According to insiders at WTVJ, and multiple tipsters, DeMarco Morgan has been named the new co-anchor of “South Florida Tonight at 11.” No word of when he will start with Jackie, or when NBC6 will tape their new promos, but it looks like they will be going back to two anchors at 11. Good luck DeMarco!
**UPDATE**
Multiple insiders have written to us via meebo chat, or e-mail with some more information, as of why DeMarco was placed in the anchor position so early. Before anything is said, i first would like to say that we are not trying to make any “racial” comments. These are simply the tips that we have assumed to be factual, by trusted and reliable sources. These tips are, of course, alleged, and the opinions of our tipsters don’t necessarily represent the views of us, or NBC6. That being said, WTVJ insiders have left tips today, claiming that DeMarco was promoted, possibly because of his race. One tipster said it lightly, by saying:
“Our news director always has said “we need more minorities on tv,” and she doesn’t like two white people anchoring ever.”
Another tipster said this:
“I can’t say who I am but there was an executive meeting with NBC people and the management at WTVJ to discuss who should anchor at 11pm. Many of us said Joel was the only choice. He has been here for three years and is excellent on tv with big market experience from Los Angeles. The news director shouted us down saying – there are too many white folks on tv. Demarco is my choice.”
Is it really right for WTVJ to promote DeMarco, allegedly, just based on race?.. Or is this a smart choice by NBC6? Should there be more minority anchors? I leave it to the commenter’s to decide. Be nice, everyone is entitled to their views.
Jackie’s Alleged Views
I have also received a tip regarding the views of Jackie Nespral. The tip reads:
“…but I have heard that Jackie is not happy with it. She feels Demarco is not ready and she has spoken out that other people should anchor with her before him.”
Now these words didn’t come from Jackie herself, but in my opinion, it does seem a tad on the awkward side between them. You can just feel it while watching…
UPDATE 11:24PM 8/6/2008
For any of you wanting to watch them together, Jackie and DeMarco are on live tonight.
Congratulations Demarco!
Great for you, DeMarco! You deserve this. You and Jackie make a great team. Hopefully, you’ll give WFOR and WPLG a run for their money.
I dont know how that will work. I am still of the opinion that they need to so away with Jackie Nespral. She just isnt working for me. I like DeMarco though. Congrats!
I saw the two of them on a recent newscast (don’t remember which one, but it might’ve been the 7pm), and Jackie looked pretty uncomfortable with DeMarco. It was obvious that she was trying to make it work, but it didn’t quite make it.
I agree with Jamboi. I don’t like Jackie, nor as a journalist. She reads very fast, and I find it difficult to understand her during the newscasts. The both times that I’ve visited the WTVJ studios, everyone I’ve met from fellow anchors and reporters, to producers, to editors, to everyone else, they all say she’s a total tool. She thinks she’s superior to the rest of the crew. I think Demarco is an excellent anchor. Kudos to Demarco!
really? has anyone noticed his wooden performance at 7pm? He isn’t “John Henry Smith-bad”, but he has no on air presence at all. He gets uncomfortable when Jackie/Paul/Joe/anyone goes off script.
it is a sad state when I am forced to watch Charles Perez drone on WPLG. this market thinks Perez/Morgan/Mora/Stevens are the best anchormen out there?
Here is my simple test. All hell has broken loose. The end of the world is here. Which newsman do you turn to? Who do you trust? None of these guys inspire confidence. And dont even bring up the women. Belkys? Loved the old Deco show, but she shouldn’t be a main anchor.
Can’t NBC6 convince Bob Mayer to come in early at 11pm? Hell, Connable is the natural choice ( yes, a sop to the Connable fanatic)
Personally, I think they all stink.
I can’t take anyone on Channel 7 seriously, not with all the music, cornball voiceovers, constant American Idol updates, and don’t get me started on the ridiculous tan on the night anchor, I can’t remember his name. Belkys is an atrocious newsperson.
Channel 10 is tolerable, Channel 6 is so-so, but Jackie Nespral is extremely annoying and Joe Rose is the worst sportscaster I’ve ever seen.
