Four years after coming to WPEC, and after a not so hot November ratings book, news director Cathy Younkin has been shown the door
Yonkin is part of the old guard at WPEC. The station’s former owner Freedom Communications, brought her in from WWMT in Grand Rapids after former ND Dave Christopher left after only two years on the job. Under her watch WPEC has remained lagging in the ratings though. Freedom’s bankruptcy and its lack of investment in WPEC along with the departure of high-profile anchor Curt Fonger, and a resurgent WPBF did not help the CBS affiliate.
In the November 2013 sweeps only WPEC’s noon newscast placed second, with tenth of a rating point behind WPTV. In all other time slots the station lagged behind the once perennial third place WPBF 25 who have really stepped up their game in the last couple of years with a much sleeker newscast that moves faster, and borrows some of its cues from WSVN, along with anchor teams that have a good on-air chemistry together.
