Ari is too. He is one of the funniest and best reporters in Miami. Joel Connable is fantastic as well. Joel sppears to be a normal guy when he anchors. he doesn’t use anchor lingo. he makes fun of himself. But, when news breaks, he is on top of it and puts it in perspective for everyone. That’s probably why the weekend rating are so good. I have heard they are higher than weekday ratings with Nespral. I also like Bob and Tony, but they are gettign old and you would think they want to fish with Don Noe these days. I also like Amata, Sharon Lawson and Jeff Burnside. They are all good. I hate that guy Tom Llama or whatever who makes everything seem so dramatic. Does he have any experience???