Don’t try Belkys!!!!!! She is the best female anchor around. We all have to start somewhere and she is doing a great job. If you ask me it shows that u can start out anywhere at a station and hard work will get u a head. As for other female anchors I agree with u Jackie just turns me off. Laurie my god don’t even get me started on that BORING mess with all that make up pounded on her face. He is a tip Laurie give the make up a rest your pores need air. As for Shannon I like her remember her on 2news from Orlando ,but Antonio is just dull and needs a personality drawn on him. I’ll take Belkys Nerey anyday she makes me laugh and I know when i watch 7news with her im gonna get all the news and not be put to sleep. Craig Stevens is good also.
I agree with Ralph. Demarco has no on air presence. He is stiff and seems to just read the news and smile all the time. He poses a lot. He must of been the only choice since I have heard that Joel Connable will be replacing Bob Mayer in the mornings. Joel would be so much better in the mornings becasue he is funny and can do breaking news without any scripts. That’s what impressed me when I worked at WTVJ. Joel is a breaking news PRO. I think he would be good with Jackie too but Jackie is so phony and the 7pm and 11pm news suck int he ratings.. last place.
All mostly good points above except Digeo’s take on Belkys. As I’ve said before, she is a 2nd-rate Phyllis Diller reincarnated with black hair. Ugh.
Put Erika von Tiehl with Joel Connable and I’ll watch every night.
They’ve got Tony Segreto on the CW news now
Tony is on the CW news until Julia Yarbough Is back from Beijing. 🙂
Demarco anchoring the 11pm with Jackie won’t help at all. He seems like a nice person, but viewers want to see an anchor who has credibility. Jackie has the look, but many viewers turend away becasue she lacks credibility. Demarco coul dhave credibility, but what does he know about South Florida? He is so new. I think his anchoring is very stereotypical for an anchor. He smiles on cue, says things like… “That’s right Jackie,” or “We are working this and we’ll bring you th elatest when we get it in to our newsroom,” very stereotypical things for an anchor to say. NBC6 needs a Micahel Williams back on the desk. Maybe not Michael, but at least someone who can handle breaking news and come across as sincere and experiences. Who should that be? Type the numbers below to vote:
Demarco Morgan = 1
Joel Connable = 2
Gray Hall = 3
Tom LLamas = 4
Ari Odzer = 5
Willard Sheppard = 6
Everyone should vote and then explain their reason. What strengths or weaknesses does each anchor have? Who would you like to see?
A Michael Williams? I would rather watch drying paint tell me the daily news then have him back. I feel that Joel needs to be used more, and put in a top anchor position. He has a… oh whats the word… PERSONALITY. He can maintain professionalism, while still showing that he is human and down to earth. Joel is my choice.
Is it really right for WTVJ to promote DeMarco, allegedly, just based on race?
I think that Demarco was promoted to soon. I think Willard deserves it. Joel would be a perfect match with Pam in the mornings. Jackie needs to go and I think she is racist. That phony smile and she just seems so plastic and not real! That is one reason why she did not do well in New York on Weekend Today. I think at least one South Florida station should have a black main anchor. You have mainly whites and hispanics to the main anchor seat. I mean look at Shannon Hori she is half Asian,and nobody is not making a big deal. And many people forget that there is a strong black population also. So I dont think NBC6 is not playing the race card. They want to stand out from all of the other stations. I think Willard or Joel deserves the position, replace jackie with julia for the main anchor seat. Oh, and with Demarco’s position, it is not just based on race. There is no black man or woman at the main anchor seat in South Florida and I called that racisim. But please replace Jackie with someone else. She needs to go! CONGRATS DEMARCO ON YOUR PROMOTION!
How do u know Tony is just filling in? Then why is Sharon Lawson also anchoring, I think, while Tony was on vacation last week and for the past month, Joel was filling in, and was on, with Julia herself. I think they have designated Tony as the new permenant CW news anchor.
It’s frankly kinda silly to be debating this at all. Once WPLG’s new building is ready, I’m willing to bet P-N does away with news on ‘TVJ or simulcasts it like WTLV/WJXX, Jacksonville. I’m sure the Demarco/Jackie duo’s days are numbered.
