Home departures Dwight Lauderdale Announces Retirement and Replacement

Dwight Lauderdale Announces Retirement and Replacement

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Dwight Lauderdale announced during the 11pm newscast last night that will be retiring at the end of may after 32 years at WPLG. He said he made the decision 3 years ago and joked that management and everyone kept telling him he’ll change his mind, but he has made up his mind.

As predicted Charlez Perez takes over after May next to Laurie Jennings, who as you’ll see in the video did her best to keep it together as Dwight announced he’s hanging it up.

Local10.com Video – Dwight announces retirement
Local10.com –
Anchor To Retire After 32 Years At Local 10
SinSentinel.com –
Dwight Lauderdale’s word is real: He’ll retire
Sunsentinel.com –
Channel 10’s Dwight Lauderdale to retire in May

25 COMMENTS

  1. Congratulations to Dwight on his well deserved retirement. We appreciate your contributions to local news broadcasting for the past 32 years. I grew up watching Eyewitness News with Dwight & Ann Bishop.

    Charles…well deserved. I have always liked the way you deliver the news. You will do very well next to another great 10 talent, Laurie Jennings. WPLG will still be my #1 choice for news.

    All the best to both of you!

  2. Prediction: The sleazy, metro, ex-talk show guy will be gone before the end of the year.

    He can’t last. You can see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice. He doesn’t even believe what he is selling.

    Can anyone at ch10 give us the back story here? Why does a man as young as Dwight leave the top spot well before retirement age? It doesn’t make sense. There is something fishy about all this. Was he forced out to make room for the hispanic Jerry Springer wanna be (he actually did want to be a Springer before he became a journalist) or was he just disgusted by everything?

    56 is pretty young to pack it all in so suddenly. Dwight’s departure and the arrival of the facial exfoliating, know nothing is bad news for news. But it’s a slab of red meat for anyone critical of what they do.

    Cheers Dwight.

  3. dwight’s bored.
    he left because he made a ton of money… has a wife who rakes it in too… he’s tired of working every day… they wanted him to stay… but he said see ya….

  4. I agree…Dwight is like most long-time South Floridians—WE WANTS TO GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!

    As for Perez, I thought Dwight would be able to pick his successor. But if you listen to end of announcement, it seems Laurie Jennings flexed her muscle. Perez is guy she wanted…long time friend….he wont last. he is rebound guy. my guess Calvin Hughes will be there soon

  5. I guess everyone has their own taste. I think Perez has become one of the best in this market. I suspect those who are not aware of his talk show past may not be as violently opposed to him.

    Calvin (Pregnant Pause) Hughes would quickly send me somewhere else for the news, possibly to Antonio Mora, who I used to enjoy on GMA.

    Seriously, have you ever (pause) listened to Calvin’s delivery? He so (pause) overuses the pregnant pause in his (pause) delivery, it is nauseating. Sad thing is, I hear Megan and some of the others adopting that practice.

    Channel 10 made the right choice IMHO. Then again, you can’t please all the people all the time.

  6. I think Charles will do well. I for one am glad to see Dwight leave.I wish Mr. Lauderdale the best in his retirement. I think it was long overdue as Laurie n Dwight put me to sleep when I watch them. Now can w please get Kristi back on the nightly cast and send Laurie packin.

  7. LoL!!!!! Calvin Hughes are u kidding me ? This guy is a joke. He should not even be allowed to wake us up in the mornin. Can we please get Kristi Kruger a suitable coanchor in the mornings.

  8. The best of luck to Dwight, a true South Florida TV icon.
    By the way, Dwight is not leaving south florida, ralphfurely, he loves this town, hes denied offers to go national or other larger markets. Dwight is just truly tired, worked in the same buisness for 40 years, its definetly time for change, and he deserves it.

    About Charles Perez, I personally think he’s great, good delivery, connection with SoFlo, appealing, and an overall great news persona. I dont see how people think he’s horrible at all.

    Just a side note, Ann Bishop, Dwight Lauderdale, Laurie Jennings and now Charles Perez, all the face of WPLG in the past and future, but oddly enough they all worked at WSVN before going over to WPLG.
    We are probaly watching the future of WPLG on WSVN right now….Reed Cowan? Charles Bili? anyone else?

  9. “I’m with Ben on this one. Charles Perez? Seriously? He has one of the worst deliveries I’ve ever heard!”

    It could have been worse. They could have picked Calvin Hughes who makes Dwight look animated!

    Seriously, Dwight should have retired years ago.

    Name three ways that he’s contributed to this community. Name anything! He’s an empty suit.

    Besides TV newws in its death throes and will soon follow newspapers to the media graveyard!

  10. All the best to the best. I know, been there done that. Seen a lot of people come and go. I’ve had my time. Now it’s your time to begin a new chapter.

  11. Interesting to see Laurie about in tears when Dwight was just announcing he would be leaving (and will be at WPLG for 3 more months!) Can’t imagine what she’ll do on his actual last day 🙂 (I missed the 11:00 news when Dwight made the announcement, but caught it when they replayed it the next morning, afterwards Kristi was almost choked up herslef lol)

  12. Charlez Perez main anchor? I find it laughable! He couldn’t even make it at WABC in New York.

    What’s next, Jerry Springer hired as the new anchor for NBC6??

  13. For a very long time, I’ve thought Laurie Jennings and Dwight Lauderdale to be the best anchors in the market. Even when Laurie was at WSVN.
    I guess this says Dwight knows when to quit. Most people wish to leave while they are on top and when they are thrown out. Look at Dan Rather. Despite being a good journalism, he will always be remembered as the achor who fell from grace because of the screw up with false documents he used in that Bush story. He seems happy with it and I think it is voluntary.
    Station are not in the habit of breaking up things that work for them. South Florida warmed up to the Jennings/Lauderdale duo and that was telling in the ratings. You did will Dwight and all the best.
    I like Charles Perez a lot. I didnt want to see him leave when he did. However, I dont know whether he is the manin anchor guy for WPLG. He has grown in talent and I hope he does well.
    If I am not wrong, this is the first time WPLG is have a hispanic as their main anchor. I wonder what that will do for the station. Was it the black/white co-anchors that work for WPLG over the years?

  14. Well, well, as we must; there is a time and a season for all things, and now is the time for DL! He deserves it and we must congratulate him, even with restraint. He was such a humble news personality. I can recall back in the late 80s when he came and sat and had a meal in Turks Restaurant on 61st and 7th Ave, despite the “wanting” atmosphere, he seemed so “involved” and for that, we must all appreciate him. DL, enjoy, but come back, the community needs you!
    DrSmith

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