David,
The CW news is anchored by Julia. That’s at least what it says on their website. http://wsfltv.sun-sentinel.com/news/ – See below the REALLY old photo of her 🙂
Murrow,
I think their days together may be numbered no matter what. From what i hear, this is more of a trial type thing.
they havent changed that in years, I remember when Micha Olman anchored it, they left his name on there for a long time before taking it off. They haven’t added Paul Deano, and we know for sure he is the weather guy. But I doubt (even if Tony is the new permanent anchor) that they will change it, especially since the sun-sentinel is taking over their news starting in January
David, i very well could be wrong. I don’t really keep up with the CW news. No one really does. The anchors of it see it more as a chore then anything. Sorry i can’t help more. 🙂
Tony is just filling in until Julia gets back from China.
WEST PALM BEACH NEVER HAD A MAIN BLACK ANCHOR. UP HERE IN PALM BEACH IS RACIST
WEST PALM BEACH MARKET DOESEN’T REALLY HAVE ANY BLACK REPOTER OR ANCHORS JUST A FEW OF THEM.BUT WPTV IS STEPPING UP WITH BLACK TALANT LIKE NICELLE KING AND KEENAN SMITH. I LIKE NICHELLE KING
Shaw, on Internet blogs and forums, typing in all caps usually means that you are yelling. Are you trying to tell us that you’re yelling? Please type in lower case. 🙂 Thanks!
I don’t think it really matters that Demarco was promoted. He’ll be blown out soon by post-newsweek.. once they get rid of the 11pm newscast on wtvj and roll a rerun of law & order instead.
Im not upset Alex, just speculating, but how does Mr. Begrran know for sure that he is just filling in. If he is just filling in, why is Sharon also anchoring. It would make sense that Sharon is filling in for Julia, and Tony is just there. But Mr. Murrow is right, it dosen’t really make a difference now.
Honestly, the people at WTVj should worry less about the changes being made and more about the possible merger. Stop bitching & whining about who’s getting what spot. Did you see the blog link at the top of SFLTV. Someone is out there trying to help you. So start helping yourselves.
I know this Chaos Theory guy is being held up as the voice of the little people in the newsroom, but people have whined and complained about everything he writes about long before he came along. His rants are nothing new.
Ch6 has been sold. It is a done deal. Move on. You have no say.
What is it you want? You want to force WTVJ to air newscasts no one watches? You want to force NBC to continue to own it? You want to make it a community station where people on this blog run it?
If by chance someone listened to you about opposing the duopoly, what is it you are asking to happen?
People at 6 should start planning for their future instead of putting any faith in a grass roots efforts to oppose the deal.
I’m not asking anyone to put faith in this “grassroots campaign”. People have a choice. If they want to seek employment elsewhere, no one can or would blame them. Everyone at WTVJ will have to make a choice sooner or later.
If the duopoly doesn’t get approved, I would like to see WTVJ bought by someone else. If Post-Newsweek didn’t have a station in ths market, it obviously wouldn’t be an issue. By buying WTVJ, they’ve destroyed two stations with one swoop. T51 would have to rebuild in Hialeah and WTVJ and its history are left to be nothing more than a footnote in Post-Newsweek.
However, people at WPLG should be just as worried. If approved and once everyone moves into the new building, do you think all the WPLG people will keep their jobs? Their union contract is ending soon, what makes you think they won’t take the employees from WTVJ without the union. Older reporters on both sides will be pushed out for younger talent on both sides. The only winner in this whole deal is the Post-Newsweek company.
You say that we have no say. You’re wrong. That’s why there is a 30 day comment period. I wish I knew how to give up, but I don’t.
DeMarco makes a good co-anchor with Kelly Craig. She seems to enjoy his young charm, and I mean that in a non-sexual kind of way. Kelly is a powerhouse, yet together on air, he stands his ground as a solid, funny anchor.
I agree! Kelly needs to be promoted back to the main anchor seat and co-anchor with Demarco Morgan. I think they would both bring wtvj ratings up. Remember Kelly Craig & Tom Randles? Now they made a good team!